During his 24 years in the Exchange’s Information Technology directorate, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer Chad Lucas has encountered multiple challenges, from increased cybersecurity threats to leading a transition to remote work during the pandemic.
“I absolutely love this organization,” Lucas said Wednesday at the beginning of his LINK (Leaders Inspiring Networks & Knowledge) presentation on “Creating a Culture of Innovation and Experimentation.” “I wouldn’t even entertain working anywhere else. What we do, who we serve, the mission and the benefit that we provide, I’m very passionate about.”
The challenges led Lucas to try new things, a mindset that he encouraged an online audience of more than 200 associates to develop and cultivate.
“We are currently in the most competitive retail landscape that we have ever been in,” he said. “ Our customers have literally unlimited options at their fingertips in terms of where they want to shop and how they want to spend their money. The customer experience is continuously evolving. If we don’t innovate, we could fall behind. Innovation is critical for us.”
Lucas spoke about several projects that IT has in the works in collaboration with Merchandising, Logistics and other directorates, as well as the need to continually keep the Exchange’s IT systems—and the entire organization–up to date. To accomplish keeping the Exchange moving forward, he said, collaboration, openness, risk tolerance and continuous learning are important—but a leadership mindset is the most important priority.
“You don’t need a title,” Lucas said. “You don’t need to be an executive vice president. You can be a leader in whatever area of influence you have. My challenge to everybody is to take a look at your area of ownership, however big, however small it might be. You know where the pain points are. You know where change probably needs to be driven.”
Lucas also said that associates shouldn’t be afraid to “fail fast,” a concept he says he encourages among IT teams.
“If you think of something, see if it works,” he said. “If it does, great, let’s chalk it up as a win. If it doesn’t, hey, we tried, throw that one away. Let’s find the next idea.
“I think it’s critically important that we’re not sitting around just waiting on the management layer to think of all the good ideas,” he continued. “It’s going to take everybody. It’s going to take the entire organization top to bottom to drive a change in innovation, whether that’s from a technology perspective, whether that’s from a business perspective, whether it’s big or small.”
Lucas added that he believes it’s incumbent for leaders to create an environment where associates take risks and try new things.
“Lead by example,” he said. “Just jump into the deep end. If you think there’s a better way to do something, there probably is. If you think there’s a more efficient way to do something, there probably is.”
Lucas concluded by detailing the benefits of sustainable innovation culture: It boosts resilience and adaptability in an ever-changing market; it attracts and retains top talent; and it fuels growth through creative solutions and revealing new business opportunities.
“These are exciting times,” he said. “Change is coming. Let’s embrace it. Let’s have fun with it. We are all fortunate to work for this great organization. Let’s approach every day with a smile and look for those areas that we can really make an impact.”
LINK aims to strengthen workplace culture, boost morale and reinforce the value of connection. Each month, a senior leader hosts a session via Teams aligned to key business priorities.
Active associates who were unable to attend Lucas’ presentation can view it here.
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