I only just recently learned about the history of “The Traitorous Eight” whose ambition and success were arguably the genesis of Silicon Valley [1]. These were eight scientists and engineers who founded Fairchild Semiconductor, a company that built silicon-based semiconductors and integrated circuits. The Eight allegedly became traitors after quitting their jobs at Shockley Semiconductor, a company founded by the Nobel Prize laureate, William Shockley. As an observer, learner and practitioner of leadership, I was very curious about what would drive these eight talented scientists to stop working for such a brilliant person. Shockley was an inventor of the transistor (the basis for microchips, which today are ubiquitous in electronics) but despite having a uniquely accomplished leader in Shockley, these Eight had rejected his micromanagement and mistrustful, erratic approach