One encounter can make a big difference in your life later. For me, he was the one I met in Boston. Steven Reinemund, the chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, a leading American beverage maker. He has been selected as one of the "10 Best Leaders in the World" by BusinessWeek magazine, and has the ability and dignity as a manager. And, unquestionably, he is a person who has continued to practice the theme of this weblog, "Living as a leader in his own life" every day. One day in the year 200X at Harvard Business School, MA, USA. I had the opportunity to listen to his talk. I would like to start writing this book from his words at that time. He was greeted with full applause when he took the stage in the lecture hall of Harvard University. CEOs, Executives and Managers' lectures at the business school often talk about a company's management policies and business skills as a manager. But the Chairman Reinemund was different. He began to talk about his outlook on life. It was one answer to the fundamental question of life, "how to live," which is not found in university subjects. As I was about to return to Japan and was about to take a new path, I was deeply moved.
Message from Steven Reinemund He started talking quietly. "If you look back on yourself 20 to 25 years later, you will understand how important "now" is. Now is very important, especially for you. Study at a business school, get married, have a child, live abroad ... If it's an important time to work hard to achieve something in your life, you must value the value of living "now" even more. "When I was your age, I got an MBA from the University of Virginia. but, at that time, I didn't know who I was, what I was aiming for, and what I wanted to achieve. "What do you mean by your life?" --I'm still asking" "The most important thing is to live as a leader in your life." "To live faithfully to the most important values in your life is to "live like you." How faithful you are to the values of your inner heart will determine what kind of decisions you can make and what kind of life you will live in." Everyone in the auditorium was quiet and listening to him. "Working on one goal in your life, for example, if you're a career enthusiast, trying your best to reach the goal of "success in work" shouldn't be too difficult a challenge. However, the real challenge is to continue the challenge, not just for work, but for leadership throughout your life." "There are many things in life that have great value besides work. There must be many more events that you do not know. Achieving the goal of "success in work" and at the same time taking the leadership of your life in search of a "happy life" is really a question. If your job or your company requires excellence to your employees, first of all, live your own excellent way of life." Chairman Reinemund began to talk about his family, one of his most important values, with his private past. "One of the important values I have to think about in living an outstanding life is my "family." The family is really important and wonderful. I was previously asked to become president of Kentucky Fried Chicken, but declined because of my family. Becoming president meant moving to Louisville, Kentucky, where the company is located. But at that time, my children were still teenagers. I believed that it was important for them to continue living in the land where they were born and raised for the future. And I didn't want to live apart from my children. I didn't want to lose the opportunity to see their growth only once. Therefore, I declined to assume the post of president." "I can tell you honestly now, but at that time I was in a difficult position within the company because I refused to assume the post of president. However, thanks to my decline at that time, I was able to spend an irreplaceable time in my life experiencing the growth of my children together." "As a result, I was praised for having taken the leadership to live faithfully to the values and beliefs of my life and produce convincing results, and I am the chairman and chairman of PepsiCo, the parent company of Kentucky. I will be appointed CEO. I think it was because I followed my values at that time that I was able to achieve great success at PepsiCo." "Leaders direct the company based on their beliefs. We must have a belief in our lives. Wouldn't it be possible for someone who can take leadership in life according to their beliefs and values to lead people and grow a company in the long run?" Chairman Reinemund, who is usually said to be quiet, spoke in a powerful voice. "Have and believe in the answer to your most important value, "how to live," which must not be changed. To live as a leader in life is to take good care of yourself. This is probably more important than you think it is now. It brings happiness to your life."
The way of life that values you is to live like you. Not only "I work" but also "I am at home" and "I enjoy my hobbies" are all ways of life that value me. Many of the business leaders and political leaders I've met at MIT and Harvard, including Steve Reinemund, are "leaders of their own lives" who practice a way of life that values them and are outstanding both publicly and privately. They lead and live their own life. That is why they were shining from their whole body. I seriously thought about how to live from now on to become a person like them. Through interviews and discussions, we listened to them and thought about their daily actions and ways of thinking, as well as their thoughts and behavioral standards when making decisions in cornered situations and turning points in life. As a result, I came to one conclusion. They applied business and political leadership skills to their own leadership in everyday life. At the same time, they utilized leadership in life for leadership in work and society. Business leaders direct companies based on their vision and corporate philosophy. Similarly, as their own life leaders, they have beliefs and responsibilities in their lives and are at the helm of their lives. They live with common qualities in both business and life. That is why their behavior is always consistent and they can act in line with their beliefs in any difficulty. Only those who can take leadership in life according to their own values, such as Steve Reinemund, can lead business and society, and at the same time realize a happy life. "The most important thing is to live as a leader in your life."
Question to Readers: What fundamentals you must protect and never betray yourself?
Posted on 2022/01/09, updated on 2022/01/10, 2/6, 16