Tough Things First: Leadership Lessons from Silicon Valley's Longest Serving CEO

CHAPTER 4

The Body

When I pumped out three one-armed push-ups, the financial reporter had no more questions.

I was in my early sixties, still at Micrel’s helm despite lost eyesight and the seemingly endless suggestions that I stand down to pass leadership of the company to someone younger. The lingering suggestion was that I was past my sell-by date and was not robust enough to handle the rigors of managing a multinational, publicly traded enterprise. Most days I shrugged off the innuendos since they came from people unfamiliar with me or my self-discipline. They were simply unaware that in my sixties I was in better shape, more alert, and more deeply involved than entrepreneurs in their twenties.

Without help, I had traveled to the investors’ ...