
Larry Merlo
Craft a Simple and Compelling Vision
Today’s guest is Larry Merlo, CEO of CVS Health.
When Larry took the helm at CVS in 2011, they were doing about 100 billion dollars in revenue. That’s a lot of money. But guess what? Now they’re doing almost 250 billion in revenue. It’s a remarkable amount of growth.
But it’s not the most remarkable thing Larry has done. He also made the bold decision to remove tobacco products from CVS stores – even though they accounted for two billion dollars of revenue.
The story is incredible. But what’s even more incredible is why Larry and his team made that decision in the first place.
It came from a very simple statement of their purpose as a company. Literally eight words. And it changed everything for them.
As leaders, we all need to remember that the best vision in the world isn’t worth a thing if it doesn’t stick with people. This conversation with Larry shows us how to communicate our big ideas in simple, compelling terms.
That way, our team members can actually connect with it and apply it when they’re making their decisions each day.
You’ll also learn:
- One thing Larry did early in his career that prepared him for the C-suite later on
- How to know when it’s time to re-evaluate your organization’s vision
- Why you may want to make it easy for your team members to fail – no, really
- What to look for in customer feedback to help you identify consumer needs (and it’s probably not what you think)
Take your learning further. Get proven leadership advice from these (free!) resources:
The How Leaders Lead App: A vast library of 90-second leadership lessons to stay sharp on the go
Daily Insight Emails: One small (but powerful!) leadership principle to focus on each day
Whichever you choose, you can be sure you’ll get the trusted leadership advice you need to advance your career, develop your team, and grow your business.
More from Larry Merlo
Get daily insights delivered straight to your inbox every morning
Clips
-
Make it easy for people to failLarry MerloCVS Health, Former President and CEO
-
Always raise your handLarry MerloCVS Health, Former President and CEO
-
Be a student and a teacherLarry MerloCVS Health, Former President and CEO
-
Don’t solve for the wrong problemLarry MerloCVS Health, Former President and CEO
-
Operationalize your missionLarry MerloCVS Health, Former President and CEO
-
Public-private partnerships create possibilitiesLarry MerloCVS Health, Former President and CEO