Powerful Send-off

Former CEO John Chambers made some powerful friends over his 20-year reign as Cisco's leader -- growing the company from a $1.2 billion business to $47 billion in fiscal year 2015.

As Chambers stepped aside from his leadership role on July 26, renowned leaders such as President Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Henry Kissinger, General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt and retired U.S. Army General Colin Powell weigh in on Chambers' leadership, character and legacy in a video created by Cisco. Chambers' new role at Cisco will be executive chairman of the board, with a focus on security.

Here's what 10 of the world's most powerful leaders said about the "Southern gentleman," John Chambers.