Leading From Purpose Podcast

When a life-altering diagnosis shakes everything, how does a leader stay true to their mission? Former Silicon Couloir CEO Gary Trauner joins Nick Craig to share how his health crisis tested his resilience and deepened his sense of purpose.In this candid conversation, he unpacks hard-earned lessons on clarity, perseverance, and impact, proving that true leadership is forged in adversity.In this episode, we discuss:●       From CEO to navigating a major health crisis●       How purpose guides leadership in tough times●       Balancing ambition with life's unpredictability●       Gaining clarity through adversity●       Adapting purpose as life evolves

Steve Bewick is the Chief Commercial Officer for dormakaba, a global leader in safety and security solutions. With a purpose defined as “Cool head, caring heart, wild places,” Steve shares his personal journey of discovering and living his purpose both in business and life.In this episode, host Nick Craig and Steve discuss how purpose-driven leadership shapes team culture, creates psychological safety, and forges authentic connections across diverse global teams. Steve offers candid stories about building trust, navigating challenging conversations, and sparking transformation during remote and in-person team journeys.In this episode, we discuss:●       Why discovering personal purpose shapes leadership approach.●       When emotional connection builds trust in global teams.●       Navigating tough conversations with practical strategies.●       Fostering psychological safety and vulnerability at work.●       How adventure and authenticity unlock team potential.

What if business could be the driving force for real change? Andy Last isn't just talking about it – he's making it happen. He has advised senior leadership in organizations including Unilever, Mondelez, Bayer and the Lego Group and led that consultancy to become a founding UK B Corp. From launching Global Handwashing Day to shaping the UN's International Day of Play, his work has changed lives on a global scale.In this episode, we discuss:●       The story behind Global Handwashing Day and how it became a worldwide movement●       How the LEGO Group's International Day of Play is shaping the future of childhood●       Why businesses need to integrate purpose into their core strategy – and how they can do it●       The power of creativity and fun in driving social good●       How aligning personal, brand, and corporate purpose leads to real impact.

Charlie Malouf and Manny Rodrigues lead Broad River Retail, a company with 33 stores across the Carolinas and Georgia. In this episode, host Nick Craig dives into their incredible journey – from near bankruptcy to a thriving business. Charlie (CEO) and Manny (President and COO) share how their personal purposes – Charlie's “Play the game and rise to the occasion” and Manny's “Illuminate the path one story at a time” – helped them drive growth, build a strong team, and change the way people see furniture retail. They also reveal the bold moves that reshaped their company culture and success. In this episode, we discuss:●       How personal purpose fuels business success●       Innovating through near-bankruptcy●       Redefining careers in retail●       The rise of “Million Dollar Memory Makers”●       Project Cascade and bold market expansion Links mentioned:Connect with Charlie Malouf on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/iposit/Connect with Manny Rodrigues on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mannyrodrigues-23/Broad River Retail https://broadriverretail.com/Stories From The River https://www.youtube.com/@StoriesFromTheRiverRiverstone Logistics https://rlx.us/Spokane market https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q_H3Mjltjk

Steve Miles is the former Chief Marketing Officer for Dove at Unilever. Steve's purpose is to create beauty and brilliance in brands and people. Steve reflects on his 29-year journey at Unilever, his integral role in leading Dove and furthering its Campaign For Real Beauty, and the challenges he faced in revitalizing the brand. He shares how blending analytical and creative skills helped him achieve remarkable success, boosting Dove's brand value by several billions of dollars. We also explore the importance of defining a purpose that transcends professional titles.In this episode, we discuss:●       Aligning personal purpose with professional goals●       The journey from Dove CMO to purpose-driven retiree●       How to balance career and personal growth●       Why post-retirement life isn't “the end”, but a shift in focus●       How excellence isn't a one-time event 

Nick Craig sits down with Loren Shuster, Chief People Officer for the LEGO Group, where they focus on the pivotal role of wellbeing & applying your purpose yourself. Loren underscores the importance of setting boundaries, investing in meaningful relationships, and ensuring personal nourishment… even in the face of high-pressure roles.  In this episode, we discuss:●       The ‘Oxygen Mask' principle●       A disciplined approach to exercise, diet, and mindfulness●       Intentional and meaningful relationships●       The science behind booking holidays●       … and other ways to integrate purpose into your everyday life

Loren Shuster is the Chief People Officer for the LEGO Group. Loren and I have been on quite a journey together, and in this episode, we'll explore his path from Chief Commercial Officer to Chief People Officer. We'll discuss toy industry challenges, especially post-COVID, and how aligning individual purpose with the LEGO Group's mission has created immense value and driven success.In this episode, we discuss:●       How the LEGO Group has outpaced toy industry growth●       Transitioning from Chief Commercial Officer to Chief People Officer●       How the LEGO Group doubled its size in 7 years●       The rise of corporate purpose in 2024●       Digital impact on children's play

In today's episode, we'll dive deep into the incredible journey of Tran Tue Tri, a distinguished guest from Vietnam, who's shifting the narrative around purpose and impact on a national scale. Nick and Tri explore her evolution from a childhood in post-war Vietnam to becoming a senior executive at global giants like Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Now, Tri is channelling her passion and expertise into branding her home country, Vietnam.  In this episode, we discuss:●       Childhood experiences during Vietnam's post-war period●       The decision to move away from a corporate career at P&G and Unilever●       Why it's important to develop the global brand of Vietnam●       How purpose serves as a compass during uncertain times●       Introducing the ‘Purpose to Impact' program for leaders in Vietnam

Today we are joined by two extraordinary purpose-driven leaders, Sibon Schouten and Xander Meijer. Based in Amsterdam, Sibon is the founder of Markd Global, a company dedicated to helping global leaders and their businesses grow and scale to make a societal impact. Xander, a former corporate executive found his true calling by reconnecting people to nature through good food. This led him to co-found The Farm Kitchen and work intimately with local regenerative farmers to create enriching soil-to-plate food experiences. Both of our guests share their unique journeys and profound wisdom on the interconnectedness of purpose, nature, and business. In this episode, we discuss:●       What it means to be a "global village human”●       Embracing the South African concept of Ubuntu●       Team building through cooking workshops and eating together●       How time in nature can influence your sense of purpose●       Personal energy and food connection 

In this episode we are joined by Claire Thwaites and Ed Lewin from the LEGO Group. We explore how their Government & Public Affairs team navigated the challenges of maintaining purpose and identity within a global team, culminating in the creation of the groundbreaking International Day of Play. Join us as we unravel the inspiring story of collaboration, resilience, and the power of purpose in achieving remarkable outcomes.In this episode, we discuss:●       The concept of an International Day of Play within the LEGO Group framework●       The collaboration of various organizations, including commercial entities, NGOs, and governments●       The impact of play under stress during the pandemic●       Overcoming the challenge of maintaining a global team's identity in various local environments●       The success of achieving a UN International Day of Play

Carlos Rey is an expert who has spent 15 years pioneering the integration of purpose into the corporate world. Carlos introduces us to his acclaimed three-question approach, providing insights into how organizations can align their culture and values with their employee's sense of purpose. Refining the art of measuring purpose, Carlos and his team have identified the need for a multifaceted approach.  Carlos has also authored multiple published articles for HDBR (Harvard Deusto Business Review).   In this episode, we discuss:●     The three key questions on purpose●     The multi-faceted approach to effectively measure purpose●     The goal of measurement for improvement – not merely for display●     Continuous improvement in purpose initiatives Links mentioned:www.measuretoimprove.org

Nick Craig sits down with Paul Cobban, who served as the Chief Transformation Officer at DBS Bank in Singapore for over a decade. Paul shares a vivid account of his first day at DBS and the challenges they faced, such as long wait times, low customer satisfaction scores, and underperforming financial metrics. They discuss the evolution of a purpose-driven approach that propelled DBS to become the best digital bank and earned it prestigious accolades. In this episode, we discuss:●       Purpose-driven transformation vs. traditional transformations●       Enhancing the internal employee experiences●       The implementation of the rituals "meeting mojo" and “racoon”●       How to change culture through design●       What are the characteristics of purpose-driven transformation?

Jonathan Donner, the former Chief Learning Officer at Unilever, shares insights and experiences from his transformative work with Nick in instilling purpose and authenticity within the senior leadership at Unilever. Across his career, Jonathan has successfully led large global teams and has been cited as one of the top professionals in his field; recognized for innovations and accomplishments in leading publications around the world.In this episode, we discuss:●       What connected and purpose-driven talent management looks like●       Designing a comprehensive talent development program●       Authentic conversations and psychological safety in talent development●       The future of work and the evolving nature of leadership●       The balance between humanity and the rise of technology and AI

On this episode of Leading from Purpose Podcast, Nick is joined by best-selling author of Deep Purpose, Ranjay Gulati. A Harvard Business School professor whose pursuit was to strategize how to unlock growth for companies in good times and in bad until he discovered that the ultimate unlock of performance in a business on all dimensions is purpose. Ranjay has studied the likes of Facebook, Best Buy, Etsy, Buhler, The LEGO Group and more to understand the business value of having a purpose to create a moral community versus a purpose statement for profit.   Listen in for how Ranjay defines purpose in a way that resonates with individuals and organizations and unveils the true challenge most people have with purpose – focusing on the self AND the consequences for the world. Leaders have choices to make every day  – how much do I give shareholders? How much do I give customers in terms of pricing? How much do I give employees? The community? The planet? It's one thing to create value. It another thing to capture it and then have to decide how to divvy it up. Having a Deep Purpose, gives you a guiding light or framework in which you can think about the inevitable tradeoffs that will ultimately determine the trajectory of your organization.Find out the 4 business benefits of purpose and how to make it count. 

Snuggle in, turn up the volume and get ready for an energizing yet realistic view from the head of Talent and Development at one of the pioneers in the organizational purpose space – The LEGO Group.  On this episode, Zahed Kamathia, joins Nick to chat about individual purpose, a company purpose and how a business uses purpose as a lever to create a company culture employees feel connected to and energized by.  How do you attract the best talent and keep them?Creating a company purpose isn't the hard part, the challenge is in creating a connection between the company purpose and its employees – that is where effort and investment is required.The LEGO Group offers a purpose course to every single employee across the world. The entire workforce has an opportunity to invest in themselves and put their own purpose into words. The experience is different for every single person, but the impact it has on the business is in the stories they share and the perspective they bring back to work. While each individual is unique, there is one common outcome – everyone discovers their purpose and it defines how they show up in the organization and connect to The LEGO Group's purpose “to inspire the builders of tomorrow.”Purpose isn't just a Talent and Development tool, it impacts business results. To quote Zahed, working for The LEGO Group isn't quite like “walking into Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory! It is a creative and fantastic place to work, but it's also a business that is driven by innovation, growth demands and high ambitions.” In 2021 alone, the company saw historic growth in both sales and profit - their net profit grew 140%.For The LEGO Group, its purpose isn't just a set of words, it has meaning and is integrated into every aspect of the business, but more importantly, it's why the top talent wants to work there. Hear more from Zahed on his personal purpose statement and how he discovered the value of “Purpose” with a capital “P.” 

“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 WojcickiWith 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, @ConstintinaTribou, 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.

If a crisis can create social excellence without leadership, can leadership create social excellence without crisis? This is the fundamental question Nick Craig and Robert Quinn explore in this chapter.

Listen to a conversation between Nick Craig and Harry Hutson, author of Navigating an Organizational Crisis, as they discuss the power of purpose in times like we are living through currently. What lessons from others can we lean into during this coronavirus pandemic we are all facing today?

Join Nick Craig as he interviews Bill George, best-selling author, Professor at Harvard Business School and former CEO of Medtronic. They discuss Bill's personal journey to unlocking the fundamentals behind Authentic Leadership. Bill and Nick transition their discussion to why Authentic Leadership is so critical in times of crisis such as what the world is experiencing currently.