From the General Sessions: Global Game Changers: Innovative Leaders on the Frontlines
"Relationships are the new innovations." Sheldon Cuffie, vice president of information risk management for Northwestern Mutual, made this statement as he discussed the role of leaders in innovative businesses. Cuffie joined Chris Carr, executive vice president of North America licensed stores for Starbucks Coffee; Cindy Kent, president and general manager of the drug delivery systems division of 3M; Eddie Meyers, regional president of PNC Bank and Tyronne Stoudemire, vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer for Hyatt in the Thursday General Session, "Global Game Changers: Innovative Leaders on the Frontlines." Using stories from experiences throughout their careers, the panel began their discussion by defining innovation. "Innovation is not just the creation of something new, it is also improving something that already exists," points out Carr. It is also important to include front line employees – the baristas at Starbucks – early in the process of innovation. "While it is important to be willing to take risks, we are able to mitigate the risks by relying on their knowledge of our customers," he says. Another way to mitigate risk is to test ideas. Carr describes the "testing districts" maintained by Starbucks that enables new ideas to be implemented within 48 hours to garner immediate feedback from employees and customers. Kent discussed the importance of creating relationships by letting people get to know you. "Culturally, we are taught to keep our personal life outside the workplace, but in many businesses, the corporate culture is based on relationships that rely on some knowledge of each other’s personal life." Whether the conversations center around sports, children, travel or music, it is important to let people know you, in order to build trust that leads to a great relationship, she adds. When asked if diversity matters in innovative leadership, Meyers was emphatic that it matters, but it goes beyond color. "Successful companies and successful leaders need a diversity of color, age, gender, background, education and experience," he says. "We need thought diversity and that only exists if an organization includes people from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives." During a discussion about the importance of talking in small groups with employees to gain insight into morale and staff perspective during a time of transition, Stoudemire points out the need to gain insight in different ways because the higher up you move in a company, the less likely people are willing to talk honestly with you. By soliciting input and advice from small groups, asking what they have heard or observed, a leader has a chance to learn what needs to be better communicated. He adds, "Eighty percent of what is said about you, will be said when you are not in the room." |
|
Print this articleNational Black MBA Association, Inc. ® | 400 W. Peachtree St. NW, Suite 203 | Atlanta, GA 30308 www.nbmbaa.org |