The Compass Within: Navigating the Future of Leadership with Nathalie Milian

In my recent Leading with Foresight (LINK) podcast with Milian, she offers a very powerful diagnosis of modern business. ‘I believe that what changes the world is what we do, not what we know,’ she tells me.

Her argument is that the core drivers of success are no longer technical skills alone, but also the deeply human, relational abilities of empathy, curiosity and perspective-shifting.

These so-called ‘soft skills’, she argues, have been systematically ignored by business schools precisely because they are ‘difficult to quantify’, leaving a generation of leaders unprepared for today’s challenges as they place short-termist thinking before long-view solutions.

Her insights were forged in the high-velocity world of luxury fashion, an industry where ‘old recipes don’t work anymore. In a market where customers pay a premium to be surprised, leadership cannot rely on past knowledge. It demands active listening, asking incisive questions and fostering a culture of trust.’

This philosophy of human connection is just as central to her work as a consultant as it is to being an author and founder of Euphros Advisory, a boutique consultancy based out of Barcelona that advises luxury brands on commercial growth, client engagement and digital transformation.

‘Treat others as you wish to be treated yourself. This isn’t just a feel-good platitude,’ she says, ‘it’s a strategic tool. It creates a bond of collective empathy that transforms a customer base into a community, achieving an emotional connection that transactional marketing can’t buy.’

Okay, but how do leaders achieve this? According to Milian, the focus shouldn’t be on teaching behaviours but on building the right environment for them to thrive and flourish. She cites forward-thinking CEOs who are already doing this by carving out protected time for their teams. Wednesday afternoons for meetings for inspiration, for example, or dedicating ‘Friday afternoons for learning. When leaders model curiosity and create psychological safety, innovation follows.’

Looking back on her own celebrated career, Milian is refreshingly candid about what she would do differently. ‘I would ask for help when needed,’ she admits, noting the growing pressure on younger leaders especially to have all the answers. ‘Humour is also a vital ingredient.’ Rather than being a default way to break the ice, or express warmth or vulnerability – a key leadership attribute noted by Jo Farmer in my podcast with her – ‘it is one of those soft-skill tools that allows us to build trust and show authenticity.’

‘When leaders model curiosity and create psychological safety, innovation follows.’

Ultimately, her entire philosophy is captured in a single, powerful metaphor for navigating the future. Rather than having a map, she believes we need a compass. It’s an instrument that guides, grounds and clarifies our path, regardless of the terrain we’re passing over, or the country we are travelling through. Maps will inevitably change, she says, but that shouldn’t be the case with our moral compass or ethical positioning.

‘People look to leaders for their ability to do the right thing, and we need to believe that they will do the right thing regardless of the terrain we find ourselves in.’

In an era where rigid plans are outdated the moment they’re made, Milian’s message is clear: the most valuable asset a leader has is not a detailed map of the terrain ahead, but an internal compass of character, empathy and relational intelligence to guide the journey no matter where it leads.

Nathalie Milian’s book, Relational Skills Development for Next Generation Leaders, is published by De Gruyter and available now

‘People look to leaders for their ability to do the right thing, and we need to believe that they will do the right thing regardless of the terrain we find ourselves in.’