Shane Leahy explains why rapid growth can become one of a business's biggest challenges, why great leaders build teams around their own weaknesses, and how the lessons he learned building Oxygen8 into a €100m+ global technology group are now helping him scale humanitarian aid in some of the world's most dangerous conflict zones. Shane Leahy joins Business Builders to share his journey from professional rugby into telecoms and entrepreneurship, eventually helping grow Oxygen8 from a €30 million business into a global technology group generating more than €100 million in turnover, with operations spanning Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Australia, the US and beyond. Shane reflects on the leadership lessons he carried from professional sport into business, why different people require completely different styles of management, and how recognising his own weaknesses helped him build stronger teams around him. He also discusses the challenges created by rapid international growth, a fraud of more than $10 million that forced the group to restructure, the importance of learning from failure, and why putting the right management structures in place became essential as Oxygen8 scaled. The conversation also explores Shane's decision to step back from the day-to-day running of his businesses and establish One for Humanity. Using the same proof-of-concept and scaling principles he learned in business, Shane and his team have helped establish 19 hospital units along the front lines in Ukraine and deliver more than $200 million worth of medicine, while also supporting humanitarian projects in Gaza and elsewhere. This is a conversation about entrepreneurship, leadership, professional sport, scaling, international business, failure, resilience, team building, self-awareness, humanitarian aid, purpose, Ukraine, Gaza, technology, organisational structure, founder mindset, and using business experience to make an impact far beyond business. "You learn a hell of a lot more from your failures than you do from the successes." 🎧 In this episode, you'll learn: • How Shane went from professional rugby into business and telecoms • How Oxygen8 grew from €30 million to more than €100 million in turnover • Why Shane believes great leaders need to manage different people differently • How to identify your weaknesses and build a team that complements them • Why rapid growth can expose weaknesses in a company's structure • How Oxygen8 responded after suffering a fraud of more than $10 million • Why failure can teach you more than success • How Shane applied business principles to humanitarian aid • How One for Humanity helped establish 19 hospital units in Ukraine • Why Shane believes simply showing up for people can make a profound difference ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 - Cold open 01:18 - What is Oxygen8? 04:17 - From professional rugby to business 06:38 - What rugby taught Shane about leadership 08:19 - Building a team around your weaknesses 11:06 - Why failure teaches you more than success 11:58 - The challenges of building a global business 12:19 - The $10 million fraud that changed Oxygen8 14:51 - When rapid growth becomes a problem 16:09 - Expanding across the world 19:14 - The opportunity in mobile payments 20:27 - Setting goals for growth 22:09 - Stepping back from the business 22:57 - Why Shane became involved in Ukraine 25:08 - Scaling One for Humanity 28:19 - Finding a new purpose in life 30:14 - Building frontline hospital units 32:03 - Delivering millions of dollars of medicine every month 32:57 - Taking the humanitarian model into Gaza 37:12 - Learning from failure in humanitarian work 38:34 - What life is like on the Ukrainian front line 41:21 - Why Shane continues to put himself in danger 43:12 - Hope and determination in Ukraine 46:51 - Applying a business mindset to humanitarian aid 54:29 - How the experience changed Shane's perspective on life 56:45 - Ireland's position in an increasingly uncertain world 01:05:38 - "It's the best thing I've ever done" 01:07:08 - The final message from Shane's father Topics covered: Entrepreneurship, Shane Leahy, Oxygen8, leadership, professional rugby, business growth, scaling, international business, telecoms, mobile payments, Africa, team building, organisational culture, management, resilience, failure, founder mindset, self-awareness, business strategy, One for Humanity, humanitarian aid, Ukraine, Gaza, frontline medicine, purpose, technology, Irish business.