The Challenge
It’s not a new problem. The bigger you get, the slower the organization moves. Kellogg’s Europe is no different. It’s a behemoth of an organization with lofty annual goals and KPIs. To inspire the team responsible for driving growth from Moscow to Manchester, the leadership team of Kellogg’s Europe, led by its President David Lawlor, approached Courageous about participating in their annual leadership summit.
David and his team challenged us to inspire his team to stay fast, be smart, and be courageous.
The Courage
After a deep listening lap with nine direct reports across seven countries, it became clear that “what went up, did come down.” Decisions were working their way up the ladder, but quite often, the decision wasn’t made at the top. Why? Because those leaders on the executive team wanted to empower the recommender (who was closest to the business) to make the decision themselves. The executives truly wanted their managers to take action on their recommendations; and to do so without repercussions on whether or not their idea was a success or a learning opportunity. In preparation for our time together, we also posed a 6 question anonymous “Courageous Challenge” survey to all 200 leaders across Europe. The findings inspired our “Are You Courageous?” keynote and “Courageous conversation” panelist discussion that followed. Our job was to rally both sides and facilitate this hard conversation.
The Change
Kellogg’s Europe is Making It Happen. While the “It” might be different pending on what department or region the leader serves, the directive from the top was clear; you have the permission to make it happen so long as it remains in line with the values of Kellogg’s Europe. The leaders left feeling inspired with the right mindset to make courageous decisions across their portfolio of brands.
