André Lacroix, the Global Chief Executive of Intertek, recently traveled to Dhaka to participate in a series of events centered around his debut book, Leadership with Soul. The book challenges traditional leadership concepts and encourages current and future leaders to reflect and reimagine their approach to becoming better leaders.
One of the events was a #MeetTheCEO and Q&A session organized by ICE Center in partnership with the Faculty of Business Studies at the University of Dhaka. Hundreds of students and aspiring leaders attended, where André discussed his personal leadership journey, the ten principles of Leadership with Soul, and the characteristics of a good leader.
He also met with the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Dr. Md. Akhtaruzzaman, and the Founding Executive Director of ICE Center, Md. Rashedur Rahman, who moderated the event.
The Dean of the Faculty of Business Studies, Dr. Muhammad Abdul Moyeen, Ph.D. (Glasgow), praised the book and its leadership model, saying that it offers practical guidance and insights for developing a leadership style focused on self-awareness, compassion, integrity, authenticity, trust, and transparency.
André also participated in a roundtable discussion with senior business leaders from the industry, where they talked about how good leaders can make a significant difference by prioritising people in their strategic thinking and daily operations, leading to sustainable performance for all stakeholders.
Describing the events as ‘energising,’ André was inspired by meeting so many individuals passionate about good leadership, from university students to senior business leaders. In his book, Leadership with Soul, André shares his model for business success, which he developed over three decades working with world-leading organizations such as Ernst & Young, PepsiCo, Burger King, Euro Disney, Inchcape, Reckitt Benckiser, and Intertek. André’s empathetic and humanistic approach to driving sustainable growth and value for all stakeholders is the key to his success.
According to a Gallup survey, 80 per cent of the global workforce is disengaged, leading to a lack of excitement and passion about work. André believes that too many companies are over-managed and under-led, which negatively affects employee morale, productivity, and performance.
Through real-life stories and vivid storytelling, André brings his ten leadership principles to life, providing readers with the tools to think differently about leadership and urging them to trust, empower, and galvanise their people, putting them at the center of their business strategy to deliver sustainable growth and value for all stakeholders.
