Lululemon boss rides creative wave: Athletic clothier keeping abreast of social trends and changes
By Monte Stewart - Business Edge News Magazine
Published: 05/16/2008 - Vol. 8, No. 10
[
www.businessedge.ca]
Quote
11. How do you try to spread that philosophy in your day-to-day operations?
?Well, we have some courses that we send people to, the Landmark education course, called the Forum. That would be the one that we basically set up on creativity and self- responsibility . . . and then comes a culture of achievement.
?In eight hours, we give people a lesson that it takes most people about 40 years to learn. If all successful people did the same thing, it would be very easy to become successful very quickly.?
12. Some people have questioned why your managers take Landmark training, and some people question Landmark, because it has ties to the EST (Erhard Seminars Training) movement. They suggest that Landmark is like a cult. How do you respond to those criticisms?
?Because it?s a creative organization, it?s recreated itself thousands of times since the EST program (started) and probably has very little in common with the EST program anymore. Every business has to start a certain way and evolve in some ways. It shows up like a cult because it has become a very simple concept that releases people from a lot of their blocks in life. When people are released from those blocks, it has that aura. People who don?t understand greatness are scared by greatness. Canadians especially, I find, are like a wall of mediocrity. The whole socialist backlog that we?ve heard for so many years that it?s wrong to be rich, that it?s wrong to be powerful, that it?s wrong to be great, that it?s wrong to be an individual ? that?s just wrong.?
13. What has Landmark done for your employees and the business?
?It sets up a culture of no complaining and of being responsible for the job that you?re doing, for clear communication, and not bringing your own personal crap to work.?
I think I just threw up a little bit in my mouth and swallowed it.