Nils Leonard's guest appearances

Nils Leonard

The David Reviews Podcasts

Fearless Creative Leadership

Campaign podcast

A Pint With Seaniebee

johnreynolds

Love This Podcast

The Fix

Uncensored CMO

Behind The Billboard

The Fuel Podcast

wave+dave

Having a GAS...

Mouthwash

The Imposterous

The Courageous Leaders Club

Laura Jordan Bambach

Cindy Gallop

Rory Sutherland

Steve Harrison

Tim Lindsay

Graham Fink

Vicki Maguire

Tom Goodwin

Jane Evans

Susan Credle

Grant Rutherford

Andrew Robertson

Greg Hahn

Rosie Arnold

John Espirian

OwlTail

Visuals: https://getbehindthebillboard.com/episode-58-nils-leonardAI / Elderflower cordial  / B&amp;Q / Inflatable cushions / Cannes / Air conditioning / AwardsIt went pretty much in that order on a warm day earlier this week, where the air con and Hugh’s home brew kept us cool.Episode #58 features a fascinating chat with Nils Leonard, co-founder of Uncommon, who became our first ever returning guest.We first spoke to Nils back in Feb 2021 when we were remote, stuck in various houses and offices trying to have spontaneous conversations on Zoom. So it was wonderful to meet irl and we can report Nils is even better in the flesh 😘The focus was mostly on B&amp;Q, which is now into its fourth year and remains wonderfully fresh. We talked about it’s inception, how the strategy had surprisingly never been done before, sheds, masturbation, teenagers, a favourite billboard site in Glasgow, Covid, flowers, James Day, floating hammers and more.We also got into an interesting chat on AI, which seems to be on everyone’s list at the moment.And with Cannes next week, we discussed Lions and awards. And asked the key question, does a Pencil beat a Lion? Tune in and find out!Nils thanks again. Not just for this chat but this wonderful mantra:“Print the posters you wish you could steal”Let’s do it again at Christmas and have some of Dan’s mulled wine 🤓

Visuals: <a href="https://getbehindthebillboard.com/episode-58-nils-leonard" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://getbehindthebillboard.com/episode-58-nils-leonard</a>AI / Elderflower cordial  / B&amp;Q / Inflatable cushions / Cannes / Air conditioning / AwardsIt went pretty much in that order on a warm day earlier this week, where the air con and Hugh’s home brew kept us cool.Episode #58 features a fascinating chat with Nils Leonard, co-founder of Uncommon, who became our first ever returning guest.We first spoke to Nils back in Feb 2021 when we were remote, stuck in various houses and offices trying to have spontaneous conversations on Zoom. So it was wonderful to meet irl and we can report Nils is even better in the flesh 😘The focus was mostly on B&amp;Q, which is now into its fourth year and remains wonderfully fresh. We talked about it’s inception, how the strategy had surprisingly never been done before, sheds, masturbation, teenagers, a favourite billboard site in Glasgow, Covid, flowers, James Day, floating hammers and more.We also got into an interesting chat on AI, which seems to be on everyone’s list at the moment.And with Cannes next week, we discussed Lions and awards. And asked the key question, does a Pencil beat a Lion? Tune in and find out!Nils thanks again. Not just for this chat but this wonderful mantra:“Print the posters you wish you could steal”Let’s do it again at Christmas and have some of Dan’s mulled wine 🤓

Episode 58 - Nils Leonard

Today I'm Having a GAS™ with Nils Leonard, CCO &amp; founder of Uncommon, a creative studio building brands. More on Uncommon here: https://www.uncommon.london Nils Leonard has spent over 18 years in the advertising and design industry working across a spread of the most recognised and influential agencies in London. In his most recent post as Chief Creative Officer of Grey LDN, Nils oversaw the most profitable and awarded years in the agency’s 52 years history and became one of the youngest agency chairmen in the world leading its brands globally and locally. In 2015 Grey LDN became the only agency in the world to win two Grand Prix at Cannes Lions and under his creative guidance the Grey was named most awarded agency of the year twice in just three years at D&amp;AD. Nils was voted into the Ad Age creativity 50 and named the most creative person in advertising globally by Business insider. An unconventional background in design, his most recent work on the Tate Britain won the Grand Prix at the Design Week awards and picked up 15 lions at the Cannes festival of creativity. A creative champion, agitating for change and diversity in the industry, Nils is a regular speaker and judge at industry events, is on the board of trustees of D&amp;AD and is listed as the Sunday Times 500 most influential people in the UK. Over the last year Nils has led the inception and launch of the ethical capsule coffee brand Halo to global acclaim. A true challenger brand Halo was reviewed by GQ Magazine as ‘The coffee keeping Nespresso ambassador George Clooney awake at night.’ More recently Nils has founded the Uncommon Creative Studio alongside Lucy Jameson and Natalie Graeme. Uncommon is a creative studio building brands the world is happy exists. Having a GAS™ is the podcast that talks to the great and the good of the creative industries, and in particular finds out what makes great music for film, for TV, for advertising; for dancing to, for cooking to, f*cking to, and more... GAS™ Music is a music production agency in Manchester, UK. We compose and produce original music, create awe inspiring sound design and have a fully integrated audio post-production studio. We also have a great record collection, and welcome any additions, recommendations or criticisms. http://www.gasismusic.co.uk​​​   © GAS™ Music 2023

Today I'm Having a GAS™ with Nils Leonard, CCO &amp; founder of Uncommon, a creative studio building brands. More on Uncommon here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqa25vS3B1Qmw2ZlZJWEI5SzZkbWVTMFFISGZPUXxBQ3Jtc0ttd2hHUHFIS0kxZDA5aU1EaDI4ZTc3V1M1NWxPUFNpZGtjWGJpQ2xCd3ozUFpScGZIbjNyWjRoY2daRWxDNl9VbHM4OVlfRHZzZlI4OG93N0NmeExKaEo3eXF1NlFGZDQyRlRzQjhVcVV1SjdzQXR0OA&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.uncommon.london%2F&amp;v=6Em6mFEj-yY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.uncommon.london</a> Nils Leonard has spent over 18 years in the advertising and design industry working across a spread of the most recognised and influential agencies in London. In his most recent post as Chief Creative Officer of Grey LDN, Nils oversaw the most profitable and awarded years in the agency’s 52 years history and became one of the youngest agency chairmen in the world leading its brands globally and locally. In 2015 Grey LDN became the only agency in the world to win two Grand Prix at Cannes Lions and under his creative guidance the Grey was named most awarded agency of the year twice in just three years at D&amp;AD. Nils was voted into the Ad Age creativity 50 and named the most creative person in advertising globally by Business insider. An unconventional background in design, his most recent work on the Tate Britain won the Grand Prix at the Design Week awards and picked up 15 lions at the Cannes festival of creativity. A creative champion, agitating for change and diversity in the industry, Nils is a regular speaker and judge at industry events, is on the board of trustees of D&amp;AD and is listed as the Sunday Times 500 most influential people in the UK. Over the last year Nils has led the inception and launch of the ethical capsule coffee brand Halo to global acclaim. A true challenger brand Halo was reviewed by GQ Magazine as ‘The coffee keeping Nespresso ambassador George Clooney awake at night.’ More recently Nils has founded the Uncommon Creative Studio alongside Lucy Jameson and Natalie Graeme. Uncommon is a creative studio building brands the world is happy exists. Having a GAS™ is the podcast that talks to the great and the good of the creative industries, and in particular finds out what makes great music for film, for TV, for advertising; for dancing to, for cooking to, f*cking to, and more... GAS™ Music is a music production agency in Manchester, UK. We compose and produce original music, create awe inspiring sound design and have a fully integrated audio post-production studio. We also have a great record collection, and welcome any additions, recommendations or criticisms. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbjJaeHpJbi1TMHBuYTA0clNKaTd5RWxzRHYyd3xBQ3Jtc0tuU1lWWEN3U0dqNlMyRGhpZW9pdnVjMzhRSW1rTDI5a3Nmb2UxQU9fa3c5Z29maGlHQWg1UHd5dDJWWTNXanBHTkhFcEhOTXM5R084bm9RempsNVdPdzZsSm9UTkcyV3h1Z09kd1EtcnRFRUcwbEZEMA&amp;q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gasismusic.co.uk%2F&amp;v=6Em6mFEj-yY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.gasismusic.co.uk</a>​​​ © GAS™ Music 2023

Having a GAS with... Nils Leonard

Here’s a question. Are you happy? This week’s guest is Nils Leonard, the co-founder of Uncommon London. Nils has been on the podcast before. I ask him back pretty regularly because every one of our conversations expands my understanding of leadership. I think he keeps saying, “Yes,” because each time he learns something about himself. In this week’s episode, we covered a lot of new ground. In truth, I could have highlighted a number of areas as worthy of close attention. But this is the one that really stands out for me. Life is short. Careers are shorter. I find myself saying this quite often these days as a reminder that within the maelstrom of running a business, we are also, and more importantly, living a life. Leadership comes at you hard and fast. It is demanding and unrelenting and it is easy - very easy - to get swept along in the expectations that are placed on us. Managing those expectations are hard when they come from other people. But the more important and consequential challenge is to manage the expectations we have of ourselves. The first and critical step is to define what you mean by success. In all its forms and attributes. Personally, I believe that one of those definitions should include the word ‘happy’. Too many people think doing that makes them selfish. But in my experience, the people that are clear that they want to be happy are also the ones who have given the most thought to what that means to them. Often, most often, it includes the desire to help others unlock their potential. So, are you doing something that makes you happy? And how do you know?

Here’s a question. Are you happy? This week’s guest is Nils Leonard, the co-founder of <a href="https://www.uncommon.london/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Uncommon London</a>. Nils has been on the podcast before. I ask him back pretty regularly because every one of our conversations expands my understanding of leadership. I think he keeps saying, “Yes,” because each time he learns something about himself. In this week’s episode, we covered a lot of new ground. In truth, I could have highlighted a number of areas as worthy of close attention. But this is the one that really stands out for me. Life is short. Careers are shorter. I find myself saying this quite often these days as a reminder that within the maelstrom of running a business, we are also, and more importantly, living a life. Leadership comes at you hard and fast. It is demanding and unrelenting and it is easy - very easy - to get swept along in the expectations that are placed on us. Managing those expectations are hard when they come from other people. But the more important and consequential challenge is to manage the expectations we have of ourselves. The first and critical step is to define what you mean by success. In all its forms and attributes. Personally, I believe that one of those definitions should include the word ‘happy’. Too many people think doing that makes them selfish. But in my experience, the people that are clear that they want to be happy are also the ones who have given the most thought to what that means to them. Often, most often, it includes the desire to help others unlock their potential. So, are you doing something that makes you happy? And how do you know?

Ep 372: Nils Leonard of Uncommon London - 'The Uncommon Leader'

Edited highlights of our full conversation. Here’s a question. Are you happy? This week’s guest is Nils Leonard, the co-founder of Uncommon London. Nils has been on the podcast before. I ask him back pretty regularly because every one of our conversations expands my understanding of leadership. I think he keeps saying, “Yes,” because each time he learns something about himself. In this week’s episode, we covered a lot of new ground. In truth, I could have highlighted a number of areas as worthy of close attention. But this is the one that really stands out for me. Life is short. Careers are shorter. I find myself saying this quite often these days as a reminder that within the maelstrom of running a business, we are also, and more importantly, living a life. Leadership comes at you hard and fast. It is demanding and unrelenting and it is easy - very easy - to get swept along in the expectations that are placed on us. Managing those expectations are hard when they come from other people. But the more important and consequential challenge is to manage the expectations we have of ourselves. The first and critical step is to define what you mean by success. In all its forms and attributes. Personally, I believe that one of those definitions should include the word ‘happy’. Too many people think doing that makes them selfish. But in my experience, the people that are clear that they want to be happy are also the ones who have given the most thought to what that means to them. Often, most often, it includes the desire to help others unlock their potential. So, are you doing something that makes you happy? And how do you know?

Edited highlights of our full conversation. Here’s a question. Are you happy? This week’s guest is Nils Leonard, the co-founder of <a href="https://www.uncommon.london/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Uncommon London</a>. Nils has been on the podcast before. I ask him back pretty regularly because every one of our conversations expands my understanding of leadership. I think he keeps saying, “Yes,” because each time he learns something about himself. In this week’s episode, we covered a lot of new ground. In truth, I could have highlighted a number of areas as worthy of close attention. But this is the one that really stands out for me. Life is short. Careers are shorter. I find myself saying this quite often these days as a reminder that within the maelstrom of running a business, we are also, and more importantly, living a life. Leadership comes at you hard and fast. It is demanding and unrelenting and it is easy - very easy - to get swept along in the expectations that are placed on us. Managing those expectations are hard when they come from other people. But the more important and consequential challenge is to manage the expectations we have of ourselves. The first and critical step is to define what you mean by success. In all its forms and attributes. Personally, I believe that one of those definitions should include the word ‘happy’. Too many people think doing that makes them selfish. But in my experience, the people that are clear that they want to be happy are also the ones who have given the most thought to what that means to them. Often, most often, it includes the desire to help others unlock their potential. So, are you doing something that makes you happy? And how do you know?

Ep 372: Nils Leonard - In 15

Ep 372: Nils Leonard - Fearless - Fast

Hear why Nils Leonard is one of the world’s top creative talent, and one of the UK's most interesting people. The scale of his ideas is matched only by the force of his personality as he takes us through his unrelenting, take no prisoners approach to creative excellence. If a podcast on creativity ever came with a warning - this would be it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Hear why Nils Leonard is one of the world’s top creative talent, and one of the UK's most interesting people. The scale of his ideas is matched only by the force of his personality as he takes us through his unrelenting, take no prisoners approach to creative excellence. If a podcast on creativity ever came with a warning - this would be it.See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Nils Leonard: Unshakable belief & uncommon ideas

Nils Leonard is Founder of Uncommon Creative StudioIn this episode  Nils shares his wealth of experience and some powerful insights into how to remove fear from your leadership.He also talks candidly about why we need to differentiate between being in a client services business and the creativity business, the importance of having a view of the world, to really create impact and make your work matter and why you need to let go of the need to be dependent on other people to achieve your dreams.Just in case there is anyone out there who doesn’t know who Nils is, he is the Co-Founder of the fastest growing startup in advertising history, Uncommon Creative Studio.He also spent time as Chief Creative Officer of Grey LDN, where he oversaw the most profitable and awarded years in the agency’s 52 years history and became one of the youngest agency chairmen in the world leading its brands globally and locally.He was voted into the Ad Age creativity 50 and named the most creative person in advertising globally by Business insider, is on the advisory group for the Royal Academy, and is listed as one of Sunday Times 500 Most Influential People in the UK.Topics covered include: Embracing changeConverting frustration into successThe importance of convictionThe courage to be your authentic selfNeed for changeStanding by your valuesHow being open about company standards provides clarity of expectationsFollow Joanna Howes and The Change Creators: website: https://www.thechangecreators.comlinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/

<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nils-leonard-373b2b3/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nils Leonard</a> is Founder of Uncommon Creative StudioIn this episode  Nils shares his wealth of experience and some powerful insights into how to remove fear from your leadership.He also talks candidly about why we need to differentiate between being in a client services business and the creativity business, the importance of having a view of the world, to really create impact and make your work matter and why you need to let go of the need to be dependent on other people to achieve your dreams.Just in case there is anyone out there who doesn’t know who Nils is, he is the Co-Founder of the fastest growing startup in advertising history, Uncommon Creative Studio.He also spent time as Chief Creative Officer of Grey LDN, where he oversaw the most profitable and awarded years in the agency’s 52 years history and became one of the youngest agency chairmen in the world leading its brands globally and locally.He was voted into the Ad Age creativity 50 and named the most creative person in advertising globally by Business insider, is on the advisory group for the Royal Academy, and is listed as one of Sunday Times 500 Most Influential People in the UK. Topics covered include: Embracing changeConverting frustration into successThe importance of convictionThe courage to be your authentic selfNeed for changeStanding by your valuesHow being open about company standards provides clarity of expectations Follow Joanna Howes and The Change Creators:  website: <a href="https://www.thechangecreators.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.thechangecreators.com</a>linkedin: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/</a>

Nils Leonard: Remove Fear From the Equation

Nils Leonard doesn’t really need any introduction. Once you’ve met him you’ll never forget him. He’s the former leader of ad agency Grey London who left to let his creativity run free with a bunch of like-minded colleagues at Uncommon.As you’ll hear, Nils rejects the stuffy-service-focused image of advertising and insists that he’s in the business of creativity and making a difference every day for himself, his team and his clients.How come we’ve created an industry that has its own ‘delete’ button on the internet?It’s the ideas that create the gravitational pull of the agency and Uncommon is walking the talk every day. From unique and memorable marketing and advertising campaigns, film &amp; music direction, to startup incubation and flower arranging. It’s all here.Nils talks about his early years, his passion for working with clients that are in a transformative state and want to become a brand that customers wish existed. He also covers Uncommon’s brilliant ground-breaking mental health work with broadcaster ITV, British Airways’ new campaign and turning taboos into talking points. We talk Halo coffee, green issues, his top 3 personal creative awards and the release of Uncommon’s first documentary.Also how he managed to catch Donald Trump on film, smashing up a solar panel with a golf club.So strap yourself in for the ride of your life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nils Leonard doesn’t really need any introduction. Once you’ve met him you’ll never forget him. He’s the former leader of ad agency Grey London who left to let his creativity run free with a bunch of like-minded colleagues at Uncommon.As you’ll hear, Nils rejects the stuffy-service-focused image of advertising and insists that he’s in the business of creativity and making a difference every day for himself, his team and his clients.How come we’ve created an industry that has its own ‘delete’ button on the internet?It’s the ideas that create the gravitational pull of the agency and Uncommon is walking the talk every day. From unique and memorable marketing and advertising campaigns, film &amp; music direction, to startup incubation and flower arranging. It’s all here.Nils talks about his early years, his passion for working with clients that are in a transformative state and want to become a brand that customers wish existed. He also covers Uncommon’s brilliant ground-breaking mental health work with broadcaster ITV, British Airways’ new campaign and turning taboos into talking points. We talk Halo coffee, green issues, his top 3 personal creative awards and the release of Uncommon’s first documentary.Also how he managed to catch Donald Trump on film, smashing up a solar panel with a golf club.So strap yourself in for the ride of your life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

Nils Leonard: Uncommonly Creative

Here’s a question. If you could look into the future and see the results of what you’re doing today, would you want to? Uncommon London was just named Creative Agency of the Year for the second year in a row, and Independent Agency of the Year. It’s the first time a company has ever received both awards at the same time. Creative leadership isn’t a theory. It’s a practice, and it happens in the real world. And the reason this podcast exists is to bring the lessons of the best leaders in the world into the light where they can be learned from and applied. This week’s episode is a re-run of one of my very earliest episodes. It’s a conversation I had with Nils Leonard in the summer of 2017. Nils was on the show only a few weeks ago. But I’m airing this episode again for a simple reason. It’s a case study. When we recorded this conversation, Nils and his partners - Lucy Jameson and Natalie Graeme - had just launched Uncommon. They had big dreams. And, as Nils realized at the end of our conversation - they had something to support them. Hope sits at the heart of any creative endeavor. The willingness to try, the capacity to fail and then try again are all fueled by hope. But if hope is the driving force, then the track that you lay down is held in place by the standards that you hold yourselves to. If you take the time to listen to this conversation, or read the transcript, you’ll find evidence that when it comes to leadership, saying what you mean and meaning what you say matter a lot. Maybe more than anything. And less than five years after this conversation, the company that Nils, Lucy and Natalie are building is proof that it is possible to predict the future - by inventing it. What do you want to have built by 2027?

Here’s a question. If you could look into the future and see the results of what you’re doing today, would you want to? <a href="https://www.uncommon.london/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Uncommon London</a> was just named Creative Agency of the Year for the second year in a row, and Independent Agency of the Year. It’s the first time a company has ever received both awards at the same time. Creative leadership isn’t a theory. It’s a practice, and it happens in the real world. And the reason this podcast exists is to bring the lessons of the best leaders in the world into the light where they can be learned from and applied. This week’s episode is a re-run of one of my very earliest episodes. It’s a conversation I had with Nils Leonard in the summer of 2017. Nils was on the show only a few weeks ago. But I’m airing this episode again for a simple reason. It’s a case study. When we recorded this conversation, Nils and his partners - Lucy Jameson and Natalie Graeme - had just launched Uncommon. They had big dreams. And, as Nils realized at the end of our conversation - they had something to support them. Hope sits at the heart of any creative endeavor. The willingness to try, the capacity to fail and then try again are all fueled by hope. But if hope is the driving force, then the track that you lay down is held in place by the standards that you hold yourselves to. If you take the time to listen to this conversation, or read the transcript, you’ll find evidence that when it comes to leadership, saying what you mean and meaning what you say matter a lot. Maybe more than anything. And less than five years after this conversation, the company that Nils, Lucy and Natalie are building is proof that it is possible to predict the future - by inventing it. What do you want to have built by 2027?

Ep 347: Nils Leonard of Uncommon London - 'Re-Loaded'

Here’s a question. Who do you really want to join you on the ride?  This week’s guest is Nils Leonard. He’s one of the co-founders of Uncommon London. They describe themselves as a creative studio building brands that people in the real world actually wish existed. Nils has been on the show before. He was one of my early guests on the podcast and that conversation came in the early days of Uncommon and he was very open about his ambitions and his expectations for himself and his company.  Four years on and it’s hard to see the gaps between what he said back then and how he talks about the company today.  In my experience - both as a company founder and as a coach - there is one aspect of leadership that brings many to their emotional knees. Firing someone.  When to acknowledge that the fit between the person and the organization doesn’t work. On a human level, we all want to belong and the fear - conscious or instinctive - that we might one day be on the receiving end of this conversation, makes many leaders do everything they can to avoid that moment. The one in which we say out loud, to someone’s face, we don’t want you.  Even now, as you’re listening, if you hit pause and say out loud, we don’t want you, there will be a feeling in your stomach that you hope goes away fast. But there are three other parts of this that don’t get enough weight in the emotional wrestling match. First are the hopes, needs and expectations of all the people that work for you who are contributing so much that they will never be part of a conversation like this. Whose talent and efforts and commitment to you and to the business are subsidizing the person who doesn’t fit. Second are the needs of the organization as a whole, which has no agency and no ability to help itself, and which is as reliant on your protection and care as an infant. And third is the person who is receiving this news. Who knows, in almost every instance in my experience, that this job isn’t a fit, that these people are not their tribe and that they are, to use Nils’ description, a passenger on someone’s else’s ride. “Death twitches my ear. Live, he says I'm coming.”     They say that life is a journey. And so is building a business. Who gets to go on that ride is perhaps the most important decision that a leader takes.

Here’s a question. Who do you really want to join you on the ride?  This week’s guest is Nils Leonard. He’s one of the co-founders of <a href="https://www.uncommon.london/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Uncommon London</a>. They describe themselves as a creative studio building brands that people in the real world actually wish existed. Nils has been on the show before. He was one of my early guests on the podcast and that conversation came in the early days of Uncommon and he was very open about his ambitions and his expectations for himself and his company.  Four years on and it’s hard to see the gaps between what he said back then and how he talks about the company today.  In my experience - both as a company founder and as a coach - there is one aspect of leadership that brings many to their emotional knees. Firing someone.  When to acknowledge that the fit between the person and the organization doesn’t work. On a human level, we all want to belong and the fear - conscious or instinctive - that we might one day be on the receiving end of this conversation, makes many leaders do everything they can to avoid that moment. The one in which we say out loud, to someone’s face, we don’t want you.  Even now, as you’re listening, if you hit pause and say out loud, we don’t want you, there will be a feeling in your stomach that you hope goes away fast. But there are three other parts of this that don’t get enough weight in the emotional wrestling match. First are the hopes, needs and expectations of all the people that work for you who are contributing so much that they will never be part of a conversation like this. Whose talent and efforts and commitment to you and to the business are subsidizing the person who doesn’t fit. Second are the needs of the organization as a whole, which has no agency and no ability to help itself, and which is as reliant on your protection and care as an infant. And third is the person who is receiving this news. Who knows, in almost every instance in my experience, that this job isn’t a fit, that these people are not their tribe and that they are, to use Nils’ description, a passenger on someone’s else’s ride. “Death twitches my ear. Live, he says I'm coming.”     They say that life is a journey. And so is building a business. Who gets to go on that ride is perhaps the most important decision that a leader takes.