Day 23

Friday, February 23, 2008

Karl Schroeder, President of Safeway Northern California came to our class today and spoke to us about what he thinks are the most important ingredients for succeeding in business.

Having seen him speak the previous week at the WAFC Donor Luncheon I knew it would be a great talk. The first thing that struck me was that before class as everyone was sitting around chatting he came around and introduced himself to each person individually. He had obviously done his homework on all of us and knew our names, which company we were from, and asked about who we knew in common or told quick stories about people he knew in our companies. Those of us whom he had met at the luncheon he remembered meeting and didn't re-introduce himself. In our discussions later, the class was very impressed with this.

The best thing about Karl's speaking style is that he comes across as very humble and genuine. He talks openly about the fact that before going through the FIM program he had only attained an associates degree. He said that while he thinks this has sometimes been a disadvantage, he's worked hard not to let it hold him back.

After his talk we all went to lunch at the University Club where he answered questions all through lunch about his experiences. He gave us a lot of very personal insights not only about business, but about his own climb up the corporate ladder. This was a great end to a tough week and the kind of experience I really couldn't get anywhere else.