Whole Foods CEO Jason Buechel has nine tips he has learned from leading a multinational corporate chain.
Key Details
- In a recent interview with Entrepreneur magazine, Buechel discusses the leadership advice that he has learned since he joined Whole Foods in 2013 as global vice president and chief information officer.
- Buechel is responsible for leading one of the largest and most prestigious supermarket chains in the world, with more than 100,000 employees and 535 locations.
- He previously worked as the managing director at Accenture from 2000 to 2013. He is also a board member of the Whole Planet Foundation.
Why It’s Important
Leadership is a responsibility—for every individual and to the hundreds or thousands of people who depend on their managers, bosses, and CEOs to do their jobs and keep their jobs moving forward. That responsibility is a commitment to values for Buechel, who fully believes in Whole Foods’ mission of providing quality food to local communities.
Buechel says he spent the early part of his career soaking up leadership lessons and values from his less prestigious positions, growing into someone who could take on a key leadership role at Whole Foods.
This involved learning how to properly communicate with his employees, making them feel committed to company values and validated in their ideas and concerns, promoting a culture of core values and purpose, learning to become comfortable with uncomfortable risks, and creating appropriate boundaries.
Key Takeaways
- “The sky’s the limit when you’re following your passions.”
- “Understand the vantage point of each stakeholder, and find a balanced approach.”
- “Allow team members to let you know they are connected to the mission and help shape the culture.”
- “Be patient in your 20s.”
- “Make sure you have a rich life outside of work.”
- “Never stop taking risks professionally.”
- “You won’t realize how much stronger your power to communicate as a CEO is until you’re there.”
- “Co-create what you’re looking to put into place.”
- “Don’t overthink the end goal.”