Andreea Mihnea, First Bank: “Leaders cannot work without curiosity”

“As leaders we need to stop trying to get outcomes by looking at the computer. We need to understand that outcomes are achieved by influencing consistent behaviours. It’s about understanding yourself first before influencing the behaviours of others and understanding what drives them.

It’s a constant work of discovery and research of yourself and of others. I think that’s 90 percent of a leader’s job. If you love this, you will do it, because it’s very difficult. It’s not about changing others, but about how you reflect on others,” Andreea Mihnea, Chief People Officer, First Bank said during People Empowering Business Forum 2023 organized by The Diplomat-Bucharest.

“Leaders cannot work without curiosity. These days, more than ever, you need to be more flexible, and you need to listen more, because things change more rapidly than before. The more you flex, the better you lead. It’s like letting yourself, as a leader, be led by what is going on.

According to MIT, there are 4 capabilities that every leader should have. One of them, probably the most important, is sense making. As a leader, you have perspective. You need to understand this very quickly and translate this to the people. Unless you are connected to your environment, competition, macroeconomics, to your people and collaborators, you won’t be able to make sense and you won’t be able to transfer that sense to your people.

In terms of governance, we are ahead of the pack because we have the European banking guidelines which are very clear on how to do your governance, from how you select your people, how you promote them, what you do throughout your experience. On the other aspects of ESG we are working like everybody else.”

Full recording of the conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y4LQs5x6Ng&t=3385s