Royston Guest Inspires Future Finance Leaders to ‘Lead Through Impact’

As part of our Future Connect event series, expert speaker and author Royston Guest delivered an energetic and thought-provoking session aimed at equipping the next generation of finance professionals with the mindset and tools to thrive in a fast-evolving world.

20 June 2025

You can get everything you want in life if you just help enough people get what they want.
Zig Ziglar

Staying Relevant in a Day 1 World

Royston opened with a powerful message inspired by Jeff Bezos: successful organisations adopt a ‘Day 1’ mindset. This means always acting like a start-up – staying relevant, agile and resilient. In today’s rapidly changing financial services landscape, complacency can quickly lead to stagnation. Royston challenged attendees to continually ask:

How relevant am I?
How agile am I?
How resilient am I?

The Shift from Leader to Coach

Royston outlined the evolution of leadership in modern organisations. The days of hierarchical leadership are fading; today, the most impactful leaders act as coaches who:

Focus on ongoing development, not just annual reviews.

Build strengths rather than fix weaknesses.

Support both professional and personal wellbeing.

Create purpose and meaning for their teams.

The Purposeful Leader: Leading Without a Title

Leadership is not defined by job titles. Royston encouraged attendees to embrace ‘purposeful leadership’ by:

Being resolute, motivated and committed.
Knowing their desired outcomes.
Leading themselves first before leading others or the business.

His three-track model emphasised:

I Lead Self: Mastering the inner game of leadership.
I Lead Others: Unlocking the potential of colleagues.
I Lead the Business: Building high-performing teams.

Avoiding the Fatal Mistakes of Business Growth

With many businesses failing to reach their full potential, Royston shared seven critical pitfalls to avoid, including:

Prioritising profitable revenue growth.
Proactively managing costs.
Maximising productivity by ensuring every investment delivers a strong return.

Building High-Performance Teams

Successful teams are built on five key pillars:

Clear vision and purpose.

Shared values and behaviours.

Ambitious growth plans.

A strong performance culture.

Empowered execution at all levels.

Success is Not an Accident

Royston closed with a reminder that career success doesn’t happen by chance. It requires:

Positive mindset and self-belief.
Clarity of personal and professional goals.
Continuous personal development.

Quoting motivational speaker Zig Ziglar, he reinforced: “You can get everything you want in life if you just help enough people get what they want.”

Takeaway for Future Connect Members

Royston’s session was a timely reminder that everyone, regardless of their current role or level, can choose to lead with impact. By embracing a purposeful mindset, being proactive in personal growth, and focussing on contribution, today’s young finance professionals can shape not only their own success but also the future of the industry.

Event Photos

Thank You to our Event Series Sponsor

Grant Thornton Limited is a leading Channel Islands practice with offices in Guernsey and Jersey with a combined staffing strength of over 250 people. We are the Channel Island member of Grant Thornton International, one of the world’s leading international organisations of independently owned and managed accounting and consulting firms.

We have been offering practical and strategic advice to all the key sectors in the Channel Islands for many years, and work closely with our clients to understand the specific issues that they face, evidenced by the many long-standing client relationships that we have developed.

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