Burning Bright Without Burning Out with Jing Mertoglu

Energy is “oxygen for leadership,” and it’s a choice you make in every interaction. Jing Mertoglu, Global VP Insights and Analytics, Suntory Global Spirits, joins host Nick Graham, Founder, Vertemis, to talk about burning bright without burning out. They explore heliotropic leadership and why teams naturally gravitate toward leaders who bring light rather than drain it, even during tough conversations. Jing shares practical ways to deliver difficult feedback with empathy and preparation, build trust and psychological safety, and protect your energy through boundaries, perspective, and self-kindness. They also discuss using passion points to guide career decisions, staying honest about what motivates you, and feeding curiosity through thought leaders, books, and podcasts while keeping a healthy life outside of work.

00:00 Energy Beyond Work

00:25 Podcast Intro Burnout Theme

01:06 Meet Jing Urtulu

02:06 Energy Is Leadership Oxygen

04:21 Heliotropic Leadership Light

08:40 Kind Yet Accountable

09:37 Difficult Feedback With Empathy

12:41 Protecting And Resetting Energy

17:28 Passion As Career Filter

22:00 Learning Curiosity Sources

25:17 Advice For Emerging Leaders

28:39 Closing Takeaways And Wrap

Insights & Innovators Podcast from MRII | Hosted by The Greenbook Podcast Network

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