Chris Lischewski, Bumble Bee Foods’ former CEO, recently unveiled a series of lessons and rules for business success in challenging times. Talking about a topic that is close to his heart, Lischewski mentioned, “The Seven Rules of Business Success are designed as a playbook for transformative leaders to thrive in these tumultuous times.”
According to Lischewski, there is a method and order to these business rules. Mission and Vision lay the foundation of the business. “Leaders who are taking a long, hard look at the business and its longevity need to focus on the foundation.”
Chris Lischewski has extensive experience leading one of the largest seafood companies in North America. Drawing from his own journey and the insights gleaned during his tenure as the CEO of Bumble Bee Foods, where he turned the company’s fortune around, Lischewski says that “executing fundamental business principles can guide a company towards sustained growth and excellence”.
To start. Lischewski underlines the importance of a clear and compelling mission to serve as the linchpin of success, guiding decisions and actions at every level. The mission, he explains, is your organization’s raison d'etre. It articulates what you aim to accomplish, identities the opportunity you aspire to seize, or the problem you plan to solve. “Take, for example, Bumble Bee Foods, where I had the honor of leading as CEO. Our mission was "to provide nutritious and affordable products that are good for our consumers, while also ensuring the health of our oceans and our planet". This mission was the driving force behind every decision we made, making it easier for everyone within the organization to align their efforts towards our shared goal.
In addition to the mission, Lischewski emphasises the role of a visionary outlook for enduring success. "Vision is about looking forward and imagining the future you want to create," he explained. "It’s about setting ambitious goals that inspire and challenge your team to innovate and excel."
Lischewski says the vision should continuously push boundaries to stimulate growth and innovation. “Our vision when I was serving as the CEO of Bumble Bee was to “redefine and transform the canned seafood category and become the leading provider of healthy and nutritious protein. This vision was our north star, influencing our strategy, inspiring our team and positioning us as a trailblazer in the industry.”
Throughout his journey as CEO of Bumble Bee, Chris Lischewski led many strategic initiatives that were rooted in the company’s vision for the future. These included investments in sustainable fishing, introduction of new product lines that catered to evolving customer preferences and expanding to global markets. "Our vision kept us focused on the bigger picture and helped us to continually push the boundaries of what we could achieve," he said.
However, it is challenging to embed the mission and vision into the daily operations of a company. He emphasized the importance of regular communication and alignment at all levels of the organisation so that every employee from the frontline to the executive suite should imbibe and embrace the company’s mission and vision. “This alignment is crucial to achieve cohesion and collective success.”
Lischewski’s insights have the potential to inspire many leaders and organizations, particularly in the light of today’s fast-paced and volatile economy. The foundational role of mission and vision is indeed a crucial takeaway for boosting organizational resilience and performance.
In his leadership journey, Lischewski was responsible for significant turnaround of many organizations including Bumble Bee Foods. His story serves as an inspiration to the role of core values and fundamentals in driving sustainable success and impact. At a time, when businesses strive to navigate the choppy waters of the modern marketplace, this wisdom provides a valuable roadmap for achieving greatness with purpose-driven, strategic leadership.