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EXCLUSIVE LIFE SCIENCE FEATURE leaders LIFESCIENCELEADER.COM APRIL 2014 28 abrasive at times." While speaking, she drives her index finger into the table on every other word. The gesture makes an audible "thump" — exemplifying her point. "I saw this in myself. This style doesn't work when you intend to really influence and build a network." Garijo recommends when you see someone struggling with something you yourself struggled to overcome, share your past weaknesses and challenges. "This cre- ates credibility," she affirms. "Which you need to have if you actually want to be listened to." But don't simply operate with reck- less abandon. Garijo advises gaining a deep understanding of the level of risk to the organization, as well as the con- sequences of failing. "You have to find a way to give responsibility and account- ability, not be invasive of their space, yet position yourself to challenge the head of R&D; or manufacturing as you would any business unit in your organization," she explains. "To be able to engage in very constructive and active dialogue with diverse business unit leaders, you have to put forth the effort to be educated and have a deep understanding of each business unit, so you can challenge at the required level." The process does not involve coming to Garijo with a project or problem and expecting her to make the decision. When this has happened she is quick to point out, "This is not the way we work. First, I don't have all the answers. Second, you are the experts. You have to take me through this." Garijo's challenging approach involves asking three questions: What are the scenarios? What are the options? What are your recommendations and why? She advises to keep the conversation going until you feel fully satisfied that you understand what is going to hap- pen beyond just a financial perspective. The process of challenging has multiple benefits beyond just staying educated on the various aspects of your business. It helps everyone anticipate the various risks and understand the consequenc- es of failure. "Once you understand the consequences of failing, you become an active participant in setting that person up for success," she explains. In addition, Garijo believes this process translates to people having higher accountability. "My aspiration is to have an organization that is functioning by itself without the leaders having to intervene in each and every decision-making step." Another key to enabling risk — make sure there is alignment between encouraging the risk-taking behavior you want and how employees are assessed. FEELING RISK-ENABLED LEADS TO CEO SHARING HER PASSION FOR LEADERSHIP Weeks prior to my meeting with Garijo, I had put together a list of interview questions. However, none of those ques- tions had anything to do with leader- ship, enabling risk, or developing peo- ple; instead, they focused on executing operational excellence in emerging mar- kets. As it turned out, I didn't ask even one of my preplanned questions. Instead, our conversation evolved out of some unscripted "ice breaker" ques- tions around what it feels like to be the first woman to hold such a high position of leadership in this company. I knew this pinnacle might still be fresh in her memory, and frankly, I was curious. I asked similar questions such as, "What's it feel like becoming a CEO?" She was plainspoken and candid with her answers, sharing her experiences of first arriving at Merck Serono and imple- menting the necessary operational ini- tiatives of organizational restructuring, creating strategies, improving financials, and accelerating R&D.; Throughout our conversation, though, one underlying theme emerged — people make the dif- ference in how you execute as a leader. The second part of this story (on page 30) is about one of those people who was fully risk-enabled by Garijo — Annalisa Jenkins, EVP and global head of R&D; for Merck Serono. l When I see potential in leaders lacking experience, I try to see how much responsibility and accountability I can put on them. In this way, I become a mentor. MERCK SERONO'S PRESIDENT & CEO BELÉN GARIJO — ENABLING RISK AND REFUSING TO PLAY IT SAFE By R. Wright 0 4 1 4 _ F e a t u r e _ M e r c k . i n d d 5 0414_Feature_Merck.indd 5 3 / 2 4 / 2 0 1 4 3 : 5 6 : 0 0 P M 3/24/2014 3:56:00 PM