The State of Organizations 2023 - Flipbook - Page 24
CHAPTER 2: LESSONS FROM LEADERS
Entrepreneurship
at all levels: How
Decathlon innovates
for the future
Decathlon CEO Barbara Martin Coppola
discusses how the global retailer cultivates
its entrepreneurial spirit and stays true
to its values in the face of disruption.
D
ecathlon is one of the world’s
largest sporting goods retailers,
with more than 108,000
employees in more than 70 countries.
Every one of those employees, known as
“Decathletes,” are encouraged to speak
up, innovate, and bring their ideas to the
table—all in service of the company’s
mission to democratize sport and have a
positive effect on people and the planet.
We spoke with Barbara Martin Coppola,
CEO of Decathlon, about how the
company embraces inclusive leadership
and bottom-up innovation to keep up
with a changing world.
What is the secret of Decathlon’s
success?
The key to Decathlon’s success has been,
and always will be, our passionate commitment to our teammates and our customers.
We believe that every person adds value.
We have a strong purpose and
values-based culture. Our mission
is to democratize sport so everyone
can experience its wonders on their
26
own terms. This attracts employees
who are passionate about sport and
who want to make a difference. Once
they join, Decathlon offers a culture of
empowerment and entrepreneurship, so
people learn by doing and are entrusted
with large jobs that drive change from day
one. This creates a magical combination
of people centricity, a purpose larger
than oneself, and a culture of energy and
positivity. The thing I’m most proud of is
our collective effort to always innovate
and be better for people, societies, and
the planet. We have a clear vision and
mission for the future of the business, and
I know we are going to achieve amazing
things as a team.
How has Decathlon built leadership
capabilities and mindsets at all levels,
not just in the C-suite?
We lead with purpose—a North Star
we built together, as one team, to move
people through the wonders of sport.
A North Star that makes us wake up
every day with strong commitment,
determination, and passion, no matter
our level within the company.
The State of Organizations 2023
At Decathlon, we minimize hierarchical
structures to enable entrepreneurship at
all levels. We’re one team of passionate
people striving for a shared mission:
to have a positive impact on the global
population and on the planet. We want
people at every stage of the customer
journey to constantly look for better ways
of doing things. If someone notices an
area that could be improved or innovated
upon, they will receive the necessary
backing and support to make it happen.
This is true for all employees and
certainly is not reserved for the C-suite.
It is the teammates who deal with our
customers on a daily basis who have the
most direct access to our consumers, so
it is vital that we listen to colleagues no
matter their level. We foster leadership
qualities in all of our teammates, which is
also why we place such an emphasis on
hiring people who share our values.
Can you share more about Decathlon’s
commitment to environmental and
social responsibility?
As someone who has lived in nine
countries on three different continents,
I am particularly proud to see how
Decathlon makes sport accessible to
millions of people around the world and
improves health and human connection. I
love seeing the great array of possibilities
that arise when you have cooperation
among teammates from 90 countries,
with different cultural backgrounds and
languages. We strive for diversity and
inclusion not only in our recruitment
processes but also in our product
research, design, and manufacturing
teams. We’re constantly looking for ways
to make our products more accessible to
all. For example, we’ve recently launched
a set of adaptive products for wheelchair
basketball and road racing, and we
regularly create products designed for
sportspeople with different body types,
such as our post-mastectomy sports
bras or maternity wear.
Social responsibility runs through our
very core. We believe our mission is to
create value not only for shareholders
but also for society and the planet.
Therefore, we have set our goals on
sustainability, financial performance,
and people to be at the same level of
importance, even at the bonus level. We
have global targets for CO2 emissions
reductions, and every single country
entity is committed to them. We also take
pride in our Ecodesign innovations, and
we’re building a truly circular economy
with our Second Life programs, trade-in
schemes, and rental services.
What will be the key to Decathlon’s
continued success in the future?
During these turbulent times, we’re
reemphasizing the importance of
remaining deeply focused on the people
at the center of our organization. We
need to make every teammate feel valued
and heard, ensure that the customer
is at the center of every decision we
make, and always keep an open mind to
new ideas and different perspectives,
especially if they challenge the “old” way
of doing things. This requires a culture of
psychological safety that allows people
to say what they really think. It’s easy
to become too comfortable in a certain
routine, methodology, or structure—but
the world is changing rapidly around us.
We have to stay agile to keep up.
For Decathlon, the future is bright as
we embark on a brave new journey. As
we fine-tune our focus and step up
our efforts in areas like our value chain,
customer experience, and sustainability,
one thing will remain at the heart of who
we are: our people. We thrive off the
talented individuals around us and we will
always use the entrepreneurial excellence
of our teammates to succeed and move
people through the wonders of sport.
More about
Barbara
Martin
Coppola
CEO of Decathlon
Barbara Martin Coppola joined
Decathlon in March 2022 with more
than 20 years of experience in four
different industries: semiconductors,
consumer electronics, retail, and pure
digital players.
Prior to Decathlon, Coppola was
chief digital officer at IKEA and had
overall responsibility for the group’s
digital transformation. Throughout
her career, she has held leading
positions in global businesses such
as Google, YouTube, Samsung, and
Texas Instruments in Europe, Japan,
South Korea, and the United States.
She has a strong customer focus
combined with marketing, digital,
and tech experience. Coppola has a
successful track record in growing and
transforming businesses.
‘We believe our mission is
to create value not only
for shareholders but also
for society and the planet.’
March 2023
27