The One Thing Every Business Must Do to Survive the Future

This exclusive interview with Danni Hewson was conducted by Jack Hayes of The Motivational Speakers Agency.

Danni Hewson is a dynamic Women in Business speaker, celebrated for her incisive analysis, clarity in communication, and deep understanding of finance, technology and sustainability. With over two decades in journalism—including her time as a BBC business correspondent—she brings a rare combination of media savvy and business insight.

Her transition into financial commentary and advocacy for responsible business positions her as a powerful voice for leaders and organisations seeking balance, growth and purpose.

In this exclusive interview with The Sustainability Speakers Agency, Danni Hewson discusses how leaders can harness simplicity in communication, build resilient and forward-thinking cultures, and adapt to a tech-driven future without leaving their people behind.

Q1. From your experience interviewing business leaders, what qualities truly define a successful leader in today’s marketplace?

Danni Hewson: “The one thing I’ve always found about successful business leaders is they are fantastic listeners. They listen to what their customers are telling them, what their suppliers are telling them, what their workforce is telling them.

“And they don’t just listen — they hear. Which I think sometimes is something that some bosses are lacking.

“But the other thing that they do is they’re not afraid to make decisions. Because it’s all very well hearing what people are saying to you, but if you’re not going to do anything about it then people get fed up quite quickly.

“And the best bosses I’ve found are those that are willing to take advice, they want to take advice, but they’re not afraid of saying, “Right, I’ve weighed up all the pros and cons and this is what I think we should do,” and then sticking by those decisions.”

Q2. Many businesses are struggling to adapt in an increasingly high-tech world. What is your top advice for organisations trying to stay competitive in this fast-changing environment?

Danni Hewson: “I think all businesses need to realise that it doesn’t matter what they do — tech is a massive part of the business world now. Whether or not you’re a corner store, or you’re a coffee shop, or you’re making cars, tech is now at the heart of absolutely everything.

“I was talking to a coffee shop owner a few months ago, right at the heart of lockdown, and she was saying that although they had staff on furlough, they were actually taking staff on — and the staff that they were taking on were those with tech skills.

“Because she recognised that she was going to have to beef up her online presence, that she was going to have to make sure that she still had a business where she could still sell her coffee. Whether it be through click-and-collect or those social distancing measures that needed to be put in place, or just keeping people aware of the brand.

“So, I think people need to really invest in tech. They need to invest in the skills of their workforce as well.

“It’s not enough to look at your workforce and think, right, we’re going to have to employ more people in that sector. It’s about thinking about the workforce that you’ve got and how you can bring them on the journey with you, because you don’t want to end up with half of your workforce who are obsolete.

“So if you can think now about retraining them, taking them on that journey, you’re going to have the experience of all of that knowledge, but you’re going to be able to then bring it into a new age.”

Q3. As a presenter and broadcaster, you’ve mastered connecting with audiences. What do you believe is the key to truly effective communication?

Danni Hewson: “I feel like I’m saying the same thing over and over again, but it is about keeping things really straightforward and simple. It is about just telling one story.

“It is about making sure that you are listening to what people want to hear, to the questions that they have. Because if you are talking at someone but they’re not interested in what you’ve got to say, they’re not listening — and then what is the point in having that conversation?

“So, rather like I was saying about a successful boss needing not just to listen but to hear, I think as a broadcaster you need to hear what your audience is saying, because that way they’re going to hear what you’re saying.”

Q4. Sustainability is high on the business agenda. What practical steps can companies take right now to start building greener, more responsible operations?

Danni Hewson: “I think you can start really small.

“It can be just changing the light bulbs in your office, or changing your office, or having more people working from home. What a change that has made — for people not having to have people going hundreds of miles every day to commute.

“Thinking about, if you have company cars, whether or not you’re going to go for hybrids or electric cars. A lot of these changes are coming down the road, so if you can make them a little bit quicker, so much the better.

“And it’s not that long ago when we were printing out everything, and now the thought of having reams of paper everywhere — it’s just foreign to us, isn’t it?

“So, yeah, start small. Don’t get daunted by these big changes. Okay, so you can’t put solar panels up everywhere, but you can change a light bulb.”