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How do passion and a love for innovation recharge your energy?

How do passion and a love for innovation recharge your energy?

Rolf Sigmund emphasizes that passion is fundamental to successful leadership and team management, stating, “The basis of all success is passion.” He highlights the importance of intrinsic motivation and the role of leaders in inspiring their teams, asserting that everyone must identify with their work to foster a genuine connection to the company’s values. By prioritizing team well-being through initiatives like ending workdays at 7:30 PM and prohibiting emails after 8 PM, he believes companies can enhance communication and create a healthier work-life balance. Sigmund’s approach ultimately leads to a more engaged team, better productivity, and clearer career paths (plan de carreras). According to Rolf Sigmund, “Without input, there can be no output.” Don’t miss more tips and insights on effective leadership in the full episode.

2026·Season 2·Episode 6Highlight
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Rolf Sigmund · Board Member / ex-Managing Director

Leadership insights

Watch the full "The Unboxing Talks" Serie

Transcription

00:02

PASSION AND AUTHENTICITY AS A FOUNDATION Don't fall in.

00:10

This is my favourite topic."How do passion and the desire to innovate recharge your energy?" Well, of this...

00:17

...I'm absolutely convinced.The basis of all success is passion.

00:23

Whether for a team or for oneself.And I could never...

00:26

I could have never worked successfully for 35 years at L'Oréal if I hadn't felt that passion every single day.

00:34

And what drives that passion?I think, at its core,it's something intrinsic.

00:39

I need to want to get up in the morning,and be sure of what I want and why I do it.

00:45

And I must also be a role model as a leader.And if I can't pass that passion on to others,then I can't expect that same passion to live within the team.

00:59

That doesn't mean that every day should be a bed of roses.

01:03

There are complications.A leader also has to show that, it has to be evident,but then you must quickly regain control,set new goals, refocus the team,and guide it along the right path.

01:19

But,how did I manage to always maintain that passion?

01:25

Surely it had a positive influence that I moved country, especially at the start of my career,every three or four years.

01:35

And each new country brings new experiences, new cultures.

01:39

From the start, that gives you......motivation.Then, working in an area where every quarter, or almost every month,new products are launched, where new brands come in,and where other brands are acquired or new brands are created.

01:58

There were always so many motivations that, in fact,they always sparked great passion in me.

02:06

Do you always have to fully identify with the product or service that the company you work for sells,or can that passion also be reflected in other aspects of your role?

02:19

Well, I think, primarily, I have to identify with what I do.

02:24

Otherwise, it wouldn't be believable.No matter the level in the company,everyone has to identify with what they do,be it a product or a service.

02:36

I believe that's indispensable.The rest can relate to other areas,but when it comes to the company, of course.

02:43

And that was something that, at first,was somewhat overlooked and developed over the course of my career.

02:51

One can even say:"I must give myself and my colleagues the chance to have free time to enjoy their passions." Because without input, there can be no output.

03:04

And I still remember those times...In the '90s and 2000s,when the norm was to stay at work until 11 pm or work at weekends.

03:17

And then came the flood of emails on weekend evenings.

03:21

At one point when I said: "No,we have to give others and ourselves the chance to recharge that energy,that is, give them free time." With this, it was clear that the working day ended at 7:30 pm.

03:36

And then I also implemented in Germany that no more emails would be sent after 8 pm,nor on weekends.

03:44

And, of course, that also meant maintaining that discipline for oneself and not sending emails.

03:51

Obviously, on Monday at 8 am, I was bombarded with emails.

03:56

And you still ended up working at the weekends.But the goal was...

04:00

to protect the team from that.And I think, in the end, that led to a better balance.

04:06

And when there were important matters, truly important,plans were changed and things...

04:14

were done differently.But overall, I think it worked out very well.