United States
8 min read

Lisa Su

AMD
CEO
Contributors
Phoenix Baker
Product Manager
Lana Steiner
Product Designer
Drew Cano
Frontend Engineer
Subscribe to our newsletter
Read about our privacy policy.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Situational Background

Lisa Su, AMD’s CEO since 2014 (chair since 2022), is noted for disciplined focus, evidence-first candour, and quiet confidence. She chooses a few important bets, finishes them, and communicates in plain numbers and commitments. Su builds credibility through steady delivery and respectful, direct feedback. Distinctive for turning complexity into simple, testable goals, she models patience, clarity, and resilience—transferable to any results-driven context.

Practical Leadership Principles

1) Focus and finish.


Choose less, execute more.
Behaviours to model:

  • Publish the top three priorities only.
  • Set clear “done” criteria.
  • Kill one distraction each quarter.

2) Candour with respect.


Tell the truth kindly and early.
Behaviours to model:

  • Start reviews with facts, then implications.
  • Give specific, actionable feedback.
  • Own misses; share fixes.

3) Confidence without noise.


Let steady progress replace hype.
Behaviours to model:

  • Share simple scorecards.
  • Acknowledge risks openly.
  • Credit teams generously.

Call to action

Name one priority to accelerate, one to stop, and one conversation for candid feedback. Write the “done” test and timeline.