What I learned in my first year as CEO

This month marks one year since I became CEO of Novartis. In that year we were able to relaunch the company and start a journey of transformation that I believe will enable us to succeed for years to come. I also learned and grew more than I could have imagined. Personal growth as a leader is a lifelong journey and I am always amazed at how much more there is to learn. I’m a firm believer that there is no such thing as organizational transformation, only personal transformation.

Reflecting back, a few key learnings come to mind:

Letting purpose guide decisions

Being a CEO means taking tough decisions every day. Luckily, I work with incredible people who help me make the right choices for the company, our associates and our patients. But still, it is not easy. You have to be courageous in the face of great risk and opportunities.

Just a few months after I took over, we were on the verge of acquiring a biotech company called AveXis, which is a pioneer in one of the most exciting areas of medicine today -- gene therapy. AxeXis is developing a potentially life-changing treatment for children with a devastating and often deadly neurological disease. 

I felt strongly that the future of Novartis was to focus on transformative innovation, like cell and gene therapies, but it was time to act on that conviction. I had read and analyzed all the data and was clear on the facts, still, it was a major decision to take so early in my tenure as CEO. Watching videos of the children participating in the first clinical trial for AveXis’ experimental gene therapy, and seeing the remarkable impact on their lives and the tears of joy in their parents’ eyes, helped crystalize my thinking.

If we are truly going to fulfill our purpose of reimagining medicine to improve and extend people’s lives, Novartis needs to be willing to take bold moves in the most transformative areas of medicine. We announced our acquisition of AveXis in May and filed for US Food and Drug Administration approval in October.

It was an important learning experience for me and as the year went on, I found that reflecting on our purpose served as a guidepost for making the most difficult decisions.

Managing my energy, with others in mind

I believe strongly that leaders manage their energy, not their time. Over many years, I’ve come up with routines that combine exercise, nutrition, mindset and proper rest to help me have more energy. This year tested me in ways I have never experienced - physically, mentally, and emotionally. I had to adapt my habits to better serve me, my colleagues and my family. I decided to try to sleep and exercise more, and I do my best to take my weekends off.

I have also realized that, as CEO, I need to be even more mindful of the impact I can have on the people around me. Every interaction I have with colleagues, no matter how small, is a symbol that is amplified through the organization. Even a casual statement can be a powerful source of inspiration and energy, but equally, can cause disruption for many people. When I do my job well, I can motivate tens of thousands of associates at a time.

The same is true for my family. Having me in this role is not easy for them. There is inevitably a lot of travel and time away from home. I make it a point to take all my vacations and I try to fully disconnect and be present with them. It takes discipline, and I do not always succeed, but I continually work at it.

Keeping perspective

When I took on the CEO role, I saw an opportunity to transform Novartis into a leading medicines company powered by advanced therapy platforms and data science. I am by nature someone who leans into change. But Novartis is a company of 130,000 people reaching more than 800 million patients a year in more than 155 countries, and I’ve learned that transforming such a large enterprise will take great patience and consistency. 

We accomplished a lot in year one. One area where we have made more progress than I would have imagined is in our cultural transformation. We sparked a global conversation on what it means to be unbossed at work, to have leaders who serve their people and associates who take accountability. Still, it will take a determined effort over several years to change the cultural DNA of our company. 

I have also learned that there will be negative and positive surprises almost every month. You can easily get caught up in the moment with these events and it can frustrate you if you lose perspective. After this first year, I feel a bit wiser and know that in the 250-year history of Novartis and our predecessor companies, we will stay the course as we have for generations. While the news cycles will come and go, our medicines will endure the test of time. 

I am not here just to lead Novartis for the next years, but to steer it toward another century of creating incredible medicines that can dramatically improve the state of human health. That’s an extraordinary privilege and responsibility and the reason I come to work every day.

I want to express my gratitude to everyone who supported, challenged, energized and inspired me this past year. You helped me to learn and become a better leader. And I wish you success on your own leadership journey -- whether you’re leading an organization, a team or yourself.

- Vas