By Etienne Le Roux, Chief Financial Officer at Metropolitan
When I think about leadership, it’s not the big boardroom moments that stand out the most. To me, it’s the quiet, unguarded ones that make all the difference – those moments when you bring people together around a table, cut through the noise, and have a real conversation about where the organisation is headed.
And this is the universal truth, leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about creating a space where the best ideas are revealed while everyone feels part of something bigger than themselves – a team with a shared goal.
That’s the ultimate destination, but the journey is far from comfortable and the bumps in the road ahead may seem like mountains. No matter how good a driver you are as a leader, if you are unable to pull your team together, your organisation will never reach its full potential.
So, what have I learned about succeeding together? Here are a few lessons I have learned during my years in leadership roles:
Projects fail when we lose sight of what we are solving for
Let me start with this: if you’re unclear on what problem you’re solving, you’re setting yourself up to fail. I’ve seen it too many times, exciting projects launched because they sounded innovative or used the latest tech, only to unravel because no one stopped to ask, “What are we really trying to solve?”
Think about it: the best ideas solve real problems—something your customers need or a way to make your business work better. Start small, test your idea, and keep it simple. If you’re launching a new venture, for instance, it might be best not to build the whole ecosystem from scratch. Can you sell an existing product through a new distribution channel? Can you digitalise an existing process? These are two examples of hypothesis testing that you can use to build the full venture. Having clarity on which hypothesis to prove before starting the end-to-end process makes a significant difference. Trying to solve too many problems at once makes it difficult to unpack why something is not working. Instead, focus on proving successes in links of the chain before solving for the entire value chain.
The gift of failure
Here’s the thing about failure: it’s not a dead end! If I look back, some of the most valuable lessons I have ever learned came from projects that didn’t pan out. But the key is what you do with that failure. If you let it pass without reflection, you’ve wasted it. If you use it to understand what went wrong and share those insights, you’re turning failure into progress.
Here’s the magic—when people know they won’t be blamed for failure, they’ll take risks. They’ll speak up. They’ll try something new. That’s when real innovation happens. But this only works if we create an environment where people feel safe. If a team doesn’t feel heard, or worse, if they feel punished for missteps, you lose their creativity—and that’s the most expensive thing to lose.
Making the tough calls
Leadership often means sitting in the tension between opposing forces. One moment you’re in a meeting about cutting costs, the next someone’s pitching a bold growth initiative that will cost millions. It’s messy, but that’s the job – balancing today’s realities with tomorrow’s potential.
Deciding whether to pull the plug on something is one of the hardest calls. And honestly, it’s never black and white. The key is to step back, look at the evidence, and include diverse perspectives in the conversation. Test assumptions, listen to dissenting voices, and remember to ask, “What’s the opportunity cost if we keep this going?”
Delaying decisions drains resources – time, energy, and even morale. In business, there will always be more ideas and opportunities than you have time to successfully implement. Often, saying no to things is the more crucial decision as it creates focus for the team, and improves the chances of execution. Multiple small wins create energy and momentum, which often lead to larger wins down the road. A leader’s role is to direct focus on the right things that will move the needle, and this involves making tough calls which includes having to say no.
Honest conversations build trust
Here’s where it all comes together: communication. If you’re not honest and clear about decisions you make, you lose trust from your employees. People start second-guessing leadership, rumours spread, and suddenly, your team falls out of alignment.
The truth is alignment isn’t all about everyone agreeing. It’s about ensuring everyone understands why a decision was made, what it’s based on, and what happens next. That clarity is what keeps people rowing in the same direction and doing it in sync, even if they might not entirely happy about the course.
When you get this right, something incredible happens. You create a culture where people don’t just follow – they invest themselves. They challenge, they innovate, and they make your organisation stronger.
Leadership is a journey
At its core, leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s all about learning. When we win, and even when we fail, there’s an opportunity to learn; so be sure to pause and take in the learnings. By applying these lessons, we create an environment where people are seen, heard, and most importantly, valued.
Yes, there will be tough decisions to make, and you’re going to need to demonstrate humility when you get it wrong. Your team needs to know that you are not infallible – and that’s okay.
Humility doesn’t diminish a leader’s authority; it enhances it by showing that leadership isn’t about being infallible—it’s about being human. When leaders embrace humility, they empower their teams, build stronger relationships, and inspire a culture where every voice matters.
So, if you’re ever wondering what great leadership looks like, remember this: it’s not about you. It’s about the people you serve, the problems you solve, and the culture you build. If you can do that with openness, alignment, and trust, you’ll find the results will take care of themselves.
