Empathy in Leadership: Navigating Career Growth and Management with Tomas Company

Tomas Company, a Senior Product Manager and Interim Director at adidas, shares his nearly two-decade tenure and people-centric management approach.

Born to Spanish parents in Germany, he's a blend of cultures, having studied international business in Germany and international management in France. His nearly two-decade-long tenure at Adidas began with an internship, and he has seen himself rise through the ranks, embodying the value of loyalty in a fast-paced world.

We explored the rarity of his long tenure, which he attributed to ample development opportunities, training, and mentorship. Tomas stressed mentorship's profound impact on his people-centric management approach, which is focused on empathy - deeply understanding team members' expectations and aligning them with company goals.

When hiring, he looks beyond field experience to strengths that can fill team gaps. He values authenticity in interviews and communicating one's unique value proposition. Humor and willingness to acknowledge weaknesses are also crucial.

Tomas emphasized the importance of regular one-on-one meetings to address immediate challenges and long-term career aspirations. He encouraged finding mentors, seeking shadowing opportunities, and aligning personal values with career choices.  

We discussed performance improvement plans requiring honest employee-manager relationships and mutual responsibility for growth. Tomas sees managers as catalysts for assessing goals and suggesting advancement pathways, while employees should own their journeys.

Finally, Tomas briefly discussed his coaching business aimed at helping others achieve success and fulfillment, born from overcoming personal adversity.

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