147: Stefano Aversa | Leading Through Disruption & Flexibility

The World Class Leaders Show

Andrea interviews Stefano Aversa, chair of EMEA and vice chair globally for AlixPartners. Stefano shares his experience of leading through disruption, creating flexible organisations, and driving change. From crisis management to empowering communities, Stefano shares practical tips for leaders navigating uncertainty. Stefano's experience in turnarounds and his work with the Andrea Bocelli Foundation provide a unique perspective on leadership in both business and non-profit sectors.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Disruptions, rather than economic cycles, now dominate the business world, requiring leaders to be more agile and prepared with multiple contingency plans.
• Creating a small crisis can be an effective strategy to drive change and address underlying issues in an organisation.
• CEOs today are feeling more uncertain about their roles, with 79% expressing doubts due to technological changes and geopolitical shifts.
• The trend in leadership is moving towards more consensus-oriented, caring, and authentic styles, although results still ultimately determine a CEO's success.
• Private equity-backed companies tend to have less patience for underperforming CEOs, typically expecting significant improvements within the first two years.
• Non-profit organisations can benefit from applying business principles while addressing unique challenges in extreme situations.
• Talent should be viewed not just as a gift but as an obligation to develop and share with others.
• Leaders must learn to navigate ambiguity and uncertainty, turning these challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation.

BEST MOMENTS

"Crisis is one of the best management skills, but measurement school. I tend to say that the crisis is an opportunity which is too important to miss."

"Sometimes I create the crisis even when there is not, and it could be a small crisis, but for example, very often there is some uneasiness in the organisation."

"The CEOs is more unsure today than they used to be.”

"Talent is an obligation. It's not just a gift. It's an obligation to develop."

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ABOUT THE HOST

My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.