The CEO of Mondelez International Inc (NASDAQ:MDLZ), Irene Rosenfeld, stated that she had always found leading from the front the most important aspect of running a successful business. She clarified that this meant placing an emphasis on transparency, both towards the employees and the general public.
Irene stated that the public needs to know the reasons for corporal change, so they can fully appreciate what the management is trying to do. Since most people tend to react negatively towards change, as a leader one should have a clear mindset to make the change and also be able to convey that mindset to his employees and investors. She took her own company as an example and explained that being transparent was a vital part of their transformation process. This, however, meant that Irene had to establish constant communication with company employees across the globe.
She did accept that it was fairly difficult for multi-national companies to effectively communicate with a large number of employees spread across a vast geographical distance. However, that is where company executives should make use of their top officials of the region and make sure that they understand everything that needs to be communicated to the employees of that region. Furthermore, Irene also placed some weight on the use of social media, internet news and video chats, in ensuring transparency with distant employees.
She once again took the example of MDLZ and recalled that she had recently arranged a meeting with the top 60 officials of her company from around the world. Even though the trip placed a heavy burden on the resources of the company, but the decision proved to be worthwhile. As a result of this meeting, Irene was able to make her top officials understand the company mission and direction. The motivation that those leaders gained from that meeting was then transferred to the employees of their respective regions and ensured that the company was able to make the necessary changes, without much hassle.
Mondelez International Inc (NASDAQ:MDLZ) reached a close at $43.03 at the end of the September 16 session, after reporting a loss of 0.02% to its share value.
