Chapter 4-1

hen colleagues describe the personality of Jill Barad, CEO at toy
giant, Mattel Inc., they use terms such as competitive, combative, in-
tense, energetic, and ambitious.¹ Barad provides an excellent illustration
of how an individual's personality shapes behavior and the importance of
properly matching personalities with jobs.
Jill Barad (shown here with children of Mattel's employees from the
firm's day care center) was born in 1951 and grew up in Queens, New
York. Her early interests focused on show business. She loved to dress up
and play entertainer. Her sister fondly remembers trying to sleep while Jill
stood on her bed belting out songs from Oklahoma! and Sound of Music.
This early interest in show biz undoubtedly reflected the influence of her
dad, who was a technical director for NBC and later a TV director and

producer. Jill's mother also had a role in shaping
her aspirations. Jill's mother encouraged her. She
told Jill that she could overcome obstacles and
achieve her dreams. "My mother gave me a bum-
blebee pin when I started work," recalls Barad.
"She said, 'Aerodynamically, bees shouldn't be
able to fly. But they do.' " Barad's mother had suc-
cessfully imparted in her daughter the belief that
anything was possible.
Barad joined Mattel in 1981 as a product man-
ager. In 1983, she was given the job of trying to
revive the slumping sales of Barbie, Mattel's most
valuable franchise. Unafraid to ruffle feathers, she
used her intelligence, marketing sense, energy, and
intense competitiveness to bring about one of the
most dramatic turnarounds in corporate history.

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