Alex Knigge CMO Emirates & Jonathan Bowman-Perks: Inspiring Leadership Interview

Inspiring Leadership is definitely modelled by the CMO Emirates Alex Knigge. He is a champion for “Cultural Diversity in Emirates”. He also values the concept of  Inspiring Leaders growing other Leaders.  Alex Knigge is the SVP Corporate Communications, Marketing & Brand (Digital) at Emirates Group. Alex has a wide diversity of culture, background and global experience.

He admired his Father who was courageous, rejected arrogance and challenged big egos. His father was a German Government high ranking inspiring leader. I met Alex through the Marketing academy where I gave my coaching skills for free with Katherine Tulpa and the founder Sherilyn Shackell. WE discussed the importance of humility and being humble. Alex is respected by others as being smart, passionate and with deep experience, yet not arrogant.

Alex goes out of his way to focus on bringing on others. He both agreed that great leaders Create an environment for people to flourish and major on growing other great leaders. Leaders have to remember to create your alumni by developing those you lead. There was great feedback on Alex and  many of those who worked for Alex have gone on to great jobs. Sometimes these followers of Alex “passed” him and were promoted into even more demanding roles than the ones that Alex was in himself. His personal mistakes he was honest about. He said it was healthy to be anxious about your own living by your values and ethics and the impact on other’s lives of your hasty decisions.

A top tip for Alex as “Trust your gut on leadership decisions”. Alex strongly believed that he had the mantra to “Do what is right for the company and strategically”. It is very tough laying people off (often you had hired them), but sometimes it turns out to be good – they are forced into reviewing what they love doing and to make a new start.

Top Tip: Be courageous, trust yourself and focus on developing your people. Spend more in the backseat (when going well) than always in front seat (only when a crisis).