Leading with authenticity to surpass your goals
By Ben Mand ’02 MBA
Long before my time at Kellogg began, there were forces in play that would ultimately lead me to resonate deeply with Kellog’s purpose of educating, equipping and inspiring leaders to build strong organizations and wisely leverage the power of markets to create lasting value.
Flash back to the 1970s where I grew up in rural Wisconsin on a dairy farm near Fond Du Lac. Living in a trailer with my parents next to my grandparents’ barn, some of my earliest memories were playing in the fields and helping with household chores like gardening, cleaning and cooking meals for my family with the ingredients we grew on our land. This is where I learned to make the most of what you have and never waste anything that can be used again. We didn’t throw out leftovers, we turned them into new meals. When something broke, we gathered pieces to make new parts and fix it.
This mindset, instilled in me from a young age, is something I’d go on to carry with me and make a career out of.
As I continued to grow up, I worked a few jobs that opened my eyes to the opportunities that education could earn you. I could envision becoming a successful businessman and leader, but I realized I needed the schooling and building blocks to get there. Before enrolling at Kellogg, I put myself through undergrad at UW-Madison as a first generation college student, and upon graduation, I knew I had the makings to be a future leader (and Kellogg Leader!) in business but I needed the additional framework and education to get me there.
While only a year long, my time at Kellogg was integral to my future as a CEO, as a leader and as a person. When I first visited the campus, the One-Year MBA Program piqued my interest and aligned with my passions, showcasing a strong focus on strategy, growth, innovation and entrepreneurship throughout their curriculum. In this accelerated program, I was able to choose classes that matched my objectives and quickly build my network.
Upon enrolling, I knew I made the right choice. Kellogg was filled with candid, authentic people – students, faculty and staff who set the bar high and taught me to make the most of what was given to me, embrace authenticity and empathy in my leadership style, and to truly lean into the innate qualities that would later make me stand out amongst other candidates and competitors. I took courses that challenged my way of thinking — like marketing strategy classes that were extremely applicable to how you think about the marketplace and drove home important business concepts, like how to discern when is the right time to be aggressive and innovative without losing sight of your core business.
>With the country still reeling from the tragic events of 9/11, I entered one of the toughest job markets in 2001-2002. Interviewing and hiring was on an unforeseeable pause at most companies. It was extremely challenging, but the tenacity, drive, empathy, and authenticity that I cultivated at Kellogg prepared me to take on my job search head first, eventually landing a role at Johnson & Johnson.
Now, as CEO at Harmless Harvest, it is my priority to continue sharing those fundamentals that I learned at Kellogg. To lead with my whole self and create a culture of learning, transparency and action. It’s at the root of setting aggressive goals to improve our carbon footprint, sharing our regenerative organic ag practices with competing farms and why we’re Fair for Life — offering opportunities for education, health and safety all along our supply chain.
It’s also what’s pushed my resourcefulness mindset and led to the transformation of Harmless’ product offering and environmental impact. As a zero-waste coconut company, we use the whole coconut to make more than just coconut water. Coconut meat gets used for dairy free yogurts and smoothies (that are upcycled certified), and the coconut husks are turned into things like biofuel, fiber, and compost that’s used in our daily farming practices. Hard work and valuable resources are recognized and never wasted.
Empathy, authenticity and being unapologetically yourself are what’s key to impactful leadership. I always say as a leader, you must be willing to operate in the trenches alongside your employees, and be open and honest when you get something wrong. That is what will have the strongest impact on your team, your community and your bottom line.
From the hands-on experience and savvy business acumen we cultivated during classes, to the nights spent at The Deuce eating pizza with friends after finals, I’ll always reflect fondly on my short but impactful time spent at Kellogg.
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