S3 E6 How to avoid being “overwhelmed” in your first-time leadership role with Stéphane Jacqmin

Who better to have on the podcast than an experienced general manager transitioning to a new bigger role?

This episode is a must listen for all leaders in transition, be it as a first-timer or as a veteran.  It also served to remind me why I do what I do at Swim not Sink… 

Originally from Belgium, Stéphane can now be considered a global citizen having worked across the world at Unilever, Danone, Reckitt and Sanofi. He has just been appointed as Region Head Latin America for Sanofi Healthcare, the only continent he hasn’t worked in yet. Stéphane likes challenges and fixing things & is full of energy, as no doubt you´ll pick up from our conversation

Points we covered

·      His guiding value of “transmission” and what motivates him to share his experiences for the benefit of others

·      A “warts and all” account of his “overhelm” in Czech as a first-time leader and what he learnt from that going forward. The importance of investing in relationships before you need them

·      The self-awareness gap he has seen in some new leaders and the importance of gauging your own fit for the particular role.

·      Why he considers coaching as an investment vs a cost because “even the good leaders need support when stepping up a level”

·      And now as a leader of leaders, how he is preparing for his own transition; being comfortable in his skin, not treating his career as “a race” and taking distance from the “day to day” by balancing that with 2 other dimensions, creating the right environment for his team and creating the future

Thanks for listening, and if you think this can help a colleague, please share. 

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