Padmasree Warrior, one of Silicon Valley's best-known technology executives, shifted industries in 2016 to be part of the global competition to develop electric automobiles. Several months after leaving her position as chief technology officer at Cisco Systems Inc., she joined the Chinese electric auto startup, NextEv Inc., that became NIO USA Inc. Warrior was appointed as the company's U.S. chief executive officer and head of software development.

The Indian-born Warrior said that she was looking to enter a new field after her days at Cisco where her 30 years of technology experience would be relevant. "I wanted to be part of creating something that is bigger and different," she said. When Warrior joined NIO, the company had not yet produced electric cars for the consumer market. NIO, however, had developed a single-passenger race car that had competed in major racing events for electric vehicles. The company plans to sell its electric cars first in China, then branch into other markets, and then move into the U.S. market. NIO is intent on competing directly with Tesla.

Warrior's experience and values fit well into the NIO's mission, which reads in part: "Our aspiration is to shape an exciting lifestyle for our users by delivering next-generation connected vehicles. We are a company dedicated to becoming a user enterprise that transforms vehicle ownership to a pure delight. We are passionate about user experience." Warrior envisioned developing a new mode of transportation that leverages all of the technology advances that have been incorporated into the Internet and mobile devices.

As the leader of NIO USA, Warrior was committed to creating a culture that outlasts changes in technology. The culture should be passionate about starting a movement in an industry with a hundred-year legacy. She envisioned the new culture to be international in scope, sparked by smart people who work collaboratively to combine their experiences from different specialties. She believes that hiring great talent is the leader's job. Warrior handpicked the first 100 hires to NIO USA. A key selection criterion was whether the candidate was passionate about developing a car that will be the smartest device people will own. She contends that passion is more important than years in a job when selecting among job candidates. "In my book, tech chops + drive + hunger to learn scores over experience any day."

In December 2018, Warrior left NIO USA to found and become CEO and president of Fable Group Inc., a social platform for book clubs. The vision for Fable is to bring the world of stories to all people. The mission of Fable is to deliver the world's best social experiences with exceptional service of mental wellness. Fable can be considered a social media app for book lovers. Warrior believes that she is creating a social platform that is less controversial than several of the best-known social media websites. She said, "I love reading, and I always haveso I'm applying everything thing I've learned in the tech industry into what we call a tech company with the soul of an artist."

Warrior says that as a leader she is passionate about technology, entrepreneurship, and global business. She says that she is a tireless advocate on behalf of women in technology. Warrior advises young people to take risks in their career. She says, "A lot of people stay in the same industry sometimes for their entire lives." From her viewpoint, it is better to go after new opportunities and take new challenges, and see what else you can do with your career.

Source: Original story created from facts and observations in the following sources: Maria Aspan, "Can Former CISCO Chief Technology Officer Padmasree Warrior Build a Better Social Network for Book Lovers?" Fortune (www.urtune,com), January 14, 2012, pp. 1-6; "Padmasree Warrior: Founder, CEO and President. Fable Group Inc.," Microsoft (https://news.microsoft.com), 2021, pp. 1-2; Sarah Buhar, "Padmasree Warrior On Why She Chose To Take On Her New Role AS NextEv CEO," TC (httpos://techcrunch.com), December 16, 2015. pp. 1-5; Claire Dodson, "The Road Warrior: Padmasree Warrior," Fast Company, May 2016, p. 20; Don Clark, "Warrior Joins Electric-Car Startup," The Wall Street Journal, December 16, 2015, p. B5;

To what extent to do think that Warrior was taking on too big a risk by trying to be competitive in the electric car business?

To what extent to do think that Warrior was taking on too big a risk by trying to be competitive in the social platform business?

Which personality-related leadership traits does Warrior appear to demonstrate?

Which cognitive skills does Warrior possess that were particularly relevant in her role as CEO of NIO and then Fable?

What is your evaluation of Warrior's belief that passion about electric cars and technology skills are more important than experience in hiring people to work at the company?