Colgate-Palmolive

Colgate-Palmolive Company

Type Public

Traded as NYSE: CL

S&P 500 Component

Industry Personal care

Founded 1806

Headquarters 300 Park Avenue

New York City, New York,United States

Key people Ian M. Cook, CEO

Revenue US$ 17.085 billion (2012)[1]

Operating income US$ 3.889 billion (2012)[1]

Net income US$ 2.472 billion (2012)[1]

Total assets US$ 13.394 billion (2012)[1]

Total equity US$ 2.189 billion (2012)[1]

Employees 37,700 (2012)[1]

Website www.colgate.com
The Colgate-Palmolive Company is an American multinational consumer products company focused on the
production, distribution and provision of household, health care and personal products, such
as soaps, detergents, and oral hygiene products (including toothpaste and toothbrushes). Under its "Hill's"
brand, it is also a manufacturer of veterinary products. The company's corporate offices are on Park
Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.[2]

Case Title:
Colgate-Palmolive: Leadership Style of Reuben Mark
Publication Year : 2008
Authors: Florence Nightingale.P & Doris Rajakumari John
Industry: Home Appliances and Personal Care Products
Region:Global
Case Code: LDS0027C
Teaching Note: Available
Structured Assignment: Available

Abstract:
Colgate-Palmolive, headquartered in New York City is the world leader in oral care products. Its consistent
success in the oral care segment was attributed to Reuben Mark (Mark), who has been the CEO of Colgate-
Palmolive for the past 23 years, since 1984. As the company’s CEO, Mark stressed that focus is an important
element of leadership at Colgate-Palmolive. His business ideas reflect his accumulated experience and his
humane view of how to lead a business organisation. He persistently focused on achieving consistent growth
which is required to maintain the company’s global success and make it stronger. Mark followed a different style to
lead the company. According to Mark, it is the management’s responsibility to implement and make improvements
in the organisation so as to move it towards excellence. The case study allows for discussion on how personal
styles of leadership influence corporate leadership styles.
Pedagogical Objectives:
 To analyse the different leadership styles that drive a company’s success
 To analyse how personal beliefs, attitudes, lifestyles influence business decisions
 To analyse the leadership styles of Reuben Mark and his views on corporate leadership.
Keywords : Colgate-palmolive, Leadership Style, Corporate Leadership, Ian Cook, Effective Leader,
Transformational Leadership, William Colgate, Business Decisions, Leadership Case Study, Restructuring,
Moving the Bell Curve, Reuben Mark
Contents:
 Colgate -Palmolive: Reuben Mark's Foundation
 Reuben Mark's Leadership Style
 Reuben Mark: Leaving Behind a Legacy
 Abstract:
The case talks about the take over of Tom’s of Maine, the leading player in the natural personal care
market in the US, by Colgate-Palmolive in early 2006. Colgate is the market leader in oral and personal
care markets the world over. The naturals market has been showing good growth in the recent years in the
 US while the market for mainstream products witnessing sluggish growth. Natural/ organic brands such as
Tom’s of Maine are showing remarkable growth in this stagnating market.
 Since 2002, Colgate due to intense competition and increase in price of commodities is following an
aggressive restructuring strategy aimed at strengthening its market leader position. The case gives the
details of this takeover, and the reasons behind this move.
 The case brings to attention the latest trend of multinational companies taking over smaller ethical brands
in order to gain a foothold in the booming ethical markets. It also raises questions on whether these
takeovers, would lessen the appeal of the ethical brands among consumers or whether consumers would
continue patronizing them irrespective of the change in parentage. The case also facilitates a debate on
whether Colgate’s decision to take over a small natural brand at this critical juncture was wise and about
the success of the same.
 Pedagogical Objectives:
 To understand the Strategies for growth in the organic segment for established FMCG companies-Impact of
brand equity, in case of take-overs.
 Keywords : Oral care, Ethical Marketing, Corporate Social Responsibility, Tom Chappel, Tom’s of Maine,
Colgate, Natural oral care products, Ruben Mark, green brand, Colgate-Palmolive, P&G, Crest, Inorganic
growth, entrepreneurship, ethical brands

After an unusually long 23-year tenure as chief executive, Reuben Mark, who is still
chairman of Colgate-Palmolive, sees corporate leadership like a baseball game that is
won, not by spectacular homeruns, but by singles and doubles.

In a recent Wharton leadership lecture titled, "The Essence of Colgate's Leadership

Training," Mark said effective leadership at the $12.2 billion consumer products
company pays off in incremental and consistent gains. "The essence of leadership is the
idea of continuous improvement. No matter what, you can always coach people to do a
little better, and if everyone does that, the whole organization moves up."

Colgate-Palmolive, headquartered in New York City, is the world's leader in oral care
products with its flagship Colgate toothpaste, but it also sells soaps (including dish
soap), pet food and household cleaners such as Ajax. The company's stable of consumer
brands has delivered steady growth throughout the past two decades. Since the end of
1983, total return for the Standard & Poor's 500 Index was 1555% while Colgate-
Palmolive's peer group of companies returned 2932%. Total return for Colgate-Palmolive
during the same period was 4204%. Its after-tax return on capital from 2002 to 2007
was 33% compared to 18.5% at peer companies.

Mark said business leaders should look at their company's performance like a bell curve.
The left side of the curve represents very bad results, and the right side, excellence. The
bulk of a company's activities will fall in the thickest part of the bell curve in the middle.
Management's job is to gradually implement and nurture improvements that will move
the entire curve toward the right, Mark suggested: "It's not romantic and not
revolutionary or headline-getting, but over time, that's what generates success."

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For example, Colgate management worked for several years to get all 35,000 Colgate-
Palmolive employees to wear identification badges with their first names in large, highly
visible type. The nametags, he said, make it easier for top executives visiting plants and
offices around the world to connect more quickly with employees by using first names.
"All these efforts at cultural change help to get people to believe and move the curve.
The job of the major leaders in the organization centers around culture."

Colgate-Palmolive was founded in New York in 1806 as a candle and soap company. One
of its early innovations was packaging dental cream -- at that time sold in jars -- into
squeezable tubes. Today, the company operates in 223 countries and is the leading
toothpaste brand in most of the world. (In the U.S., it faces heavy competition from
Crest.) Mark, 68, joined the company in 1963 and went on to serve as its vice president
for Far East operations, president, and then chief executive in 1984. This summer, in
keeping with Colgate-Palmolive's succession plan, Ian Cook, Colgate's chief operating
officer, took over as chief executive. Mark will continue as chairman through 2008.

He stressed that focus is an important element of leadership at Colgate-Palmolive. The

company has limited the number of product lines in its portfolio to focus only on those in
which the company can maintain a strong position. For example, the company never
followed competitors into pharmaceuticals. "In our case, we decided 25 years ago we
couldn't compete with some organizations, like Procter & Gamble, on all fronts. We had
to select a limited number of product areas where we could compete."

Indeed, he said, Colgate-Palmolive would have liked to add the Listerine brand to its oral
care division in 2006, when Pfizer announced it was selling the mouthwash along with its
consumer healthcare division. However, the deal would have included products that did
not fit into Colgate-Palmolive's core groups, including Nicorette, the stop-smoking patch,
and over-the-counter drugs like Sudafed, Neosporin, Zantac and Benadryl. Colgate-
Palmolive walked away from the acquisition and Johnson & Johnson went on to buy the
Pfizer brands for $16.6 billion. Mark said that while it was difficult not to buy a strong
brand like Listerine, it was more important to remain focused on the company's guiding
strategy. "When somebody says this is the deal of a lifetime and you can't pass it up,
you almost have to run in the other direction," he added.

Financial discipline is another simple strategy that has led to constant improvement at
Colgate-Palmolive, according to Mark. Company managers at Colgate-Palmolive
constantly look to reduce overhead and plow savings back into marketing and new
product development. As a result, the company's margins have grown from 37.9% in
1984 to 56.4% in 2006, he said.

Mark then went on to describe personal characteristics that are important in successful
leaders. "In leadership, some traits come naturally [while others] must be learned," he
noted. He emphasized integrity first. "That goes without saying. However, in recent
years -- especially in business -- taking integrity for granted has been a mistake. A lot of
people got into a lot of trouble because the people at the top of the organization did not
demonstrate integrity."

He pointed to former Tyco chief executive Dennis Kozlowski, who agreed to pay
restitution for tax evasion after he was caught in a scheme to avoid paying taxes on
artwork purchased in Manhattan. Empty cartons supposedly holding the art were
shipped to a Tyco facility in New Hampshire for tax purposes, but the paintings were
actually sent to Kozlowski's New York apartment.

Mark asked his audience to think about the impact on a worker in the New Hampshire
plant, earning $22 an hour, seeing the crates coming to his plant. "He knows that the
boss is cheating on taxes. How can you really expect that warehouseman to be honest
in his job when the example he's getting is just the opposite? With everything you do as
a leader, you've got to think not only, 'Is it the right thing for me to do?' but, 'Is it right
for the organization?'"

Coping with Ambiguity

Common sense is another critical trait of good leaders. "That's what business pays big
bucks for. That's what makes a success -- seeing the situation and simplifying it so
everyone can understand and come up with a common-sense solution that will move the
business forward." Strong leaders are able to cope with ambiguity, he added. "If
everything were black and white, everyone could do it, but most things in business at
any level are gray. The ability to parse out what is on one side and what is on another --
and present those sides well and come to a conclusion -- is important."

Clarity in communications is also vital, said Mark. "You can't expect people to do what
you want them to do and to get better each day unless there is clarity." He is often
amazed to find himself sitting in a meeting, listening carefully as misunderstandings
develop. To prevent this, the top 500 people at Colgate-Palmolive gather twice a year to
hear presentations about initiatives within the company. They then must return to their
divisions and facilities to make sure the information they received from the very top
cascades throughout the rest of the company.

Mark then discussed the use of power by corporate leaders. "The more power you have,
the less you need to use it." If top management has fostered the right culture, everyone
is aligned and voluntarily moving toward the same goals. In that kind of company,
bosses don't need to wield their power. He also emphasized the "human touch." First, he
said, leaders must create a caring environment. "Love is a better motivator than fear, I
believe, and our company believes." Finally, he added, strong leaders value the
contributions of everyone in the organization, manage with respect and often use humor
as a powerful tool to get around problems and disarm people who may be inclined to
hamper progress.

He was then asked which of the personal traits of good leaders come naturally and
which need to be developed. Many of the "human touch" characteristics, he said, can be
learned, if necessary -- "It comes down to manifesting an interest in people" -- while the
ability to handle ambiguity is something that must be learned with experience. Integrity,
however, cannot be learned. Even if a leader has integrity, that is not enough. "It's
manifesting integrity to set the example. Even when something comes intuitively, you
still have to work to develop it, to move your own personal curve in the right direction."
 He told of visiting a new bank headquarters in the Midwest on a rainy day. The building
was constructed in such a way that employees and visitors were soaked by the time
they entered the bank. Mark was certain the chief executive had used another entrance
and thus avoided arriving in the office dripping wet. It was a sign, he suspected, that
management did not care much for its employees and investors. Indeed, a short time
later, the chief executive was fired and the stock plummeted. "You see it time after
time," said Mark. "It's all about how you treat your 'family.'"

Finally, Mark stressed that despite the importance of focus in business, it is also crucial
to maintain balance. "You will be a far better professional in all respects if your life is
balanced." When asked about his unusually long time as a chief executive, he said his
case was not typical. Younger executives need to find a way to the top at companies, he
said, and added that he was surprised to learn that he likes retirement. "I was probably
in the job too long."

Reuben Mark's Insights on Leadership Behaviors

Reuben Mark and Colgate-Palmolive have been cited in other literature and business magazines in the past
as the 'non-celebrity' CEO and company that delivered sterling returns to the employees, company and
shareholders.

For a company to be successful on a continuous basis over more than two two long decades is remarkable. I
am sure there were ups and downs along the journey. As such, leaders need to continuously improve and
adjust to lead the people and the company. However, the fundamental universal leadership behavior
throughout the turbulent time shared by Mr. Mark must remain consistent and real.

For example, being ethical involves "walking the Talk." It means showing love to all and not just to oneself.
It means creating mechanisms that check and balance one's power, as sometimes CEOs became intoxicated
with the praise heaped on them by the business media. They truly begin to believe that they are 'gods' and
the only people who can achieve.

When we want to be leaders, I hope we want it for the right reasons. Leadership should not be sought just
to benefit ourselves but to do good and create wealth and happiness for others. When that is done, the
rewards of recognition, material gain and respect by the people will come naturally.

COLGATE PALMOLIVE PRECISION TOOTH BRUSH

Synopsis :- The analysis of the two different launch strategies

1. Introduction and Company Background. Colgate Palmolive was the global leader in
household and personal products, with sales of $6.06 billion and gross profit of $2.76 billion, as
in 1991. The company was also the No. 1 in US retail tooth brush market with 23.3% of volume
share. The company had 43% of the world’s tooth paste market and 16% of the world tooth
brush market. In 1991 there was an increase. There was an increase of 12% in the worldwide
sales of CP’s oral care products amounting to $1.3 billion which was 22% of CP’s total sale. The
Colgate-Palmolive case involves the Precision toothbrush, which was
entered into the market in 1993 by Colgate-Palmolive. This marketing plan
summarizes the company’s situation at the time the Precision toothbrush was
introduced, and the different marketing strategies that we believe would be
best for Colgate-Palmolive and their new toothbrush. In 1992, Colgate-Palmolive (CP) was the
global leader in household and personal care products. It was also the leader inretail toothbrush
sales in the United States. Prior to the 1990s, consumers were satisfied with toothbrushes that
were aesthetically pleasing. As therapeutic toothbrush sales rose it became apparent that baby
boomers were becoming increasingly concerned with their oral health, specifically their gums.
As a result, the toothbrush industry experienced amassive influx of worthy competitors and the
formation of a niche, super-premium market. In order to gain an edge eachcompetitor worked
on developing new toothbrush technology, forming alliances with dental professionals,
expandingadvertising budgets and offering promotions that would grab consumer attention.

Characteristics

Colgate-Palmolive's Reuben Mark: On Leadership and 'Moving the Bell Curve'

After an unusually long 23-year tenure as chief executive, Reuben Mark, who is still
chairman of Colgate-Palmolive, sees corporate leadership like a baseball game that is
won, not by spectacular homeruns, but by singles and doubles.

In a recent Wharton leadership lecture titled, "The Essence of Colgate's Leadership

Training," Mark said effective leadership at the $12.2 billion consumer products
company pays off in incremental and consistent gains. "The essence of leadership is the
idea of continuous improvement. No matter what, you can always coach people to do a
little better, and if everyone does that, the whole organization moves up."

Colgate-Palmolive, headquartered in New York City, is the world's leader in oral care
products with its flagship Colgate toothpaste, but it also sells soaps (including dish
soap), pet food and household cleaners such as Ajax. The company's stable of consumer
brands has delivered steady growth throughout the past two decades. Since the end of
1983, total return for the Standard & Poor's 500 Index was 1555% while Colgate-
Palmolive's peer group of companies returned 2932%. Total return for Colgate-Palmolive
during the same period was 4204%. Its after-tax return on capital from 2002 to 2007
was 33% compared to 18.5% at peer companies.

Mark said business leaders should look at their company's performance like a bell curve.
The left side of the curve represents very bad results, and the right side, excellence. The
bulk of a company's activities will fall in the thickest part of the bell curve in the middle.
Management's job is to gradually implement and nurture improvements that will move
the entire curve toward the right, Mark suggested: "It's not romantic and not
revolutionary or headline-getting, but over time, that's what generates success."

For example, Colgate management worked for several years to get all 35,000 Colgate-
Palmolive employees to wear identification badges with their first names in large, highly
visible type. The nametags, he said, make it easier for top executives visiting plants and
offices around the world to connect more quickly with employees by using first names.
"All these efforts at cultural change help to get people to believe and move the curve.
The job of the major leaders in the organization centers around culture."

Colgate-Palmolive was founded in New York in 1806 as a candle and soap company. One
of its early innovations was packaging dental cream -- at that time sold in jars -- into
squeezable tubes. Today, the company operates in 223 countries and is the leading
toothpaste brand in most of the world. (In the U.S., it faces heavy competition from
Crest.) Mark, 68, joined the company in 1963 and went on to serve as its vice president
for Far East operations, president, and then chief executive in 1984. This summer, in
keeping with Colgate-Palmolive's succession plan, Ian Cook, Colgate's chief operating
officer, took over as chief executive. Mark will continue as chairman through 2008.

He stressed that focus is an important element of leadership at Colgate-Palmolive. The

company has limited the number of product lines in its portfolio to focus only on those in
which the company can maintain a strong position. For example, the company never
followed competitors into pharmaceuticals. "In our case, we decided 25 years ago we
couldn't compete with some organizations, like Procter & Gamble, on all fronts. We had
to select a limited number of product areas where we could compete."

Indeed, he said, Colgate-Palmolive would have liked to add the Listerine brand to its oral
care division in 2006, when Pfizer announced it was selling the mouthwash along with its
consumer healthcare division. However, the deal would have included products that did
not fit into Colgate-Palmolive's core groups, including Nicorette, the stop-smoking patch,
and over-the-counter drugs like Sudafed, Neosporin, Zantac and Benadryl. Colgate-
Palmolive walked away from the acquisition and Johnson & Johnson went on to buy the
Pfizer brands for $16.6 billion. Mark said that while it was difficult not to buy a strong
brand like Listerine, it was more important to remain focused on the company's guiding
strategy. "When somebody says this is the deal of a lifetime and you can't pass it up,
you almost have to run in the other direction," he added.

Financial discipline is another simple strategy that has led to constant improvement at
Colgate-Palmolive, according to Mark. Company managers at Colgate-Palmolive
constantly look to reduce overhead and plow savings back into marketing and new
product development. As a result, the company's margins have grown from 37.9% in
1984 to 56.4% in 2006, he said.

Mark then went on to describe personal characteristics that are important in successful
leaders. "In leadership, some traits come naturally [while others] must be learned," he
noted. He emphasized integrity first. "That goes without saying. However, in recent
years -- especially in business -- taking integrity for granted has been a mistake. A lot of
people got into a lot of trouble because the people at the top of the organization did not
demonstrate integrity."

He pointed to former Tyco chief executive Dennis Kozlowski, who agreed to pay
restitution for tax evasion after he was caught in a scheme to avoid paying taxes on
artwork purchased in Manhattan. Empty cartons supposedly holding the art were
shipped to a Tyco facility in New Hampshire for tax purposes, but the paintings were
actually sent to Kozlowski's New York apartment.

Mark asked his audience to think about the impact on a worker in the New Hampshire
plant, earning $22 an hour, seeing the crates coming to his plant. "He knows that the
boss is cheating on taxes. How can you really expect that warehouseman to be honest
in his job when the example he's getting is just the opposite? With everything you do as
a leader, you've got to think not only, 'Is it the right thing for me to do?' but, 'Is it right
for the organization?'"

Coping with Ambiguity

 Common sense is another critical trait of good leaders. "That's what business pays big
bucks for. That's what makes a success -- seeing the situation and simplifying it so
everyone can understand and come up with a common-sense solution that will move the
business forward." Strong leaders are able to cope with ambiguity, he added. "If
everything were black and white, everyone could do it, but most things in business at
any level are gray. The ability to parse out what is on one side and what is on another --
and present those sides well and come to a conclusion -- is important."

Clarity in communications is also vital, said Mark. "You can't expect people to do what
you want them to do and to get better each day unless there is clarity." He is often
amazed to find himself sitting in a meeting, listening carefully as misunderstandings
develop. To prevent this, the top 500 people at Colgate-Palmolive gather twice a year to
hear presentations about initiatives within the company. They then must return to their
divisions and facilities to make sure the information they received from the very top
cascades throughout the rest of the company.

Mark then discussed the use of power by corporate leaders. "The more power you have,
the less you need to use it." If top management has fostered the right culture, everyone
is aligned and voluntarily moving toward the same goals. In that kind of company,
bosses don't need to wield their power. He also emphasized the "human touch." First, he
said, leaders must create a caring environment. "Love is a better motivator than fear, I
believe, and our company believes." Finally, he added, strong leaders value the
contributions of everyone in the organization, manage with respect and often use humor
as a powerful tool to get around problems and disarm people who may be inclined to
hamper progress.

He was then asked which of the personal traits of good leaders come naturally and
which need to be developed. Many of the "human touch" characteristics, he said, can be
learned, if necessary -- "It comes down to manifesting an interest in people" -- while the
ability to handle ambiguity is something that must be learned with experience. Integrity,
however, cannot be learned. Even if a leader has integrity, that is not enough. "It's
manifesting integrity to set the example. Even when something comes intuitively, you
still have to work to develop it, to move your own personal curve in the right direction."

He told of visiting a new bank headquarters in the Midwest on a rainy day. The building
was constructed in such a way that employees and visitors were soaked by the time
they entered the bank. Mark was certain the chief executive had used another entrance
and thus avoided arriving in the office dripping wet. It was a sign, he suspected, that
management did not care much for its employees and investors. Indeed, a short time
later, the chief executive was fired and the stock plummeted. "You see it time after
time," said Mark. "It's all about how you treat your 'family.'"

Finally, Mark stressed that despite the importance of focus in business, it is also crucial
to maintain balance. "You will be a far better professional in all respects if your life is
balanced." When asked about his unusually long time as a chief executive, he said his
case was not typical. Younger executives need to find a way to the top at companies, he
said, and added that he was surprised to learn that he likes retirement. "I was probably
in the job too long."

Here's what you think...

Total Comments: 8
#1 Managing with Respect

It is wonderfully heartening to see a seasoned senior leader who not only believes in managing with respect,
but obviously walks the talk ... making all the difference!

By: Ellen Wiss, WISSolutions / Principal

Sent: 07:45 AM Thu Oct.04.2007 - US

#2 The Philosophy of Rueben Mark

Mr. Mark proves that the simplest approach is the best. We rarely heard his name mentioned during the era
of the corporate "superstars", and it was because he was busy doing his job and meeting his responsibilities
to his employees first. The benefits to the shareholders then flowed naturally.Why is such a simple formula
so difficult for other CEOs to grasp?

By: Paul Ipolito, Process Equipment/Project Manager

Sent: 08:25 AM Thu Oct.04.2007 - US

#3 Moving the bell curve up.

As we read in "Innumeracy," upper managers get rewarded for abusing employees and abused for
rewarding employees because of regression to the mean. Reuben Mark shows how to move the curve
upward which rewards everyone.

By: Paul Snare, Paul Snare SBC

Sent: 03:31 PM Thu Oct.04.2007 - US

#4 Respect and Simplicity

Great to read someone who really takes the role of leader seriously and understands that everything you do
has an impact on the organziation one way or another. Furthermore, I am struck by the notion of simplicity.
I sometimes wonder if business leaders try to make things far more complex than need to be as a way to
justify themselves.

By: Mark ,
Sent: 03:33 PM Fri Oct.05.2007 - US

#5 Leadership lessons

These are excellent lessons on management and leadership styles. This shows that the crux of wealth
creation and caring for investors and customers is the crux of strategic management.

By: Avadhut Nigudkar, Analytics,Pune,India

Sent: 10:44 AM Sat Oct.06.2007 - IN

#6 Reuben Mark's Insights on Leadership Behaviors

Reuben Mark and Colgate-Palmolive have been cited in other literature and business magazines in the past
as the 'non-celebrity' CEO and company that delivered sterling returns to the employees, company and
shareholders.

For a company to be successful on a continuous basis over more than two two long decades is remarkable. I
am sure there were ups and downs along the journey. As such, leaders need to continuously improve and
adjust to lead the people and the company. However, the fundamental universal leadership behavior
throughout the turbulent time shared by Mr. Mark must remain consistent and real.

For example, being ethical involves "walking the Talk." It means showing love to all and not just to oneself.
It means creating mechanisms that check and balance one's power, as sometimes CEOs became intoxicated
 with the praise heaped on them by the business media. They truly begin to believe that they are 'gods' and
the only people who can achieve.

When we want to be leaders, I hope we want it for the right reasons. Leadership should not be sought just
to benefit ourselves but to do good and create wealth and happiness for others. When that is done, the
rewards of recognition, material gain and respect by the people will come naturally.

By: keehong lu, Integrated Performance Associates, Singapore

Sent: 11:59 PM Sat Oct.13.2007 - KR

#7 Old Fashioned Virtues

Thank you, Mr. Mark, for reminding us that these somewhat old fashioned values like integrity, respect for
others and going about life in a common sense manner will always remain in fashion!

By: Prem Rao, People 1st Consulting,CEO

Sent: 07:58 AM Mon Oct.15.2007 - AU

#8 Mark's insights to Leadership behavior

His views are very simplistic. One may think that anyone can do as he does. Fact is, management may be
one of the hardest things to do. Managers and organizations usually complicate themselves and intra-
organizational chaos inhibits companies from performing at their top level. These tips are truly important for
people like me who are fresh out of college and have no experience.

StrengtheningLeadershipWorldwide

At Colgate, the outstanding personal leadership of employees at all levels of the

organization is a significant factor in the Company’s ongoing success and strong business
results.
Incorporating the Company’s global values of Caring, Continuous Improvement and Global
Teamwork, Colgate develops leaders through a formal, multifaceted process that includes
thorough communication of Colgate’s strategies, setting of personal objectives, periodic
one-on-one feedback and an understanding of how each individual’s work contributes to
overall corporate goals.
Fostering open communication among all Colgate people, the Company keeps employees
involved by reaching deep into the organization regularly via webcasts, emails, interactive
town hall-style meetings, mentoring and providing a variety of online and classroom training
courses to strengthen skills.
Leadership also extends to being a leader in caring for communities where Colgate people
live and work and where Colgate sells its products. In Argentina, Colgate employees
volunteer in schools and at community events and other gatherings to extend the reach of
Colgate’s “Bright Smiles, Bright Futures” oral health education program. In Vietnam,
Colgate is partnering with the Vietnam Dental Association to help improve the oral health of
hundreds of thousands of factory employees at industrial parks across the country. The
program offers workers free dental checkups, educational oral health materials and access
to dental health professionals year round.
characteristics
Colgate-Palmolive: Leadership Style of Reuben Mark

As per the reading of the Colgate-Palmolive: Leadership paper, Reuben Mark thought that "the
essence of leadership is the idea of continuous improvement." He was an agent of change,
which has propelled the company to become one of the most powerful consumer product giants.

His leadership style encouraged the employees to participate in the creation of new products
and Mark would ensure that the credit was not his, e.g. he did not hog the limelight. He was
credible to the employees, by having worked his way up the ladder, he had the experience. By
implementing the name tag element and involving them in the decision-making process, he
made the employees feel part of the success, made them visible and promoted friendliness
within the organization. He has been quoted to say: “The job of the major leaders in the
organization centers around culture.”

In essence, Mark's leadership model is to (Enable, Envision, Empower and Energize). The
granularity can be categorized as follows:

ENVISION
- Continuous improvement
- Know what needs to be done (focus on improving the quality of life for the customers)
- Globalization is a fundamental growth strategy
- Avoid media interviews

ENABLE
- Also ensure to keep focused on the core expertise of the company
- Involve employees in the decision-making process
- Laid out career paths and identified skills to build
- Have a formal process to identify next-generation leaders

EMPOWER
- Ensure that the employees get the credit
- Good leaders apply common sense
- Be consistent in the execution of business plans

ENERGIZE
- Nurture the caring of the internal environment
- Promote the sense of friendliness
- Encourage participation and advancement of women and minorities
- Must have a balanced life

In summary, Mark’s abilities and qualities to lead could be listed as:

• Integrity
• Common sense
• Clarity in communications

Leadership style
Plain vanilla

The Style: This type of leader is not flashy and focuses on shareholders.
Who Has It: Reuben Mark from Colgate Palmolive, a true “company man” who worked only for Colgate for more than 40 years and ran the
company from 1984 to 2007; Nestle CEO Paul Bulcke, who shuns the talk-show circuit and public recognition in favor of focusing on what is
going on inside the company and delivering results.
The Achilles Heel: There is little downside for this kind of a CEO until a crisis erupts. Then the company may suffer from lack of a well-
known spokesperson with some flair.
The Fix: The antidote for the Plain Vanilla leader: train and practice for a crisis since shareholders, employees and customers usually look to
the CEO for much of their comments. This kind of leader should also allow other employees to share the limelight. Prepare subject matter
experts who can comment on specific issues.
- See more at: http://chiefexecutive.net/finding-and-fixing-your-achilles-heel#sthash.Zt0XK1mp.dpuf