Michele Sullivan: A Global Innovator and Speaker who Formerly Headed the Caterpillar Foundation
Recently, Rahul and Sourish interviewed Ms. Michele Sullivan, the former president of the Caterpillar Foundation and their former director of corporate social innovation, as well as a social impact advisor to many organizations around the world. Ms. Sullivan is also an active speaker, where she can give her stories and insights at various events around the globe including her Ted Talk, “Asking for help is a strength, not a weakness,” which has garnered over 1.6 million views to date. In addition to moving speeches, she is also the author of Looking Up: The Advantages of Being Underestimated, which inspires readers to affect change by sharing short stories from her own life.
Ms. Sullivan grew up in a middle-class family in Illinois with her father working at Caterpillar. She emphasizes the importance of caring and serving her friends, neighbors, and family. She’s been involved in non-profits since she was a teenager in college; she would profusely volunteer during on and off-hours. Due to her passion to serve, when the Caterpillar job became open in 2011, she jumped on her “dream job” which allowed her to serve a larger audience and make a larger impact. Even in her retirement, she continues to serve others at every opportunity she receives.
Her role as President of the Caterpillar Foundation was pivotal as she shifted her company to a more data-driven approach to address their three primary pillars: basic human needs, education, and the environment. In countries like Zambia and Rwanda, a majority of girls do not receive an education since they are tasked with household chores like bringing water which could take a day’s worth of time. Due to her perspicacity, Ms. Sullivan shifted gears to primarily addressing the water crisis in third world countries since that was the underlying problem for the lack of women education. She bolstered investments in girls and women since they serve as the foundation for families while remaining suppressed.
In addition to making better decisions off of strong data, Ms. Sullivan also constantly collaborated with those suffering in the area. Often, those who are trying to help jump to solutions before completely understanding the problem. By speaking directly to those suffering, she was able to quickly isolate the root cause and aid them efficiently. This way, accountability, and power were entrusted to the facilities who knew better about the surrounding areas than a high-level organization.
In her Ted Talk, she also talks about how we can never walk in someone else’s shoes since it’s impossible to understand every nuance of another’s life. Instead, she urges those to walk with and help up people in need which is an essential approach she takes in leading Caterpillar as well as in her own life. When asked for tips in asking for help during rough times, she discusses how she built a tight network over the years where anything can be shared; comparing it to the kitchen table when she was younger when her family would eat together and talk about their days. And even though this kitchen table may change over the years, it is important to lean on them and be willing to help unconditionally. Often those closest to you will be the most honest. Ms. Sullivan gravitates to optimists, being one herself, who will lift the spirits of others as positivity and relations were her top two traits in her personality test.
Even though she was not always the smartest in the group, Ms. Sullivan was a leader who could bring people together in working towards a common goal due to her humble nature.
When asked about advice for other leaders, she recommends letting go of any preconceived notions when communicating with others. People are often quick to pass judgment and solidify their opinions within five minutes of being confronted with something new. She emphasizes the importance of really getting to know people and empowering them while remaining open. She states that diversity in thought is the greatest gift and, while solidarity in reaching a common goal is largely beneficial, the similarity in ideas is often detrimental to a group’s success. Thus, we must step out of our comfort zone when meeting new people, embrace differences, and although we like those who are like us, a team benefits more through increased versatility.
Ms. Sullivan believes that “Life recognizes the brave” and portrays the necessity to not just take any risk, but calculated and well-thought-out ones. She encourages people to take every opportunity thrown at them, including travel whether that be local or international. Even though one may not enjoy the experience, they will definitely learn something out of it and leave with a different perspective of themself and others than that which they had entered with. Ms. Sullivan frequently entered “loose” jobs, yet by the time she left she structured the job, left an impact on her co-workers, and learned a lot through the process.
After being named as one of the fifty most powerful women in philanthropy by Inside Philanthropy, Ms. Sullivan defines power as the ability to influence a large number of people in a deep and fulfilling way–the original purpose behind Caterpillar–as well as awareness and collaboration.
Finally, for high school students, Ms. Sullivan urges one to find their passion by taking as many opportunities as one can to gain a broader understanding of what they can do to make the world a better place while widening their skillset. She attributes her current success to her work in both the non-profit and business world; by taking the best of these two varying perspectives, she was able to make a lasting impact around the globe. She emphasizes that “There is no substitute for experiencing it and getting your hands dirty,” which is the best way to build a passion, collaborate, and affect change. Finally, she warns against fearing failure and encourages taking risks and failing as an inevitable but necessary path to long term success.
You can watch the full interview here.
Author: Srikar Parsi
Editor: Ayan Lateef
Interviewers: Rahul Kavuru and Sourish Jasti
Graphic: Sraavya Penumudi