Episode Guest:

Prashant Narula is Managing Director of Ciklum UK, where he helps organisations use technology and AI to build better products and experiences. He is passionate about leadership, resilience and helping people grow through honest, values-led careers.

Episode Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

0:19 Why success is about what you give, not what you get

1:00 The true traits of a great leader

1:55 Meeting Prashant Narula

2:14 Prashant’s first job on the factory floor

3:09 The importance of a great manager early in your career

4:31 How honesty landed Prashant his first role in tech

5:28 Why honesty, resilience and reliability matter most

7:21 Why resilience is more important than ever today

8:41 Build a multi-skilled support network

10:08 How to network by giving value first

11:24 From beginner to leadership roles in hypergrowth companies

12:30 Leading teams through tough times

13:04 The leadership principles that actually work

14:48 Enabling teams vs micromanaging

15:02 Can everyone become a leader?

16:21 Career advice that changed everything

17:02 Make your work visible to leadership

18:52 When careers feel messy and chaotic

19:42 Why chaos early in your career is a good thing

20:22 Lessons in resilience from Ukrainian teams

22:51 The importance of understanding different cultures

24:05 Why learning never stops

25:02 The power of 30 minutes of daily learning

27:30 Why you shouldn’t compare your career to others

27:39 Inside Ciklum and what they do

31:01 The risks and opportunities of AI

32:09 Why now is the best time to join Ciklum

33:29 The invisible habits behind success

34:22 Stop worrying about what others think

36:23 Final thoughts

36:47 Prashant’s duvet flip

Episode Partners:

📊 Compare the Market

Discover how you can make a difference at Compare the Market, the company behind one of the UK’s most popular comparison sites. From tech and data to marketing and operations, they’re on a mission to simplify decisions for millions.

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