It can be tough to balance getting bottom-line results and taking care of your people. Sometimes it can feel like it's an either/or choice.

If you've ever faced this delimma, you're going to love what my guest today shares.

Todd Cooper is Chief Operations Officer at Celestica with responsibility for global operations spanning 30 manufacturing locations across 14 countries. 

Todd has over 25 years of experience including senior leadership positions at KKR, Honeywell Aerospace, Storage Technology Corporations, McKinsey & Company. He also served as a Captain in the U.S. Army.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from West Point, a Master of Science from MIT, and a MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management. Todd is also a graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger School.

Todd Cooper’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-cooper-1594654/ 

WHAT YOU WILL DISCOVER FROM THIS EPISODE:

• What Todd learned when helping to produce the EMANUEL - a documentary about the Charleston Church Shooting that killed nine Emanuel AME church members in an act of terror.
• How his involvement in the film led to a powerful moment of discussion on diversity and inclusion in his company. 
• What makes his company, Celestica, so special.
• How to be successful working for a “scrappy” company.
• The leadership seed that was planted growing up on an Indian Reservation.
• How to get results and take care of your people.
• A dose of motivation from “TopGun” .
• The surprising reason he chose to go to West Point.
• Why sometimes it’s best to make your career decision based on where you can make the biggest impact.
• The advice he’d give his younger self… get broad experience!
• Why a linear career path may not always be the best choice.
• How to use Sunday night to prioritize the most chaotic work week.
• Finding the personal work-life balance that works for you.
• Why life is bigger than just the P&L.
• How to present your big idea to the C-Suite.
• A twist that led to his success down the road.
• Why all leaders should be tracking turnover, and the reason you need to know your top performers.

HIGHLIGHTS:

What makes working at Celestica special:

• Challenging situations.
• A compelling strategy in terms of growing engineering capabilities.
• Really good people.
• An open culture.

QUOTES:

 “I enjoy the challenge of ‘How do we win in complex and challenging situations?’.”

“I figured if I could survive four years at West Point, I could do anything.”

“Part of what motivates me is having a big challenge.”

“Sanity check your priorities to make sure they tie to the bigger picture.”

“Life is bigger than just the P&L.”

“Figure how to present your idea in 3-5 ideas.”

“Increasing your bench strength is critical.”

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