PODCASTPODCAST NOTESNOTES Indra Nooyi Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo
Indra Nooyi is the chairman and CEO of PepsiCo. She’s responsible for a global food and beverage portfolio that includes top brands like Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi Cola, which generates more than $63 billion in annual net revenue. Forbes magazine consistently ranks Indra Nooyi among the world’s 100 most powerful women.
Indra Nooyi is the chief architect of Performance With Purpose, PepsiCo’s promise to do what’s right for the business by doing what’s right for people and the planet. Mrs. Nooyi serves on numerous boards including the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. She’s also a member of the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
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1 Key Points
Indra was born in the southern part of India to a conservative middle-class family. She de- scribes her family as rich in intellect, yet with little money. Still, they were happy with what they had. From a young age, Indra’s parents taught her to focus on three important values:
• Educate yourself • Respect others • Work Hard
Indra’s grandfather didn’t believe in gender distinctions and told Indra that if she studied hard, worked hard, and delivered on her promises, she would be set for life.
This is Indra’s advice for anyone in a place of leadership: Don’t be too political, or too ambitious. Don’t only focus on the future. Whatever you are given, do it well. If you do this, the world will sit up and take notice.
Which of the values above resonates with you most?
Leaders are often future focused. Indra recommends living more in the present. How might this advice help you become a more effective leader?
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Indra was a product manager for Johnson & Johnson during a time when India didn’t allow companies to advertise personal products. She had to learn how to sell a product that couldn’t be marketed, and couldn’t be talked about, but was necessary.
This role stretched her beyond her imagination. She was fortunate to have mentors who be- lieved in her and told her she could do it. Indra worked her tail off until she figured out a solu- tion to the problem. She refused to give up because she didn’t want to disappoint the compa- ny or her family; but more importantly, she didn’t want to let herself down.
Have you been given a job that seemed impossible? How did you work through it?
Indra was motivated because she wanted to make her parents proud. What motivates you?
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Indra had already completed several years of schooling in India (both undergraduate and graduate), and was moving up in her career when she decided to risk it all and apply to Yale’s School of Management. To her amazement, Indra’s parents agreed to send her to America.
Indra’s first few weeks in America were very difficult and she seriously considered returning to India. Fortunately, she persevered and some amazing opportunities presented themselves later on.
Have you ever taken a huge risk and wondered if you made the right choice?
In your experience, has persevering through a tough situations led to a greater outcome?
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After graduating from Yale, Indra applied to the Boston Consulting Group, an organization known for its rigorous hiring process. Indra was nervous about applying but ended up landing a role at BCG. Working as a consultant was an amazing experience which taught her about multiple industries, how to deal with friendly and hostile clients, and truly developed her potential as a leader.
Indra shares a few principles which she learned through her experience at BCG:
• Always leave your client in a better place than before. • You get out what you put in. • Be a lifelong student and broaden your aperture.
Which of these principles resonates with you most?
How will implementing this principle help you become a better leader?
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During Indra’s time consulting companies, she was often responsible for helping them implement new frameworks: a way of thinking that either challenges or reaffirms the company’s way of thinking.
In order to formulate a new mindset, Indra had to do three things: 1. See every person in the firm as her client, whether it was the CEO or someone in a lower rank. 2. Listen and learn. If she did this, she was able to contribute a lot more. 3. Learn how to communicate to people on every level.
How could these skills help a leader become a better contributor?
If you wanted to develop a new mindset, which of these skills would you try to adopt and why?
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When Indra became the CFO of PepsiCo, she discovered change would be necessary for the future success of the organization. First, she had to understand the industry — the trends, various models, what works well, the future of the industry. Then she needed to convince people why change had to happen.
She conducted a deep analysis of the organization, because she wanted to convince PepsiCo’s leaders using facts rather than emotion.
She proposed that PepsiCo unfetter their restaurants from their packaged goods businesses. The company agreed to Indra’s suggestion and she began the process of putting the right people in the right places, choosing leaders who were both service-oriented and a good fit for the restaurant portfolio.
Indra’s suggestion turned out to be a great success.
Have you ever tried to convince people to go along with your idea? How did it turn out?
Having learned from Indra’s experience, how might you propose a change in a future scenario?
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7 Key Points
Indra was selected by PepsiCo’s Board of Directors to be the company’s next CEO during a time of economic downturn. Even though the circumstances were daunting, Indra knew that in order to be successful she needed to project four traits:
• Confidence • Optimism • A can-do spirit • A must-do resolve
When times are tough, do you struggle to possess these traits?
How can being optimistic and confident about the future help you push forward during a difficult time?
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8 Key Points
Indra has learned a lot about leading people in her role as CEO of PepsiCo. She gives the following advice for anyone in any leadership capacity:
• Don’t lie to people. Give a clear picture of the hurdles your organization is faced with. • Understand and navigate together the plans you make. • Give those you lead a short-term plan, how to keep day-to-day functions in place; a medium-term plan, an idea of upcoming goals; and long-term plan, how you intend to invest in the future of the organization.
How is Indra’s advice relevant to you as a leader?
Which of these tactics could you implement more often?
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Indra is proud of PepsiCo’s corporate principle Performance with Purpose, which focuses on human sustainability, environmental sustainability, and talent sustainability.
The initiative answers the question, “How do you drive performance with a deliberate sense of purpose to enhance the delivery of performance?”
Indra puts it plainly:
• Product • Planet • People • Profit
Indra believes PepsiCo must focus on all of these, otherwise the company cannot effectively deliver performance.
Does your organization adhere to a specific principle?
How could adding purpose to your organization help deliver on performance?
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People like to be recognized for the big things and the small things. PepsiCo practices a culture of recognition, whether it’s a rewards ceremony or a trip to headquarters for star treatment. One of the most satisfying ways Indra shows recognition is to write to her staff’s parents and tell them what a great job their children are doing.
Recognition shows people you appreciate their hard work, and that their efforts don’t go unnoticed.
Does your organization practice a culture of recognition? How?
If leaders show their team that they notice their work, how do you think it would influence the dynamic of the organization?
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When Indra interviews a potential employee, she looks for three things:
• Are they curious? • Do they ask the right questions? Are they lifelong learners? • Do they believe in high quality work? • Will they throw themselves into the job? Are they all in, head, heart and hands? • Are they optimistic? • Do they have a can-do attitude?
Which of these traits do you think is most important in a potential team member?
What qualities do you look for in a team?
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12 Key Points
Indra is a champion of diversity. She says you can discover the best candidates if you draw from the entire talent pool, rather than a narrow one.
Inclusion is important in order for everyone to feel equal and there shouldn’t be disparity in wages or benefits based on race, religion, or gender. Also, people who need special training should be allowed the opportunity. Indra explains, for example, that Asian people are very strong in their jobs, but they sometimes have trouble with communication.
Indra wants everyone to be successful because she wants the company to be successful. To be a champion of diversity, Indra recommends:
• Believe in all people. • Lift your team up. • When it doesn’t work out, allow them to leave.
How could pulling from a diverse talent pool benefit your organization?
Which principle could you practice more often to better champion your team?
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13 Key Points
Indra shares some closing words for those in leadership:
• Find a balance between your passion and your family. • Surround yourself with the right people, especially when choosing a spouse. • Be careful so that the time you spend on yourself doesn’t suffer.
Which piece of advice resonates with you most?
How would finding balance help you achieve sustained leadership?
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14 Podcast Reflection Questions
Review what you’ve learned from Indra Nooyi:
1. What is your biggest learning from Indra Nooyi?
2. What is one action you can take to become a better leader based on her wisdom?
3. Complete the action plan on the next page.
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15 Action Plan
What am I going to do? By When:
Date Completed:
What am I going to do? By When:
Date Completed:
What am I going to do? By When:
Date Completed:
How will this action make a positive impact on your leadership? On others?
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