Episode 15 - Leena Nair

This week we are honoured to be joined by a global trailblazer of the human resources world, Leena Nair. As the first female, first Asian, and youngest ever Chief Human Resource Officer at Unilever, Leena supports the 150,000-strong Unilever workforce across 190 countries. In this insightful episode, she talks passionately about her leadership journey within the company, discussing her time as a young trainee on the factory floor in India, and highlighting the challenges she has faced in breaking glass ceilings throughout her career. Talking with great honesty and sincerity, Leena conveys the importance of finding your purpose in life and pursuing it even if those around you doubt you. She unpacks the Unilever leadership philosophy, sharing with us the importance of working on your own “inner game” and the need to use “failure as a stepping-stone to success”. Leena also gives us an intimate insight into her modern leadership approach, emphasising the importance of personal resilience, creating psychological safety within your team, and the need for “team think” in tackling contemporary complex problems. Finally, Leena gives an optimistic view of the new generation of leaders, highlighting their drive and desire to make the world a better place. A privileged insight from one of the world leaders in human resources.