Page 146 - The Way to the Top

Dennis M. MULLEN

Chairman, President, and CEO of Birds Eye Foods, Inc.

An associate whose wisdom and advice I value greatly provided me with
the one phrase that’s helped me most in my twenty-five years in the food
industry. Although it’s not a new or complex philosophy, I’m grateful to

Kent Roberts, Vice President of Organizational Effectiveness for Birds
Eye Foods, for leading me to the mantra I now embrace:

“Don’t judge me by my words alone, judge me by my actions.”

I want our associates, and any stakeholder of Birds Eye Foods, to
understand that what I say, I am committed to do. This honesty in

communications is a commitment we have made. It’s part of an overall
Birds Eye Foods communications strategy to explain to our audiences,
internal and external, why we do what we do. And, while what we say may
not always be what people want to hear, we’ve created an expectation that

what we say is what we will do. In other words, we only make promises we
can keep—and we keep the promises we make. Many is the time when
I’ve met with employee groups to explain why their facility may be
reducing its production—or even closing down entirely. These are tough

audiences hearing tough news. It’s uncomfortable news to hear and,
believe me, even more uncomfortable to say. But a leader cannot just say
things because they’re what the audience wants to hear. Or because they
will make that particular group feel good at that particular moment. We

must weigh our words carefully and speak the truth. We make tough
decisions every day, and the reality is that they’re not going to make
everyone happy. That’s business. The true measure of a leader, however, is
the willingness to say the unpopular thing. To sometimes report the bad

news. To speak the truth.