Doing What Matters - critical summary review

In this book, James M. Kilts, the renowned CEO who revitalised industry giants Gillette, Nabisco, and Kraft, reveals the powerful, no-nonsense approach behind his extraordinary success. Drawing from vivid first-hand stories, he shares his revolutionary yet “old-school” system for cutting through complexity: focus relentlessly on the few critical metrics that truly drive results, and ignore everything else.

At a time when Gillette faced stagnant sales and faltering leadership, Kilts applied his proven method of intellectual integrity, emotional engagement, decisive action, and rigorous accountability to rebuild not just the company’s performance but its culture. He transformed underperforming managers into motivated, results-driven teams, implemented innovative cost-cutting strategies, and championed both big and incremental innovations that reignited growth and market leadership.

More than just a CEO memoir, “Doing What Matters” is a powerful dedication to leaders at every level. Whether you’re launching a startup or steering a global corporation, Kilts offers clear guidance on how to simplify problems, make data-driven decisions quickly, build aligned teams, and deliver breakthrough results in today’s fast-moving business world. This book is a masterclass in getting the right things done, fast and well.

Cutting through the noise: simplifying leadership in complex times

Kilts, Manfredi, and Lorber explore the critical leadership challenge of discerning what truly matters amid overwhelming information and conflicting advice. When Kilts became Gillette’s CEO, he faced a struggling company with falling market share, declining profits, and a plunging stock price. He was inundated with varied, often contradictory strategies, from divesting underperforming units, like Duracell and Braun, to slashing prices, to radically restructuring the company.

To resolve this complexity, Kilts developed a fast-track, quick-screen elimination process: simplifying problems to key metrics and fact-based questions to discard less viable options rapidly. This approach enabled decisive action without paralysis from overanalysis. The authors mention that successful leaders must balance rigour with experience and common sense, challenging “old truths” when evidence suggests new opportunities, as illustrated by Gillette’s “little red razor” story, where defying conventional marketing wisdom led to a highly successful product launch.

The second chapter emphasises focusing on business fundamentals rather than chasing the fleeting goal of being number one. Kilts argues that consistent top-tier performance over time beats short-term peaks followed by crashes, a “yo-yo effect” common in companies prioritising rapid but unsustainable growth. Drawing from his Kraft and Gillette experience, he also brings to attention the significance of realistic revenue growth targets grounded in market realities, cautioning against the dangers of overpromising to Wall Street.

Kilts also points out the value of long-term credibility with investors, advocating clear, consistent communication focused on key fundamentals: accelerating revenue growth, rigorous cost control, and reinvesting savings in innovation and marketing. For mid-level leaders, the advice is to keep things simple, identify key growth levers, eliminate unnecessary costs, and avoid overpromising results.

Leading with eyes open: facing reality and inspiring change

Kilts illustrates how denial of hard truths can cripple organisations, using examples like Manny Ramirez’s disruptive presence on the Red Sox and Gillette’s initial dismissal of market declines. Intellectual integrity means honestly facing a company’s reality, even when uncomfortable, instead of rationalising failures. He warns against the “slowly cooked frog” syndrome, where gradual cultural immersion dulls critical perspective. To combat this, Kilt's advice is to thoroughly pre-start research before assuming new roles, especially in turnaround scenarios.

His experience launching products, like Country Time and Lunchables, shows that uncovering true market opportunities requires questioning accepted wisdom and confronting harsh realities directly. The Gillette turnaround highlights how denial can persist even at senior levels, where managers often blame others while ignoring systemic cost issues. Kilts advocates for openness to outside insights from customers to analysts to maintain a clear vision and drive meaningful change.

Kilts challenges the stereotype of the detached executive, emphasising that sustained enthusiasm is critical for energising organisations and driving transformation. Enthusiasm isn’t mere cheerleading; it’s a force that instils purpose and conviction throughout a company, from daily interactions to major strategic initiatives. He shares how he fostered a culture of relentless cost control at Gillette through the Zero Overhead Growth (ZOG) program, overcoming denial and resistance by consistent, transparent communication and involving every level of the organisation.

Kilts also underscores the value of personal engagement, like weekend strategy sessions, to build morale during turbulent times. Externally, he notes many CEOS fail to inspire investors due to lacklustre presentations, contrasting this with his rigorous preparation to communicate with clarity and passion. Ultimately, enthusiasm is an ongoing leadership discipline vital to both internal momentum and external credibility.

From vision to execution: building teams that deliver

The authors mention that truly understanding what matters in business requires clear, actionable frameworks rather than vague goals. Leaders, like Jack Welch at GE and A.G. Lafley at P&G, succeeded by defining simple guiding principles, such as Welch’s “number one or two, or get out” rule and Lafley’s “connect and develop” innovation model, that unify decision-making and focus resources effectively.

Similarly, Total Brand Value, a concept centred on delivering consumer value faster and better than competitors, serves as a practical lens for all functions within a company, from R&D to marketing and operations. Yet, even the best strategies can falter without deep consumer insight and flexibility.

The Gillette case highlights this vividly: while the company mastered cutting-edge product innovation and manufacturing, it initially ignored emerging segments like battery-powered toothbrushes and premium disposable razors, losing ground because it underestimated consumer behaviour shifts. The failure to adapt the “trade-up” model from razors to batteries underscores the danger of applying old solutions blindly to new challenges.

Turning to leadership and organisational culture, the authors stress the importance of building a performance-driven team rather than rewarding effort alone. At Gillette, shifting from inflated ratings to realistic, results-based performance evaluations was critical in driving accountability and motivation. Leadership demands intellectual integrity, honestly confronting reality without sugarcoating, and the courage to make tough decisions despite risks. Great leaders also need communication skills, team orientation, conceptual thinking, and a hunger for continuous improvement.

On team building, the authors reject “jerks” despite their smarts, emphasising collaboration and cultural fit. Success comes from combining rigorous selection of skills and attributes with gut instinct and chemistry. A diverse mix of insiders and outsiders fuels fresh ideas without factionalism. Ultimately, assembling the right team that embraces transparency, accountability, and shared purpose is what sets great leaders apart and enables lasting business success.

Start strong, stay focused: the discipline of leadership

Effective leadership is not just about assembling talented people; it requires a clear, disciplined process that aligns individual roles with the company’s overall goals. Without this, employees often lack clarity about their responsibilities, undermining performance. Like a finely tuned race car engine, every part of a business must be synchronised through rigorous strategic planning, operating plans, and measurable priorities. A strategic plan must be actionable and hold individuals accountable to drive results, rather than serve as a boardroom formality.

At Gillette, implementing detailed quarterly priorities and annual plans created alignment and transparency, supported by open, candid quarterly off-site meetings and weekly staff meetings. These forums enforced accountability through measurable objectives and a unique numeric grading system that motivated senior managers. Although time-intensive, this disciplined leadership process shaped a productive culture, where frequent communication and shared information helped break down silos and improve cooperation.

Day one in a new leadership role sets the tone for the entire tenure. Kilts brings attention to the need for immediate, transparent communication about the company’s realities and challenges, and his leadership philosophy is focused on total brand value and executional excellence.

Unlike a casual introduction, he dedicates significant time to meeting senior managers with detailed agendas, stressing accountability, openness, and a no-nonsense approach to performance and decision-making. Clear expectations, strong integrity, and a bias for action define his advocacy style, while inspiring team collaboration and rejecting top-down mandates. This approach signals urgency and commitment, paramount for gaining trust and momentum early.

Many companies fall into the “Circle of Doom” by chasing unrealistic growth targets driven by external pressures or wishful thinking. This leads to unsustainable capital spending, bloated overhead, and poor marketing discipline, which spiral into declining market share, missed targets, and aggressive but ineffective sales tactics like trade loading. Kilts draws from his experience at Gillette and Nabisco, showing how ignoring harsh realities and cutting corners erodes trust and performance.

Escaping requires setting realistic goals, controlling costs, investing appropriately in marketing, and rejecting short-term fixes. Gillette’s turnaround, marked by renewed focus on market share, disciplined spending, improved cash flow, and transparent goals, illustrates how disciplined processes and clear metrics can restore performance and shareholder value. The key to avoiding the Circle is maintaining rigorous accountability, focusing on essential metrics, and fostering sustainable, measured growth rather than chasing hype.

Hard truths, big moves: what it really takes to lead

Though most leaders claim to value long-term thinking, many prioritise short-term financial targets instead. Kilts argues that true long-term success requires building Functional Excellence (FE), which combines the lowest cost, top capabilities, and innovation as the foundation for sustainable growth. At Gillette, this approach led to dramatic cost reductions, organisational restructuring, and enhanced marketing intelligence, enabling them to compete more effectively and innovate faster.

Total Innovation (TI), introduced as part of FE, broadened innovation responsibility beyond R&D to all employees, encompassing continuous improvement, incremental innovations, and breakthrough “big-bang” products, like the Fusion razor system. The merger with Procter & Gamble was framed as a strategic move to ensure Gillette’s long-term strength amid industry consolidation and global competition, expanding distribution and customer reach, especially internationally.

Kilts candidly reflects on the intense scrutiny and backlash following the Gillette-P&G merger, especially from Boston politicians and local media. Despite widespread financial and strategic approval elsewhere, local criticism focused on job losses and alleged executive greed, fueled by political agendas and sensationalist reporting. Kilts emphasises the importance of understanding and managing relationships with media and politicians, being prepared, clear, and honest while protecting company interests within regulatory constraints.

Good political and media relations are vital as they shape public perception and influence the business environment, but leaders must remain principled and focused. Kilts shares personal reflections on leadership and growth, highlighting that a healthy, continuous dissatisfaction with the status quo drives individual and organisational progress. Mentors and long-term loyal relationships have been crucial throughout his career, providing guidance and support.

He also emphasises making timely decisions, including brutal firings, clear communication grounded in simple moral principles, and fostering discipline. Kilts also stresses enjoying one’s work and surrounding oneself with capable people as keys to sustained success. Wisdom from icons like Warren Buffett reinforces his views on integrity, realistic expectations, and understanding business fundamentals. Ultimately, lasting achievement depends on combining relentless improvement with genuine human connections and ethical behaviour.

Final notes

“Doing What Matters” is more than a business book; it’s a story of determination, tough choices, and the belief that lasting success comes from doing the hard, but right things. James Kilts shares his journey turning around Gillette by embracing long-term thinking, cutting costs with purpose, and inspiring a culture where everyone owns innovation.

What truly stands out is the deep human side, how loyalty, authentic relationships, and honest leadership fuel growth. The most valuable lesson? Continuous dissatisfaction with the status quo, integrity, and care for your people create a powerful force that drives meaningful, lasting change.

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