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Frank Tirelli: Resilient podcast

Leadership in a volatile world

It’s human nature. When crisis strikes or mishaps occur, our minds immediately go to the worst-case scenario. But it’s how you bounce back and manage adversity in the pursuit of your goals that matters. In this episode, Frank Tirelli, former myCFO COO, Herbalife CEO, and Deloitte Italy CEO shares insights gained and lessons learned from his experiences at a tech startup, navigating risk as a CEO, and guiding two professional services firms through a merger.

The building blocks for facing off against adversity and building resiliency

This episode explores the foundation built in Frank's formative years that contributed to his ability to deal with adversity, and how to become resilient.

I have always tried to be fair. I have always tried to be transparent. And whenever I have dealt with someone, whether within the Deloitte environment or personally, I have always tried to have that person's best interest at heart.

COO of myCFO: The first wave of disruption

This episode explores the dot-com era that consumed business in the late 1990s and how the initial wave of business disruption began and changed business for a generation.

It taught me a very good lesson, that all creative and innovative business disruption starts with thought. You have to capture that thought and have it then written out on paper.

CEO of Herbalife International

This episode explores Frank's role as CEO of Herbalife, a premier multinational multi-level marketing corporation that develops, markets, and sells nutrition supplements, weight management, sports nutrition, and personal-care products. This was a critical time in Herbalife's history, following the sudden death of its founder, chairman, and CEO Mark Hughes.

Everyone has a genius, everyone, I do not care who it is. As management it is our responsibility to help you identify that genius, put that genius to work for US, so WE can be successful. Conversely, everyone has a weak point, some have more than one. Our responsibility as management is to identify that weak point, limit its effect on the firm, but also to work with you to minimize that weak point, or, even better, turn it into a strength.

Chairman and CEO of Deloitte Italy

This episode explores Frank's role as chairman and CEO of Deloitte Italy. Two great financial professional services firms in Italy merge, Deloitte & Touche and Arthur Anderson, and the initial painful contraction of the practice begins. But it sows the seeds for dominance in the marketplace very shortly thereafter.

It was very important to be transparent. It was very important to be honest. And it was very important to constantly communicate. There are also some cultural commonalities amongst people. All people have egos, all people have pride, and all people want to be treated with dignity.

Philosophy on developing and mentoring people

This episode explores Frank's philosophy on people, success, and building a world-class human resource and revenue enhancement strategy.

If I look at what I have done with respect to mentoring people I have always tried to emphasize to them that regardless of who you are, regardless of how much talent you believe you have or do not have, everybody has an area in which they excel. What I tried to do was put in place processes that found that one area in which you were outstanding and exploited it.

Frank Tirelli, former myCFO COO, Herbalife CEO, and Deloitte Italy CEO, on leadership in a volatile world

Frank Tirelli has spent his life doing things he loves—confidently and relentlessly. This has allowed him to blaze his own trail, taking on challenges as the former COO of myCFO, former CEO of Herbalife, and former CEO of Deloitte Italy.

Frank and Deloitte Risk and Financial Advisory’s Mike Kearney discuss why certain types of leaders thrive in the face of adversity; the need to help people identify and develop the strengths that will help them succeed; and the importance of communication, transparency, and honesty. Frank also shares his five attributes for success:

  • Be passionate
  • Have a written plan (not a to-do list)
  • Be 100 percent focused
  • Be disciplined (because some days, the passion’s just not there)
  • Develop the ability to overcome adversity

You will find that the people who tend to attain their success are those who can deal with adversity.

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Resilient is an award-winning podcast series that features authentic, engaging, and thought-provoking conversations with leaders. Hear interviews and personal stories about how CEOs, senior executives, government officials, board members, and people outside of the business world embrace complexity to lead, navigate, and disrupt to accelerate performance. And discover what they learned about resilience amid risk, crisis, and disruption.

For more in the series, visit the Resilient podcast library page.
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