IN the world of business and industry a company is only as strong as its leaders who have direct oversight for its operations and people.

Driven by that core belief, Red Stripe has been providing an open forum dubbed the Level Up Speaker Series, facilitating conversation and idea exchange between senior managers and respected business leaders across different sectors.

"Maintaining a world-renowned brand requires the strongest and best-equipped people at the helm. Our leaders drive strategy and execution so it's paramount that we find different ways to foster their growth and continued success," said Red Stripe Managing Director Luis Prata. "The Level-Up Speaker Series provides an open platform for our top 40 managers to learn from exceptional leaders in their fields, discuss their future within the company, and how they can contribute to Red Stripe's continued growth."

Launched in October last year, Red Stripe's Level Up Speaker Series has so far featured business mogul Owen "OK" Melhado; ICD Group President and Red Stripe Board Chairman Peter Melhado; and Scotia Group President Audrey Tugwell Henry.

During the most recent forum in January, OK Melhado, who is also a past Red Stripe vice-president of marketing and finance, noted that while the professional landscape has evolved through technological advancements and improved organisational structures, the fundamental approaches to achieving success remain constant.

"I started my career in the mid-1960s but I still believe some things still hold true in management and leadership. While the tools today differ, the company's achievements are still based on people's performance. The heart of success is still team building, motivation, and measuring the performance of people working together for a common goal," Melhado asserted.

Adding nuggets of his own, Peter Melhado stressed the need for managers to adopt practical leadership qualities that are centred on growing and developing their own team of direct reports.

"Be a leader of leaders. Be 100 per cent committed to yourself and your team being great. Create a space for your team to feel comfortable sharing feedback, even if it's to say you have failed on a particular promise. Feedback should go both ways in a professional relationship; it helps leaders stay accountable and maintain integrity. Integrity is doing what you said you'd do — and this, in return, strengthens your word. As a leader you are nothing without your integrity," he noted.

Besides inspiration and motivation, the beer company's managing director said the Level Up Speaker Series is designed to build the next generation of managers as part of the company's succession planning mandate. Prata pointed to what he described as the "Heineken Behaviours" — a set of guiding principles — specifically, the requirement for managers to "learn, share and reapply" as they work on personal development plans tied to career goals. "We have proven that fostering an environment where all employees are supported and given opportunities to grow brings out their best and, in turn, Red Stripe's best. When our people leaders get the support they need to grow and succeed, they are happier and more productive. There's no greater component for business success than that."

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