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Lessons in leadership from Eleonora Rizzuto, director of Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility at Bulgari

Photo credit: David ATLAN, Atlan David
Photo credit: David ATLAN, Atlan David

Eleanora Rizzuto has worked in corporate social responsibility for more than 13 years, spanning multiple industries and covering topics from environmental impact to human rights.

Now, she heads up the development of social, environmental and sustainability programmes for Bulgari and LVMH Italian brands. Her work has led her to implement the first audit scheme dedicated to the mining sector, ensuring ethical standards for all precious metal extraction.

Here, she tells us the lessons earned from her many years of leadership.

The three most important qualities for a good leader are…

“Courage. This is especially true when you are living through a time of crisis, when leaders will have to think of non-obvious solutions - be prepared to lead in a different way. This must be accompanied by trust and reputation, which are significantly connected. You must have trust in your employees and they must have trust in you, in order to lead effectively. Your reputation is also one of your most important assets as a leader. The world is very small, and what you do and say matters.”

My personal strength as a leader is…

“I think it is that I have always been prepared to be the first one to do something. That is so crucial when you think of how much innovation is required when it comes to putting in place sustainability practises.”

The biggest priority for my business right now is…

“Right now, this is to try to prepare scenarios for the future. This year has been full of unexpected challenges and so I am busy making sure we are prepared for whatever may come our way. This means ensuring that we can be agile, and that we have ideas and structures in place that will allow us to work differently in the future.”

Photo credit:                     Courtesy
Photo credit: Courtesy

The economic outlook may be uncertain, but I’m mitigating risk by…

“You have to really focus on your priorities and realise what is important, because once you do that, you can’t really lose. For us, that means looking at what core goals remain and seeing what we can do to achieve these, even in times of uncertainty.”

I keep my team motivated by…

“It’s not an easy job, because in any team there are so many personalities. They key is to find a common factor that unifies them. The crisis, in a way, has done this. So, I am trying to motivate my team by reinforcing this idea that we are all in this together. The task of thinking outside the box, getting the team to think of new solutions for these new times - that is a project which unites us.”

The hardest decision I’ve had to make as a leader was…

“The hardest decision is always whenever you have to let someone go from the team. That never gets easier, it is always so hard.”

The worst mistake I’ve ever made as a leader (and the lessons I learnt from it)

“Once I made a mistake by not being clear on the declared common targets for the team. It’s so important to be clear on these targets, but sometimes you have no time to make decisions; make them too quickly and this can lead to misunderstanding within the group. This is not what a leader should do. When this happened, I felt very frustrated and tried desperately to correct it. The lesson I learned was that it's better to ask people for a quick meeting to make a change, to make sure everyone is fully appraised of what is happening. Always make sure you communicate clearly to your team.”

An effective leader will always…

“They will always be present. It is a huge responsibility to be a leader, so you have to be there for your team, at any time. You must always reply to messages, listen to your team, be there for them at any moment. It can be all-encompassing, but that is why the job is so important.”

An effective leader will never…

“It is probably the opposite! Don’t be distant from your team, don’t be absent without explanation. You have to be as engaged as you possibly can, as much as possible.”

My role model for leadership is…

“It is never just one person, it's anytime I see anyone making a tough decision in the workplace; anytime I see someone being innovative, taking a risk, or doing something new and exciting. I always take note of that. I find it so inspiring.”

The one piece of advice I’d give to a new leader is…

“Be open and flexible to new ideas and ever-changing situations. Listen to your team and guide with innovation.”

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