Management Today's Leadership Lessons

Ikea is known by customers for its iconic flat-pack furniture, maze-like stores, and delicious meatballs – but when Ingvar Kamprad founded the company in 1943 he also wanted to implement a strong company culture of inclusivity and openness. Today, that same culture is now in the capable hands of global people and culture manager, Ulrika Biesért, who is tasked with taking Kamprad's progressive idea...

On this week’s episode, we discuss what we learned from the CBI conference, MT’s new list of its Top 100 Management Consultancies, and why we’re not seeing gen AI transform business models. Last week, Antonia Garrett Peel attended the Confederation of British Industry’s annual conference to watch two political heavyweights – Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch – present...

Just when you think you’ve got your head around AI, a new type of technology comes racing around the corner - quantum computing According to IBM’s UK and Ireland CEO, Nicola Hodson, quantum computing is “the next era of computing”. It allows the possibility of solving problems that either cannot be dealt with, or would take too long to deal with, through “conventional computing”. While it is still...

On this week’s episode of The Debrief, MT’s editorial team discusses CEOs’ supply chain fears, what a new Trump presidency means for global trade, and how M&S bounced back. “There is arguably no change of administration in the world that has more of an impact on global trade than [that] in the US,” says Simon Geale, EVP at supply chain consultancy Proxima. So, with Donald Trump having clinched a d...

In September, airBaltic outlined its hope to raise €300 million as it continues to prepare for a potential initial public offering that could take place as early as by the end of the year. The funds would support its ambition to double in size over the next five years. The outlook for Latvia’s flag carrier hasn’t always looked as promising, however. When CEO Martin Gauss joined the company in 2011...

On today’s episode, we hear some reactions to the autumn budget and discuss new research into the best way to mitigate reputational damage in the wake of a cyberattack. Given the seismic political developments of the past few days in the US, the autumn budget is starting to feel like a long time ago. But business leaders had a lot to say about the measures announced by new Chancellor of the Excheq...

Finding a perfect match during an M&A is no easy feat and something that Duncan Clarke, co-founder of Flourish and Head of Europe at Canva, experienced first hand. Having been both the acquired and acquirer, he has discovered what it takes to make a acquisition flourish. On today's episode, he explains why he prioritised shared values and long term vision over immediate financial gains during an a...

On this week’s episode of The Debrief, MT’s editorial team discusses whether disinformation is the next critical frontier for business and asks if chatbots are a business critical tool. ‘Fake news’ is a very modern phenomenon. Of course, there has always been spin, slander, and rumours. But the term – which is perhaps most closely associated with one of the most polarising US presidents of modern...

This week we meet Gabriel Fernandez, president of confectionery company Mars Wrigley. With experience in both European and Latin America, Fernandez discusses how he's successfully grown the business across both of these diverse markets and how these different cultures have shaped his management style. As an organisation dedicated to sustainability, Fernandez and I discuss the recent updates to Mar...

On this week's episode, we discuss why businesses should focus on fewer, clearer goals during a period of transformation and which companies made it onto the gender equity nice list. According to the Project Management Institute, the global economy bleeds a million dollars every 20 seconds due to ineffective implementation of business strategies. Companies are pouring billions into strategic initi...

There are some eventualities that are not covered by any job description, as Tim Cadogan found out when he took the reins at GoFundMe in early March 2020 (you know the rest). This week’s guest on Leadership Lessons, Cadogan told MT how he navigated the challenge of getting to know a new business and team remotely, at the same time as activity on the crowdfunding platform was spiking. Now, under hi...

On the latest episode of The Debrief, MT’s editorial team discusses steps for rebuilding trust after a scandal and takes you into the heart of the dynamic pricing debate. It has been a year and a half since the CBI was engulfed by a sexual misconduct scandal that brought the business group to the brink of collapse. And alongside the resultant financial challenges, the organisation has faced an uph...

As waves of disruption reshape what the future of business is likely to look like, current and future leaders need to adapt their skills to embrace change. In this week's episode, three MT’s 35 Women Under 35 winners discuss how leaders can embrace change and grow their businesses. Credits: Presenter: Éilis Cronin Producer: Inga Marsden Artwork: David Robinson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privac...

On this week’s episode of The Debrief, MT’s editorial team discusses what we can expect from the economy in the next few years and research from EY suggesting that CEO confidence in the global outlook is fuelling M&A activity. As political strategist James Carville famously drilled into Bill Clinton campaign staffers, “it’s the economy, stupid”. But after several years of successive disruptions, p...

Dame Stephanie Shirley has a fascinating – and difficult – story to tell. Aged just five, she was one of nearly 10,000 children who were sent to England on board the Kindertransport to escape the dangers posed by Nazi Germany. It was a life defining moment that would equip Dame Stephanie with a resilience that would see her set up a successful software business, at a time when attitudes to women i...

On this week's episode, we discuss how long investors are likely to wait for tech firms to turn a profit and the phenomenal rise of Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD.  Links: https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/chinese-electric-vehicle-maker-byd-achieve-automotive-dominance/indepth/article/1886214 https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/just-long-will-investors-wait-tech-firms-spotify-turn-profit/in...

All companies nowadays are digital companies, and therefore face an imperative to continually push technology-led transformation.  In this week’s episode, BT Business’s CEO Bas Burger discusses how to navigate the digital landscape and identify the tools that will generate value for your business.  Having landed his first CEO role at the age of 31, he also offers his advice for first-tim...

On today’s episode, we discuss the impact of ‘gamification’ on the digital retail space, how to hit the right notes in your internal comms, and Deloitte’s advice for elevating technology conversations in the boardroom.  Links: https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/shein-temu-tiktok-shop-chinese-e-commerce-platforms-existential-threat/indepth/article/1884882 https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/grea...

Matt Wreford chose to leave a promising career rather than continue to keep quiet about his sexuality. At the time he was working in the financial services sector but was advised his promotion opportunities would be stymied if senior executives found out about his sexuality.  That decision would shape his career – and his ability to provide a more welcoming environment for his LGBTQ+ colleagu...

On today’s episode, we discuss Labour’s plans for ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting, the scourge of cyber attacks and how businesses are faring post-pandemic. Links: https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/kings-speech-will-ethnicity-disability-pay-gap-reporting-move-dial-pay-equality/food-for-thought/article/1881442 https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/cyber-threat-landscape-the-worst-past-five-y...

This week we meet Russ Lidstone, president of Inizio Engage XD. He believes businesses are made up of Red Meat and Red Roses players, both of whom needs specific support in order to excel in their roles. We discussed how leaders can identify which category their employees fall into and the best ways to support them through challenging times. He says, "There are times, of course, where there's no s...

On today’s episode, we discuss what CEOs think about the change in government, what lessons we can learn from transformational M&A success stories, and how gender influences entrepreneurs’ choice of co-founder. Links: https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/ceos-think-change-government/down-to-business/article/1880010 https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/four-lessons-genuinely-transformational-m-a-deals/in...

There’s an undeniable fascination in observing US tech tycoons’ bizarre efforts to ‘de-age’, from blood plasma transfusions to investing in “cellular rejuvenation” start-ups. Yet, while Bryan Johnson and fellow anti-ageing obsessives try to cheat (or, as they would see it, ‘hack’) biology, there’s a reality “we all know yet fail to act on”, Andrew Scott writes in the introduction to The Longevity...

On today’s episode, Éilis Cronin and Antonia Garrett Peel discuss the problem with 'leaning in', PR lessons from the Post Office inquiry, and an interview with the co-founder of a digital marketing agency when 20% of the staff are neurodivergent. Links: https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/research-telling-women-lean-in-harm-good/indepth/article/1878199 https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/opinion-publi...

On today's episode we meet Joanna Swash who, despite kicking off her career with a failed business, rose through the ranks to become the CEO of Moneypenny. She talks to MT about the the differences between working in the UK and the US, and her 'no egos' ethos, and the two faces of leadership. She says: "We all make mistakes, we're all human, we're all vulnerable. If we're going to pretend to be be...