Rapid Response: Why take on a turnaround, w/Magic Leap’s Peggy Johnson

Motivation

Peggy Johnson's decision to leave Microsoft for Magic Leap was driven by her ambition to become a CEO, a role she had long aspired to. Despite the challenges Magic Leap faced, including talks of bankruptcy, Peggy saw an opportunity to lead and transform the company, drawing parallels to the mobile phone revolution she experienced at Qualcomm 1. She believed in the potential of augmented reality (AR) and was motivated by the chance to turn Magic Leap's tarnished brand into something special.

I had an ambition to be a CEO, and I had long held it. I was 25 years at Qualcomm and then six years at Microsoft, which were amazing years at arguably one of the best jobs out there in the tech industry. But I really wanted to make that jump and be a CEO.

--- Peggy Johnson

Her move also highlighted the ongoing challenges women face in securing CEO positions, as she noted that women are often evaluated on their performance rather than potential 1.

   

Remote Leadership

Taking on the CEO role at Magic Leap during the pandemic presented unique challenges for Peggy Johnson, particularly in leading and managing remotely. She had to navigate her new position without having met her team or board members in person, which was an unusual experience 2. Despite these hurdles, Peggy embraced the opportunity to guide Magic Leap through its pivot to enterprise solutions, believing in the technology's potential to redefine computing 3.

It was the middle of a pandemic, as we all know. And that, I have to say, was an odd experience to step into a CEO role. Having never met any of the team that I was going to be leading, having never met any of the board members that interviewed me, it was different, but we got through it.

--- Peggy Johnson

Operating mostly from Colorado while Magic Leap is based in Florida, she adapted to the remote work environment, visiting the office occasionally and meeting employees gradually 3.