The World Class Leaders Show: The CEO leadership podcast for leaders who solve big problems and build better futures.

There is a growing trend in the business world where CEOs have previously held the position of CFO. In this episode, Andrea discusses this trend, the research behind it, and the reasons why it may be happening. Additionally, Andrea talks about the influence of the current economic climate on the decisions of board members and the influence this may have. KEY TAKEAWAYS 30% of Fortune 100 CEOs have previously served as CFOs, this trend is replicated across the corporate world. CFOs keep the company in a safe financial position, this is recognised highly by CEOs and the board. In challenging economic times, whoever is looking after ‘the numbers’ generates a lot of trust and attention. If a decision for a new CEO has to be made quickly, the COO and CFO are candidates that are frequently looked at first. CFOs have strong existing relationships with board members than many other senior roles. The risk-averse nature of CFOs can lend itself to periods of uncertainty like we are seeing in the economy and therefore many businesses at the moment. The mindset of a CFO generally lends itself to keeping the status quo, they can find it more challenging to shift to a growth mindset that may be needed for a more ambitious future for companies. BEST MOMENTS “This trend is clearly on the rise” “They provide a sense of stability and control to the board” “They have a stronger relationship, that CFOs have with the board” “They feel more confident, in a safer place, especially when restructuring to hand over to a CFO” “CFOs are inherently risk-averse”  "If you really want to drive top-line revenue, choosing a CFO could be a really risky decision"  VALUABLE RESOURCES Like the show? Please leave or write a review on your favourite podcast platform! The World Class Leaders Show YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC59dect0RJ5cuxIXsX7hCRw Let Andrea know your thoughts or share your comments via LinkedIn or via email For more information on Andrea’s work and access to other valuable resources, please visit the website    If you don’t want to miss any episode and receive the full article in your inbox, subscribe today to our blog Need more? Book a 30 min call here: Need more? Book a 30 min call here: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30. ABOUT THE HOST My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.

How can leaders create a strong and high-performing team? Andrea reflects on his decades of experience as a leader as well as the things he has learned from others in this episode. He outlines the 5 key lessons he has learnt to help build a team that is innovative, solution-focused and supported. KEY TAKEAWAYS Every session and communication you have with a team is an opportunity to learn from them. Don’t underestimate your team’s creativity and solutions just because they have performed poorly in the past. Diversity is essential in teams, particularly around skillset and experience. We can unconsciously create a culture where a team ‘plays it safe’ instead of taking risks and being dynamic. Better performance comes from teams recognising and being given permission to continue learning. If your team feels supported and valued then they will perform at their best. BEST MOMENTS "When your past team performance isn’t great you tend to underestimate the people’s abilities to come up with new and creative solutions” “When teams are given the freedom to experiment and fail they are really more likely to become out with new and innovative solutions” “Every single action, every single behaviour, every single mindset is created around learning” VALUABLE RESOURCES Like the show? Please leave or write a review on your favourite podcast platform! The World Class Leaders Show YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC59dect0RJ5cuxIXsX7hCRw Let Andrea know your thoughts or share your comments via LinkedIn or via email For more information on Andrea’s work and access to other valuable resources, please visit the website    If you don’t want to miss any episode and receive the full article in your inbox, subscribe today to our blog Need more? Book a 30 min call here: Need more? Book a 30 min call here: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30. ABOUT THE HOST My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.

Join Andrea Petrone as he delves into the secrets of scaling organizations with Elias Ghanem, global head of Capgemini Research Institute for Financial Services. Discover the impact of a multicultural approach on scaling startups and the essential attributes, skills, and traits CEOs need to effectively lead growing companies. Get ready for an insightful and practical episode packed with valuable takeaways for leaders looking to scale their organizations to new heights. Key Takeaways:  Mixing cultures and gaining a multicultural perspective is essential for personal growth and effective leadership in a globalised world. Startups should evolve into scale-ups with the right team, stable technology, and a clear product offering to effectively integrate with large organisations. Large organisations must accept a higher level of risk and embrace the differences that scale-ups bring to the table for successful partnerships. CEOs must learn to let go of control, trust and empower their team, and focus on preparing for the future rather than running day-to-day operations. Implementing an "oops management" approach, where employees are empowered to make decisions and learn from mistakes, is crucial for scaling organisations. Key leadership skills for scaling CEOs include humanity, self-awareness, focus, and driving results with clear commitments. Embracing diversity in terms of gender, culture, and perspectives leads to richer ideas and long-term success for organizations. Best Moments: "Mixing cultures is for me the most rewarding experience in my life." - Elias Ghanem "Accept to go a little bit higher on risk, and accept that the other one will not morph into you. Accept the difference." - Elias Ghanem "You need to earn the time to get bored." - Elias Ghanem "The minute you tell me this is an oops call, I don't, I'm not any force sitting in front of you, I'm sitting next to you. And we are now, the two trying to solve the problem." - Elias Ghanem "The more you bring people, you surround yourself with different genders, different cultures, different perspective, the richer become the idea." - Elias Ghanem Resources: Scaling Up by Verne Harnish Capgemini Research Institute for Financial Services' World Reports   Like the show? Please leave or write a review on your favourite podcast platform! The World Class Leaders Show YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC59dect0RJ5cuxIXsX7hCRw Let Andrea know your thoughts or share your comments via LinkedIn or via email For more information on Andrea’s work and access to other valuable resources, please visit the website    If you don’t want to miss any episode and receive the full article in your inbox, subscribe today to our blog Need more? Book a 30 min call here: Need more? Book a 30 min call here: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30. ABOUT THE HOST My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.

72% of managers are not considered human leaders by their people! Join Andrea as he deep dives into humanity in leadership, why it’s so important for a good work culture and why it drives better performance. KEY TAKEAWAYS Leaders can lose their human touch by focusing too much on their authority. They worry that showing their humanity shows weakness. Some leaders don’t have the self-awareness to recognise they aren’t leading with humanity. Showing empathy doesn’t diminish your leadership presence or gravitas in an organisation. How leaders deal with adversity, by taking accountability and moving forward is paramount in what creates a great leader. BEST MOMENTS "I think the main reason why some leaders lose their human touch with people is because they perceive that as a delusion to their leadership” “Awareness is sometimes something we take for granted” “Be a people leader” VALUABLE RESOURCES Like the show? Please leave or write a review on your favourite podcast platform! The World Class Leaders Show YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC59dect0RJ5cuxIXsX7hCRw Let Andrea know your thoughts or share your comments via LinkedIn or via email For more information on Andrea’s work and access to other valuable resources, please visit the website    If you don’t want to miss any episode and receive the full article in your inbox, subscribe today to our blog Need more? Book a 30 min call here: Need more? Book a 30 min call here: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30. ABOUT THE HOST My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.

Andrea invites Monte Pedersen, a passionate expert in organisational strategy execution, to share his insights on why execution often fails and how to drive it effectively. Monte reveals the key elements of successful strategy execution, including the importance of clear communication, individual engagement, and a robust performance measurement system. Join the conversation and learn how you can help your organisation learn to excel at execution! YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC59dect0RJ5cuxIXsX7hCRw KEY TAKEAWAYS Effective strategy execution requires translating the strategy throughout the organisation, engaging individuals at every level, and setting clear expectations for roles and responsibilities. Organisations often make assumptions about their business, leading to ineffective communication and a lack of understanding among employees regarding their contributions to the company's success. Establishing a feedback loop by engaging employees in co-creating and refining the strategy ensures alignment and allows for quick adaptations to changes in the business environment. Implementing a performance measurement system is crucial for tracking progress, identifying areas of improvement, and documenting the organisation's execution journey. Goal setting should be done at every level of the organisation, with near-term goals based on the immediate needs of the company and longer-term goals aligned with the overall strategy. Courageous leadership is essential for successful strategy execution, as leaders must be willing to have difficult conversations and ensure everyone is working in the best interest of the team. BEST MOMENTS "If you can't get the ideas down through the organisation and if you can't get people understanding what they need to do to contribute, then you lose a lot." "Organisations don't execute, people do." "Goal setting needs to be looked at much, much differently if you're going to execute." "Execution takes courageous leadership. You have to be able to have the difficult conversations with your people and work through them on a consistent basis." VALUABLE RESOURCES Like the show? Please leave or write a review on your favourite podcast platform! The World Class Leaders Show YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC59dect0RJ5cuxIXsX7hCRw Let Andrea know your thoughts or share your comments via LinkedIn or via email For more information on Andrea’s work and access to other valuable resources, please visit the website    If you don’t want to miss any episode and receive the full article in your inbox, subscribe today to our blog Need more? Book a 30 min call here: Need more? Book a 30 min call here: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30. ABOUT THE GUEST Monte Pedersen had a 35-year career in the services industry before deciding to start a training and leadership firm to focus exclusively on helping organisations manage strategy execution. He wanted to help deliver business freedom for small to middle-sized businesses and this is exactly what he does every day! ABOUT THE HOST My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.

What is stopping you from creating an ambitious and bold future for your organisation? In this episode, Andrea shares insights from leaders about what stops a leader from growing and being future-oriented. He also asks, if you aren’t disrupting the status quo and creating a vision for the future then are you really a leader? YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC59dect0RJ5cuxIXsX7hCRw The 7 Reasons You Aren't Creating a Bold Future: Complexity Uncertainty Over-emphasis on short-term goals Operational overload Fear of failure Resistance to change Personal Bias BEST MOMENTS "I strongly believe the easiest way to fail is to stop imagining what we want our future to be like” “Leaders can really make a difference by altering the status quo” “When leaders are every day occupied with day-to-day operations and tasks, of course, they don’t see the future” “You are deliberately choosing to not be a leader” “If you aren’t disrupting the status quo what’s the point in having you as a leader” “Our mind can prevent us from thinking bigger, from thinking to the future” VALUABLE RESOURCES Like the show? Please leave or write a review on your favourite podcast platform! The World Class Leaders Show YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC59dect0RJ5cuxIXsX7hCRw Let Andrea know your thoughts or share your comments via LinkedIn or via email For more information on Andrea’s work and access to other valuable resources, please visit the website    If you don’t want to miss any episode and receive the full article in your inbox, subscribe today to our blog Need more? Book a 30 min call here: Need more? Book a 30 min call here: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30. ABOUT THE HOST My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.

Andrea Petrone interviews Moustafa Hamwi, a passionate expert on mindset mastery and igniting true passion. Moustafa shares his incredible journey of self-discovery and the valuable lessons he learned along the way. He talks to Andrea about how he learned to be a better leader and the things all leaders can do to not only be more effective but to live a more authentic existence too.  YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC59dect0RJ5cuxIXsX7hCRw KEY TAKEAWAYS Leaders must have the courage to face themselves in the mirror and the humility to acknowledge when they need help dealing with challenges. To master your mindset, first, heal your past by acknowledging and releasing specific traumas or stories, then focus on mindset mastery techniques to slingshot into the future. The role of a leader is no longer to be an all-knowing, omnipresent figure but to be a decision-making machine that considers all inputs and variables, often relying on intuition. A temporary identity crisis is a necessary part of change; embrace the journey of transformation, like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly. Recognise that your most valuable asset is your time; start taking action towards a more meaningful and purposeful life. Move closer to your passion by doing more of what you like and less of what you don't like, gradually subcontracting or delegating tasks that don't align with your purpose. BEST MOMENTS "The role of a leader is no longer to be that all knowing, omnipresent, omnipotent person. It's the total opposite. It's about shared leadership, where the leader has to now acknowledge that the layers that work in collaboration, the CXO layer and the director layer are the actual, guys that are doing all the work and their input is a lot more valuable." "The universe operates in that way. It sends us a message. We don't understand it. It will do it, repeat the pattern. And we find ourselves in those repeated patterns." "It's beyond just making it as a gimmick because the whole vision, mission, all of that has always been there. But it was just a document on the wall. It came from here back to the conversation about coming from here. When we come from a place of genuinity and truth, and if a company doesn't care about it, they don't care about it." "True passion, true passion is consistently doing what you love, what you're good at, and is a value to the world." "My learning here is that most of my and other people's regrets are for the things that we did not do. rather than the things that we did” ABOUT THE GUEST Moustafa is a bestselling author, international speaker, and mindset coach. His background spans diverse disciplines — from executive coaching, hypnotherapy, yoga, and meditation to adventure sports and nature healing. Moustafa’s unique lifestyle as an executive nomad has him traversing the globe, often spending months living out of a campervan, immersing himself in diverse cultures and forging a deep connection with nature. His quest for self-discovery leads him to learning and meditation centres worldwide, exploring the intricacies of mind, body, and soul. His life journey and extensive research have culminated in unparalleled knowledge and insight. He’s globally recognised as a foremost expert and thought leader in reigniting passion within organisations and teams VALUABLE RESOURCES Like the show? Please leave or write a review on your favourite podcast platform! The World Class Leaders Show YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC59dect0RJ5cuxIXsX7hCRw Let Andrea know your thoughts or share your comments via LinkedIn or via email For more information on Andrea’s work and access to other valuable resources, please visit the website    If you don’t want to miss any episode and receive the full article in your inbox, subscribe today to our blog Need more? Book a 30 min call here: Need more? Book a 30 min call here: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30. ABOUT THE HOST My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.

Something Andrea consistently notices when working with CEOs and their teams is the notion of complexity. That is, how and why our understanding and definition of complexity differ and why so many CEOs and professionals overcomplicate their business. In this episode, Andrea explores the many reasons behind creating complexity and talks about how to recognise and see the simple and often much easier solution right in front of you. Leaders Show BRAND NEW YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC59dect0RJ5cuxIXsX7hCRw KEY TAKEAWAYS Some individuals can appear ‘addicted’ to complexity. There are often simple solutions in front of them but they can’t see them. CEOs and owners can have the tendency to overcomplicate their business.  One reason someone may overcomplicate is due to fear of failure. Risks are much more transparent in the modern world, everything is seen and tracked, and every decision matters, which can prevent CEOs and leaders from taking risks. Often the reaction to fear is to assert control, which means making decisions for tasks and areas where they aren’t the expert. Success isn’t about measuring everything, but measuring what matters. Complexity is the enemy of growth. Stop overcomplicating things and instead work to find simple solutions to drive growth. BEST MOMENTS "When we all talk about complexity we all have different meanings as well as definition and the implication of that into the business” “Some executives are scared to take risks” “They’re more afraid, so they try and control every area of the business as a consequence of that” “It’s really fear bringing more complexity” “Go simple, simplicity is the way to drive growth” VALUABLE RESOURCES Like the show? Please leave or write a review on your favourite podcast platform! The World Class Leaders Show YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC59dect0RJ5cuxIXsX7hCRw Let Andrea know your thoughts or share your comments via LinkedIn or via email For more information on Andrea’s work and access to other valuable resources, please visit the website    If you don’t want to miss any episode and receive the full article in your inbox, subscribe today to our blog Need more? Book a 30 min call here: Need more? Book a 30 min call here: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30. ABOUT THE HOST My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.

Andrea interviews William Ruh, former CEO of Lendlease Digital and GE Digital, about leadership during digital transformation. William shares how cultural alignment and change management are critical for success, often more so than the technology itself. Rue also discusses the need for CEOs to be curious, keep learning, and pivot quickly in the face of increasing complexity. He talks about establishing strong partnerships with boards and maintaining personal resilience to handle the demands of leadership today. Leaders Show BRAND NEW YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC59dect0RJ5cuxIXsX7hCRw KEY TAKEAWAYS Digital transformation success depends heavily on cultural alignment and change management skills like communication, empathy and enrolment. Leaders should identify and partner with "the coalition of the willing" in the organisation to drive change rather than trying to change everyone at once. Monetisation strategy for digital innovation must be clear - either embedded in existing offerings or as a new line of business. Running an internal start-up has unique challenges - the speed of a start-up with the processes of an established business. With the increasing pace of change, CEO resilience, learning agility and the ability to quickly pivot strategy are critical leadership capabilities. Strong board relationships and a personal support system are essential to handle the pressures faced by modern CEOs. BEST MOMENTS "The soft skills are the most important thing. How you help the organisation through [digital transformation] is more important in some ways than what your technology is." "You've got to be able to make that cultural shift. Existing cultures and businesses often find it very difficult to embrace the change." "I realised that I'm responsible for seeing the world change. I'm responsible for learning gen AI...I'm responsible for figuring out where things are going." "If you're not good at managing your board, the board is going to manage you. So that is the challenge many CEOs definitely wrestle with." VALUABLE RESOURCES Like the show? Please leave or write a review on your favourite podcast platform! The World Class Leaders Show YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC59dect0RJ5cuxIXsX7hCRw Let Andrea know your thoughts or share your comments via LinkedIn or via email For more information on Andrea’s work and access to other valuable resources, please visit the website    If you don’t want to miss any episode and receive the full article in your inbox, subscribe today to our blog Need more? Book a 30 min call here: Need more? Book a 30 min call here: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30. ABOUT THE GUEST Mr. William Ruh most recently served as the Chief Executive Officer for Lendlease Digital. In this role, he built two new businesses to help transform the real estate industry. LendLease Digital is developing the world’s first set of Autonomous Building products to automate design, supply chain, and operations. He serves on the Board of Directors for both start-ups. Prior to joining Lendlease, Mr. Ruh was the CEO of GE Digital and the Chief Digital Officer for GE. During his tenure, Mr. Ruh led the charge to develop the first cloud-based platform for the industrial world and established the GE Digital business unit. A recognized expert in the emerging Industrial Internet of Things he helped establish the Industrial Internet Consortium and was a member of the US Dept of Commerce Digital Economy Board of Advisors. ABOUT THE HOST My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.

Should you keep your leadership or start to make changes? In this episode, Andrea answers this question and talks about how to know it’s the right time to make changes in your leadership team, particularly if you are new to the role. If you are facing this dilemma right now, Andrea offers some perspective and considerations to help you make decisions. The World Class Leaders Show BRAND NEW YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC59dect0RJ5cuxIXsX7hCRw KEY TAKEAWAYS Incompetence is the first clear criteria for needing to assess team changes. If an individual or team are incompetent this cannot be put off. People can progress and change under new leadership, so assess if this is possible in a reasonable timeframe. High performers can be detrimental if they feed into or create a toxic culture. Culture is more important in the medium to long term of a companies success. Personality counts. If there are team members that can’t work cohesively and collaboratively then you need to make some changes. BEST MOMENTS "They don’t necessarily show potential” “High performers can be assets but they can also be liabilities when they fail to adhere to the company direction” “Culture is really what is going to make the different in the medium-long term” “CEOs are probably taking too long to make a decision” VALUABLE RESOURCES Like the show? Please leave or write a review on your favourite podcast platform! The World Class Leaders Show YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC59dect0RJ5cuxIXsX7hCRw Let Andrea know your thoughts or share your comments via LinkedIn or via email For more information on Andrea’s work and access to other valuable resources, please visit the website    If you don’t want to miss any episode and receive the full article in your inbox, subscribe today to our blog Need more? Book a 30 min call here: Need more? Book a 30 min call here: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30. ABOUT THE HOST My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.