FranklinCovey On Leadership Frank Blake: Leading From the Bottom of the Pyramid
13 snips
Nov 4, 2025 
Frank Blake, former CEO of The Home Depot, shares insights from his leadership journey and the transformative 'inverted pyramid' approach he championed. He emphasizes the importance of serving frontline employees, fostering a customer-obsessed culture, and valuing deep listening. Blake reveals how personal experiences, like having a store-manager son, shaped his leadership style. He reflects on lessons from Ronald Reagan and Jack Welch, advocating for clear communication, recognition, and the balance between humility and accountability in effective management.
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First Act: Reading The Founders' Story
- On his first day Frank read from Built From Scratch to store associates and introduced the inverted pyramid.
- He used that story as the opening message for his eight years as CEO to refocus the company's tone.
Invert The Organizational Pyramid
- Large organizations function with customer-facing people 'above' leaders, not below them.
- Flip the pyramid mentally: leaders must push communication upward and bear the organization's weight.
A Store Manager At Home In The Family
- Frank's son worked as a Home Depot store manager and told him bluntly when corporate initiatives didn't work.
- That candid channel helped Frank surface the real frontline impact of decisions.
