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‘My centre is my son’: The life-changing moment that redefined one leader’s career
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After three decades in recruitment at Cpl, Lisa Holt thought she understood people. Then her son’s diagnosis changed everything by reshaping her approach to leadership, work and what truly matters.
After more than 30 years in recruitment, Lisa Holt, group MD of recruitment at Cpl, has seen just about everything the working world can throw at a person. However, nothing, she says, prepares you for the moment your personal life fractures and how that reshapes everything you thought you knew about work, leadership and what truly matters.
Holt, who built her career at Cpl, didn’t set out to work in recruitment. In fact, like many careers that last decades, hers began almost by accident. “I knew I was good at selling, and I knew I liked people,” she says. “I actually went into Cpl looking for them to help me find a job. And it just happened that way.”
Starting from the ground up, she quickly found her footing. Within four years, she was a top biller, but it wasn’t just performance that defined her career. Evolution is at the core.
“I’ve always been moved into roles where I had to fix things,” she says. “That challenge kept it interesting. But what I loved most was the impact, you’re helping people at pivotal moments in their lives.”
Over three decades, Holt has developed a leadership style rooted in honesty, instinct and empathy, but not without learning some hard lessons along the way.
“You have to like the people you work with,” she says simply. “And you have to have the tough conversations early.”
For Holt, leadership isn’t about charisma or perks. Consistency and integrity are key, while she always confronts problems head-on.
“If you expect people to work hard and you’re not doing it yourself, they won’t follow you,” she says. “You can say all the right things, but people watch what you do. Don’t delay the inevitable. If someone is struggling, you owe it to them to tell them kindly, but honestly.”
That balance, direct but compassionate, has become a hallmark of her approach. But in recent years, her understanding of empathy has deepened in ways she could never have anticipated.
Eighteen months ago, Holt’s teenage son Andrew was diagnosed with a rare brain tumour, a craniopharyngioma. The treatment he received saved his life and his eyesight, but it left him without a pituitary gland, which presents immense and complex challenges, including permanent peripheral visual impairment. This fundamentally altered his future, Holt said, “It has rocked our world and broken our hearts.”
She speaks openly about the reality of watching her child suffer and the long, complex road that follows the initial diagnosis.
“When you’re in the middle of it, you’re surrounded by support,” she explains. “But afterwards, life goes back to normal for everyone else, and that’s when it gets harder.”
The impact on her perspective was immediate and profound. “My centre is my son now,” she says. “Everything else is secondary.”
That shift has fundamentally changed how Holt approaches work. Where once she thrived on speed and constant problem-solving, she now pauses, reflects and protects her energy carefully.
“I used to rush in with solutions,” she says. “Now I step back and ask, ‘What does this actually need?’ My time and energy are limited, and I can’t waste them.”
Her tolerance for what she calls “time-wasting” has diminished, while her patience has grown. “It’s a strange balance,” she says. “You become more patient, but you also have less tolerance for anything that doesn’t matter. I don’t have the capacity for small talk anymore. I just can’t waste that time. I’d rather be at home with my son.”
Hybrid working, she adds, has been essential. “If I didn’t have it, I don’t think I’d still be working,” she says. “It gave me the space to keep going.”
Her world and her sense of it have been reshaped, and this goes beyond the workplace.
“You find out who your people are,” she says. “If you have five people who stand by you when life falls apart, that’s everything. I’m hugely grateful for a small circle of people who show up, consistently and quietly.
“Keep your word,” she adds. “If you don’t, you’re no good to anybody.” It’s a philosophy that now underpins both her personal life and her leadership, and Holt is clear that many workplaces still don’t fully understand how to support employees going through major life challenges. Her advice is simple, but often overlooked: acknowledge what’s happening.
“Don’t pretend it’s not there,” she says. “Acknowledge the pain, but don’t force people to talk.”
You can say all the right things, but people watch what you do. Don’t delay the inevitable. If someone is struggling, you owe it to them to tell them kindly, but honestly.
She also stresses the importance of flexibility and awareness. “Understand the pressure someone is under outside of work,” she explains. “Don’t pull them into unnecessary meetings or large group settings if they’re struggling.”
And while employee assistance programmes are valuable, she believes timing and readiness are key. “People will seek help when they’re ready,” she says. “You can’t force it. Ultimately, good leadership comes down to emotional intelligence. If you’re a good leader, you’ll know when to step in and when to step back.”
For anyone feeling overwhelmed, trying to balance career, family, and personal challenges, Holt’s advice is grounded in hard-earned experience.
“Learn to say no,” she says. “And be honest about why. I used to think it was quicker to do everything myself. But you have to let go and trust people.” Most importantly, she encourages vulnerability. “When you’re honest, people are kinder than you expect,” she says. “And if they’re not, they’re not your people.”
These days, Holt’s definition of success looks very different from the one that drove her early career. “It’s not about doing everything anymore,” she says. “It’s about protecting what matters.”
Her focus is clear: her son’s wellbeing, her family, and the small circle of people who have stood by her.
And while the future remains uncertain, one thing is not.
“If I’m not okay, I’m no good to my son,” she says. “It’s a kind of perspective that cuts through the noise of modern work culture and a reminder that behind every employee is a life far bigger than their job.”
For more information on Ireland’s leading specialised recruitment and talent solutions firm, visit cpl.com.
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