![]() Strong leaders understand that their work is for the greater good rather than themselves.Īnd third, they share. ![]() They put their heart and soul into the success of their employees, the teams, and the organization. But they are also resilient in the face of adversity, they dare to continue fighting for the purpose the organization has committed to. They’re OK with being unpopular sometimes and can be kind or tough, depending on what will help the organization, a team, or an individual the most. They are courageous and are willing to listen to different views, make decisions and stick to them, and change decisions when circumstances dictate. Of course, all three attributes come on top of someone being a strong, well-rounded professional as well as having strong analytical capabilities, excellent communication, and team spirit.įirst, they dare. McKinsey: In your experience, what skills does a leader need to drive sustainable change and growth?Īllegra van Hövell-Patrizi: I think the most successful leaders have three main skills that make them successful. Our five principles are “ Klanten, klanten, klanten” or “Customers, customers, customers” “No rats in the kitchen,” meaning no operational mistakes in core processes “If you commit, you deliver, and you take it to the goal” “No change for the sake of change,” meaning if we make a decision, we stick to it unless circumstances drastically change and “Leave our world a better place,” meaning be a force for good. We made the principles a bit striking on purpose, using a mix of English and Dutch to represent the two languages of Aegon NL and to make sure they stuck with our diverse population. Everyone throughout the organization should be able to articulate them and apply them to their job. Whether it’s five or 10,000 people, more can get done when everyone is pushing in the same direction.įor example, at Aegon NL, when we define a new purpose or strategy, we develop related targets in terms of business and behavior, and then we use five simple principles to describe the journey we want to make. ![]() Consequentially, they can be more effective in performing the journey from A to B with everybody on board and aligned. This strategy encourages the leadership team to be sharp in their thinking, to be pragmatic and simple, to talk and act in a relatable way, to avoid corporate lingo, and to avoid assuming that they run too complex a business. ![]() Explain these visions in simple but vivid terms so that people from the top down can repeat them. In my experience, finding those balances starts with a complete, fact-based assessment of your starting position, taking into account clarity of purpose, overall culture, individual well-being within different teams, soundness of strategy, client views, the competitive situation, and the strength of commercial, operational, and financial processes.įrom there, paint a picture of what should come for each of these factors in 18 months and in three to five years. So, as a leader, you need to strike the right balance between several elements: immediate performance and long-term trajectory, kindness and tough love, individual attention and the effectiveness of the whole team, discipline and freedom, and well-oiled, stringent processes and innovation. McKinsey: Is there a key to success when it comes to balancing business culture and driving outstanding results?Īllegra van Hövell-Patrizi: Like an athlete, an organization can perform as the best version of itself only when it has found the right balance of motivation, calmness, confidence, discipline, and preparation. The second was completing an impending merger with another major Dutch player to create a local composite insurer in the Netherlands. The first was leveraging the business’s good foundation to perform better. During my tenure as CEO, I have had to navigate two distinctive challenges. I started at Aegon in a functional role as chief risk officer, then became CEO of Aegon’s branch in the Netherlands, representing roughly a third of the group. McKinsey: What are some examples of transformation processes you’ve experienced in your career?Īllegra van Hövell-Patrizi: I have had the privilege of being involved in several transformation processes throughout my career: as a consultant early on, in my roles in asset management and insurance in the US, and more recently as an executive at Aegon. McKinsey recently spoke with van Hövell-Patrizi about the greatest lessons she has learned while driving sustainable change and the advice she has for other leaders. She learned early in her career that moving successfully through a transformation process requires aligning her teams, thinking holistically, and using a well-balanced leadership approach. In her role as CEO of Aegon the Netherlands, Allegra van Hövell-Patrizi embraces change.
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