Case Study: Kao Builds a People-Centered Culture with Center for Creative Leadership

Kao builds a people-centered culture with Center for Creative Leadership, engaging 50 leaders and 33,000 employees

Kao Americas, the regional division of a multinational consumer products company, partnered with the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) to build a long-term strategy for growth by aligning its internal culture. The challenge was to define strategic priorities and meet rapidly evolving market needs by creating a more vibrant, people-centered culture that would unlock the potential of its employees.

The Center for Creative Leadership implemented a customized, multi-phase effort that began by engaging senior leadership to define required cultural attributes. Despite a pivot to virtual "Culture Circle Conversations" due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program successfully instilled key attributes like learning agility and psychological safety. Results from organizational surveys showed significant growth in mission, adaptability, and consistency, and the initiative was credited as a catalyst for sustained performance during the pandemic, earning the internal team a prestigious company award for executional excellence.

Kao