Brian Cornell

A lot of executives say they have an open door policy but do little to actually encourage the kind of approachability implied by the term. Not Target Chair and CEO Brian Cornell. Since being hired as CEO at retail giant Target—that’s nearly 2,000 stores plus 400,000 team members—he has literally immersed himself in developing close mentoring relationships with his team.

And he’s done it by taking 10-15 of his officers at a time on a two-day, “accelerated mentorship program” during which Brian and his team travel to different parts of the country, spend time in Target stores and distribution centers, and meet with board members or shareholders—even other CEOs who have something to teach them.

He does eight such immersions each year.

“It’s a chance to build connections, it’s a chance to teach and give them new experiences,” said Brian during the podcast. “I took a group to Memphis, where we’ve had a long partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, but also to experience the Target House where in any given week, we support 100 families whose children are going through cancer treatment. It gives our team an amazing sense for the values of the company and the impact we’re having.”

Nothing breaks down individual “walls” and builds trust faster than an open door that leads out of the building and into the world beyond a company’s four walls. First, explains Brian, it’s educational. “They’ll have certain memories and perspectives now on the business that they’ve never had before,” he said of his fellow travelers.

Second, these connections grease the wheels for future spots the team may encounter. “If there’s any concern about how we interact, it all fades away because they realize we’re all part of one team.” Brian pointed out.

Leaders who want to turn their open door policy into something truly transformational will enjoy Brian’s tips and insights, including:

• How the fields and courts of his childhood football, basketball, and baseball teams shaped the leader he is today.
• How Brian applied John Wooden’s coaching lessons to establish “retail fundamentals” at Target.
• Why breaking down barriers to mentorship is so important to corporate culture.

Resources:

• The latest news and features from Target
• More episodes featuring John Wooden’s great lessons
  • John Wooden’s UCLA player Swen Nater
  • Florida Blue CEO Pat Geraghty
  • The Wonderful Company CFO Stephen Howe