CEO and President, ITT Corporation
Denise beams with a fierce curiosity. Sit down with her and you sense that she’s not only interested in what you have to say, but how you think. She wants not only to understand your perspective, but to better understand herself. Denise has come to know herself and define her leadership by challenging assumptions, asking tough questions and not being afraid to reframe her own thinking. This openness has served her well as the CEO of a “100-year-old start up.”
When ITT Corporation spun off its business into three separate companies in 2011, Denise took the helm of a “new” company with a century-old legacy of capabilities, brands and management systems. Not wanting to base the go-forward strategy on assumptions, Denise embarked on a global listening tour to understand the company’s DNA—the values and motivations that bound people together despite function or geography. The tour revealed a clear and shared commitment to have an enduring impact on the world. Denise’s experience in developing the ITT Way provides practical advice on how you can infuse your company’s strategy with a greater sense of purpose and drive systemic accountability to bring it to life your operations.
On Corporate Culture
Every organization has a unique DNA. It transcends geographic and functional divides.
On Values
Strategies will change, but your values don’t.
On Connecting Strategy to Purpose
Your company’s strategy has to be grounded in a greater sense of purpose.
On Strategy
Penetrate people’s hearts and you’ll advance your strategy.
On Purpose
For strategy to be successful, people have to connect to something bigger than themselves.
On The Power of Stories
Stories make the strategy come to life.
On Creating Ambassadors
A story isn’t a story until others can tell it.
On Engagement
Engagement starts with understanding where the other person is coming from.
On Accountability
Being accountable does not mean always being in control.
On Love in Business
Business is fundamentally human.
On Control
When you feel accountable, it’s tough to let go of the need to control.