Learning Through Leadership: Michael Polk’s Career Lessons

Implus CEO Michael Polk has an impressive 42-year career spanning leadership positions at corporations like Kraft Foods, Unilever, and Newell Brands.

He retired in 2019 but was quickly drawn back to the work. “I started my career in 1982, so I've been working for a long time. After nearly 40 years, I retired in 2019, and I failed miserably at retirement. I only lasted about four months, before my family told me to get back to work,” he jokes.  The truth is he is built to lead companies and he is most happy when he is doing just that.

The world has changed considerably since 1982, but Michael Polk loves keeping up with the changes. In fact, change and challenges invigorate him, giving him a true sense of purpose. “I've grown through all of my different experiences in my career. I have the most fulfilling experiences when I'm on a learning curve. I've had so many amazing experiences. I've been privileged to live this life and have this career,” he says. “I feel like I've earned parts of by driving change, producing results, and building long-standing relationships, but some of my success has been about being in the right place at the right time.” Michael Polk shares the most important lessons learned in the first part of his career, and how they shaped his approach coming out of retirement.

Michael Polk Went Off The Beaten Path Early in His Career

Michael Polk started his career in consumer goods, taking a job at Procter & Gamble out of college in part to be near his girlfriend at the time. This fateful decision laid the groundwork for a long career in consumer goods. “All of these career choices led to the next door opening for me,” he says. 

Some executives follow a carefully laid-out plan on their way to the C-suite, but Michael Polk believes hard work, strong results, and listening to people he respected got him to where he is today. “I did not follow the traditional path. I started my career in manufacturing and R&D and transitioned to brand management after graduate school.  There was something called a career ladder in marketing that people treated as gospel. I just didn't do that. People asked me to do certain jobs and I did them. I didn’t question whether they were the right next jobs.  I just did them and grew from the experiences, and my bosses appreciated me doing it. Turns out that those people became senior leaders,” he explains. 

Embrace Different Cultures and Experiences

Michael Polk’s early career included brand management roles on brands like Maxwell House, Kool-Aid, Country Time and Crystal Light.  He also did two stints in Sales. His first general management role was running Post Cereal.  These were all foundational experiences building skills and competencies that would serve him well in the future. But his greatest leadership development role came through a move he and his family made to Australia to lead the creation of the Asia Pacific Region for Kraft Foods International. The job was his first outside of the United States, which opened the executive’s eyes to a new part of the world. “My responsibilities were up and down the Asia chain. I had responsibility for 20 different countries and we were building a new regional organization model.  I was a board member on three different JVs, two in Japan and one in South Korea. I was in all these places, and I was immersed in all of these countries and cultures. The experience was transformative for me personally and professionally,” he says. 

Polk’s four children were still young at the time, making the job even more difficult. He and his wife didn’t have a support system in Australia where they lived. Still, the challenge paid off: this job opened the door to his next role leading the integration of Nabisco into Kraft Foods in North America.  He also grew much more familiar with competition in Asia Pacific region which included big European powerhouses like Unilever, Nestle, and Danone.  His exposure to and knowledge of Unilever would later in his career contribute to his choice to join Unilever as President of the Americas (based in the USA) and later as President of Food, Home, and Personal Care categories where he led all of marketing and product development for the company globally (based in London). The lesson learned in these experiences is that had he not chosen move to Australia to lead Asia Pacific for KF International, he “never would have led the integration of Nabisco into Kraft, been recruited from Kraft to Unilever to run a $19 billion dollar business in the Americas and subsequently all of marketing and product development for Unilever globally, not would he have likely been recruited to become the Chief Executive Officer of Newell Brands.  These things happened because I took the chance and did not follow the traditional path.” 

Transform Mistakes Into Knowledge

Polk’s career path has not been linear.  There have been moments along the way where he was not sure things would work out as well as they have because of risks accepted that did not yield the results expected.  “With the opportunities to lead come the risks of not being as effective as one hopes to be,” Michael Polk says. “I've made plenty of mistakes and had plenty of challenges in my career that have hurt in the moment, but you grow through those experiences.”

Many CEOs find it hard to own-up to mistakes and move forward. But after four decades at the helm of some of the world’s largest companies, Polk has realized that mistakes are the key to growth. “Every time I have tried something that did not work, I have learned from experience and grown. Some of that growth was a bit painful but that kind of growth can be some of the most transformative,” he says. The most successful CEOs find a way to reframe their thinking and embrace all aspects of leadership, including overcoming mistakes. 

Invest In Relationships Authentically

Michael Polk is a self-described introvert but can bridge and “turn-on the extrovert within” since in today’s work environment, CEOs have to be strong communicators and effective at engendering followership. “I'm an introvert by nature, so getting in front of 250 people every month for global townhalls is a learned behavior for me,” he says. “Obviously I have become very good at communicating with my team and leading the organizations I have worked with.  The relationships built through active engagement are invaluable, especially when the business environment is tough.”  

“Today, employees expect to be able to hear directly from you, to be engaged with you, and to hear how you think. If you want to engender followership, which I think is super important to get things done, then you must make yourself more accessible than perhaps leaders have in the past. Be authentic.  Be open.  Trust your people with information you might have in the past held closer to the vest as a way of building alignment.  I know this approach has worked for me,” Michael Polk explains. Polk philosophy and alignment practice is to prioritize connection. “Accessibility, authenticity, and making sharp, clear and fast choices that you explain to the team are all central to being successful in any leadership role,” he adds. 

From Mistakes to Mastery: What Michael Polk Wants Leaders To Know

“Each of the chapters of my career have helped me grow as a leader and I am a stronger executive and person for having had the experiences,” Michael Polk says, reflecting on his long career. In his experience, success comes from a combination of recognizing opportunities, taking risks and learning from mistakes, and being open to connect. “It's hard work. You have to get things done. Success comes by putting yourself out there and taking a swing.  Mixed in with a bit of luck,” Polk says.