Three Leadership Lessons from Today's Top Executives

The world is changing faster than ever before — and successful businesses pivot along with it. But there are levels of success. Organizations that adapt to change survive. That's one level — and it's perfectly fine. By comparison, exceptional businesses and their leaders take things to the next level, swimming strongly against the tide and taking their best people with them. Their goal extends beyond survival to thrival: defined as "out of survival mode and into an optimal state of health, vitality, joy, and well-being."

Here are three lessons that can be learned from business leaders who have thrived.

Lesson 1: Be the Customer

Indra Nooyi, former CEO of PepsiCo, personified thrival. One of her strongest business tactics was asking her employees to think of themselves not just as representatives of their customers, but as customers themselves. Nooyi practiced what she preached, making regular visits to retail stores part of her routine.

Similarly:

• Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is an avid reader. By learning first-hand the desires and needs of targeted customer segments, he made his company the iconic success story it is today.
• Apple founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak shared a common passion for music. They spent time hunting through stores together to collect rare albums and master the real needs of listeners. And the rest is history.

Lesson 2: Build Trust

In the 1990s, Nissan Japan was facing bankruptcy when it was purchased by Renault. Carlos Ghosn, then CEO of Renault, had the ominous job of shutting down five Nissan factories operating at severe losses. On his arrival, Ghosn told Nissan employees: "I am here for one reason: to fix the company. I came to Japan not for the sake of Renault, but for Nissan."

He went on to explain in clear, honest terms the reasons behind the plant closures — that they were not helping Nissan employees, but rather were helping competitors' interests. This enabled Ghosn to earn trust, even in the face of inevitable adversity.

Similarly:

• Rick Levin, president of Yale University in the 1980s, had to make major changes to keep the institution from losing its top-tier Ivy League status. He required every employee and student to become active in urban community service — enabling needed development efforts to be greenlighted and trust to be cemented.

Lesson 3: Listen

Being an active listener is a key leadership skill. Ghosn was a master at it, spending time talking to employees, asking them open-ended questions, and seeking their feedback.

• Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation, regularly met with employees for meals in casual settings where everyone was comfortable and relaxed. It helped people connect and ideas and innovation to flourish.