Maynard Webb Quotes

Powerful Maynard Webb for Daily Growth

About Maynard Webb

Maynard H. Webb Jr., born on June 30, 1952, is an American businessman, philanthropist, and former CEO of eBay Inc. Known for his leadership, strategic vision, and commitment to social responsibility, Webb has had a significant impact on technology and philanthropy industries. Raised in San Francisco's Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood, Webb attended Lowell High School before earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley. He started his career at Bank of America, later moving to Intel Corporation where he rose through the ranks to become the company's Chief Information Officer. In 1998, Webb joined eBay as its COO and played a crucial role in its growth during the dot-com boom. After serving as CEO from 2005 to 2007, he remained on the board until 2016. His tenure at eBay was marked by his focus on customer service and corporate social responsibility. Webb is also recognized for his philanthropic efforts. He co-founded the Silicon Valley Community Foundation and served as its chairman from 2007 to 2018. Webb's philosophy of "doing well by doing good" has been instrumental in shaping many social impact initiatives, including helping low-income families gain access to technology, supporting education reform, and advocating for criminal justice reform. Throughout his career, Maynard Webb has been a respected voice on corporate governance and leadership. He is the author of "Rebooting Work: Transform How You Work In The Age Of Entrepreneurship" (2017), a book that offers insights into building more effective workplaces in today's fast-paced, entrepreneurial world. Today, Webb continues to serve on several boards, including Salesforce, Yahoo!, and the Stanford University Board of Trustees. His legacy remains rooted in bridging the gap between business success and social responsibility.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Leadership is not about being in charge. It's about taking care of those in your charge."

This quote by Maynard Webb emphasizes that leadership is not merely about wielding authority, but rather it is about ensuring the well-being and success of those under one's guidance. In essence, it underscores that a true leader's primary role is to nurture, support, and develop their team members for mutual growth and achievement.


"The best leaders create other leaders."

This quote emphasizes that great leaders foster an environment where they develop and empower others to become leaders as well. By creating a culture of leadership, they multiply their impact, build stronger teams, and help ensure the long-term success of their organizations. This approach leads to sustainable growth and positive change in both personal and professional spheres.


"If you want to be a good leader, you have to learn how to follow."

This quote suggests that effective leadership involves understanding and practicing both leadership and followership. By learning how to follow, one gains valuable skills such as collaboration, adaptability, and empathy – qualities crucial for successful leadership. It also implies humility and recognition of the importance of teamwork in achieving goals, which are essential for building trust and motivating others. In essence, being a good leader means knowing when to take charge and when to listen, learn, and work alongside your team members.


"If you don't take care of your employees, someone else will."

The quote emphasizes the importance of prioritizing employee welfare in a business or organizational setting. It implies that if an employer fails to look after their staff, other organizations will be quick to recognize the opportunity and offer better working conditions, ultimately leading to the loss of valuable talent. Therefore, taking care of employees is not just a matter of fairness but also a strategic move for maintaining a competitive workforce.


"The best teams are not those who agree on everything, but rather those who respect and trust each other enough to have the difficult conversations that lead to innovation and growth."

This quote emphasizes the importance of a team's ability to engage in challenging discussions as a catalyst for innovation and growth. A team that unanimously agrees on everything might lack diversity of thought, which can stifle creativity and progress. Instead, it's crucial to have a group where members respect and trust each other enough to discuss their disagreements openly, leading to the exploration of new ideas and solutions, ultimately driving innovation and fostering growth.


I consistently run into young adults who have quickly turned away from traditional jobs at great companies to try their hand at a start-up. I believe that some of this stems from the desire to strike it big like Mark Zuckerberg, but I also believe it is because starting a company has become far cooler than working in one.

- Maynard Webb

Big, Some, Stems, None

Jobs will come back when the economy recovers, but they will never be the same.

- Maynard Webb

Never, Will, Same, Recovers

I remember when being a 'a company man' was a badge of honor; today in Silicon Valley it may brand you a loser or, in the best case scenario, someone afraid to take risks. Ten years ago, if you saw a resume that had multiple jobs in ten years, you would be worried about the capability of the individual. Not so now.

- Maynard Webb

I Remember, Remember When, Brand

Independent contractors - a rapidly growing piece of the workforce - can often achieve the best quality of life. They can choose from where they work, whom they work for and for how long.

- Maynard Webb

Work, Independent, Achieve, Workforce

The best way to have your people be happy and satisfied is to earn the right to have them come back to work for you the next day, knowing that there are tons of other places.

- Maynard Webb

Next, Other, Best Way, Tons

I came out of retirement to run a start-up. Historically, I seldom used all of my vacation time, and the last sick day I took was in 1992. I am a sick puppy.

- Maynard Webb

Run, Last, Took, Vacation

It makes common sense to be managed by results and it's freeing to know you are in control of your own destiny. I'm so passionate about this because I have seen how merit-based judgment has helped create individual successes and yield a better system for everyone.

- Maynard Webb

Destiny, Passionate, Own, Common Sense

With sports, there's no entitlement on the field. It's about numbers. It's about results. It's about outcomes.

- Maynard Webb

Sports, Field, Outcomes, Entitlement

When it comes to work, there is a fear factor around meritocracy. People are afraid of being openly judged. However, when you know what you are being measured against, it's empowering.

- Maynard Webb

Work, Measured, However, Factor

We all know how the Internet has changed the lives of consumers: it's changed how we communicate, how we shop, how we meet people. It's changed things for businesses too.

- Maynard Webb

Communicate, Shop, Lives, Businesses

Technology, and applications of this technology, will continue to improve and evolve, providing unprecedented, global access to information, individuals, training, and opportunities.

- Maynard Webb

Will, Access, Providing, Unprecedented

By the time I got to be director of product management at Thomas-Conrad, I was in a better negotiating position, as I had accumulated more accomplishments and gained a reputation for having a great work ethic.

- Maynard Webb

Product, By The Time, Having, Negotiating

In talking to founder after founder; I've heard almost visceral reactions to working for companies, even very cool ones with great things to work on and lots of opportunity, like Facebook, Google, or consulting firms.

- Maynard Webb

Very, Visceral, Almost, Reactions

The most direct path to achievement whether you're an entrepreneur, a company executive, or a pro soccer player is to be a great performer and a great team member. This is also the secret to a meaningful career and self-fulfillment.

- Maynard Webb

Soccer, Career, Performer, Entrepreneur

All companies can benefit from fostering a more flexible environment (creating a place where the most talented, industrious, and entrepreneurial people want to work) and relinquishing hierarchical control to favor a results-oriented meritocracy.

- Maynard Webb

Work, More, Fostering, Hierarchical

The notions of going to work, putting in set hours, and getting 'face time' are increasingly antiquated ideas. Because of technology we have entered a modern era of work where we can work from wherever we want, whenever we want and we can be more productive and make greater contributions than ever before.

- Maynard Webb

Increasingly, Putting, Wherever

It's fantastic that the world is becoming more open to different ways of working, but we still have a long way to go in terms of changing perceptions.

- Maynard Webb

More, Becoming, Still, Perceptions

There's never been a better time to change the way you think. Replace every 'I can't' with 'How can I?' It might sound like semantics, but I promise it will bring whatever you want to accomplish much closer to becoming a reality.

- Maynard Webb

Sound, Been, Becoming, Semantics

I used to pride myself on being the first in the office in the morning and one of the last to leave at night. Now, that's so dated: It's not about effort, it's about outcomes.

- Maynard Webb

Myself, Night, Last, Dated

There's a false notion that success is a zero sum game. To win in our careers we have to give up family. To work hard we have to sacrifice sleep. To accomplish we must take (or borrow or steal) from somewhere else in our lives. It's just not the case.

- Maynard Webb

Game, Steal, Sum, Borrow

I love using the latest technologies to make life more efficient, but I don't want to advocate that technology replaces the need to get together and enjoy human connections with people.

- Maynard Webb

Love, Efficient, Using, Connections

I know the rewards of focusing on innovation and outcomes as opposed to hours. I've been fortunate to work with brilliant entrepreneurs who didn't have years of experience, and yet they changed the world.

- Maynard Webb

Innovation, Hours, Opposed, Rewards

As a technologist, I'm obsessed with searching for the next killer app.

- Maynard Webb

Next, Obsessed, App, Killer

I am thoroughly enjoying spending the majority of my time with entrepreneurs. I find that their enthusiasm, dedication, willingness to take huge risks and desire to make a dramatic impact quite inspiring.

- Maynard Webb

Entrepreneurs, Inspiring, Willingness

There are lots of jobs in search of talent. And there's lots of talent in search of meaningful work.

- Maynard Webb

Work, Search, Lots, Meaningful

Working harder is not a sustainable solution and it's not how people meet their destiny. It's time to get more creative. Instead of choosing one thing we love over something else we love, we must ask, 'how can I do both?' And, then, we can find solutions.

- Maynard Webb

Love, Destiny, Sustainable, Choosing

Flexibility has become a modern day value that everyone wants. But flexibility comes with a cost.

- Maynard Webb

Flexibility, Modern, Cost

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