Values, culture & global effectiveness - impact of corporate culture on international success - Panel Discussion

Chief Executive, The, April, 1998 by J.P. Donlon

Syms: It's our obligation to make sure we don't turn away from bad news, because it's a real temptation along the way, or across the boundaries to not see the bad news. The CEO's responsibility is unique in that respect, to see the iceberg before the ship hits.

And you really have to, as Wal-Mart's CEO did, walk around. You really have to be seen. People have to see you live the culture you're purporting to have in your company because, in order to keep and promote and enhance the value to your shareholders, you have to have people who not only support the culture that you're living but add to it. So it's a constant effort of getting out there, speaking, being seen, being understood, reinforcing, whether it's ski trips or picnics or the star of the month. You have to be constant.

Freedman: On this ski trip we had a recent recruit, a senior marketing officer said, "You know, I was really drawn by the culture. It was incredible. How did you do it?" I said, "The CEO has to kill for the culture." And that's the way I feel about it. If you really believe that what you're doing is working, you've got to kill for it. And what you go for changes every day, but there's this path that you see, that you envision, and perhaps that's the passion of the job. Fundamentally, if you've got that view and really believe you can build something of value, then you've got to kill for it. And people have to know you will.

Longfield: Right now I'm meeting with customers around the world, trying to learn from them, to build friendships. And what I'm trying to do is to drive all of our people to do the same thing, meet with customers and potential customers so that we can build those friendships and those relationships that will last us and endure as we grow as a company. For example, we need those physicians who use our products and sometimes we forget about that as an organization.

Broad: I don't believe the CEO should be one that presides over the status quo and I've seen too much of that in too many industries in the last two decades. I don't believe a CEO has to be everyone's friend in the company either. I think a CEO has to be respected, has to be a change agent, someone who has some vision, someone who prods people to do more than they think they can do.

I wish more people in our company would come up with more ideas and push me rather than my pushing them. But I'm always asking, what can we do? Where can we get ahead of others rather than having the same product line? What are we going to do in coming out with different products that give us bigger margins and do better for our clients, etc. And I don't mean sitting in an office, but unless you're a change agent in a fast changing world, especially in a competitive industry such as the one we're in, we're not going to succeed and our people aren't going to succeed.

Heitmann: My present responsibility is very widespread, it covers North and South America; and manufacturing and sales really covers very many aspects. I think my main role would be in coaching my direct reports. And it's very important that I show them I have a certain knowledge and that we can have intelligent discussions about their problems, Just to be a coach and a good listener is not good enough. It has to be combined with a deep knowledge of what goes on in each and every market with every product and every main manufacturing aspect.