The Challenge
The bigger you get, the slower the organization moves. Kellogg’s Europe is no different. It’s a behemoth of an organization with lofty annual goals and KPIs. To inspire the team responsible for driving growth from Moscow to Manchester, the leadership team, led by its President David Lawlor, approached Courageous about keynoting their annual leadership summit. The challenge: inspire leaders to stay fast, be smart, and take action.
the courage
After a listening lap with nine direct reports across seven countries, it became clear that “what went up, did come down.” Decisions were working their way up the ladder, but quite often, the decision wasn’t made at the top. Why? Because those leaders on the executive team wanted to empower the recommender (closest to the business) to make the decision themselves; without repercussions on whether or not their idea was a success or a learning opportunity. In preparation for our time together, we also posed a 6 question “Courageous Challenge” surveyed to all 200 leaders across Europe. The findings inspired our “Are You Courageous?” keynote and “A Courageous Conversation” panel discussion that followed. Our job was to align both sides and facilitate this hard conversation.
the change
Kellogg’s Europe is Making “It” Happen. While the “It” might be different pending on what department or region the leader serves, the directive from the top was clear: you have the permission to make it happen so long as it remains in line with the values of Kellogg’s Europe. The leaders left feeling inspired with the right mindset to make courageous decisions across their brand portfolio. The company forecasted organic sales growth of 5% to 7% in 2023, as it continues to see sustained demand for its snacks and the emerging markets region. Kellogg earned 94 cents per share, beating analysts’ estimate of 84 cents.
