About the episode In this episode, Kellie sits down with Minna Vaisanen, Head of Revenue at Thrive Partners and passionate customer success leader, for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of leadership and work. Minna brings a refreshingly practical lens to some big questions: - why leadership hasn't kept pace with how work has evolved - why creativity is the new gold dust in an AI-accelerated world - what organisations can do, starting small, to close that gap. Together, they explore the shift from task-oriented management to human-centred leadership, the foundational importance of values (done properly, not just posted on a wall) and why the single most important mindset shift for any new manager is moving from I to we. Above all, this is a conversation that keeps coming back to what matters most: we are all human, all doing our best and that's exactly where good leadership begins. Key Takeaways We are all human and that's where leadership starts. Behind every framework and every transformation is a simple truth: we're all learning, all imperfect and all capable of doing a little better than yesterday. Leadership isn't about having all the answers; it's about showing up with the intention to grow.Creativity is the new gold dust and leadership hasn't caught up. As AI takes over routine work, what humans bring is creativity and creativity doesn't thrive in rigid, micromanaged environments.The single biggest shift when you become a manager: from I to we. A manager's success is measured by the team's success. Owning both the wins and the failures, without blaming the team, is where real leadership begins.Leadership 1-0-1 is still missing for most people. Most are promoted because they're good at their job, not because they've been taught to lead. It starts with one question: do you even want to lead?Values only work if they're lived, not laminated. Values need to be embedded in hiring, performance reviews and everyday decisions. A poster on a wall changes nothing.Organisational transformation doesn't have to be seismic. Think like a product roadmap; sequence your experiments, run controlled steps and bring your people with you.Done is better than perfect. 1% better today than yesterday still accumulates. Progress over perfection, always. About Minna Believing that a squiggly career makes leaders more versatile, Minna's Customer Success career background in tech extends over 12+ years navigating the realms of early-stage start-ups to multinational corporations. Her global perspective is shaped through expatriate roles in the Middle East, Europe and Asia, coupled with visits to 65+ countries. Minna has led a number of transformation projects for multinational organisations in the Asia Pacific region and guiding initiatives resulting from global company mergers. In her previous roles as Vice President of Customer Success, Minna devised and executed a successful customer success strategy, contributing to company growth at early stage and scale-up organisations. Currently, as the Head of Customer Success and Operational Excellence at Thrive Partners, she plays a pivotal role in the organisation's customer-centric transformation. Her industry range extends from HR to the Learning and Hospitality Technology sectors. Beyond her professional endeavours, Minna is a mentor, podcast host and a speaker, sharing profound insights at industry events to inspire and educate emerging talent. 🔗 Connect with Minna on LinkedIn. Also Mentioned Motivation 2.0: the concept Minna references around shifting from task-based to purpose and creativity-driven motivation at work.Simon Sinek's Start With Why : referenced in the context of building organisational values from the ground up.Let's Flow: A leadership mission and community, in partnership with Leah Stockley, to make work better so that organisations and people thrive. Follow on LinkedIn or DM Kellie to get involved.
