Future Shapers: Next-Gen Leadership Stories Podcast

A podcast spotlighting the journeys of emerging leaders and told through the stories that shaped them. 

Emerging leaders from BRG, along with rising leaders from our client organizations, explore powerful stories that have influenced their leadership paths. Whether drawn from a personal experience, book, film, or pivotal moment in history, each story offers insight into how leaders can grow, succeed, and adapt in today’s environment. 

Subscribe and listen to all episodes at your convenience via any device at Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and Amazon Music. 

Episode 6: Modern Leadership: How Can I Help?

BRG Director Jean-Gabriel Despeyroux and Mathilde Saltiel, a partner at Latham & Watkins LLP, explore key themes of leadership through the lens of lived experience and the television series New Amsterdam. They reflect on the evolving demands of effective leadership, emphasizing humility, emotional intelligence, and the importance of trust and collaboration.

The phrase “How can I help?” from the TV series becomes a recurring leadership mantra, underlining a mindset of service and problem-solving. Trust, whether between doctor and patient or lawyer and client, is presented as foundational to successful outcomes. Leadership is framed not as command-and-control but instead as creating an environment where people are empowered, respected, and inspired to give their best.

Their conversation also unpacks how leadership starts early in one’s career, shaped gradually through mentorship and building self-confidence. Mathilde reflects on challenges such as delivering difficult feedback, the importance of authenticity, and the misconception that strong leadership requires authoritarianism.

Finally, Mathilde discusses her experience as a mother of two, advocating for visibility and authenticity among women leaders. She underscores how simply being present and open about the realities of balancing parenthood and leadership can serve as powerful encouragement for future generations of professionals.

Selected Transcript Summary 

[0:56]
Jean-Gabriel introduces Mathilde. He praises her leadership style, marked by kindness and high standards, and notes their shared professional background in competition law. They highlight the impact of multicultural careers. Mathilde explains why leadership is vital today. She emphasizes the increasing difficulty of retaining talent and notes that leadership styles must evolve to resonate with new generations of professionals.

[5:05]
They introduce the television show New Amsterdam as the frame of the conversation. Mathilde shares why the show resonates, highlighting its focus on teamwork, systemic change, and patient-centered values. Mathilde draws parallels between medicine and law, noting the importance of cross-disciplinary teamwork and staying grounded under pressure. She reflects on the value of France’s public healthcare in contrast to challenges portrayed in the US system.

[10:22]
Mathilde emphasizes the leadership mantra “How can I help?,” applying it to client service, team support, and crisis management. She links emotional intelligence and the need for empathy to effective leadership. They stress the importance of valuing each team member, from interns to senior partners, and maintaining trust with clients as the foundation of successful legal advice.

[16:07]
Mathilde reflects on her personal leadership journey, describing her gradual growth in self-confidence rather than a single pivotal moment. She advocates for assuming leadership behaviors ahead of formal promotions.

[18:09]
Mathilde identifies one of her toughest challenges as delivering hard feedback when professional fit may be lacking. These situations require honesty and listening, even when the outcomes can be difficult.

[19:07]
They challenge the misconception that leadership requires authoritarianism. Mathilde warns against fear-based leadership, noting its destructive impact on team morale and retention. They also discuss how leadership must evolve to focus on humility, flexibility, and leading by example over rigid hierarchies and urgency-based management.

[23:48]
Mathilde offers advice to early career professionals: shaping who you are as a leader begins from day one. Good management of peers and interns leaves lasting impressions that influence long-term career paths.

[25:03]
Jean-Gabriel brings up parenting and leadership. Mathilde shares her experience as a mother of two and stresses the importance of role models, especially for women in law balancing parenthood and professional ambition. Mathilde describes the initial anxiety around parenting in big law and how she overcame it through organization and perspective. She encourages open dialogue about challenges and sharing strategies among peers.

[27:35]
Mathilde reflects on the value of taking time to think about the type of leader one wants to be. She hopes the conversation sparks further discussion and inspires emerging leaders.

Episode 5: Career Evolution and Leadership Across Cultures

BRG Director Li Li and Michelle Bock, a partner at Squire Patton Boggs, reflect on their global career journeys and leadership lessons they have learned along the way.

Having grown up in the United States and moved to Germany and now Belgium, Michelle shares her experiences navigating cultural and professional complexities of working in international markets.

Leading the conversation, Li brings her own global perspective—beginning her career in China at an investment bank before relocating to the US, where she works in BRG’s Energy & Climate practice.

Together, they offer insights on next-generation leadership, the importance of collaboration, and the role of mutual respect in building inclusive, high-performing teams. Through personal stories of career evolution and mentorship, Li and Michelle highlight what it takes to succeed and thrive in an increasingly interconnected world. 

Episode 4: The Leadership Balance: Opposing Traits That Inspire Trust 

BRG Director Crosby MacDonald and Hugh Meighen, a partner at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, provide an insightful conversation on the leadership qualities of Robert F. Kennedy, drawing inspiration from Thurston Clarke’s book The Last Campaign. 

Together, they explore how Kennedy balanced empathy with conviction while earning trust and navigating team dynamics with emotional intelligence and purpose. 

They underscore the importance of nurturing relationships by striking a balance between humility and confidence. This allows leaders to truly listen before reacting, focus on their audience, and respond with clarity and intention. 

In reflecting on the qualities that define great leadership, Crosby and Hugh highlight the power of connecting with people who bring different perspectives, expectations, and experiences to the table, an approach that drives richer dialogue, stronger collaboration, and better outcomes.

Episode 3: Leading with Purpose: From Educator to Healthcare Executive

BRG Director Garrett Mann sits down with Shannon Cermak, Vice President, Ambulatory at Loyola Medicine, to discuss her unique career journey from teacher to healthcare executive and how her early experiences in education have shaped her leadership style.

Drawing on her teaching background, Shannon emphasizes the importance of people-centered leadership, a philosophy she’s carried into her role in healthcare administration. Whether guiding students or caring for patients, her approach has kept the mission front and center.

Together, Garrett and Shannon explore what it means to engage teams meaningfully: recognizing individual needs, building trust, and cultivating a culture that balances innovation with accountability.

They also reflect on the core traits of effective leadership respect, empathy, and kindness—and share a parting message for aspiring leaders to embrace discomfort, seek growth, and explore the unexpected opportunities that can shape your path.

Episode 2: Finding Common Ground through Open-Mindedness and Effective Communication Defines True Leadership

Nelida Abi Saab and Lucy Preston, a senior associate at Mantle Law, explore Adam Grant’s book Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know, which centers around open-mindedness, effective communication, and benefits of finding common ground.

Drawing from their own professional journeys, Nelida and Lucy unpack what it means to lead—regardless of job title. They explore nuances between being a manager and a leader, emphasizing that leadership is less about tenure and more about coaching and creating an environment for open dialog and challenges to one’s ideas.

Key themes include the value of teamwork, courage to admit mistakes, and power of constructive feedback. They underscore that great leaders are defined by their abilities to adapt, uplift others, and lead with authenticity and integrity—not their tenure or charisma.

Their conversation also highlights the importance of creating a respectful environment which fosters honest dialogue and innovation.

To close, they offer advice for aspiring leaders: stay resilient, challenge yourself, and lead by example.

Episode 1: Discovering Your “Why” and Embracing Leadership as Service to Drive Collective Success

BRG Director Matthew McSheaffrey and Alex Lerner, a partner at Stewarts, explore key insights from Simon Sinek’s influential books Start with Why and Leaders Eat Last. Together, they unpack the power of understanding one’s “why” in shaping a meaningful professional journey and discuss leadership as a form of service—where leaders invest their time and resources for the growth and success of their teams.  

They emphasize the importance of creating Sinek’s “circle of safety” environment, where team members feel secure, empowered to innovate, and able to focus on their strengths, ultimately driving collective success.  

Drawing from Sinek’s “Why, How, What” framework, they highlight how identifying a clear mission can redefine leadership approaches and how it has significantly shaped their own leadership philosophies and practices.  

They also touch on the value of mentorship, the impact of influential mentors throughout their careers, key turning points in their professional paths, and the importance of developing self-confidence to continue moving forward.