109. Leonid Sudakov of Kinship & Mars on The Power of Constraints

"The Less-Is-More Leader".

This podcast has listeners in 84 countries. Most of those are pretty open, democratic societies where freedom of thought and movement are both expectations and rights.

Born and raised in Russia, Leonid Sudakov had neither in his formative years. His father was not allowed a passport until he was 50. Leonid didn’t meet a foreigner until he was 16, when he moved to Moscow carrying with him a bag of potatoes and his wits. 

From these beginnings he has become an exceptionally creative and thoughtful leader, unlocking innovative and creative thinking at every stop, including 3 years as the global CMO for Mars Petcare, a $20 billion global business.

We are all heavily influenced by our upbringing. Whether we use those experiences as catalysts or obstacles depends on how we see them.