Every year, 1 in 4 employees in the UAE leaves their employer because they hate their job – a shocking statistic, but unfortunately, it’s the cold hard truth. Jo Kearney brings over 18 years of Human Capital experience having worked for Fortune 500 companies such as Meta and Accenture, and I’m pleased to welcome her on the show. Jo is the Chief Learning Officer at Majid Al Futtaim, a UAE-based conglomerate that owns and operates malls, retail, and hotel establishments, employing over 48,000 people. Join the conversation as Jo peels back the layers of business transformation and reveals the blueprint for organisational success. In this episode, Jo shares her non-negotiable hiring question, top leadership tips, and effective strategies for managing team dynamics. If you want to understand what it takes to create a winning team culture, then this episode is one you can’t afford to miss. Discussion points: 3:31 About Jo 7:34 Jo’s opinion on the tertiary education system 10:47 The value of investing in your employees' personal development 12:42 The impact of “Sink or Swim” situations 15:15 What employers look for in an employee 16:02 Jo’s non-negotiable question when hiring 18:40 How to assess someone’s potential 20:14 ‘Skill Will Hill’ framework 21:15 No.1 reason why people leave companies 23:07 A great leader in Spencer’s life 32:30 How to create a sense of belonging at work 36:32 How Jo approaches working with people from different cultures 38:26 Jo’s proudest moments 41:19 Advice for leaders on how to make people realise their potential 44:41 How to regulate your mood so that it doesn’t affect your team 46:35 What Spencer’s daughter taught him about leadership 47:54 Why taking feedback is so important for leaders Show Sponsor: Megavrse: Dive into immersive environments in the Metaverse that redefine the future of retail, art, and work https://www.megavrse.xyz/#/ Socials: Spencer Lodge https://www.tiktok.com/@spencer.lodge https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlodge/ https://www.youtube.com/c/SpencerLodgeTV https://www.facebook.com/spencerlodgeofficial/ https://www.instagram.com/spencer.lodge/?hl=en Jo Kearney https://www.linkedin.com/in/jojofk/ https://www.instagram.com/jofkearney