5 key learnings that helped me become a CEO

Be yourself

Early in my career I was surrounded by some big, inspiring personalities. I set out to impress them and became a sponge... listening, learning and copying other people’s formula for success. I took-on new ways of working and in doing so, began to feel like a fish out of water. Before long, my motivation was sapped and I started questioning my choice of career.

The light-bulb moment came when I realised that I was pretending to be someone else at work (and damaging my ‘real’ self in the process). I made a conscious effort to stay true to my personality, values and ways of working. When I did, the dynamic with colleagues and customers improved, my confidence increased and my engagement lifted. Success quickly followed.



This lesson continues to resonate strongly today. As a senior leader it is critical for me to remain authentic. This encourages others in the workplace to be authentic too, and thereby encourages diversity and psychological safety within the business. Staying true to myself also helps me to maintain the energy and drive needed as a CEO.

Achievements can come in many different forms. Finding your own path is the true key to success.

Questions before answers

As I progressed into more senior roles, I aimed to not only be one of the highest performers, but also manage a team of high performers. To begin with, I thought leading meant having all the answers. Being a manager was about solving problems, right? Wrong. 

Reflecting on my own career, I realised my biggest opportunities for growth came from leaders asking questions. What do I think of Y? What would happen if we did X? Through careful questioning they got me thinking differently and helped me find my way to a solution... far more satisfying and illuminating than being given the answer on a plate.



In applying this same ‘question before answer’ approach with my team, I found that we came up with a greater variety of new ideas, process improvements and efficiencies. We embedded learnings and effected change far more efficiently than a top-down approach.

“Give a person a fish, you feed them for a day. 

Teach a person to fish, you feed them for a lifetime.”

Focus on culture

In a sales-based environment like recruitment we often place a heavy emphasis on numbers and financial results. No doubt these are an important, if somewhat easy measure of success. What’s harder to define, but more crucial to achieve, is a culture of care.

For me, culture is about the intangible elements of the business. The invisible stuff that glues us all together... shared values, ways of working and a clear, collective purpose. Culture is hard to map-out and measure, but get it right and magic happens! 

Within a fun, safe, collaborative and trusting environment people will thrive. From there, ideas flow, strategies form, executions land and results follow as a matter of course. 



Try jumping straight to the finish line and you may well deliver great results... but only here or there. Focus on culture and people and you will create a highly engaged team that deliver results consistently. This has been a key learning that helped me on my path to CEO.

Complement, not clone

In my younger years I was drawn to working with people like me. Somehow it seemed easier to collaborate with like-minded individuals who shared similar ideas, processes and ways of working. 

Over time, however, I realised that this narrow view was limiting my success. As I began to encourage more diversity within my teams, I came to benefit from a broad range of capabilities and viewpoints. 

Now when the business is looking to hire, we don’t seek a clone of what’s been successful in the past. We look for an individual who complements the existing team, aligning with our values, but bringing a unique set of skills and experience all of their own. We consider how a new team member will bring new ideas, new energy and new ways of working. We do this because we know we can learn as much from them, as they can from us.



When working with other senior business leaders, I encourage them to surround themselves with people who will in turn enable them to grow and achieve their goals.

“My team has skills that complement my own.

Their strengths fill my gaps,

enabling us to succeed together"

Seek broad horizons

II am proud of having strong connections to people from all walks of life. It keeps my thinking fresh, exposes me to innovations in other sectors and stops me getting stuck in a rut. Best of all, it gives me greater empathy and understanding of others. 

My network extends from former students and disadvantaged kids, to leading CEOs of multinationals. I talk regularly to people working in agriculture, education, professional services and elite sport to name a few... we all have something to learn from each other.

I didn’t always think this way. Initially I was more concerned with what my network could do for me, than what I could do for my network. Who would make a good contact? Who could teach me something? 



Later, I realised strong and lasting networks come from helping others, without expecting anything in return. I recall watching a video (yes video!) called ‘Pay it Forward’ which cemented this way of thinking and continues to remind me that small acts of kindness can accumulate and grow to make a big difference. ‘Paying it forward’ might be as simple as connecting like-minded souls, offering to mentor someone, or volunteering for a worthy cause. Look to the horizon and see where it takes you.

The lessons continue...

Becoming a CEO isn’t about being ‘right’ all the time. I’m certainly not perfect (as my kids often remind me). Admitting that we’re fallible and being open about our errors is a powerful way of fostering growth and psychological safety. 

We all make mistakes. It’s how we respond to them and what learn from them that is a true measure of our success. My missteps have certainly helped make me a better person and helped me become the CEO I am today.

I look forward to continuing my learning journey and I would love to hear from others about their own learnings. What has and hasn’t worked for you?

Aaron Neilson is CEO of The Next Group of businesses including The Safe Step, The Next Step and The HR Space. As a highly regarded business leader, Aaron provides search and talent acquisition services to many of Australia’s leading corporations.