The Global Leadership Hypothesis. What makes a great leader? – Details, episodes & analysis

Meet Arif, a financial expert who works with businesses to enhance their financial resilience and operational efficiency. With a firm belief that the finance function should act as a partner rather than a mere support function to any business, Arif has made significant contributions to several companies throughout his career.

Arif's impressive track record includes actively managing cultural and behavioural change from a traditional partnership to a corporate entity while maintaining the business's core values. He achieved this at renowned organizations such as Hunters Law LLP, Thomas Cooper LLP, and G L Hearn Limited. Additionally, Arif has successfully turned around businesses from loss-making to sustainable, profitable entities through effective working capital management.

Arif's expertise also extends to employee share option trusts, having established one based in Jersey, Channel Islands, and setting up a tax-efficient Employee Management Incentive (EMI) Scheme for the grant and exercise of options.

Arif is an accomplished financial expert and a thought leader in the industry. He regularly contributes to the financial press, including publications such as Financial Director Magazine, Accounting and Business, CFO World, and Economia. With his impressive accomplishments and thought leadership, Arif is a valuable asset to any business looking to enhance their financial performance and efficiency.

Meet Zahra, a technology leader passionate about driving innovation and transformation for clients across all industries. As the leader of Accenture's Technology business in the UK and Ireland, Zahra is responsible for delivering application development, support, and platform services to her clients. With a specific focus on cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud, blockchain, and platforms such as SAP, Oracle, Microsoft, and Salesforce, Zahra is committed to leveraging technology to help her clients succeed in a rapidly changing business landscape.

Beyond her technical expertise, Zahra also strongly advocates diversity and inclusion within the tech industry. She leads inclusion and diversity initiatives for Accenture's
European Technology business, working to create a more equitable and inclusive
workplace for all. Zahra is also a Director on the Accenture UK board of
directors and a member of the Technology Leadership Group for the Prince's
Trust. Her passion for technology and commitment to creating a better future
for all make Zahra a true leader in her field. 

Welcome to our podcast, where we have the privilege of speaking with Professor Vlatka Hlupic, a world-renowned thought leader and one of the world's top 11 most influential HR thinkers. As a Leadership and Organisational Transformation professor at Ashridge Hult Executive Education, Vlatka brings decades of experience and expertise in strategy, culture, change, and leadership development to the table.

As the Honorary President of The Academy of Executive Coaching, Vlatka is dedicated to empowering individuals and organisations to achieve their full potential. She is a sought-after global thought leader, advising ICG clients on leadership development, strategy, culture, and change. Vlatka's passion for transforming organisations and helping them thrive led her to found 'The Management Shift© Consulting Ltd,' where she serves as CEO.

Her fourth book, Humane Capital, contains a forward written by his holiness the Dalai Lama, showcasing her commitment to a more compassionate and humane approach to leadership and management. In this podcast episode, we explore Vlatka's fascinating career journey, delving into her experiences as a professor, consultant, and author.

We discuss her research into the role of leadership and culture in organisational transformation and her insights into how organisations can shift their management practices to be more people-centred and compassionate. Vlatka's unique perspective on leadership and management is both thought-provoking and inspiring, and we are thrilled to have her join us on the podcast.

Brené Brown defines vulnerability as uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure.

Vulnerability and leadership are symbiotic friends.

I am not saying that we should be crying in the office. When finance leaders share how they feel, their teams are more willing to open up and share what they are feeling, thinking and experiencing.

It does require us to be more courageous though and embrace that feeling of being outside our comfort zone.

This week we release the sixth leadership chronicle and a story of success shared by Mohamed ELRouby ACMA, CGMA, FPAC, MBA from the 6th conversation of #globalleadershiphypothesis - what makes a great leader.

Food for thought. Leaders who allow themselves to be vulnerable with their teams:

• Build better relationships
• Connect at a deeper level with individuals and teams
• Create the conditions for psychologically safe teams where people are not afraid to be authentic and bring more of their real selves to work
• Bond their teams through trust
• Positively impact the creativity and culture of the team

Are you comfortable sharing vulnerability to achieve more ❓Take your leadership to the next level

Follow the link to the right to see the rest of the blog post

#leadershipdevelopment #financeleaders #cfoinsights

© Talita Ferreira, CEO and founder of Authentic Change Solutions

Does your boss trust you?

Hopefully, we can all recall a boss that supported us, helped us to grow and develop and pushed us forward to help us succeed.

When Jane Gunn told me the story of her boss saying he would make the tea while she ran the meeting, my unconscious bias raised its head. I answered, “oh dear”.

I just assumed he would let her make the tea. Actually, it was totally the opposite. He trusted her enough to let her lead the meeting while he made the tea and this was a good 20 years ago.

This week we release the seventh leadership chronicle and a story of success shared by Jane from the 4th conversation of #globalleadershiphypothesis - what makes a great leader.

Food for thought. We trust leaders based on the Trust Triangle (Harvard Business Review – May 2020):

• Authenticity
• Empathy
• Logic

Common trust wobbles are caused by:

• Misrepresenting parts of yourself (inauthenticity)
• Putting yourself ahead of others
• Not enough rigour in your analysis, an inability to execute or communicate your thoughts properly

What causes you to mistrust a leader❓

#leadershipdevelopment #financeleaders #cfoinsights

© Talita Ferreira, CEO and founder of Authentic Change Solutions

What is the point of having a team filled with brilliant individuals if we never access their creative brilliance?

Have you ever suffered, felt sad, let down and fearful that you did not know how to do something? Perhaps you were trying to solve the problem yourself, instead of asking for help.

This week we release the fourth leadership chronicle and a story of failure shared by Gosia Gorna from the 2nd conversation of #globalleadershiphypothesis – what makes a great leader.

Food for thought:

Do you regularly brainstorm with your team to unlock creative brilliance

Do you regularly assess whether you are actually solving the right problem or addressing the right challenge

Do you regularly include a “wildcard” in your brainstorming meetings – someone who thinks differently at a cognitive level

Have you ever used the six thinking hats from Debono Group to assign different responsibilities to elicit higher thinking patterns i.e. red = emotion, green = creativity, black = challenge/caution

What else do you do to unlock the creative brilliance in the team?

Take your leadership to the next level

#leadershipdevelopment #financeleaders #cfoinsights

© Talita Ferreira, CEO and founder of Authentic Change Solutions

Welcome to our podcast, where we explore what it truly takes to be a great leader. In today's episode, we have the honour of speaking with Hiltrud Werner, a German business executive who has made a name for herself in the world of compliance and integrity.

Hiltrud joined Volkswagen in 2016 as head of Group Audit and quickly rose through the ranks to become a member of Volkswagen's Board of Management, responsible for Integrity and Legal Affairs. In her role, she oversees the compliance and integrity teams for Volkswagen and its 12 brands and was tasked with restructuring the compliance culture. Her dedication and hard work have earned her a reputation as a leader who is unafraid to tackle tough issues and make meaningful change happen.

Hiltrud began her career in 1991 at the consulting firm Softlab GMBH in Munich as a project manager. She then moved to BMW AG in 1996, where she held various positions during her tenure, including head of the IT department of BMW Bank, head of the BMW AG audit department for the UK & Ireland, and head of Group Internal Audit. In 2011, she joined MAN SE as Chief Audit Executive for the MAN Group and became head of Group Internal Audit at the car supplier ZF Friedrichshafen in 2014.

Throughout her career, Hiltrud has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to excellence and a willingness to take on new challenges. We are thrilled to have her on our podcast and to learn from her wealth of knowledge and experience. So sit back, relax, and join us as we delve into the fascinating world of business leadership with Hiltrud Werner.

Welcome to our podcast, where we have the privilege of speaking with Eugenio Cibruscola, a talented business professional with a wealth of experience in various roles and regions of the world. Currently working in Business Development in the field of the Internet of Things at Vodafone, Eugenio has also held positions in Finance, Business Intelligence, and Project Management in organizations across Brazil, The Netherlands, Portugal, China, and the UK.

Eugenio's diverse professional background has allowed him to gain invaluable experience with different management practices and leadership styles. He recognizes the value of diversity in the workplace and brings this unique perspective to his current role, driving business development and innovation at Vodafone.

With a BSc in Economics and Finance from LUSS Guido Carli University, a Master in Management from NOVA SBE, and a Professional Master in Strategy from Insper, Eugenio has a solid academic background to complement his professional experience. He is dedicated to personal and professional growth, continually seeking to expand his knowledge and skills.

In this podcast episode, we dive into Eugenio's fascinating career journey, exploring the challenges he has faced, the lessons he has learned, and the insights he has gained along the way. From his experiences working across different regions and cultures to his current role in the field of the Internet of Things, Eugenio shares his unique perspective on what it takes to succeed in today's business world.

So sit back, relax, and join us as we delve into the world of business leadership with Eugenio Cibruscola.

⚡Leadership is about ditching self-interest and focusing on people⚡

Ensuring that those one to one conversations with individuals are meaningful, high-value moments where the individual feels like the centre of your universe.

Food for thought. Crucial elements in leadership - it's all about people:
💡 Enabling teams and individuals to perform

💡 Building personal relationships

💡 Relationships that give & enable things to happen

💡 Focus on individuals

💡 Helping individuals deliver on their priorities

💡 Problem-solving with the team

💡 Early communication to teams

💡 Communication about what you are involved in as the leader

Negative leadership behaviours to avoid
💩Self-interest

💩Hierarchy building

💩Enforcer-governor relationships & attitudes

This week we release the eighth leadership chronicle and a story of success and failure shared by Christopher Argent from the 3rd conversation of #globalleadershiphypothesis - what makes a great leader.

Which other negative behaviours should a leader avoid❓

#leadershipdevelopment #financeleaders #cfoinsights

© Talita Ferreira, CEO and founder of Authentic Change Solutions

Have you ever felt that rewarding feeling when you achieved something great and your boss shows the necessary appreciation or when things go wrong, and your boss is there protecting you and taking overall responsibility

This week we release the second leadership chronicle and a story of great leadership by Andy Burrows BSc BFP ACA from the 5th conversation of #globalleadershiphypothesis – what makes a great leader.

Food for thought – empowering our team members has multiple dimensions:

Believing in their abilities.

Trusting them to get the job done well.

Taking responsibility & accountability as the leader (no blaming).

Having their backs when things go wrong.

Which other elements are crucial to feel empowered and bring your A-game

Take your leadership to the next level

#leadershipdevelopment#financeleaders#cfoinsights