In today's conversation, Patrick Kamba shares invaluable insights on the essence of leadership and personal growth. He emphasizes that true success isn't solely about achieving goals but about the transformation one undergoes along the way. Drawing from his journey, Patrick discusses how building genuine connections can be pivotal in navigating the complexities of professional landscapes. He encourages listeners to seek alliances, ask questions, and engage authentically with others, highlighting that leadership is not a solo act. Join us as we explore the power of quiet ambition and the importance of fostering relationships that uplift and support our growth. Patrick Kamba joins us to explore the intricate dance of leadership and personal growth. With a career that emphasizes a people-first approach, Patrick shares his journey from being an overachieving project manager to realizing that true leadership requires more than just checking boxes. He emphasizes the importance of building authentic relationships within the workplace, detailing how asking the right questions can unlock opportunities and foster connections. Patrick's insights reveal that effective leadership isn't about self-promotion but about serving others and creating an environment where everyone can thrive. Throughout our conversation, we dive into the necessity of adapting one's mindset from a solitary pursuit of success to a collaborative effort that uplifts others. He illustrates how this shift not only benefited his career trajectory but also created a ripple effect of support and growth among his peers. Ultimately, Patrick's experiences serve as a reminder that success is a collective journey, and as leaders, we must invest in our communities and partnerships to cultivate an unstoppable future.

Takeaways:

1. Leadership is not a solo act; it's about building alliances and partnerships.
2. True success involves not just outcomes but also personal growth as a leader.
3. Asking questions and engaging authentically can lead to unexpected support and opportunities.
4. Surround yourself with uplifting people who encourage your ambitions and growth.
5. Listening is vital for effective leadership and fosters a safe space for others to share.
6. Sharing your ambitions and goals openly can attract the right support and mentorship.

Links referenced in this episode:

1. patrickKamba.com
2. Quiet Ambition

Connect with the host, Jaclyn Strominger

1. Skool
2. NewYorkCityExperience- Ignite
3. JaclynStrominger.com

Well, hello everybody.

I am so excited to bring this episode of Unstoppable Success to you.

I'm Jacqueline Strominger, your host, and today I bring to you Patrick Kamba.

And let me just tell you before I introduce him, you know, on this podcast, we hear from amazing leaders, their insights and things that that they have done to make change not only in themselves, but in the world.

And you will get immense knowledge from Patrick.

So let me give you a little short introduction on Patrick.

Patrick is a purpose driven leader.

He is known for blending strategic thinking with people first leadership.

With a career rooted in growth, execution, and impact.

Patrick brings a thoughtful perspective on what it takes to lead in today's fast moving, ever evolving business landscape.

And he believes success isn't just about outcomes.

It's about, it's about who you become as a leader along the way and how intentionally you grow into your next level.

So welcome, Patrick, to Unstoppable Success.

How are you today?

I'm fine.

Thanks for having me, Jacqueline.

Oh my God, it's such a pleasure.

So, Patrick, before we were having a little talk and we were talking about leadership and you were talking about really, you know, what game changing leadership can do and what it actually did for you.

So I'd love for you to share a little bit about that with our listeners because I think again, that helps us all have that unstoppable success.

So thanks for this question.

So it's about big changes and sometimes it's a bit forced.

As I said just before this session started, actually I learned the hard way.

I was so much in the, you know, over performance achiever.

Look at me, I'm there.

I'm bringing things done.

Yes, yes, here I am.

And really, at certain moments in my career when I was introducing myself, I was even saying, I am a performer.

That is serious.

Come on.

Yeah, yeah, I am a performer.

So where did I go with this?

At a certain moment in my career, I was project manager.

I wanted to be promoted.

I considered I was ticking all the boxes and what the hell is happening to me?

Why am I not promoted?

It needs to change.

I deserve a promotion.

That was my feeling.

And then I started to look around me.

People going to hr, chasing, lobbying, it's unfair.

I'm not promoted.

Then I said, is it really the path I want to take?

Because inside me I was feeling that it's a bit toxic.

I don't want to be like those people, you know, chasing, sending emails, invitations to HR because they wanted an explanation.

Why aren't they promoted?

Why they are Great.

That's always a question, you know, Right.

Why not me?

Why not me?

I'm doing all the things right?

I'm checking the boxes.

I'm amazing.

I'm amazing, right?

Exactly.

And so what I decided to do is still look after hr, but to have a conversation and just ask questions to understand what's happening.

Guess what?

People accepted the meeting and they told me so, even if it was not yet quiet ambition that I explained in my book.

I started to feel that when you ask questions with good intention, you are genuine, you are authentic.

People talk to you.

And then people gave me some secrets that were not written somewhere like, yes, go ahead.

Well, so did somebody give you the hard, like, you know, fast talk that said, you know, Patrick, make it not about you?

Not that far.

But it was more about engage, talk to people.

It takes time.

There are constraints.

Build audiences.

And then I started to see that, okay, I decided to have people talking about me when I'm not there.

I understood the concept of sponsor that I was not aware, of course, before.

So what did I do?

I built audiences with more and more people in human resources that were so helpful because then they kept me in the loop.

They gave me more information.

And you would never believe that human resource would help you officially, but actually, you have conversation with them, they learn to know you, you learn how to work with them, you share information.

And at certain moment, I was promoted, and I received.

And yes, and it was great because at the end, I was promoted in a way, at the moment, I was stronger because I had alliances.

I had people helping me, people giving me information.

And that made a difference, of course, because a few years later, I had to recruit and hire people, and I had to work with former alliances, former allies.

So things were smoother because I could take some risk in hiring people.

They were supporting me because we had good relationship, you see.

Okay, yes.

So this is a really key thing.

So I want our listeners to just to kind of recap this.

It's really important because it's a.

It's a part in life, not just in leadership, but.

But number one on this, on your journey.

What you realize as a leader is that a leader is not something that happens, you know, on a.

On a pedestal.

It happens with the right people around you, and that you need to actually build alliances with the people that are either, you know, in your company, in your team, and also with other people, even outside, so that you can learn from other people.

It's about gaining their knowledge, their trust, and leadership is about creating those right Partnerships.

So you cannot make it alone.

Right?

You cannot make it alone.

It's not a solo act.

Yes.

The journey that we live, we are not just one person on one planet.

Right.

We live in a world with lots of other people.

So key lesson, people, right now, think about the people that are in your circle, the people that you have as your alliances, the people that you entrust and maybe some of those people.

If you are looking to make a change or level up, think about the people that are in your circle.

Maybe you need to change some of those people or maybe you need to add them or even just start marketing a circle.

Connect, connect, connect.

And so to talk about connection, some questions of course you may have is how do you find those people?

How do you recognize them?

Some tips that can help, I am sure.

Ask and talk about your ambition and see how they react.

If they are smiling, if they are enthusiastic, if they heard you.

These are your allies on the opposite people who change the topic or start to comment like, yeah, of course, but you have always been lucky.

Or you speak very well English or you are Spanish in terms of origin.

That's why can get along with people.

Those people stay away because they might be jealous on what you are doing or trying to achieve.

You know, and that's, that's actually really important.

You want to surround yourself with people who are going to lift you up and, and take, you know, and be part of that.

And something that you just said, I think is also just really important to note listeners that, that, you know, you need to also share your ambitions with others.

They're, they, they're not meant to just be held to the chest.

When you share those ambitions and you speak it out into the universe too great things happen.

But you need to think about, you know, just as you said, Patrick, if somebody's a naysayer about that, maybe they're not your person.

Yes, I should agree.

Right?

Yeah.

I cannot agree more with you.

It's about connecting with people with the right people.

Right, Right.

So you know, when you're thinking about this, so now, you know, you've, you've gotten to this, you, you moved up and you got this, this position.

You know, how do you feel that you acted like.

And, and you've, you've, you changed.

How do you feel this really made you change as a leader?

And what has it done to your, I guess, for lack of a better word, leadership philosophy?

So the first I felt that this change was necessary because my methodology was not working.

Always saying, I'm the best.

I am an achiever, an over performer.

Okay, that's great when you have a shower, but that's it really.

You hear that when you talk, want to boast yourself up, there's ways to do it, but do it, I mean, and it's true.

Being boastful versus being somebody who serves and shares what they do.

It's actually two different things.

Yes.

And that is also where I learned actually, because when I saw those people supporting me, sponsoring me at the moment, I said maybe I should do the same for others.

And that's where you need the extra level.

You are helping contribute to the development of people today.

Those people may give it back to you even in 10 years, you never know.

But that's the beauty of the thing because you just help because you have been helped.

And that's why I'm still coaching and mentoring people.

And I say I'm helping you today because don't worry, somebody helped me in the past.

And then you build a big chain.

And that is the beauty of leading people because tomorrow they will lead new people in etc and then you increase the number of people helping each other contribute into the development.

And that's how you fuel the universe.

With good intention and people supporting each other.

So let me ask you, when, when, when you've seen these changes, how did it affect, you know, the, for lack of better word, the ROI of what you are doing and for the company and the team?

So I like to say that my return on investment is more 1,000% than 1% because I feel I have helped and contributed to the development of a lot of people.

But where I am today, let's be clear, some of these roles I have never applied to.

I am a previous executive director leading team of more than several hundred of project managers.

I never applied to this position.

Can you imagine that?

You never applied, you were just promoted?

Yes.

People came to me and said, we think you should do it.

This is for you.

You are the right fit.

Seriously.

That's the beauty of just helping the others with good intention.

Being the one who is surrounding orders for their growth.

Because you love people and you want them to grow and maybe one day something positive will come back to you.

And this is what happened to me.

Right?

You know, I, I want to share that.

It's not, it's.

It's learned leadership is a.

Learned is learned leadership is not.

We don't wake up in the morning or wake come out of the womb being a leader, we have to learn, right?

We have to get advice.

We have to have other people in our fold and, and always be learning to lead.

And I love what you just said that, that you, you make, you know, you went from going after something and verbally, like the verbal go after which we all, we want to do.

Right.

We want to share that.

But actually when you weren't getting it, you realize I need to take a, I need to step back and pivot and figure out what do I need to do.

You still went after the same goal, but you did it by again asking questions and enlisting others in that to help you along your journey so that you could become a better leader.

And you've done something really miraculously which is that you've learned and you've continued to evolve.

So now instead of having to go after positions, people are coming to you and saying, oh, Patrick, we want you for this.

And it's, it's really, it's, it's, isn't it?

Doesn't it feel great when somebody approaches you?

Yes, and very surprising.

And I like to say this is how it should be.

I keep on being surprised because when I take it for granted there is a problem.

Ego knocked at the door and ego entered.

And that's, it's really, you know, it's really great.

I spoke to a woman today about, she actually works for a technology company and she was just approached out of the blue by somebody that she worked with at another company for a new role.

And she, she said it was out of the blue, she wasn't expecting it, and the compensation was dramatically better.

And you know, and one of the things that she said, and I think this is what I want to address and talk to you about, is that there was a little bit of guilt that her, you know, that she was, she was noticed for her work by another company and you know where she's working now, she loves it.

It's not like she was looking to leave.

So how do you address that with people in your team?

You know that, you know when, when people are approached and, or you see great things happening, how do you help them even expand further and, and, and spread their wings?

Yeah.

So what I usually do is that even when I have my conversation during the year in terms of performance, I say the door is open.

I'm not there to retain and keep you at all costs.

It's about how you are growing, finding your, your way while being authentic to who you are.

And my job is to support you.

Of course, I would prefer you to stay in my department, in our company, etc, for sure.

But at the end of the day, I will be so happy if you are happy.

And that might surprise of course people like why you are not trying to retain me?

No, that's not my job.

I want you to be happy because if you are happy anyway, you will fuel, let's say the world with your performance, your delivery and then based on these people will stay, evolve, ask questions, learn more, etc, etc.

Yeah.

So what do you feel is the biggest thing that you want to achieve next?

Ah, that's a good question.

We're not expecting this one.

So my biggest next step is being more and more a paid speaker because I really love to go and inspire and share my experiences as a leader, as a father of three daughters because I like.

They give me 260 feedback anytime during the night.

That's the purpose it's having.

You know, I have my corporate activity as an executive director in pharma industry but I like to contribute to the development of people and more, especially women.

That's really the big, big thing for a lot of reasons.

First, I have three daughters.

So I want them to evolve and do whatever they want and be equally and fairly compensated for what they are doing.

That's one.

And the second is that my mother, she started to go back to school at 40 years old.

She had four kids, including me to become a nurse.

So we are in the ambition in the family, clearly.

Yeah, right.

There is definitely ambition.

So I love that being able to speak and, and share and help other women, you know, and help women.

Do you have a specific, you know, ambition or goal within your cup with the actual, with the company that you, that you work with also?

No, because already, I mean I have done so much in a way and it's sometimes good to just say enough is enough and I have enough here because I have, I am already beyond my initial career objectives.

So now I want to keep on contributing, making new leaders where I am working today.

And again, I'm already very active on women leadership in my company and I'm also mentoring, coaching more and more women to contribute to their development and career path.

So that's really what I like to do, I would say day and night.

Yeah.

So, you know, it's actually, you know, one of the things that I'm curious about because this is a big thing about leadership and I think it's, you know, where we, where things are in the world right now too is that every leader does face like these moments where we get tested.

Right.

Our resolve under pressure.

So how do you, how has there been a defining moment where you've Been under pressure.

And how did you as a leader, what did you learn and how do you help other people as a leader work under pressure?

Okay.

So as you know, I'm working in the pharma industry.

Yeah.

Very regulated.

And also because behind all of those drugs we have human beings.

So really.

No, just kidding.

So no need to say the pressure is there.

Yeah.

And so that's why also I sometimes give some presentation on how to translate strategy into priorities, how to make trade offs and etc.

One of the first thing I like to say is that having your leader knowing everything is a myth.

We don't know everything and we have to make decisions.

That is so important.

Leaders listeners remember, leaders don't know everything.

It's so important.

And if a leader thinks that they do maybe run the other way, you.

Go knock at the door, remember?

And so what I usually say is when you are under pressure, you are in crisis.

You will go in your meeting room and ask questions and listen and that's it.

Do this at first and not we should do, we should do.

Hold on, hold on.

Maybe some people in the room know what needs to be done basically.

And second, people in the room may have information you don't have.

So at first check what's going on.

Asked opinions.

You know, I think this is actually a quintessential piece that I really want to make sure you know, listeners that we understand and I, and it might be something that you've probably heard before, but I want to make sure that you hear it again.

A number one, when you walk into a room, right.

You don't act like the know it all and the smartest person as a leader.

Take this, you know, take the stand of, of being going backward.

Right.

And asking as you, as you just said, ask questions, get the opinion of the people in the room.

You know, a great leader is not the person who says there is not the loudest person.

The great, A great leader is the person who's spending time with the two things next to them.

Not the one thing.

Right.

Listening and you know, listen and ask questions.

Yes, that is critical.

Yeah.

It is so important.

It's so important.

You know and I, I and I'm curious, you know, you've had, you know, it's also one of the big things to have unstoppable success which is to do a lot of listening and asking if you could give some, you know, give the listeners, you know, what is your like if there's one bit of advice that you wish that you had got received and I Think I kind of know the answer from what we've talked about the moment you, you know, you took your first career through position.

The first is listen, listen, listen.

That is the most important part.

And I'm sometimes introducing myself as I am a great listener.

That makes a difference because by listening first, you put people comfortable, they know they can speak, they are safe.

That's basic.

Then the second is that by listening, you are learning.

Meaning you are learning, you are stronger.

That's obvious.

Remember, we go to school not to speak.

We go to school to listen.

Why do we listen?

To learn.

That's the basic, you know.

Right, right.

That is basic, you know, something you just said.

And I'm kind of curious about this.

You know, it's, You know, you, you had your career and you were asking, you were, you were, you were wondering why you were not getting the promotions.

Do you think at some point, as I'm going to sneeze, excuse me, do you think that along that way that maybe somebody had said something to you, like, you know, have conversations, but yet it took you until X point to actually hear that and realize that?

Yeah, it's partially true in the sense that I had to find my own way.

Yeah.

While I could have asked XYZ and say I'm stuck here, who should I talk to?

But no, I wanted to go directly to HR and ask questions to understand.

And that's why today when people ask, I say, maybe you should ask XYZ because I have been there.

So I learned my lesson and I want the others to not go through the same path and maybe go quicker and just ask questions.

It will be a long term relationship.

Take the time to fuel this relationship and etc.

Build alliances.

Right?

That's so true.

Yeah, that's really great.

Now, Patrick, you have written a book that will help, that helps people.

So talk to us a little bit about the book and what you want to, how you want to help, you know, serve others with the book.

So the book, I like to say, is the one I would have loved to receive a long time ago.

That's the first thing I would say.

But more seriously, I have written this book in a way, putting the steps in the right order because as you can imagine, I had coaches, then I had my network, and then finally I thought about my ambition.

Why you should start by exploring yourself.

It should be the step zero, but it came in my lap as a step five, you know, so that's why I put things in order.

Because at the end of the day it's about who are you?

What are you looking after?

What are you chasing?

What's your purpose?

And that is where, unfortunately, people are just chasing, are loud, noisy, because they want the title and that's it.

But why is it because of social recognition?

Because of the parents, because of the wife or the husband?

Why do you want to get that promotion?

Ah, you want to be safe about money.

Okay.

Why?

Because maybe when you are young.

Okay.

Okay.

And then based on this, you can move forward.

And then indeed, you explore your ambition, as you are saying, you share with a few people you trust, and then you put smart goals, and then you network to get mentor coaching.

And then you persevere and you are resilient.

Because I like to say, the moment you are ambitious, I. Adversity starts.

Yeah.

Right.

So, all right, so share with us the title of the book again.

So it's quiet ambition, Achieving your goals with calm and confidence.

Ah.

So quiet Ambition.

I love it.

I absolutely love it.

Okay, so how can listeners connect with you and learn more about you and where should they.

Where should they go?

So they can connect with me via LinkedIn.

And I have also my website is freshly released.

So this Monday.

Ah, yes, three times.

Www.patrickcampa.com.

Oh, great.

And then, of course, they can write my book on Amazon.

All right, well, I will actually put all of that in the show notes.

A link to your website, a link to the book on Amazon, and also a link to your LinkedIn profile.

So, listeners, please do me the favor.

You know, this is so important.

It's a theme that's running that I feel like I keep reading about and we're talking about, which is, you know, being the quiet, confident person, not to be the loudest person in the room.

So do me the favor.

Connect with Patrick, get his book, click on that link in the show notes, and be amazingly unstoppable by being the quiet promoter.

Again, it's not the loudest person in the room that gets the reward.

It's the person who actually helps and connects with others.

So thank you, Patrick, for being an amazing guest, and thank you, listeners, for listening to this episode of unstoppable Success.

I'm Jacqueline Stomageer, and please remember, subscribe and share so we can help make everybody unstoppable.

Thank you, Jacqueline.

Thank you.