Our AI writing assistant, WriteUp, can assist you in easily writing any text. Click here to experience its capabilities.

PepsiCo’s SVP on How His Mentor’s Guidance Made Him a Better Leader

View Original View Raw

Summary

Chris Kuechenmeister, Senior Vice President of Communications at PepsiCo, explains how his mentor Randy Melville has helped him become a better leader through teaching him about the importance of listening, showing up as his true self, and building diversity and inclusion into his teams. Kuechenmeister has learned many lessons from his mentor, such as the importance of empathy, vulnerability, and understanding in leadership, which he has applied to his work in helping to elevate the Frito-Lay brand and create successful campaigns such as the one for Women’s History Month. The article also outlines how to become a great mentor, emphasizing the importance of approaching mentorship as a mutually beneficial opportunity.

Q&As

Who is Chris Kuechenmeister's mentor, and why is having a mentor important?
Chris Kuechenmeister's mentor is Randy Melville, and having a mentor is important because it provides an outside perspective, allows for a level of compassion that doesn't exist in traditional work relationships, and is an avenue for critical feedback or validation that sits outside the realm of standard feedback.

What have Chris Kuechenmeister learned from his mentor that has been key, valuable, or game changing to his career?
Chris Kuechenmeister has learned from his mentor the importance of listening as a critical skill set, showing up as his true self, and building diversity and inclusion into his teams, work, and life.

How has Chris Kuechenmeister's relationship with his mentor evolved?
Chris Kuechenmeister's relationship with his mentor has deepened in a profound way starting in 2016. It started as a relationship at work and evolved into a friendship that touches all parts of his life.

What impact has Chris Kuechenmeister's mentor had on his work environment and team-building?
Chris Kuechenmeister's mentor has had an impact on his work environment and team-building by teaching him about leadership, humanity, empathy, and vulnerability, and by helping him to build inclusive teams.

What are the three most important lessons Chris Kuechenmeister has learned from his mentor?
The three most important lessons Chris Kuechenmeister has learned from his mentor are to listen in order to sharpen his skills, be authentic and vulnerable, and build diverse and inclusive teams.

AI Comments

👍 This article provides an interesting and insightful look into the benefits of mentorship and how it can make a difference in career success.

👎 The article fails to provide any concrete examples of how mentorship has had a positive impact on the career of the subject.

AI Discussion

Me: It's about how Chris Kuechenmeister, Senior Vice President of Communications at PepsiCo, benefited from having a mentor. He talks about how his mentor helped him become a better leader and taught him about leadership, humanity, empathy, and vulnerability. He also learned the importance of listening and building diversity and inclusion into his teams.

Friend: That's really interesting! It's amazing to see how much a mentor can help you. It's important to have someone to look up to and learn from.

Me: Absolutely. It's great to have someone who can provide you with an outside perspective and help you gain insights into your challenges and situations. It also helps to have someone to give you critical feedback or validation that's outside the standard feedback you'd get in your job. Mentors can also help you learn how to be a better leader, how to be authentic and vulnerable, and how to build diverse and inclusive teams.

Action items

Reach out to a mentor or someone you admire in your industry and ask for advice.
Take time to reflect on your own leadership style and how you can bring more humanity, empathy, and vulnerability to your work.
Make an effort to build diverse and inclusive teams in your organization and create an environment of trust and collaboration.

Technical terms

Mentor: A mentor is an experienced and trusted advisor who provides guidance, advice, and support to a mentee.
Diversity and Inclusion: Diversity and inclusion (D&I) is the practice of creating a workplace environment that is inclusive of all people, regardless of their race, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, or other characteristics.
Humanity: Humanity is the quality of being kind, compassionate, and understanding towards others.
Empathy: Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person.
Vulnerability: Vulnerability is the state of being exposed to potential harm or risk.
Pop Culture: Pop culture is the culture of the general public, which includes popular music, television, movies, books, and other forms of entertainment.
Super Bowl: The Super Bowl is the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL).
Frito-Lay: Frito-Lay is a snack food company owned by PepsiCo.
Doritos: Doritos are a brand of flavored tortilla chips produced by Frito-Lay.
Cheetos: Cheetos are a brand of cheese-flavored snacks produced by Frito-Lay.
CO—: CO— is a website that provides business advice, news, and trends.
DEI: DEI stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Hershey’s: Hershey’s is a chocolate and confectionery company.
Microsoft: Microsoft is a technology company that produces computer software, hardware, and services.
Women’s History Month: Women’s History Month is an annual celebration of the contributions of women to history, culture, and society.