Whilst David´s background has a strong analytical base (a PhD in engineering), it´s clear that he´s energised by solving problems creatively and he has been willing to stretch himself throughout his career. David shared some learnings from running Lego´s in-house creative agency which he wants to keep in his new role at Brita; 1. be clear on what you want and then trust the creative process, 2. adapt your leadership style to give space for ideas to flow, versus trying to control everything....

When Judy entered the big corner office for the first time, “she felt like a 4 year old trying on her mum’s shoes”. But she is a fast learner who loves firefighting & high pressure situations. She was clear on the the culture she wanted to create, “how can it be better and what are we going to do to get there?” Initially it felt like a lonely battle but now it has been adopted by the organisation, it feels great. But the job is not always easy. Looking back at her ”sink” moments… it’s...

Matt’s sweet spot is taking companies from Series B to IPO, and it was with Olo that he hit the jackpot. He’s modest enough to recognise that “he served his time at the right time.” But this story of “overnight success” took 9 years, starting with joining Olo as employee #7. His story is all about people. 1.identifying the right ones, trusting his own judgement, and doing the proper due diligence. He never delegates a reference check. 2. How his selection criteria evolved over time. He no...

John shares his career journey from a commercial operator to someone whose management mantra became “Deliver the present, create the future and create the right environment for your team to thrive”. His sink moment was an engagement survey in his second GM assignment, where he learnt of the gap between how he wanted to be perceived and how the organisation saw him. But he embraced that learning and has been building on it ever since. He sees the GM role as a combination of “getting the best...

Matias views his career journey as a learning journey. And he is “all in”. His innate bias for action and ability to deliver whatever was required meant that sometimes “he was crossing rivers but burning bridges”. Now before moving to action, he pays equal measure to the “how” as to the “what”, and makes sure to “breathe in- breathe out” and do a mental map. He is willing to take risks and learn from the feedback. He believes that“ The best feedback is the one that hurts… because it helps...

A few highlights from our conversation which are relevant for any leader preparing to transition.1.Why you have to work harder to get to the unfiltered truth as you grow more senior in your career 2.When taking on a new role, her focus is on Earning trust, and you know if you have achieved it by the help you get in the public and private moments 3.She builds trust via vulnerability, by showing her human side even if some people think this can undermine your professional credibility. Thanks...

When her move to Diageo GB was announced, LinkedIn nearly collapsed with the volume of congratulatory messages. So 6 months on, who better to talk to about leadership transitions and what can be done to support those going through them than Ednah. A few highlights from our conversation which are relevant for any leader preparing to transition. •For her the ideal transition plan needs to be personalised. It is up to the individual to “own” it, but support on “articulating the challenge ahead”...

In Ireland, Feargal needs no introduction. In August he led Tyrone to the All-Ireland football championship in his first year as coach, the first time in 14 years and for only the fourth time in history. For listeners outside Ireland, his story is equally remarkable and relevant. To put it in context, in sporting terms his achievement as manager is like winning the Champion’s League in soccer or the Superbowl in American Football. And it’s made all the sweeter by the fact that as player he...

With companies reviewing their work policies, not just working from home but also international moves, it´s a good time to consider the merits of expat assignments. Who better to discuss this topic with than with Graham who is now in his 3rd role abroad? Graham is the Marketing and Innovation Director for East Africa Breweries, Diageo´s largest beer market. Points we covered •How emerging markets experience has helped him get comfortable with volatility •How a “sink” experience in Indonesia...

In a time where professionals change roles every 4 years on average and companies merge, get acquired and expand every day, there is a good chance you might become a boomerang employee. "Boomerang employee" refers to a person who is rehired by a former employer. Who better to discuss this topic with than an experienced general manager still in the critical first 90 days? Nick is the new Regional Director Health for UK&I at Reckitt. He started out selling Smarties with Nestle, a great...

Who better to have on the podcast than an experienced general manager transitioning to a new bigger role? This episode is a must listen for all leaders in transition, be it as a first-timer or as a veteran. It also served to remind me why I do what I do at Swim not Sink… Originally from Belgium, Stéphane can now be considered a global citizen having worked across the world at Unilever, Danone, Reckitt and Sanofi. He has just been appointed as Region Head Latin America for Sanofi Healthcare,...

Erhard was one of the key figures in the Reckitt Benckiser success story leading a huge transformation over his 27 years there. At RB he was famous for his simple, direct management style and his question “What is the number (for the month)?” which kept everyone focused on the business. Since 2006 he has not rested on his laurels. Just to mention a few of his Board and investor roles; he was CEO & Chairman of Birdseye Iglo Ltd, Erhard has served on the Board of Directors of Coty since...

James Ashton is a renowned journalist, author and podcaster who has just released his new book “The 9 types of leaders - How the leaders of tomorrow can learn from the leaders of today." He has had unrivalled access to the FTSE CEO´s and key personalities over the past 20 years. We discussed his insights from the perspective of those in the hot-seat for the first time, not yet global CEO roles, but with aspirations! Points we covered •A taster of the 9 types – which type are you? •Once you...

On top of the big day job, and being a working mum, Sara has her own Podcast… so lots to talk about. The turnaround at TBWA had 2 parts… 1) applying what she had learned from previous roles in high performance environments, (command & control style), 2) but then it was about putting on her own stamp (shift to more empowerment and leveraging the agency network). There was also a personal turn-around. Previously she had “self-excluded” from considering the top job. Her key insights 1.To...

Conal talks about his adjustment to the CEO role after a stellar career at P&G, Asda and Ryanair. What is different about the CEO role and how it took him time to realise that. Whilst everyone gets the theory of leadership, its only when in situ that “you quickly realise whether you have what it takes.” His sink or swim moment was recognising that when working for a start-up vs a blue chip “you´ll get found out in the P&L.” The importance of developing self-awareness, on what...

I talk with Michael Watkins, author of the leadership classic The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up To Speed Faster and Smarter and co-founder of Genesis Advisers https://www.genesisadvisers.com who has dedicated his career to helping leaders get off to great starts. Points we covered•Why transition or on-boarding support is still not the norm despite it being a “no brainer” from a ROI standpoint (@2.25)•Why it can be hard to ask for support given “Darwinian Evolution” bias...

Pedro talks about what is required for “enterprise leadership”:  it`s about going beyond leading through others in a function, to bringing the silos together by acting like a business owner. He works with his leaders to ensure that they are operating on the right time horizon, and allocating their time appropriately between the immediate, mid and long-terms. He points to the need to move beyond the critical / analytical skills which are important early on in a career to develop a new set of...

Antje reflects on the first part of her career, where she followed the path mapped out, and was focused on progressing up the ladder occupied with the task at hand. But the turning point came when one boss challenged her and asked “Why are you not yourself?” Interestingly, it took her time to realise that there was merit in the question and to begin the self-reflection: to move from external validation to internal validation, and to realise that admitting vulnerability led to support from...

Mattia is betting on diversity and digital to ensure that he is “disrupting, rather than being disrupted” as head of R&D for Laundry and Home Care. He is one of the lucky ones – his job is like a hobby to him and he is an insatiable learner. When he felt he had stopped learning, he knew it was time to change company. He is looking for people with an edge, who have done something extreme. He finds out what they love and aims to give them an outlet for that in their job. Then he uses a...

I talk with Vanessa about cultural intelligence (CQ), a key success factor for any leader working abroad. CQ adds the cultural layer to EQ. It starts with recognising that we have biased views of professionalism. We should all reflect on the question “Do we think that the last person we felt was unprofessional at work thought in return that we were highly professional?” We discuss the diversity trend and Vanessa points out that “diverse teams are tough teams” – only if managed well will you...

José believes that his career progress is thanks to his willingness to put himself in situations where he has had to learn “new languages”- be that French & English or digital marketing as a “Noogler” (new at Google). His first exposure to coaching was while working for a leader who was a believer - how he felt uncomfortable at first but recognised that it could be very powerful. While he prefers to leave it to his customers to talk about his strengths as a commercial leader, he is sure...

I talk with Peter Corijn, AKA Paul Numi, about his tips for mavericks and his own experience as a “renaissance man”. Peter reflects on his time leading the integration of Gillette into P&G, where he delivered the business objectives, but how it could have been achieved more smoothly. We look at the paradox whereby mavericks are essential to an organisation but they are often tolerated rather than celebrated. The good news – there are smarter ways; to establish a process to leverage...

In this episode, I talk with Apurv who retired from corporate in his 40´s. So what has that got to do with first-time leadership? Well for any leader, be that a first-timer or a veteran, it´s vital to explore what comes next and to build the muscle of personal renewal. Tips from Apurv; 1. Let´s assume that you are an achiever, so there is no risk of “non-delivery” when you “hand in your badge”. 2. The hard part is to do the introspection, to give yourself the space - like good wine you have...

In this episode, I talk with Ramon A. Mirt, who leads an organisation stretching from Latin America to Australia… the long way round. Acknowledging that he is an “insecure over-achiever”, Ramon talks about his privileged position where he is conscious of, and motivated by, his ability to touch people´s lives. Looking back at his own career, it took him time to recognise that it´s much more about the journey than about hitting the career milestones. He talks about the importance to take...