Athlos Business Summit

The ATHLOS Business Summit is a high-level, industry-focused gathering, such as the one held in Athens, Greece, on April 2, 2026, which brings together leaders from the worlds of sports and business. It is designed to explore the business of sports, particularly focusing on leadership under pressure, innovation, and performance, often featuring speakers who discuss overcoming significant challenges in the industry.

INTERVIEW
Kathleen Dunton, Chair, Boyden

• “The best leaders are not those who have never fallen – they are the ones who have learned how to get back up.”
• Ms Dunton, you are visiting Greece at a time of significant change for businesses. How do you see the role of leadership today?
  • It’s truly an honor to be here in Greece, a country with deep traditions that have shaped much of how our societies and businesses operate today. What we see is that leadership is not static. It continues to evolve, influenced by geopolitical changes, crises such as the pandemic, and new market demands. And that means leaders must continuously evolve as well.
• With nearly 30 years of experience in leadership advisory, what is your key takeaway on what makes a truly good leader?
  • I have worked with companies of all sizes, and I have seen very strong leaders, and less effective ones. What differentiates the best is not the absence of mistakes. It is how they deal with challenging moments. The best leaders have all had falls. Some have also experienced failure. What sets them apart is what they did with it.
• You make an interesting distinction between “falling” and “failing”. What does that mean in practice?
  • I don’t particularly like the word “failure,” because it feels very final. As if there is no way forward. Falling, on the other hand, is part of the journey. It means something didn’t go as expected, but you can correct course and continue. The key is action. Recognizing early what is not working and moving forward differently.
• Can you share an example?
  • I recently spoke with a CEO who had taken over a long-established company in the chocolate industry, with more than 100 years of history. He was brought in to modernize the business and bring it into this century.
  • He developed a strategy, reviewed roles, and redesigned processes – many of which barely existed and were still paper-based. All of that was right. But he made a critical mistake: he set himself a very tight 90-day timeline and did not communicate the “why” behind the changes.
  • As a result, he didn’t manage to take his people onboard. Within a short period of time, he started losing his best talent. And in an organization with deep roots, that can be extremely damaging.
    • He had to stop, reflect, listen, and adjust his approach. His biggest learning was clear: he had overlooked the human factor.
• So communication is key?
  • Absolutely. And not just speaking and explaining, but listening, too. Leaders often focus on strategy and forget that without their teams, nothing can be implemented. The ability to listen – even to what is being said informally, on the side – is critical.
• How does this connect to organizational culture?
  • Culture is the foundation on which leaders operate. In a toxic environment, people hold back, they don’t speak up, they don’t innovate. In a safe environment, they feel comfortable raising their hand and saying, “I have an idea.”
  • Think about organizations that invest in research and innovation. If people fear being penalized when an idea doesn’t work, they will stop contributing altogether.
• What does a “safe environment” look like in practice?
  • It’s an environment without fear. Where making a mistake does not lead to punishment, but to learning. And that starts with leaders being open, sharing their own stories – their falls and the challenges they have faced.
• Have you seen cases where the lack of such a culture affects younger professionals?
  • Yes, and it is concerning. In one of my search processes, I met a young professional working in an incubation center within a large technology company. He was intelligent, motivated, and full of ideas. He had documented them, but he couldn’t move forward because there was no openness and no willingness to listen from leadership.
  • That creates frustration and can shape someone’s career path very early on. And this is where leaders have a responsibility: they are shaping the next generation.
• Succession and the next generation of leaders seem to be a major issue. How do you approach it?
  • It is one of the most critical topics today, especially in Europe. There is a great deal of knowledge and experience that needs to be passed on. This doesn’t happen only through processes, but through storytelling. Through sharing experiences.
  • At the same time, fewer people today aspire to leadership roles. In a recent session I had in Berlin with high-potential leaders, only about one-third raised their hands when asked if they wanted to become leaders.
• Why do you think that is?
  • Because leadership is associated with pressure, responsibility, and exposure. But if we position it as a journey where it is okay to fall, to learn, and to adjust course, then it becomes more attractive.
• What role does mentoring play in this?
  • A very important one. A mentor can act as a guide, but also as a role model. Someone who shares their own experiences, including their falls, and what they learned along the way. This is particularly important for female leaders, where that support can make a significant difference.
• Boyden has a history of nearly 80 years. How has leadership evolved over that time?
  • Leadership in the 1940s was very different from leadership in the 70s or 80s. We have seen major shifts – from post-war rebuilding to periods of growth, to the pandemic, and now the current geopolitical environment.
  • Boyden itself went through a transformation phase. It started as a pioneer in the industry, then grew into a large international organization and at some point lost clarity and cohesion. It needed to reassess its structure and operating model. That process ultimately made the firm stronger.
• If you were to leave today’s leaders with one message, what would it be?
  • Leadership is not a straight line. There will be deviations, there will be bumps along the way. What matters is recognizing when to adjust course – sometimes before others even see the curve ahead.
  • And above all: falling and facing challenges are not signs of weakness. They are what ultimately define a truly strong leader.