Swim not Sink Leadership Podcast James Nagle

Whilst David´s background has a strong analytical base (a PhD in engineering), it´s clear that he´s energised by solving problems creatively and he has been willing to stretch himself throughout his career. David shared some learnings from running Lego´s in-house creative agency which he wants to keep in his new role at Brita; 1. be clear on what you want and then trust the creative process, 2. adapt your leadership style to give space for ideas to flow, versus trying to control everything. As the leader, it´s about asking the right questions. 3. encourage and respect diverse thinking. And his advice for anyone moving companies is to avoid making too many assumptions based on previous experience. Whilst its natural to seek to reapply what made you successful in the past, and to fit the new world into familiar frameworks, you should instead prioritise understanding and adapting to the new culture. Thanks for listening, and if you think this can help a colleague, please share.

When Judy entered the big corner office for the first time, “she felt like a 4 year old trying on her mum’s shoes”. But she is a fast learner who loves firefighting & high pressure situations. She was clear on the the culture she wanted to create, “how can it be better and what are we going to do to get there?” Initially it felt like a lonely battle but now it has been adopted by the organisation, it feels great. But the job is not always easy. Looking back at her ”sink” moments… it’s when she didn’t have enough in “the tank” to support the team or she was naïvely optimistic about what was involved in driving change through. And her reflections on what General management is about 2 years on…
1.The role is to facilitate everyone else to do a great job, it’s no longer about me. 2. Every day is an unknown, and some of them are a lot scarier than others. 3. The moments of greatest fear, are the times when you can make the most significant progress. UItimately, “so much of what I/we have achieved has simply been by being myself”. Thanks for listening, and if you think this can help a colleague, please share.

Matt’s sweet spot is taking companies from Series B to IPO, and it was with Olo that he hit the jackpot. He’s modest enough to recognise that “he served his time at the right time.” But this story of “overnight success” took 9 years, starting with joining Olo as employee #7. His story is all about people. 1.identifying the right ones, trusting his own judgement, and doing the proper due diligence. He never delegates a reference check. 2. How his selection criteria evolved over time. He no longer defers to industry experience or Ivy League educations but instead looks for bias for action and curiosity. 3. His contribution was knowing when to add structure and process, and when to let things run. Matt also takes about the magic of the partnership he had with the Olo’s founder Noah Glass, he didn’t need the title but he did need the freedom to make the call. And what next? Now he has the “external mark of success”… not a word about retirement. He is ready to go again and is as energised as ever.

John shares his career journey from a commercial operator to someone whose management mantra became “Deliver the present, create the future and create the right environment for your team to thrive”. His sink moment was an engagement survey in his second GM assignment, where he learnt of the gap between how he wanted to be perceived and how the organisation saw him. But he embraced that learning and has been building on it ever since. He sees the GM role as a combination of “getting the best OUT OF the organisation whilst getting the best FOR the organisation from the outside. And his advice for new GM’s, have the discussion up front with your boss on what success looks like, you might be surprised !

Matias views his career journey as a learning journey. And he is “all in”. His innate bias for action and ability to deliver whatever was required meant that sometimes “he was crossing rivers but burning bridges”. Now before moving to action, he pays equal measure to the “how” as to the “what”, and makes sure to “breathe in- breathe out” and do a mental map. He is willing to take risks and learn from the feedback. He believes that“ The best feedback is the one that hurts… because it helps you find your edge”.
A recent example being his LinkedIn profile “Not a guru on anything… but honest, realiable and optimistic” which challenged some of the “title inflation” which occurs on the platform. Thanks for listening, and if you think this can help a colleague, please share.

A few highlights from our conversation which are relevant for any leader preparing to transition.1.Why you have to work harder to get to the unfiltered truth as you grow more senior in your career 2.When taking on a new role, her focus is on Earning trust, and you know if you have achieved it by the help you get in the public and private moments 3.She builds trust via vulnerability, by showing her human side even if some people think this can undermine your professional credibility. Thanks for listening, and if you think this can help a colleague, please share. If you haven´t yet subscribed, click on your favourite app.