Jump to navigation

Derek Bruce, DSM | Interview

Submitted by networkadmin on

Leadership is about so much more than KPIs and performance.

Derek Bruce has recently joined DSM as Global Lead, Performance Management and Learning Strategy. In this interview with iVentiv, he talks about the skills that leaders need in 2022 to make sure they can support individuals in the way they bring themselves to work. He talks about mindfulness, succession development, and especially purpose. These are the skills that Derek says are going to be especially important going forward, and he gives his advice on how to go about it.

What are the skills that leaders need in 2022?

Looking at the last two or three years, Derek says, "leadership as a skill and as a role has really changed". The key is how leaders manage performance. Derek explains that he doesn't mean performance in terms of KPIs, but in the way individuals bring themselves to work. Mindfulness, succession development, sense of purpose. "It's those kind of skills which I feel leaders are going to need going forward, especially with more synchronous and asynchronous working."

With virtual and remote working, Derek continues, "there's a need to reframe the role of leadership, but also make sure leaders and managers as well in the same context really have the ability to give their people a great employee experience as well."

That means coaching, communication and listening are key skills, "being able to articulate and also sense the non-verbal clues of their people as well".

You need to ask your people what they feel they're missing, Derek says. "It's not our role as HR to kind of think we know best. It's very much our role as HR to engage a lot of people, to engage with our leaders, to engage with the feedback, to engage in exit interviews and pulse surveys to see what people are saying they're really missing." Only then, he says, can you effectively support the business to fill those gaps. 

Derek thinks that the instability of recent years might continue. That means constant change and it means leaders have to develop "human-centric skills", they have to manage ambiguity. That means creating psychological safety, but Derek advises against using that phrase. "I think it's kind of way too HR-ey," he says, "but managers need to be aware that people do come to work for a reason and a purpose." Managers need to be "aware that individuals have different nuances which make them grow and perform better as well."

For leaders, that means being authentic. "If people see leaders behaving in a way where they're being authentic, it allows employees to also think okay well if I see this happening in the organisation I feel safe to come and do the same thing." 

How can organisations prioritise Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging more effectively?

Derek also spoke about DEIB. To be effective, he says, DEIB initiatives have to be aligned with performance development and succession. You do that by giving managers the ability to talk about individuals, hire them, and rate their performance without bias. Embed that within the process around performance management, Derek advises, "but also along the whole line of the employee journey as well".

When DEIB exists in isolation, with one person or team struggling to put new ideas into practice, it tends to fail. "What I want to do," he says, "is make sure it's embedded in what we do anyway, and actually then this is just how we work."

Beyond that, however, Derek says he still has "a bit of a butterfly stomach moment where I see lots, or I’ve seen lots of movement of roles, and lots of promises and commitments, but I also don't see lots of it changing." Whether it's gender diversity, age diversity, or race diversity, he reflects, "it's not getting bigger".

That's reflected in the "Great Resignation", or the "Great Reflection" as Derek calls it. "I think there's also people thinking if I am one of these people in this, in the diversity community, is this the right place for me? No, I’m gonna try something which may be better." But also, Derek says, "if I’m somebody and I see this kind of stuff not changing, it doesn't fit with my values, my purpose." If people don't feel they can grow and contribute, they leave.

What really works in performance management?


Asked to put one question back to the iVentiv community, Derek looks at performance management. "When we look at the whole concept of performance management," he asks, "what one thing do you think really works, what one thing do you think really annoys people?"

"I have a daughter who's 25," he says, "and I hear lots of things about different age groups wanting and not wanting certain things. What I think I’ve learned over the last couple of years is that it's not specific to a generational age group, it's specific to a mindset or age of mindset. I see people who are in their 20s and 30s in a traditional way of working and I see people in their 40s, 50s being very focused around working remotely, not being focused on organisations which don't align their values." 

Derek thinks it's time to move "away from this labelling of generations and towards understanding that there are certain mindsets people have, but the person behind it can be different ages, different genders, different sizes, different whatever."

Derek Bruce is the Global Lead of Performance Management & Learning Strategy at DSM, alongside his activities at Derek Bruce Associates. Previously he was Director of Leadership Development at Signify. Within this role he focused on three areas; deploying business related centralised learning programs for leaders; providing
consultancy services to management teams and HR to address business needs and be the organisations strategic thought leader on leadership development. Derek is an expert in communication, having performed at a TEDX conference in 2019, spoken at numerous global conferences and seminars as a keynote speaker, and coached and taught presentational skills. He also has extensive experience in Internal Communications.

Derek is also the Founder of Derek Bruce Associates, an organisation started in 2018 which provides coaching and learning anddevelopment consultancy. He also initiatedand runs the Extraordinary Mentors Network, a mentorship program which provides Black people with pro bono mentoring. This is an extension of his focus on improving inclusion and diversity, which has included embedding awareness of the benefits of DE&I to HR and Business communities, working as a Lead Ambassador in previous organisations, which involved developing DE&I communities, and introducing processes and policies to support the move to more inclusive HR ways of working Derek is Myers Briggs Type II certified, NLP Master Practitioner, and a Scrum Master. Outside of work, Derek is married to Floriana who lives in Milan, Italy, and his passions are men’s fashion, riding motorbikes, playing, and watching football, films and travelling.

Thumbnail: 
Feature on Homepage: 
News category: 
Leadership and Executive Development
Reskilling and Upskilling

More Insights

The Difference Between Team Building and Team Learning

Large, global Learning and Talent teams are both a strategic advantage and a serious leadership challenge. They stretch across regions, time zones, and business units, and are expected to deliver transformation while operating in a constant state of change themselves. 

For many Chief Learning Officers, the only regular opportunity to bring their teams together is the annual offsite or occasional away day.

The result often defaults into “team building”. Although icebreakers, marshmallow toothpick towers, and trust falls are activities that might boost morale, they rarely help a learning professional facing the practical pressures of AI adoption, skills taxonomies, or strategic workforce planning. 

Global teams need more than a bonding experience. They need shared language, shared strategy, and shared confidence to deliver. 

They need knowledge transfer, not just camaraderie. 

They need team learning.

This is where the distinction matters, and this is exactly what our blog discusses. Read it now.

A Framework for Running L&D Events with Global Teams

Leading a global Learning and Development function is both a privilege and a puzzle. You have talent in every corner of the world—people who understand local markets, cultures, and business needs—who often work in silos, separated by time zones, priorities, and communication styles.

The irony is clear: the very people responsible for enabling learning across the business often struggle to learn from each other. When global L&D teams rarely connect, knowledge gets trapped, duplication creeps in, and alignment suffers.

That’s where a well-designed team event comes in. Whether virtual or in-person, a thoughtfully structured gathering can do more than boost morale—it can create alignment, build capability, and spark collaboration that carries through the rest of the year.

This blog offers a practical framework for running effective L&D events for global teams—one that transforms an annual offsite or virtual workshop into a shared learning experience with measurable business impact. Read it now.

Solving the Knowledge Silo in Global Learning Teams

In many large learning organisations, global L&D teams face a recurring challenge: knowledge silos. 

Why?

Regional groups or functional departments often operate in isolation, creating, developing, and executing learning programmes with little visibility into what their peers are doing elsewhere. That isolation leads to duplicated effort, inconsistent practices, and lost opportunities for synergy.

In this blog, we’ll explore how thoughtfully designed events—virtual or in-person—can break down silos, strengthen global L&D collaboration, and foster sustained knowledge sharing across your organisation. Read it now.

Designing Events for Knowledge Sharing: Practical Techniques

In today’s workplace, knowledge is your most valuable asset, but it’s also the easiest to lose. As staff turnover rises, careers become more fluid, and hybrid work scatters teams across time zones, keeping that knowledge alive and connected has never been harder. 

For anyone running a large global L&D operation, it can feel like trying to keep dozens of spinning plates in the air at once.

Yet when knowledge sharing breaks down, the costs are high: duplication of effort, inconsistent experiences, and ideas that never reach beyond the local team. The solution lies in intentionally designed knowledge sharing workshops and internal knowledge sharing events that make collaboration systematic, not accidental.

This blog explores how to design those events effectively, turning conversation into impact and connecting the dots across your global Learning organisation. Read it now.

Planning Corporate Events For Small Groups: A Complete Guide

When done right, events designed for small groups (typically between 20 and 50 participants) can lead to deeper connections, richer conversations, and more meaningful outcomes. In a world full of overstimulated conferences and overcrowded rooms, intimate gatherings offer a refreshing opportunity to slow down and engage in real dialogue.

In this guide, you’ll find out how to plan powerful small-group events with intention, from designing sessions that spark genuine collaboration, to nailing the logistics that make all the difference. Read more here.

Why Internal Events Often Fail, and How to Fix Them

Organising an internal corporate event should be straight forward. After all it’s just a room full of colleagues, some snacks and a bit of knowledge sharing. Until the caterers don’t show up, half the team forgets to RSVP, the chairs are double booked for another meeting, the facilitator veers wildly off topic, people scroll their phones and then slip out early. And something that was supposed to energise the team does quite the opposite. 

If you’ve ever experienced this, you’re not alone. Internal events often fall short – not because the intentions are wrong, but because the planning is. Here’s how to avoid the common traps and make your internal event one that people want to attend and actually benefit from. Read on.
 

How to Engage L&D Teams Through Events

Planning a corporate event might sound simple, but creating something truly engaging and impactful takes careful thought. For Learning & Development teams, particularly in large, global organisations, it’s easy for events to fall flat: too generic, too passive, and too disconnected from daily challenges.

This complete guide explores how to design internal events that do more than fill calendars – they foster collaboration, spark conversation, and drive change. Whether virtual, hybrid or in-person, the key lies in co-creation, clarity of purpose, and designing for participation.

Read about how you can create events your team won’t just attend, but will genuinely look forward to.

Change Ecosystems, Rapid Reskilling, and Leaders of the Future with Majid Al Futtaim

In this insightful interview, Jay Moore, former Chief Learning Officer at GE, and Jo O'Driscoll-Kearney, Global Head of Learning & Leadership Development at Majid Al Futtaim, delve into the strategies that organisations can adopt to stay competitive in a rapidly changing world.

In a conversation with iVentiv's Hannah Hoey ahead of Learning Futures Dubai Jo and Jay discuss how to create ecosystems that continuously re-qualify employees, the role of marketing in Learning & Development, and the importance of fostering a growth-oriented culture. 

 

Watch and read more here.

 

Mindfulness as a Core Executive Leadership Skill, with Matthias Birk

In today's fast-paced business environment, the importance of mindfulness in leadership cannot be overstated. As leaders navigate the complexities of decision-making and relationship-building, mindfulness serves as a crucial tool for maintaining focus, fostering empathy, and enhancing executive presence. In this blog, we explore the insights of Matthias Birk, Global Director of Partner Development at White & Case, on how mindfulness can transform leadership. With decades of experience in leadership development, Matthias shares practical strategies for integrating mindfulness into daily routines, its impact on organisational culture, and the vital role of community in sustaining these practices.

Join us as we delve into the power of mindfulness to elevate leadership effectiveness and create more compassionate, connected workplaces.

Tech, Talent and Transformation with Expedia and Microsoft

In today's rapidly evolving tech landscape, companies like Expedia and Microsoft are harnessing the power of new technologies to drive learning, talent, and business objectives. Leveraging AI, including generative AI and tools like Microsoft's Copilot, these companies personalise learning experiences, enhance performance management, and streamline operations. Led by iVentiv's Hannah Hoey, we interviewed Liz Moran (VP of Global Talent Management, Expedia), Manasi Joshi (Senior Director, Learning & Development, Expedia), and Brian Murphy (Senior Director, Employee Skilling, Microsoft), to talk about new and emerging tech, transformation, and the power of learning and talent partnerships.

Watch now to learn how new tech is transforming corporate learning, improving operational efficiency, and supporting Talent Management to meet business objectives.

Pages