From Bubble to Blueprint: Finlay Gane on Navigating Early Career & What Great Leadership Really Looks Like

What happens when the leadership you imagined in school collides with the reality of the working world? In this episode of Leadership Trademarked, hosts Ros and Silvia sit down with Finlay Gane — a former mentee turned guest — to unpack his journey from academia into the corporate world, the "bubble burst" moment that reshaped his expectations, and the hard-won lessons about trust, candor, and relationship-building that now guide how he shows up at work. Finlay opens up about the emotional toll of unmet expectations, what he's learned about reading the room, and the three things he now expects from any leader he chooses to work for. Whether you're just starting your career or leading a team of your own, this conversation is a candid look at what it really takes to navigate relationships in leadership.

Built on Trust: How Relationships Shape Leaders Leadership Trademarked

Every leader has a story about someone who changed everything. A boss who listened when they could have dismissed. A mentor who said "you can do this" when you weren't sure you could. A friend who still picks up the phone, no matter how long it's been.

In this episode, Ros, Leslie, and Silvia trace the relationships that built them — and explore what it actually takes to cultivate the kind of trust that lasts decades, survives distance, and holds up under pressure.

They talk candidly about how their own leadership styles have evolved: from proving themselves to empowering others, from shielding their teams to standing alongside them, from having all the answers to finally learning to listen. And they reflect on the handful of people — five, if research is to be believed — who made all the difference.

This is a conversation about integrity in action. About what happens when you stop performing leadership and start living it. About fathers who taught principles around a dinner table, bosses who turned failure into a learning moment, and the quiet power of showing up for people who are different from you.

Because great leadership was never really about strategy. It was always about trust — and the relationships you chose to build it with.

In this episode of Leadership Trademarked, Silvia, Leslie, and Ros dive into one of the most essential — and often misunderstood — aspects of leadership: building a professional network that extends beyond your immediate workplace. Through candid personal stories, the trio explores how their networks evolved over decades — from joining nonprofit boards and industry associations to co-founding women's networks and forging unexpected mentorships that changed the course of their careers. They don't just share the polished wins; they talk honestly about the rooms that didn't feel right, the attempts that didn't land, and the moments that required courage to try again. The conversation also gets practical. Ros shares powerful coaching frameworks for identifying what truly blocks you from getting what you want in your career. Leslie offers a deceptively simple but transformative tool: stop, count to ten, and really listen — especially when someone challenges your thinking. And all three agree that the foundation of any meaningful network isn't strategy — it's genuine human connection. Whether you're just starting out or leading at the senior level, this episode will challenge you to step outside your comfort zone, volunteer for causes you believe in, lead with curiosity, and be willing to be vulnerable. Because as Ros puts it — you can't do anything by yourself.