Burning Bright Without Burning Out with Jing Mertoglu

Energy is “oxygen for leadership,” and it’s a choice you make in every interaction. Jing Mertoglu, Global VP Insights and Analytics, Suntory Global Spirits, joins host Nick Graham, Founder, Vertemis, to talk about burning bright without burning out. They explore heliotropic leadership and why teams naturally gravitate toward leaders who bring light rather than drain it, even during tough conversations. Jing shares practical ways to deliver difficult feedback with empathy and preparation, build trust and psychological safety, and protect your energy through boundaries, perspective, and self-kindness. They also discuss using passion points to guide career decisions, staying honest about what motivates you, and feeding curiosity through thought leaders, books, and podcasts while keeping a healthy life outside of work.00:00 Energy Beyond Work00:25 Podcast Intro Burnout Theme01:06 Meet Jing Urtulu02:06 Energy Is Leadership Oxygen04:21 Heliotropic Leadership Light08:40 Kind Yet Accountable09:37 Difficult Feedback With Empathy12:41 Protecting And Resetting Energy17:28 Passion As Career Filter22:00 Learning Curiosity Sources25:17 Advice For Emerging Leaders28:39 Closing Takeaways And WrapInsights & Innovators Podcast from MRII | Hosted by The Greenbook Podcast NetworkExplore more episodes and resources → https://www.greenbook.org/podcast-networkLearn more about MRII → https://mrii.org/