Colgate Leadership

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
• Emphasis on the “human touch”