Meet Mark Dixon of Whole Foods Market
Tell us about yourself and your organization.
My name is Mark Dixon and most folks in my organization call me Flash. I live in Houston, Texas, am married and have four children. One of my biggest passions in life is to change the way people eat. This led me to begin a career working for Whole Foods Market (WFM). I have had the privilege to work for Whole Foods Market for over 23 years. I began my career at WFM in 1984 when WFM opened its third store in the chain, one store in Houston, Texas. I started as a grocery clerk and worked my way through dozens of positions that would ultimately land me in my current position, President for Whole Foods Market SW Region.
Whole Foods Market is the leading retailer of organic and natural foods in the nation. We operate stores in over 33 states, Canada and the UK. Our motto and mission is, "Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet." Although our primary business is food, we embrace the entire lifestyle of organics including how we impact the planet, communities, social issues and the environment.
One of the proudest aspects of WFM for me is the fact that we have made Fortune Magazine's '100 Best Companies to Work For' list 10 years in a row. In fact, we have made the list since the list started. Last year we made the number five spot.
How did you and your organization get introduced to Rapport Leadership International?
The Northern California region has used Rapport; however, they only have a handful of graduates. In the SW Region, our Marketing Director, Nona Evans, introduced Rapport and the train left the station so to speak. The SW Region uses Rapport and we send leaders on a regular basis.
How many Rapport graduates does your organization have?
We have around 20 or so… the list is growing by the day as we have many more signed up.
Tell us about your Rapport experience?
If I were to distill my experience down to one word, that word would be “WOW!” Like many folks who go through Rapport, I was not sure what I had signed up for. At the end of my Leadership Breakthrough One experience, all I could think about was why it took me so long to go through the process. That experience had a huge impact on me personally and as such I quickly went through Leadership Breakthrough Two, Power Communication, and recently, Eagle Quest.
How has Rapport impacted you personally?
I have gone through life thinking I understood what it means to give 100% and when I went through Leadership Breakthrough One, I finally understood what 100% really was. An amazing experience. Also, Rapport really confirms for me the importance of integrity and how this attribute is vital for leadership both at work and in life.
How has Rapport impacted your business?
Even at WFM, we are very competitive in our work, and up until now, that competitive energy would surface in destructive ways at times. Through Rapport, my team is learning the value of "everyone wins and all of us must finish the race together." Very powerful!
What is the most surprising benefit you or your organization received from Rapport Training?
The surprising benefit for me personally, is the awareness of how I have impacted the world and didn’t even know it. My actions over a lifetime have shaped how others behave. I think about the challenges in the world and how I may have helped create some of those with past actions. Recently, I was at Hobby Airport in Houston and went through the trials and tribulations of the security gate. When I went through, I went up to one of the TSA persons and thanked them for keeping me safe. I keep thinking if we all had done that before 9/11, what might have been different?
How do you keep Rapport alive in your organization?
Interesting that this question comes up, because a few weeks ago Nona and I talked about this very question. We began a support group of Rapport graduates. We meet every four weeks. At these meetings, we discuss experiences, thoughts, feelings and such. We go through exercises as well. These sessions help keep Rapport alive. Also, my mission is to get all of my key leaders into Rapport, and then we will reach the tipping point.
What class had the greatest impact on you and why?
Leadership Breakthrough Two, for sure. The biggest breakthrough was discovering that a team never really wins unless every person crosses the finish line. From that point, I look at my team differently and this comes up for me. As a leader, am I fostering an environment where everyone helps the team win, or do I leave casualties behind? Today, I choose to bring the entire team across the finish line.
When you face a challenge in your organization, what tools from the training do you call on first?
There are a few tools that are very helpful for me… first tool, is the question of where else this may show up in my life. When I am in a difficult situation and feeling like I need to find the easy way out, that question shows up for me and helps motivate me through. Another great tool is the process of "Givers Gain." All of my teammates who have been through Power Communication understand this. Whenever I am called to mediate conflict on my team, I usually start with this question of "Givers Gain," and it’s amazing how centered the team becomes. Lastly, in the end, Rapport continues to be about integrity and more than any other tool, I use this one. There is a prominent voice in my head that shouts "INTEGRITY!" When faced with hardships and issues, the first question any member of my team will ask is, “What’s the right thing to do?” Amazing!
