Seven Lessons Happened on the Way to the Hall of Fame
2017 Marketing Hall of Fame inductees. Photo: Mayana Hordeychuk

Seven Lessons Happened on the Way to the Hall of Fame

I was so thrilled to be inducted into the Marketing Hall of Fame on May 11 alongside my colleagues and friends Jon Iwata of IBM, Gary Briggs of Facebook, and Professor Jerry Wynd from The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania.

Each of us gave a short TED-style talk on what we had learned in our career, and how we see the future of marketing evolving.

I shared seven lessons that I happened to learn on my way to the Hall of Fame.


1. Spend your life with a person/people you love and trust. I met Warren Buffet a few years ago, and he said the most important decision in your life is who you spend it with. Nothing is even close. I could not agree more.


2. Run your life and business with purpose. I believe in this so much I wrote a book on it. I have found it is the best way to grow a lasting business and organization. I have also learned it is very helpful to develop a behavioral framework with your team on what it means to lead with purpose; that makes it sustainable.


3. Get out more.  I wish I had done this even more in my career. Leaders need to be focusing more on the future, what is around the corner. One of the best things I did at P&G was to get out and visit Google when they were a startup—it resulted in an employee exchange that the Wall Street Journal found so significant they put it on their front page.


4. Move fast, be decisive. Have you ever said that you made a decision too quickly? Or too slowly?  I bet more the latter. I have just completed a 2.5 year project researching how startups can help legacy companies renew themselves—making faster decisions is at the top of the list.

5. Live with health, joy and resilience. These three things are the key to a happy life. And they are all in our control. One thing I like to do is yoga on the beach—what is your favorite healthy, joyful activity?


6. Have great bosses. I have been fortunate to have many. One of my best was Herbert Schmitz at P&G. He gave me big goals and then encouraged me to move fast and not be afraid to fail.


7. Be a great boss. This is also within our control, and there is nothing higher leverage than this. 

My favorite memento from my long career at P&G was a book my team made for me when I was Global Marketing Officer. They did it for my 50th birthday, and it was a collection of meaningful—and humorous—memories, pictures,  and principles. If your team made you a book, what would be in it? What would you like in it?  


Thank you to the AMA New York for this incredible honor. And congratulations to Jon, Gary, and Jerry.

And a special thank you to my P&G colleagues who surprised me at the dinner. And my friends from Aol who sponsored the event and were there to support me.



Doug Milne

EVP, Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer at IGM Financial

7 年

Jim, it's so fantastic that the industry has recognized something that those who have worked with you have known for years. These lessons are as true now as they were then. Congratulations!

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Lisa Hillenbrand

Growth Consultant at The Jim Stengel Company

7 年

Wonderful advice that you live every day. And I do remember the middle of the night ice cream breaks (one in Geneva)! Not to mention swinging by Seoul for a consumer and business focused weekend between Singapore and Guangzhou. I always love working with you. And you always leave every team and person you work with stronger. Congratulations.

Dina Howell

Board Director & Strategic Advisor, Retired CEO

7 年

Jim, You indeed were a great boss and mentor to so many, including me! So many valuable lessons. Thanks for all of the investments in Shopper Marketing from your first month as CMO. What I always think about when someone mentions Jim Stengel is just how inspiring you have always been to your team members. You made us all reach for the stars!

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Karuna Rawal

CRO & CMO Nature’s Fynd | 2024 Adweek Marketing Vanguard| Forbes CMO Next| Fellow of The Marketing Academy 2024

7 年

Love this Jim! Thank you for always being so generous with your counsel and time. I feel so incredibly fortunate to have had you as my very first manager at P&G. Learned so much and continue to be in awe of all you have accomplished. So happy to have reconnected recently. Congratulations on this very well deserved honor and recognition!

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Diane Cummins

Founder & CEO of Diversity & Inclusion Consulting LLC

7 年

Congratulations, Jim! Love them all & especially #1 ?? Looking forward to the next time Jules & I run into you & Kathleen!

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