THINK BLUE co-hosts Manish Sharma and Sri Rajagopalan talk to Greg Welch - partner at the executive consulting firm Spencer Stuart. Greg's extensive experience in placing CEOs, board members, senior leaders in our industry is well known. With 25 years in this space, he is the perfect person to discuss leadership traits and what separates one leader from another and what are the traits he looks for when interviewing anyone for senior roles.

Find Greg Welch on Linkedin at : https://www.linkedin.com/in/gwwelch/
Find Spencer Stuart on Linkedin at : https://www.linkedin.com/company/spencer-stuart/
Find Spencer Stuart online at : https://www.spencerstuart.com/
Find Manish Sharma on Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicbertram/
Find Sri Rajagopalan on Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/sri-rajagopalan-09a0062/

Here's what we asked him :
1. Leadership Journey
"Greg, you’ve had an incredible career helping companies recruit top leaders. To start off, can you share a defining moment in your career that shaped your leadership style?"
2. Industry Insight
"You’ve spent years evaluating and recruiting leaders. From your perspective, what qualities or traits do you see consistently in people who go on to become great leaders?"
3. Mentorship and Growth
"Who has been the most influential mentor in your journey, and what key lesson did they impart to you that still influences your leadership approach today?"
4. Leadership Philosophy
"How would you succinctly describe your leadership philosophy, especially considering the unique role you play in helping organizations find their future leaders?"
5. Talent Identification
"When you're assessing potential leaders for executive roles, what specific qualities or behaviors stand out to you that indicate a person has the potential for greatness?"
6. Leadership Challenges
"Every leader faces challenges. Could you share a significant challenge you encountered during your career, and how you approached overcoming it?"
7. Nurturing Leadership in Others
"How do you identify and nurture emerging leaders within an organization, especially when you're tasked with finding someone who fits both the culture and the leadership needs of a company?"
8. Future of Leadership
"Looking ahead, what qualities do you believe are going to be the most important for leaders to succeed, especially as the workplace evolves with technological advancements and changing workforce dynamics?"
9. Personal Growth and Development
"Greg, even with all your experience, how do you continue to grow and develop as a leader? What drives your personal growth?"
10. Cultural Fit
"Given the diversity of leadership styles and company cultures, how do you assess whether a leader is the right cultural fit for a specific organization?"
11. Emotional Intelligence
"In today’s leadership, emotional inte

DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from Thinkblue consulting, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Thinkblue consulting, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Thinkblue consulting LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast.

THINK BLUE co-hosts Manish Sharma and Sri Rajagopalan talk to Mark Baum - who currently serves as Chief Collaboration & Commercial Officer & Senior Vice President, Industry Relations for FMI - The Food Industry Association. In this role, Mark engages retailer, manufacturer, supplier, and service provider C-Suite executives to further trading partner collaboration, leading to operational improvements and growth opportunities across all segments of the food retail supply chain. Baum is known for his intricate knowledge of almost every aspect of the food, beverage, consumer packaged goods (CPG), and retail industry. He is also recognized as one of the foremost experts in the design, management, and execution of strategic and commercial sales, marketing, and merchandising models across consumer facing industries.
Find Mark Baum on Linkedin at : https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-baum-28b8822/
Find FMI on Linkedin at : https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmithefoodindustryassociation/
Find FMI online at : https://www.fmi.org/
Find Manish Sharma on Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicbertram/
Find Sri Rajagopalan on Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/sri-rajagopalan-09a0062/
Here's what we discussed :
Manish: Who has been a big influence or mentor for you along the way, and what's one lesson from them that really stuck with you?"
Sri: "That's a great story, Mark. Now, if you had to sum up your leadership philosophy in just a few sentences, how would you describe it?"
Manish: "Balancing vision and day-to-day management can be challenging. How do you manage to keep that balance?"
Sri: "Speaking of challenges, can you share a significant one you faced as a leader and how you overcame it?"
Manish: "Dealing with failures and setbacks is part of the journey. How do you handle them personally and within your team?"
Sri: "Let's talk about decision-making. What's your process when you're faced with critical decisions?"
Manish: "That's fascinating. How do you blend intuition with data when making decisions?"
Sri: "Creating a culture of innovation is so important. How do you foster that within your organization?"
Manish: "And how do you identify and develop emerging leaders in your team?"
Sri: "Looking ahead, what qualities do you think future leaders need to succeed?"
Manish: "How do you see leadership evolving in the next decade, especially with all the technological advancements and changing workforce dynamics?"
Sri: "Personal growth is a continuous journey. How do you keep growing and developing as a leader?"
Manish: "What legacy do you hope to leave behind as a leader?"

DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from Thinkblue consulting, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Thinkblue consulting, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Thinkblue consulting LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast.