Smashing Archetypes with Meg Bear

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From outsider and the only woman in the room to tech exec.

In this episode, Meg Bear (former president of SAP SuccessFactors, and formerly also a senior executive at Oracle and PeopleSoft) talks to host Charlotte Otter about overcoming obstacles in her leadership journey. Meg describes how she broke through as an executive despite not fitting in to leadership archetypes, how she galvanized her network to strengthen her position, and how she leads now.

Meg shares ideas for leaders from diverse backgrounds and of diverse identities on how they can build or create their own dream leadership roles. And she gives some great tips on the power of listening and proactively building your reputation as a leader.

Meg is living proof that while worn-out leadership archetypes might be obstacles to career success, being smart and intentional can change the game.

This podcast is a companion piece to Charlotte Otter's book, We Need New Leaders, published on 3 June by Practical Inspiration Publishing. Find it online or in all good bookshops.
Chapters
  • 00:03 Introduction to Meg Bear's Leadership Journey
  • 03:24 Early Career and Leadership Development
  • 11:46 Navigating Gender Barriers in Tech
  • 27:52 Leadership Communication Strategies
  • 34:38 Reputation Management and Public Presence
27 Mar 2025 English Germany Management · Business

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