Is Ruthlessness the Price of Reaching the Top? | A Leaders' Panel Discussion

What’s the one toxic leadership behaviour you’d banish forever? In this special Leadership Room 101 episode of The Courageous Leaders Podcast, three industry leaders each argue to banish one leadership behaviour for good: busyness, fear-based leadership, or pay-to-play culture. I’m joined by Katy Wright (Chief Client & Business Officer, AMV BBDO), Sergio Lopez Ferrero (Global CEO, Omnicom Production), and Sachini Imbuldeniya (Co-Founder & CEO, House of Oddities).Each leader gets around ten minutes to make their case, and at the end I pick just one to send into Room 101. The debate is honest, funny, and at times a little controversial, and each argument says something real about how leadership and the creative industry work today.What We Cover:00:00 Trailer00:50 The Leadership Room 101 concept, and meet the three leaders01:50 Katy's nomination: Busyness as a badge of honour06:20 Is being "busy" really pride, or is it fear?10:20 The fear of not looking busy enough12:50 The link between rest, sleep, and real creativity19:50 Sergio's nomination: Fear-based leadership21:50 Why blaming an unnamed "head office" erodes trust24:50 Can a little fear actually be healthy in leadership?27:20 Why "alpha" leadership is over, and vulnerability is rising27:50 The uncomfortable debate: do CEOs have psychopathic tendencies?40:50 Sachini's nomination: Why pay-to-play is rigging the industry45:50 Awards and access: is success bought or earned?47:50 How pay-to-play shuts out great creative work48:50 My verdict: which behaviour goes into Leadership Room 101Key Leadership Insights:Why “busy” has become a status symbol, and what it often hidesHow to hear what your team are really telling you when they say they’re busyWhy a small amount of healthy fear can sharpen accountabilityWhy vulnerability now makes leaders more followable, not lessHow pay-to-play systems in awards and pitching hold the industry backWhy fixing fairness at the top can change a whole company culturePart debate, part masterclass, and a lot of fun. By the end you’ll be deciding which leadership behaviour you’d banish too.👍 Stay inspired by joining our YouTube community! Click the link, hit the subscribe button, leave a comment, and never miss an episode. Your support helps us empower courageous leaders like you!https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2kZ-x8fDHKEVb222qpQ_NQ🚀 Elevate Your Leadership:Book a call for transformative leadership and team coaching:Website: https://thechangecreators.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/ → Join our newsletter for courageous leadership insights and advice. 👉 Subscribe here: https://the-change-creators.kit.com/1a5f3c9e54