by Jordan Sekhri | LHi Group

This year for International Men’s Day we conducted a series of interviews with some of the male leaders within LHi Group. Next up was our Munich office leader and Director, Christian Kalous.

1. What has your journey as a leader been like at LHi?

My Journey began May 2014 and I had moved to Munich just a year beforehand. I was personally in a totally different stage of life, but so was LHi. As one of the first employers in Munich and now the longest-serving member here, I have grown with the company and learned a lot but also made a fair number of mistakes on the way. But the trust and encouragement from the company to make mistakes and learn from them was a key element for me to grow into the leader I am today. I now have a wife and two kids, so a lot of my personal priorities have changed, and have influenced my priorities as a leader. One of our core values in Munich is family and this is exactly how I see the office and everyone in it. I feel we have created a culture over the last few years where we are open and honest with each other to make sure we are always improving. For me that feedback from the team is also the biggest opportunity to become better every day!

2. As a role model in the group now, what advice would you give to your younger you?

Always ask, it is important to learn as much as you can, especially from the strong people around you and taking on that advice and more importantly asking for it consistently, will make you better. As a father of two kids the second one is something, I want my kids to embrace as much as possible: Do not limit or underestimate yourself or let anyone else do this to you. I am a strong believer that we can learn from each other and especially from new people in the business, with a fresh set of eyes and ideas. I always have been inspired by our new starters that are setting new bars and are challenging the status quo to make us better.

3. How do you think the culture has changed at LHi to improve health and wellbeing?

The culture has always been an outstanding point at LHi Group! Sport was a key factor for many to bond and connect over. Stereotypically, as men, we like to be competitive and maybe that is why at the beginning health and wellbeing was not paramount, not just in the workplace but in day-to-day life. In today’s society, with social constructs such as ‘International Men’s Day’, it is more apparent to me that health and wellbeing for men especially is now paramount. The narrative has shifted from what it was many years back, the 21st-century man can now speak openly about their feelings and not be told to ‘man up’. As LHi continues to grow we have taken a people-first approach where health and wellbeing is at the forefront of that. I am so proud of the business and the way we have handled 2020 so far. We have run multiple initiatives around the year to raise awareness and educate our people about the importance of wellbeing and the different effects this has on everyone. I strongly believe, LHi is now a business where everyone can be open and will 100% find the support they need to be the best version of themselves inside and outside of work. I am so proud to be part of that journey as LHi continues that support.