What I learned from "My Life in Full: Work, Family, and Our Future"

Former Pepsi CEO documents her life and shares ideas about building a future where employers offer - and benefit from - employee work-life balance

It's hard not to be impressed by Indra Nooyi. She was born and raised in India. While she was not hard done by, she lived a simple life in terms of creature comforts (read: a refrigerator, furniture). Her family was laser focused on her education. Her grandfather was a judge. Against all odds, her hard work, determination and surely some luck, led her to studying in the US and eventually becoming the CEO of Pepsi for over a decade.

It is rare to see a woman lead a Fortune 500 company, never mind an immigrant and woman of colour. And she managed to do it all while implementing her vision based on "performance with purpose." She viewed this strategy as a way to future-proof the company. She did not think treating people well, improving the nutritional profile of some of Pepsi's products, and trying to do better by the environment would be detrimental for the bottom line. She bravely took a long-term view to see what sacrifices and investments were required for the business to be successful down the road.

She also explained how it is difficult to transform a successful company because if the status quo is working, why change? I could only think of the law firms that have resisted the need to migrate to cloud-based software or permit working from home using this rationale (and waking up one day to realize they've been left behind).

There are many lessons for law firms, and for all businesses, in her book "My Life in Full: Work, Family, and Our Future". Treating people well attracts top talent and improves retention. She observed that providing some parental leave and offering on-site daycare (that employees pay for) makes a world of a difference for working parents, and ensures talent does not leave the workplace due to an inability to balance family obligations. She explained how she took advantage of a medical leave (following an accident) and caregiver leave (to support her father) early in her career, and how this generosity from her employers allowed her to return to the role and continue with her contributions a few months later. Her philosophy was consistent with the lessons I learned from Drive, another great book about what motivates employees. While smaller business usually can't offer the generous packages of large organizations, there is usually some ability to at least allow employees to bring their full selves to work and extend flexibility from time to time when life gets complicated. She raised the possibility of a database of retirees who could perhaps be utilized as temporary workers to support smaller businesses offering employee leaves. She supported remote work as a way to enhance employee wellbeing and retain top talent at the same time.

Indra also spoke about the importance of mentorship and advocates. She met a few individuals along the way who helped open the door to opportunities. The role of senior leaders connecting and guiding newcomers cannot be understated. Clearly those mentors must have seen her brilliance, but their support helped her reach her potential.

She discussed the adverse environmental impact created by Pepsi and how she saw an opportunity to do better through environmental initiatives and R&D. She led the company to make improvements in terms of carbon emissions and water waste, among other areas. If a public company like Pepsi can find ways to consider the environment, small private businesses that aren't accountable to shareholders in the same way surely can make changes, too.

Indra's book was well-written and easy to read. It is part autobiography, part business case study. It was really enjoyable to learn about her career path and she left me feeling validated that bringing a lot of heart to work is not a bad thing and might even be good for business.

A personal side note: If you are exploring how to evaluate your business' impact on the world, sign up for an impact assessment with B corp. Even if you think you are doing well, you will likely be humbled quickly!

Categories: : Book Recommendation, Business