Happy New Year !

Today is the first day of our new fiscal year and I have the privilege of announcing that Amcor is entrusting me with an additional business unit known as Amcor Capsules. The business provides closure solutions to the wine and spirits industry (what’s not to love !!). So first and foremost, to my new team mates, welcome to the family.

Over time, and usually at the front end of new fiscal years, I have made it a habit to pause and reflect (if only for a brief moment) to take stock of the things that, in retrospect, were notable in the year gone by.

For those of you that have read some of my posts in the past you will know that I love lists (3’s, 5’s or 10’s – never any other number or it upsets my overall psychological balance – perhaps a topic for another post …). So here are my Top 10 reflections from fiscal year 2018/2019.

1. Solve for “WE” versus “ME”: In a business world where data is plentiful, scorecards are omni-present and metrics reign supreme – creating an environment where people play for the franchise versus solving for individual scorecards allows you to build something that has staying power and where the whole is bigger than the sum of its parts.
2. Keep customers at the center: Over time, your ability to consistently out-price or out-technologize will be challenged – but loving your customers more than anyone else in your industry is completely controllable – set the tone – have no tolerance for results at the expense of customers.
3. Foster simplicity, intensity and urgency: Speed is the new currency of business. Magic happens when elegant simplicity meets extreme determination meets extreme impatience (sometimes mistakes happen too but that’s ok … that’s why they call it work – otherwise they would call it golf).
4. Separate signal from noise: I have a fundamental belief that a business can only do 3 really big, new things well in any given year. Pick wisely and then be a beast about putting the cumulative shoulder of the organization against these.
5. Win for today while playing for tomorrow: Probably my toughest challenge this year was my ability to consistently strike the right balance between the short and long term for my team mates … delivering today allows us to pay the bills, setting up tomorrow allows our children to pay their bills – both are important and both are a core leadership responsibility.
6. Humility, productive paranoia and respect: Arrogance kills learning, over-confidence kills scenario planning and disrespect makes you an a-hole … all are bad. 
7. Expect and drive accountability: Businesses are a tightly interwoven chain of promises, one person misses, the chain weakens or breaks for all.
8. Value life outside of work: Never, ever, ever expect or accept an apology from someone that feels guilty about tending to an important commitment outside of work. No one is bigger than everyone and so as long as everyone isn’t on vacation or out, then chances are the company will survive.
9. Communicate clearly and candidly: Say what you mean and mean what you say. Full stop.
10. Empower, inspire and trust: The most freakishly successful businesses that I have observed are those that create an environment that allows ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Put the right people, in the right jobs, with the right priorities and then get out of their way. Managers put their faith in processes. Leaders put their faith in people.

Finally, in this period of reflection, I would be remiss if I didn’t take this opportunity to thank my many team mates in the business that I have the privilege of leading. It’s been a skyline changing year in many ways and I am better today for having had the opportunity to work with all of you. Thank you for everything you do both for me and for our business.

Onwards and upwards. Happy New Year !