How Do We Go from Good to Remarkable? What I Learned from a Coca-Cola Executive About Leadership
When I delivered a keynote titled “How Do We Go from Good to Remarkable?”, I didn’t just want to throw around abstract ideas about innovation and disruption. I wanted to bring something real — something that challenged me.
So I told the story of my visit to Coca-Cola’s global headquarters in Atlanta. I was invited to speak to their global team about the disruptions shaking up the beverage industry. What followed was a lesson in leadership that I still carry with me — and that I now share with others on their own journey from good to remarkable.
The Most Blasphemous Slide of My Career
During the Coca-Cola presentation, I showed the team an image of Prime — the drink launched by YouTubers Logan Paul and KSI. Kids were drinking it everywhere, and it was eating into traditional market share. I put up a massive Prime flag — basically the competitor’s banner — in the middle of Coca-Cola’s house.
It was like putting a Kim Kardashian poster in Taylor Swift’s living room.
After the session, I was waiting for an Uber when one of Coca-Cola’s veteran executives came up to me. I asked, “Hey, was it okay that I threw that Prime flag up in the middle of the meeting?”
He smiled and said:
“Shawn, we didn’t even blink. We’ve seen thousands of competitors. Some take market share. Most don’t.”
He even mentioned one I’d never heard of — Hubba Bubba soda from 1979. That was a real product. It even had a diet version. I later found an old ad with a kid reviewing it. Classic.
But this conversation was about more than just nostalgia.
“Do You Drink Coke?”
The exec turned to me and asked, “Do you drink Coke?”
Now, I knew this was a loaded question. So I crafted a PR-safe answer:
“I don’t drink Coke, but my wife does. We love Minute Maid — part of your family.”
That’s the good-news–bad-news–good-news sandwich.
But he just laughed and said:
“We already knew that. We see the data.”
Coca-Cola is, at its core, a data and AI company now. But then he said something that caught me completely off guard:
“Shawn, our biggest disruptor isn’t Prime. It’s not a startup. It’s not even AI.
Our biggest disruptor… is good leadership.”
The Real Disruption Isn’t External — It’s Internal
He explained that Coca-Cola has all the tools:
Advanced AI
World-class data
Incredible marketing engines
Resources most companies could only dream of
And yet — something was missing.
“We used to be the best marketing company in the world,” he said.
“Now we’re asking ourselves: how do we become remarkable again?”
That hit me hard. Because here’s a company with everything — and yet they were humble enough to admit they needed to unlearn, to rethink, and to rediscover their magic.
The Leadership Lesson That Changed How I Think
In that moment, I realized this:
Good leaders optimize the past. Remarkable leaders imagine the future.
It’s not enough to be efficient. It’s not enough to have data.
If we want to be truly remarkable, we have to:
Question what got us here
Be willing to disrupt ourselves
Step back from the dashboard and lead with imagination
That’s the core of the message I now share in every keynote.
That day at Coca-Cola didn’t just inform my thinking — it transformed it.
Final Thoughts: From Good to Remarkable Starts with Leadership
You can have the best tech, the smartest teams, the deepest data.
But if you don’t have leaders who are willing to step into uncertainty, challenge the status quo, and reimagine the future — you’ll stay good. You won’t be remarkable.
So the next time you look at your own organization, ask yourself:
Are we optimizing the past or imagining the future?
Are we playing it safe with what works, or are we brave enough to question it?
Are we waiting to be disrupted — or choosing to disrupt ourselves?
About the Author:
Shawn Kanungo is a globally recognized innovation strategist and bestselling author, Shawn Kanungo has emerged as one of the world's most sought-after voices on innovation and generative AI. He spent 12 years at Deloitte working closely with leaders to help them better plan for the opportunities associated with disruptive innovation. In his high energy keynotes, Kanungo draws on his extensive experience to provide audiences with an optimistic roadmap for the future; one that embraces unexpected approaches to innovation to remain competitive and relevant.
Kanungo was named the 'Best Virtual Keynote Speaker I've Ever Seen' by Forbes, and recognized as one of Edify's Top 40 Under 40. He brings over two decades of experience working with Fortune 500 companies. His expertise spans artificial intelligence, cloud technologies, and behavioral economics, enabling him to guide organizations through complex transformations.
He made history as the first innovation expert with a streaming special on Apple TV and Prime Video. His bestselling book, "The Bold Ones" - celebrated by McKinsey as essential reading for decision-makers - provides a thought-provoking blueprint for professionals and organizations to embrace bold innovation in an era of unprecedented change.
A magnetic presence across digital platforms, Kanungo has built a community of millions who follow his thought-provoking content on innovation across LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.
While others predict the future of work, Kanungo delivers electrifying keynotes packed with cutting-edge real-world examples and actionable insights. By fusing deep strategic expertise with practical innovation frameworks, he shows organizations how to turn disruption into opportunity - enabling them to thrive in an era of constant change.