Charisse Hughes on Building Bridges Through Data, Judgment, and Trust

What I’ve Learned

Early in her career, Charisse Hughes leaned heavily on data and structured frameworks. That gave her confidence and clarity when navigating complex business decisions. But with time and experience, she realized that data alone couldn’t tell the full story.

“It’s not about choosing instinct or insight. It’s about knowing when to lean on each.”

The moment came when she recognized that some of the best decisions required her to bring her whole self to the table — trusting her instincts built through years in the category, learning from peers, and her own judgment. That balance of science and intuition became her leadership edge.

How I’ve Sharpened

Charisse has built practical approaches to help her balance instinct with insight and build bridges across stakeholders:

• Use frameworks to structure choices. She grounds decisions with pros and cons, looking at both the short- and long-term implications.
• Experiment through small bets. She favors testing and iterating rather than overcommitting, which builds confidence while managing risk.
• Seek diverse perspectives. She deliberately engages multiple stakeholders — even naysayers — to surface blind spots. “You have to weigh perspectives, but still make the call that’s right for the business.”
• Guard against groupthink. She knows consensus can water down bold decisions, so she builds alignment without sacrificing clarity.
• Trust instinct when it’s earned. Over time, she has learned that confidence in instinct grows with experience, context, and reflection.

Why It Matters

In today’s environment, leaders can’t afford to rely on instinct or data alone. Building bridges requires both — the credibility of data and the courage of judgment. Charisse’s approach shows how leaders can unite stakeholders by structuring decisions with rigor while also bringing confidence and humanity to the final call.

“Insight gives you the facts. Instinct gives you the courage to act. Together, they build trust.”

About Charisse Hughes

Charisse Hughes is SVP & Chief Growth Officer at Kellanova. She is known for balancing instinct with insight, using frameworks, small bets, and stakeholder engagement to build trust and drive growth.