Bridging the Cultural Divide: Transforming Leadership at Essilor Luxottica

The Challenge: Uniting Two Distinct Corporate Cultures

Essilor Luxottica, a global leader in the eyewear industry, was formed through the merger of French company Essilor and Italian company Luxottica. While the merger brought together two powerhouses in the field, it also highlighted the stark differences in their corporate cultures.

The French side, Essilor, valued extensive discussion and consensus-building before taking action. In contrast, the Italian side, Luxottica, favored a more top-down approach, with decisions being made and implemented swiftly without much consultation.

This cultural divide posed significant challenges for the newly merged company:

• Communication Barriers: Employees from both sides struggled to interact effectively, hindered by language differences and contrasting communication styles.
• Limited Understanding: The lack of interaction and dialogue made it difficult for employees to understand and appreciate each other's perspectives and ways of working.
• Leadership Misalignment: The divergent approaches to decision-making and leadership created friction and inconsistency at the top levels of the organization.

Left unaddressed, these issues threatened to undermine the success of the merger and the company's ability to operate as a cohesive, high-performing organization.

The Solution: Leadership Circle Debriefs by Systems Leadership

To bridge the cultural divide and transform leadership at Essilor Luxottica, the company engaged Systems Leadership, a renowned provider of leadership development solutions. As part of a consortium, Systems Leadership delivered a series of Leadership Circle Debriefs, a powerful tool for enhancing self-awareness and leadership effectiveness.

The Leadership Circle Debrief is a comprehensive 360-degree assessment that provides leaders with insights into their leadership competencies, reactive tendencies, and creative competencies. By exploring their individual profiles, leaders gain a deeper understanding of their strengths, areas for improvement, and the impact of their behaviors on others.

Program Details

Systems Leadership conducted 10 Leadership Circle Debriefs for key leaders at Essilor Luxottica. Each debrief included:

• Assessment: Leaders completed the Leadership Circle Profile, a detailed questionnaire that gathered feedback from their managers, peers, and direct reports. Individual Debrief: A certified Leadership Circle consultant led a one-on-one session with each leader to explore their profile results, identify insights, and develop an action plan for growth.
• Group Workshop: Leaders participated in a group workshop to share their insights, learn from each other, and explore ways to apply their learning to bridge the cultural divide.

Throughout the process, leaders gained valuable insights into their own leadership styles and the impact of their behaviors on cross-cultural collaboration. They identified specific actions they could take to foster greater understanding, build relationships, and align their approaches to decision-making and problem-solving.

The Impact: Enhanced Leadership and Cultural Integration

The Leadership Circle Debriefs delivered by Systems Leadership had a profound impact on the leaders at Essilor Luxottica and the overall integration of the two cultures:

• Increased Self-Awareness: Leaders gained a deeper understanding of their own leadership styles, strengths, and areas for improvement, enabling them to adapt their approaches to better suit the needs of the merged organization.
• Improved Communication: By exploring their own communication styles and the preferences of their colleagues, leaders were able to bridge language barriers and establish more effective channels for dialogue and collaboration.
• Greater Empathy: Through the group workshops, leaders developed a heightened appreciation for the perspectives and experiences of their colleagues from the other side of the merger, fostering greater empathy and understanding.
• Aligned Leadership: The insights gained from the Leadership Circle Debriefs helped leaders align their approaches to decision-making and problem-solving, creating greater consistency and cohesion at the top levels of the organization.

"The Leadership Circle Debrief was an eye-opening experience. It helped me understand how my leadership style was perceived by others and gave me concrete tools to bridge the cultural divide. I feel much more equipped to lead in this new, merged organization." - Essilor Luxottica Leader

By investing in leadership development through the Leadership Circle Debriefs, Essilor Luxottica has taken a significant step towards integrating its two distinct cultures and unlocking the full potential of the merger. The enhanced self-awareness, communication, and alignment among leaders will continue to drive the company's success in the years to come.

Next Steps: Continuing the Leadership Journey

The Leadership Circle Debriefs have laid a strong foundation for cultural integration and leadership effectiveness at Essilor Luxottica. To build on this momentum, Systems Leadership recommends:

• Ongoing Coaching: Provide leaders with ongoing individual coaching to support the implementation of their action plans and continue their leadership development journey.
• Team Development: Extend the Leadership Circle Debriefs to intact teams, helping them explore their collective leadership dynamics and develop strategies for high performance.
• Culture Integration Workshops: Conduct company-wide workshops to engage employees at all levels in the cultural integration process, fostering greater understanding, collaboration, and alignment.

By partnering with Systems Leadership, Essilor Luxottica can continue to transform its leadership, unite its cultures, and position itself for long-term success in the global eyewear industry.