Great Leaders Bring Out the Best in People

What Makes a Great Leader and How Do They Bring Out the Best in People?

Great leaders bring out the best in people by building psychological safety, practicing active listening, fostering open communication, and empowering individual strengths rather than demanding uniformity. Exceptional leadership prioritizes micro-ambitions—clear, actionable milestones that align personal purpose with organizational strategy—while championing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). By serving as coaches and mentors rather than authoritative managers, empathetic leaders cultivate trust, unlock dormant talent, and drive sustainable high performance across diverse cross-functional teams.

Executive Spotlight: Leadership, Purpose, and Resilience in APAC

In conjunction with International Women's Day, PERSOL sat down with Amelia Collins, Regional Director and Head of Marketing and Branding at PERSOL and Programmed Staffing for the APAC region. Known across the talent industry for her energetic, human-centric approach to organizational strategy, Amelia exemplifies the philosophy of "Work and Smile"—the conviction that finding authentic meaning and purpose in daily work fuels long-term creativity, resilience, and executive excellence.

Beyond her corporate leadership responsibilities, Amelia is a certified fitness instructor across indoor cycling, strength conditioning, barre, and TRX, as well as a mother and stepmother. In this candid dialogue, she shares practical insights on agile leadership, work-life integration, the imperative of workplace diversity, and how leaders can cultivate high-trust environments where every employee thrives.

Q: When you started your career, did you envision playing the executive role you are in today?

Amelia Collins: Actually, I never spent too much time projecting decades into the future, nor have I ever been drawn to rigid, distant targets. Instead, I focus intensely on mastering the challenge immediately before me and setting goals that are demanding yet achievable.

I refer to this philosophy as micro-ambition: approaching every current project with deliberate purpose, rigor, and intentionality. When you consistently deliver excellence on the priorities right in front of you, leadership opportunities present themselves naturally as a byproduct of compound competence.

Q: What led you to enter the recruitment and workforce solutions industry?

AC: My background in brand strategy and digital marketing initially brought me into Programmed as an external consultant tasked with building out comprehensive digital capabilities across Australia and New Zealand.

However, I have always possessed a deep fascination with human capital, recruitment dynamics, and organizational psychology. When the chance emerged to join this market-leading enterprise full-time to shape regional brand strategy, I seized the opportunity immediately. Helping organizations solve complex talent shortages while guiding individuals into fulfilling careers provides unmatched professional purpose.

Q: As an executive leader, what defines effective leadership in the modern workplace?

AC: In my view, female leadership in corporate executive teams should be recognized as entirely natural rather than an exception. Women fulfill vital leadership roles daily—as mothers, mentors, community leaders, and partners. These life responsibilities develop the precise competencies critical for executive success: active listening, empathetic coaching, pragmatic problem-solving, emotional regulation, transparent communication, multi-horizon strategic vision, and decisive prioritization.

Research consistently confirms that gender-diverse executive teams outperform peers in profitability and innovation. No modern enterprise can afford to lack female representation in decision-making roles.

Ultimately, outstanding leaders are marked by relentless curiosity, intellectual humility, and authenticity. Great leaders do not pretend to possess every answer; their core capability is building genuine trust, removing organizational friction, and knowing how to bring out the absolute best in their teams.

Q: How do you manage career demands, family commitments, and personal passions without burnout?

AC: I personally do not believe in the conventional concept of "work-life balance," because the word balance implies a static, 50/50 equilibrium that simply does not exist in high-growth environments.

Instead, I treat life as an active juggling act. On any given day, I am coordinating multiple moving parts: executive deliverables, parenting, marriage, physical fitness, friendships, and mental health. During intense market cycles or critical strategic rollouts, work demands inevitably take center stage for days or weeks at a time.

When that occurs, resilience requires conscious prioritization: you must acknowledge the surge, temporarily drop non-essential balls, and protect non-negotiable foundations. For me, sleep is non-negotiable. Without adequate rest and recovery, our cognitive clarity and emotional patience suffer, preventing us from performing at our best for our teams or our families.

Q: Why is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) crucial for corporate performance?

AC: Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not philanthropic initiatives—they are strategic business imperatives. When leadership teams share identical backgrounds, dangerous cognitive blind spots develop. Over time, subtle exclusionary practices create significant organizational vulnerabilities that impair candidate attraction, employee retention, and creative problem-solving.

Forward-thinking enterprises must deliberately cultivate workforces that reflect both local communities and global customer bases. DEI fosters a culture of belonging where employees feel valued for their unique perspectives, directly elevating engagement, retention, and bottom-line productivity.

Q: What primary obstacles do women continue to navigate, and how can they overcome them?

AC: In many societies, unexamined cultural expectations still place the primary burden of domestic caregiving and elder support on women. Forward-thinking companies that establish flexible working arrangements, parental support, and transparent progression paths reap substantial dividends in loyalty and leadership continuity.

Additionally, professionals frequently encounter legacy workplace mindsets that struggle to embrace modern inclusive leadership styles. When confronted with resistance or outdated biases, the most effective response is to stay focused on measurable business outcomes, build strong coalitions of cross-functional sponsors, and lead by indisputable competence.

Q: What actionable advice would you offer to emerging leaders seeking career advancement?

AC: Never apologize for having ambition. Ambition simply demonstrates that you care deeply about your craft, your impact, and your team's collective success.

Break your professional journey into purposeful micro-ambitions. Seek out candid mentors and sponsors who offer direct, unvarnished feedback. Exceptional leaders will never discourage you from aspiring to executive roles; instead, they will clearly outline the tactical competencies, leadership behaviors, and commercial results required to earn that promotion.

Q: How do you translate PERSOL's "Work and Smile" vision into operational practice?

AC: "Work and Smile" means conducting your daily work with deep alignment, autonomy, and purpose. Achieving this begins by choosing an industry you believe in and joining an organization whose ethical values align with your own.

When you practice micro-ambition and take pride in the tasks directly before you, engagement follows naturally. As an executive, my core responsibility is to mentor and empower our marketing and talent teams across the region so they can define and experience their own version of "Work and Smile." We reinforce this standard daily through small moments of recognition, collaborative problem-solving, and mutual trust.

Conclusion: Cultivating Inclusive Leadership for Sustainable Growth

At PERSOL, we are committed to dismantling barriers, closing gender representation gaps, and championing diverse talent across every industry sector. In the inspiring words of Michelle Obama, "There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish."

By empowering professionals with equal opportunities, inclusive development pathways, and supportive workplace environments, organizations unleash unprecedented innovation and collective growth.

Build Resilient, High-Performing Leadership Teams with PERSOL

Exceptional leadership drives organizational resilience, employee engagement, and sustainable commercial growth. Partner with our specialized talent consultants to identify, attract, and develop executive leaders. Explore our Workforce Solutions, Request Specialized Talent, browse Career Opportunities, or Contact Our Executive Advisory Team today.