Long ago, our ancestor was out gathering shoots and berries on the savanna and heard the distant roar of a lion. As the roar grew ever closer, he sped up his work and, when the lion appeared nearby, made for the cave as fast as his bare feet would carry him.
Fast-forward to a meeting room in an office near you, and the same hard-wired fear that saved our ancestors from constant real threats continues to arouse us against perceived threats. And that, avers Stephen Howe is a problem because fear tends to shut down creativity and send everybody back to their metaphorical caves –, i.e., their offices. Substitute the business leader for the lion, and the metaphor takes on a modern twist.
“When I walk into a room as the CFO, I’m probably putting my teammates into a low level of threat,” said Howe, who attended Harvard and played basketball at Oxford University. “That’s maybe okay, they’re a little more focused, a little more attentive… a little stress is good.” But if the leader projects a bad mood or gets chippy with those whose livelihoods depend on him or her, cautions Howe, the result is likely to be “fight or flight,” neither of which is conducive to “the kind of creativity that is needed for complex problem-solving.”
As an executive at The Wonderful Company, which includes brands you know and love like FIJI Water, POM Wonderful, Halos Mandarins, and JUSTIN Wines, Howe is also in charge of the company’s human resources area and bears the, er, lion’s share of responsibility of ensuring the company’s culture is driven by creativity and focus, not fear.
The podcast provides listeners with a clearly outlined rationale for, and steps to foster, an environment of “positive teamwork.”
The Wonderful Company takes shared values seriously enough to have created a performance review process called G.R.O.W., which stands for Goals, Recognition, and Ongoing conversations at Wonderful. “Everyone at Wonderful is evaluated not only on what they achieved and plan to achieve,” Howe pointed out, “but also how they achieved it.”
You will learn:
"Don is one of the best storytellers I’ve ever met. I’ve known him for a long time and every time we talk I walk away wiser and more inspired. He is the best in the business at teaching you a skill – storytelling – that will last you a lifetime.”
“The ability for athletes to get hired is carried on through you because you are putting out the message that lessons learned from sports are important in life. It is embedded in this podcast, what you’re doing is significant.”
We speak the same language. I am inspired by the stories you tell, the people you have met, and the things you’ve done. Those of us that are competitors like to follow others that have been down that journey, so it is always fun talking to you!”
“Many of the leaders I have worked with were excellent athletes, and I think there is a direct correlation. You’re one of the few people that really has pursued this study, Don. Keep up the great work. What you are doing really makes a difference.”
“Don, you have mastered the skill of interviewing and asking great questions. That is a great skill all leaders need in order to understand their team members’ thought processes.”
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