Note: This is part of an ongoing series of articles that mine the Be Epic Podcast for lessons and insights that students and practitioners can apply to their lives as business leaders.
Reginald Miller is convinced the world is passing through an inflection point that is reshaping the landscape of business. The challenge for organizational leaders, he says, is to find the right balance between old ways and new ways given the changes in demographics, shifts in cultural priorities, and, of course, the ongoing impact of the pandemic.
“How each of our respective organizations react to that is important,” Miller said recently when he was a guest on the Be Epic Podcast, which is hosted by Walton College Dean Matt Waller. “We’re all trying to figure it out at the same time, and there’s no sort of magic bullet to what that looks like….I think people will go back and look over this period….as an interesting one as we really try and begin to make a transition from Baby Boomers and Generation X to this new generation and what their wants and needs are out of society.”
No matter how organizations respond, however, individuals will have to navigate the tsunami of changes, and that’s where Miller’s professional journey becomes particularly relevant to the discussion.
Miller grew up in Osceola, Arkansas, and originally enrolled at Morehouse College. The plan was to earn a chemistry degree at Morehouse and a chemical engineering degree at Georgia Tech. But, as he says, “life happens” and he ended up spending eight years in the US Army before finishing his undergraduate and master’s degrees at the University of Arkansas.
He worked in logistics with the Army, held recruiting roles with Walmart and Tyson Foods, worked as a merchandise planner for Walmart, and developed diversity and inclusion strategies for Sam’s Club, Walmart, and VF apparel and footwear. Now, as a vice president and global chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer for McDonald’s, Miller is deeply involved in the cultural shifts in the workplace. His non-traditional route not only has prepared him for his role in executive leadership, but it has provided some excellent lessons for navigating change – whether you are a student about to enter the workforce or a career veteran trying to adapt.
Embrace the dues you pay. Miller’s career has brought him full circle. His first job when he was in high school was with McDonald’s, and he worked in the fast-food industry when he was home from college. In many ways, it was the frontlines that prepared him for the executive suites.
“A lot of students don’t want to work in fast food or general merchandise or grocery or warehousing,” he said. “That fast pace – where you’re on your feet, you gotta move, you gotta think, you gotta deal with customers – I think it’s invaluable for the rest of your life. I feel like I learned my first leadership skills working in that McDonald’s. It was where I learned lessons about inclusion. I had people who worked with me and for me who were decades older than me. I had friends across the spectrum from LGBTQ to Middle Eastern to everything. I learned a lot in those early days working at a McDonald’s, and I wouldn’t take that away for anything.”
Surround yourself with people who make you better. The day after graduating from high school, Miller left for college in Atlanta. And while he didn’t finish his degree at Morehouse or Georgia Tech, the friends he made that first summer became friends for life. They all took different paths, but all ended up successful, and one reason was that they supported each other along the way.
“You want to surround yourself with people who are not just gonna be yes men to whatever you’re thinking, or women, but they can push you and inspire you, truthfully, to do better,” he said. “That ability, and I found, even throughout my corporate career, to be around people who will challenge you, it’s invaluable. And if you’re not used to being challenged, then maybe you should really look at the people that are around you.”
Build processes that last. Whether it’s McDonald’s, Walmart, or the University of Arkansas, Miller has found that the best organizations develop sustainable processes that create consistent excellence. The quality of your French fries at McDonald’s, for instance, should be the same whether you buy them in Fayetteville, Arkansas, or Hong Kong. Consistent, sustainable processes allow corporations to maintain standards even in the high-turnover parts of their business. And developing consistency in your work will help you maintain excellence even when things around you change.
Build trust in your relationships. One of the most important variables to good leadership, Miller said, is trust. And trust comes from leading with competence and integrity and by consistently showing you base decisions on the best interests of others. This type of trust can’t be faked, he said, especially in his area of expertise (diversity and inclusion efforts).
“If it’s not real,” he said, “it can actually erode trust. … If it doesn't come across as authentic, people will sniff that out very quickly."
The best employers of the future, he said, will be those who “invest in building an authentic trusting environment,” whether it’s for employees, students, or anyone else connected to their organization.
Never let anyone stop you from being the best version of yourself. Workers in general and the younger generation in particular have more and more say over things like how and where they work. So, whether you are a soon-to-be graduate or looking to change jobs, you can research potential employers in search of those that will provide the best opportunities to for success. That includes the job responsibilities, but also how well the culture and values of the organization align with yours.
This might land you your dream job, but, then again, it might not. Whether you love your job and your employer, can’t wait to leave for another opportunity, or see your role as a stepping stone to the next one, you can rest assured that you will face challenges. But adversity can make you better if you approach it with the right attitude.
“What you want to do is leave a legacy of being great in that role or at that company and leave sustainable processes in place in the role,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re an accountant, working in HR, working in marketing, working at supply chain or operations. You want to leave your mark in the role even if the company or role isn't necessarily right for you.”
The changes taking place in the business landscape right now all but assure that the path to success will be winding and tortuous for years to come. Those who navigate it wisely will find something worthwhile all along the way, even if they end up somewhere totally different from where they thought they were going.
