iGP CEO Jovana Popovic Canaki recently shared insights on corporate leadership, discussing the multiple challenges and career gains of executive positions from her personal experiences. As a seasoned manager in the iGaming industry, she revealed the pressures and responsibilities behind leadership roles.
Self-reflection on Leadership and Personal Experiences
Popovic Canaki started with a personal experience in Barcelona, where she was robbed after attending an industry event. Although the material loss was recoverable, the loss of personal mementos brought a profound emotional impact. This experience led her to deeply reflect on the nature of leadership.
She noted that leadership is a daunting and often exhausting task, capable of quickly invigorating the spirit as well as bringing psychological pressure just as swiftly. Leaders constantly face fluctuating challenges, complex project planning, continuous career development, and endless meeting schedules.
The Real Challenges of a CEO Position
Despite the approachable CEO image often portrayed on social media, the reality is often different. Popovic Canaki stated that just the title "CEO" can elicit special reactions from people, and colleagues naturally change their behavior around leaders.
This level of attention itself brings a sense of isolation. Leaders have to take on major responsibilities such as resource allocation, policy making, budget adjustments, and critical personnel decisions, all of which can create immense pressure. No matter how hard one tries, there is always an unspoken gap between the CEO and the team.
Professional Image and Emotional Management
Maintaining a professional image is an important part of leadership work. Leaders need to ensure they always smile at everyone, keep an open office atmosphere, and never show any signs of weakness. Suppressing negative emotions and stress is part of a leader's duty, and ensuring these emotions do not affect other areas of life is a continuous challenge.
Popovic Canaki admits that these pressures can sometimes be daunting, but she also emphasizes that these challenges provide the power to create and inspire. As a CEO, she has achieved some accomplishments she never thought possible, and the desire to create new things and break boundaries is always a driving force.
The Hidden Sacrifices of Leadership Positions
Through interactions with many C-level professionals, Popovic Canaki clearly sees that becoming a CEO or any C-level leadership position is rarely straightforward or effortless. It requires years of focused work, perseverance, and a lot of personal sacrifice.
Her career path started from the ground up, gaining valuable experience through various positions within the industry. This personal experience was crucial to her promotion, helping her develop Bragg Gaming from a small team into a publicly listed company with over 500 employees.
Advice for Aspiring Leaders
Based on years of experience, Popovic Canaki believes that leadership is a multifaceted role, both a privilege and a responsibility, and can also become a burden. Leaders often feel isolated, not because of a lack of colleagues, but because of the weight of responsibilities and the personal sacrifices often required.
For those aspiring to leadership positions, she advises ensuring that their ambitions stem from a genuine desire to create meaningful work and make changes. If the motivation is purely financial, the long nights will be even more difficult. She suggests that potential leaders seriously consider the profound impact the position will have on their career and personal life.
Popovic Canaki concludes that leaders need a clear reason to keep moving forward, otherwise they will encounter more questions than answers. This inner drive is the key support for coping with the various challenges of leadership positions.
