Name: Target's CEO Brian Cornells Leadership Advice
Uploaded: 2019-12-11
Duration: 3 min 20 s
Description: Target CEO Brian Cornell explains his plan to reinvigorate the company.

 Brian, when you became CEO of Target, the company was dealing with a very serious data and credit card breach that impacted millions of target customers. What was the most important lesson you learned through that experience about what it takes for a leader to succeed in a time of turmoil? I think in a time like that you've got to give the organization a sense of direction, a sense of clarity. You've got to lay out priorities. They need to understand what's important. And you can't repeat that message enough. And the other thing that was going on for you is with your hiring this was the first time that Target turned to an outsider to be CEO. So what did you have to do to earn the trust inside the company with employees and rebuild trust with customers and also with investors? I think the most important thing I had to do was spend time listening-- listening to the team, understanding where they were, asking great questions, and really making sure they knew I was there to support them, and that I respected their point of, view and I was going to look to them to educate me. And now you're in a position that you're trying to reinvent Target. You're trying to boost sales. And for as good as your vision is, what are you doing to get everyone at Target aligned behind these goals? What do you have to do? One of the lessons I've learned over the years-- it's really easy to design a strategy. It looks great in a boardroom, those PowerPoint presentations, those beautiful slides. But it all comes down to execution and outcomes. And ultimately, those plans have to be owned by the team. It always comes down to people. Yeah. Let me talk to you about that. Because many CEOs who I talk to say, no matter how good you are as a CEO, you really have to develop the leadership mentality inside the company. So what are you doing at Target to get everybody onboard and to be thinking like leaders and taking the initiative to try new things? Well, we're really trying to make sure there's great accountability throughout the organization, that the team knows the impact that they can have, the importance of the work we're doing right now. Because ultimately, the team's going to create the Target of tomorrow. Brian, as you look back at your career and the many years that you worked at Pepsi, and Safeway, and now at Target, what's the best leadership advice that you've ever received? And why has it resonated with you over all these years? I think the most important lesson that I've learned and that's been shared with me is, at the end of the day, it always comes down to the people. Anytime I hear, well, this is Brian's idea or Brian's plan, I know we have a problem. But when the pronouns change, when it's our plan, when it's our initiative, when it's what we're going to do, that's what the magic happens. That's when you know people have really embraced the mission. They are bought in. They own it. And when the pronoun changes from Brian's plan or the company's plan to what we're going to do and our business and our plan, that's when I know we're on the right track. And right now, we're on the right track a Target. 

Target's CEO Brian Cornells Leadership Advice

Leadership

Target CEO Brian Cornell explains his plan to reinvigorate the company.

Brian, When you became CEO of Target, the company was dealing with a very serious data and credit card breach that impacted millions of target customers. What was the most important lesson you learned to that experience about what it takes for a leader to succeed in a time of turmoil. I think in a time like that, you've got to give the organization a sense of direction, a sense of clarity. You gotta lay out priorities. They need to understand what's important, and you can't repeat that message enough. And the other thing that was going on for you is with your hiring. This was the first time that Target turned to an outsider to be CEO. So what did you have to do to earn the trust inside the company with employees and rebuild trust with customers and also with investors? I think the most important thing I had to do would spend time listening, listening to the team, understanding where they were asking great questions and really making sure they knew I was there to support them and that I respected their point of view and I was gonna look to them to educate me. And now you're in a position that you're trying to reinvent target. You're trying to boost sales. And for as good as your vision is, what are you doing to get everyone a target aligned behind these goals? What do you have to do? One of the lessons I've learned over the years it's really easy to design a strategy. It looks great in a boardroom, those power point presentations, those beautiful slides. But it all comes down to execution and outcomes, and ultimately those plans have to be owned by the team. It always comes down to people. Yeah, let me talk to you about that. Because many CEOs who I talk to say no matter how good you are as a CEO, you really have to develop the leadership mentality inside the company. So what are you doing at Target? To get everybody on board and to be thinking like leaders and taking the initiative to try new things? Well, we're really trying to make sure there's great accountability throughout the organization, that the team knows the impact that they can have the importance of the work we're doing right now because ultimately the team's gonna create the target of tomorrow. Brian, As you look back at your career and the many years that you worked at Pepsi and Safeway and now at Target, what's the best leadership advice that you've ever received? And why has it resonated with you over all these years? I think the most important lesson that I've learned and that's been shared with me is that the end of the day it always comes down to the people Any time I hear Well, this is Brian's idea or Brian's plan. I know we have a problem, but when the pronounced change, when it's our plan, when it's our initiative, when it's what we're gonna do, that's when the magic happens. That's when you know people have really embraced the mission they are bought in, they own it. And when the pronoun changes from Brian's plan or the company's plan, what we're going to do and our business and our plan, that's when I know we're on the right track, and right now we're on the right track of target.