Leadership That Endures: What We Learned About People, Teams, and Responsibility at THE EXEDA January Experience
From Short-Term Results to Teams That Last
The shared conclusion was clear:
The shift from control to energy is rarely theoretical. It often comes from moments of crisis, overload, or failure — moments that force leaders to rethink how they show up. What follows is a more conscious leadership style: greater listening, deeper accountability, and far less illusion of total control.
Authority Beyond Title
Leadership, Communication, and Lived Experience
From the perspective of Veronica Dogaru - Corporate Communications & CSR Director at Orange Romania, modern leadership exists at the intersection of communication, values, and employees’ lived experience.
A central insight was the gap that often appears between what organizations say and what people actually experience. True alignment doesn’t come from campaigns — it comes from consistent leadership decisions over time.
CSR, for example, can become a powerful driver of internal trust and employer credibility — but only when it is authentic, grounded in reality, and connected to everyday leadership behavior, not treated as a branding exercise.
Talent, Expectations, and Leadership Relevance
From a talent and recruitment perspective, Mihai Malaeru - Talent Acquisition Manager South-Eastern Europe at BAT, highlighted how fundamentally the relationship between employees and organizations has changed.
Today’s people are not only looking for stability or benefits — they are looking for credible leaders, real autonomy, and meaning.
One of the most direct takeaways of the evening was that the phrase “we can’t find good people anymore” often reflects a leadership gap, not a talent shortage.
Leading Entrepreneurial Ecosystems
Drawing on his experience building one of Romania’s strongest entrepreneurial ecosystems, Radu Savopol - Co-Founder of 5 to go, explored the difference between leading employees and influencing entrepreneurs.
Leadership in this context requires less control and more judgment: knowing when to step back, when to intervene, and how not to block initiative through fear or rigidity.
One hard-earned lesson stood out: growth without mindset maturity rarely leads to healthy scale — whether in business or in people.
Data, Decisions, and Responsibility Toward People
The perspective brought by Georgiana Savu - Head of People Analytics Raiffeisen Bank Romania, added a critical layer to the discussion:
how leaders can use people data wisely without losing sight of human complexity.
The core idea was simple and powerful: data does not replace leadership.
It only becomes valuable when interpreted with judgment and translated into decisions that respect people — not reduce them to scores or dashboards.
We are equally thankful to our partners, whose support made this final edition of the year possible:
Founding Partners: Raiffeisen Bank Romania, AcceleronX
Global MBA Partner: IE University
Institutional Partner: Universitatea de Vest din Timișoara
Brand Partners: KRONSIT, AQUA Carpatica, Velveto Events, 5 to go, Cosmopolis Evolia, FullColor, Domeniile Sâmburești, Realtynno, Beko, SeedBlink, Confident PR
Community Partners: Bizz.Club, Business Days, Crucea Roșie Română, TravelConnects
A Mantra for 2026
The Journey Continues
We are EXEDA. Not just an academy, not just a network — a movement. We exist for those who refuse mediocrity. For the entrepreneurs, visionaries, and leaders who demand world-class knowledge, powerful connections, and a life beyond the ordinary.
Please note that the EXEDA site and services operate in BETA version and not the final launch version - features and content included. Errors may appear and should be treated as such.
