Anita Roddick Leadership and Business Success
Anita Roddick (1942- 2007)
Founder of the cosmetics retailer, the Body Shop in 1976, which was sold to
L’Oreal in 2006 after she (pictured right) had given up control of the business in 2002.
Strong supporter of business ethics and
corporate social responsibility.
What did she say about leadership and business
success?
1. Be ethical and socially responsible
She always campaigned against:
- animal testing for cosmetics (see picture right).
- exploitation of the Third World.
- damage to the environment.
She also actively supported local communities.
She set up a soap factory in a poor area of Glasgow, when it would have been cheaper to locate it near her head
office in Littlehampton, Sussex. She gave 25% of the factory's profits to the local community.
“A company that makes a profit from society has a responsibility to return something to that
society”, she said.
2. Inspire people
She motivated people by:
a) making work exciting and worthwhile
Businesses should be “incubators of the human spirit”, she said.
b) franchising
Franchisees ran Body Shop stores independently and received a share of the profits.
c) recruitment and selection
She chose franchisees and employees who were passionate about the Body Shop and her ethical beliefs.
d) respecting and caring for people
Emphasizing:
- communicating with staff.
- rewarding good performance.
“Put love where labour is”, she said, and always be special, never mediocre.
3. Marketing and innovation
Roddick (pictured right at her first shop in Brighton in 1976) was a revolutionary
through:
- challenging the status quo
- doing the opposite of what the rest of the cosmetics industry did.
She didn’t advertise or use expensive packaging but sold quality products
with an ethical and green image.
The company was run by women, which gave it a better understanding of women’s
needs.
4. Teamwork
She was greatly helped by her husband, Gordon (pictured together right), who complemented her
perfectly.
- Gordon (the expert in finance and management, coming up with the idea of
franchising)
- Anita (the inspirational visionary).
He was away trekking on horseback in South America in 1976, when Anita gave away half the business to a local
garage owner for a £4000 loan.
His letter telling her not to do it arrived too late!
5. Change and innovation
She encouraged people to love change and make it work by giving them the opportunity to
- challenge existing ideas.
- make their own decisions.
She encouraged people not just to follow but to overtake her.
6. Visionary ideals, passion and energy
She was passionate about her dream of making a better world in which business is
principled and socially responsible.
This passion fuelled her enormous energy and drive.
“To succeed you have to believe in something with such a passion that it becomes a
reality”, she said.
7. Love
The two most important things in her life were love of her work and family (pictured right with her two
daughters).
Key quote on business
ethics
The business of business should not just be about money, it should be about responsibility. It should be about
public good, not private greed.
Key quote on corporate social
responsibility
A company that makes a profit from society has a responsibility to return something to that society
Key quote on
economics
The market has no heart
Key quotes on
success
The desire that every day might be my last, and the desire to make the most of every moment drives me on.
To succeed you have to believe in something with such a passion that it becomes a reality
Key quote on love
Be nice, for everyone that you meet is fighting a harder battle.
Key quote on
unions
You only need unions when management are bastards.
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