---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We need business leaders who have a…"
description: "\"We need business leaders who have a respect for technical issues even if they don't have technical backgrounds. In a lot of U.S. industries, including ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b9/edwin-catmull-5340_attitude_we-need-business-leaders-who-have-a-resp_1145483.png"
---

#  We need business leaders who have a respect for technical…

![“We need business leaders who have a respect for technical issues even if they don't have technical backgrounds. In a lot of U.S. industries, including cars and even computers, many managers don't think of technology as a core competency, and this attitude leads them to farm out technical issues.” quote by Edwin Catmull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b9/edwin-catmull-5340_attitude_we-need-business-leaders-who-have-a-resp_1145483.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b9/edwin-catmull-5340_attitude_we-need-business-leaders-who-have-a-resp_1145483.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b9/edwin-catmull-5340_attitude_we-need-business-leaders-who-have-a-resp_1145483.png)

> “We need business leaders who have a respect for technical issues even if they don't have technical backgrounds. In a lot of U.S. industries, including cars and even computers, many managers don't think of technology as a core competency, and this attitude leads them to farm out technical issues.”

[Edwin Catmull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-catmull/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Leaders should value technical expertise even without a technical background, as ignoring it can harm core competency.

**In simple terms:** Leaders need respect for tech.

Key Takeaway

Respect tech, avoid outsourcing core issues.

Themes

leadership technology management competency

Mood

thoughtful concerned

Type

advisory strategic

When to use this quote

- product development
- manufacturing
- IT strategy
- cross‑functional teams

Key Concepts

technical literacy strategic alignment

Questions to Reflect On

- How can non‑technical leaders stay informed about tech trends?
- What processes ensure technical decisions are vetted?

A Different Perspective

Technical issues may be too complex for non‑technical leaders to oversee effectively.

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