In this episode of the Active Ingredients podcast, host Thomas Dove interviews Alexandre Montague, a purpose-driven CEO in the vision care space whose leadership philosophy centres on integrity, transparency, and empathy.

Alexandre's journey takes us from launching businesses in Japan with just "a desk and a phone" to leading global organisations with over 20,000 employees. His career path began with a teacher's comment about Japan that sparked a lifelong passion and shaped his entire trajectory.

With a mission focused on helping people see better and preventing childhood myopia, Alexandre shows how purpose drives business growth. He shares insights about building teams by empowering experts and then "being as lazy as possible" – stepping back to let them excel in ways he couldn't himself.

This episode reveals how serendipity and the courage to take chances have built Alexandre's career across continents. From eye care camps in Africa to strategies for the global myopia epidemic, his story demonstrates leadership that combines commercial success with meaningful social impact.

Key Takeaways

• Embrace Alexandre's three leadership essentials: integrity to build trust, transparency to create clarity, and empathy to connect with and support your team's needs.
• Discover how chance moments can reshape your path, as a single comment about Japan in school sparked a passion that defined Alexandre's entire career trajectory.
• Shift from "taking risks" to "taking chances" — a mindset focused on opportunities rather than downsides when making bold career moves.
• Use purpose as a business accelerator that drives team engagement while creating market differentiation and opportunities for growth.
• Practice "lazy leadership" by hiring experts, providing clear direction, then stepping back to let them excel in ways you never could yourself.
• Welcome "stupid questions" that challenge assumptions and reveal the blind spots that inevitably come with industry experience.
• Create boundaries between work and life, following Alexandre's example of strict disconnection from Friday evening to Monday morning.

Snippets

• "I like to use the word risk. I like to use taking chances. Chances come, they come with risks. But it's about taking chances. And no one is looking actively for risk. But people are looking for opportunities."
• "I think it's leaders who believed in me that drove my career. It's all about people."
• "The only thing that I know is that I don't know anything. And I think that's a very powerful statement. And I think we should all try to keep at the back of our mind."
• "When you have a mentor leader who is supportive, who helps you and says, go for it. We'll support you. Whatever happens."

Timestamps & Topics

• 00:17:50 - Intro: Overview of Alexandre Montague and his leadership philosophy
• 00:19:49 - The Three Key Ingredients: Integrity, transparency, and empathy
• 00:21:57 - Early Life: Education and the teacher who sparked interest in Japan
• 00:30:47 - First Steps into Life Sciences: A serendipitous career beginning
• 00:40:50 - Leadership Development: Influential mentors and taking chances
• 00:54:54 - Purpose-Driven Leadership: Using vision care to impact communities
• 01:00:26 - The "Lazy" Leadership Style: Empowering experts and stepping back
• 01:10:39 - Future of Leadership: The importance of empathy and transparency
• 01:18:49 - Work-Life Balance: The importance of disconnecting and "wine time"

Resources

• The Blue Line Imperative by Kevin Kaiser - Book mentioned by Alexandre about building trust in organisations
• Follow Alexandre Montague on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/medtechchiefexecutiveofficer/
• Follow Thomas Dove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/

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