Podcast S4 Ep3: Paul Eagland on purpose and performance in partnerships

Our guest on the Performance Leaders podcast is Paul Eagland. Paul was Managing Partner of BDO in the UK until October 2024. He stepped down from that role after completing the maximum two terms.

Paul’s career with BDO spans 38 years. After joining in 1987, he became a Tax Partner in 1996, before becoming National Tax Stream head in 2000. As he explains in the podcast, unusually for a tax partner, he was then appointed Head of BDO's National Audit Stream in 2008, before he became Managing Partner.

In this wide ranging interview, Paul and host Ray D'Cruz discuss leadership, purpose and performance. They talk books, go back to Paul's childhood and look at what the future might hold. Show notes are below.

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01:45 – Path to leadership

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How Paul’s early career led him to become managing partner.

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The influence of leadership, management, and business ownership on his journey.

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04:32 – Leadership influences and inspiration

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Key figures at BDO who shaped Paul’s leadership style.

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The importance of mentorship and learning from peers.

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Paul’s childhood working at Walthamstow Market from age 11 and lessons learned.

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07:33 – Defining high-performance culture

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Creating the right environment for professional success.

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The psychological and physical workplace environment.

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10:11 – Leadership, autonomy and purpose and Dan Pink’s Drive

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The significance of purpose-driven leadership.

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The role of mastery, autonomy and purpose in motivation.

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The process of defining BDO’s purpose: Helping You Succeed.

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Balancing operational discipline with partner autonomy.

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16:46 – Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

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How cognitive biases affect decision-making in business.

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Encouraging slow thinking for better client engagement and strategy.

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The risks of overconfidence and unconscious biases.

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The need for structured frameworks to improve decision-making.

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21:29 – Partnerperformance and reward models

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BDO’s structured approach to evaluating partner performance.

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Ensuring fair and data-driven profit share decisions.

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26:15 – Measuring partner confidence and execution

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Why partner confidence is a crucial business metric.

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The role of effective firm-wide execution and efficiency.

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27:52 – Factfulness by Hans Rosling

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Overcoming cognitive biases and misinformation in leadership.

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The importance of using data and facts to guide decisions.

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30:06 – Lifting the gaze: mega trends and future strategy

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The challenge of balancing daily tasks with big-picture thinking.

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38:53 – Visualising time allocation with partner pie charts

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Using data visualisation to optimise time management and impact.

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40:15 – Managing difficult conversations

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43:27 – Continuous learning and leadership development

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45:59 – Life after managing partner

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