In this episode of Sal Silvester on the Future of Leadership, Sal talks to Chris Sword, the president of PEARL iZUMi, an iconic brand and a market leader in the apparel and footwear business. Chris is a purpose-driven leader, who knows how to drive innovation and build a healthy work culture. He’s sharing how he tapped into his talented employees early on to evolve the company’s brand and values. He also explains the “growth by less” strategy, going deep to connect with customers and how he positioned PEARL iZUMi for the future.
In this episode:
02:33 – Trends that Chris is seeing in retail, cycling and leadership.
04:56 – How PEARL iZUMi is feeding the trends rather than driving them.
06:00 – The proliferation of health and wellbeing into culture.
06:48 – How passion for the environment is an increasing trend in the workplace and in the world at large.
08:18 – What the Millennial generation brings to workplaces.
09:26 – The importance of personal connection in business interactions.
11:00 – Leading by example, modeling, and connection as aspects of leadership required for the future.
12:12 – The “growth by less” strategy employed at PEARL iZUMi, and how they go beyond the surface with their consumers to connect in a more meaningful way.
15:27 – What Chris wants his customers to experience from PEARL iZUMi as a brand.
18:40 – The lessons that Chris learned when he asked the entire company to contribute to developing its “why”.
22:18 – How Chris is intentional about having a diverse and transformational culture in the workplace.
26:47 – How a love of fitness fuels Chris as a leader in the industry.
29:02 – How busy executives can create healthier lives
Links:
To learn more about the PEARL iZUMi brand, you can find them online: https://www.pearlizumi.com