The World Class Leaders Show: The CEO leadership podcast for leaders who solve big problems and build better futures.

The World Class Leaders Show: The CEO leadership podcast for leaders who solve big problems and build better futures.

By Andrea PetroneBusinessManagement
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The World Class Leaders Show: The CEO leadership podcast for leaders who solve big problems and build better futures. episodes

  • 102: 8 personal lessons about change that can shift your mindset

    Andrea has spent much of his life working away from home as a leader, a decision he does not regret and in this episode he reveals how transformative it was for both his career and himself as an individual. Andrea shares his personal experiences of living away from home and talks about the mindset and methods that he discovered through living this more nomadic lifestyle.

    Living abroad has been a gift to him, but the lessons are very useful for anyone who is managing a change or a transition in his/her career.

    Changing the place to work sometimes is as hard as changing the place to work.

    In this episode, he explores the impact of culture on work life and performance and gives advice on how we can adapt better in a country and a culture that is different to our own.  


    Eight Tips to Working Internationally

    1. Spend time learning about the country and the differences in culture, particularly in a work environment.
  • Don’t take things for granted, ask for clarification on anything you are unsure on.
  • Invest in your communication skills: It’s not simply about language but tone and body language too.
  • Fitting in is an expectation from others.
  • Adapt but stay true to your values.
  • Don’t recreate your own country in your new ‘home’ make sure you build relationships and habits that are different to your home.
  • Never forget your origins; your past, your friends, your country
  • Be prepared to feel lonely.

    • BEST MOMENTS


    “I spent 50% of my life living away from home”

    “There is no book or guideline to fitting into another culture”

    “It's better that you ask twice, not just assume”

    “What are you willing to sacrifice to have an experience that is transformational?”

    VALUABLE RESOURCES

    Like the show? Please leave or write a review on your favorite podcast platform!

    Let Andrea know your thoughts or share your comments via LinkedIn or via email

    For more information on Andrea’s work and access to other valuable resources, please visit the website  

     If you don’t want to miss any episode and receive the full article in your inbox, subscribe today to our blog

    Need more? Book a 30 min call here: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30.

    ABOUT THE HOST

    My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.

    16 min
  • 101: Turning Around Businesses with Cristina Scocchia, CEO of illycaffe’

    Incredibly, female CEOs are still rare, so listen to this inspiring chat between Andrea and the illustrious CEO Cristina Scocchia. Hear how Cristina went from humble beginnings to leading major international companies through pivotal turnarounds including Proctor & Gamble, L'Oréal, Kiko Milano and now illycaffè. Cristina shares her unique leadership style, thoughts on diversity, and insights into achieving work-life balance as a mother and top executive. You’ll be motivated by Cristina’s passion for business ethics and commitment to building sustainable, purpose-driven brands.  


    KEY TAKEAWAYS

    • Leadership means taking responsibility and caring for your people first. True leaders make tough decisions rationally, even under pressure, and communicate empathetically.  
  • To grow a brand, win consumers' minds with functional benefits and their hearts with emotional benefits. Tell an authentic brand story that resonates.
  • Seeking continuous improvement is positive. Complacency and status quo thinking limit growth. Challenge yourself and your team to get better daily.
  • Meritocracy is key. Judge people based on talent and potential, not gender or background. Give everyone equal opportunities to prove their abilities.

    • BEST MOMENTS


    "Leadership doesn't mean power. Leadership means responsibility. You need to care about your people first, and then you need to care about everything else after."

    "If you want to grow, you need to win consumers' minds and hearts. You need to talk to their minds with functional benefits and their hearts with emotional benefits."

    "I always see the glass half empty. I want to improve, but I don't enjoy what I achieve. If I could advise my 20-year-old self, I'd say ‘Appreciate and celebrate every success'".

    "Meritocracy is key. We need to evaluate people and give opportunities based on skills and talents, regardless of gender, background, or other factors."

    VALUABLE RESOURCES

    Like the show? Please leave or write a review on your favorite podcast platform!

    Let Andrea know your thoughts or share your comments via LinkedIn or via email

    For more information on Andrea’s work and access to other valuable resources, please visit the website  

     If you don’t want to miss any episode and receive the full article in your inbox, subscribe today to our blog

    Need more? Book a 30 min call here: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30.

    ABOUT THE GUEST 

    After graduating with full marks in Management of International Firms at Luigi Bocconi University, Cristina Scocchia completed a PhD in Business Administration at the University of Torino. 

    She started her career at Procter&Gamble, where since 1997 she held positions of increasing responsibility working on mature and emerging markets until she was appointed in 2012 as Cosmetics International Operations Division leader, with the responsibility of supervising the brands in her portfolio in over 70 countries throughout the world. 

    From 2014 to 2017, she served as Chief Executive Officer of L’Oréal Italia and she led the return to growth of the company in a challenging economic environment. 

    From July 2017 to December 2021, she acted as Chief Executive Officer of KIKO, a leading make up company that she has led to a successful turnaround thanks to a business plan based on product innovation, digital transformation and geographical expansion in Asia and the Middle East.

    Since January 2022 she is Chief Executive Officer of illycaffè. 

    Speaker and lecturer in many national and international conventions and conferences related to enterprise development, leadership, diversity and sustainability, Dr. Scocchia is also a member of the Board of Directors of EssilorLuxottica and Fincantieri of which she is also Chairman of the Nomination Committee.

    In June 2019 she was awarded the Legion d'Honneur. In 2022, Forbes and Fortune included her in the prestigious ranking of the most influential female leaders.

    ABOUT THE HOST

    My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.

    48 min
  • 100: What I Learned About Commitment After Recording 100 Episodes

    It’s the 100th episode of The World Class Leaders show! Join Andrea in this big achievement as he shares the 5 key things he has learned over the past two years of creating the podcast.

    If you like the show, please subscribe and leave a review, it makes all the difference!

    KEY TAKEAWAYS

    1. Keep your eye on the prize, think about the bigger picture and why you are doing what you’re doing
  • Commitment is proof of integrity. Think about what stops you from being committed.
  • Everything is about give and take. Andrea gives his knowledge and that of his guests for free and if people then see value they will get in touch.
  • Good is good enough. If you chase perfection too much it will lead to procrastination and prevent you from doing things.
  • Think about your support system. Who are the right group of people who can really make a difference to help you achieve your goals?

    • BEST BITS

    “Sometimes we feel that we’re working but that we aren’t any more connected to the big purpose”

    “When you record a podcast there are days you don’t want to do it”

    “I don’t push anything here, I prefer giving”

    “I’m not looking for something perfect I’m looking for something good, to shaking and shifting mindsets”

    "Givers always win"

    VALUABLE RESOURCES

    Like the show? Please leave or write a review on your favorite podcast platform!

    Let Andrea know your thoughts or share your comments via LinkedIn or via email

    For more information on Andrea’s work and access to other valuable resources, please visit the website  

     If you don’t want to miss any episode and receive the full article in your inbox, subscribe today to our blog

    Need more? Book a 30 min call here: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30.

    ABOUT THE HOST

    My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.

    22 min
  • 099: Building a Legacy with Adnan Al Noorani, Founder and Advisor to Royal Families in UAE

    Adnan Al Noorani is a serial entrepreneur, philanthropist and advisor to families in the UAE. He is highly recognised for his humanitarian work and has over 20 years of experience working with families on everything from law to finance. He joins Andrea to talk about his leadership vision for the future, why everything we do is teaching the next generation of leaders and discusses the mindset and lessons that have got him to where he is today.

    KEY TAKEAWAYS

    • Adnan has a large following on Linkedin, inspiring others daily with his posts and content.
  • Adnan believes in having to work yourself for anything you want in life, this was taught to him by his father.
  • When running events, it’s essential to provide value to the audience and attendees, you need to serve them quality not quantity. This is why Adnan created the Future Innovation Summit event.
  • Risk is part of being a businessman, you have to face challenges head-on.
  • Having a can-do positive mindset, where you tell yourself what you will do each day and what you will achieve is one of the pillars of success as a leader.
  • Adnan’s only regret as a leader is not being able to do more for humanity, he is restricted only by money.

    • BEST BITS

    “A true leader always listens to his people”

    “In life, if you’re not risky you’re not a businessman, no risk no story”

    “In this life nothing is impossible, everything is possible”

    “I’m proud of what I did but my only regret is I want to do more for society”

    VALUABLE RESOURCES

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/adnan-al-noorani-428833133

    http://www.dfisx.com/

    Adnan’s Book Recommendations:

    Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Flashes of Thought Lessons in Life and Leadership

    The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

    The Art of War

    Like the show? Please leave or write a review on your favorite podcast platform!

    Let Andrea know your thoughts or share your comments via LinkedIn or via email

    For more information on Andrea’s work and access to other valuable resources, please visit the website  

     If you don’t want to miss any episode and receive the full article in your inbox, subscribe today to our blog

    Need more? Book a 30 min call here: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30.

    ABOUT THE GUEST

    Adnan Al Noorani

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/adnan-al-noorani-428833133

    http://www.dfisx.com/

    ABOUT THE HOST

    My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.

    36 min
  • 098: 10 Phrases that People Say that Demonstrate Lack of Ownership

    Many teams across organisations lack a sense of ownership of results, they may all be doing their own pieces of the puzzle but no one is taking ownership of the entire result. What people say tells you a lot about how they see the current reality and in this episode, Andrea outlines 10 phrases that demonstrate you may have an issue with a lack of ownership in your organisation.

    KEY TAKEAWAYS

    1. It’s not my problem, it’s up to someone else to take care of it
  • Why should I contribute when others aren’t doing their part
  • I don’t see how my actions affect the results
  • It’s not my responsibility to make things happen, ask someone else
  • Leave me alone
  • I can’t be expected to take ownership of something that’s not directly related to my role
  • I didn’t have a say in the decision-making process so I don’t feel responsible for the outcome
  • It’s not my team
  • I’m just following instructions
  • Why should I put in extra effort when other people aren’t pulling their weight?

    • BEST BITS

    “Ownership is really responsibility at another level”

    “That is a sign of lack of ownership as people feel they are not part of the solution”

    “Language is a good demonstration of perception of ownership”

    “Ownership is helping each other get things done”

    VALUABLE RESOURCES

    Like the show? Please leave or write a review on your favorite podcast platform!

    Let Andrea know your thoughts or share your comments via LinkedIn or via email

    For more information on Andrea’s work and access to other valuable resources, please visit the website  

     If you don’t want to miss any episode and receive the full article in your inbox, subscribe today to our blog

    Need more? Book a 30 min call here: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30.

    ABOUT THE HOST

    My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.

    8 min
  • 097: Why hierarchy interferes with growth with Talal Shamoon, CEO of Intertrust

    Andrea is joined by Intertrust CEO Talal Shamoon. Talal talks about adaptability in business, why the absence of strict hierarchy can be an advantage and why your team and the tools you give them are one of the greatest assets for any CEO. Talal is an entrepreneur by nature and talks about how this has aided his success and gives his thoughts on different CEO archetypes including detailed feedback on Elon Musks' leadership style.

    KEY TAKEAWAYS

    • Intertrust has transformed what they see to be one of the biggest modern business problems, allowing competitors to cooperate without having to collaborate.
  • Silicon Valley is not so much about the company or the idea it’s about the team that works together. Frequently, people who have complementary skills work together and move from company to company.
  • Intertrust has remained a very agile company despite its size and age, it’s always adapted to fit the needs of consumers and to take opportunities.
  • Talal has set up the company structure to have less hierarchy, if someone knows more than him, he listens to them.
  • Intertrust pays attention to its size, if they get too big they assess and have sold parts in the past. They find that once they get past the 150-employee mark they meet different challenges.
  • Life isn’t easier as a CEO if you treat others with respect and run an ethical business.
  • Elon Musk is often criticised, but he leads from the front and has the ability to help anyone get their job done when they’re struggling.
  • Hiring very specialised people and matching your team effectively to the problem you want to solve, means you can solve problems that others may feel are impossible.
  • As a leader, you need to give your team the right tools so they can succeed.
  • Talal never makes decisions by himself, he has a group of people that he trusts to help him work through them.

    • BEST BITS

    “This company is very rare, it’s been evergreen it’s entire life”

    “There’s no real hierarchy we organise around problems that need to be solved”

    “To create shareholder value I have to ensure the team remains the best team in the world”

    “You team around tasks and problems you don’t create a hierarchy”

    “Companies like Motorola and Nokia had to die for companies like Apple and Samsung to be born”

    “It’s teams and tools”

    “I never make decisions by myself… I don’t hold the truth, I don’t own the truth, no one owns the truth”

    “Ultimately the best way to learn is from other people”

    VALUABLE RESOURCES

    Like the show? Please leave or write a review on your favorite podcast platform!

    Let Andrea know your thoughts or share your comments via LinkedIn or via email

    For more information on Andrea’s work and access to other valuable resources, please visit the website  

     If you don’t want to miss any episode and receive the full article in your inbox, subscribe today to our blog

    Need more? Book a 30 min call here: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30.

    ABOUT THE GUEST

    Talal Shamoon became Intertrust’s CEO in 2003. 

    Under his leadership, Intertrust has grown from a small R&D and licensing company to a global leader in trusted computing products and services, licensing, and standardization. 

    Today, Intertrust’s inventions enable billions of licensed products worldwide and its products are globally deployed. 

    He joined Intertrust in 1997 as a member of the research staff, and then held a series of executive positions, including Executive Vice President for Business Development and Marketing. 

    An electrical engineer and computer scientist by training, Talal was a researcher at the NEC Research Institute in Princeton, NJ, where he focused on digital signal processing and content security. 

    He sits on several company boards – he is a member of the board of directors at Intertrust and on the advisory board of Iron Pillar.  

    A recognized inventor, published author, and frequent public speaker,with a Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from Cornell University.

    ABOUT THE HOST

    My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.

    53 min
  • 096: What NOT to Do as a Leader

    Andrea offers a different perspective about spending time with a bad boss in this episode, particularly focusing on how he discovered what kind of leader he wanted to be from being badly managed in the past. Andrea outlines the things he learnt not to do from his experience with these poor leaders, including why to always show clarity, to always embrace accountability and growth and talks about why leadership is never just a title but the impact we have upon others.

    KEY TAKEAWAYS

    • Early in his career, Andrea had many bad bosses!
  • You can approach having bad bosses in two ways, negatively or proactively, recognising what you learnt from them.
  • Communication, demotivation and misguided decision-making were common themes across Andrea’s past bad bosses.
  • Andrea realised, that having these bad bosses could present an opportunity for him, to learn what to do differently and pave the way for his own leadership style.
  • Clarity is one of the main things Andrea learnt from his bad bosses, showing the importance of clear expectations and direction, and eliminating ambiguity and confusion.
  • Learn to nurture an environment where people feel valued and where you can show empathy.
  • Foster a culture of accountability, and avoid anything that would create a blame culture.
  • Bad bosses are the epitome of stagnation, they avoided change and didn’t embrace innovation or have a growth mindset
  • Don’t just be another leader, who reflects and mimics the traits they have had from bad bosses in the past, challenge them and focus on the impact you can have as a leader.

    • BEST BITS

    “They were really masters in demotivation, communication blunders”

    “It felt like every day was one long episode of what not to do as a leader”

    “If you know who is the person you want to be or become, is already part of the solution”

    “Bad bosses showcased the importance of clear expectation and directions”

    “Don’t just be another leader”

    VALUABLE RESOURCES

    Like the show? Please leave or write a review on your favorite podcast platform!

    Let Andrea know your thoughts or share your comments via LinkedIn or via email

    For more information on Andrea’s work and access to other valuable resources, please visit the website  

     If you don’t want to miss any episode and receive the full article in your inbox, subscribe today to our blog

    Need more? Book a 30 min call here: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30.

    ABOUT THE HOST

    My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.

     

    10 min
  • 095: Being a Successful CEO as Both Male and Female with Caroline Farberger

    Do you accept diversity or do you celebrate it? In this episode, Andrea is joined by Caroline, who shares her experiences as a CEO before and after her gender transition. Caroline talks about the many differences in leading a company as a man first and then as a woman, how her authenticity helps her build trust and connection with female colleagues as well as why inclusive leadership and driving gender diversity and inclusion in companies can only help them thrive. Caroline also shares some practical tips on how to embrace diversity in your team and the biggest thing they learnt during their time as a CEO and leader.

    KEY TAKEAWAYS

    • Caroline has been a CEO as a man and as a woman and can see from their own experiences the many key differences including how others respond to you on a daily basis.
  • When living as a male CEO, Caroline genuinely thought they knew a lot about gender diversity, but it only took a few months after becoming a female CEO to realise how much they didn’t know and how difficult it was being in business as a woman.
  • Being a female CEO, meant that women trusted Caroline more and were more open about their specific challenges.
  • Men often feel under pressure to feel and be seen as strong, they don’t show vulnerability. This means they often miss authenticity and others will not show vulnerability to them either, excluding true transparency within a team.
  • Inclusive leadership allows every single person to be themselves and bring their whole selves to work. This is a big advantage to any business.
  • As a leader, you want to facilitate discussions, so everything is balanced. You need to make everyone feel at ease so that they can be authentic and speak with truth.
  • It’s not enough to simply accept diversity, you have to celebrate it.
  • Caroline recognises that when they were living as a man, being a CEO was very closely associated with their ego, it was something they measured their success by. Now they are living as a woman they have managed to live more aligned with their values.
  •  Do not see diversity and inclusion as an HR issue that you do not need to look after and evaluate yourself. It’s integrated within a culture and can make your organisation and you as a leader more successful.
  • The world is changing faster than ever before, you have to continue to learn and educate yourself about the things you do not know to remain relevant and not become obsolete. It is your responsibility and you will be a better leader for it.
  • The biggest asset in any organisation is the people, their ambition, commitment and energy of those people and it’s a leader’s job to maximise this potential.

    • BEST BITS

    “When I lived as a man I didn’t have the complete picture of what was going around me, I have a filtered one”

    “If you always predict strength and never any weaknesses, you do not invite to have really authentic discussions”

    “I realised I had a rather excluding management style I was told by women after my transition, I was told I have a very dominating management style”

    “The world is moving faster than ever before and life is a continuous learning journey”

    “If you are not part of the solution of creating more including culture you may subconsciously be part of the problem”

    VALUABLE RESOURCES

    Like the show? Please leave or write a review on your favorite podcast platform!

    Let Andrea know your thoughts or share your comments via LinkedIn or via email

    For more information on Andrea’s work and access to other valuable resources, please visit the website  

     If you don’t want to miss any episode and receive the full article in your inbox, subscribe today to our blog

    Need more? Book a 30 min call here: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30.

    ABOUT THE GUEST

    Caroline Farberger

    • Experienced CEO and entrepreneur
  • Board professional
  • Tech investor
  • Public speaker
  • Author

    • Caroline is a professional chairperson and board member, Tech Investor, experienced CEO, keynote speaker and author. Up until 2022, she was CEO of the Swedish insurer ICA Insurance, having spent a total of 25 years in the financial industry on several senior management positions. In addition to her line management experience, Caroline has also been a dot-com entrepreneur and consultant with McKinsey.

    Caroline is the first senior business leader in the Nordics to speak openly about her gender transition, having formerly lived as Carl Farberger. Consequently, Caroline has become an advocate and ambassador for diversity and inclusive leadership.

    ABOUT THE HOST

    My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.

    42 min
  • 094: Four evidence-based reasons why CEOs don’t invest in self development

    Are you investing in yourself? What is your relationship with personal development as a CEO or leader?

    95% of CEOs don’t invest in themselves but why is this the case? In this episode, Andrea explores the reasons so many CEOs don’t prioritise their personal development and the reasons why this needs to change, especially if they want to be an effective leader and grow a successful business.

    KEY TAKEAWAYS

    • The top CEO’s spend 25k on personal development whilst many other CEOs do not, could this be the secret to their success?
  • Many CEOs can suffer from what Andrea calls an overconfidence bias, meaning they don’t perceive that they have a reason to, or need to prioritise personal development
  • Successful CEOS generally attribute success to their own personal skills and abilities so once they have had success, they don’t see the need to progress themselves and work on themselves further
  • A fixed mindset means that a CEO may feel like they can’t alter or change who they are and their skillset
  • Time allocation bias can cause a CEO to not prioritise their own personal development as they are too busy and focused on other tasks within the business
  • CEOs who invest in their personal development see a significant boost in their companies performance
  • Lack of investment into personal development and growth leads to stagnation in the individual and the company as well as eventually failure

    • BEST BITS

    “Fortune 500 CEOS on average spend 25k per year on personal development”

    “Past success tends to boost ego too if you aren’t allowing yourself to be balanced”

    “This mindset can lead to a belief that investing time and resource in personal development isn’t necessary”

    “CEOs saw a 5% increase in profitability within two years of partaking in personal development programmes”

    VALUABLE RESOURCES

    Like the show? Please leave or write a review on your favorite podcast platform!

    Let Andrea know your thoughts or share your comments via LinkedIn or via email

    For more information on Andrea’s work and access to other valuable resources, please visit the website  

     If you don’t want to miss any episode and receive the full article in your inbox, subscribe today to our blog

    Need more? Book a 30 min call here: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30.

    ABOUT THE HOST

    My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.

     

     

     

    10 min
  • 093: Why Culture Should Be at the Top of Any Leader’s Agenda with Michael Hansen, CEO of Hempel

    “Leaders create leaders by passing on responsibility, creating ownership, accountability and trust”

    James Kerr - Legacy: What The All Blacks Can Teach Us about the Business of Life

    In this episode, Andrea is joined by Michael Hansen, the CEO of Hempel based in Denmark. Michael talks about the role of sustainability in the future success of companies, his approach to people and the human element in being a CEO and also about the unique challenges leaders face in the workplace today including retaining talent. Michael and Andrea also talk in-depth about how important culture is to a company and what you can do as a CEO to influence it.

    KEY TAKEAWAYS

    • It usually takes around 6 months for a CEO to learn the basics about a new organization, up to this point they are mostly learning and not making any big rash decisions.
  • Hempel wants to ensure they are a leading industry enterprise and having this goal acts as a ‘lighthouse’ in difficult and more challenging times.
  • Sustainability and how companies can contribute to their industries and their clients will determine the future success of many companies.
  • People, financial robustness, customer-perceived uniqueness and giving back to society are the 4 pillars Michael believes you need for a successful company.
  • Michael is passionate about understanding the realities of colleagues across the world and the differences in leadership style and other attributes to unleash the power to generate the best results.
  • Michael has actively engaged himself to find out why there are so many challenges for women in his organization and what he can do to directly influence this.
  • Asking questions and speaking to people directly, allows a CEO to get a true insight into the company culture, struggles and more.
  • Hempel gives back to society in various ways including via their solutions and products and also by giving and supporting schools and by protecting biodiversity too.
  • Attracting and retaining the best people is one of today’s most difficult tasks. The talented colleagues of today are always looking for the best opportunities for them and they have more options than ever. You have to work on building an environment where they thrive or they will leave.
  • One formula doesn’t work for all employees but if you can instill the right leadership culture and environment, you can help retain good talent.
  • A CEO has a huge impact on a company culture and this can be both negative and positive. A CEO can engage with many more employees by creating the right culture for them than they can by trying to talk to and lead every single one individually.
  • Stay curious, always be open to learning from others, regardless of who they are.9

    • BEST BITS

    “That was a deliberate choice in that we needed to continue to grow at an accelerated pace but in an intelligent way”

    “We want to make sure we are among the leading 5 companies, that guide some choices”

    “We should listen to our leaders, but we should also listen ourselves, closer to the frontline”

    “It’s a very mobile workforce we have today, it’s a very ambitious workforce”

    “Culture can drive performance, but it can also drive engagement in employees”

    VALUABLE RESOURCES

    Michael’s Book Recommendations:

    Legacy: What the All Blacks Can Teach Us about the Business of Life

    The Founder's Mentality: How to Overcome the Predictable Crises of Growth

    Like the show? Please leave or write a review on your favorite podcast platform!

    Let Andrea know your thoughts or share your comments via LinkedIn or via email

    For more information on Andrea’s work and access to other valuable resources, please visit the website  

     If you don’t want to miss any episodes and receive the full article in your inbox, subscribe today to our blog

    Need more? Book a 30 min call here: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30.

    ABOUT THE GUEST

    Michael Hansen

    linkedin.com/in/michaelhansen75

    Michael Hansen joined Hempel in May 2017 as Chief Commercial Officer and has delivered remarkable results as a central driver of the global transformation in Hempel. Prior to taking on the role as Group President and Chief Executive Officer of Hempel A/S, Michael was part of the Executive Group Management as Executive Vice President, Energy & Infrastructure.

    Michael Hansen holds a degree from Copenhagen Business School, as well as an Executive MBA from IE Business School in Madrid, Spain. Prior to joining Hempel, Michael Hansen worked 19 years for Maersk, where he held the position, among others, of Vice President, Global Head of Sales & Marketing in Maersk Line.

    ABOUT THE HOST

    My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.

     

     

     

    45 min

About The World Class Leaders Show: The CEO leadership podcast for leaders who solve big problems and build better futures.

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