Leading with meaning: How the President of Kelly Science, Engineering, Technology & Telecom shapes a strategic framework for leadership

“I ask five key questions, and if I can answer them, I know I’ve got a solid strategy.”

That’s from Hugo Malan, the President of Kelly Science, Engineering, Technology & Telecom. The company is an industry leader in breaking down workforce barriers, connecting people with meaningful work, and helping companies find the right talent.

Hugo has a storied work history: He spent time early in his career at the management consulting firm McKinsey, then worked for Lehman Brothers, and finally — after a stint in retail — he started working in the staffing industry more than a decade ago.

With this diverse background, I knew Hugo would have some interesting stories to tell, and that I had to have him join me on Reveal, the podcast where I help you build the ultimate revenue playbook, one episode at a time.

Hugo’s playbook is a valuable one. He’s learned a huge amount at every turn in his career, and he’s bringing these experiences to bear in his work with Kelly. “A wise person told me very early in my career that people do their best jobs if they feel good about themselves,” he says. “There are many elements of leadership, but perhaps the most significant is simply being somebody who cares about what your people and the team you’re privileged enough to lead do every day.”

He’s so right that meaning matters – especially in revenue teams, where we’re so tied to quotas and numbers. The best leaders I’ve worked with create an atmosphere where people feel empowered, encouraged, and appreciated — one in which they’re connected to their work beyond just earning a paycheck.

During his time at McKinsey, Hugo picked up “hypothesis-driven problem-solving,” which relies on asking questions to solve a problem. He now uses this approach to build a start-to-finish strategy with any team. 

Essentially, you begin by asking five questions and having your leadership team write two-to-three-sentence answers to each one. That lays the foundation for your initial hypothesis. Then you start drilling into that hypothesis and looking for facts that either validate or refute your stance — and the path your business is on.

Below are Hugo’s five questions, and notes about what each should uncover:

This first question seems simple, but it opens up many other questions you should ask about your business. Consider, for example, geography, market segments, industry verticals, buyer personas, company sizes, and so much more. “There’s a richness around that question that you can fully explore,” Hugo notes.

It’s crucial to understand what you bring to the market and why it’s a product or service that people need, but don’t currently have. Why hasn’t it existed before, and what are the customer pain points it solves? The answers are foundational to how your product or service performs in the market, and can influence how you answer the rest of the questions below.

Do you have a large or small sales force? Will you sell online or in person, or a combination of the two?

This question is important because you might want to sell differently to large companies versus small companies. Your methods might also vary across industries or geographic locations. It’s important to clarify your approach as there may be processes and regulations to consider as you scale.

It’s all well and good to know your customers, how you’re going to sell, and what your products are. But, as every business leader knows, if your products aren’t differentiated from your competitors, you’re not likely to be successful. Why should somebody buy from you instead of another company offering something similar? Look to your answers to question number two if you’re stuck.

Your answers to the previous four questions won’t mean anything if you aren’t able to deliver on the promises your business makes to customers. The answer to this question is, at its core, about how you “land the plane” to give your customers what they expect from you. Revenue teams and a strong go-to-market strategy are essential for this. It should also prompt you to consider how you’ll grow and scale in response to your success.

In the world of revenue, leaders bear one primary responsibility: fostering their team’s success. By concentrating on that primary objective, so many other aspects of your growing business will thrive as well.

That’s because leadership isn’t just about directing; it’s about caring and collaborating. By leading a company or a team in a structured exploration of these five questions — and by answering them in a systematic way — you will create a strategy without even realizing that you’re doing it. “If you’ve answered these five questions comprehensively, you’ll typically have a plan that you can execute against,” Hugo says.

Check out the full episode of the podcast with Hugo, where he touches on the vital tools and strategies CROs need to stay ahead. His advice ranges from the innovative use of AI in digital transformation to adopting a practical approach that aligns metrics with business decisions.

For more essential tips and strategies like these, listen to episodes of Reveal and subscribe to The Edge for the latest revenue insights.