Bringing Coal to Newcastle

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Paul went to study at the university cincinnati. After graduating, proctor and gamble hired him to work back in europe. He was sent to newcastle, england to head up a business they'd recently acquired. His predecessor had redrawn the boundaries of his roll to encompass more than just benefiting the company. And this had a surprising impact on Paul's theme.

When Paul Polman joined Unilever as CEO in 2009, the consumer goods company – home to 400-plus brands including Dove soap, Ben & Jerry’s, and Vaseline – had been stagnated with years of lackluster performance. His famous turnaround of the company centered around his ability to redraw the boundaries of Unilever’s mission to emphasize sustainability and long-term growth. He’s a perfect example of why every leader should consistently reexamine the boundaries that limit their business – and be prepared to redraw them as you grow. By redrawing boundaries, you can reinvigorate your team with a new sense of power. As Polman says, “You cannot change people's behaviors if you only work on the purpose – and don’t change the boundaries around it that drive people's behavior.”

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