Opportunity Unlocked

Former CEO of AutoNation, COO of USAA, CEO of 24Hour Fitness Carl Liebert - How to Evaluate Career Opportunities, Enthusiasm as a Force Multiplier of Success, Leading Companies Through Crises Like 9/11

July 07, 2020 Noah Ifergan
Opportunity Unlocked
Former CEO of AutoNation, COO of USAA, CEO of 24Hour Fitness Carl Liebert - How to Evaluate Career Opportunities, Enthusiasm as a Force Multiplier of Success, Leading Companies Through Crises Like 9/11
Show Notes

Carl Liebert is a global business executive with more than 30 years of experience leading powerhouse organizations. He served as Executive VP and COO at USAA, the Fortune 100 company offering financial services for US military members and their families, where he led their business strategy and various subdivisions of the company which themselves drove $28 billion in annual revenue. 

Before his time there, Carl served as President and CEO of 24-Hour Fitness, overseeing the operations of 415 fitness clubs across the US and Asia. He was also Executive VP for The Home Depot, managing the operations of more than 2,000 international stores. He held additional leadership roles at Circuit City and General Electric, and most recently, Carl served as the CEO and President of AutoNation, the largest automotive retailer in the US. 

Before Carl started his career in the business world, he was a Naval Officer in the US Navy and is now actively involved in many organizations that support the navy and cancer research. 

Carl has fought through many crises throughout his career as an executive including the 2008 financial, Hurricane Katrina, and 9/11. The stories of the human-driven responses he’s seen are inspiring and have informed the amazingly positive perspective he has on what is happening in the world today. 

Discussion Highlights:  

  • (1:08) The story of his career.  
  • (4:23) What inspires him in a leader / company.  
  • (5:39) Optimism as a core component of his mindset.  
  • (9:13) Mentality through crises in the past.  
  • (11:38) Story: Circuit City during 9/11.  
  • (17:18) Crisis offering the opportunity to break the rules and a "license to move with speed”.  
  • (20:49) Inspiring stories of responses by small businesses.  
  • (25:52) Breaking the standards of bureaucratic industries like healthcare, finance.  
  • (29:39) The attitude we need to create a better future.  

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