"What Makes a Great Leader is Their Followship" - Deborah Nutt on Construction Leadership
Tue Aug 19 2025
"I failed my chartership first time around... that was a catastrophe. How dare they?" Deborah Nutt doesn't sugar-coat the setbacks that shaped her two-decade rise to Senior Director at Arcadis.
In our latest conversation, Nutt reveals how a random comment from someone she was babysitting led to her entire engineering career. But it's her refreshingly honest take on leadership that'll make you rethink your approach. She argues that great leaders aren't measured by their self-perception, but by their "followship" - whether people actually choose to follow them.
Key insights from our discussion:
Why authentic leadership means admitting when you've got it spectacularly wrong (and how vulnerability actually builds authority) The crucial difference between diversity and inclusion that most organisations completely miss How Arcadis is tackling their ambitious 40% women representation target without falling into tokenism traps Why she believes "people generally don't get out of bed in the morning to upset somebody" - and how this philosophy drives real cultural change
As Global Gender Affinity Group Chair, Nutt has a front-row seat to the challenges facing traditional industries. Her goal? Making diversity initiatives so embedded in company culture that we won't need them anymore. She's also brutally honest about the six-month role she "managed to do because it would look awful on my CV" - the kind of career reality most executives won't admit.
Whether you're navigating your own setbacks, trying to create genuine inclusion in your organisation, or wondering how to build authentic leadership in rigid industries, Nutt's insights cut through the corporate fluff with practical wisdom earned over 20 years in the trenches.
Listen in for a masterclass in turning professional failures into career fuel, and why the construction industry's future depends on leaders who can admit they don't have all the answers.
Read more about Deborah on our website here:
https://gscexecutives.com/insights/
Follow us on LinkedIn for daily industry news:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/gsc-executives/
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"I failed my chartership first time around... that was a catastrophe. How dare they?" Deborah Nutt doesn't sugar-coat the setbacks that shaped her two-decade rise to Senior Director at Arcadis. In our latest conversation, Nutt reveals how a random comment from someone she was babysitting led to her entire engineering career. But it's her refreshingly honest take on leadership that'll make you rethink your approach. She argues that great leaders aren't measured by their self-perception, but by their "followship" - whether people actually choose to follow them. Key insights from our discussion: Why authentic leadership means admitting when you've got it spectacularly wrong (and how vulnerability actually builds authority) The crucial difference between diversity and inclusion that most organisations completely miss How Arcadis is tackling their ambitious 40% women representation target without falling into tokenism traps Why she believes "people generally don't get out of bed in the morning to upset somebody" - and how this philosophy drives real cultural change As Global Gender Affinity Group Chair, Nutt has a front-row seat to the challenges facing traditional industries. Her goal? Making diversity initiatives so embedded in company culture that we won't need them anymore. She's also brutally honest about the six-month role she "managed to do because it would look awful on my CV" - the kind of career reality most executives won't admit. Whether you're navigating your own setbacks, trying to create genuine inclusion in your organisation, or wondering how to build authentic leadership in rigid industries, Nutt's insights cut through the corporate fluff with practical wisdom earned over 20 years in the trenches. Listen in for a masterclass in turning professional failures into career fuel, and why the construction industry's future depends on leaders who can admit they don't have all the answers. Read more about Deborah on our website here: https://gscexecutives.com/insights/ Follow us on LinkedIn for daily industry news: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gsc-executives/