Being available, honest and not afraid to tackle the tough discussions are key leadership principles that ensure Tommy Olofsen, Chief Marine Services Officer at global ship management company OSM Thome, can keep people his top priority.

“Success for me is that our seafarers who join ships, they come back home safe.”

In the second part of our Leadership Unlocked podcast series, Tommy speaks to Professor Bernd Vogel, Director of the Henley Centre for Leadership, about the challenges of making the right decisions in an organisation where safety is the first priority and driving profitability and reducing costs come second.

Tommy talks about the importance of learning how to lead yourself before you can lead others and that there is no ‘fast track’ to success. He also discusses why being task focussed is not his style and that he leaves the ‘how’ for his team to decide.

“I can make people be their best I think, by giving them the best conditions to do that, and that's what I try to do. I don't tell people how to do their job. I tell people what they're responsible for achieving, and then I engage with them in finding the best way and solving the problems within that framework.”

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