Name: Michael Huneke

Title: Partner, Co-Chair of Sanctions, Export Controls, and AML Practice

Organisation: Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP

I am a lawyer with 20 years of experience helping companies anticipate and manage compliance risks. My current work focuses on helping companies to identify and mitigate export controls and economic sanctions risks in today’s dynamic, geopolitically charged enforcement environment.

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

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

Cheers,

Jonno White

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

Identifying, appreciating, and playing to each team member's strengths. Finding a way to connect with each person and to spark their excitement about our work is challenging but essential to the high performance of the team.

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

When I was growing up, I was on the swim team, where the assistant coaches were all college-age former members of the same team. We idolized them. I decided that I wanted to be one of them, and worked my way up from the grounds crew my first summer, to lifeguard, to swim lesson instructor, and ultimately was asked to be one of the assistant coaches. It was an incredibly rewarding experience and the result of a lot of hard work.

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

I'm usually not in control of my work days. But generally, I try to do creative or business development activities in the morning and then focus on executing on other deliverables in the afternoon. But this rarely happens as planned.

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

I can't do everything on my own. I need to rely on others to help, and they will have a better experience by being more involved and knowing what's going on.

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?

Two: (1) John Perkins's "Tales of an Economic Hit Man." It promotes having an open mind to what is happening and recognizing the limitations of what we know. (2) Ward Farnsworth's "The Practicing Stoic: A Philosophical User's Manual" is a great curation of basic Stoic tenants that help recognize, accept, and move through challenges and disappointments.

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

You have to constantly empathize and think from others' perspectives. I believe that the vast majority of people are and aspire to be good; when we perceive them to be bad, there is often something we do not know or appreciate going on. We do not have to accept or excuse bad behavior, but we should seek to connect with and respect each other to avoid bad feelings based on misunderstandings.

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

I had a new idea. Many people told me that I was wrong. I was convinced that I was right and that there was a real opportunity for our organization if I could really invest in learning new skills and developing the idea. I've been able to do so, and it's been incredibly rewarding.