Name: Baden Frosen

Title: Director, Global Leadership Development

Organisation: Fortinet

Baden is an Occupational & Organisational Psychologist by trade and currently stewards leadership across the globe at the cybersecurity firm Fortinet. Baden’s remit includes Fortinet’s end-to-end enterprise-wide leadership development proposition, as well as Fortinet’s global organizational change management approach. Additional hats Baden wears include leading all Talent & Organisational Development within EMEA, global Talent & Organisational Development Infrastructure and vendor management, and he personally stands in the role as the global sales function T&OD business partner for the sales EVPs.

Over the past 25+ years as a seasoned professional in organisational development and psychology, Baden has been deeply passionate about creating environments where individuals and teams thrive, adapt, and excel. With a solid foundation in the theories and insights of eminent experts and senior leaders in the field, Baden has dedicated his career to shaping progressive organisational strategies with an inclusive lens. His particular theoretical interests within the psychology of leadership span between organisational leadership systems and, more recently, the dark side of leadership.

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

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

Cheers,

Jonno White

1. What have you found most challenging as a leader?

"There are three main points that come to mind that I find most challenging as a leader.

1. Balancing Strategic Vision with Operational Execution As a leader, I am tasked with setting long-term organizational strategies that align with business goals while ensuring these strategies translate into actionable plans for my team. The challenge is ensuring that high-level initiatives don’t get lost in day-to-day execution or overwhelmed by urgent but less impactful priorities.

2. Driving Cultural Consistency Across a Global Organisation In a company with billions in annual revenue and a global workforce, ensuring consistency in organisational culture while respecting regional nuances is a constant challenge. Balancing global standards with local adaptation requires a deep understanding of cultural differences and the ability to inspire alignment without imposing rigidity.

3. Managing paradoxes In our modern world, with so much change and transformation, competing paradoxes are at an all-time high. More and more, I am faced with making decisions and driving excellence where two opposite ideas come crashing together, and I must make them somehow work together.

For example, I often advocate for innovation and agility, but there’s always a balance to strike between fostering bold ideas and mitigating risks, particularly in a public company where stakeholders expect stability and predictability. "

2. How did you become a leader? Can you please briefly tell the story?

I have been a leader in some capacity, however junior, for most of my career.

Starting out in retail, at the age of 16, I became an assistant manager within a year of my first job. Floating through retail, hospitality, travel, and leisure sectors saw me in numerous leadership roles, moving from the 'operational' side of business into the 'training' side of the business.

I have been fortunate to have made my way up the hierarchical ladder along the way, making my first 'director' role in 2016.

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

I have created a good balance these days between personal and work demands. I have a huge amounts of structure, but I also try to set very good boundaries and expectations with my peers and stakeholders.

I wake up every day at 5 am, when I spend time for myself: training, meditation, self-development, self-care, etc.

From 7 am to 9 am - I still consider myself 'away from my computer'...However, I spend time setting my day up for success. I'll prioritise and choose how I spend my full working day, from 9 am to 6 pm.

After 6 pm, boundaries go up! Computers, mobile phones, and all accessibility is turned off. This is essential to my well-being. At this point, I spend the rest of my day for myself, my family, and my friends.

4. What's a recent leadership lesson you've learned for the first time or been reminded of?

I've been recently reminded of my own tagline.

Don't be a dick.

We all have different personalities, and when we default into one during times of stress (which I was), I forgot to mediate how I was communicating with someone and came across like a real ass.

The good thing is I've built a culture of honesty and psychological safety to the team, so they were quick to tell me: Don't be a dick!

I felt horrible and quickly adjusted my style.

Ha!

5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

Dare to Lead. Brene Brown

6. If you could only give one piece of advice to a young leader, what would you say to them?

Don't be a dick.

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a leader, so far?

In a previous role, I was tasked with leading a company-wide initiative to embed a new leadership framework. It was an ambitious program designed to align leaders across all levels with a unified vision of what great leadership looked like in our organisation. It was my chance to leave a mark, but it wasn’t going smoothly.

One of my direct reports was responsible for rolling out the framework in EMEA, and I noticed she was falling behind schedule. At first, I attributed it to the complexity of the region—cultural differences, language barriers, and time zones. But as weeks passed, it became clear there was more going on.

During our one-on-one, I decided to put the agenda aside. I asked her, “How are you doing?”

Her response caught me off guard. She hesitated, then said quietly, “Honestly? I feel like I’m failing you. I don’t think I’m good enough for this role.”

I was stunned. She was one of the most capable leaders I’d ever worked with—sharp, creative, and empathetic. But at that moment, she was doubting herself. I realised I’d been so focused on the metrics and deadlines that I hadn’t taken the time to check in on her confidence, her experience, or her perspective on the challenges.

I shared a story of my own: Early in my career, I’d struggled with imposter syndrome while leading a global initiative. I’d made mistakes, and at the time, I’d felt like a failure. But I also shared how those challenges became my greatest learning moments—how leaning on my team, asking for help, and embracing vulnerability had ultimately made me a better leader.

Her demeanour changed. She opened up about specific challenges she was facing: unclear expectations from local leaders, a lack of resources, and even fear of disappointing the team. Together, we mapped out what support she needed, re-prioritized her workload, and aligned on realistic milestones.

In the weeks that followed, something amazing happened. Not only did she turn the EMEA rollout around, but she also shared her struggles and lessons learned with her regional team, fostering a culture of openness. Her vulnerability inspired her team to take ownership of the framework, and the results exceeded our expectations.

Looking back, that experience reminded me of one of the most important lessons of leadership: people don’t need perfect leaders—they need human ones. By being vulnerable and creating a space of trust, I helped her rediscover her confidence, which in turn empowered her team. Leadership isn’t about being the smartest person in the room; it’s about creating an environment where others can shine.