94. Stephen Rose | From 5 Airborne to Tech CEO: Military Leadership, AI & Scaling Render Networks

In this episode, Klara Jagosova speaks with Stephen Rose, CEO of Render Networks, former Managing Partner at Nokia Bell Labs, and General Manager of Global Industries at IBM. A 25-year telecommunications and technology leader who served in the British Army 5 Airborne Brigade before building and leading businesses across four continents, Stephen brings a perspective on leadership, AI, and infrastructure that is anything but conventional.Stephen's journey spans serving in the elite British Army 5 Airborne Brigade, building a consultancy from zero to €11M and 90 consultants, leading Nokia's largest ever services deal at over $1B, reskilling 40% of IBM's global headcount, and now leading Render Networks at the most consequential moment in American broadband history.The conversation explores: What the 5 Airborne Brigade actually teaches you about leading people under pressure. Why most leaders get hierarchy completely wrong — and the distributed leadership model that works. How Stephen navigated engineering boardrooms for decades without a formal engineering degree. How radical transparency got 40% of IBM reskilled faster than any performance review ever could. Why fiber and electric infrastructure builds are now one race — and what the next 24 months look like. How AI is reshaping how field crews build and verify networks at scale.The fear bubble framework for separating real risk from perceived anxiety.🎗️ Stephen is running the annual Para 10-miler to support veterans battling cancer and suicide. Donate here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-our-fight-against-cancer-and-veteran-suicidesConnect with Stephen:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thestephenrose/[email protected] Rebel Newsletter:https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/rebel-rebel-7415159371611086850/The Fear Bubble:https://a.co/d/04ouny37Music — Karl Jenkins, The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace:https://youtu.be/nslz63M70c0?si=9zKhwrBp4hE2NzJ7Send us Fan MailLEORÊVER COMPRESSION AND ACTIVEWEARGet 10% off Loerêver Balanced Compression and Activewear to elevate your confidence and performance8 EIGHT SLEEPSave $200 on 8Sleep and get better quality and deeper sleep with automatic temperature adjustmentDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.This content is also available in a video version on YouTube.If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who may enjoy it as well, and consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. You can also submit your feedback directly on my website. Follow @GrandSlamJourney on Instagram, Facebook,  Twitter, and join the  LinkedIn community.