This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.

I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other’s stories – of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing.

In the interview, Christian and I spoke about our common love for technology and leadership, about computers and people, and about artificial and human intelligence. We talk about the importance of listening with empathy, understanding the cultural assumptions that lie behind all conversations, and the important role of curiosity when it comes to leadership.

You can find Christian at the below links

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/guttmann/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Guttmann

In the interview, we talk about

• I think I realized early on my big ambition of seeing big AI projects turning into something requires you to work very closely together with lots and lots of other experts with great people. All sorts of qualities that they can bring to the table. And of course, each of these individuals have different backgrounds, different ambitions, different ways of communicating a different view on the world.
• If you understand where people come from, if you can connect to those individuals. That’s a different quality that you need to bring in as a leader. 
• Regardless of how big the company is, your responsibility at the end of the day is to really make sure you’re viable as a business.
• If you’re lucky, you also understand the assumptions, the underlying life assumptions of the other individual that you see that still today, clearly in the bigger setup where culture in which individuals or operating, plays a big role in how people make decisions and how they be
• It’s a good level of curiosity. I’m genuinely curious about another person, how they think what’s the background, what’s the interest, what’s the ambition. How do they want to change the world? What do they see as being responsible for which role. In this big theater we call life, do they consider it being their role, right?
• If you manage to have followers,  it is important to have empathy, to put yourself into the shoes of those that you want to inspire, that you want to help and want to lead and want to manage and want to give a perspective. 
• Focus on the purpose, focus on the meaning of doing this type of work. It’s answering that question. “Why am I here?” 
• The expectation for me is not only to know the latest algorithm but to actually also understand how do I attract the people that know the latest algorithm, how do I keep them all happy and meaningful?

   

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.

I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other’s stories – of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing.

In the interview, Nina shares how losing her mother inspired her to start Pink Week. She opens up and talks about how bad things hurt her heart, and how knowing that has shaped her career. She also talks about the importance of working in a company where you feel comfortable expressing your voice, which I think is one of the main tasks of any leader in any organisation.

You can find Nina at the below links

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/nina-rauch/

In the interview, we talk about

• I was really inspired by my mother. She passed away when I was young. Gosh, she had breast cancer for around three years.
• It was really important to me to just say, why don’t we just bring that awareness level a few years earlier? Why do we have to wait until we reach an age where we are vulnerable to breast cancer? And why can’t we like look at a preventative away?
• I really hate seeing bad things happen. It really hurts my heart. And I think that’s very much why it ended up in the nonprofit sector, because I just feel like a real connection with giving back and facilitating other people.
• I think for-profits are the organizations that need to pave the way for a new kind of giving, engaging a completely new consumer set,  and a target audience that could be interested in giving back and perhaps becoming more dedicated to these nonprofits as they.
• I think all corporations should be B Corps, because I think it’s really the best way to do business nowadays. 
• I think that if you have a job that you’re passionate about and that you’re focused on, it really helps to calm the nubs and decrease some of that intense pressure because you’re going in the right direction.
• I think when you come to a leadership role at a young age, then everybody struggles with this kind of imposter syndrome. And that’s something that I definitely feel. 
• I think, so many people appear confident, there’s really always something going on behind closed doors. So I think everyone should be more open about how they’re really feeling. And then live in a much more transparent environment.

   

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.

I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other’s stories – of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing.

In the interview, Jason shares how playing and coaching team sports like Rugby has shaped his leadership. He talks about how as a leader, you do not have to be the most clever person in the room with all the answers, and how he sees listening to different perspectives as a superpower. He told me his leadership is not about him, but about his teams. And I found that very powerful.

You can find Jason at the below links

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasrees/
• https://twitter.com/jrees006

In the interview, we talk about

• I would say a lot of reasons I’ve shaped by that is I’ve played team sports. Like rugby is the sort of sport I played the most. 
• The feedback is not “you’ve done this wrong.” It’s much more. “What did you observe? What went well, what didn’t go well”
• “I try to actually put the time in my diary to take a step back. There’s a danger that we are operational all the time,  we’re hitting our KPIs, our targets, whatever we measure our business by and what that means is, and again, especially in the current work. People get burnt out. I think people get burnt out by just getting the tasks done.”
• Everyone wants to feel relevant. Everyone wants to feel, they understand why a big company or a small company quite frankly, is going in the direction is doing going. 
• You don’t have to be the cleverest person in the room. What you need to do is make sure that you have people with diverse backgrounds, diverse experiences who are all able to look at problems in different ways. And sometimes the problem can be solved in a totally different way. And I think that’s that for me is the superpower. 
• I don’t care where people come from. I think it’s just better that we’ve got diverse ideas. 
• Leaders need to tap into what that person’s passion is, and if we can get it aligned to our company goals the corporate goals, then you create high performing team.
• I think it’s not about the quantity of communication. It’s about the quality of communication. And then listening basically plays a huge part. 
• Don’t be held back by the fear of failure, just be excited by what you can do.

   

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.

I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other’s stories – of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing.

What stood out during our interview with Bojana was how she dedicates time for her “Walk and talk”, which is, in her own words, “a gift of her presence that she voluntarily gives others”. She has done over 400 of these in the last few years, where she would walk and talk in the woods or in a park in Amsterdam with the other person.

You can find Bojana at the below links

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/bojanaduovskidjuricic/
• http://www.conciergeamsterdam.nl/

In the interview, we talk about

• I have an 11-year-old daughter and I’m actually aiming to be the example I have never had to her. That’s my biggest goal in life.”
• “I always question the status quo, because I love to explore boundaries and where possible to colour outside the lines. If a framework is there, I always go to the edges.”
• “I invest in others, because I missed that in life, I really think paying forward is the way to go. To give people something more as a human being and as a leader. “
• “I learned over time to see the power of asking for help. I was very much aware that people in my teams are smarter and better at certain things. I am there to guide them towards an end goal and the full potential of themselves.”
• “I don’t need a lot of influence from outside to feel okay with myself. “
• “Whatever you say or whatever you do, people are listening through the filter of their own needs. They always reflect with their own framework, so actually, they are not listening to you and as a leader it’s also important to take responsibility for the interpretation people make”.
• “With the war in my home-country it was my goal to earn money and there was no room for self-reflection in that period, so it didn’t matter which route I would take to get to my goal. From the very lowest position in advertising, I grew to managing director within 10 years. And actually when I reached this position, I was thinking: ‘What am I doing here?’”

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.

I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other’s stories – of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing.

Yarrow opened up about his childhood and shares how he was bullied at school where he was the only white boy. He speaks about how this experience allowed him to build empathy later on and understand his own privilege as a white man. He shared how this led him to start an organisation looking to find the superhero in every person, and how it continues to shape his leadership.

You can find Yarrow at the below links

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/yarrowkraner/
• https://twitter.com/yarrowkraner
• http://www.yarrowkraner.com/

In the interview, we talk about

• “I grew up in Montana in the U S which is a very small population in the middle of nowhere. Big skies, vast horizons. I think it sort of inspired me to dream”
• “I got beat up every, every other day, anytime that they could catch me before I could get home. And so I started growing this chip on my shoulder. “
• “And to take the moment or to really sort of sit and ask the question of why this person is feeling like that in that moment, you know, I just recognize like, It’s not really me, that they’re angry at the sort of, you know, I’m a stand-in for a lot of injustices that have occurred and, you know, moving, moving kind of through life.”
• “We’re bringing a hundred or so right people together that can lead to collaborations that could impact the lives of a hundred million. But those are sort of seeds. The seeds that are planted.”
• “How do we say the world? It’s like, we have to start with ourselves inside.  We can be as great of service to the rest of the world without truly knowing ourselves and working on ourselves and in our work.”
• “I have to sit with things for a while. The lessons that I’ve learned in the last couple of years is to be patient and I’m not a very patient person.”

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.

I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other’s stories – of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing.

What I found fascinating in Stuart’s story is how he reflects on his childhood and credits his mother for everything he has done and achieved. He shares a simple story of his mother teaching him to color outside the lines, and how that lesson to be brave and think outside of the box, stayed with him in all his endeavours.

You can find Stuart at the below links

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuart-m-williams/
• https://twitter.com/PeoplePlanetPft
• https://www.inplaceimpact.com/

In the interview, we talk about

• “You absolutely have to have a passion in your heart for what you’re doing”
• “Ever since I was a young child, my mother taught me to color outside the lines, do not cover inside the lines, because then you’re part of the establishment color, outside the lines, be brave, they’ll create something, you know, literally, you know, create the future. You’d like to see. And, and so. I I’ve never had to think outside the box because I was never put in a box in the first place.”
• “Have the courage of your convictions, but you better be prepared to actually do the work right now.”

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.

I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other’s stories – of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing.

Vicky shares how it was rattling for her to be laid off from a job where she had worked for 10 years. What surprised me was that, on top of that, she decided to switch her industry and city when that happened. She packed her bags and move from Florida to New York City to find work in a totally new industry. In the episode, she shares what gave her the courage to make such a massive shift.

You can find Vicky at the below links

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/vickykennedy/
• https://twitter.com/VickyKennedyNYC
• https://www.intellum.com/blog/customer-education-needs-more-introducing-the-intellum-framework
• https://linktr.ee/Vickykennedy

In the interview, we talk about

• how getting laid off was quite shocking and a bit rattling for her because she had worked there for 10 years
• how she took this opportunity to basically reset her whole professional life move to New York city with nothing other than what fit in her car and three pets
• “I had people to sort of lean on and ask for direction or guidance, suggestions on how to navigate different things”
• “I also really did learn to be my own advocate and take those risks.
• “Sometimes we can feel stuck in a story, we can feel stuck in a path. But there’s a lot of opportunities out there. 
• “If someone who is listening has a desire to shake it up, try something new, do not worry about perception or what you are supposed to do, or what is the next logical step, but to consider taking calculated risks and to be your own advocate with that.”

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.

I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other’s stories – of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing.

Kate opens up about growing up in a very isolated town with a population of only 432, and how that created a hunger to go out and experience the world. She talks about studying in Italy and later Ireland and then working in South Africa and Dubai on international aid programs. She talks about how leaving her country taught her the value of empathy and seeing the different ways people do things in different places.

You can find Kate at the below links

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-sharum/

In the interview, we talk about

• the experience that helped her realize that there were a lot of exciting things going on outside of the US and she wanted to be part of it.
• “I would argue that companies that have a responsible orientation and strong ESG standards and sort of an impact orientation into their DNA from the beginning are companies who are going to do better financially as well.”
• “Environmental, social and governance information makes for more robust investment decision-making. And I also think that ESG kind of serves as a proxy indicator for leadership”
• “I want to live in a world where all companies are B corporations and all investments are impact investments.”
• “I think one of the most important things I ever did was leave my country. There’s something very powerful and beautiful about studying abroad. There’s something very powerful about being a foreigner in a foreign lens and having to negotiate and figure that out.”
• “there’s real value in exposing ourselves to ways of thinking or to worldviews that don’t reflect our own.”
• “the more that one can slow down and ask questions and listen and engage in informal connection with other human beings, the more effective he or she is going to be at getting it done, whatever it is that they want to get done”
• “As I work with people in companies and organizations across the world is that we have so much more in common than we do not in common. And I think that’s perhaps a bit trite and perhaps a bit, bit of a, you know, sort of aphorism, but it’s also true”

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.

I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other’s stories – of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing.

Ramon shares his journey of coming from an immigrant family, and how losing his grandfather to cancer allowed him to experience and later shape the role of healthcare in society. Today he empowers individuals to take ownership and be more proactive when it comes to health. Treating everybody with dignity is one of his core values, and he is giving dignity back by focusing on public health in underserved populations.

You can find Ramon at the below links

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramonpllamasmph/
• https://flipaswitchblog.wordpress.com/
• https://medium.com/@ramon.p.llamas
• https://twitter.com/randomRPL

In the interview, we talk about

• how to empower and encourage individuals to take ownership of their own health and be more proactive
• how to ensure productivity and manage your day?
• the core value of “we want to treat everybody with dignity”
• labels have associations with it. And what we’re trying to do is give dignity back
• how our metrics of success are not calibrated for social impact

What most people know about me is that I have spent 20 years doing computer programming, 8 years doing photography, and started 2 companies, 1 non-profit organisation and a few social initiatives in the past. What most people don’t know about me is that I have spent a lifetime staying invisible. I have used my computer and camera as tools to hide behind.

This podcast is titled “Choosing Leadership” because I believe that is what leadership is. Yes, you heard it right. Leadership is a choice and we all have this choice in every moment of our lives – to choose leadership or not. In fact, I am choosing leadership right now as I record this podcast, as I have been procrastinating on it for more than a year.