Conagra Brands

Attalee Brix

Culture Leadership Champion

Over my 21+ year career at Conagra Brands, I’ve had the opportunity to work across a wide range of teams: small and large, experienced and developing, highperforming and those learning the ropes. I’ve contributed as an individual and led organizations of a dozen or more, both directly and through dotted-line structures. In many ways, it reminds me of the Johnny Cash song I've Been Everywhere. Instead of going everywhere, I’ve been on every kind of team!

Through each experience, I’ve developed a simple mantra: lessons equal learning. If you don’t learn from an experience, you likely missed the opportunity to grow. That mindset has shaped how I approach leadership and how I challenge myself and my teams to be better tomorrow than we are today.

At the core of any large food company is a clear goal: deliver results—grow revenue, expand margins and build brands that win. I’ve had the privilege to help transform brands through renovation, delight consumers through innovation and strengthen the bottom line through margin expansion. But when I reflect on the greatest successes in my career, they don’t start with strategy or process—they start with people and relationships.

One of the best teams I’ve ever been part of operated with a level of alignment and trust that made execution feel seamless. We had each other’s backs, stayed in sync and moved quickly because we trusted one another. At the time, I didn’t fully appreciate how rare that was. It wasn’t until our manager introduced us to The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle that it became clear: what set that team apart was culture.

That leader didn’t stop at recommending the book; he created space for us to build connection. He brought our team off-site, where we openly discussed not just the concepts from the book but also the personal experiences that shaped who we were. It required vulnerability and trust. As the only female on the team, I felt the uniqueness of that moment, but I was far from alone in the emotion it uncovered. It was a powerful demonstration of psychological safety in action. That experience reshaped how I think about leadership. Culture isn’t defined by perks or facilities—it’s built through trust, belonging and accountability. While many organizations talk about culture, the ones that succeed are those that intentionally create environments where people feel safe to contribute, challenge and grow. That is where performance accelerates and goals are exceeded.

As I’ve taken on larger organizations, I’ve learned that scaling teams introduces new complexity. It brings me back, unexpectedly, to a lesson from a children’s show I watched with my own kids as they grew up, Thomas & Friends. Thomas’s goal was to be a “Really Useful Engine,” and most people on a team want the same thing: to contribute and to win.

But there was also a constant warning from the train conductor:  

“You have caused confusion and delay.” That phrase captures one of the greatest risks in scaling teams. When priorities are unclear, communication breaks down or decision-making becomes overly layered, confusion and delay follow and performance suffers.

Early in my career, I believed leadership meant being closely involved in every decision. But that approach doesn’t scale. As teams grow, leadership must evolve from managing tasks to creating clarity. Ownership must be defined and accountability must be embedded into daily work. I often describe this shift as moving from “managing down” to “messaging down.” Teams don’t need leaders in every conversation—they need leaders who clearly communicate the vision, priorities and expectations. When that clarity exists, teams can move faster, make better decisions and execute with confidence.

However, empowerment without discipline leads to inconsistency. That’s why I rely on a principle I repeat often: plan the work, work the plan. While simple in concept, it requires intentional effort. Investing time upfront to plan creates alignment, reduces rework and accelerates execution. Planning also reinforces accountability. When individuals understand not only what needs to be done but why it matters and how it connects to the bigger picture, they take greater ownership. That clarity allows teams to scale without sacrificing speed or quality.

Ultimately, the common thread across every successful team I’ve experienced is culture. It’s not a buzzword; it’s the foundation. Culture shapes how people show up, how they collaborate and how they perform. When culture is rooted in trust, strengthened through empowerment and sustained through accountability, teams don’t just meet expectations, they exceed them. And as organizations grow, these principles become even more critical.

Finally, regardless of size or structure, the goal remains the same: to build teams where people feel valued, aligned and capable of winning together—without confusion, without delay and with a shared commitment to continuous improvement.