Name: Kon Stoilas

Title: Head of PMO

Organisation: WISE Employment

Experienced leader in enterprise-wide project and portfolio management, delivering strategic alignment, operational efficiency, and business value within complex Project Delivery/PMO environments through effective process, governance, and leadership.

Thank you to the 2,000 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 Questions on Leadership!

We’ve gone through the interviews and asked the best of the best to come back and answer 7 MORE Questions on Leadership.

I hope Kon's answers will encourage you in your leadership journey. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Jonno White

1. As a leader, how do you build trust with employees, customers and other stakeholders?

Building trust as a leader requires a multifaceted approach across different stakeholder groups. With employees, effective leadership centers on demonstrating consistent behavior, maintaining open communication channels, and fostering a psychologically safe environment where team members feel valued and heard. This includes taking accountability for failures while celebrating team successes.

For customers, trust is built through reliable service delivery and proactive communication. This means consistently meeting commitments, being transparent about any challenges, and actively responding to feedback. It's about placing the customer at the centre of your decisions and actions.

Stakeholder trust develops through regular, accurate reporting and demonstrated ethical governance. This requires maintaining transparency about both opportunities and challenges, delivering predictable results, and investing in relationship-building during favorable periods rather than only reaching out during times of need.

The core principles that underpin all these relationships are consistency between words and actions, transparent communication, accountability, and genuine commitment to long-term relationship building. Success comes from viewing trust not as a destination but as an ongoing process requiring constant attention and nurturing across all relationships.

2. What do 'VISION' and 'MISSION' mean to you? And what does it actually look like to use them in real-world business?

A vision outlines an organization's aspirational future state—the long-term impact it strives to achieve. It represents the "what" that propels the organization forward.

A mission, on the other hand, describes the "how"—the specific actions the organization will take to work toward its vision. It defines what the organization does and who it serves.

The most effective vision and mission statements are clear, memorable, and actively integrated into daily operations. Rather than being mere wall art, they should inspire employees and serve as practical tools for guiding business decisions.

Unfortunately, in many organizations, vision and mission statements are relegated to a page on the company website. If you were to ask employees about them, most might struggle to recall or articulate them accurately.

3. How can a leader empower the people they're leading?

Leaders empower their teams by fostering trust, providing autonomy, and creating an environment that encourages growth.

Recognition and Accountability - Hold people accountable for results while recognizing their achievements. Celebrate wins publicly and address performance issues privately with a focus on growth. Give credit freely and take responsibility for team failures.

The goal is to develop confident, capable leaders who can operate independently while aligned with organizational goals. This creates a multiplier effect that scales your impact as a leader while helping your people grow professionally.

4. Who are some of the coaches or mentors in your life who have had a positive influence on your leadership? Can you please tell a meaningful story about one of them?

Mike became my mentor when I joined the L&D team as a trainer, fresh out of university and slightly overwhelmed by the corporate world. What made him exceptional wasn't just his technical expertise, but his approach to leadership and development.

I remember one particularly challenging project where we were tasked with launching a new training program. Instead of simply telling me what to do, Mike asked thought-provoking questions: "What do you think our biggest challenge will be? How would you approach this differently?" He would sketch out complex concepts on whiteboards, making them digestible, and always took time to explain the "why" behind decisions.

His most valuable lesson came during a training session that didn't go as planned. Instead of stepping in to rescue me, he let me work through it, offering subtle guidance through eye contact and encouraging nods. Afterward, he shared his own story of early career stumbles, transforming what felt like a failure into a powerful learning moment.

What set Mike apart was his investment in my whole development, not just technical skills. He taught me how to navigate office politics, build relationships across departments, and maintain work-life balance. When I doubted myself, he would remind me of past successes and help me see challenges as opportunities for growth.

The most defining moment was when he supported my decision to lead a risky but innovative project, despite organizational skepticism. His words stay with me - "Leadership isn't about waiting until you're ready – it's about growing into the challenges you accept."

Eighteen years later, I still carry his lessons, the importance of active listening, the value of embracing failure as a teacher, and the power of believing in people's potential before they see it themselves. He showed me that true mentorship isn't about creating followers, but empowering others to find their own path to leadership.

5. Leadership is often more about what you DON'T do. How do you maintain focus in your role?

Strong leaders understand they can't do everything. They focus on the highest impact activities that only they can do, while empowering others to handle operational tasks. This means saying "no" to many good opportunities to say "yes" to the few great ones. Effective delegation isn't about offloading work, it's about matching tasks to the right people and trusting them to deliver. Leaders who try to do everything themselves become bottlenecks. By letting go of control over day-to-day operations, leaders create space for strategic thinking and developing their teams.

Effective leadership often means doing less but focusing on what matters most

6. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Everyone plans differently. How do you plan for the week, month and years ahead in your role?

Effective planning involves aligning daily, weekly, monthly, and long-term activities to achieve strategic goals. Weekly planning focuses on setting priorities, scheduling key tasks, and anticipating roadblocks, while monthly planning tracks progress on goals, evaluates resources, and aligns efforts with broader objectives. Annual and multi-year planning establishes the strategic direction, identifies growth opportunities, and prepares for future needs.

Success requires regular review, clear communication, flexibility, and involvement of key stakeholders. Ultimately, the act of planning is more valuable than the plan itself, fostering strategic thinking and alignment across all horizons.

7. What advice would you give to a young leader who is struggling to delegate effectively?

Delegation is not about offloading work but about developing your team and scaling your impact. While new leaders may initially feel they can handle tasks better or faster themselves, failing to delegate creates bottlenecks and limits growth. Start small with manageable tasks to build confidence and practice letting go, gradually moving to more complex responsibilities.

Clearly define expectations, deadlines, and available resources, but allow flexibility in how tasks are completed, as team members may find better methods. Importantly, delegate authority alongside responsibility to avoid micromanagement and ensure true empowerment.