Up Close with Leadership: What It Really Takes to Succeed at the Top of Insurance
- Dani Elliott-Booth
- Jun 9
- 4 min read
At the Camelot Network, we believe the most powerful leadership insights don’t come from polished keynote slides or recycled soundbites. They come from honest conversation and lived experience. And most importantly, from leaders who are willing to talk openly about what shaped them, challenged them and continues to stretch them.
That belief was brought to life at our recent Camelot SPARK event in the breakout session The Up Close: Leadership Styles that Define Success. Four senior leaders from across the insurance market shared practical, unfiltered reflections on leadership: what it looks like in reality, how it has changed, and what it demands next.
What follows are the key themes and learnings from that session. Insights you could only access by being in the room.
Insurance leadership is shaped long before the job title
One of the strongest themes to emerge was that leadership doesn’t begin with a promotion. It starts much earlier; often before careers even begin.
Across very different backgrounds, the leaders reflected on formative experiences: early responsibility, moments of confidence (or over‑confidence), learning when to speak up, and learning when not to. Some described pivotal career moments (selling a business, stepping into transformation roles, switching disciplines entirely) that forced them to confront discomfort and uncertainty.
What stood out was not a single “right” path, but a shared mindset: leaders are made through reflection. Through paying attention to what works, what doesn’t, and being willing to adapt rather than cling to a fixed identity.
This is why Camelot events create space for stories, not just strategies. Learning happens when experience is shared.
Values are central
Another consistent message was the central role of values in leadership effectiveness.
Values weren’t presented as abstract ideals. Instead, they showed up as practical behaviours: how leaders communicate, how they make decisions under pressure, and how they conduct themselves in moments that may seem small but accumulate trust over time.
The leaders spoke about:
Treating customers as people and not as transactions
Communicating in ways that are clear, human and empathetic
Taking genuine interest in colleagues as individuals
Holding themselves accountable for whether messages truly land
This emphasis on values was not framed as “nice to have”. It was positioned as essential to performance, resilience and long‑term credibility, particularly in an industry built on trust.
Accountability thrives where trust is real
High‑performing teams don’t happen by accident. They are built through clarity, shared objectives and trust.
A recurring insight from the session was that accountability works best when people feel empowered to make decisions, knowing they will be supported rather than blamed. When leaders create environments where it is safe to act, teams move faster, collaborate better and actually take ownership.
This doesn’t mean avoiding challenges. In practice, it means combining high standards with proper support. Leaders spoke about the importance of follow‑through, energy and presence, not just agreeing actions in meetings, but ensuring momentum continues afterwards.
Showing up in the small moments builds the big ones
When asked how leaders show up when the stakes are high, the answers took an interesting turn. The solution wasn’t crisis management or bold gestures.
Instead, it was consistency.
Trust, confidence and loyalty are built long before the moments that “matter most”. They are created through everyday interactions: checking in, listening properly, being visible, following up. When those foundations are in place, teams are far more willing, and able, to step up under pressure.
This human approach to leadership felt especially relevant in a hybrid and post‑pandemic world, where connection can no longer be taken for granted.
Leadership in a hybrid world requires more intentionality
The shift to hybrid and remote working has fundamentally changed how leaders operate, and not always in ways that are fully understood yet.
The session explored the tension many organisations are navigating: flexibility versus connection, efficiency versus energy. While remote working brings clear benefits, the leaders acknowledged the challenges it creates around engagement, collaboration and culture.
Key reflections included:
Energy and creativity are harder to generate without physical presence
Leaders must work harder to be visible and accessible
Proactivity matters more than ever and you can’t rely on chance encounters
Collective purpose needs to be continually reinforced
There was no single solution offered, but a shared recognition that leadership today requires deliberate effort, not default habits.
AI is a leadership responsibility, not just a technology one
Unsurprisingly, AI featured heavily in the discussion, but not in the way many panels approach it.
Rather than focusing purely on tools or efficiency, the conversation centred on leadership responsibility. Leaders spoke candidly about the pace of change, the uncertainty it creates, and the importance of staying educated, open and honest with teams.
Key takeaways included:
Leaders must actively upskill themselves to remain credible
AI should be framed as an enabler, not a threat
Transparency about change builds trust, even when answers aren’t final
Sharing practical, human examples helps demystify new technology
The message was clear: ignoring AI is not an option. But neither is outsourcing responsibility.
Developing the next generation means understanding them
Another theme that resonated strongly was generational leadership.
Leaders acknowledged the challenges, particularly around expectations of progression and pace, but also highlighted the opportunity. By investing time in understanding different perspectives, motivations and ways of working, leaders can harness energy rather than resist it.
This requires curiosity, humility and a willingness to keep learning.
Why these conversations matter. And why being there matters
This session captured what makes Camelot Network events different.
They are not about posturing or performance. They are about connection, generosity and progress. We create intimate environments where leaders can speak openly, listen deeply and learn from one another.
And our guests don’t just leave with insights. They leave with perspective, confidence and relationships that continue long after the event ends.
Join us at Camelot SHIFT
If this conversation resonated with you, the next chapter is already waiting.
Camelot SHIFT, taking place this September, brings together ambitious insurance professionals for another energising, thoughtful and human exploration of leadership, change and opportunity.
Come and be part of the conversation