Just Imagine with Lee Edwards 💭
Just imagine helping to shape one of the world’s most loved and trusted brands. For Lee, it was an unmissable opportunity to explore. But he’s also mindful of the responsibility that comes with building on 90 years of heritage. Fortunately, as our Lead for Global Brand Strategy and Stewardship, he’s not alone.
“We are a genuinely purpose-driven organisation. That matters. It’s something that we can and do unite around. I've worked for organisations in the past, where they've got values, they've got beliefs, they've got a purpose. But these are things that just live on a website or in a PowerPoint document that’s never looked at. That’s not the case here. Part of the reason that the business has been around for 90 years is that its purpose inspires people. We live it's values. They are present in everything we do, every single day. It really comes through.
“I know that I’m here to collaborate and help deliver play experiences that mean children learn. They grow. They’re better able to build for the future. This shared goal and vision is so important. We organise ourselves around it - on all kinds of levels. In 2022, for example, we created our largest ever global campaign. The most coordinated and integrated campaign we've ever had. Here was a chance for all parts of the LEGO Group to pull together - the core business, hand in hand with the LEGO Foundation, LEGO Education, the parks, the resorts, everywhere. As someone who sits in the global brand team, seeing some of my colleagues deliver this was special.
“I’m under no illusion that 90 years of achievement is kind of a tough act to follow. And, yes, the challenge of my role is to keep this unique brand on the same trajectory while taking it somewhere new. If it was anywhere else, it would be seriously daunting. But as I come up to my four-year brickaversary, if I’ve learned one thing, we don’t do things alone here. Collaboration is at the core of play. We work because we play - imaginatively, with care and focus.
“I’m surrounded by super intelligent, super passionate people who make working here an amazing experience. We all feel a responsibility to do our best for the brand because that means we’re investing for the next generation. So we do our best for one another too.
“Part of that is being honest with one another but with respect and some emotional intelligence. When we need to give feedback within my team, we’re mindful of doing so in a positive way. It sounds obvious but it’s so important, particularly when we ask people to be brave. It’s about creating the right conditions for people to feel like they can be.
“It helps when competing agendas emerge too. For example, I might want to do something which is really strong, rich marketing and a narrative story. But this might not fit with our colleagues who are tasked with driving our commercial business. They have a different job to do so they have a whole other perspective. If we both take a step back and remember our shared goal, this becomes our guide. A shared vision means we’re able to work together more effectively and we all know what needs to be done.
“We work closely together and we are close. When we greet each other, we hug. No big deal right? But during one particular training session, people were coming in late and each time, we’d get up and do the hug thing, because that’s what we do. The guy who led that session comes back for a follow up and at the top of the agenda he’s written ‘Make time for hugs’. It sounds silly, I know. But it’s stuck in my head. ‘Make time for hugs’. And we do. For the brand, every day.”
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