It’s time to find the snake killers in your business and let them do their job, James Kilts said during Monday’s Leadership Conversation series.Kilts, who has revitalized well-known companies like Gilette, Nabisco and Kraft, spoke to a full Harper auditorium on Monday.

With a reputation of repairing failing businesses, Kilts had some words of advice.

“You have to apply three principles in business,” Kilts said. “Intellectual integrity, action and enthusiasm.”

Intellectual integrity means turning a mirror on yourself or your business and seeing things as they really are.

Action, “the most difficult thing to generate in a company,” involves finding those snake killers and putting them to work.

“You don’t need a committee on how to kill snakes,” Kilts said. “Just do what has to be done.”

Enthusiasm is the art of convincing people things need to change.

“When I worked at Oscar Mayer, I introduced the idea of zogging and nogging [zero and negative overhead growth],” Kilts said to a laughing audience.

“I’d have my hot dog every lunch, and young workers would come up to me and say, ‘you won’t believe my amount of zogging and nogging!'”

That, Kilts said, was enthusiasm. By using simple terms, Kilts created excitement about previously discouraged concepts.

The lecture attracted a mix of business professionals, Creighton students dressed like business professionals, faculty, staff and the occasional undergraduate. Jenna Mervig, Business senior, was interested in seeing Kilts and “learning how he got to where he is.”

“I’m here for networking,” chimed in Ashlie Franz, Business senior.

Several business professionals noted the Kilts lecture was a great opportunity for them to stay up-to-date on important changes.

“In our industry, we constantly have new people all the time … it’s important to stay on top of the news and to learn new ways to motivate people,” said Joshua Furlong, a Team Manager for TD Ameritrade.

Faculty stressed the importance of attending such lectures.

“This is an educational opportunity for students, a chance to learn about COBA and the Dean’s vision for the college,” said Laura Simic, senior associate vice-president director for Development and Campaign.

Kilts’ 2007 book, “Doing What Matters,” was endorsed by Warren Buffett.

“I’ve learned much from Jim. So, too, will readers of this book,” Buffett was quoted in a press release.