Exponential Leadership

Is the primary function of leaders is to produce more leaders? Ralph Nader thinks so, and you?

Bio

Executive experience with a track record in delivering growth mandates. Vivek’s focus has been on driving commercial best practice and customer intimacy in Internet, Technology & Telco/Cable businesses (geographies: Benelux, Germany, UK). Entrepreneurial experience in building a high performance product organization for a global online subscription business. 10+ years top-tier strategy consulting and private equity advisory experience across Western Europe and the US. 

Synopsis

He begins with talking about how leaders need to be objective, but still need to network. This leads him to talk about a leader’s responsibilities which he defines as Mastery, Autonomy, and Purpose. We also discuss the problems young people face, such as stagnation, but also how academic qualifications are not the only thing needed to succeed  in today's companies. We then spend some time discussing the type of relationships leaders have with those they lead and the role of criticism. We finish by considering if people are sleepwalking zombies and need a burning platform to wake them up.

Reflection

Vivek spoke about how there used to be a narrow definition of success within firms such as consultancy and banking. In more recent years there does seem to be the appearance of being more inclusive. We have had two crises in as many decades. The impact on our youth is widely felt. I am not sure that organizations are realising that the youth are changing in their expectations. What will our future workforce look like? What will they desire and what will they demand? Maybe the answer is staring us in the face, and it would be as big a change as Keynesian economics. Perhaps we will just need an existential crisis to embrace it.

More from Vivek

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/viveqc  

Do you believe, like Napoleon, that a leader is a dealer in hope?

Bio

Mark's goal is to empower agrifood founders to drive the transformation to a regenerative and sustainable future food system. He is Managing Partner of Rockstart’s €22m+ AgriFood Fund, offering early-stage startups access to capital, market, expertise and community through a customised program and follow-on investments. Mark is Scottish, based between Copenhagen and Amsterdam. He has a background in conventional/organic agriculture, law, early-stage venture and vertical farming, having established some of Europe’s first commercial vertical farms since 2010. Mark is a qualified Scottish lawyer and holds an Executive MBA from Rotterdam School of Management.

Synopsis

We talk about the importance of openness and the need to show vulnerability. We move on to talking about how too much guidance is a bad thing, as a culture needs to spring up at a company. We talk a lot about how employees are people, and the importance of empathy and listening. Personality profiling is something he does, and he reveals what he thinks is important. He mentions “The Myth of Or” and how not everything needs to be perfect. We end with more some personality recommendations, for having on how to have the best team.

" find co-founders for .... enough friction for sparks, but not enough for an explosion...." - Mark Durno

Reflection:
Two things stood out to me. He said that communication breakdowns are the most common reason for failure. He also says that Nurturing can be too much. Some things a startup needs to learn the hard way. People appreciate their own struggles and success more. Some skills we learn through practice, failure or trial and error. I think it shows how there’s got to be that spark between people at the beginning. Going into business with people you have a good relationship with, and finding that sweet spot again and again. It is hard work, but essential. Maintaining work relationships working from home may be more difficult, but it is crucial, especially in startups.

Links for Mark Durno
https://www.rockstart.com/agrifood/agrifood-2021/    
https://www.rockstart.com/blog/founders-faqs/  
https://twitter.com/MarkLDurno  
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-durno-b192b744/

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