Be a Leader of Innovation and Progress: How to Iterate, Adapt and Succeed Faster

During Kat Cole’s over four-year tenure as president, Cinnabon, a company then struggling to be competitive, quickly resurged as a multichannel, global brand with over 1,200 stores in 56 countries and saw its sales pass the $1 billion mark. Cole knows you innovate and succeed faster when you are more observant and immersed in the action, and understands which qualities are critical to help you iterate and adapt more quickly—even in traditionally slow or mature industries and organizations. She also knows that it takes hustle, heart, grit and resilience to follow through after you have taken an initial risk. From her well-known “hotshot rule” to her lessons in “hustle muscle,” Cole will share the most significant stories and lessons about leadership and innovation that she has learned throughout her esteemed career. She will explore how to discern meaningful patterns, explains the essential qualities and characteristics she looks for in new hires, and will address how to manage tough decisions and impactful innovations that may have short-term trade-offs, but will provide great return in the long run.