In this episode of Recruitment Leaders. Unlocked, Martin Ewings sits down with Chris Morrow, co-founder of Digitalent, a specialist AI and machine learning recruitment business that's been thriving for over seven years across multiple global locations.

Chris shares his powerful leadership philosophy built around humility and ”extreme ownership” – a principle that transforms how teams handle mistakes and accountability. He reveals how taking responsibility for problems, even when they're not directly your fault, creates a culture where everyone steps up and owns their work.

The conversation explores the unique challenges of building and maintaining culture in a fully remote, globally distributed team – something Digitalent mastered years before COVID made it mainstream. Chris discusses their third-place finish in the recruitment industry's largest ever culture survey, competing against 300+ agencies.

Key topics include:

– Why humility is the number one leadership characteristic

– The ”extreme ownership” principle and how it transforms team dynamics

– Building high-performance culture in remote teams across multiple time zones

– Balancing performance targets with genuine team engagement

– Leadership challenges during scaling, growth, and downsizing phases

– Practical succession planning and career development frameworks

– Time management strategies for startup founders

– Work-life balance lessons learned the hard way

Chris offers candid insights about the realities of startup life, from working 17-hour days for 18 months to the emotional challenge of letting go of talented people during tough economic periods. His practical advice on time management – dedicating Fridays to operations and focusing Monday-Thursday on fee-generating activities – provides actionable strategies for recruitment business owners.

This episode is essential viewing for recruitment leaders looking to build authentic, high-performing cultures while scaling their businesses sustainably.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast

01:26 Meet Chris Morrow: Co-Founder of Digi Talent

02:08 Chris's Leadership Journey and Principles

03:43 The Importance of Humility and Accountability

11:36 Balancing Performance and Culture

19:36 Remote Work and Maintaining Culture

24:57 Leadership Challenges and Succession Planning

34:15 Advice for Aspiring Leaders

38:10 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Chris offers candid insights about the realities of startup life, from working 17-hour days for 18 months to the emotional challenge of letting go of talented people during tough economic periods.

His practical advice on time management – dedicating Fridays to operations and focusing Monday-Thursday on fee-generating activities – provides actionable strategies for recruitment business owners.