Leadership is a powerful word and thus difficult to define properly. For this blog, we wanted to incorporate a clever and concise description of what we think leadership encompasses. But really, leadership is so many things and it would take too long to go through all the different components of leadership, let alone the special attributes that good leaders embody.
The opportunity to speak with and learn from business managers who have led an organization to success or guide it back to health after a failure, was an extremely rewarding experience. Two such business leaders who came and visited us in class were Robert Ouimet, and Rob Mackenzie, current CEO of Cordon Bleu (a food processing company in Montreal). During his visit, Robert Ouimet introduced his remarkable perspective on the human side of business that shaped his views on leadership. He believed in two main pillars that contributed to the success of a company - the human pillar, and the economic pillar. By looking at these pillars as complementary as opposed to conflicting, he believed that he had found a way to successfully generate profits while maintaining a high degree of contentment, satisfaction, and happiness among his employees. He called this initiative Notre Projet (Our Project).
In class, we learned about the characteristics that contribute to better leadership. These characteristics included themes such as humility, accountability, courage, honesty, and temperance. At the same time however, we saw that too much of these good traits can also lead to negative results; strengths become weaknesses. And so while too little of a virtue can be seen as a vice, too much of a virtue can also become an equal vice. For example, an overtly disciplined person who keeps an extremely regimented schedule may lose out on the joys and needs of spontaneity and flexibility. As a result, keeping a balance and an even keel are crucial when considering what attributes make a strong leader. Robert Ouimet had the same idea regarding his model for Notre Projet: If you concentrate too much on the human side, you may lose on the economic side, or vice versa.
But does this idea of "Our Project" really work? Ten students from Transformational Leadership were given the opportunity to travel to Montreal and witness first-hand what Notre Projet was all about. When touring the Cordon Bleu plant, especially in the production facility, we immediately noticed very amicable employees. By their own admission, they did not have the most glorious jobs in the world, but they genuinely loved working for Cordon Bleu and the Ouimet family. The people we encountered on the production floor did not mind stopping their work to speak to us about their families, their time with the company or about Notre Projet. The youngest person on the day shift had worked for the company for 18 years; yet it was common to hear work terms of 20, 30, and even 45 years. Many employees had also left when Cordon Bleu acquired another company, Tomasso, but returned to the company to work for Robert Ouimet out of the belief in the Project.
One of the keys features of Notre Projet is the Silence Room, a room dedicated to contemplation, meditation, or otherwise quiet time. It is open to all employees, both management and plant staff, alike. The Silence Room is non-denominational; it is a safe space for anyone of any religion. Speaking to the employees about the Room, we found out that even those who did not use it felt more comforted simply by its presence in the building.
We also spent some time meeting with the senior management team at Cordon Bleu. Speaking with the team we realized that although Robert Ouimet grew this company based on his own personal religious beliefs, the approach of the current team is based on the practice of good human faith and to treat each employee fairly. They strive to develop better relationships with their employees, their families and create a work environment that is just, fair and appreciative of their time.
The opportunity to visit the Cordon Bleu plant was both a privilege and a pleasure. The group would like to thank Robert Ouimet, Rob Mackenzie and the rest of the Cordon Bleu team who were extremely informative and hospitable during our visit. We would also like to thank Mary Crossan and the Leadership Institute at Ivey for providing us with the opportunity and means to attend this event.