Name: How Dow Chemicals CEO Plans to Lead During the DuPont Merger
Uploaded: 2020-01-03
Duration: 3 min 38 s
Description: Andrew Liveris shares his thoughts.

 Andrew, you have been working at Dow Chemical for 40 years, and 11 of them as CEO. So during this whole time, what would you say you've learned about what it takes to be a successful leader? I think, to be a successful leader-- especially to be a successful CEO-- you have to reinvent yourself constantly. I'm on my fourth version of myself, and this fourth reinvention of myself measured to be a continuous learner and be willing to embrace inputs, criticisms, if you like, emperor wears no clothes. You work harder. You try to work smarter. You're everywhere. You're ubiquitous. You engage at the factory level. You make sure you don't lose touch with your customers, you're in touch with your shareholders, and you're managing a board. These many dynamics on your daily schedule means you have to have energy, passion, and judgment. And you're soon to become executive chairman of the new DowDuPont, as result of the merger. And there's going to be a lot of change going on in these two organizations. In your new role, what are you going to have to do to motivate and inspire all of these employees? You've got to actually keep it simple for everyone, and basically protect them from the complexity. That means focus on your job within the context of the mission of the enterprise. Are you going to be hiring different kinds of people because of the massive changes that are going on? Absolutely, totally. I'm just as likely today to hire a history major, a physics major as I am a chemical engineer. And what that is is the mixture of skills and the overwhelming skill of being entrepreneurial, agile, empowered. Those sorts of skills typically come with youth, but also retraining the people that are of experience. And what about on the executive level? As you are mentoring your senior executives, what are you telling them that they need to do to be leaders? Look around not just one corner, but two corners. Learn how to play chess-- not two-dimensional chess, not three-dimensional chess-- four-dimensional chess. Strategize in the moment. Know your North Star. Know where you're going, but understand that, in the moment, there are perturbances and volatilities. Adjust, be nimble, know the direction. Make the changes that have to be made, and decide. Your job is to decide. Don't come to me with a problem that you haven't thought of a solution. Kill white papers. Kill presentations. Engage. Look people in the eyes and be truthful. Live the values. Stay steady under crisis. Don't emote to the high side or the low side. Stay calm. People are looking at you every moment. Recognize that, in a Twitter world, there are no secrets. So be private. Make sure that you keep things focused with the wisdom you have, and teach as you go. Wow, that's just amazing. And I'm sure, in your four decades at Dow, you also got a lot of leadership advice. What's the best leadership advice that you ever got, and why did it resonate with you? Came from a customer in the Far East, and basically, taught me that the way you should conduct yourself-- you should think about the three pillars of society-- relationship, logic, law. Don't let law drive logic, drive relationship. Let your relationship, your word, your bond, how you conduct yourself, drive what you do. That stuck with me forever. I became a relationship-driven businessman. 

How Dow Chemicals CEO Plans to Lead During the DuPont Merger

Leadership

and you have been working a Dow chemical for 40 years and 11 of them as CEO. So during this whole time, what would you say? You've learned about what it takes to be a successful leader. I think, to be a successfully, especially because we'll see you have to reinvent yourself constantly. I'm on my fourth version of myself, and this fourth reinvention of myself means you have to be a continuous learning and be willing to embrace input criticisms if you like. Improv is no clothes. You work harder, You try to work smarter. You're everywhere. Ubiquitous. You engage at the factory level. You make sure you don't lose touch with your customers, you're in touch with your shareholders and you're managing aboard these many dynamics on your daily schedule. Okay? Means you have to have energy, passion and judgment. And your soon to become executive chairman off the new Dow DuPont is results of the merger, and there's gonna be a lot of change going on in these two organizations in your new role. What are you gonna have to do to motivate and inspire all of these employees? You gotta actually keep it simple for everyone and basically protect them from the complexity that means focus on your job within the context of the mission of the enterprise. Are you gonna be hiring different kinds of people because of the massive changes that are going on? Absolute totally time is just as likely today. Toe higher history major a physics major, as I am a chemical engineer and what what that is, is the mixture of skills and the overwhelming skill of being entrepreneurial, agile, empowered. Those sorts of skills typically come with youth, but also retraining the people that air of experience. And what about on the executive level as you're mentoring your senior executives? What are you telling them that they need to do to be leaders? Look around not just one corner, but two corners. Learn how to play chess, not two dimensional chess, not three dimensional, just four dimensional chess. Strategize in the moment. No, you know Starr know where you're going, but understand that in the moment they're pater Vince's volatilities adjust. Be nimble, know the direction, make the changes that have to be made and decide your job is to decide. Don't come to me with a problem that you haven't thought of a solution. Kill white papers killed presentations Engage! Look, people in the eyes would be truthful. Live the values. Stay steady on the crisis. Don't emote to the high side All the low side Stay calm, Okay? People are looking at you every moment. Recognize that in a Twitter world there are no secrets. So be private. Make sure that you keep things focused with the wisdom you have and teaches you go. Wow, that's that's just amazing. And I'm sure in your four decades at Tao, you also got a lot of leadership advice. Let the best leadership advice that you ever got. And why did it resonate with you? Came from a customer in the Far East. And basically he told me that the way you should conduct yourself, you should think about the three pillars of society relationship logic law. Don't let Law Dr Logic, Dr Relationship Let your relationship your word, your bond, how you conduct yourself, Dr what you do that stuck with me forever. I became a relationship driven businessman