Sublime

One of our most important management tasks is maintaining the proper balance between short-term profit performance and investment for future strength and growth.

We fundamentally changed the point of view of the business from customer-oriented to buyer-oriented. I put our buyers in charge of the company.

taken the lead on innovation, developing new products and better products that, over time, trickle down to the mass market. Given P&G’s greater scale, lower distribution costs, and considerable in-house R&D capabilities, there was an opportunity to lead on innovation from the middle of the market.

Each quarter we try to study an admirable company and discuss it with our Operating Group managers and board members. We focus on high performance conglomerates that have demonstrated at least a decade of superior shareholder returns.

When we face a trade-off between our customers and a business goal, we align with the customer. When an objective seems out of line with our mantra, it gets extra scrutiny.

With a wisdom rare in corporate America, the board decided not to seek another savior from outside and decided instead to look for a proven leader from within. Whom will people follow? In whom do people believe? For whom will people double their energies? Whom will people trust? Who has proven results? Who has created pockets of greatness every ste

performance, top-line goals must be clearly understood throughout the organization.