Lockheed Martin’s Marillyn Hewson: One of the biggest lessons she learned this year

This year has been an incredibly exciting one for Lockheed Martin (LMT), as we’ve made portfolio-shaping moves that will positively impact our future for decades to come. Throughout this process, it’s become increasingly clear that — now more than ever — a strong, diverse and collaborative leadership team is critical to supporting and executing bold decisions.

In July, we entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Sikorsky, a world leader in military and commercial helicopters, with estimated 2015 sales of more than $6 billion and 15,000 employees. We also initiated a strategic review that will likely lead to the sale or spinoff of our government IT infrastructure and technical services businesses — which represent roughly $6 billion in sales and more than 17,000 employees — to position them for long-term growth.

See also: How CST Brands’ CEO overcomes resistance to change

In making these decisions, I relied heavily on my entire executive leadership team to provide diverse perspectives, unique insights and trusted counsel. We’ve worked hard to create an environment that encourages frank and thoughtful discussion and company-wide collaboration. Once the decisions were made, we united as a leadership team, took decisive action and are now working together to execute effectively.

The entire team remains focused on strengthening our competitive posture, enabling sustained, profitable growth, and positioning the company to best deliver value for customers, shareholders and employees.

Read all responses to the MPW Insider question: What is the biggest leadership lesson you’ve learned in the past year?

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