Leading with Diversity – Lara Brans

Listen to our latest podcast episode with inspiring Lara Brans! Lara is a Senior Executive with 30 years of experience in the FMCG industry. She is now an Executive President for the Asia Pacific region at JDE Peet’s. Lara has spent 25 years in the company and worked in 6 different countries across 3 different continents. 

In this conversation, we talk about why it’s essential to be Full On Inspired, self-aware, and sensitive to different cultures as a leader, especially when leading in different regions around the world.

Listen to the S2 E2 ‘Leading with Diversity’ with Lara Brans

You will learn these 3 lessons from Lara:

• Be Inspired to Inspire
• Building your team for growth
• Leading in different regions & cultures

This podcast episode was recorded in 2023.

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Zannah Ryabchuk

Building your team for growth.

Lara Brans

Self awareness is key to become or be a good leader. You learn that by listening, asking for feedback. And also, I would say, by making lots of mistakes.

Zannah Ryabchuk

Leading in different regions and cultures.

Lara Brans

I’ve always had that high curiosity to understand what what drives others and where are they coming from, you know, from from their backgrounds in their cultures, be sensitive, and be respectful, because there are more ways that lead to Rome.

Bart Sayle

Lesson one, master being full on an inspired.

Zannah Ryabchuk

What I found, Lara, on are often quite early morning sessions on Breakthrough programmes, where we do, kind of, mind, body connection sessions in the morning. If you’re one of those people that’s easy to spot and you maybe wouldn’t be aware of this, but you’re easy to spot because you always come down looking fresh faced.

Lara Brans

Really?

Zannah Ryabchuk

And you always come down full on ready to do the morning session. Get yourself energised as if you’ve actually already been out for several hours already. So you kind of do live your life in this full on state, that we’re helping many people to work towards mastery of. What keeps you full on? How do you get full on? How do you keep your teams full on? What’s the secret?

Lara Brans

Thank you for noticing that, by the way, and maybe a little detail. I’m not a morning person, I’m an evening person.

Zannah Ryabchuk

No. Really?

Lara Brans

Yes.

Zannah Ryabchuk

That’s just proof that you can turn the dial up. That’s absolutely proof.

Lara Brans

But you’re right. And it does make me feel a lot better to do you know, some physical fitness in the morning. I tend to do some yoga stretches and and it really helps if you do that in the morning, or in need some some physical exercise or again, walking the dogs to get that breath of fresh air and get your get your heart rate going. It really helps me but in general, I think that’s one of the concepts that was so insightful at Breakthrough as well is the energy states that you have. And it’s indeed full on or full off. I am generally speaking a full on person. But that’s also my character. If, you know, if I’m going to do something, then I want to give it my all, my best, otherwise I’m kind of wasting my time. I don’t know that, that’s just in me. But to replenish that energy, I think is super important. And I also love sleep and they sometimes tell me yeah, that’s my Indonesian side. Maybe I don’t know why, but I can sleep anywhere, anytime. And it’s really important for me to have that sleep. Because when I’m not sleeping, I’m always fully active. And I love physical activity. So sports, outdoor sports, for long walks. That’s how I replenish my energy. And I think it’s very important to do that. And I noticed it actually during the pandemic, when we were all at home office and we had these Teams meetings the whole day from back to back meetings. I thought it was very intense. And you really needed to make sure that you had breaks in between because if you do not exude energy, you cannot also expect that from others. You know, and in my case, I think positive energy is extremely contagious. But yeah, I think crucial, and each person has to do that him or herself, is to make sure that you replenish your energy in time.

Zannah Ryabchuk

Fantastic. And I think part of what you’re describing there about being full on is around being inspirational, right? So we can’t expect other people to be inspired if we’re not inspiring ourselves and connecting with what inspires us. I’m interested in a couple of areas to that. So first in how, as a female leader, you are keen on inspiring other young women to forge careers like yours, but also any particularly inspiring leaders that you’ve come across in your lifetime, who really inspired you and who you’ve taken some lessons from. It’d be great to hear your perspective on both of those things.

Lara Brans

Yeah. I think regarding female leadership, I think that there’s particular traits that I would say women in leadership positions, perhaps demonstrate a bit more than males. And what I mean by that is, when I look at intelligence, IQ, you know, that you learn throughout your education, you have your technical skills, etc. The emotional part of that, and you call that the emotional intelligence, the EQ, I think, what I see in a lot of women is that they’re often more equipped, I really like to lead by head and heart. So the head part is the rational part, the fact based part, the decisive part. I have those two combined, and I think I I notice that perhaps a bit more in in female leaders than than male. That said, all in all, I think diversity, whether it’s female, male, different cultures, different race, different sexuality, whatever it is, that is more important to have a diverse workforce. So you have, yeah, you can come to with your solutions, because you use different perspectives that that I would say, around around not only female leadership, but having a representation of all kinds of backgrounds, so you can have different perspectives. And then your second question about in leaders that inspire me along the way, it’s not like I could name things, but I am looking for traits, I guess, in in leaders. And that comes back to the earlier point we discussed and that is authenticity. So what they say is what they do. People who are visionary in the sense that they have a long term view, and every step along the way, is in in towards that long term view. And I would say, Yeah, take courageous decisions, you know, be decisive. If it’s the wrong one, then we can always steer back but to take a decision, I think courageous decision making. And also you we discussed that before, at the strong values and value driven attitude, and empathy or, or, or connect well with with people I think is key.

Zannah Ryabchuk

It’s wonderful to hear from any client of ours or somebody who’s a current client or been a previous client about how they have managed to implement the Breakthrough Tools into their everyday lives. And being full on is definitely something that I see in Lara all the time. At Breakthrough, being full on and intentional is one of our foundational values. It’s something that we have to live every single day. And it’s a lot of fun to do. So what does it mean to be full on? Well full on is when you’re fully intentional, you’re fully focused, you’re fully present and you’re fully energised. You’ve got all of your resources available in that moment, to take on the task to achieve the outcomes that you want. And it’s not about running around in a really high energy state, although you can do that, of course. You can be a low positive energy full on, you can be meditating, you can be full on when you’re reading, and you can probably be full on when you’re crunching a spreadsheet as well. It’s up to us to decide how we can shift our energy to improve our energy setting to get that little bit more out of life. So let me ask you now whatever your natural energy setting is, do you think that you could increase it? Do you think that you could turn that dial up by just another five or 10%? And what do you think the impact of that would be for you?

Bart Sayle

Everything starts with energy. So the basic question is, are you managing your energy? Or is your energy state managing you? And the thing about being full on is it’s contagious. So as a leader, you’ve got a choice. You can be full on, or the opposite of that what we call guests or even turned off. Both of those states will be contagious. So what sort of team do you want? What sort of workforce do you want? I know what I want. I want to workforce and the team that are full on and they’re enjoying things, and they’re in the presence, and they’re fulfilled. You are the role model for that.

Zannah Ryabchuk

And it’s exactly the same with inspiration, isn’t it? Inspiration is infectious, it’s contagious. We all want to be inspired, we don’t want to be working with a dull grey versions of each other, we want to be working with the inspired versions of ourselves, don’t we?

Bart Sayle

Lesson two, rise to the challenge, building the right team.

Lara Brans

Self awareness is key to become or be a good leader. Because if if you do not know what your strengths are, where your development needs are, how you come across to other people, what your impact is, you know, it’s very difficult to lead others. You learn that by listening, asking for feedback. And really listening to understand, you know, what do you mean by that? And also, I would say, by making lots of mistakes. You know, we’re nobody’s perfect and and you should accept that. And I think, yeah, over the years, the interpersonal connections, that’s where you really can increase your self awareness. But, but again, you have to be open for it to receive it because it’s not always nice what you hear. And I think you also have to ask yourself sometimes the question, hmm, this happened, could I have done that differently? Could I have reacted better? You know what I mean? So I think, yeah, that and that’s key. I think, by the way, it’s not only in business, this is really, it’s your family. It’s your, your, your partner, your friends telling you and and it’s also about you. Are you able to put yourself in a vulnerable position? Because I personally believe what you put in you will get out.

Bart Sayle

That’s a great answer and what that brings up for me, and if you don’t mind sharing some of this, is that what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve had in your leadership journey?

Lara Brans

Yeah. So yeah, I think in business, when I look at look back, oh, man, I’ve had a lot of challenges whereby you, you had to turn around the business, for example. And the key is to form a team, key people on key positions. And that’s not always easy. I probably have made some mistakes there. And I’ve reflected on that, actually, that sometimes you give people a chance and and I want to help because I want to develop people as well. But sometimes I should have probably decided earlier to either say goodbye to that person or replace it. But it’s it doesn’t always happen in the right time period. You know what I mean? But I think also going into a certain country thinking, “Oh, yeah, I see what’s happening here, I can solve that situation immediately. Let’s do this and that,” hmm I forgot a little bit about the culture that these people don’t want to be told what to do. I have to go through others and form a team first, and then, you know, put the facts on the table, take a joint decision, take them on the journey, and then you get much more buy in. But you learned that the hard way. You learn from your mistakes. And I actually, I never regret doing anything. And I don’t see it as a failure. I see it as a disappointment sometimes. But you know, hey, tomorrow is another day and we’ll do it differently. And one thing I’d like to mention as well, and I see that with with young talents, for example, who want to climb up the career ladder really fast, and they get bored after a year, they want to do something else. And I’m a bit conservative in that way, because I think you should stay put and maybe I sound really old fashioned, but you have to stay put for a few years. You know why? Because then you can also see what mistakes you’ve done along the way. But if you’re somewhere too short, you will never see that.

Bart Sayle

But that’s a good example for some of our audience, some of our listeners who are just starting out on their own leadership journey, that those those experiences are valuable. It doesn’t mean to say you failed. It just means that you’ve made a mistake. And that mistake is giving you learning if you take the learning on and what you’re talking about there is is where learning then becomes growth.

Zannah Ryabchuk

And Lara’s absolutely right. Building the right team to deliver on the objectives that you want to meet. Building the right team to be a group of people that you want to work with every day. Building a team for variety and diversity but to make sure that you have a values fit is absolutely critical to giving you the best shot at success in an organisation.

Bart Sayle

This is so important to any leader, but particularly to a new leader. New leaders very often inherit a team. There may be people on that team who thought that they get that leadership job. There may be people on that team who are not full on about following you. So it’s very important in those early days and early months, to really get a team that’s going to work with you and for you, and support you.

Zannah Ryabchuk

So ask yourself, have you got the right people on the bus? Do you have the right skills and capabilities? And most importantly, the right mindset and collective mindset in your team to get you to where you need to go?

Bart Sayle

Lesson three, It’s not strange, it’s different.

Zannah Ryabchuk

So Lara, you’ve had an amazing career with what has been an evolving organisation and that’s one of the reasons that we wanted to talk with you today. Maybe if you just give us an our listeners a little bit of a flavour of the career that you’ve had up to now?

Lara Brans

Yeah, it’s my honour and my pleasure to do so. And as a matter of fact, this month, is 25 years with the company.

Zannah Ryabchuk

Wow, congratulations.

Bart Sayle

Congratulations.

Lara Brans

Thank you. Yeah. So it’s a good timing, as a matter of fact. Yeah. And you’re right. In all iterations, I’ve been with this company and I can tell you one thing. 25 years ago, I didn’t think I would be here in this position right now but I’m extremely happy and very, very proud that, that I’m now a member of the executive team. But what kept me here was all the great opportunities. And I would say, ditto challenges, if not more challenges, for which I’m very grateful for. I’ve worked in about five, six different countries across three different continents. So started in, back in the Netherlands, then I moved to Asia, and Malaysia, Australia, Brazil, Singapore. And that’s where I’m currently at, by the way. So I’m now in Singapore for the past four years. And yet during that tenure, I’ve had so many different opportunities to drive business forward. And when I look at that, what is key for me to keep me let’s say, engaged and occupied, because normally, I’m the kind of person that gets perhaps a little bit bored after a couple of years, I thrive on challenges. But I’ve had so many opportunities to drive different businesses in different stages of development. So it’s a really broad experience but I would say, leading through all of these different phases, gives you so much experience. So I never had a moment that I was bored. As a matter of fact, I think one thing was constant. And that was change. And I think the extra dimension other than, you know, leading businesses through different phases, is also the dimension of different geographies, because you had to adapt personally to very different cultures, speak different languages. That sounds exotic, and it sounds all very positive. But it also it takes takes a lot of you. Not only of you but also your your, your your family. So yeah, it’s given me a lot. And it’s a richness that I’m I’m very grateful for, and it’s a continuous journey.

Zannah Ryabchuk

What would your advice be to leaders who are maybe starting out? Or maybe they’re starting a new assignment in a different country or, or a different organisation, and they want to bring their authentic self, but they’re going to need to adapt in some way? How would you navigate that?

Lara Brans

It’s interesting. My mom has always said to me, be yourself, you know, and it’s true. I mean, you are who you are. And that does not have to change and should not change because I think then you’re wearing a mask. Can you find unit? I absolutely think so. Can you adapt? I also think so. But it needs to be you and and you mentioned that authenticity. That’s, you know, I strongly believe in that what you see is what you get. And the best leaders that I recognise are the ones that are authentic. Where actions and words are in sync. So what they say they will do, and that’s how I mirror myself as well, by the way. Yeah, so so my advice indeed is but you have to adapt. So when you’re in a different culture, you also have to develop a sensitivity for different cultures. It is really important that you respect and understand, try to at least understand where they’re coming from what their perspective is. Because of course, you look through things through your lens and they look at it differently. Try to understand that. At least be open to it. And, yeah, maybe just just to illustrate that I am of mixed race. So my mum was from Indonesia, and my dad from the Netherlands. And that has formed me as a person, because I think, at a young age, I was already exposed to different cultures. And my mum always used to say, “That’s not strange, it is just different.” And I’ve always had that high curiosity to understand what what drives others? And where are they coming from, you know, from, from their backgrounds in their cultures.

Bart Sayle

But this is something that’s interested me because I’ve worked across different cultures for so many years. And I’d be interested where you see, the the, let’s call it the ethnic culture colliding with the corporate culture.

Lara Brans

I think that’s a really good observation and I think it has changed over the years, certainly in the past 25 years. I’ve seen that change. As a matter of fact, just in the past years, I would say, we have so much more attention for D&I, diversity and inclusivity. And I’m an absolute ambassador, of course, as you can understand of, of that theme. Even now, we are a very European focused company, as a matter of fact. So the values that we have in the Western company, and the ways of working with a European lens, is, first and foremost because most of our business is also based in Europe. However, I lead an Asia Pacific region, which is diverse, by definition. Has all these different cultures and my message is often be sensitive, and be respectful for the ways that other cultures may react or may handle certain businesses. And at least try to understand that, because there are more ways that lead to Rome. And I really think that we can be more open and it it helps, once you, you cultivate a more diverse associate base. So you have representatives of all the different geographies that’s so important, but it’s an ongoing journey and I think we all have a role. And it’s not easy, definitely not because some behaviours or some attitudes can can be interpreted as, just give you an example, in people in Asia sometimes are not so direct. They will say yes if they because they don’t want to lose face, but they may think otherwise and they may do otherwise. So you have to understand that. And the other thing is, they may come across as silent or not outspoken but that does not mean that they don’t know what they want. That does not mean that they’re not aggressive enough. They are. They know exactly what they want but they do it maybe in a passive way. And that sometimes I have to explain because I recognise that. And I do it a lot by intuition, and by learning over the years.

Zannah Ryabchuk

So here, Lara touches on a theme that is critical to all of our clients and community at the moment. And that is that we have to be certain that there is going to be more and more uncertainty. And what’s interesting is that she talks about how diversity and the importance of different cultures in organisations can become a key lever that we can utilise, to help us to perform at our best, even when times are uncertain, and how this has been a real benefit for her in her career.

Bart Sayle

In my experience working around the world with different cultures over the years, I now see that cultures are in layers, and they they build up and they overlap and sometimes they shift. So if we’re thinking of Lara, for example, she’s working in the far East. There are ethnic cultures from which people grow up. But also they they then join a global operation. And then there’s a there’s a global business culture that’s overlaid on top of that. And sometimes they can complement sometimes they can conflict. And I think it’s a leaders role to have inclusion of all that, but also to have the insights for when these different cultural forms are not really working together. And the real tip is to build your awareness and sensitivity to this so that you can pick up issues problems and conflict as quickly as possible so that they don’t fester in the dog out of hand.

Zannah Ryabchuk

Now onto the Hot Seat. This is the moment in the Breakthrough Leaders podcast where we ask your Hot Seat questions. Are you ready?

Lara Brans

Yes.

Zannah Ryabchuk

So what’s the most exciting thing you’ve ever done?

Lara Brans

Hmm. I have have done a lot of exciting things but I think there is probably a red thread through the ones that I find particularly exciting and that is adventures in nature. So for example, scuba diving with manta rays and sharks. That’s an amazing experience, somewhere far away in Papua New Guinea. Recently, I went to a horseback riding trip in Africa, riding amongst elephants, giraffes and lions, that type of stuff really, really I find exciting so.

Zannah Ryabchuk

I have to ask, where in Africa?

Lara Brans

Kenya.

Zannah Ryabchuk

Oh, that’s where I’m from.

Lara Brans

Oh, there you go.

Zannah Ryabchuk

Where did you go? Where did you go?

Lara Brans

To a lodge up north in in

Zannah Ryabchuk

Up north, oh beautiful. Beautiful.

Lara Brans

And it was fantastic. This is just fabulous to be one with nature. Yeah. And pretty scary too when you encounter a hippopotamus or an elephant. It’s like, okay.

Zannah Ryabchuk

What inspires you in life? We’ve touched on this slightly, but I’ll ask it again. So what inspires you in life?

Lara Brans

Curiosity for for different cultures. Yeah, I think that’s definitely my life inspiration. Yeah.

Zannah Ryabchuk

If you were to be deserted on a desert island, and you could only take one book with you, what would it be?

Lara Brans

That is an interesting one. I’m going to say The Things You Can Only See When You Slow Down. It’s by Haemin Sunim. Not sure if you’re familiar with that.

Bart Sayle

Yeah, I know that one.

Lara Brans

Fantastic. And it’s so full of interesting quotes. I can open it up, and it’s got beautiful pictures in it. And maybe it has, yes, yeah, Survival Guide.

Zannah Ryabchuk

That’s the most sensible one.

Bart Sayle

That’s excellent.

Lara Brans

That’s the practical one.

Zannah Ryabchuk

Definitely the thing that you need if you’re on a deserted island. Fantastic. All right, Lara, thank you so so, so much. It’s been an absolute pleasure.

Lara Brans

No, it’s my absolute pleasure and an honour and thanks for inviting me. I love, love, you know, our conversations. And as you said, it sparks so many things.

Bart Sayle

Well, thank you for the whole thing. It’s been it’s been a great conversation. And it’s been great to get to know you a little bit better. And, and there’s so many common things. It’s something that I always find that if you talk on the level that we’re talking, which is really about being a human being, we’re all connected.

Lara Brans

Exactly.

Bart Sayle

Thank you for joining us for today’s three lessons. Do make sure you hit the subscribe button and join us each month for three more lessons from Breakthrough Leaders.

Zannah Ryabchuk

And if you got a question or a comment or want to find out more, email us at bartsayle@breakthroughglobal.com or connect with us on LinkedIn at Breakthrough Global or on Instagram at Global Breakthrough.

Bart Sayle

We’d love to hear your own leadership stories. And we’d also love for you to share this episode on your own social media and review and rate this podcast on your player of choice.

Zannah Ryabchuk

And as always a huge thank you to the production team, Julia Soltysova at Breakthrough Global and Robin Leeburn at Fairly Media. And of course, thank you for listening.