Christine M. Day
A Contemporary and Empowered
Principled Leader
Brianne Ryan, Jill Kaufman, Jill Dilibero, Chase Walsh,
Danielle Malek, Isabel Stearns, and Jessica MacLeod
Agenda
1) What is a “principled leader”?
1) Christine Day at Starbucks
1) Personal background/values
1) Christine Day at lululemon athletica
 Leadership style
 Beliefs
 Crisis management
2) Questions?
What is a Principled Leader?
Motivating
Mobilizing
Empowering
Self-aware
Emotionally Intelligent
Accountable
20 Years of Success at Starbucks: 1986-2007
1986
– Office Manager/ Assistant to Howard Schultz (Starbucks founder)
1988-2003
– Senior Vice President, Finance & Administration
– Vice President of Sales and Operations for Business Alliances
2004-2007
– President, Asia Pacific Group
Stock Price
$60
$40
$20
$0
January 2004
February 2007
Starbucks Locations in Japan
Number of Locations
STBJF and Day
150
100
50
0
January 2004
February 2007
Self-Awareness at Starbucks
steps taken to motivate others
Self-awareness
Self-aware managers give
“serious thought to their
styles, strengths and
weaknesses”
(Caproni, P., 2004).
Starbucks China, 2011
• Work-life balance
• Drove change, especially for women
Business School Experience
• 12-week Harvard program
• Benchmarking
• Networking
• The female CEO: Men and women
have very different views of what is
manageable
“I knew I wanted to be a CEO. And I knew I couldn’t do it at Starbucks.
Your first opportunity isn’t running a $10 billion company.”
– Christine Day, 2008
lululemon, Meet Christine Day!
Why Christine, why now?
• Track record
• Authenticity and quality
• Values community and culture
She enhanced lululemon’s
foundations
Ambassadors
Educators
Mantra
Challenge the Process
innovate and seek opportunity
• Continuous improvement
• Look outside yourself
• Learn from failure
Disconnect between
founding managers and new
members
Encourage higher education
“The world is changing so
quickly, you need to take a step
back, invest in yourself and look
at things happening on the
global stage.”
- Christine Day, 2011
Enable Others to Act
promote trust and ownership
Applications:
• Focus on teams
• Build trust
• Collaborate
• Take ownership
• Encourage personal
growth within company
Employee Empowerment and Motivation
Building Trust at lululemon
No Micromanaging
Create jobs
“big enough for people”
Managers have ownership
Encourage to create their
“own magic”
Responsible for actions
“If you screw up, you clean it up”
– $300 to each store
– $2,700 per year for community
outreach
Model the Way and Encourage the Heart
set the example and recognize achievement
• Take charge in a crisis
• Give voice to values
• Care
Emotional intelligence
Empathy
Social Skill
Bethesda, MD lululemon athletica store
Inspire a Shared Vision
be purpose-led and passionate
“Take leadership, don’t wait for it. Inspire, empower lives,
and believe you have the ability to change the world.”
– Christine Day
Deloitte “Women of Influence”
Luncheon Series, May 2011
Questions?
References:
Acker, D. [Headshot of Christine Day in black] (2009). Retrieved from
http://citytv.rdmmedia.topscms.com/images/2c/47/61d7b07d44d68b37d0b1c5365917.jpeg
Brown, H. (2009, April 9). From lattes to yoga pants. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/09/lululemon-athletica-ceo-
forbes-woman-power-career.html
Caproni, P. (2004). What predicts success? Management skills for everyday life: The practical coach. (1-30). Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice Hall.
Christine M. Day, Executive Profile. (2012). Retrieved from
http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=12619668&ticker=LLL:CN&previousCapId=3412
5194&previousTitle=LULULEMON%20ATHLETICA%20INC
Edgecliff-Johnson, A. (2011). A chief executive’s game plan in trying times. Financial Times. (2012). Retrieved from
http://www.exed.hbs.edu/assets/Documents/game- plan-trying-times.pdf
Duggan, P. (2012, January 27). Brittany Norwood receives life, no parole, for killing Jayna Murray in Lululemon yoga store. The
Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/brittany-norwood-receives-life-sentence-inbethesda-yoga-store-murder/2012/01/27/gIQAeEx8VQ_story.html
Goleman, D. (2004). What makes a leader? Harvard Business Review, 82(1), 82-91.
[Image of Harvard Business School logo] (2011). Retrieved from http://assets.bizjournals.com/boston/news/1101-harvard-logo315*280.jpg?v=1
References continued:
[Image of Jodie painting at Houston lululemon store] (2010). Retrieved from http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__oqPXD7x5BQ/TDqFbrsQnI/AAAAAAAAA-4/Rl8120aqDOM/s1600/lulu+event.jpg
[Image of Starbucks China] (2011). Retrieved from http://blog.cafedudesign.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/IMG_0470.jpg
[Image of two women posing] (2012). Retrieved from http://www.lululemon.com/_images/_about/yogahill.jpg
Joy, E. [Image of Christine Day, CEO] (2011). Retrieved from http://www.lululemon.com/community/blog/wpcontent/uploads/2011/04/Christine-Day.jpg
Kouzes, J.M. & Posner, B.Z. (2007). Chapter 1: The five practices of exemplary leadership. The Leadership Challenge (3-25). San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Leahey, C. (2012). Lululemon CEO: How to build trust inside your company. Retrieved November, 19 2012, from
http://management.fortune.cnn. com/2012/03/16/lululemon-christine-day/
Levin-Epstein, A. & Day, C. (2011). Lululemon CEO Christine Day on making it to the top [Interview transcript]. Retrieved from
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505125_162-47540462/lululemon-ceo-christine-day-on-making-it-to-the-top/
Mathat, A. [Image of Roundtable Lunch at Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit] (2011). Retrieved from
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6039/6209420748_d5cca9bb07_m.jpg
McGregor, D. (1960). The human side of enterprise, New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co.
References continued:
Shambora, J. (2008, November 6). Guest post: Lululemon CEO Christine Day on making a comeback. Retrieved from http://
postcards.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2008/11/06/guest-post-lululemon-ceo-christine-day-making-a comeback/
Smale, B. [Image of Christine Day] (2008). Retrieved from http://fortunepostcards.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/lululemon_ceo.jpg
Temchine, M. [Image of Bethesda, MD lululemon athletica store] (2011). Retrieved from
http://img.wpdigital.net/rf/image_90w/20102019/WashingtonPost/2011/03/19/Education/Advance/Images/lululemon_01_1300498380.jpg
Twomey, R. [Image of Christine Day] (2011). Retrieved from
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/money/galleries/2011/fortune/1111/gallery.business_person_year.fortune/images/christine_day_lulu
lemon.jpg
Walker, M. (2011, September 29). Lululemon Athletica - Driving a culture of individual and organizational development,
accountability and innovation. HRM Today. Retrieved from http://www.hrmtoday.com/featured-stories/lululemon-athleticadriving-a-culture-of-individual-and-organizational-development-accountability-and-innovation/
Women of Influence Inc. (2011, May 12). Christine Day, CEO, lululemon athletica. Retrieved from
http://www.womenofinfluence.ca/watch-christine-day-ceo-lululemon-athletica/