Scaling Inclusion Across 113 Countries With Remy Ejel

Remy Ejel:
[0:01] When you support people to succeed, you grow in ways that you have never realized.

Jon Clifton:
[0:10] How do you make every single person feel included when you're leading an organization that spans 113 countries, dozens of languages and thousands of employees? It's a question most leaders never have to answer. Remy Ejel does, every single day. As Nestlé's CEO of Zone Asia, Oceania and Africa, he leads one of the most complex organizations on the planet. Guided by the deep bonds of a Relator, the steady hand of Responsibility and an Includer who believes no voice should ever be left out of the room. This is Remy Ejel, and this is Leading with Strengths.

Remy, it's great to be here in New York with you.

Remy Ejel:
[0:51] It's a pleasure to be here.

Jon Clifton:
[0:53] You've dealt with many crises. I mean, I think there are 113 countries that roll to you. Talk about a time when there was some kind of crisis, something that was big that was unfolding, and you turned to your Arranger and said, here's what we're going to do.

Remy Ejel:
[1:09] Of course, one of the biggest challenges at the level of the planet, I have to say, was when we were all hit with the tragic COVID-19. There was a lot of uncertainty. It was very clear and very important that we also had a responsibility to supply food, to have food on the table in the communities in which we operate. And the number one priority was ensuring the safety of the team. The second one was related to business continuity, ensuring supply, making sure that we continue to deliver food and beverage. And number three was to support the community. Based on those three priorities, the whole organization was aligned. That approach allowed us to be more efficient, allow us to operate at speed and allow us to ensure that the team remained safe.

Jon Clifton:
[2:03] You know, you've talked about times of crises and you oversee such a large organization. There must be times when you're experiencing an incredible amount of anxiety or fear or stress. What strengths do you turn to in those moments? Is there one if you do feel some kind of fear that you say, this is the strength that I look to help me out of this?

Remy Ejel:
[2:29] Is there one?

Jon Clifton:
[2:31] What do you mean?

Remy Ejel:
[2:32] I'm saying, is there a strength that is related to that?

Jon Clifton:
[2:36] All of them. They manifest themselves in different ways. I mean, you know, it's kind of, strengths is kind of a way to decode our human algorithm. So what can even cause fear can be driven by what your strengths are, but another one might help you tackle it.

Remy Ejel:
[2:52] So, I mean, it's interesting. And the reason why I was asking that is to say that in reality, there's maybe a couple of elements. First of all, I don't think that there is one. I think it's the intersection almost, I would say, of the different ones that come together. I think also it's in the ability and belief that as a team, you are able to address the biggest challenges that exist. Hence the importance in reality of building the strongest team possible. Actually, I would almost say a team that is stronger than you are. That's the way you are able to deal with the biggest challenges that exist.

Leadership is not in reality the crisis in itself. Leadership is how we choose to respond to it and what we do with it. On a personal level, I have to say, since I was quite young, my mother had that concept that she shared with me, which was 10% is a challenge and 90% how we deal with it. It is true that in today's world there is a lot of volatility. There are a lot of challenges that exist. What is in our hand is how we deal with it. How are we able to get in reality a better outcome for the challenges that are in front of us? When you think about that, it has to do with different facets. It has to do with Arranger. It has to do in reality with Relator, understanding who and what are the capabilities that you have in your team who are able in reality to develop that. It has to do with Includer, because in reality often those challenges are quite complex and you need different perspective in order to come with the most optimum solution to address that. Understanding that is for me what is an amazing enabler and being able to put words on it.

Jon Clifton:
[4:51] You've talked about how two of your strengths are sometimes at odds with each other, your Relator and Includer. Can you talk more about that and how to use the two in your leadership?

Remy Ejel:
[4:59] In reality, you are building strong relationship, strong understanding. When you have Includer, which is in my case, I think yours also, if I'm not mistaken, if I can say that, you feel it's important in reality to do that effort to get everyone included in the discussion. So it does balance it out. The reason why I'm saying it's important is because also within the Includer, if you believe that diversity, which is what I do, is an amazing opportunity, if you believe that diversity is a, I would say, a zone like AOA, a competitive advantage, that we have that diversity. When you have that environment, it's very important that everyone has the right and is empowered in reality to share their perspective. You're able to get something that is, I would almost say, magical. But you have to be intentional when you talk about inclusivity. Inclusivity means I am genuinely interested to understand what is your point of view. I do believe the voice that should be the highest in reality is the voice of the person who has the expertise, the knowledge, to be able to bring it forward. And that's in reality inclusivity.

Jon Clifton:
[6:22] But how do you do that at scale? I mean, you are leading an organization, as I mentioned, that includes 113 countries. You have thousands of employees. How do you include at scale? How do you really listen at that kind of scale?

Remy Ejel:
[6:39] The first thing is you do it with your core team. You do it during crisis. You make sure you are intentional and you display it also. You have an open door policy, which is the policy that I have at the level of the organization. And you drive that message through. And in reality, when you look at that, that's a super empowering message that is there. Often you would hear some people say when they join a team and they are new, they say you have to earn my trust and usually there's a tone, you know, like you have to earn my trust. I disagree with that. I believe if we are sitting together on this table, it's because previous leaders have trusted you and hence automatically when I arrive, I trust you. That's the foundation. Of course, people can lose trust. That's something else. But in reality, that's the way that you start. And when you have that, you create a safe environment. You create an environment where people can express, can feel empowered, can have an impact. And you drive that. And that's an amazing power, I would say, competitive advantage that is created.

Jon Clifton:
[7:57] How do you create that, though? You know, I think there are a lot of people that might hear a CEO say, oh, you got to create kind of these safe environments so that people really feel like they can say whatever it is that they want to say. But then they go, yeah, of course, a CEO is going to say that. The CEO can always say whatever it is that they want to say. But how do you meaningfully create that so that people feel like they can say something that, I don't know, might offend you or ...?

Remy Ejel:
[8:19] I mean, thank you. I mean, super, super interesting too. And maybe let me share something with you. We have a principle that we told which is called agree to agree and agree to disagree. Now, of course, people are empowered to agree, but also people are empowered to disagree because they have a different perspective in reality. Now, often what happens is when people have to agree, they agree on the lowest denominator. Whatever is the element that they can have a consensus on, and often it's the lowest. When people know that they will not be labeled as defensive because they bring a different perspective, then you're able to demonstrate and what you see is often the end result is way better in reality that if people had accepted to compromise.

Jon Clifton:
[9:13] Now, when you're kind of leaning into that, when you're doing one-on-one meetings with, you know, your group, I've looked at your team grid before. I think it's over 20 that report to you directly. What are the things that you're talking about with them?

Remy Ejel:
[9:26] From a team point of view?

Jon Clifton:
[9:28] Yeah. And the one-on-ones.

Remy Ejel:
[9:29] So maybe I can share something with you related to the communication. I have for example three level of communication. And level one of communication is a general update, and it's basically I'm listening, I'm hearing, I'm understanding. Level two goes more into for example coaching where it's more asking questions, discussing alternative, other perspective with the same person. And then level three is where there is actually, I play a more active role because there's maybe a challenge that is bigger. And then I'm able to remove obstacle or to support that person or the team to be able to move forward. That's something that is very difficult to do, for example, in a very large meeting, because you're not able to get the voice of that individual that can really make a difference.

Jon Clifton:
[10:23] You know, if you put your name into ChatGPT and ask about your leadership style, one of the things that comes up is a concept called inclusive growth. What does that concept mean to you?

Remy Ejel:
[10:35] Inclusive has to do with the world has so many opportunities. The world has so many challenges that together, in reality, we can succeed together. We can deliver together. We can grow together. And together, we can have even a bigger impact. So it really has to do with that belief that we can deliver more together.

Jon Clifton:
[10:56] Now, when you were talking about diversity, another thing that you've talked to me about, at least, is strengths diversity. And, you know, you looked at your team grid, you saw the entire list of strengths for your entire team. What were kind of the biggest learnings that you had on all the people that you work with on a daily basis?

Remy Ejel:
[11:14] As you mentioned, you know, I worked on quite a diverse, also from a geographical, we're not all located in the same country. So being able to better understand, but being able to speak a common language when we are discussing how we see things, how we approach things, what are the type of strength that as a team we have? It created a very positive dynamic. So I mean that's a typical example maybe that I can share with you that was very enriching. I don't know if you know, Jon, but today in senior leadership role and actually we're cascading it down, everyone is actually doing the Gallup because it allows us to use the same word, understand the same concept and become more intentional in the way that we approach things.

Jon Clifton:
[12:03] When you first went through strengths, what were you thinking? When you first saw those five words, when you first saw your top 10, what went through your mind?

Remy Ejel:
[12:12] So I have to say, first of all, I was not surprised. But again, what I thought was interesting was putting those words. Reflecting even more in relation with that. And actually seeing how do I take it forward, and how do I become more intentional in the way that I approach things? It also allowed me, but it also allowed in reality the team, to better understand how do we look at things and how are we able to move things forward together? And I think it's related to Positivity where I was surprised, I have to say, I thought it would be higher in reality on that. But then I realized that, for example, when we talk about 10% is a challenge, 90 is how we deal with it, that was one of the reasons why I always found that whatever is the challenge or whatever is the opportunity, we can have a positive impact, we can make a difference if we choose what is the way that we want to address it. And we're not passive to it but on the contrary, we are actually actively looking for that.

Jon Clifton:
[13:27] But when you looked at your strengths report, one of the things that you focused on was, of course, the basements, things to watch out for about your top five. What was kind of the big aha? You even said about the part where you said, now I kind of know how I operate. Was there some sort of hack that you had so that you could operate at a higher level by knowing that? Or what did that look like?

Remy Ejel:
[13:51] What is very clear often, leadership also should be situational. This is where if you are aware of your strengths, but also how to balance it out. And within that environment in which you're operating, you leverage the strengths that actually is the most appropriate that allow you to go there. I mean, like, for example, you mentioned that a little bit earlier. Relator and Includers are actually almost, you would think, on the opposite. But they do complement each other. And there is a moment, there's a situation where, of course, it's important to establish that connection, to get that learning, to make sure you understand the strengths or the challenges that you need to address together. But in other moments where it's really the Includer that takes over and makes sure that everyone in reality is part of that discussion.

Jon Clifton:
[14:44] You know, you also have Responsibility in your top five. And people with Responsibility, of course, will never let anyone down. And any promise that's made, they will deliver on. You know, Nestlé makes so many commitments with respect to sustainability. How do you shoulder all of those commitments, burdens? And are there some that sit above others that kind of keep you awake at night and say, I'm going to make damn sure that we deliver on those promises?

Remy Ejel:
[15:14] So within the Responsibility, in reality, it has to do with the fact that what can you do to make sure that you set everything up, that you eliminate obstacle? Now, of course also, it's important within Responsibility to still have stretched target because it's important to understand that with Responsibility, it doesn't mean you focus on delivering on the minimum, but actually you believe that you can have an impact and you are able to bring things forward. So you have Responsibility, but you have Arranger that comes together and says, okay, that's what we want to do together. That's what we agreed on. You know, that's a North Star. Now, what are the building blocks?

Jon Clifton:
[15:58] You know, I think one of the challenges that people have with Arranger is that they move too quickly. They take the human side out of it, move people around like they're pieces as part of a puzzle, and it can make things worse. What have you learned throughout the years when you've been arranging things, leading through change management, that has made you far more effective at it today?

Remy Ejel:
[16:19] Transparency, sharing with people, being open to feedback. So people are in reality part of that discussion. And then making sure that everyone is aligned, I would say, or wants to deliver on that common objective that has been set.

Jon Clifton:
[16:38] You know, again, thinking about Intellection and asking the hardest questions imaginable, what's the hardest question that you think exists for Nestlé right now that you're grappling with?

Remy Ejel:
[16:49] Um ... How to continue to build on the credibility of Nestlé. How to have an even bigger impact in the communities in which we are operating. I do believe on affordable nutrition when the world is in reality, we have more than 3 billion people that don't have a nutritious diet or accessible nutritious diet. I do believe that the R&D that we have allows us in reality to contribute to address that challenge. And I was, I would say, I worked in different countries, and purchasing power often is a challenge. So how can we bring affordable nutrition at scale? That makes a big difference. And I do believe that nobody is better equipped than us to play that role.

Jon Clifton:
[17:49] You actually sent a strengths code to your son to have him go through it. What happened in that moment?

Remy Ejel:
[17:58] No, I have to say, I mean, this is, yeah, interesting you share that. And we have two boys.

Jon Clifton:
[18:05] And also why? Why did you do it?

Remy Ejel:
[18:08] So we have two boys, and one of them, you know, he wants to compete. I mean, he wants to win. He wants to be actually both, but one more than the other. And in my mind, I was initially thinking, you know, as a father, you know, you want to protect. You say, be careful. I mean, it's OK. I mean, do it slowly and all of that. And identifying and going through that. And in my mind, I was holding back because I was saying I want to protect him. But when I saw that ...

Jon Clifton:
[18:47] Protect him from what?

Remy Ejel:
[18:48] From failing, from having an accident. I mean, that's, as a father, I mean, that's the way. But in reality, when we had that discussion based on the strengths that he had, I realized that I was not doing him a favor. And on the contrary, in our discussion, we said, you know what, go, fly, fly even higher.

Jon Clifton:
[19:12] When you look at your top five, which of your strengths brings you the most joy?

Remy Ejel:
[19:17] It's difficult to say. I mean I have to say Relator is very important for me — I mean I think it's my number one — and that's very important because also I do believe that if you invest time, if you build the strengths of the people, you get the best out of it. So there's an amazing satisfaction, personal satisfaction, that actually I also get by creating that environment and making sure that people are empowered, people are able to move forward, to have an impact, to make a bigger difference. We can look at things and we can look at people in a way that says we're different. But also there's so many things that we have in common. And Includer, I would say for example, is an area that has raised for me the sensitivity related to that. The good thing about it is you are able to get the best out of people. You are able to have a bigger impact because we all want to contribute. We all want to make a difference. We all want to grow and have a positive impact. And that Includer makes sure that you have an environment based on trust, based on respect, a safe environment for people to be able to express themselves. Because when they do, in reality, when we have fierce conversation, we are able to get better results.

Jon Clifton:
[20:46] You, interestingly, lean into a different strength when you're coaching your colleagues. I think it's Learner, which is in your six through 10. Can you talk about how it is that you lean into that in order to bring out the best?

Remy Ejel:
[20:59] I have to say, Gallup was super amazing because I was able to put some words related to some of the strengths or some of the traits that allowed me actually to double down on. And learning is one of them. Maybe one story if I can share. A very long time ago, I would say more than two decades ago, I was in reality leaving the office on a Friday. And I was at that time in marketing. And I saw the head of sales, the sales director of the organization, and I said have a nice evening, looked at him, but obviously I felt that there was a challenge that he had. And so I said can I help you? And he said yeah, I mean, that would be great if you could help me. So I sat down beside him and actually started to type the presentation that he was sharing with me. A couple of days after that, when I saw him, I said, how did it go? He said, oh, Remy, it went great. I really appreciate it. At that moment, I asked him, how often do you do this presentation? And what he answered me is on a monthly basis, I have this presentation to do.

So what I proposed to him is actually every month to sit down with him, to actually do the presentation with him. And what was happening at that time was definitely related to a knowledge transfer. I had the opportunity to learn actually directly one-on-one from the head of sales. When I was sitting in meetings and we were talking about marketing, I was able to bring another perspective. The reason why I talk about that is because that was the element that was related to learning. The initial step was a genuine proposal to support, to help. But what it ended up is actually an amazing knowledge of transfer. And I have to share with you, Jon, is when you support people to succeed, you grow in ways that you have never in reality realized.

Jon Clifton:
[23:05] What did he need from you at that moment? And how did you know he needed it?

Remy Ejel:
[23:09] He needed somebody to write the presentation for him because he was struggling with his laptop. So in reality, he didn't need content. He needed a technical skill. That was not my job. But what was important was first that I could support and I could help. And then the natural thing that happened after and the reward that came was related in reality to learning.

Jon Clifton:
[23:34] You know, when we started this research study on leadership, it was originally for students because there are so many students that go through strengths every single year that they want to be able to see who are people that have become successful with strengths similar to mine. You did it. You became successful. You became a CEO of a very large organization. How did you do it with your strengths?

Remy Ejel:
[23:57] You leverage your strengths. You become more intentional in the way that you are leading, in the way that you are behaving. You become more intentional because you know that those are the strengths that will allow you to have a bigger impact and make a difference.

Jon Clifton:
[24:17] Remy, thank you. Thank you for your leadership. Thanks for running a strengths-based team and organization. Thank you for everything that you're doing.

Remy Ejel:
[24:23] It's an amazing pleasure to be here, and I'm looking forward for a coming discussion. We have the chance.

Transcript autogenerated using AI.