Don’t be afraid of risks
“A good leader is a risk-taker who has the backs of their people. But they don’t necessarily tell their people how to do the next three steps—that’s the transition you have to make from manager to leader. We also need to give people—at all levels of their career—the opportunity to be exposed to leaders who they can get the measure of and mimic. The question we should inspire every team member to ask themselves is: ‘How am I going to be like that, but be me while doing it?’”
Marian Salzman, Senior Vice President, Global Communications 1
Take the heat for your team
“Success is on the team. Failure’s on the leader. Resilience is important. Many things are happening at once, so be sure to stay focused. Agility is also vital.”
Frederic de Wilde, President, European Union Region 2
Marian Salzman,
Senior Vice President, Global Communications 1
Frederic de Wilde,
President, European Union Region 2
Stay curious
“To drive transformation, you must be prepared to learn from those around you—at every level of the organization. So, you must remain open, curious, and ready to ask your colleagues, ‘What do you think? What would you do in this situation?’ That’s how you move the needle and work through ambiguity, uncertainty, and anxiety. It’s how you can really make change happen.”
Michael Kunst, Senior Vice President, Commercial Transformation 3
Be a leader—not a boss
“A boss tells you what to do. A leader makes you want to do it. You have to be able to delegate, trust your team, expect them to take risks, and not punish them the moment they fail. On the contrary, you should praise what has been learned from failure and apply those lessons moving forward.”
Mario Masseroli, President, Latin America and Canada Region 4
Michael Kunst,
Senior Vice President, Commercial Transformation 3
Mario Masseroli,
President, Latin America and Canada Region 4
Read more from Leaders of Change
Be empathetic
“You have to have empathy for your team members. This is a vital part of leadership. You need to put yourself into their shoes, care about their problems, and suggest solutions. You also need to recognize and reward their success—otherwise, you will be detached from your team.”
Bin Li, Chief Product Officer
Bin Li,
Chief Product Officer
1 Marian Salzman was appointed SVP & Advisor to the CEO of PMI’s U.S. Business in September 2024.
2 Frederic de Wilde was appointed President, South and Southeast Asia, Commonwealth of Independent States, Middle East and Africa Region in January 2023.
3 Michael Kunst was appointed President, Vectura Fertin Pharma in April 2024.
4 Mario Masseroli left PMI in January 2024.
