Unlocking Leadership Potential: Amrop Carmichael Fisher with Rohit Bassi
At Amrop Carmichael Fisher, we believe leadership is at the heart of organisational success. For over 60 years, we’ve guided companies to find leaders who not only align with their organisational goals but also have the ability to drive long-term impact. Recently, we hosted an exclusive breakfast event bringing together C-suite professionals and Non-Executive Directors from a range of organisations including private equity, SMEs, and government, to discuss leadership–hiring the right people, managing teams, and unlocking success through prioritising your team and their happiness.
Our keynote speaker, Rohit Bassi, is the founder of People Quotient, a consultancy that specialises in executive workshops, leadership development, and designing bespoke talent solutions that help organisations grow sustainably. With more than 20 years‘ of global experience in Private Equity and leadership development, Rohit brought a wealth of knowledge to the conversation, sharing insights from his own experiences in building high-performing teams, scaling businesses, and nurturing leaders at every level.
During the event, Rohit facilitated a conversation focused on practical tactics for unlocking leadership potential. Attendees shared their own experiences and insights, making the event a collaborative space to explore the evolving challenges of leadership today. Here are some of the key takeaways that emerged from the discussion.
The success of an Organisation Relies Primarily on its People.
Human capital is the most valuable asset a company invests in. Skills, creativity and the dedication of each team member drives innovation, productivity and long-term success. Drawing on his Private Equity experience, Rohit highlighted how human capital is increasingly seen as a key differentiator. While financial capital is essential too, it has, over time, become commoditised. According to Rohit, the real difference between a growing business and a stagnant one is its people. When companies focus on people as their core asset, organisations can better prioritise developing talent, fostering strong leadership and creating environments where employees feel motivated to work hard, add value, and positively contribute to the workplace.
Our philosophy at Amrop Carmichael Fisher emphasises finding the right leaders and goes beyond simply facilitating an appointment. It’s about ensuring those leaders have the tools and support to foster a culture of growth, innovation and sustainability. When organisations prioritise leadership development, they unlock the potential for long-term success.
Prioritise Leadership Practices Over Job Titles
Titles can be misleading, creating a misalignment between a leader’s role and their actual capabilities. Too often, inflated titles mask the lack of strategic depth and knowledge an individual has to drive significant change. For instance, appointing a Chief Operating Officer (COO) who lacks operational expertise can cause real challenges in scaling the organisation. “People love titles”, Rohit said at the breakfast event, “But if your COO is at best a Head of Operations and doesn’t have a strategic lens, it can become a real problem”.
Amrop Carmichael Fisher has always advocated for a context-driven approach when searching for an organisation’s ideal Board members and executives. We understand that it’s not simply about finding someone to fit a title, but rather the appointment of leaders with the right skills and vision to meet the unique needs of the organisation. This insight reinforces the importance of looking beyond the title and focusing on the practices and capabilities a leader brings to the table––essential for organisational success.
Coaching & Mentorship for Sustainable Leadership
One of the most significant takeaways from the event was the role of coaching and mentorship in leadership development. Rohit highlights leaders, particularly CEOs, need to move away from transactional leadership where decisions are made top-down, and instead embrace a mindset of coaching and mentoring. “Teaching and telling––that mindset of being a coach, being a teacher, not the doer––that’s the place where CEOs, whether early or late stage, often get stuck”, he shared. This aligns with Amrop Carmichael Fisher’s leadership advisory services, where we encourage organisations to cultivate leaders who focus on developing the talent around them. Sustainable leadership is not just about immediate results but about building a team capable of driving success even in the leader’s absence.
Adapting To a New Generation of Employees
The way we lead today is evolving, and it’s clear that the new generation of employees has different expectations for their leaders. Rohit emphasises that the next generation is driven by purpose, inspiration, and a desire for flexible, meaningful work environments. “The new generation? You have to lead them”, Rohit told our attendees. “You have to inspire them, or they won't turn up to work”.
At Amrop Carmichael Fisher, we’re passionate about adapting leadership styles to meet the changing demands of your team. Leaders who can connect with their people on a deeper level, fostering a purpose-driven culture, are more likely to attract and retain top-tier talent. As businesses navigate the post-pandemic world, creating an environment that values flexibility and purpose is key to thriving in today’s competitive landscape. Stick to your old ways of working and leading, and you’ll quickly fall behind.
Ensure Rewards & Bonuses Align with Organisational Goals
Incentives are often seen as a primary driver for leadership performance, but Rohit argued that purpose and mission are just as important, if not more so. While financial rewards play a role, the best leaders are motivated by a deeper sense of alignment with the organisation, its people and its goals. “People don’t wake up to catch a flight because of their incentive or bonus. It’s something deeper that drives them”, Rohit shared. And we couldn’t agree more. Effective leadership is about more than just financial success. It’s about creating an environment where leaders and their teams are aligned with the organisation’s mission, driving both personal and professional growth. Clear, purposeful incentives are essential, but they must be tied to the broader organisational vision to truly inspire leaders.
Foster Trust & Accountability to Create High-Performing Teams
Finally, trust emerged as a foundational element in establishing high-performing teams. Rohit pointed out that without trust, it can become difficult to resolve conflict or maintain alignment within a team. “Building high-performing teams… The bottom of that pyramid is trust. If you don’t have trust, everything else falls apart”, he told us. Trust has long been recognised as the bedrock of leadership and team success. Leaders who cultivate trust within their teams create an environment where accountability, innovation and collaboration thrive. This reflects our commitment at Amrop Carmichael Fisher to appoint leaders who not only have the right skills, but who also foster a culture of trust and alignment.
In Summary
The future of leadership is about more than just titles or incentives. At Amrop Carmichael Fisher, we’re passionate about creating environments where people are valued as your most important asset; where leaders act as mentors and coaches, and where trust is the foundation of every successful team. Without trust and accountability, incentives that align with organisational goals, the ability to adapt, change and be flexible, and a passion for ensuring your team always have the resources to thrive, an organisation’s growth is hindered.
Rohit Bassi’s contribution to our breakfast discussion around leading teams, shaping leaders, and managing people allowed us to challenge traditional leadership models as a cohort, offering practical strategies for organisational success with a people-first approach. As we continue to expand our leadership advisory services, Amrop Carmichael Fisher remains committed to helping organisations build high-performing teams, placing leaders who feel completely aligned to organisational goals and job titles, with an ability to drive real, meaningful and sustainable growth.
To find out more about Amrop Carmichael Fisher’s upoming Melbourne breakfast event, exploring "Diversity Beyond Gender" and the nuances and intersectionality of diversity, please contact Jamal Kahn and reserve your seat today.