How the CEO of the British Heart Foundation Leads with Passion & Purpose

According to Glassdoor research, strong leadership is the number one workplace fact that mattered most to employees. It is the largest predictor of CEO approval, followed by a positive business outlook, and strong culture and values. Therefore, in the UK it's imperative to have inspiring leaders like those at the British Heart Foundation. The British Heart Foundation was founded in 1961 by a group of medical professionals who were concerned about the increasing death rate from cardiovascular disease. Today, they fund over £100 million of research each year into all heart and circulatory diseases and the things that cause them, including heart diseases, stroke, vascular dementia, diabetes and more. Simon Gillespie, CEO of the BHF, is at the forefront of the company's mission and his employees are inspired by both his leadership and his embodiment of their core values of bravery and compassion. Because of this, they have given him a 91% approval rating and a spot on Glassdoor's Top CEOs UK list for 2019. Glassdoor caught up with Gillespie to talk about building company culture, hiring the best and working towards the mission of beating heart and circulatory diseases.

Glassdoor: Congratulations on the Top CEOs UK win. What does it mean to you to know that your employees have rated you so highly?

Simon Gillespie: Any organisation’s success is ultimately dependent on those who work there and the other CEOs listed are stellar. So, I’m delighted and flattered that my staff and volunteer colleagues have rated me so highly. But most of all it speaks to everyone’s part in the BHF’s success. I’m proud to be part of a great team.

Glassdoor: One of the CEO’s primary responsibilities is to hire amazing executives. What attributes do you look for in today’s top talent?

Simon Gillespie: High levels of knowledge and skills in their specialism should come as standard. What isn’t standard is the ability to bring this together with other executives’ skills and knowledge. In a world that is constantly changing, I look for initiative, curiosity, an inclusive approach and team-working, coupled with an insatiable desire to take risks, learn, improve things and innovate.

Glassdoor: What questions do you love to ask BHF applicants or what aspects do you like to dig into?

Simon Gillespie: I’m looking for people who look outside the established framework. So favourite areas for questioning are around when someone has seen something that’s wrong or not working and taken action to put it right, or when they see an opportunity and have shown initiative and resilience to use the opportunity. Doings things differently is often tough – so having bravery to make things happen is really important.

Glassdoor: How do you align the company’s recruiting strategy with business needs?

Simon Gillespie: At the core of the British Heart Foundation are its values: Brave; Compassionate; Informed; and Driven. We know that we will only achieve our goals and bring #BeatingHeartbreakForever, closer if we attract, recruit, induct and retain talented staff and volunteers who live and demonstrate our values.

Glassdoor: When it comes to Glassdoor, how do you use the platform for recruiting and to keep your finger on the pulse of both company culture and candidate experience?

Simon Gillespie: Glassdoor is a window between the BHF and the rest of the world. Openness and transparency is really important for me personally. So we need to be open and show potential applicants how we work and what it feels like to work at the BHF. That way we can attract people who understand us better. Who else can tell that story better than people who have worked or currently work with us. And if we haven’t got it right for someone individually or if there are indications of more widespread issues, then we need to take the rough with the smooth, put things right and learn the lessons.

Glassdoor: Retention is hugely important these days. How do you lead your teams to retain top talent?

Simon Gillespie: I’m really keen to ensure people develop their skills and talents by working with them to look for new opportunities and develop their ability to enhance their contribution to the work of the BHF. This takes a constant dialogue to look at options, understand ambitions and motivations, and encourage and support people. I have brilliant colleagues on the BHF’s Executive Group who champion our values and whose motivation is making things better for 7.4 million people in the UK whose living with the daily burden of heart and circulatory disease.

Glassdoor: When you look back over your past year as CEO, can you share how you have navigated a leadership mistake or challenge? 

Simon Gillespie: I’m not sure there’s enough space for the full list of mistakes but probably my greatest failing is not stepping back enough at times to allow colleagues space to make an impact, to thrive and to grow. My early career was in the armed forces, and ‘attention to detail’ in that environment can be life-saving but it can stand in the way of achieving bigger goals.

Glassdoor: Now for a few fun ones: What is one book that you think everyone should read? Why?

Simon Gillespie: I’m showing my age but ‘Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy’ by Douglas Adams. It upends a set of comfortable assumptions with disruption, shows the perils of miscommunication and highlights the importance of understanding the question you are asking as well as the answer you get. It’s funny and perceptive, with enduring lessons about expecting the unexpected.

Glassdoor: What is your go-to productivity hack?

Simon Gillespie: When things were tough, a previous boss of mine always asked: “What is any of this doing for…..?”

It’s a question I always ask myself in the day-to-day jumble of work: “What is this doing for people affected with heart and circulatory diseases?” They are our customers, so you do the right thing by staying focussed on what we need to do for them in the short and long term.

Glassdoor: How should job seekers be thinking about their hunt, given today’s competitive job market?

Simon Gillespie: Look to ‘feel’ the job beyond the words in an advert or role description. We spend a lot of time at work, and doing a job you’re not happy in is detrimental to your health and well-being.

Glassdoor: What scares you?

Simon Gillespie: Not taking enough risks and feeling too comfortable.

Glassdoor: What energises you?

Simon Gillespie: People – their support, challenge and encouragement.