Name: Lisa Perry

Title: Global Brand Marketing Executive/Founder

Organisation: Captivating Solutions

I help companies drive revenue by using consumer trends and behaviors coupled with data analytics to innovate their marketing approach. I'm a global brand marketing executive who has worked for Fortune 100 companies (Disney, Coca-Cola, Activision, ConAgra) to emerging growth start-ups.

Thank you to the 2,000 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 Questions on Leadership!

I hope Lisa's answers will encourage you in your leadership journey. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Jonno White

1. What have you found most challenging as a leader?

My leadership journey centers on three key challenges: effective communication, active listening, and generosity. These have become the pillars of my leadership philosophy due to their effectiveness and substantial influence on my team and my career.

Mastering effective communication is essential to establishing open channels of communication and fostering a culture of transparency where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas, concerns, and feedback, even when opinions diverge. This fosters a collaborative and innovative environment.

Active listening is equally essential. Providing undivided attention and understanding of my team’s perspective has built trust and promoted effective teamwork. It not only helps me to comprehend their messages and ideas but also shows my respect for their voices.

Lastly, practicing generosity through problem-solving, celebrating achievements, expressing gratitude, taking responsibility, and dedicating time creates a supportive and motivating work environment. This empowers my team to excel individually and collectively.

These challenges have not only shaped my leadership journey but has also been the most transformative and rewarding elements, leading to growth and success for both my team and my career.

2. How did you become a leader? Can you please briefly tell the story?

"Becoming a leader has been a transformative experience. One marked by successes and failures along the way. The turning point has been in the last 5 or so years.

I took an in-depth executive presence course and learned that it’s about what people perceive when they come in contact with us. It’s our ability to project gravitas, confidence, competence, poise under pressure, decisiveness, speaking skills, assertiveness, and the ability to read an audience or situation, among other key characteristics. It enables us to build trust, establish credibility, and accelerate outcomes and results.

What defines good executive presence is a personal journey and requires work, and that’s what I’ve been doing over the past several years. I delved deeply into four areas: Understand My Strengths, Weaknesses, Talents, & Biases • Exploring How Peers, Colleagues, Subordinates, & Leaders Perceive Me • Develop An Action Plan To Enhance Executive Presence • Creating A Measurement Plan This process has been enlightening, helping me understand where I was undervaluing myself based on feedback from those who have worked with me.

As a result, I’ve turned around my executive presence based on the action plan I put together, helping me become a more effective leader, build stronger relationships with others, and achieve greater success at work."

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

As a global brand marketing executive, I prioritize a structured yet flexible approach to my workday. I kickstart my week by setting objectives on Sundays, followed by an early morning routine that includes exercise and family time. Starting work around 8 am, I dive into emails, giving priority to important ones. Social media and news updates follow.

Connecting with my team is essential, gauging their needs and well-being to help them achieve their goals. Throughout the day, I balance meetings, addressing questions and issues, and tackling essential tasks. Time is carved out for brainstorming and innovation, both independently and with my team.

As the day concludes, I prepare for the next by outlining tasks and the top three priorities. Achieving work-life balance is vital; I spend quality time with family and unwind at night to recharge for the next day's challenges.

4. What's a recent leadership lesson you've learned for the first time or been reminded of?

"I recently had a conversation with a friend and professional colleague I worked with several years ago. She shared a remarkable story of her time working for Donald Bren, the CEO of the Irvine Company, who is an inspiring figure at 91 years old. During her tenure under his leadership, she witnessed his unwavering commitment to reinventing not only himself but also his team and the company's approach to marketing. It's truly impressive to see such dedication to innovation and growth at any age.

This conversation served as a valuable reminder of the leadership principles I've consistently applied throughout my career to stay relevant and continuously enhance my business and professional journey. To achieve this, there are six core principles I've used:

Set intentional goals Embrace lifelong learning Adapt to change Network and build relationships Invest in professional development Take calculated risks By implementing these principles, you can emulate leaders like Donald Bren and maintain your relevance and impact, regardless of your stage in life. Staying committed to these fundamental guidelines can be the key to ongoing success and growth."

5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

"Letting Go, The Pathway of Surrender" by David R. Hawkins is a guide to removing obstacles and surrendering your emotions by letting go of them to live a more fulfilling life. This book has been a profound self-help book for me, offering a roadmap to release emotional roadblocks and overthinking, allowing me to live a more conscious and fulfilling life, which has impacted me personally and professionally.

6. If you could only give one piece of advice to a young leader, what would you say to them?

If I could offer one piece of advice to a young leader, it would be this: Never stop learning. Absorb knowledge from every possible source, whether it's your boss, co-workers, the CEO, courses, books, mentors, coaches, online resources, competitors, data, analytics, trends, research, or any other avenue. The more you learn, the more value you can bring to your organization and advance your career. Knowledge is your most powerful tool, and it will continually empower you to make a greater impact and grow as a leader.

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a leader, so far?

I believe it's crucial to emphasize the significance of driving innovation within organizations to avoid the risk of failure, a lesson exemplified by my tenure at ConAgra, a company renowned for iconic brands like Birds Eye, Duncan Hines, Healthy Choice, Reddi-wip, among others.

During my time at ConAgra, I had the privilege of leading an innovation team that set out to identify and pioneer forward-thinking, long-term strategic growth platforms with the ambitious target of generating $200 million in sales. This initiative was a collaborative effort and an integral component of our strategic leadership program.

From our exploration of these growth platforms, we embarked on the development and launch of a truly unique meal solutions product known as Homestyle Bakes from Banquet. The results were outstanding, as it quickly became the best-selling new grocery product introduction in the industry. This product achieved an impressive $125 million in sales across just four test markets, driving a 10% increase in market share for the category before rolling out nationally.

This experience underscores the critical importance of nurturing a culture of innovation that fosters creativity and adaptability. In today's rapidly changing world, such a culture is indispensable for organizations that aspire not only to survive but thrive.