Name: Tyson Foods CEO Talks to Us About Leadership
Uploaded: 2017-03-07
Duration: 3 min 50 s
Description: We sat down with the company’s new leader Tom Hayes.

Tom you've been the C. E. O of Tyson for just two months. It's the first time that you are a chief executive of a fortune five hundred company. So what's the most important leadership lesson that you've learnt so far in this new job. The most important leadership lesson that I think so far is that this is Something that's much broader than running a function is running an enterprise and making sure that we have an active listening [ UNKNOWN ] also involved in external approaches as well as understanding the internal mode, and leading in a way that is listening to everybody and making sure that we're taking the best most appropriate action for Tyson. It's been said that a good leader knows people, but a great leader knows himself To what extent do you think that self introspection, self analysis is so important so that you can manage and lead people? You need to understand what your limitations are, there are some things that you just are really good at that have got you to where you are in your career and there are other things that you certainly know have to sharpen your saw. So I think it's focusing on those things that you're really strong at and making sure you're taking advantage of those to elevate the average of everybody's performance. But it's focused on what do you need to also do in order to continue to get better. You're taking Tyson in a lot of new directions so when you became CEO how did you know whether this is the time to take this company and to make transformative changes versus just simple Adjustments. My predecessor was extraordinarily successful at turning around the company. So there wasn't anything that needed to be completely transformed. What I would say is, to make change, and we constantly have to change. The consumer is constantly changing. The world is changing. So, we do too. That's why it's the next level of growth that we have to be focussed on. So, my Leadership team and myself were focused on transforming the company to be prepared for the next level of growth. You've made some dramatic changes in your leadership team and some of the senior executives. How do you motivate people when you do stuff like that to stick with you and change with you? And help you execute your strategy. What I ask is that we just work together. Collaboration is really the key to success in any large company. And so when things don't feel good, work with each other. Make sure that we're taking advantage of the strong talent that we have around the table. How do you get everybody on all levels of the company to be leaders? So that they changed the things that they're supposed to be changing, and they take risks instead of playing it safe. I think the thing that people need to hear is that change is welcome, so if you see something and you know it could be better, go ahead and change it. Like, grab it. If you know it's not right, just make the change. Not that we have to do that as a vacuum or not collaborated like I said, but I think if you see it, do it. And that's what I would encourage people to continue to do and do. Tell me you've worked at a lot of companies, working your way up to the top of Titan and I'm sure you've got a lot of advice along the way, what's the best leadership advice that you ever received? And what did it stick with you? You know when I first started the business I was a dishwasher at a restaurant down the road from my house, it was three to four doors down. Where I grew up in Merrimack, New Hampshire. And I worked for a chef that used to have a very strong approach to get a delivery or responsibilities and so take your work very seriously. But don't take yourself so seriously, have fun along the way. Because I think if people take themselves too seriously and the work becomes drudgery, you're not gonna unlock the potential to go further. So the best advice I ever received was to take the business seriously but don't take yourself too seriously, that's what I'd say. [ BLANK_AUDIO ]

Tyson Foods CEO Talks to Us About Leadership

Leadership

We sat down with the company’s new leader Tom Hayes.