Name: Milko Hascher

Title: Chief Digital Officer

Organisation: Austrian Anadi Bank

Milko Hascher is an experienced banking executive specializing in digital transformation within the financial sector. Since April 2024, he has served as the Chief Digital Officer (CDO) and a member of the Executive Board at Austrian Anadi Bank AG, where he oversees IT infrastructure, software and app development, digital banking solutions, digital market services, and digital sales for online retail.

Hascher´s career spans over two decades, during which he has led strategic transformation processes in various international banking institutions.

Thank you to the 2,000 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 Questions on Leadership!

We’ve gone through the interviews and asked the best of the best to come back and answer 7 MORE Questions on Leadership.

I hope Milko's answers will encourage you in your leadership journey. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Jonno White

1. As a leader, how do you build trust with employees, customers and other stakeholders?

Building trust as a leader with employees, customers, and other stakeholders is foundational to creating a successful and sustainable organization. Trust fosters engagement, loyalty, and cooperation, and it is something that must be actively cultivated and maintained.

Regarding employees, from my point of view, "lead by Example" is key. You have to demonstrate the values you want to instill in the organization. If transparency, integrity, and accountability are expected, you should embody these principles. Furthermore a clear and consistent communication is key, especially when you are leading a transformation process.

A third important topic is "Listening" to your employees - this makes them feel valued and heard, which fosters loyalty and trust.

Regarding customers, a "customer first" approach should be envisaged inside the company. If something goes wrong, be open about it. Apologize and explain what is being done to rectify the situation. Clients appreciate consistent communication when issues arise. And last but not least, be fair and ethical. Avoid over-promising or under-delivering, a this damages trust.

Regarding other stakeholders, be transparent and clear in your communication and decisions. Investors and partners need to feel confident about your decisions, and they should be aligned with their interests as well as the organization´s. Ultimately, trust is built over time and through consistent, thoughtful actions. Think about it!

2. What do 'VISION' and 'MISSION' mean to you? And what does it look like to use them in real-world business?

Vision and mission are both essential guiding principles that shape the direction and purpose of a business. While they are interconnected, they serve distinct roles in how an organization operates, plans, and makes decisions.

A vision is the "big picture" goal; it provides a sense of purpose and inspiration, helping stakeholders, employees, customers, and partners to better understand what the organization is striving for. Where do you want to go?

A mission is a statement of the organization´s purpose and core activities. The mission is more grounded in the present and focuses on how the company is making its vision a reality. It´s practical, actionable, and usually shorter-term than the vision.

3. How can a leader empower the people they're leading?

This is one of the core competencies of a "real" leader and shouldn´t be seen as a short-term empowerment.

Anyway, leaders should communicate in a first step the broader vision and purpose behind the team´s goal and how every person contributes to the overall success. This gives a sense of ownership and motivation. Secondly, trust in people and their responsibility is another key item. Giving team members the autonomy to act on their own not only builds confidence but also fosters a sense of ownership over their work and its outcomes.

Empowering others starts with creating an atmosphere of trust. Leaders should be transparent, listen actively, and engage in two-way communication. So, team members feel valued!

4. Who are some of the coaches or mentors in your life who have had a positive influence on your leadership? Can you please tell a meaningful story about one of them?

As always in a professional life, there are positive and negative examples. I remember a specific situation when I started a new management role. I was asked to fire one of my direct managers. I asked why, and I haven´t got a real explanation, so I asked for 6 months to evaluate the proposed option. After 1,5 years, this manager was one of the top 5 managers all over Germany.

The reason was simple: he was frustrated about the company and a lot of management changes around him. But he had so much knowledge and business experience that he managed this involvement. My job was listening and, for sure, giving a common vision for the future success. All the rest this highly appreciated ex-colleague did by himself. This example shows clearly that it´s worth listening to and understanding people.

On the other side, I had during my professional career so many positive experiences and high-standard managers around me. Picking up one item wouldn´t be fair to all my different mentors.

5. Leadership is often more about what you DON'T do. How do you maintain focus in your role?

I would answer this question as follows:

a. Stick to your strategy and the vision you have pointed out.

b. Avoid Micromanagement and trust your team.

c. Set clear priorities and don´t lose your focus in the daily business

d. Refuse opportunities or requests that do not align with your strategic objectives or values.

e. Take your time for a regular self-reflection

6. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Everyone plans differently. How do you plan for the week, month and years ahead in your role?

Planning effectively is essential in any role, whether for the week, month, or year. On a weekly basis, you should identify the most urgent and important tasks. These tasks you should break down into smaller, manageable pieces, and time should be reserved. Furthermore, you should have some flexibility because there will always be some "emergencies".

On a monthly basis, you should have a broader perspective and you should be more focused on the strategic goals. Reserve some buffer time as things can change within a month.

Long-term planning focuses on vision, growth, and larger projects.

7. What advice would you give to a young leader who is struggling to delegate effectively?

First of all, a young leader should understand the power of delegation. But delegation needs trust and the knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of its team. Without trust, delegation is difficult and, from a management perspective, not an option. Let people "grow" around you, it´s not necessary to show your personal expertise.

For that reason, you should set up clear expectations for your team with clear tasks, a timeline, and key outcomes to expect. Furthermore, we make clear how this task fits into the larger goals of the organization.