In this episode of The Optimal Leadership Podcast, our host Wilf Blackburn speaks with Professor Vladimir Pucik, Visiting Emeritus Professor of International Business at Aalto School of Business, Helsinki, Finland.

Together, they explore the leadership capabilities that matter most in a complex global world: listening, humility, critical thinking, and human connection.

This conversation goes beyond the usual discussion of communication and leadership presence. Professor Pucik argues that leaders must learn to listen not simply to respond, fix, or win, but to learn. For global CEOs, this becomes even more important when leading in unfamiliar environments, where cultural context, trust, and psychological safety shape whether people feel able to speak up.

A key theme throughout the episode is that some leadership responsibilities cannot be delegated. Decision-making can be shared. Expertise can sit elsewhere in the organisation. But mobilising people, creating the conditions for honest dialogue, showing up for stakeholders, and preparing future leaders remain central responsibilities of the CEO.

00:00 – Intro

00:22 – Meet Professor Vlado Pucik: Global Leadership Expert

01:18 – Why Great CEOs Listen Before They Lead

05:30 – The CEO’s Most Overlooked Responsibility: Succession

07:20 – How Critical Thinking Protects Organisations from Failure

12:06 – The Leadership Skill Most CEOs Underestimate: Listening to Learn

14:17 – Why Learning Agility Matters More Than Having All the Answers

19:45 – CEO Visibility: Social Media vs Real Communication

26:35 – Why Face-to-Face Leadership Still Builds the Strongest Trust

33:16 – Why CEOs Must Show Up for Partners, Regulators, and Stakeholders

35:31 – How Global CEOs Balance External Influence and Internal Connection

39:30 – The Future CEO Skills Business Schools Should Teach

42:57 – Why Every Leader Needs a Plan B and Plan C

46:21 – What Leadership Really Means in a Changing World

49:34 – The Best Advice for New CEOs: Build Your Successor

About Professor Vladimir Pucik

Professor Vladimir Pucik is Visiting Emeritus Professor of International Business at Aalto School of Business in Helsinki, Finland. He is widely recognised for his work in global leadership, executive development, international management, and organisational transformation. Over many years, he has worked with senior leaders and organisations across cultures, helping them navigate complexity, change, and the demands of leadership in global business environments.

About The Optimal Leadership Podcast

Hosted by Wilf Blackburn, author of Optimal Leadership and a global Serial CEO, the podcast brings together real executives and eminent scholars to ask one essential question: "Do leadership theories taught in classrooms actually work in the real world?"

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