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“When you are enthusiastic about what you do, you feel this positive energy.  It’s very simple” -Paul Coelho  In 2021, the LEGO Group delivered record-breaking business results with revenue jumping +27% to 55.3 billion DKK and operating profit going up +32% to 17.0 billion DKK. Fueled by their mission to “Inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow” the LEGO Group has mastered taking the long view on getting every child in the world to experience LEGO play.  But how do LEGO leaders engage employees’ day to day with such a loft, long-term vision? In this edition of the “Leading from Purpose” podcast, Nick Craig introduces listeners to Victor Saeijs, Regional President for Western Europe at the LEGO Group.  His purpose?  To “Be the Duracell Bunny that makes my team sell boats in the Sahara.”  In this lively repartee, Victor describes how he uses  challenging goals and new ways of working to make the impossible possible, challenging his team to reach new levels of performance while simultaneously pushing himself to new heights.   Hear how Victor’s tapped into this approach to capitalize on opportunities throughout his career and gain an appreciation for the LEGO Group’s newest challenge—helping children learn 21st century skills by making a significant contribution to learning and education.  

“The reality is that the only way change comes is when you lead by example.” -Anne Wojcicki With over 200 years of proud heritage and rich tradition, the United States Army is one of the largest, most sophisticated organizations in the world today.  The 1.1 million person Army Force, comprised of Active Duty, the National Guard and Reserve Forces, is approximately 16% women and 30% racial minorities. Changing anything inside a bureaucracy this large is an undertaking that requires grit, willpower, and an indominable spirit—and that’s exactly what one determined woman brought to bear to change the Army for the better. In this episode of the “Leading from Purpose” podcast, Nick Craig, talks with Dr. Andrea Peters—Army Lieutenant Colonel and West Point Assistant Professor whose purpose is “to be the rocky jawed, gap spanning amp” that amplifies the voices of those who can’t to provide them a bridge to their future.   Listen to hear how she overcame serious illness, bureaucratic machinations, and deeply entrenched government policy to change Army regulation 670-1—Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia.  Through diligence and determination, Lieutenant Colonel Peters—a second generation soldier—marshalled women leaders from across the Army to bring the military grooming standards more on line with social norms to help women—women of color in particular—express themselves more fully and feel a stronger sense of belonging in today’s all volunteer force.   If you want to hear how one person’s dogged leadership by example overcame 40 years of history, listen in to this engaging episode.  

In 2020, the most popular retailer in Australia, Bunnings, announced operating revenue increased by 13.9%, to over $14 billion. How does the company continue to see growth and remain on top? By doubling down on its commitment to being a purpose-driven organization.  On this episode, Michael Schneider, the CEO, stops by to talk about leaning in on Purpose to lead an organization through economic unknowns. Michael shared, “Our team was scared, but by creating that reassurance that we understood our Purpose and we understood what we were going after – we actually got even more out of it.”  Last year, Bunnings created jobs and opportunities to the tune of 10,000. Shifting gears from a ‘wanting more’ to a ‘doing more’ mindset helped him step into his full potential as a leader and pay it forward to his team and the customers they serve.

Join Nick Craig as he sits down with Sandra Schoonhoven, Head of Sustainability at ING to discuss the power of Purpose and how “serving elephant for dinner” helps her adapt to the ever-changing world of sustainability. During their conversation, Sandra shares how Purpose has impacted her as a leader and how it has provided new and deeper insights into her own life experiences, especially in her most challenging moments.  She also shares why she feels knowing and understanding your Purpose truly is a gift, and how she’s helped share that gift with her team so that they feel as empowered as she does. Together, they drive ING’s sustainability efforts which include limiting the negative impacts of climate change, educating their customers on financial health, and using their influence to make the world a better place. If you’re curious to know how having a sense of Purpose can help create a better world, you won’t want to miss this episode!

Every so often, you meet someone who really makes an impact on everyone around them, and causes you take a step back and consider what you’re doing to help others and make the world a better place. This episode of the “Leading From Purpose” podcast may cause you to do just that.  In this episode, Nick Craig sits down with Tswelo Kodisang, the Group Chief People Officer at Discovery Limited. Tswelo, whose Purpose is “To liberate the potential in people”, has dedicated his life to his Purpose, even before it was defined in a statement.  Born and raised in Soweto, a township of the city of Johannesburg, South Africa, Tswelo describes how his potential was liberated at an early age. During our conversation, he describes the impact of the life-changing opportunities he was given as a young child, and how they have motivated him to provide such opportunities for others throughout his life.  Even during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tswelo has never strayed from his Purpose. With his team, they ensured no one was laid off due to the pandemic, and that everything possible was done to keep their employees safe. Truly, his interest is always focused on the welfare of others.  If you’re in need of an inspiring moment, you won’t want to miss this conversation. 

As we close out a year that has been filled with unexpected and unprecedented challenges, I am chatting with Geoff McDonald, thought leader on dealing with mental health in the business world.  Geoff, a ‘Mental Health Campaigner’, shares his personal experience with mental health  and how it unveiled his Purpose. Geoff works with companies to incorporate mental health as a strategic priority. After all, when employees are mentally healthy, they perform better. If your company is still working remotely or you’re thinking of ways to welcome everyone back to the office, check out this candid conversation for some insights on the importance of normalizing sharing stories about mental health at the organizational level, and creating the psychological safety to do so. After the year 2020 brought us, we could all benefit from prioritizing C.A.N.D.O. (listen to find out what this means!).

“At a point, [purpose] occasionally becomes – do I feel comfortable looking myself in the mirror?” Nine months ago, Italy, particularly Milan, was labeled the new epicenter of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The world was watching the dramatic impact the spread was having on the society, people, business and economy at large. In the midst, Alessio Miranda, newly appointed Country Manger and CEO of ING Bank Italia, was tasked with prioritizing the health and safety of 1,000 bank employees, all while maintaining the business. Through conviction of his purpose he lead with clarity and courage, resulting in ING Italia not only supporting its’ workforce mentally and physically, but they were named the second best bank in Italy, and are ending the year ahead of financial targets. If you’re looking for some inspiration on how to have the courage to take the hard right and speak to hearts and minds, check out this week’s episode with Alessio.  

In the holiday spirit, we’re dropping back to back episodes on the Leading from Purpose podcast (Incase you missed it - Maarten van Beek, HR Director of ING Bank dropped last Wednesday). This week, meet Sanjiv Mehta, Chairman and Managing Director, Hindustan Unilever Limited and President of Unilever South Asia.  Sanjiv whose purpose is to “make heroes out of ordinary people,” shares his journey of leadership with us from turning Unilever Bangladesh from a company in shambles to the most admired, competitive company in the country to overseeing 21,000 employees in India alone through one of the strictest lockdowns due to COVID-19 in the world. The best part of conversations with Sanjiv are the rich stories he shares about growing up with parents who lived through the Partition of India and the love of history, culture and humanity they instilled in him at the dinner table.  If you’re looking for some inspiration on how to keep optimism alive as a leader in crisis and how to have an impact on the community you serve, look no further!

On this episode of the Leading from Purpose Podcast, Nick Craig is joined by one of the biggest Purpose advocates we know, Maarten van Beek, Human Resources Director for Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg at ING Bank.  Purpose has become really popular these days but how you bring it to all employees is something big organizations are just beginning to think about. At ING, they started back in 2017. Overseeing over 25,000 employees in his region, Maarten and his colleagues were already committed to the organization’s Purpose, but knew that in order to have a big impact – they needed to connect each employees purpose with that of ING. Today, thousands of  employee's, from leaders to call center representatives and branch employees, have completed the company’s Purpose to Impact Program. Listen to hear more on how ING Bank focused on aligning individual goals with the company's purpose to create something beautiful. 

In June of this year, Ben & Jerry's statement on racism in America, “Silence is not an option,” was trending. For decades the company has been at the forefront of social and climate issues. On this week’s Leading from Purpose Podcast episode, Nick Craig is joined by CEO of Ben & Jerry's, Matthew McCarthy, to talk about the role that Purpose plays in taking a risk to do what is right. Matthew McCarthy shares deep insights on how being a Purpose-driven leader and/or organization has helped him choose the hard right versus the easy wrong when it really matters most.A bonus? Matthew McCarthy, a musician at heart, shares some insight on the curious boy who has always lived inside him and thrives on helping others seek the joy and justice in life. 

On this episode of on the Leading From Purpose Podcast, Nick Craig is joined by Global Head of Reward at @Unilever, @ConstantinaTribou, to talk about removing credibility from social barriers. @ConstantinaTribou uses her #Purpose to make what can be a complex corporate world about people, both the customers @Unilever serves, and the employees she oversees. 

On this week’s #LeadingfromPurpose #Podcast, we’re talking chocolate! Joining Nick Craig this week is Pablo Perversi, the Chief Innovation, Sustainability & Quality Officer as well as the Head of Gourmet, for @BarryCallebaut to talk about being the world leading chocolate and cocoa manufacturer in the midst of world crises including climate change and COVID-19. @BarryCallebaut is a $7.4 billion USD company that thrives on looking towards the future for opportunities that drive the energy of their employees. As the head of Innovation, Pablo leans in to the force of growth to a path of plain sailing. 

On this episode of the Leading from Purpose Podcast, Nick Craig is joined by Willem Pruys, former #CHRO for Bunnings, the most successful retailer in Australia. Willem Pruys joins Nick to talk about his time with Bunnings and how the company leveraged #Purpose to drive transformational strategic alignment and engagement. Today, the company is a $14 billion industry giant focused on investing in their employees by helping them focus on the 5% that gets them the other 95% of results.  How does a company use #Purpose to align business plans with individual aspirations and still achieve dramatic growth and profitability? Listen to find out! 

From constructing the Boeing 787 to operations at a luxury Italian Hotel, Andrea Pomo, joins Nick Craig on the Leading from Purpose Podcast this week to talk about transforming vs. adapting through challenging times.The hospitality industry has been severely impacted by COVID-19. Yet, via the lens of purpose, Borgo Egnazia didn’t lay one person off and has used this time to do what few have imagined.

On the Leading from Purpose Podcast this week, Nick Craig is joined by former CEO of Ben & Jerry's, Jostein Solheim, who is now at the heart of the COVID-19 crisis. How does he run Unilever’s $4 billion U.S. food business to keep up with demand from U.S. grocery stores while also keeping his 8,000 employees safe? Jostein Solheim finds himself leaning on his Purpose to make the shiftfrom “doing” to “being” to get his team through. Jostein, the eternal optimist, reminds us that “we’ll come out of this stronger and better as a humanity, as business leaders, and as a business." 

On this episode, Nick Craig is joined by Stacey Tank, who was recently appointed as the next Chief Corporate Affairs and Transformation Officer at Heineken. Stacey is truly one of the most inspiring leaders. She shares her incredible journey of ups and downs and what it really takes to rise to the top as a powerful women in business today. From home improvement to beer, listen to hear how she’ll take Purpose with her to Amsterdam.

Listen in as Michael and Nick discuss the transformational power of individual purpose on a team and the team dynamic.

Both of Nick Craig's guests this week experienced being diagnosed positive for COVID-19 and living through the mental and physical challenges that came next. They share a very intimate side of the experience - facing the isolation, the worry, and the physical manifestations. Having to think through their life and come to peace with the chance of death is something most of us do not experience suddenly. Both share how their extensive work in knowing their Purposes was a leading force in their recovery.