Interface Global

Unit 2 Individual Focus Paper

GB600 Leadership Strategies

Professor Sherry Giddings

Faith Foster

Interface Inc. is a global manufacturer of carpet tiles, carpet fabrics, and other commercial interior products. The company was founded by Ray Anderson, an entrepreneur who ambitious sought to build a company that would have a global influence in the industry (McDonough, 2007). Although the company initially faced challenges, Interface grew to become one of the world’s largest by developing innovative technologies and acquiring acquisitions throughout the world. Ray Anderson’s leadership and vision has also played a large role in the company’s success and his direction and values continues to have an impact on the company today.

Most business leaders, such as Ray Anderson, understand the importance of inspiring employee, shareholders, and customers by providing a vision of where the company is going, a mission, and also corporate values. The company’s vision focuses on providing sustainability through all dimensions; People, process, product, place and profits (Interface’s Values Are Our Guiding Principles, 2011). Interface’s mission also focuses on these dimensions, from providing great customer service to developing innovative products. . Interface has made people, process, product, place, profits the core of the vision and mission, which has resulted in the company being one of the most influential companies in the industrial industry.

Like most companies, Interface’s mission and vision was molded and improved as the company grew. Before the 1990s the company was not always focused on providing sustainability through all dimensions. Ray Anderson’s vision and strategy for the company changed in 1994, when the founder realized the environmental footprint that not only his company was leaving on the environment, but also the footprint other companies in the industry (Prashad, 2009). Anderson aggressive sought to change the company’s mission and challenged the...