Toby Johnson

Putting Her People First

Whether leading in military or civilian life (bottom, at Frito-Lay), Johnson says, "If you do your job well, you can change people's lives for the better."

Photos Courtesy Toby Johnson

A standout high-school student-athlete who turned down Ivy League schools to attend West Point (its education of the total person beyond academics appealed to her), Toby Johnson (MBA '07) was deployed to Baghdad as an Apache helicopter pilot and staff officer during the Iraq War. Reaching the rank of captain while serving as a battalion adjutant in charge of all personnel matters, Johnson won raves from superiors and subordinates alike. Whether leading soldiers or civilians, Johnson strives "to put my people first." She believes leaders cannot be successful unless they show vulnerability, are consistent, take time to be balanced, have a vision, and embrace their role as decision-makers.

In the 2010 case "Toby Johnson: Leading After School," Johnson, with military service behind her and MBA in hand, is sent to PepsiCo's Frito-Lay plant in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, to introduce a new pilot project designed to enhance the motivation and performance of a group of 200 employees. A rare female manager at Frito-Lay, Johnson finds that her youth, inexperience, and outsider status, not her gender, are hurdles to be overcome to win the workers' allegiance. She does so in part by meeting one-on-one with every employee and introducing innovations such as pairing a shift worker with a manager in coleadership roles.

"This is an unusual case because it's about an MBA in her first job," notes the case's coauthor, HBS professor Boris Groysberg. "At Williamsport, Toby worked to understand the organization and get the employees involved, so when it was time for buy-in and action, they were ready to go. She's a high-potential leader." And an open-minded one as well: "I learned that I need to be a better listener and more understanding, especially of my peers," Johnson says of the experience, which in the end was a resounding success.

In the case, Johnson privately wonders if she can transition from the intensity and engagement of "defending freedom" to "producing snack food." To her surprise, she found employees' concern for their workplace "unit" similar to military life. "A driving motivation among the frontline workers was not letting down the people around them," she explains. "Leading in a civilian setting is not unlike in the military: if you do your job well, you can change people's lives for the better." And it's all about empowerment. Says Johnson, now a senior executive at PepsiCo in New York, "Coming to work and doing no harm is very different from coming to work and changing the way people perceive themselves."

Q1. Why do you think topy jhonson feels that leaders need to show vulnerability? Do you agree or disagree with her? Why?

Q2. Why does topy feel that the leadership role at her workplace is similar to her role in her military life?? Do you agree or disagree with her? Why?