Ideagen Intersection
24
Alex:
You know, one of the things I'm most excited about at Johnson & Johnson is that diverse, broad array of different sciences, technologies, and skill sets that we represent as the world's broadest based, most diverse healthcare company. Whether it's chemistry, whether it's new technology, whether it's great engineering, or consumer insights. Those different areas provide us with a unique line of sight to opportunities, to unmet need within the healthcare arena. And what we're particularly interested in is not only having expertise among our pharmaceutical, our medical device areas and our consumer groups within those particular sectors, but looking for opportunities across. I mean, at the end of the day, a patient or a consumer doesn't care if it's a pharmaceutical product, a medical device, or consumer approach. They just want to feel better. They want to feel healthier.
Alex:
And so what we're trying to do is build teams. In fact, we have something we call The Lung Cancer Initiative. Where rather than trying to look at lung cancer as just from a therapeutic approach, or by one of our sectors, we brought together a unique team of experts to say, let's go cure lung cancer. Let's bring completely new perspectives to the table. And are there convergent opportunities or ways that we can blend these different disciplines together in very unique ways? Again, it goes beyond just a single sector approach, but goes for a much more holistic outcomes-based approach.
Alex:
So we're quite excited about it, and we have some other early opportunities across our different groups. They're working on similar pathways. But we're quite optimistic, again, using this approach will lead to hopefully very different outcomes for the future.
George:
Alex, that is incredible. And that's the type of focused leadership as well that I think is so vital in terms of accomplishing these critical goals. Such as curing lung cancer or treating it.
Alex:
Well, it's not always easy. Because in our organization, we tend to define ourselves by how we're organized. And so getting people to think beyond that ... And not just doing collaborative efforts in their spare time, as sometimes we have in the past. But by really having dedicated, focused teams where you're removing the organizational barriers and focusing completely on, again, addressing unmet need, or a patient's or a consumer's needs. It really brings a different approach. And so we're quite excited about it.
George
Thank you for that. Thank you for all that you're doing here. This is a point in the interview where we always like to ask a specific question. It's a deep and simple question, with profound insights into who you are in your leadership. And that is, simply, what are the three key lessons you have learned that have the potential to change the world?
Alex:
Well, look, I try to keep learning every day. And one thing that I've found now, having been in this role for six years, is that you have to have a constant appetite to learn. You must have a constant curiosity. And a constant sense of dissatisfaction. While being obviously proud and pleased with many of the things that we do, you always have to be helping to inspire the organization to be learning, to be more agile, to be evolving. Because that's the only way, frankly, that we're going continue to help patients and consumers and innovate going into the future. And it's the only way that we can be as competitive as we need to be.
Alex:
Next, I think it's about inspiring the organization. You know, we were talking earlier about sense of purpose, I truly believe people want to be inspired. Now, what's critical, is I think it's essential to be a realistic optimist, where you come in. You can look at the facts. You can understand the situation in a granular and in a real authentic way. But at the same time, it's not just about admiring the problem. And when you can do that in an organization and inspire people, again, to take on some of these issues, make sure they have the resources, the plans, the skills, and the capabilities to do it, that is so important. And so again, inspiring the organization.