Clare Sheils, Managing Director of CBRE Czech Republic
In this interview Clare opens up about her leadership journey, her collaboration with Arthur Hunt, and why the Reason for Being programme transformed the way her team functions.
What was your journey to CBRE and into the role of Managing Director?
I actually came to Prague from the UK in 2008. My company at the time, asked me to help out the valuation team in Prague for a year. One year turned into seventeen. I fell in love with the city – and later with my husband, whom I met here too. I joined CBRE in 2013 and steadily moved through leadership roles. In 2020, I became MD for the Czech office. It’s been a rollercoaster of growth, change, and opportunity.
What do you enjoy most about the Czech market?
It’s highly competitive, which keeps us sharp. What I appreciate most is the calibre of professionals here. And the energy. I feel it every time I walk into our office. It’s a very different dynamic than what I experienced in the UK.
How would you describe the culture at CBRE Czech Republic?
Diverse. That’s the first word that comes to mind. Our team includes valuers, brokers, property managers, investment specialists – people with completely different mindsets and personalities. And yet we work. We respect each other’s differences and that creates an added value. It’s not always easy, but it’s real. And real cultures perform.
How do you know when a team is working well?
When people talk to each other. When they know what others are working on. When there’s energy and humour. The absence of those is a warning sign.
Let’s talk about leadership. At the CEO Forum, you spoke about mindful leadership and wellbeing. What does that mean to you personally?
To me, it’s about awareness. Awareness of what’s happening in your teams. Awareness of what people need to succeed and what’s getting in their way. We often assume we know what drives our employees, but we don’t. We see their output, not their reasons. Mindful leadership is about creating space to hear those reasons.
Was that the reason you brought the Reason for Being programme into CBRE?
Partly, yes. But it started with a very honest moment. I told Laurent Laval from Arthur Hunt, “I don’t know why my team stays here.” They get offers from other companies all the time. Higher salaries. Better perks. So why us? I wanted to understand that. I also knew I was about to take on a new role and wouldn’t have the same time to invest in one-on-one relationships. So I needed to see how the team could support each other without relying solely on me.
How did the team respond?
At first, there was resistance. My CFO literally said, "I'm not going to talk about my feelings." I get it. It’s uncomfortable. But I asked them to trust me. I said, "Do it for me." And we did it together. The process was beautifully facilitated. We wrote anonymous statements about each other and tried to guess who wrote what. People were surprised – in the best way. They saw themselves through others’ eyes.
Did anything surprise you as their leader?
Yes. I had assumptions about who my potential successors were. But when I listened to how others perceived those individuals, I realised I had work to do. Some people weren't as trusted or respected as I thought. That insight was invaluable.
What changed after the session?
We created a shared Reason for Being, but more importantly, we created a shared sense of belonging. That morning changed the energy in the room. And the way people interacted after. We did a cooking class and a VR team-building in the afternoon, but the groundwork had been laid by the honest conversations.
Would you recommend the Reason for Being programme to other leaders?
Absolutely. There’s no way you can fully understand why your team works – or why it doesn’t – without listening. And not just listening as a formality, but really hearing them. This programme gives you that structure. It’s a safe space to say the things that matter.
How do you see the relationship between wellbeing and performance?
They’re inseparable. A healthy team is a high-performing team. You can’t expect people to deliver results if they’re disconnected, demotivated or burned out. And yet in business, we still separate the two as if caring and achieving are different goals.
What do you do as a leader to maintain that balance?
First, you have to believe it matters. Then you design the organisation to reflect that belief. In our case, we’re flexible. We support parents. We acknowledge people have lives. We have 60 % women in our team, so maternity leave and flexible work are part of our rhythm. If we didn’t make room for that, we’d lose incredible talent.
How has leadership changed in the past decade, in your view?
It’s less hierarchical and more human. I don’t have an office. Neither does my boss. We work in open spaces. We’re accessible. Leadership today is about being visible, approachable, and willing to adapt to what your people actually need. Not what you assume they need.
And what about middle management? How do you work with potential that hasn’t yet shown itself?
We invest in learning and development, but more than that, we talk. We don’t wait for formal reviews to give feedback. If something’s not working, we address it. If someone is struggling, we ask why. Is it the role? Is it something personal? Is it us? That honesty is essential.
What do you wish someone had told you when you started leading?
That it's okay not to have all the answers. That leadership is not about control, but about trust. And that sometimes, "Do it for me" is a powerful leadership sentence.
Finally, what keeps you going? What inspires you today?
New challenges. And the people around me. Every time I hear someone say, "This is the first time I felt truly seen at work," I know we’re on the right path. That keeps me going.