The First Crisis Principle

2min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

Anin: I just got my dream job at the worst possible moment that you could and i found out that, in many ways, starting then was a blessing in disguise. The crisis wasn't just taking a toll on the bottom line - it was also spreading fear and uncertainty through the company. People were literally in their offices with their doors closed because they were afraid somebody would come by and tap them on the shoulder and say, we don't need you any more. This is the kind of perspective that usually takes years to achieve. And this meant she could put her first principle straight into action. Principle onefocus on what you can control.

To survive a crisis, you have to double down on who you already are as a company. This is something Ellen Kullman knows, having led DuPont through the 2008-2009 financial crisis, and taken the CEO role at 3D-printing unicorn Carbon only weeks before Covid hit. Through her years as a leader, Ellen has developed four crisis principles that allowed her to lead teams and thrive through pandemic, economic meltdown, and beyond. The key? Practicing the principles in calmer times, before crisis hits. Because as Reid says: there's no such thing as a crisis playbook. There's just your playbook. Cameos: Amy Shira Teitel (spaceflight historian), Jonah Peretti (BuzzFeed), Brian Chesky (Airbnb), Neil Blumenthal (Warby Parker), and Stacy Brown-Philpot (TaskRabbit).

Read a transcript of this interview at: https://mastersofscale.com/ellen-kullman/

Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribe

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.