Unlock Your Inner CEO: The Surprising Link Between a CEO and a Young Innovator
Learn the tactics of influential leaders and global changemakers.
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I recently had the privilege of interviewing two incredibly successful individuals: Richard A. Gonzalez, CEO of AbbVie, a biopharma industry leader with 52,000 employees, and Gitanjali Rao, a young woman listed on Forbes' 30 under 30 for science who has led workshops for 85,000 people across 46 countries.
Despite their age difference, both know how to build momentum, rally people around their mission, and deliver tangible results.
Here are three key learnings from our conversations.
1) Have A Clear Mission
At the beginning of the interviews, both Richard and Gitanjali identified their mission without being asked.
Richard proudly cited AbbVie's mission to make a 'Remarkable impact on patients' lives’ as his 'North Star.' His focus on delivering products that can transform patients' lives has led to a successful strategy that generates over $50 billion in annual revenue, and a company market value of over $290 billion.
Gitanjali's mission is to 'create global change by starting an innovation movement of teens looking to make a difference.' This mission highlights both her ultimate goal and identifies the people she needs to engage to accomplish it.
The clarity of their missions reminded me of Simon Sinek's famous 'Start With Why' TEDx talk, emphasizing that great leaders inspire action by having a clear 'why.'
2) Let The People You Serve Guide Your Decisions
When asked about how they navigate making decisions that affect thousands of people, both Richard and Gitanjali made it clear that they let the people they serve guide their actions.
Richard believes his role as CEO comes with the responsibility "to align, motivate, and lead the successful implementation of the company's strategy." As a result, more than 60 million patients are treated annually with AbbVie medicines.
Gitanjali believes that teenagers and the upcoming generation, especially those in rural and underprivileged areas, are often overlooked in world-shaping decisions. As such, Gitanjali is dedicated to helping them find their voice.
Admirably, Gitanjali tailors her innovation workshops to the needs of the students she works with, even if it means setting her own work aside in order to meet their basic needs. For instance, she acknowledges that her innovation workshops aren't going to be useful for certain students in rural areas who lack the basic resources like laptops and an internet connection. Before teaching them how they can become visionaries, she looks for ways to help them "walk before they can run."
3) Know Exactly Who You Want To Be (And Who You Don't)
Both Richard and Gitanjali have a clear idea of the leaders they want to be, and who they don't want to be.
Richard shared a poignant story: "Throughout my career, I've worked for people, many people who had those positive characteristics [treating people with respect and fairness]. It was a wonderful experience, and you can learn a tremendous amount from everybody you interact with. But I've had a few experiences where the leader that I worked for didn't have those characteristics and you could see how corrosive it was to the team and ultimately the team’s performance. So, I always said to myself, ‘I'm never going to operate in a manner like that.’”
Gitanjali was quick to mention specific people, saying her 2nd grade teacher was one of the most incredible people she's ever met, and how her junior and senior year physics teachers "changed her life because they believed in her and her mission." Interestingly, while Gitanjali appreciates the adult guidance in her life, she also stresses the value of trusting her intuition stating, "I ask myself 'What do I truly want to do?' I don't want to copy paste someone else's life. I want to take this and go as far as I can with it on my own" and confidently added "I trust my own gut."
You Can Take Action Now
I drew parallels between Richard and Gitanjali for two reasons. First, it wasn't their significant successes, but rather, the fundamental principles that guide them which anyone can apply at any career stage.
Secondly, these are actionable steps you can take right now. They stem from knowing where you want to go, who you want to be, and how you will include the people who will help you to get there.