Growth Mindset

This is competitive leadership. Taking the lead in the marketplace versus following. It’s a positive attitude about the company’s future – glass half-full – but it’s realistic. It’s passion for winning. Winning defined as gaining market share. It’s placing a fresh emphasis on innovation – challenging the status quo.

  1. Has a passion for winning – asks “how can we be better than the competition; how can we be the best?”
  2. Seeks fresh opportunities – has a healthy dissatisfaction with the status quo, insisting on innovation; never settles for “good enough.”
  3. Ambitious for growth – prepared to take on challenging work outside own comfort zone.
  4. Constantly builds capabilities for growth.

Consumer and Customer Focus

This is purpose-driven leadership. It’s externally focused – on consumers, on customers. First take care of consumers and customers; financial performance will follow. It’s a heightened passion for the consumer: “I firmly believe in improving the lives of consumers.” It’s bringing the voice of the consumer and the customer into everything we do. It’s seeing our brands through their eyes.

  1. Has a passion for improving the lives of consumers – understands how own work helps to create better futures, everyday.
  2. Brings the voice of the consumer into everything we do – sees things through their eyes, ensuring consumer insights guide all our decisions.
  3. Externally focused – goes the extra mile in order to exceed consumer and customer expectations.
  4. Whatever his/her work is, always looks for better ways to serve consumers and customers.

Bias for Action

This is action-driven leadership: “This is what I will do.” It’s speed and sense of urgency in making decisions. But it needs to be thoughtful action, intelligent risk-taking. Also it’s not wasting time on bureaucracy – it’s output that counts. And it’s simplifying my agenda, carefully choosing priorities – and not taking on too much.

  1. Brings a sense of urgency to getting things done – avoids over-debating or over-analyzing issues.
  2. Prepared to take tough decisions without delay – then galvanized people to move forward.
  3. Results-focused, as opposed to just process-focused – keeps the end goal in sight at all times.
  4. Drives simplification in the company – gets rid of non-value-added complexity.

Accountability and Responsibility

This is performance-driven leadership: “I will deliver against KPIs, holding myself to the highest standards. I will also hold other people accountable – first by setting clear expectations and then by telling them if they are on the right path.” It’s staring reality in the eye – doing it with numbers. It’s taking responsibility for company’s overall performance, not just by delivering my results but by helping other people deliver their results. Finally, it’s personally driving change and using operational discipline to deliver on the promise.

  1. Makes commitments and holds self accountable for delivery – sees things through, even when the going gets tough.
  2. Takes pride in delivering work to the highest standards – acknowledges when things are not up to scratch.
  3. Lets people know clearly, on the front end, what he or she expects performance-wise.
  4. Holds people accountable – doesn’t let them off the hook.
  5. Acts with courage – not afraid to step in early or stand their ground, even if it’s difficult or unpopular.

Building Talent and Teams (People Managers)

This is people-driven leadership: It’s passion for people. It’s having the best people in the right positions, whatever the person’s gender or background. It’s giving people plenty of room to do their part, and recognizing them for their contributions. It’s investing in people’s development – giving them feedback and challenging work. It’s also constantly challenging myself to grow and improve. And it’s building aligned, cohesive teams that pull together to win.

  1. Inspires through action – leads by example rather than words.
  2. Challenges people to do their best work and will settle for nothing less.
  3. Invests in people – coaches individuals/teams to realize their full potential.
  4. Drives effective teamwork – spots the links and connects the right people to create aligned teams and better solutions.
  5. Always searching for the best talent.

Building Talent and Teams (Individual Contributors)

This is people-driven leadership. It’s passion for achieving results through great teamwork – ensuring that you and your colleagues are fully aligned, and drawing on one another’s strengths. “We are pulling together to make this happen.” It’s about giving people regular feedback on things done well plus improvement areas, and then asking for the same in return. And it’s about challenging yourself to grow – embracing new experiences, working outside your comfort zone and pushing yourself to the limit. ”

  1. Inspires through action – leads by example rather than words.
  2. Challenges the team – ensures that people are working to the same agenda, and drawing on one another’s strengths.
  3. Makes a point of delivering regular feedback – things done well as well as improvement areas – to team colleagues and the manager.
  4. Drives own development.

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