The Learn-It-All Podcast 83: Fortune 500 CEO On The Blueprint for 21st-Century Leadership | Doug Conant
Are You Leading with Intention or Just Reacting to Whatever Comes Your Way?
In a world that's increasingly "BANI" (Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, Incomprehensible), former Campbell Soup Company CEO Doug Conant shares how he transforms toxic workplace cultures into high-performing organizations by leading with intention.
In this stand-out episode of The Learn-It-All Podcast, Doug’s insights offer a blueprint for navigating today's complexities with a balanced approach to resilience, high performance, and purpose-driven leadership. He unpacks his leadership journey, from turning around Campbell Soup Company to establishing Conant Leadership and offers hard-earned lessons on building an enduring culture, emphasizing the importance of integrity, connection, and continuous personal growth. Sharing candid stories from his remarkable career journey – from being fired at age 32 to becoming CEO of a Fortune 500 company – Doug reveals why winning in the workplace must come before winning in the marketplace.
This Episode Covers:
- Your Life is Your Leadership Story: Doug’s philosophy is that a leader’s journey is rooted in their personal story. Aligning one’s values with leadership helps create authentic connections and a more fulfilling impact
- Leadership in the 21st Century: Practical strategies for leading in a complex, diverse world that requires EQ, character, and a people-first approach.
- To Win in the Marketplace, You Need to Win in the Workplace: Doug believed that marketplace success starts with a thriving workplace culture, which fosters high performance and lasting impact
- Grow or Die: Leaders, Doug insists, must continually evolve. Stagnation means failure, especially as modern leadership requires constant adaptation to a changing environment
- Tough on Process, Tenderhearted with People: Doug emphasized balancing high standards with compassion. He believed that leaders should be rigorous with processes but caring toward people, fostering both accountability and trust
- Lead with Intention, Not by the Seat of Your Pants: Doug believed leaders should act with purpose, setting a clear path rather than reacting to chaos.
- Expressing Appreciation: Doug shares his practice of writing 30,000 thank-you notes and how showing gratitude can transform workplace culture.
Episode Highlights:
(00:00) Introduction to Doug Conant – Damon introduces Doug Conant, former CEO of Campbell Soup and founder of Conant Leadership, and they discuss his philosophy on leadership.
(01:32) The Power of Deliberate Practice – Doug shares how deliberate practice shaped his leadership journey, starting from his time as a college tennis player.
(05:30) Overcoming Setbacks and Building Resilience – Doug reflects on being fired at age 32 and how that experience helped him redefine his approach to leadership.
(09:00) Writing 30,000 Thank-You Notes – Doug explains why he prioritized writing thank-you notes to employees and the impact it had on company culture.
(12:33) Creating Accountability and Clarity – Doug emphasizes the importance of setting clear expectations and holding leaders accountable to inspire trust within teams.
(17:00) The First Hour, First Day Approach – Doug introduces his “first hour, first day” practice for onboarding and establishing rapport with new team members.
(21:30) Leading a Major Turnaround – Doug discusses his experiences at Campbell Soup Company, including the strategies that helped him transform the company’s culture and performance
(33:18) Advice for Leaders in the 21st Century – Doug offers final thoughts on what it takes to lead with integrity and purpose in today’s complex world.
About Doug:
Doug Conant, the only former Fortune 500 CEO who is both a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, has been a Top 50 Leadership Innovator, a Top 100 Leadership Speaker, and twice named one of the 100 Most Influential Authors in the World. For the past 20 years, he has honed his leadership craft at the most senior levels—first as President of the Nabisco Foods Company, then as CEO of Campbell Soup Company, and finally as Chairman of Avon Products. In 2011, he founded ConantLeadership: a mission-driven community of leaders and learners who are championing leadership that works in the 21st century.
Resources Referenced:
The Blueprint: Six Practical Steps to Lift Your Leadership to New Heights by Doug Conant
TouchPoints by Doug Conant
"13 Life Lessons from the Game of Tennis" blog post by Doug Conant
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck
Talent is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else by Geoff Colvin
Stephen Covey on leadership
Brené Brown on vulnerability and leadership
Podcast Contact Information:
Website: www.learnit.com
Email: podcast@learnit.com
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