ConantLeadership

"How can I help?" When I lost my job at General Mills years ago, these four little words were a lifeline, and they transformed my life and leadership journey. In the wake of getting fired, the very first time I called my outplacement counselor, Neil MacKenna, he answered the phone with "How can I help?" I was a stranger to him but he immediately made me feel heard and empowered to take action on my job search. My relationship with Neil kickstarted my journey to greater leadership success and fulfillment and to my ultimately becoming President of Nabisco Foods and CEO of Campbell Soup Company. Soon after meeting Neil, I learned that he opened every conversation, every phone call, almost every interaction, with those four little words, "how can I help?' And this pre-dated cell-phones and caller ID. He didn't need to know who was one the other side of the phone; every single person was worthy of his time and attention, he wanted to know how he could help, no matter who you were. His example changed me profoundly. Neil made every person feel special, and endeavored to be helpful every moment of every day, with everyone. He has inspired my entire approach to leadership since. I only hope my legacy of contribution can begin to approach that standard. So I try to start more conversations with those four little words, "How can I help?" Immediately, these words take the focus off me and shift the topic to the other party. It's another small way that we as leaders can practice "people first" leadership. https://lnkd.in/eJvY9F8 #LeadershipThatWorks #PeopleFirst #LeadershipTips

I often talk about the importance of being deeply anchored in your own core leadership beliefs, but it's been a little while since I've shared some of my own. Here are four of my core beliefs that inform everything I do as a leader. 1. PEOPLE FIRST. I believe, above all else, that PEOPLE come first. When I was a CEO, I was sitting in the corner office when I realized I wasn't making any of the decisions; the organization was. I was totally dependent upon them, and we are all dependent on others, so we better honor them and put them first. We can't get much done if we don't rely on each other. 2. WIN IN THE WORKPLACE. Another of my core beliefs is that you must win in the workplace before you can win in the marketplace in an enduring way. Why? You have to have a healthy workplace or you can't sustain the effort in a highly competitive world. This relates directly to the first belief, that leadership is all about the people. Take care of them and they'll take care of you. 3. LEADERSHIP IS BOTH/AND. I believe it's essential to be both tough minded on standards of performance and kind-hearted with people. You need to be tough in order to compete in a very competitive world, and at the same time, it's equally essential that you are kind-hearted with the people who are on the journey with you. Leadership is never an either/or endeavor. It's always both: tough-minded on standards AND kind-hearted with people. 4. LEAD FROM IN FRONT. Another of my core beliefs is that you must lead from in front. You have to ‘pull a Gandhi,’ is what I say; you have to 'be the change you want to see in the world.' If you're not in perfect harmony with your beliefs and your aspirations in a way that is clearly evident to those with whom you work, you're on a slippery slope to losing trust and losing the confidence of your team. So act with integrity. Be one with your message. Those are just a handful of the beliefs that anchor me every day. (I've got more than a dozen.) And I know these tenets can help other leaders too, even if it's just useful in stimulating your thinking about your own core beliefs. What about you? I'd love to hear some of your grounding beliefs if you're open to sharing them here. #Leadership #CoreBeliefs #Purpose #PeopleFirst

We need to expand our understanding of what leadership can be. In fact, I believe we need to evolve the way we talk and think about it. I call the type of leadership that is needed today, 'Higher Ground' leadership and it's predicated on two simple needs: The need for profound *depth* and transcendent *reach.* This approach requires looking inward first; it means we must dig deep to build an unshakeable foundation that supports our sky-high ambitions for ourselves, our organizations, and our world. It really all comes down to this idea: The deeper our self-knowledge, the more expansive our reach. The goal is to generate impact that reaches across people, time, and space. With the right tools and systems, we can create the conditions for enduring reach that extends past the narrow frame of the present moment and into the vast unknown of the future. We can reach past the four walls of our own experiences and into the hearts and minds of the people we're leading. I've seen it, I've lived it, and I know it is possible. It all starts with looking inward. https://lnkd.in/gnZK-Jby #HigherGroundLeadership #HumanLeadership #FutureofWork

This year, I added two new tenets to my list of essentials for "leadership that works." One is 'Creativity.' As the world changes rapidly, leaders must champion more creative solutions to new and complex problems and find ever-evolving means of innovation. The other is 'Kindness.' Leaders must be compassionate, unconditionally considerate, and generous in spirit. If the anxiety of the world increases, a leader’s kindness must expand in equal measure. You can find all twelve of my tenets here: https://lnkd.in/gWChfsjQ What would you add? #LeadershipThatWorks #HigherGround #Kindness #Creativity

This spring, as I celebrated 50 years of leading people, I explicitly added the guiding value of "kindness" to my essential tenets of "leadership that works." It was a long overdue addition. While I've always championed a "people first" approach to leadership, I felt it was time to be even more clear on this front. In a world that seemingly gets harsher and more unforgiving with each news cycle, and in an environment that often beckons us towards cruelty and uplifts callous models of leadership, it is more important than ever to lead with humanity. It is my fervent belief that naked self-interest may earn you short-term wins. But enduring success comes from a spirit of generosity and compassion. Now is the time to say loudly, proudly, that ‘People First’ is the path forward. And to put people first, you must lead with kindness. https://lnkd.in/ef5fuqa #BeKind #KindnessWins #LeadershipThatWorks #PeopleFirst #FutureofWork

In a recent interview, I was asked, "What is the mark of a truly transformative leader?" Loved this question and I definitely have a point of view: I think a truly transformative leader never stops learning and never stops growing. You can't be stuck in an old paradigm. I've seen this play out repeatedly across all sectors, from government, to private businesses, to nonprofits, to academia—leaders get stuck in old paradigms while the world moves forward. In contrast, a transformative leader recognizes the importance of a growth mindset and meets each day, and each challenge, with genuine curiosity. And that curiosity is critical to their success. It’s a good rule of thumb that you never want to be the smartest person in the room. As my friend Jim Donald says, "If you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room.’ So you want to surround yourself with people who you can learn and grow with and also approach the work with perseverance. When things get tough, you need the fortitude to put one foot in front of the other, and remain true to the aspirations you have for the enterprise. And then to stay curious throughout it all. That's the mark of transformative leader as opposed to a more traditional leader. https://lnkd.in/gnZK-Jby What about you, how would you define it? #changeleadership #leadershipthatworks #highergroundleadership