In this episode of the Active Ingredients podcast, host Thomas Dove interviews Kenneth Lee, EVP and Head of Biopharma at Impact Global.

Kenneth shares his unconventional career journey across Eastern and Western business cultures, from his beginnings as an introverted researcher to becoming a commercial leader.

The conversation explores his formula for balancing precise metrics with genuine human connection, his experiences adapting leadership styles between Korea's intensive work culture and America's remote teams, and how taking calculated risks shaped his success.

Throughout the episode, Kenneth reveals practical approaches to leadership that combine structured systems with the freedom for teams to excel independently.

Key Takeaways

• Discover how genuine care transforms leadership effectiveness by dedicating meaningful time to team member. Kenneth follows a "70/30 rule" where 30% of his time is set aside for his team beyond task-focused interactions.

• Take away Kenneth's strategy for building credibility within your team by taking a challenging, high-impact project off their shoulders, demonstrating you're in the trenches with them.
• Understand how quantifiable, measurable metrics create freedom in remote and hybrid work environments, allowing team members to be rewarded for efficiency rather than hours worked.
• Explore the power of breaking down KPIs across the business cycle, measuring effort throughout the process rather than focusing solely on end financial results.

• Gain insight into the transformative impact of thinking in other people's shoes, a principle Kenneth applies to leadership, relationships, and business negotiations.

• Uncover how cultural transitions can catalyse personal growth. Kenneth shares his journey from being an introverted student in Korea to becoming an extroverted business leader after moving to the United States.

Snippets

• "Think in other people's shoes. If you do that, you will be successful as a leader, as a husband, as a friend, whether it be your career, your life, you will be liked and respected."
• "I had a personal motto at the time, challenge over stability, happiness over money. And that was when I was in my 20s, I set that motto and I completely followed that rule of my life."

• "It's not the work hour. It's about people's happiness, people's incentive, and a measurable and very well-defined KPI that drives people naturally."

Timestamps & Topics

• 00:00 - Introduction: Thomas introduces Kenneth Lee and his unique leadership journey
• 06:09 - Kenneth's three key ingredients of successful leadership
• 07:07 - Genuine care and the 70/30 rule for leadership attention
• 08:42 - Smart but "lazy" leadership: creating systems that run themselves
• 09:42 - Taking on tough projects to demonstrate capability and build trust
• 12:00 - Early life and transformation from introvert to extrovert
• 14:25 - Career transition: from researcher to business development leader
• 17:28 - Choosing passion over finances: cutting salary in half for opportunity
• 19:23 - First leadership role and early misconceptions about leadership
• 21:51 - The most important leadership principle: thinking in others' shoes
• 24:02 - Moving back to the US to lead commercial operations
• 28:15 - Contrast between Korean and US work cultures
• 34:04 - Kenneth's commercial leadership formula and comprehensive KPI approach
• 36:32 - Creating structure that provides freedom: Kenneth's meeting framework
• 44:04 - Reflections on risk-taking and career development

Resources

• Follow Kenneth Lee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scholarken/
• Follow Thomas Dove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/

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