Leading Under Extreme Duress

Having the great privilege to speak with Sergiy Sergiyenko, managing partner of Expandia, CBRE’s affiliate in Ukraine, was a humbling experience and a stark reminder that we work and lead under remarkably different circumstances while sharing the human experience of being citizens, colleagues, parents, partners, siblings and friends. 

My conversation filled me with awe of the courage on display, the humility at work, and our shared humanity.

Sergiy and his partner Radomyr Tsurkan operate the Expandia business. Sergiy took the time to reach out to me after reading my last blog on leadership. I seized the opportunity to connect with him personally and subsequently invited him to a meeting with more than 20 of our regional leaders.

Here are some of the highlights of our conversation with Sergiy. I trust you will find his insights as profound, authentic and memorable as all of us did.

Can you describe the first few hours after the war began and subsequently?

My partner Radomyr and I spent the first day on the phone with family, friends and colleagues, trying to make decisions under the influence of adrenaline, including whether to leave Kyiv with many or to wait until the initial wave of exodus had subsided. The biggest challenge was to keep our cool under the circumstances. In an unfathomable situation like this  -- always - it is a huge advantage to have a partner to share the decision-making with.

In the first hours the biggest, most pressing questions were: Where to go? To do what? For how long? We had to consider the possibility of never coming back, of losing everything; homes, business, savings, country. There was an initial feeling of emptiness. However, it wasn’t to last very long. Quickly the CBRE family came together. We were told the company was creating a help center to assist all of us to re-settle in Europe and elsewhere. CBRE came in strong for us – both as a company and as a community of colleagues who opened their homes and went out of their way to receive our people and help them out during the initial period of shock and uncertainty and through today in helping us locate jobs and find homes.

What is Kyiv like today? What is it like being back in the city?

The situation in the city at first was very eerie. It was empty like in apocalyptic movies. But then you see pretty landscaping and flowers around some buildings, and the supermarkets are open and many of the shelves are filled, and for a moment, you almost feel normal. But then you see sandbags piled up next to buildings alongside ubiquitous trenches and fortifications, and there are soldiers patrolling the streets. It’s very surreal.

How do you keep up morale in the face of such immense odds? What do you do each day to live life under such challenging circumstances?

During the first two weeks of the war, everyone was shellshocked. Then it was essentially back to basics. What do we need to do to help each other, what do our clients need, and how can I help our country? In that way, all of us juggle these three objectives each day and adjust accordingly. Making sure family and employees are safe. Allocate financial help to those most in need. CBRE has been tremendously helpful in that regard. What do our clients need? We continue to manage properties. Doing what it takes to help keep the lights on, so to speak. And then of course our country. Each day I try to do something that helps our military defend our freedom. Help raise money for weapons, for example.

How do you lead under these unfathomable circumstances? At your work, in your life?

I have four guiding principles. First and foremost, look after each other. Secondly, communicate clearly and continuously. We continue to have two weekly staff calls to check on everyone and a bi-weekly management call. Even those who had to leave the company are invited to continue to dial in to staff calls as we hope to rebuild our operations once the war ends. Third, be completely truthful and open with yourself and others – both about the state of business and developments of the war. And last but not least, stay positive and optimistic. I believe we will overcome all odds. It’s a matter of time, grit and patience.

How can we help? What message might you have for us?

Spreading awareness of this war is very important. The more people know, the more aren’t indifferent, and the better chance we have of overcoming this horrific time. It is important to understand that this isn’t a one-man war, but it’s a war of mindsets, one between democracy and dictatorship, between freedom and slavery. 

Sadly, after we spoke with Sergiy, Mykhailo Malyar, an Expandia employee was killed in a Russian missile strike. Our hearts go out to his friends, family and Expandia colleagues. 

Our conversation with Sergiy has continued to resonate with us who had the chance to speak with him a couple of weeks ago. It was a reminder that leadership is not a theory. A reminder that authenticity and compassion should be incorporated daily. And it provided all of us with a better understanding of tremendous hardships and uncertainty. And it filled us with gratitude, especially for the things most of us take for granted, such as our freedom and safety. I thank Sergiy for his courage and great power of example. 

As always, I welcome your feedback. 



Addendum:

Within a few days of Russia invading Ukraine, CBRE launched a global fundraising campaign. Contributions poured in from around the world, reflecting the passion to help the people of Ukraine during this time of dire need. The money raised went to the UNHCR to provide shelter and safety for those forced to flee Ukraine and relocated to other countries.

CBRE employees and the company have combined donated more than $450,000 (as of May 5), to the UN Refugee Agency and to support our Expandia colleagues through the CBRE Employee Resilience Fund. 

In addition to UNHCR, please see the below organizations Sergiy suggested to support the people of Ukraine:

• Help Ukraine - A joint initiative of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Rozetka, Fozzy Group, TIS, Dragon Capital, Novaya Pochta, Spunbond fund, RZTK for our international partners to provide humanitarian and medical aid to Ukraine. Help Ukraine has launched a Warehouse Distribution Center in Poland to organize the delivery of goods. 
• Ernst Prost Foundations German charitable foundation– to raise funds to purchase humanitarian aid for the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. 
• Red Cross Ukraine
• Unicef Ukraine