Leadership Lessons That Travel Well

After working over the past 20 years in a range of regions and countries—from Germany and Serbia to Indonesia—I recently arrived back in the U.S. A new colleague asked whether I adapt my leadership approach to suit the market, and I realized I do not. While it’s critically important to understand and respect local cultures and customs, and to evolve our leadership styles as we learn, one’s core convictions should remain steadfast.

Here are a few leadership lessons that have proven effective, regardless of time zone.

Anyone Can—and Everyone Should—Drive Innovation

As PMI advances on our mission to create a smoke-free future, science and technology play a pivotal role. They have enabled us to develop and test products that are a much better alternative than cigarettes for adults who smoke and would not otherwise quit.

Across all industry sectors, including ours, R&D is vital to inventing new products and services to drive growth. Innovation, however, can come in many forms and should never be considered the domain of any one function. During radical transformations such as ours, a disruptive, creative mindset must infuse the entire organization. As leaders, it is incumbent upon us to prioritize, promote, and celebrate creativity and innovative thinking. Whether that manifests as new consumer engagement strategies, reimagined pricing models, or reinvented messaging delivery systems, it’s critical to recognize that R&D doesn’t own innovation. We are all responsible for it.

Never “Go Submarine,” Especially in a Crisis

Crises are inevitable. How well a company survives them greatly depends on how we, as leaders, behave and perform. This applies not just to business crises, but to humanitarian ones, as well. No crisis communication plan or PR playbook could have prepared us for the coronavirus pandemic. When the Delta strain hit Indonesia, I was leading PMI’s Southeast Asia Region, where we have 35,000 full-time employees. Compassionate leadership was necessary, but that doesn’t mean hiding hard truths. My number one principle—in any crisis—is to not shy away or “go submarine.” As much as we all like to share good news, it’s even more critical to share bad news early and transparently; ideally, with a strategic plan detailing how we’re going to address it. Never let your team, colleagues, or company be blindsided.

Equity and Empathy Drive Impact

Equity creates safety. Empathy breeds trust. By creating environments in which every individual feels safe and heard, we’re increasing employee motivation and improving morale. When we take a genuine interest in our employees, support their interests, and truly listen to their perspectives, we empower them, enhance relationships, and foster collaboration across the entire organization.

At PMI, we can be proud of the work we’re doing to promote equity. Among other initiatives, we conduct anonymized cross-comparisons of every employee to ensure we pay our male and female employees equally for equal work. In 2019, we became the first multinational company to receive global certification from the EQUAL-SALARY Foundation. Wherever in the world I have worked, I have found that equity and empathy are essential to creating the sort of high-performing, human-centric workplaces that are capable of sustaining growth.