Rosanne Longmore is the CEO and Co-Founder of Coroflo, a company developing world first breastfeeding technology. Prior to life in a start-up, Rosanne qualified from the University of Limerick and completed industry qualifications with the Institute of Project Management and the Institute of Bankers and spent 15 years in financial services. In Coroflo’s first 12 months Rosanne and her team won Richard Branson’s ‘Virgin Voom Competition’, the ‘ESB Spark of Genius’ at Lisbon Web Summit and were regional finalists in InterTrade Ireland’s ‘Seedcorn Competition’.
Can leadership be taught? If so, how?
I believe some components of leadership can be taught, the skills generally taught through courses like MBAs etc. In my experience, the most effective and memorable leaders have innate and instinctive personality traits that contribute to their impact.
What do you think is the difference between management and leadership?
Management is about facilitating people to do great things. Leadership is about inspiring people to do great things
The world around us is changing faster than at any time in human history and we need more leaders to emerge. How do we make this happen?
Leaders have always emerged as a natural phenomenon. What we need to ensure is that the leaders who emerge are as best educated, prepared and supported as possible.
What is the one mistake you witness leaders making more frequently than others?
Not being transparent with stakeholders. If a problem is presented in a timely fashion, people switch to problem-solving. Presenting a problem too late tends to lead to criticism and blame within teams.
What advice would you give to someone dealing with a high-pressure situation in their life or work?
In work, project the problem to its worst-case scenario – it is never as bad as it seems. In personal life, don’t neglect self-care. Maintain a routine, get a minimum 7 hours sleep and exercise (outdoors if possible). Talk to someone you trust and whose opinion you respect.
What are a few resources (books, blogs, podcasts, courses etc) you would recommend to someone looking to gain insight into becoming a better leader?
I believe the best leadership books are typically not written directly about leadership. I recommend:
“Zero to One” by Peter Thiel
“Man Search for Meaning” by Viktor E Frankl
“The Checklist Manifesto” by Atul Gawande
