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Igniting Passion

When Red Hat first approached me about taking the job as president and CEO, the recruiter leading the search tried to describe the company’s culture. He waxed on about the company’s vision and its motivated workforce. Then he paused and said, “Do you remember the scene in Blues Brothers where Dan Aykroyd says, ‘We’re on a mission from God?’ Red Hat kind of feels like that. These folks really believe they’re on a mission to change the world.” I nodded my head, figuring I knew what he meant. After all, I had been helping lead Delta Air Lines through its bankruptcy, which was one of the most difficult things I had ever done. I assumed that in that process, in which the entire workforce banded together to turn the airline around, ...

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