So, it has been a while since my last blog update (so much has happened since then!). For the three of you who read my blog…sorry! I will be better going forward J.
I had the pleasure of traveling to GSK’s Mississauga, Canada office for business in early May. It was fortuitous for me because our CEO, Andrew Witty, was going to deliver his CEO broadcast from Mississauga. As a team, we decided that we should attend the live broadcast. Our hostess, Linda, informed us that we should get there early so that we could get a seat in the auditorium. Good thing we did get there early…by 8:00, there was a line wrapped around the building! You would have thought you were at a Lady Gaga concert with all the people waiting to catch a glimpse of our CEO whom everyone refers to as “Andrew”. Everyone clearly wanted to see Andrew and with good reason – he is an amazingly articulate, eloquent and inspirational speaker.
The first thing I noticed about the experience of first waiting in line and then sitting in the auditorium was the energy in the room. It was palpable. I could feel it within me and around me. There was so much chatter and anticipation that it seemed as though the auditorium would burst at the seams! It also was interesting to observe that the minute everyone caught a glimpse of Andrew, it turned eerily quiet. Everyone stopped talking, looked in his direction and waited his next move or words. He then proceeded to deliver a monologue about the logistics of the broadcast and was joking with the audience. I was impressed with how down to Earth he seemed.
When he proceeded with the broadcast, he opened up by joking about how he was the “warm up” act for the impending visit of Prince William and Princess Katherine to Canada. There were some other jokes in there and it all worked to put him and the audience at ease. Andrew then delivered his messages about the state of the Company and the industry as a whole. He was honest, direct and complementary. I always thought Andrew was inspirational because I would watch his broadcasts on the computer. In person, I found him 100x more inspirational and charismatic. Everyone within GSK should have the opportunity to see Andrew speak live at some point.
At the end, Andrew took questions from the audience. It was during this exchange that I felt Andrew really sent a message about who he was as a person and a leader. One woman asked Andrew if we would plan to do a better job with due diligence when buying other companies. This stemmed from a situation where GSK bought a company and while transferring the process, realized that there were some issues with the manufacturing process that needed to be fixed. Of course, this came at a price to GSK. It was really refreshing to hear Andrew say that he didn’t see it that way; he had a different perspective. What he saw was that GSK was now in a position to get a safer product on the market for our Patients and Customers. That sent a powerful message to me about what Andrew valued as a CEO and as a person.
The most poignant moment for me was when he related an experience he had just a few years ago. He was in the running for the CEO position and while in New York, he was offered the position. You would think at this point, anyone in this position would pat themselves on the back and go out and celebrate. Not Andrew. He said he went into the bathroom of his hotel, looked at himself in the mirror and asked himself, “What will I do with this job?” He then advised the audience that when they are faced with a similar situation, they should do the same: take 5 minutes to reflect and ask yourself what you are going to do with the job. It is clear what Andrew has done with the job and he has been quite successful while doing it.
So, what did I learn about leadership from seeing Andrew Witty deliver his employee broadcast?
LIFE’S LITTLE LEADERSHIP LESSONS
1. Leaders create and generate energy and excitement. They then use that energy to produce extraordinary results. The anticipation of seeing Andrew really revved up the crowd. It wasn’t just the thought of seeing our CEO as a celebrity, if you will, that got the audience excited. It was about his energy, how he was creating it in others and how he has used it to lead GSK through some significant changes within the Company and within the greater industry. We saw that in his presence, his tone, his message and how that energy has cast a shadow on everyone else in the organization.
2. Leaders take time to reflect. I was really excited to hear that when Andrew was offered the CEO position, he took time to reflect on the enormity of the task that lay before him. He really wanted to do right by the Company and right by himself. By asking that seemingly simple question of “What will I do with this job?” Andrew was able to get some sense of perspective. I am sure he thought long and hard about what he would do if he got the job, but when he did get it, he took some more time to think about the impact he could have on the organization.
3. Leaders live their values. I was so taken aback and impressed with Andrew’s response to the challenge about buying a company with some manufacturing issues. The fact that our CEO spoke very clearly and directly about how we have now been able to get better and safer products on the market as a result let me know how serious GSK is about one of our values, Patient Focused. For me, it let me know what is important to Andrew and what he expects all employees of GSK to be focused on. That message came out loud and clear. At that moment, I felt extremely proud to be a GSK employee.
APPLYING LIFE’S LITTLE LEADERSHIP LESSONS IN YOUR LIFE
· What are some ways you create energy and excitement in your life? How do you then use that energy and excitement to get positive results? Come up with three examples and commit to use them over the next two (2) weeks.
· How often do you take time to reflect on your life – both personally and professionally? Commit 15 minutes a day for the sole purpose of reflecting. Keep a journal of your insights, ideas and actions.
· Identify what your personal values are. Ask yourself “are my personal values aligned with the values of my Company?” If not, a change may be needed. If yes, in what ways do you “live” the values?
