Episode 26: Leading by Example - Sustainability & Leadership - Richard Hagan, Managing Director at Crystal Doors

“What are you doing with your profits - are you investing it back into your people and community or the pockets of a few?” What a question? And one of many that Richard Hagan, businessman and radical and passionate sustainability champion asks businesses and leaders to reflect on in this informative and inspirational episode. When it comes to ‘radical’, by his own admission, Richard recognises that business has a powerful role to play in necessary climate action -supporting planet and people. Given that time to act is short, Richard shares how radical action is required by all businesses - and that many just aren’t prepared to take the risks, the commercial hit and the necessary investments and leaps of faith that’s needed. Richard is no stranger in the sustainability world - a leading exemplar, just last week, Crystal Doors were cited as the number one global sustainable company followed by Burberry, Coffee and TV, Netflix and Nespresso - named Manufacturer Of The Year at the 2021 Business Green Leaders Award, awarded the Queens Award and also Small Business of the Year at the Sustainability Leaders Awards 2021 due to their dedication.  In this episode, Richard shares his journey, the critical role he’s played as a leader, ‘walking the talk’ - enthusing and infusing employees with a courageous and powerful vision - encouraging all employees to take individual responsibility and champion action and progress. As Richard states, it’s key to celebrate the collective wins along the way creating a business that is energised by its employees. We ask Richard about some of the key aspects of his sustainability journey - he talks about the importance of communication and marketing to mobilise the workforce, the importance and courage required to simply ‘tell the truth’ and why it’s critical to stand by your purpose and values. (He even shares how Crystal Doors have said goodbye to customers and suppliers who don’t have the same desire to align with shared values). Richard is a total inspiration - a great leader and a man on a mission to truly bring about necessary and radical change. Tune in to grab a dose of Richard’s infectious passion and get inspired to make a difference. You can find out more about the projects he’s working on via the Crystal Doors Knowledge Hub - where they share ideas, insights, guides and resources to support the wider community. Due to the COVID19 situation, our podcasts are currently being recorded purely via online conferencing platforms, we apologise for any minor sound quality issues.