Young Leaders: Self Reflection & Balance

How did you carve out time to reflect, personally?

It’s a really good question. In any company I’ve actually worked for, I’ve never realized what’s been achieved till I’ve gone. At Just Eat, even with the IPO, I never saw it as a big deal at the time. When I left, I was, wow, that’s what we did. In Treatwell, when we got the majority acquisition, same thing. Push Doctor, even today, I’m in the trenches now. We’ve done phenomenally; we’ve grown amazingly. But we haven’t finished. I think, by nature, I’m one of those people who, until an adventure is finished, I don’t reflect.

I also make sure I have a balance. I’m a massive family man. Love my wife, love my kids. I always make sure that my routine is the same. My work, typically, is 9 to 6. I’d make sure I’m always home by six o’clock. My kids sleep at 8, so I’ve got two hours there, with the kids. Bath, story, all that kind of stuff. Then at eight o’clock, I get back into it. And there are certain times that are very, very important where, after the kids are in bed, my wife and I do something. That’s not every single day, but it’s important to do that.

I think, having that is very important. Granted, probably 80% of our conversations are about work. My wife was part of the founding team of Just Eat Spain, so you can bounce something off somebody and you can have a conversation. Personal reflection, I usually do it after I leave a company and/or somebody tells me something in real time. There are times, and my team have come forward to tell me I’ve handled a situation badly or brilliantly or that they need me involved in this, that or the other. Unless it’s reactive, I personally, don’t really do any proactive self-reflection.

Do you carve out time in the week, in the month, in the year, to just relax and think?

Yes and no. My relaxation is a couple of things. My family is a massive relaxation for me. That’s my getting away from things. I used to be decent footballer, once upon a time. I stopped playing but, recently, actually I’ve started playing one or two games a week, which is great. But it is important. You can’t be 80, 90 hours a week in this. It’s very important to get out of it.

There are probably three or four people that I hold in high regard, which, whether there is a problem, whether there is a discussion, I have a general conversation and I say, look, this is what I’m thinking, this is what I’m thinking about the business. What do you think? For me, work life and home life, I’m very keen to make sure that that balance is there and I make it work in the sense of how I get grounded and how I feel okay, is really spending time with the family.