In a world where we’re always available, how do you separate your personal time from your work time?
Conor O'Leary: It’s a seven-day-a-week business, so it can be difficult to separate them. It’s about finding the balance of being available at all times, but empowering the team so that I’m not always needed. My week doesn’t fit an exact structure, so I can be flexible to that. Allowing the team the go-ahead to feel they can deal with things as they arise means it tends to manage itself.
What’s one thing you do after the work day to help you unwind?
On the days that I manage to get home before my 3-year-old daughter goes to bed, a game of hide and seek with her tends to be a good distraction!
What activity do you do in your time away from the office that helps you relax and recentre after a stressful week?
I love cooking, eating and sitting with my family and friends. I also like running; five to ten kilometres round the hills here can really clear your mind.
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What’s something you’ve read, listened to or seen in your spare time that’s helped you at work?
Start with Why by Simon Sinek. The author looks at what it takes to lead and inspire, arguing that in business it doesn’t matter what you do, it matters why you do it. Understanding 'the why' helps us shape what we do and motivates teams for common goals, which correlations with what we work towards at Gleneagles.
Where’s your favourite third space?
My kitchen and dining room at home. We have lots of people around so there’s always something going on, a bottle in the fridge and something in the oven, or quieter afternoons baking with my daughter.
On Sunday night, how do you prepare yourself for the week ahead?
I’m lucky becuase lots of my weeks are different and can take me to different places, from Gleneagles Townhouse in Edinburgh to meeting clients and agents in London. On a Sunday I take a look ahead and mentally plan for each day to get my head into the week.
Best reason you've had to turn your out of office on recently?
The nature of the business at Gleneagles means that we’re always open, so the honest truth is I haven’t had it off in about 6 years! However, I have an incredible support team that pick up things whilst I’m away and ensure continual coverage. Out of Office for me, means only keeping an eye on things from afar.
The OUT OF OFFICE hotlist
Your go-to Out of Office outfit: Jeans and a polo shirt – casual wear for running around after my daughter.
Your happy place anywhere in the world: Genuinely it would be where my wife and daughter are – ideally somewhere warm.
Your favourite bar or restaurant: Anything on the menu at The Sportsman in Seasalter or Carbone in New York, where you’ve got to order a steak and Rigatoni alla Vodka.
Something you booked recently that you'd recommend: The 150th Open in St Andrews showed Scotland to its greatest potential in hospitality and tourism. An opportunity to see the world's greatest golfers at the home of golf in such an iconic year was an opportunity that doesn't come around very often; it was a landmark Championship.
Something you've listened to or read recently that you'd recommend: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. It’s fascinating to learn about where we all come from, and the importance of believing in a common cause.
A hobby you'd like to cultivate: I would love to be able to play the piano. I’m very jealous of people who can just sit down at a piano and play, I imagine it’s very relaxing and unwinding.
A luxury that’s actually a necessity: My smartphone. It’s my work when I travel, and keeps me in contact with my family, holds my podcasts and music, and my map when I don’t know where I’m going.
Best luxury under £25: A pint of Guinness and a bowl of fish soup at The Cow in Westbourne Grove, London.
