Advice to Future Leaders from Procter & Gamble's A.G. Lafley

As part of the Dean’s Distinguished Speakers Series, Dean Judy Olian hosted A.G. Lafley, executive chairman of Procter & Gamble. Lafley served as P&G’s president and CEO from 2000 to 2009, returning in 2013 as the chairman of the board. P&G reappointed Lafley as CEO to stabilize the company. While it would take a lifetime to absorb the insight he has gained over this time, we did manage to extract these seven pearls of wisdom from him. Learn them, use them — grow.

1. Management and leadership are learned skills. Change and challenge are what excel growth.
2. The job of the CEO is to create the future, your job is to support the CEO.
3. Be yourself. You spent your life figuring out who you are, you have to have the courage to be yourself.
4. Capitalism is about risk, if you don’t have the stomach for it, it’s not for you.
5. Personal risk is also personal opportunity.
6. If you know who your customers are and you give them what they need and want, things will be good for you.
7. You have to build a team better than you are; that will carry the business down the road.

Enjoy photos from the DDSS event with A.G. Lafley