Between leadership and strategic thinking, a way to lead the consumer goods industry

In an economic context still marked by uncertainty and discontinuity, the consumer goods and retail sector is also facing challenges that require increasingly evolved leadership, capable of combining strategic vision, adaptability and attention to people. This is a well-known and cross-industry trend and one of the most important messages to emerge from the Executive Barometer 2025, carried out (in collaboration with Ipsos) by Mercuri Urval, an international executive search company. The survey was conducted between February and March of this year, collecting the opinions of around 170 top managers and leaders of companies active in the FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods, i.e. food, beverages, personal care products and household goods) and retail sectors at a European level.

Basically, three areas were analysed and put under observation: the short-term economic outlook of the two industries, the leadership skills most in demand, and talent management strategies in complex contexts. As far as the former is concerned, the good news is that 74% of the respondents say they are confident in a growth in turnover for the coming year, despite an unstable geopolitical framework and the continuous increase in costs. An optimism that, according to the experts, however, hides shortcomings, or at least seems to coexist with the awareness that many organisations are not yet fully ready, organisationally and culturally, to face this transformation phase in an entirely adequate manner.

One of the strongest evidences of the survey concerns the role of strategic thinking, nowadays considered the most critical (and at the same time most necessary) leadership skill to lead change, even more than adaptability, a skill that in any case is confirmed among the first three characteristics that an effective leader should possess. "Today's leaders,' explains Giuseppe Cozzo, Director & Team Leader of Mercuri Urval in Italy, as well as member of the International Core Team of the Consumer & Retail Practice, 'are called upon to ensure short-term success while developing and implementing a long-term vision: in other words, they must be able to combine strategy and execution, exercising an influencing capacity that is not only directed towards their collaborators but also and often towards their own managers. Effective leadership, in other words, requires a greater ability to face uncertainty with lucidity and decisiveness and, precisely from this perspective, empathy (towards the other players in the organisation) emerges as a competence to be strengthened. "It is possible," adds the Mercuri Urval manager, "that in a complex and fluid period such as the one we are currently experiencing, leaders become overwhelmed by the management of urgencies, losing sight of active listening and deep understanding of people. Empathy is therefore fundamental to effectively managing a team, even if it is a very energetic resource'.

The third area observed by the report is talent management: the opinions expressed by the sample of managers surveyed confirm in this sense the trend that sees, on the one hand, the competition to attract and retain the best talent (but also the best professionals and managers) being increasingly fierce and, on the other, the economic lever no longer being (as such) sufficient to win this competition. The companies that succeed in retaining 'top performers' are those that know how to offer an inclusive environment that is truly open to diversity, characterised by a culture of continuous development and transparent career paths. "Identifying the best through data-driven tools and methods is useful and positive," Cozzo pointed out, "but to retain talent it is no longer enough to measure performance, something more is needed. We need consistency, we need a managerial culture capable of keeping promises. And leaders need to be able to identify potential and cultivate it, guaranteeing people real and concrete opportunities for professional growth'.

A further strategic element of analysis, finally, is the ability of managers to balance private and professional life, both for themselves and for their employees. The observation to be referred to, in this case, is signed by Daniela Gelmi, Director of Mercuri Urval in Italy: 'In today's working environment, characterised by a growing attention to individual well-being and quality of life, the urgency to achieve corporate and personal objectives, regardless of the consequences that this may have on interpersonal dynamics and overall team well-being, is gradually giving way to a renewed and more balanced approach. Modern leaders,' the manager added, 'are called upon to develop the inclination to listen that enables them to understand the needs and expectations of colleagues and collaborators and to learn from their mistakes. The ability to take a step back to enhance the team, to promote trust and shared responsibility, not only promotes a climate of trust and mutual respect, but also contributes to the personal growth of the team members themselves, enhancing individual skills and strengths'.