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Some moments shift your perspective. My moment arrived in an email from my boss with a simple subject line: You should take a look at this presentation as it will prepare you for your new role. Attached was a deck titled How to be a creative director without sucking at it by Rodd Chant. It was about how to reshape the approach to leadership. The presentation was full of insights, but one slide stood out and stopped me cold: Make decisions. Two simple words. But they landed with weight. I thought back to the most frustrating leadership moments Id experienced over my career. Times when progress stalled, morale dipped, and teams struggled to stay on course. The common thread was indecision. Leaders who hesitated, deferred, or avoided making the call. Leaders who chose based on fear of being wrong rather than belief in what was right. That document didnt just offer advice. It sparked a moment of clarity. I realized that my respect for leaders had always been tied to their willingness to decide, especially when the stakes were high and the answers werent obvious. The foundation of leadership As I stepped into the biggest leadership role of my career, I made a promise to myself that decision making wouldnt be just one skill in my toolkit, but the foundation of my leadership. This doesnt mean making decisions hastily or pretending to have all the answers. Instead, its about recognizing that leadership requires clarity and courage. It means taking the time to understand the situation, listening to others, and then choosing a direction youre willing to stand behind. Even when the path forward is uncertain, leaders must be willing to make bold moves and lead with purpose. Every decision you makeor avoidtells your team something about you. Remember, they are always paying attention and asking themselves: Can I trust this person to make tough calls? Will they stand behind their choices? Do they see the bigger picture? My goal is for my team to answer yes with confidence, optimism, and respect. Not because I always have the perfect answer, but because I consistently choose to lead with conviction and courage. Kelly Hiller is the chief marketing officer of Purdue University.
Category:
E-Commerce
Parents who have purchased Sprout Organics baby food products from Walgreens and other stores since last year will want to check to make sure they dont have a now-recalled Sweet Potato Apple and Spinach food pouch. It is feared that the recalled product may contain elevated levels of lead, which can be detrimental to a babys development. Heres what you need to know. Whats happened? On Tuesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a recall notice about a product from the organic baby food company Sprout Organics. That product is a Sweet Potato, Apple, and Spinach baby food pouch. It is feared that select pouches may have increased levels of lead in the food inside. Sprout Organics initiated the voluntary recall after routine sampling suggested the product may contain elevated levels of lead. According to the recall notice, no other Sprout Organics products are included in this recall. The FDA notice warns that exposure to lead, even at low levels, can increase the amount of lead in a persons blood. Increased lead blood levels can have varying effects, based on a persons age and weight. The notice states that If a child is exposed to enough lead for a protracted period of time, this can affect learning and development or cause other long-term health problems. As of the time of the notices publication, no illnesses linked to the recalled food have been reported. What Sprout Organics product is being recalled? Sprout Organics sells several varieties of baby food in pouch containers, and one of those items is being recalled. The recalled Sprout Organics baby food product is: Product Name: Sprout Organics Sweet Potato Apple and Spinach 3.5 oz pouch Lot code: 4212 Expiration Date: 10/29/2025 Though the expiration date runs until the final days of October, the product was sold as far back as 2024. According ot the recall notice, most sales of the recalled product occurred between September and December 2024. You can view an image of the recalled product here. Where was the recalled Sprout Organics baby food sold? The recalled Sprout Organics Sweet Potato Apple and Spinach 3.5 oz pouch was sold at a number of venues in the US South region, according to the recall notice. Those venues include several unnamed independent stores in the region. It also includes Walgreens stores in the region. The recall notice states that The product was not sold in any other large grocery chain besides Walgreens. What should I do if I have the recalled baby food? Do not serve the food to your child or anyone else. Instead, you should return it to its place of purchase for a full refund. Those with questions or concerns about the recalled product can email Sprout Organics at Info@sproutorganics.com. Full details of the recall are available here.
Category:
E-Commerce
Each September, leaders from business, government, and civil society descend on Gotham for Climate Week NYC, but there is an equally important voice that can enrich these conversations: micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). MSMEs make up about 90% of businesses worldwide. They include, for example, cocoa farmers whose harvests produce our favorite candies, textile manufacturers that create fabrics for our clothes and furniture, and mint cultivators who source the essential oil to flavor our toothpaste and mouthwash. These founders and entrepreneurs supply the worlds largest companies and are vital to their decarbonization efforts. Studies show that emissions from a companys value chain can account for more than 70% of total emissions. Yet, MSMEs often lack the resources necessary to reskill and upskill workers in low-carbon technologies and best practices to meet evolving business needs and corporate sustainability targets. New research from the World Resources Institute (WRI) finds that only 3% of large companies set goals to invest in worker skills or improve working conditions. But when MSMEs fail to help these businesses attain their decarbonization goals, then they face the strong possibility of canceled contracts. And when this happens, global supply chains and the people who comprise them suffer. The results are unfortunate but exemplify stakeholder capitalism gone wrong. Everybodythe companies procuring goods and the MSME owners and workers producing them, as well as corporate shareholders and product consumersis up the proverbial creek. And lets not overlook the worlds population whose lives are affected by the changing climate.. The major players gathering for Climate Week NYC can help avoid these kinds of pitfalls if they take the time to identify and understand the imperative for people-centered supply chains to achieve desired business and societal outcomes. Whats more, big buyers will likely find themselves better able to hit their sustainability targets if they extend the support their suppliers need to make this possible. STAKEHOLDER CAPITALISM IS HUMAN-CENTRIC Technology often dominates conversations about the future of supply chains, from the use of AI in manufacturing to automated operations, but the human element remains fundamental. As supply chain expert Radu Palamariu noted in a recent podcast, humans are only becoming more important as the decisions they make regarding the programming and management of these systems can have larger impacts on production. Failure to reskill and upskill workers to drive value creation will mean even the most advanced systems risk failure. The same is true when it comes to the business of philanthropy. At the Ares Charitable Foundation, we prioritize improving peoples quality of life by giving them voice and agency to advance economically. For example, our Climate-Resilient Employees for a Sustainable Tomorrow (CREST) initiative addresses the sustainability reskilling needs of MSMEs in Indias automotive and textile sectors while considering what Klaus Schwab and Peter Vanham describe as a global economy that works for progress, people, and planet. Aligning with stakeholder capitalisms core tenets, CREST is helping ensure MSMEs participation in global supply chains, future-proof MSME workers jobs, ward against supply chain disruptions to benefit shareholders and consumers, and protect the environment. INVESTMENTS IN PEOPLE ARE KEY TO SUPPLY CHAIN SUCCESS While some companies are finding innovative ways to support the MSMEs that power their supply chains, overall commitment remains low. WRIs research shows that only 12% of large businesses have at least one people-centered supply goal, e.g., the intent to improve workers conditions and safety, invest in reskilling, or support workers and communities well-being. Nevertheless, investing in the people in global supply chains is equally smart and critical for stakeholder capitalism to succeed. Like WRI points out, companies cant afford to overlook this fact and must rethink their supply chain strategy to remain competitive. STAKEHOLDER CAPITALISM ADDS SIGNIFICANT SOCIETAL VALUE Putting people first is a fail-safe plan, especially in the most uncertain times. Avoiding supply chain disruptionsand achieving a more sustainable futurerequires adding societal value in ways that go far beyond revenues and profits. Once businesses embrace that stakeholder capitalism at its best is rooted in setting and attaining people-centered supply chain goals, then prioritizing workers reskilling and upskilling is an easy decision. Michelle Armstrong is president of Ares Charitable Foundation.
Category:
E-Commerce
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