9 minute read
James Michael Laf ferty
Ja mes Michael L affert y
An Enthusiastic Business Leader and World Class Health Trainer
Today, the uncertainty and volatility are constantly affecting every aspect of organizations, and it’s clear that every business leader must address these changes of the 21st Century. Among all strong attributes, the most significant ones that are required to effectively manage, harness and leverage the constant changes are foresight and follow-through, believes an ardent leader, James Michael Lafferty. He asserts, “It is important for us as a business to view the future and adapt, and that is what leadership is all about.”
An American Chief Executive Officer, Olympic coach, award-winning journalist, philanthropist, James started as a fitness coach and has been at the helm of many well-known businesses. Currently, he is serving as the CEO of Fine Hygienic Holding, one of the world’s leading wellness groups and manufacturers of hygienic paper products. Let’s find more about his entrepreneurial journey through an interview conducted between Insights Success and James.
Below are highlights of the interview:
Kindly take us through your journey on becoming a proficient tech business leader.
Before entering the corporate world, I was a professional track and fitness coach. In 1984, I was hired as a fitness instructor for Proctor & Gamble, but it wasn’t long before I entered P&G’s brand management program. Eventually I went on to become a Brand Manager and later was transferred into an international career that took me to Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, The Middle East, Western Europe, Africa and Asia.
Throughout my career, I’ve always kept a finger on the pulse of the tech industry; I would (and still do) take note of the latest advancements, innovations and disruptive technologies, which allowed me to see unique windows of opportunity that could elevate the companies I worked for.
In 2015, I joined Fine Hygienic Holding (FHH) as a board member and fell in love with the brand and the FHH family. So, in 2018 when I was offered the CEO position, I was thrilled, and I leapt at the chance to develop a progressive vision for the company utilizing new technology and innovations, and nurture Fine’s incredible potential to positively impact the lives of people, not only in the MENA region, but around the world.
How do you diversify your organization’s offerings to entice the target audience?
At Fine, we stand by the age-old truism, “If you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything.” Whenever we conceptualize new products, we focus on how we can create something that will actively enhance our customers’ lives; this means taking into account the biggest concerns or challenges our customers are facing and making sure the products we produce go above and beyond to exceed their expectations. This is what we’ve done from the beginning—as the only manufacturer of sterilized paper products, we give our customers the best in quality and hygiene from tissues to paper towels, to diapers and more. In 2020 before the pandemic really began, we were able to understand what was coming and act quickly to shift into producing antiviral reusable personal protective equipment (PPE) enhanced with advanced, technology that actively kills viruses, including Covid, and other harmful pathogens on contact, thus launching our Fine Guard line. Since then we have rapidly expanded our offering within this line with the launch of our long-lasting germ protection products, giving our customers the utmost in protection and value, and offering them the peace of mind they need during this difficult time.
Where are you focusing your energy now, and where do you hope to make an impact next?
We have already launched some exciting products since the beginning of year, including our latest all-natural supplements ‘Motiva’, which are clinically tested and have high bioavailability that boost your immunity and improve brain health. We have a number of product launches in the pipeline which will encompass a full range of products that will cater to several verticals. As we continue to shift further into wellness, we are exploring new capabilities and innovative technologies which will play a huge role in upholding our commitment to producing safe, sustainable and value-driven products. Though we are shifting into new avenues of the wellness category, our goal as a company remains the same: to improve the lives of our customers around the world.
How do you keep yourself updated with the latest technology?
We’re living in the age of technology and each day brings a new advancement, greater innovation, and with that comes practically limitless possibilities. And as a leader in today’s world, you must always be seeking knowledge and working to broaden your horizons beyond the scope of your industry. I believe in the idea of being a student for life, and there’s always something new to learn and discover. Every day I take the time and opportunity to learn explore the latest innovations and technology—even when they are not directly related to my industry—because you never know what opportunities knowledge will bring.
What roadblocks or challenges were faced by you in a corporate business? And how did you overcome them?
One of the biggest challenges that any business can face is stagnation or being resistant to change. So, when you want to take an already successful group to the next level, you’ll face that resistance where people are hesitant to move away from how they’ve always done things. But change is necessary for growth, so I’m constantly looking for new ways to challenge myself and to get out of my comfort zone and lead my team by example. Developing this proactive culture is the key to creating forward momentum and breaking through barriers to reach that next step, but once you do, the potential is limitless.
James Michael Lafferty
CEO of Fine Hygienic Holding
Business leaders in technology have to develop good skills both in technology understanding and business as well to be the most influential business leader in technology. They should be prepared to use whatever talents, skills, abilities, and resourcefulness they have for the purpose of coming with creative and inventive solutions so as to make a worthwhile contribution. They have to be keenly aware of the latest technologies that can be integrated into the businesses so as to improve the offerings of the businesses.
Technology if utilized appropriately, it offers enormous advantages and has the capability to make a profound impact in the industry. Business leaders have to go beyond the boundaries of traditional or conventional thinking just to settle by the norms and have to be inventive in approach to break the status quo or stagnancy in the businesses. They need to develop the most pragmatic approach to lead the businesses that create a tangible impact in the industry with its contribution. Business leaders should think about out of the box solutions to not to be just trapped by what is available in the market and be comfortable with that. Comfort zone is the worst enemy of progress. To be successful business leader in technology, one cannot afford to be comfortable or complacent. Being complacent is absolutely dangerous.
Comfort zone doesn’t allow one to take the inventive or creative approach to develop something new that can be integrated into the businesses. Therefore, one should go beyond the comfort zone by stretching oneself above the limits of comfort zone and should be open to the new changes that can be incorporated in the businesses. Business leaders should prefer to be in the stretch zone to come out with inventive solutions.
Seduction of safety is much more perilous than the perception of the risk. Calculated risks in businesses always pays off. Therefore, business leaders should not be afraid to take calculated risks. Regret of not taking risk is heavier than risk itself, so therefore one should always be open to take risk in businesses and play out the bold game.
Nothing substantial can be accomplished by playing by cowardliness and being trapped by mediocrity and timidity. Boldness is genius and therefore business leaders should have the courage to pursue their audacious goals. Mediocrity and fear are the worst traps and those should be avoided by the leaders who want to make a tangible difference. Business leaders in tech should be cognizant to recognize the potential of technologies that can be implemented in the businesses to improve the quality of the solutions.
Business leaders should be open to the wonderful opportunities and should grab them diligently to play the key role in delivering modern solutions to the challenges present in the business world. The leaders in tech have to be smart enough to tap the potential of highly capable technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Big Data Analytics etc. Artificial Intelligence offers enormous benefits for the businesses and to automating the many mechanical processes. This potential of Artificial Intelligence can be incorporated in the businesses to help businesses expand the scope of their services.
The potential of many emerging technologies can be integrated in the businesses and businesses can be taken to new heights for the purpose of benefits of clients. Due to the pandemic, many businesses are incorporating digitalization into their businesses. So, this area also offers a potential for lot of growth and innovation. Business leaders have to be vigilant to grab the chances they have to make a positive difference in as many ways as they can. They should have planning and strategy to make contribution in the areas where there are opportunities for contribution.
Business leaders should also see that they have most resourceful team of people with them to recognize the potential technologies for the purpose of implementing those technologies most effectively in the businesses. There can be no keener revelation of a leader than the way in which he or she treats and trains their employees or teammates to play the most important role in being part of the solutions to the challenges. The business leaders should train their teammates and employees to be part of the solutions. Great leaders are not just leaders themselves, but they also make more leaders, and this creates a tangible difference.
Technology offers enormous advantages that business leaders should incorporate in the businesses to drive the growth of the businesses and also for the purpose of most creative and inventive solutions. With great potential of technology being implemented by technically, smart leaders will help businesses to attain the greatest leaders and this will create the most impact in the industry and the credit of that will go to the leaders who integrate the technology and business skills most effectively and in a more profitable and organized manner.
