Name: This CEO Says Taking Smart Risks Leads to Breakthrough Performances
Uploaded: 2018-04-25
Duration: 4 min 40 s
Description: VF Corporation's Steve Rendle says that taking risks may be a scary word to some, but really should be viewed as seizing opportunities.

[ MUSIC ] Steve, you've been CEO of VF Corp now for a year. What's the most important leadership lesson that you've learned so far? You have to be very articulate around the vision that you have, where you want to go And then work with your team to really break that down into sound bites. We call that strategy, choices, if that organization is able to align around. You've been making a lot of changes at VF, you've been and selling brands. You've been changing the senior leadership How do you motivate people at Vf to change with you? And also to execute the vision that you're heading out on? To get people to come along with you in a big leadership change is you have to be really clear on the vision. But you also have to show them that you're willing to get in and work with them on it. It's around empowering them in helping them understand what their specific role And then through empowerment comes accountability. And you know, this is your area to work. This is your piece of the overall puzzle. And when it all comes together, being able to constantly communicate and give prove points against how we're progressing against our strategy, what's working and, you know, what will we do more of? What didn't work? What did we learn? But in the end, you've gotta get down into the conversation, be part of it, and show that you're as willing to work as hard as they are. CEOs always talk about, let's innovate, let's experiment, let's try new things, but sometimes they don't work out. And what is your tolerance for dealing with failure and mistakes, and how do you convey that to your team, to say Keep trying. [ LAUGH ] We're celebrating the wins and we're talking about them, but we're also celebrating the things that didn't work well. Not to be negative, but to actually show that someone tried, what was the result, and then what did we learn in the behaviors that are changing based on that In that learning. Do you need to have a different breed of employee working at VF as you go through these changes? And you said that you value work ethic and streets smarts over books smarts, do you need more people like that? We need both, we need both. But I am a big believer In work ethic. It comes from I guess my upbringing. My parents were incredibly hard working middle class Americans and work ethic can trump just about anything else. In business, especially when you're directing it at things that matter. I guess a very clear set of strategic road maps. So many people, Steve, aspire to be a CEO of a big Fortune 500 company like Viad As you look back on your career. What were the key strategic moves that you made that got you to the top job? I think to grow in your career and to achieve great leadership roles like I have today you need to be willing to take some risks. In my early forty's' I had the opportunity to leave a very comfortable job. And jump into a turn around, to turn around at The North Face. Many of my friends questioned why I was doing that, but at that point The North Face was in some difficult situations. I felt I had some skills that were, you know, that would be amenable there. And I made a strategic jump and asked my family to move, you know, from a very comfortable life into a really interesting one. One. But it was that point in time where I was willing to take a leap of faith based on something I was deeply passionate about, but also where I had a set of skills that I could bring to bear in an environment that I really enjoyed. That put me in a position to learn, grow, and ascend to where I am today. As you reflect back on your personal and your professional life, what was the best leadership advice That you ever received, and why has it guided you throughout the years? Boy Scouts was a big part of my life and had a profound impact on who I am today. And there was a leader, a neighbor friend who was part of my scouting troop, and Harvey and I formed a very close relationship. Well, he caught me, and what he challenged me to think about was pushing myself Into situations where I was uncomfortable, where perhaps I might fail, and to learn the value of having a diverse capable team around me. You know, if you were to sit in some of my leadership meetings, you would hear me reference it constantly, and it is the strength of the diverse team Pushing ourselves to really move into areas where we can see great achievement but we may not be very comfortable. That's where great breakthrough performance can come from. [ BLANK_AUDIO ]

This CEO Says Taking Smart Risks Leads to Breakthrough Performances

Leadership

VF Corporation's Steve Rendle says that taking risks may be a scary word to some, but really should be viewed as seizing opportunities.