Leadership Journeys [239] - Steven Meersman - " You can never achieve balance because then you're standing still and you die"

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast. I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name. What does it really take to lead in the climate tech space—beyond the buzzwords and boardrooms? In this candid conversation, Steven Meersman, co-founder of Zenobi Energy, shares how he went from resisting entrepreneurship to leading a company that's transforming energy infrastructure across 11 countries. You’ll hear hard-won lessons on scaling with purpose, building a culture of ownership, and navigating the messy middle of leadership. Steven’s insights on balancing innovation with financial viability are gold for any leader trying to do work that actually matters. If you’re building something bold and want to stay grounded while growing fast, this episode is for you. You can find Steven Meersman at the below links https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevencgmeersman/ https://www.zenobe.com/ In the interview, Steven shares “Leadership is a pendulum—you don’t want perfect balance, you want movement. Knowing when to push back is key.” “We don’t just hire startup veterans—we hire passionate people who care deeply about our mission. Ownership can be taught.” “If sustainability isn’t financially viable, it won’t scale. Our job is to make green solutions make business sense.” “My journey into entrepreneurship was reluctant at first, but purpose pulled me in—climate tech gave me a reason to build.” “Lessons from oil and gas—like managing risk and optimizing cost—are surprisingly useful when scaling clean tech.” “I don’t make decisions based on labels. I look at the opportunity, the timing, and the impact we can make.” “A good leader supports without micromanaging and communicates without creating silos.” “We’re solving the first mile, the last mile, and everything in between to make renewable energy work at scale.” “We’ve repurposed EV batteries to replace diesel generators—real innovation happens where the grid doesn’t reach.” “Culture isn’t just values on a wall—it’s what people do when no one’s looking. That’s what drives innovation.”