Why this executive wants us to reframe ambition

Natalie Slessor hasn’t followed a standard career path. 

Today, as CBRE Group’s Executive Managing Director of Property Management, she works in the commercial property sector – in an industry that is, in her words, “100 percent driven by money”. 

But Slessor also has a background in social psychology. This unusual pairing of skills is part of the reason she has never viewed her journey to senior leadership as a ladder she has scaled. Instead, she compares it to a bingo card. 

In this interview for the FW Leadership Series podcast, she speaks with FW’s Helen McCabe about building influence through varied experiences and how she has reframed ambition. 

Here are three of our favourite takeaways. 

The punchline 

When describing her industry, Slessor cuts straight to the chase. 

“I work in a sector which is absolutely, 100 percent driven by money,” she said. “I’m sitting with investors, capital investors, funds [and] developers all day long, every single day, and they work on spreadsheets.”

Not shying away from this reality is key to Slessor’s success at negotiating. 

“Who am I talking to? The money man. So, I start with the money,” she said. 

“You don’t need to lead up to the ta-da moment where there’s suddenly a commercial proposition. Start there [with the money] … start with the punchline”. 

Growing in all directions

Slessor does not view her path to senior leadership as being like a ladder.

“When I think about my career, I think, how might I tick another box on the bingo card?” she explained. 

“It’s sort of 3D chess going on here: How do I continue to actually take steps forward so that my influence is getting stronger?”

This approach has increased Slessor’s “unique value proposition” as a leader.

“If you sat in different seats rather than just climbed a ladder, you bring a unique perspective and a unique intuition to what some of the answers might be,” she said. 

Reframing ambition 

Slessor did not hesitate when asked about the most useful career feedback she has received. 

“The best way to be ambitious is to do a really, really amazing job right now,” she said. 

A sure-fire way to to get noticed, she explained, is to bring energy and commitment to the role you are currently in.

“[Then people will say,] ‘You know what, she could probably cope with a whole bunch more or I would like to see her mind applied to that question over there,” she added.