Aaron Powell

As head of Kimberly-Clark’s global B2B business, I have a front-row view of the different ways people respond to change. We have 5,300 people in 55 countries and all of them, in one way or another, are playing a game where the old rules have packed up and gone home.

What worked five years ago doesn’t work now. Your top customer gets bought out. Everything is fast. Connected. Digital. So digital in fact, that holograms can go on tour. The bar is always moving.

Amid all this disruption I’ve seen people both flounder and soar. Often, the difference comes down to a few simple behaviors that drive confidence and results – by keeping you on the front foot.

Invest in Your Own Learning Agility

Do you know Charlie Munger? The billionaire Berkshire-Hathaway VP and confidant to Warren Buffet once said something so basic it hit me like an avalanche:

“In my whole life, I have known no wise people (over a broad subject matter area) who didn’t read all the time – none, zero.”

It’s obvious that in today’s environment we’ve got to stay current. Read about industries and trends. Feed your imagination with examples of lives well-lived or businesses well-run. Apply the insights to your own work no matter the role you’re in.

I listen to podcasts. They’re small miracles that allow me to ‘read’ during my commute. The fact is, you’ll learn what you need to on the job, but if you’re not investing in staying current, you’re falling behind. It’s that simple.

Get Comfortable Out of Your Own Lane

Most of Kimberly-Clark’s growth (and frankly that of many large companies) will come in new ways. We’ll always make fiber-based goods sold in boxes, but when it comes to future growth, that’s last-century thinking. The future will come from getting out of our lanes – crossing functions, generations, and geographies.

With technology continually blurring boundaries and business models, every company will need people who can lead across any context. But you have to practice – because it’s unnatural to swim in new lanes. Have lunch with someone outside your function. Find a new hire who can reverse-mentor you. Work on a project that takes you out of your comfort zone.

Early in my career, I’d literally force myself to sit with people I didn’t know at leadership meetings. It wasn’t natural for me, but when I was appointed VP of our North America division in 2015, guess what? I already knew most of our commercial leaders because I’d met them previously. Never underestimate the power of forging connections.

Own Your Career

You have to know what you’re good at to own your career.

I personally think people spend too much time trying to take skills where they may be below average and make themselves average. Instead, invest your energy in what you’re good at and become GREAT. What are you uniquely qualified for? Build on it and become the best.

Be wary of chasing job titles. Today it’s about learning agility, learning experiences. Can this leader lead in a new set of challenges? In each of my first three jobs at Kimberly-Clark, I took steps back in how many layers below top management because I wanted certain experiences. When you know what you want to do and seek the necessary experiences to get there, your career path can go in any direction.

The other key to owning your career dream is communicating. We’d love to think managers have our talent card memorized, but it doesn’t happen. You need to be deliberate in ensuring your manager knows your strengths, your background, and your goals.

In this era of constant change, I strongly encourage you to think hard: are you investing in your own learning agility, or are you perpetually too busy? Are you a leader who can cross boundaries, or do you stay in your own lane? And in the end, are you clear about what makes you distinct, where you want to go, and, have you shared it?

Aaron Powell

Plano, Texas, United States
11K followers 500+ connections

Experience

Pizza Hut

-

View Aaron’s full profile

Other similar profiles

Eric MAUGEIN

Adriano B. Araujo

Michel Ybert

Mike Haley

Maurizio Brusadelli

Shankar Viswanathan

Achal Agarwal

Ehab AbouOaf

Omar Channawi

Kathy Park (박유경)

Sudeep Lahiri

Kenneth Choo

Andrew Tetley

Sean Donovan

Colin Lai

Anne Radmacher

Cheryl Lim

Simon Walsh

Kevin Huang

Nikolay T. Karpuzov

Explore collaborative articles

Others named Aaron Powell in United States

Aaron Powell

Aaron P.

Aaron Powell

Aaron Powell

Add new skills with these courses

Sales Forecasting

Branding Guidelines 101: Where Design Meets Marketing

Cultivating Strategic and Analytical Skills in CPG Selling

Aaron Powell

Plano, Texas, United States 11K followers 500+ connections

Experience

Pizza Hut

-

View Aaron’s full profile

Other similar profiles

Eric MAUGEIN

Adriano B. Araujo

Michel Ybert

Mike Haley

Maurizio Brusadelli

Shankar Viswanathan

Achal Agarwal

Ehab AbouOaf

Omar Channawi

Kathy Park (박유경)

Sudeep Lahiri

Kenneth Choo

Andrew Tetley

Sean Donovan

Colin Lai

Anne Radmacher

Cheryl Lim

Simon Walsh

Kevin Huang

Nikolay T. Karpuzov

Explore collaborative articles

Others named Aaron Powell in United States

Aaron Powell

Aaron P.

Aaron Powell

Aaron Powell

Add new skills with these courses

Sales Forecasting

Branding Guidelines 101: Where Design Meets Marketing

Cultivating Strategic and Analytical Skills in CPG Selling

Plano, Texas, United States
11K followers 500+ connections