Anideacouldbringasmallchangeincurrenteventsorcouldbeadisruptivemodification.Nomatterhowsmallorbig
itis,anideaisthebeginningofsomethingnew,itcanalsobethebeginningofanentrepreneurship. Entrepreneurshipdemandswillingnesstotakerisknomatterhowdifficultsituationsareandthrivethesuccessoutof it.
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started”thisstatementfromMarkTwainisthecorecharacteristicofentrepreneurs. Entrepreneursarebuddingachieverswhoconstantlystrivetobringchangesandtakethemuchnecessarystepstoachieve those. Asavisionary,therolealsodemandsthequalityofleadershipwhereamajorresponsibilityistoleadpeople successfullyandaccomplishthecourseofaction.
Adaptivenessisamajortraitofentrepreneurswhichhelpsinexpertlydistinguishbetweenwhatisexpendableandwhatis essential.Nowentrepreneurshipisnotlimitedtoputideasintoaction,itcoversawidearea,wheremanagementtechniques, advancemarketing,andexplicitunderstandingofmoderntechnologiesrequired. Beingadaptiveisalsonecessaryinorderto createasenseofcompatibilitywhichisquiteessentialtomotivateothersandjointhemwiththegoal.Anadaptiveleaderisa socialarchitectureforthepeoplewhofollowhimandthereasonoftrustandoptimismthatensuresthesuccess.
Otherthanadaptiveness,enduranceisoneimportantwordinentrepreneur’sdictionary.Anentrepreneurhastofacedaily struggleanddepartureindecisionswhereeverydayisachallenge.Thissituationbecomesmuchmorecrucialinthe beginningofastart-up.Thisisthespecificzonewhenenduranceistrulytested.Thisisalsotermedas"ValleyofDeath" whereservice/productisintroducedintheprocesstogetthemuchneededacceptanceinthemarket.Thesemoments’ endurancedecidesthevictoryordefeat,especiallyatthebeginningofthebusinesscycle.
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InordertocelebratethecrucialcharacteristicsandnovelapproachesoftheworldclassentrepreneursInsightsSuccesshas curatedalistof“The30MostInspiringEntrepreneursof2019”whichareexemplifyingthemeaningofentrepreneurship. Theseentrepreneurshaveacquiredallthenecessaryskills,suchasvision,perseverance,dedication,andtheabilitytoinspire andnurture,thatareimportanttothriveinbusinesses.Theyalsobringtheexpertise,confidence,andadeepbusinessacumen thattheyhaveaccumulatedthroughtheirjourney.
SangeetaPrasad,theManagingDirectorandCEOofMahindraLifespaceDevelopersLimited(‘MLDL’),isfeaturedas thecoverofthisedition.MahindraLifespaceDevelopersLimited(‘MLDL’)isoneofIndia’smosttrusteddeveloperswitha proventrack-recordinresidentialandindustrialdevelopments.Shebuiltgreatrelationships–bothprofessionalandpersonal. UnderthedirectionofSangeetaPrasadbothresidentialsalesandcollectionsatMLDLregisteredrecordnumbersinFY’2018. Delveintosomeinspiringstoriesandlessonsfrommanysuchsignificantentrepreneursinthisissueandreapthefruitsof motivation.Also,makesuretoscrollthroughthearticleswrittenbyourin-houseeditorialteamandCXOstandpointsof someoftheleadingindustryexpertstohaveabrieftasteofthesector
Happy reading!
Selfmotivationiswhattransformsan individualintoanentrepreneur.Rohit Chaturvedi
Transformingurban landscapesbycreating sustainablecommunities.
“
The concept of leadership is shaped by people who are eager to convert ideas into ac on.
Leaders must be crea ve with their ideas. They must also possess the ability to look at challenges in new ways and solve problems by seeing things that others don't. The role of a leader in an organiza on is to harness inven veness, imagina on, innova on, vision, progressiveness, originality and resourcefulness to drive sustainable and meaningful business growth.
Leadership requires a keen sense of responsibility towards the organiza on, its vision and its people.
It is crucial for a leader to establish effec ve communica on, so she/he is approachable to everyone and every team member is well aware and accountable in achieving his/her goals.
Sangeeta Prasad, the Managing Director and CEO of Mahindra Lifespace Developers Limited ('MLDL'), is one such transforma onal leader and role model. With her determina on and proficiency, she is Antheia
by Mahindra Lifespaces Pune
an inspira on to many and is con nually raising the bar on leadership.
An Intellectual Businesswoman Sangeeta started her career with Tata Steel, where she gained strategic experience and exposure across businesses, func ons and loca ons. She holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from Jadavpur University and an MBA from Indian Ins tute of Management, Lucknow. She took over as MLDL MD & CEO in 2018 and is responsible for se ng the strategic direc on that will guide the company in its next phase of growth, as it completes 25 years of urban developments across India. She is also a frequent speaker and panelist at pres gious industry and interna onal events. She has addressed audiences at mul ple edi ons of the World Economic Forum Annual Mee ng in Davos, where she led discussions on trends, challenges and opportuni es in urbaniza on; business and people strategy in the digital era; and ac on
on climate change. She was also a speaker at the 2015 United Na ons Climate Change Conference, or 'COP 21', in Paris, and at the eighth Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM8) held in Beijing in 2017. Addi onally, she is also a member of the RICS (Royal Ins tu on of Chartered Surveyors) South Asia board and Co-Chair of the Confedera on of Indian Industry (CII) Urban Development and Smart Ci es Council.
Mahindra Lifespace Developers Limited ('MLDL') is one of India's most trusted developers with a proven track-record in residen al and industrial developments. The company is the real estate and infrastructure development arm of the Mahindra Group, a USD 20.7 billion federa on of companies headquartered in Mumbai, India since 1945. MLDL is commi ed to transforming India's urban landscape through its residen al developments under the 'Mahindra Lifespaces' and 'Happinest' brands; and through its integrated ci es and
industrial clusters under the 'Mahindra World City' and 'ORIGINS by Mahindra World City' brands respec vely.
Rising income, urbanisa on and economic growth are driving demand for real estate and infrastructure development in India. A new regulatory framework has resulted in a shi towards transparency and accountability in favour of organised developers with strong brand equity. India's real estate markets are increasingly end user focused and the value proposi on of both the product and experience is more important than ever before.
Mahindra Lifespace Developers is at a naturally advantageous posi on in this new business and regulatory environment, given its strong focus on project design, quality and mely delivery. The company's strategic priori es emanate from its core value system, which is built on trust and accountability towards its stakeholders and the environment. Mahindra Lifespaces is driven by its Credo of 'Sell
The residential zone at Mahindra World City Chennaigenuinely, Build responsibly, Deliver on me'. Sangeeta is passionate about raising the bar on customer delight through right-sized and right-priced products that cater to evolving market needs and create tangible value for stakeholders. A strong balance sheet, good governance and the Mahindra brand — a name synonymous with honesty, transparency and trust in India — add to the company's a rac veness for both consumers and investors.
MLDL's pioneering industrial developments – the Mahindra World Ci es in Chennai and Jaipur – together span approx. 4500 acres and enable the 'Make in India' vision for 150+ reputed global and domes c companies. These include BMW, Infosys, Fujitec, JCB, Deutsche Bank Group, TTK Healthcare Limited, Gaston Engineering and Mahindra & Mahindra, to name just a few. The Mahindra World Ci es have been set up in public-private partnerships with state governments and have created employment for 50000+ persons ll date. Its joint venture, ORIGINS, which is in development with Sumitomo Corpora on of Japan was inaugurated
in Chennai earlier this year and has already signed up Yanmar Engine Manufacturing India & Nissei Electric as customers. MLDL's industrial developments have been designed to enable faster go-to-market for businesses via world-class plug-andplay infrastructure, strategic loca on advantages and a range of valueadded services.
MLDL has done seminal work in adop ng 'green' & 'though ul' design and construc on principles: a way of doing business that Sangeeta strongly espouses. Sangeeta proffers that not only is environmental sustainability good for the planet, but also translates into product differen a on and business process efficiency. All MLDL's developments incorporate green architecture, environment-friendly building materials and a sustainable supply chain. Its customers enjoy reduced u li es and maintenance costs in homes designed for conserva on of water and energy. Abundant natural light and ven la on and low-VOC (Vola le Organic Compound) materials improve indoor air quality for healthy and balanced living.
A Perfect Blend of Technology and Quality
Sangeeta readily acknowledges the importance of technology as a key differen ator in India's real estate industry. The right technology, when aligned to business vision, can aid construc on speed, boost product quality and enhance customer experience. Mahindra Lifespaces uses applica ons to automate business development processes and improve internal visibility and predictability. These ready-to-use business applica ons can be integrated with its core systems faster and more efficiently. Innova ve technologies in construc on process, new material
Amphitheatre at Mahindra World City Jaipuradop on and automa on have helped improve quality of product and reduce construc on melines. The company is con nually evalua ng and adop ng new technologies that can improve its business processes and make its developments future-ready.
Moreover, Mahindra Lifespaces effec vely uses social media to reach out, engage and address queries from customers and the larger stakeholder community. It leverages its social media presence to proliferate causes it espouses, such as environmental awareness.
MLDL will con nue to combine technology with organisa onal and opera onal innova on to achieve business growth. At the same me, the company believes that las ng, industry-wide innova on requires a collabora ve approach, encompassing mul ple stakeholder communi es. Towards this end, it has established the Mahindra-TERI Centre of Excellence (CoE) together with The Energy and Resources Ins tute (TERI), India. The CoE is a first-of-its-kind research facility that will leverage state-of-the art research techniques and tools to develop energy-efficient solu ons adapted to Indian clima c condi ons. Sangeeta believes this is a perfect illustra on of partnership in science and technology for the greater good of society — and yet another example of the core value systems that define and guide Mahindra Lifespaces.
Sangeeta a ributes her success to the challenging projects and professional environments that have helped shape her leadership skills. Sangeeta joined Tata Steel a er comple ng her MBA and was ini ally based in her hometown of Kolkata. Marriage and a move to the Indian
Mahindrahomeandcity.
capital of Delhi meant that she had to step outside of her comfort zone. This was also the me when she transi oned from a commercial func on into a sales role, taking up new responsibili es in a work environment that was largely maledominated. Sangeeta had to work doubly hard to make her mark. The first year was possibly the toughest and yet, she reminisces, one of the most sa sfying. This early stage, though ini ally unse ling, helped her build the inner confidence that is needed to take on uncharted professional territory and she emerged as a stronger and more resilient leader. She did more than thrive during this me; she achieved record sales and
built a strong distribu on equity and sales pipeline for Tata Steel. Most importantly, she built great rela onships – both professional and personal. Cut to the present - both residen al sales and collec ons at MLDL registered record numbers in FY'2018-19 under Sangeeta's leadership.
Sangeeta's current focus is on accelera ng momentum with impac ul launches, both in the residen al as well as the industrial parts of the business. She asserts that "Tolerance for chaos and ambiguity is the key to professional success. Hec c decision-making and moments of strong doubt are par for the course.
Ourjourneytowardsbuildingasustainablemultiplier organisationwillresultinthehappiestcustomer beingina
TheMostInspirational toWatch2019
Inthistimeofevolution,thecorporateworldhas enteredanunprecedentedera.Now,businesssectoris moreprevalentandaccessiblethaneverbefore.To maintaintheprivacyofabusinessandmoveitwiththe integrityisbecomingprimarychallengeforbusiness leaders.Fewoftheimportanttraitsofleadershipinthe businessworldoftodayistohaveanamazingleaderwho inspiresandinnovatestogrowpeople/teamaroundthem. OnesuchbusinessleaderisBalajiRamachandran–FounderandChiefExecutiveOfficerofSoftClouds, showingresilienceandpositivityagainstallthedifficulties persistently.InaninterviewwithInsightsSuccess,Balaji (Bala)sharesinsightsabouthiscompany’suniqueofferings andvitaltraitsofleadership.
Belowarehighlightsfromtheinterviewconductedbetween Bala and Insights Success:
ThesolutionsofSoftCloudsarevariedacrossawide segmentofindustries,fromautomotive,high-tech, manufacturing,communicationsandfinancialservices.
IntheCRM/CXIndustry,themainissueisthatcustomers aren’tsurewhattheyallwantinaCRMsolution–Thuswe needtomakesurewehaveanunderstandingoftheirneeds andcomeupwithinnovativesolutionsincorporatedwith today’smostcutting-edgetechnologieslikeBots,Internet ofThings(IoT),ProactiveCX,MachineLearning& ArtificialIntelligence.Ourexpertsconstantlyworkon ideation,creatingproofofconceptsandrevolutionary solutionsthatareequippedtofabricatebusinessesfor futuristicopportunities.
Bala strongly believes in innovation and comes up with soul striking ideas which convert the routine mundane business activities into a relentless drive towards achievement.
“ “
Howdoyoudiversifyyoursolutionsthatappealtoyour targetaudience?
Describesomeofthevitalattributes thateveryleadershouldpossess.
Forme,agoodleaderistheonewhois readytobethereforhisteamatany time.Itistrueasaying,“Leadership unlockspeople’spotentialtobecome better”.Today,beingaleaderis tougherthanbeingateammember.In ordertohavetheteammatesexcel,a leaderneedstoserveothersinthefirst place.Leadersmustmakeconscious choicestoinspireothers.
Tome,someofthecharacteristicsofa goodleaderarebeingasourceof inspiration,leadingtheteamwith integrity,motivatingtheteamto innovateandhelpinggrowtheir intellect.
Whatwerethepastexperiences, achievementsorlessonsthatshaped yourjourney?
Motivationfromindustryleadershas alwaysbeenaconstantforcein shapingmyjourney.In2007,withthe inventionofiOS/iPhone,themobility industrychangedthewaywelookat theworld.Thatinnovativemoveby SteveJobswasveryinspirationalto me.Ithasalwaysbroughtoutthebest andprobablythemostinnovativeside ofmineandshapedmyjourneyinthe bestpossibleway.
Also,thisever-changingindustry teachesusalotonaneverydaybasis. SoftCloudsbelievesinlearningfrom ourexperiencesandcontinuingto strivetobeoneofthetop-notch CRM/CXSolutionsProviderinthe US.
Whatweresomeoftheprimary challengesandroadblocksthatyou facedduringtheinitialphaseofyour journey?
Itisveryhardtohaveourcustomers envisionoursolutions.TheCRM industryhasbeenlaggingalot.When youtrytodemonstratethefutureto them,theycannotfollowalongunless wehaveasimilarfuturisticmindinthe
room.Wehavetoovercomebarriers liketheseandeducateourcustomers rightfromthegroundlevelonhow nextgenerationsolutionsaretheneed oftoday!
Also,atrustedteamofexpertsisbuilt withmucheffortandguidance.Ican summarizethejourneyofSoftClouds startingwith5peopletobecominga 150-personcompanyintwosentences. First,theexperiencehasbeen absolutelyamazingandsecond,allthe roadblocksandcatastrophesbecame opportunitiestogrowwithgreater experienceeachtime.
WhereSoftCloudsdoesseesitselfin thenearfutureandhowwillyou catalyzethechange?
IforeseeSoftCloudsworkingwith manymorebigplayersinthemarket fromvariousindustriesandgrowingin sizetobetween800-1000peopleby 2023-2025.
Whatisyouradviceforthe emergingleaders?
Theroadtheytakeisneitherstraight noreasy,butitisworththepain. Technologyisfeedingonitselfand outgrowingallthepossibilities.The technologyindustryisevolvingfaster eachyear.Today–Changeisthemost importantthing.Wemustlearnto changeandinventanewtomorrow!If Icanshareafewnuggetsfrommy personalexperience–Emerging leaderswillalsohavetolearntomake othersgrowinordertogrow themselves.Leadershipisahuge obligationandacharmatthesame time.
Balaji
is
and
BoardofDirectorsat SoftClouds.AtSoftClouds,Bala leadsthedevelopmentofthe strategicvision,recruitsand developsnewtalent,and translatesthevisionof SoftCloudsintoinspired execution.Withhisbroadvision andpersistentintellect,hehas continuedtoleadSoftCloudsto boundlessheightssince14+ yearsnow.Healsohashands-on experienceleadingstartup companiesinCX,Cloudand Mobiletechnologies.
Bala’sEntrepreneurial& Innovationleadershiphashelped shapetoday'sCXsoftware industry.Surely,Balaisan inspirational,motivatingand peopleleaderandbuilds relationshipswithteamsaround him–mayitbecustomers, partners,employees,friends, family,oranyoneelse.Hecan bebestdescribedas Humanitarian.Tenacious. Dreamer.
Ramachandran the Founder,CEO amemberof theSomepeoplerequiredecadesof
experiencebeforetheycantake onleadershiproles.Forothersit isanaturalfit.Anexampleofthelatter isIsmaelWrixen,GroupCEOatFE International.Aradicalshiftinhis earlycareersenthimdownan entrepreneurialpath,andnowInsights SuccessproudlyrecognizesIsmaelas oneofourinspiringbusinessleaders.
Belowarethehighlightsfroman interviewweconductedwith Ismael:
Giveabriefoverviewofyour backgroundandyourroleinFE International.
IbeganmycareeratCitigroupwhere, fortwoandahalfyears,Iworkedona brokerageteamthatbroughtIPOsto market.Ifelthamperedbythestandard rateofcareerprogressioninthe industry,andIfeltthatthelong workinghourswouldbebetterspent workingformyself.
Iteamedupwithanoldfriendfrom university,ThomasSmale,whose burgeoningcompanywasinvolvedin brokeringthesaleofonlinebusinesses. Seeingthepotentialoverlapwithhis businessandmybackground,after somecarefulconsideration,Ijoinedthe companyasCEO,bringingnew formalityandstructuretothebusiness, aswellasmycorporateexperience.I nowoverseeday-to-dayoperationsat FE,splittingmytimebetweenourNew YorkandLondonoffices.
organization’sofferingstoappealto yourtargetaudience?
FEstartedoutbycateringtosmaller onlinebusinesses,someonlyearninga fewthousanddollarsperyear.FE’s Founder,Thomas,becameadeptat reinvigoratingandsellingthese businessesandsoonrealizedtherewas awholemarketoflargeronline businessesrequiringassistance.FE’s serviceshaveshiftedoverthepast decade,broadeningouttohelplarger companieswhilebetterspecializingin threecoreareasofonlinebusiness;ecommerce,contentandSaaS.The businesshasbenefittedfromcatering tothiswiderangeofclients.Tothis end,wehaverecentlylaunchedafund toprovideevenmoreoptionsfor peoplelookingtoinvestintheonline space.
Describesomeofthevitalattributes thateveryleadershouldpossess. Experienceisfirstandforemostwhen itcomestoleadership.Therehavebeen somegreatfirst-timeentrepreneursbut thepeoplewhobuildlargeand successfulcompaniesareusually peoplewhohavegoodandrelevant leadershipexperiencepriortostarting up.Leadershipinabusinesscontext canbelearned,oratleastheavily improved.One’scharactercanhavea majorbearingontheeffectivenessof thecompany,butifyouhavegood experience,andyoumatchyourselfto therightbusinessmodelandtheright employees,leadershipcanbeanatural fit.Experiencealwaystrumpsany innateattributes.Itisofcoursea
benefitifyoupossessinnateleadership instincts,butitisalwaysrelyon experiencewherepossible.
Whatwerethepastexperiences, achievementsorlessonsthatshaped yourjourney?
Animportantlessonformewasgoing intoatraditionalcorporatejoband seeinghowtheotherhalflives.WhileI learnedalotandtherewereaspectsof thejobIenjoyed,itwashelpfultoget anunderstandingofwhatIdidn’twant todobeforefollowingamore entrepreneurialroute.Ipursuemy currentworkmoreconfidentlyasa result.
Whatweresomeofthechallenges androadblocksthatyoufaced duringtheinitialphaseofyour journey?
Ourbiggestproblemwasspreadingthe wordaboutourservices.Weknew therewasalargemarketoutthere,but howtogetourselvesinfrontofpeople wasourbiggesthurdle.Wehadto becomemarketers,andovertimewe workedoutthemosteffectivechannels forgeneratingleadsandbuiltoutteams aroundthem.It’sanareaofthe businessweareproudofand continuouslyevolves.
WheredoesFEInternationalsee itselfinthenearfutureandhowwill youcatalyzethechange?
FEInternationalseesitselfas the premiereonlinebusinessM&A Advisoryand,astimegoeson,wesee ourselvescementingthisreputation.
Therearenewmarketstoenterandawideraudiencetoreachwithinthe USA.Wehavestartedourfirstfund,LTVSaaSGrowthFund [https://Itv.fund/]wherewehopetocapitalizeonourknowledgeofthe industrywhilecreatingnewinvestmentopportunitiesforourclients. WehavealsoopenedanewlocationinSanFrancisco,andweaimto continuetoexpandandimproveourservicesforthebenefitofallonline businessownersandinvestors.
What’syouradviceforemergingleaders?
Buildthebestteamyoupossiblycanandinstillaproblem-solvingattitude. Atourcompanyoneofourcorevaluesisto“findaway”.Thismeansthat onlybypursuingnewwaysofsolvingproblems,outsideone’susual workingchannelsandexperience,canyoubeatyourmosteffective.
The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is now.
Ismael Wrixen Group CEO FE International
Legendsneverneedanintroduction.Theytendtobe victoriousdespiteoftheiruneventfulhistories.They sticktocaptivatingtraitssuchasDiscipline, determinationandself-beliefwhichhelpthemaccomplish wondersinthelongrun.OnesuchexampleofanextraordinarypersonisElonMusk,aSouthAfricanBusiness Magnate,Investorandanengineer.
Muskisthefounder,CEO,andchiefarchitectofSpaceX; co-founder,CEO,andproductdesignerofTeslaInc.;and co-founderandCEOofNeuralink.AsofFebruary2018,he isthe53rd-richestpersonintheworldandhasanetworth of$20.8billion,whichisfarmorethanthenetGDPof Greecetakenintoconsideration.
Whileeachentrepreneurpossessesauniquesetoftraitsthat makeshim/hersuccessful,thisTechfounderhasafewtraits muchdifferentfromanyotherordinaryCEO,whichhas allowedhimtobuildsomeoftheworld’smostrespected andinnovativeorganizations.Muskoncequoted,“When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor.”
Let’shavealookonthesepersonalityattributesand characteristicsthatmakehimacontenderforthemost innovativeintellectualentrepreneurofthecenturyalive.
ElonMuskisahard-workinginnovator,workingforabout 100hoursaweek,andhasbeenproductivesincemany years.Hemayevenbeconsideredasthehardestworking
employeeofthecompany,settingstandardsforhis colleaguestofollowandimplement.Sincethefieldofwork liesinsidehisradiusofinterests,heenjoysittoevery momentandbitwhenitcomestolearningandexecution.
Foundingastart-upinvolvesagreatdealofuncertaintyand risk.Astudyfoundthatafter10yearsofbeinginbusiness, 96percentofthestart-upsfail.Goingbythestatistics, Muskmusthavefacedthesameoddsagainsthim,whenhe haddecidedtoleaveanotherwisecomfortablelifetostarta riskyanduncertainbusinessventure.
Forinstance,MusklefthisPhDprogramatStanford UniversitytofindacompanycalledZip2withhisbrotherin theyear1995.Later,thecompanywassoldtoCompaq computers,profitingMuskabitover$20million. Followingthis,Muskonceagaintookagreatriskby investingmillionsofdollarstofoundacompanycalled X.com,oneoftheworld’sfirstonlinebanks.
Anastoundingandless-knownfactaboutElonMuskisthat heisself-taughtinprogrammingandinmanyadvanced levelsubjects.Hereadandunderstoodavarietyofbooks, whichhelpedhimgainendlessandpersistentknowledge andunderstanddiverseconcepts.
Thebestpieceofadviceonlearningandimplementationis toconstantlythinkabouthowthingscouldbedoneina bettermannerandquestionselftoseektheanswers.
Itisofprimeimportancetorecognizethepresentsymbolor otherwise‘statusquo’inthemarketasanorganizationand re-positionaccordingly.Musksolicitsconstantfeedbackof thecompaniesandexecutes‘self-analysis.’ Heinduces effortsanddivergentstrategiestoimprovecustomer feedbacksandstrivestowardsperfectionism.
Forexample,heseeksouthiscriticsandtriestoconverse withthem.Thishabitofself-reflectionatregularand considerableperiodsispivotalforanyentrepreneuror organizationtosucceedinthelongrun.
Verticalintegrationisastrategywhereanorganizationora firmacquiresbusinessoperationswithinthesameproduct vertical.BothTeslaandSpaceXembracethisconcept.For example,Teslanotonlyproduceselectriccars;theyalso generatepublicawarenessabouttheircarsviaTesla showroomsacrossvariouscountries.AndSpaceXdoesnot onlyhavetheprimarygoalofrocketpropulsions;they developtheirownrocketarchitectureaswell.
Muskundoubtedlypossessesaprofoundbeliefinhisown capabilitiesaswellasthepotential-seekingfactorofits foundingteam.Hedoesnothesitatetogambleonlarge scaleunlessheisgenuinelyawareoftheexpectedendresults.
Itisequallyessentialtomaintainclarityofdoubtinany largescaleorganization.Underhissupervision,Musk encouragesincreatingapositiveandcomprehensive environmentacrosshisfirms.
PreferringtoStandOutFromtheCrowd Muskelectstobringupinnovationateverylevelofhis understanding.Hetendstoimparttheoreticalknowledgeat thebaselevel,applyingchangesandexecutingthesameon thepracticallevel.Hereliesmoreontransitionalaspects suchasresearchanddevelopment,therebyincreasingthe probabilityofground-breakinginventions.
TeslaMotors,afarheadedfirmheadedbyElonMusk,is anti-ordinary.Itscompellingmarketplacehasbecomea one-stopdestinationforpotentialbuyerswheretheycan interactaboutproductspecifications.Theyalsohavevideo testimonialsthatfaroutperforminthesales-dominated industry.
ThereisnoambiguitythatMusk,byfar,hasbeenapillarof inspirationforbuddingentrepreneursandinvestorsbecause ofhisprolificandoptimisticapproachtowardslife
AllthesetraitspossessedbyMusk,insomemannerorthe other,coincidewithmostofyourhabits.Theonlythingthat standsasapotentialbarrierbetweenthesetwois identifyingyourstrengthsandworkingonthemona continualbasis.Goon,applythesetraitsintoyourdaily life,andyoumaybecomethenextbigCEOtheworldisin needoftoday!
Thanksmainlytotheriseofthe
internet,ourworldhaschanged massivelyinlasttwodecades. Andastechnologyhaschangedthe wayweliveourdailylives,theCEO ofDallas-basedStackPath,Lance Crosby,hasbeenatthehelmof industryshifts,creatingventuresthat leadtheirrespectivesectorsintothe future.
Lancefirstgainedacclaimasthe founder,CEOandChairmanof SoftLayer,whichwasamajorleaderin leadingtheeraofthecloudthatboth companiesandconsumersrelyonto rundigitalsystemstoday.After buildinguptheorganizationfrom scratch,IBMboughtSoftLayerin2013 for$2billion,andSoftLayerbecame thebackboneofIBM'scloud technology.Asapartofthe acquisition,LancejoinedIBMtohead theorganization'sclouddivision. WhileworkingatbothSoftLayerand IBM,Lancebecameparticularly attunedtoafewpainpointsthat resultedassideeffectsofthecloud industryandkeepingcloudsystems securewhilescalingatarapidpace. AfterSoftLayer'sacquisitionbyIBM, Lanceknewhehadhisworkcutout forhiminfixingthisproblemforthe industryhehadchampionedasitgrew toholy-grailstatusforinternet-using companiesandconsumers. HeleftIBMin2015withthisgoalin mind.
MaketheInternetaSaferPlace Lance'scurrentvisionisStackPath:an
inherently-secureandscalableplatform ofedgeservicesthatenables developersoforganizationsofanysize toprotect,accelerate,andinnovateany cloudproperties,fromwebsitesto mediadeliverytoIoTservices,without needingcloudsecurityanddelivery expertiseoftheirown.Withan innovativeglobaledgenetwork infrastructure,StackPathdelivers enterprise-gradesecurityand performanceinafrictionless,ondemandplatformwithcloud-scale controlandflexibility.Itisspecifically designedtoaccommodatethecrushing demandofincreasinginternettrafficin anever-expandingspectrumofcyber threatsforcompaniesusingthevery cloudtechnologyLancehelpedto bringintoexistence.
StackPathcameoutof“stealth”inJuly 2016havingalreadyacquiredfour companies:contentdeliverynetwork provider(CDN),MaxCDN; DistributedDenialofService(DDoS) protectioncompany,Staminus;website securityandtrafficmanagement softwarecompany,Fireblade;and virtualprivatenetwork(VPN) provider,Cloak.StackPathhassince acquiredHighwinds,asecondCDN provider;andinfrastructuremonitoring andmanagementcompany,Server Density.
Whilecompetitorsaredoingindividual piecesofwhatStackPathisdoing,the differenceisthatStackPathiscreating somethingthatdoesn'tcurrentlyexist: amulti-sidedplatformreadyfor
howevertheInternetgrowsand whateverStackPath,orStackPath customers,caninnovate.Lance believesthattheentirecloud revolutionisshiftingandthatitistime totransformthecloud,startingatthe edge.LanceandStackPathwon'tstop creating,innovatingandgrowinguntil theInternetissafe.Infact,thatis StackPath'smission:maketheInternet safe.
LanceholdsanHonoraryDoctorate,a MasterofBusinessAdministration,a MasterofScienceinFinance,anda Bachelor'sinFinanceandManagement fromTarletonStateUniversity–apart oftheTexasA&MUniversitysystem. HealsoholdsaJurisDoctorfrom TexasWesleyanSchoolofLawanda MasterofLawfromSMU.Heisa licensedattorneyinthestateofTexas, whereheisanactivememberofthe StateBarofTexas. Eventhoughhe receivedalawdegree,andeveryone recommendedhimtopracticelaw,he decidedtogoagainstthetideandfocus on“theinternetthing”instead. BeforeworkingwithSoftLayerand thenStackPath,Lancealsoservedasa ChiefOperatingOfficerof ThePlanet.com,wherehemanagedall operations.Hehasalsoservedin managementrolesatCatalog.comand DallasInternet.Withthesesuccessesin additiontohisrenownedworkwith SoftLayer,IBMandnowStackPath, Lancehassetaconsistentexamplefor Dallasentrepreneursoffindingthebig opportunitiesinanygivensectorand
creatingcompaniesthatleadthechargeintonewerasof business.
Lanceisregularlyrecognizedforhisleadership.In2018,he wasawardedtheErnst&YoungEntrepreneuroftheYearin TechnologyfortheSouthwestRegion.Hewonthissame awardin2011withSoftLayer.Lancehaswonanumberof additionalawardsincludingCEOoftheYearbyMetroplex TechnologyBusinessCouncilin2013.Arenownauthority oftheedge,Lancespeaksregularlyateventsaroundthe worldonthetopic.
Foryoungentrepreneurs,Lancesuggeststhat,whenan innovativeideacomesin,lookatwhatitwilltaketobring thatinnovationtofruitionintermsofbothtimeandmoney. InthecaseofthesixcompaniesStackPathhasacquired,it mademoresensetopurchasetheseinnovativecompanies withthepiecesofthepuzzlenecessarytocreatean inherentlysecureinternetservicesatthecloud'sedgethan todevelopthemfromscratchanditappearstohavebeen therightdecision.Inthefirst18monthsafterlaunch, StackPathgrewfrom30Kcustomersand$16millionin revenueto1millioncustomersandalmost$160millionin revenue.Anamazingaccomplishmentinarelativelyshort time.
Love what you do. Never stop innovating. Never stop asking “why” and challenging the status quo.
“
—Lance Crosby CEO StackPath
Ineke Kooistra is the CEO of YoungCapital, a leading Dutch recruitment agency, since 2013. She has been working in the recruitment and secondment branches for 25 years. Additionally, she has also set up and expanded various specializations within the IT staffing market. Her role as the CEO of the company is to get people moving, motivate them and coach them.
Together with three male founders, she directs a predominantly female management team and 1,300 employees, of which 80 percent is also female. This is pure coincidence, because Ineke doesn’t believe in selecting her employees based on gender.
Atthetop
“It’sallaboutfindingsomeone’sstrengths.Womendon’t outperformmenandviceversa.ButIwon’tdenythatit takesalotofdisciplinetostayatthetopasawoman,” Inekeexpresses.Justlikemen,womenhavealotof qualitiesthatmatchperfectlywithaleadershiprole.It’s importantthatleadershipcomesfromtheheart.Andyou needtohavetheintentiontohelpothersgrowandmake thembetterthroughyourrole.Icallit Servant Leadership
Ifyouwanttomakeyourcompanyasuccess,youneedto beofservicetothecompanyanditspeople.Thishas nothingtodowithgenderorbackground.
That’swhyaquotaforwomenatthetopiscompletely nonsense,accordingtome.Allwomenwhoreallywantto reachthetop,willfindawaytobreakthroughthatglass ceiling.Nobiasintheworldwillstopawomanona missiontoreachthattopposition.Butit’swrongtothink thatanyonewiththerightcapabilities–manorwoman–canworkanywheretheywant.Thereshouldbeamatch betweenyourpersonality,thecompany’svaluesandits culture.Andsometimesit’sjustacaseofpureluck.Being attherightplaceattherighttime.Ifthismatchdoesn’t comenaturally,it’sjustnotmeanttobe.
Butifthereisaperfectmatchbetweenyouasaleaderanda company,it’sthefirstpositivestep,inmyopinion.It’sstill alotofwork.Havingallthatresponsibilitytakesalotout ofyou.Youshouldn’tbeafraidtomakechoices,andthat alsomeanssayingnotocertainactivitiesinyourpersonal life.
Iamamotheroftwoandamnothomeeveryday.My husbandandIhavebeenabletomakeitwork.Inoticethat alotofwomenstillfinditdifficult.Butyoucan’truna companyparttime.Youneedtodaretogofullin.Those doubtsoftenappearduringtheinitialjobinterview.Women
say“Iwanttobeadirector,butIstillhavechildrenthatI needtobringtoschool.Isthatpossible?”Asifthereareno maleCEOsthatbringtheirkidstoschool.Thebig differenceisthatmendon’taskthesekindsofquestions. Theyjustdoit!
It’sallaboutbalance.Recently,Iattendedaforumon femaleleadership,whereItalkedaboutmyroleasaCEO. Intheaudience,werefemalestudentswhowerejustabout tograduate.Whenthemoderatoraskedwhichofthem wantedthesamejobasme,onlythreeofthefourhundred studentsraisedtheirhands.Themoderatorwasshocked, andaskedtheaudiencewhatwasgoingon.“Sheworkstoo much”,wastheanswer.“Andwealsowanttobeabletogo toparties,exerciseandhaveasociallife.”Thatshockedme alittle.It’snotthatIdon’tdoanythingelsebesideswork. Mydowntime,sociallifeandworkactivitiesarejustone bigmix.It’struethatI’mconstantlythinkingaboutwork. ButIalsoallowmyselftogoforaruninthemorningorsee myhairdresserduringtheweek.Tome,it’sjustonefull weekinwhichIcandoalot.
DidIhavethisgo-gettermentalityasachild,sinceI alreadyknewIwantedtoonedayreachthetop?Ithinkso. But,atthesametime,allthethingsIhopedforasachild didn’tcometrue.WhatIgotisalotbetter.Idefinitelydon’t regretthechoicesthatI’vemade.Istartedafamily,got married,andamtheCEOofayoungandambitious company.Ishouldthereforebethelastpersontodecide whetherornotoneshouldhavealeadershippositionbased ona‘homesituation’.Howyoucombinethetwoisupto you.Andyes,thattakesalotofdiscipline.Butifyouhave naturalleadershipqualities,Ibelieveeverythingisgoingto bealright.
Thekeytoachievingthis?Asafemale–ormale–leader, youneedtolearntoletgoandprioritise.Justdoyourbest andfocusonmakingthingsbetterforotherpeople.
Leadershipismoreofa responsibilitythana designation.Itinvolves inspiringothersandandbuildingtrust betweeenteammembers.Leadersalso havetotostrategizetheworkculture managementandassociatewith organizationasasymbolof perseverance.Dr.Marcus Schmalbach(MBA/PhD),a renownedprofessorofbusiness managementandFounderandCEO ofRYSKEXGmbHisonesuchleader whoisexemplifyingstrategic leadershipwithsomeimpressive businessmanagementtraits.
Marcushasalong-standingexperience inriskandcaptivemanagementin variousindustries.Priorto RYSKEX, hewasHeadofGermanofMBA programlocatedinBielefeld, Germany.Heisstillworkingasa visitingprofessoronInnovationand RiskManagementmatterswith universitiesinGermanyandUSA.
ServingTopPlayers RYSKEX’scustomersaretheriskand insurancemanagementdepartmentsof blue-chipcompaniesthatarebothvery
smartandatthesametimevery traditionalthinker.Thecompanyuses thepossibilitiesofmodern technologieslikeAIandBlockchainto supportitshighlyinnovativesolutions. However,thecompanyfocuseson valueaddition,customerneeds,and creatingasymbiosisoffuture-oriented technologywithtrustworthy cooperation.EspeciallyintheB2B sector,customerconfidence-evenin theageofdigitaltransformationisthe elementarycomponentforsuccess.
Marcusadvocatestheopinionthat leadersarebornandonecan’ttrain theseskills.It’salsohardforhimto nametherealcharacteristicsofa leader.Manypeoplebelievethata leaderhastobeapositiveguywitha highempathy,butMarcushassome differentopiniontoit.Heopines,A leader must have a higher goal in mind and radiate the faith and charisma that people follow him whether he is punctual, attaches importance to diversity in the company or possesses a lot of empathy is irrelevant to me.” Accordingtohim,integrity,charisma, goalorientationandthebackbonetobe
abletomakeunpopulardecisionsare someofthemostimportantattributes thateveryleadershouldpossess.
EveryDayisaNewChallenge Marcusconsidersthatinastart-upwith adisruptivebusinessmodel,everyday isachallengeandatest.Adaily struggleandadeparturefromdecisions wherecooperatingwithtraditional marketparticipants,yesorno,which venturecapitalcompanyistheright one?,Whichformoffinancingisthe rightoneinthemediumorlongterm?, Whatdowefocuson,whichmarkets, whichtechnicalsolutionsmustbe includedintheMVP,andwhichcanbe implementedlater?Thesearethe frequentquestionsonehastodealwith severaltimesadayandwhichcan decidewhethervictoryordefeat, especiallyatthebeginningofthe businesscycle.Hethinksfoundersare thepeoplewholookaroundforthat thrill.Iftheyareequallyequippedwith a"leadergene",theycancreateagame change.
Marcusinhisearlythirtieshadalready completedanacademiccareer,andwas
extremelyyoungforastudyprogramdirector.Building houses,gettingmarriedandhavingchildrenseemedtobe thenextlogicalstepstohim.Buthewasneverlikethatand wasconstantlylookingforanewchallenge. Convinced withthisthoughtthathislife’sworkwouldbesomething elseheputtogetheranextraordinarilytalentedteam,heleft universityandfoundedRYSKEX.Andwithallthe challengesorpreciselybecauseofthedailychallenges,this becamebestdecisionofhislife.
TheprogressofRYSKEXshowsthatitsmodelcan certainlydeterminethefutureoftheindustryandthegoalis tocreateexception.However,thisisstillalongwayoffand thefuturewillshowwhetherthecompanywillstillbeon themarketinnextyears’timeorwhethertraditional companiessuchasLloyd´sofLondonhaveovertakenit. TheteamatRYSKEXisconfidentenoughtosaythatthe companycooperateswithveryreputableandeconomically well-offcompaniesthatbelieveinit. Marcushasapositive lookattheglobeandsaythatinjusttwotothreeyear RYSKEXhasestablisheditselfinthemarket. AsaCEO onetakestheleadbytakingresponsibilityonthejourney andhastopresenthimselfasaleader.Successesfromthe pastarethebasistolookpositivelyintothefuture.
PerseveranceandSelfConfidenceistheKey Marcusadmirestwomenofworldhistoryandtheir testimoniestoshapehismindset.OneisMahatmaGandhi andthefollowingquotefromhim:“Firsttheyignoreyou, thentheylaughatyou,thentheyfightyou,thenyouwin.” TheotherquotecomesfromSteveJobs:“Itdoesn’tmake sensetohiresmartpeopleandthentellthemwhattodo,we hiresmartpeoplesotheycantelluswhattodo.”Realgame changingbusinessmodelsareoftendifficulttoidentifyor aretorpedoedbythe“oldeconomy”.AccordingtoMarcus, perseverancemustbeshownandatthesametimecapable employeesmustbeunitedinthecompanywhomonetrusts, andwithalotofluck,onewinintheend.
RYSKEX is pursuing the goal of revolutionizing the insurance market in a similar way to Uber or Airbnbtowards a platformbased sharing economy.
Leadershipisaboutusingthe powerofapositionto empoweragroupofpeoplein ordertoattainacommongoal.A leader’staskistoimplementtheplans thatusuallylookgoodonpaper, throughadelegatedteam,inaspecific timewithanongoingmotion.She/he mayusethetraditionalmethodormay thinkoutofthebox.Itdependsonthe leaderashowtodoit;theultimate motiveistogetthejobdone.
Although,eachandeveryindividual hasadifferentapproachonleadership, somemightsayitisaboutsetting examples,somemightsayitisabout sharingtheauthority;whatmattersis, takingtherightdecisionwhenitis mostneeded.
Leadershipvariesfromone organizationtoanother.An organizationisadynamicbodyand createsnewprobabilitieseverynow andthen.Andwithnewprobabilities, comenewchallenges.
Although,itisimpossibletoovercome everychallenge,thebusiness environmenthasadoptedcertain leadership styles fortheefficiencyof business:
TheParticipativeLeader ParticipativeLeadershipistheprocess ofsharingauthoritywiththework forceinordertogetoptimum efficiency.Theteam,aftergetting accesstocertainpowers,works responsiblytoaccomplishthegoalsset byitsleader.Thesharedleadership alsohelpsincaseofanyrequirement ofchange,astheemployeesadapt quicklyinsuchenvironment. Incidentally,thisstyleofleadershipfits bestinascenariowhenthereisa limitationoftime.
Atransformationalleaderinspiresthe teamthrougheffectivecommunication andanintellectualenvironment. However,theseindividualsrequire
moredetailorientedmanagersto successfullyimplementtheirstrategies.
TransformationalLeadershipis consideredamongthemosteffective employeesoftheorganization.Oneof theexamplesofthistypeofleadership iswhenaleaderisassignedonahigher levelforeffectiveenvironment.
Thetransactionalleadership,asthe namesuggests,enablestheleaderto incentivizetheteamcorrespondingto theirperformance.Theteamgets rewardedwhenitattainsthegoalsand theLeaderhasthepowertoreviewthe resultsandactaccordinglywhenthe teamfailstodothesame.Thegoals andthestrategytoattainthemare decidedbytheleaderandtheteam itself.
Situationalleadershipisatheorythat thebestleaderwilladapttothe requiredleadershipstyleaccordingto needofthehour.ASituationalleader mayadoptdemocraticstylewhile discussionbusinesswithsenior executive,butmayswitchto transactionalatthetimeofteam review.Howevereveryindividualhas anaturalstyleofleadershipanditmay bedifficulttoswitchrolesatacertain pointoftime.
Thereisanoldproverbthatsays, “Give a Man a Fish, and You Feed Him for a Day. Teach a Man to Fish, and You Feed Him for a Lifetime.” So isthecasewithleadership.Oneofthe basicqualitiesofaLeaderistopasson theleadershipskills.
Followingaresomeofthequalitiesof agoodleader:
Ÿ CommunicationSkills
Communicationisthebasic requirementforefficiencyina business.Asthelevelofhierarchy elevates,therequirementof
communicationgrows.Especially, whenitcomestoleadership,thereisno scopeforlackofcommunication.A Leaderwhofailstodevelopthisskillis lookedupasincompetent,becauseitis hisjobtosendthemessageloudand clear.Although,itisalsoimportantto listenasitisanintegralpartof communication.
Ÿ
C.S.Lewissaid, “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.” Beitgivingcredittooneof theteammembersorbeitadmittinga mistake,aleaderwearsintegrityasa badgeofhonor.Theydowhatisright, nomatterwhat.
Ÿ
Asmentionedearlier,Leadershipis aboutusingthepowerofone’sposition toempoweragroupofpeopleinorder toattainacommongoal.Agoodleader shareshisauthoritywiththeteamin ordertogetthejobdone.Bydoing this,heshowsconfidenceintheteam andobligedbythegesture,theteam workswithfullenthusiasmto accomplishthegoal.
Ÿ
Thereisriskindecisiontomaking. Greatleaderstakegreatdecisions whenthestakeishighanditisthe successofthosedecisionsthatmake themgreat.Toaddup,agoodleader takesrightdecisionattherighttime. Inconclusion,agoodleadercanbe definedbythedynamicsofhisstylein leadership,thevaluesthathebringsto theorganization,themethodsheuses tomakethebestoftheresources,and thekindofdecisionhemakesinthe givensituations.Attheenditisabout theattitudeofanindividualtobring thechangeforgood.
Inmarketing,potentialbuyersarenotonlyconvinced withhypermarketing,butalsoobservethehardwork thatanorganisationputsintocustomerservice. Understandingthetruepowerofcustomerserviceand vigorouscompetitionintelemarketingOwenRichards, ManagingDirectoratAirMarketingGroupisdisplaying theoutstandingleadershipthroughinnovativeandproven businessdevelopmentstrategies.
Belowarehighlightsfromtheinterviewconductedbetween Owen and Insights Success:
Giveabriefoverviewofyourbackgroundandyourrole inAirMarketingGroup.
Ibeganmysalescareerin2007whenIjoinedForrest MarketingGroupinAustralia.Istayedwiththat organisationfor8yearsbuildingmywayfromaTelesales ExecutivetotheHeadofSales&Operations.In2016,I startedAirMarketingGroupintheUK,havingmoved hometostartafamily.Inourfirst3yearsAirhasgrownto ateamofmorethan60peopleandhasmadeitsmarkas oneoftheleadingoutsourcedsalesandmarketing organisationsintheUK.Asaresultofthesuccess,wenow havetwomoreorganisationslaunchingalongsideAir.As ManagingDirector,Ispendmuchofmytimeworking strategicallyonourbusinessaswellasleadingthesenior managementteamwhoinspireourwiderteameveryday.
Howdoyoudiversifyyoursolutionsthatappealtoyour targetaudience?
Transparencyplaysahugepart;everyphonecallmadeon behalfofourclientsisrecordedandisaccessible,weoffer reportinginlivetimeonallouractivityandwewelcome ourclientsintoourofficetomeetandworkwiththeirteam directly.Weusedatainanintelligentwaytolearnfromour activityandmaximisetheefficiencyofeachofourclients’ programmes.Weautomateprocessestoincrease productivityandweintegratedirectsaleswithadigital marketingapproach. However,thequalityofpeoplewithin ourteamisalwaysourbiggestattribute,andtheculturethat isdrivenfromwithin.ThepeopleinTeamAirare ultimatelywhatsetsusapartandthisiswhatIammost proudof.Andthesearejustsomeofthereasonsourclients tellusthatourservicesdeliversuchagreatROI(£18 revenueforevery£1investedlastyear.)
Describesomeofthevitalattributesthateveryleader shouldpossess.
Forme,leadersneedtobecomfortablewithbeing uncomfortable,comfortablewithchangeandcomfortable withbeingvulnerable.AlltoooftenImeetbusinessleaders whoareafraidofbeingwrong,whoareafraidofshowing theiremotions,orwhoseemotionsdriveeverythingtheydo (especiallywhenunderpressure).ThebestleadersI’vemet andhavehadthepleasureofworkingwitharethosewhoI knewasarealperson.TheyarethosewhosefaultsIwas awareofandtookthetimetopraiseandconstructively criticiseinanopenandhonestway.Theyhavealwaysbeen thepeopletodrive,encourageandwelcomechange.And thebestleadersarethosewhoarepreparedtomake mistakesopenlyandacceptthelearningsthatcome.
Whatwerethepastexperiences,achievementsorlessons thatshapedyourjourney?
Likeeveryonetherearefartoomanytomention.However, somedoalwaysstandout.In2016,whenAirwasonly6 monthsoldasanorganisation,wewonacontractwitha largefinancialorganisationwhichmeantthatwehadtohire 20peoplewithinthespaceofaroundamonth.Now,atthat timeweonlyhadaround15employees,sothismeantmore thandoublingourteamalmostovernight.Thatmonth seemedtobe,atthetime,oneoftheworstmonthsofmy career.However,lookingbackonitnowitwasoneofthe bestanditwascertainlythemonthinwhichIlearntthe most.InAustralia,mybusinesspartnerandIgrewthe businessfromaround10people,whenIstartedin2007,to over100peopleoverthespaceof8years.Thebiggest lessonsthatstickwithmetodayandthatIcontinueto repeattoothersare:
Sayyesandfindaway-donotbescaredofnew opportunities,evenifyoudon’tknowhowyou’regoingto makethemworkjustyet.
Cultureiskey-withinanybusinessdrivenbypeople,your culturewillmakeorbreakyou.
Hirepeoplewhoarebetterthanyou-youcan’tbethe bestateverythingsorecogniseyourfaultsandhirepeople whohavestrengthsinthoseareas.
Letpeopledotheirjob-micromanagementisthesingle worstthingwithinbusinessleaders.
Drivechange,encouragechangeandwelcomechangethingswillchange,whetheryoulikeitornot,sowhynot embraceit?
WheredoesAirMarketingGroupseeitselfinthenear futureandhowwillyoucatalysethechange?
Weintendoncontinued,aggressivegrowth.Myroleinthat issimple;Imustempowerotherstodrivethatchange,help themtofeelasenseofownershipandprideinthe organisationandensurethattheyarerewardedaccordingly, becauseonepersoncannotdoitall.
Whatisyouradvicefortheemergingleaders?
Thereissomuchbutitgoeswithoutsayingthatyoumust
workhard.Manyhaveforgottenthat!Butforme,oneofthe mostimpressivetraitsinanemergingleader,evenmoreso inthemarketweworkintoday,isloyalty.Ifyouworkonly fortherewardthatmightcometoday,youmaysufferfrom short-sightedness.However,ifyoucanremainfocusedon tomorrow’srewards,myexperienceisthatitwillalways payoff.
Thepastseveralyearshavebroughtaboutsweeping changesinbusinesstechnologiesfrommainstream adoptionofAIandvoiceactivateddevicestoAR andVRsolutions.Personalassistantspowermultiple devicesandtheinternetofthingspushcompaniestokeep uporgetleftbehind.Asemergingtechnologiespush forward,consumersaregettingusetoalevelofservice, unimaginablejustafewyearsago.MillennialsandGen Z’ershavegrownaccustomedtobeingabletocustomize everything,getitthenextday,andreturnitwithno ramifications.
Allofthesetechnologicaladvancesarechangingtheway businessisconductedatabaselevelandautomationis findingitswayintoeverythingfrommarketingto warehousing.TocapitalloffSEOisbecomingincreasing qualitative.Sincequantitativefactorscanbegamedtobeat thesystem,giantslikeGoogleandAmazonhavedecided thatjustbecauseyourcompanyhasanexcellentkeyword andschemastrategy,doesn’tmeanyourbusinessisthebest atwhatitdoes.Botharerelyingmoreonqualitativefactors likecustomerconversions,customerreviews,andeventhe amountoffoottrafficyouhaveatyourphysicallocations. AmazonandGooglegetsettosquareoffastheEcomm armsracecontinuestoescalateandZeroClickECommerce becomesgroundzerofortheseplatformstogainyour business.ZeroClickEcommallowsyoutobookaservice orbuyaproductfromyourhomespeakerorphonewithout leavingtheGoogleorAmazonplatformorgoingthrougha traditionalcheckoutprocess.
Inordertosucceed,businessesneedtobeflexible,adaptto achanginglandscapeandmeetconsumerexpectations. Whatoftenisnotaddressed,however,iswhetherabusiness shouldadoptthesetechnologiesandhowtodecidewhich onesmakesense.Withdevelopmentcostsforcustombuilt consumer-basedappsstartingat100kandleadtimesover3 months,todaysCITOsandCEOsneedtodriveinnovation, protectit,andcapitalizeonitjusttostayaheadofthe competition.Threetechnologiesorrevolutionsthatevery
businessneedstoconsiderrightnowareArtificial Intelligence(AI),AugmentedReality(AR),andZeroClick Ecomm.
Ÿ ArtificialIntelligence(AI):Nomatterwhatgeneration youarefrom,ArtificialIntelligence(AI)hasimpacted youinsomeway.TheoldchessplayingrobotDeep Blueproject,withoriginsdatingbacktothe80’s,has evolvedintotheadvancedsystemslikeIBMWatsonand AmazonLex.Oncehighlyguardedproprietarysystems, AIplatformshavebecomeopenandfriendlyto developerswithsystemscapableoflearninganddriving results.TodayArtificialIntelligencedrivesconsumer interactionsthroughwebsiteandtextingplatforms. Manyautomatedmarketingplatformsareincorporating AItomakesurethatyouradvertisementsreachthe peoplemostlikelytopurchaseyourproduct.
AIisanemergingtechthatallbusinessesneedtoputon theirshortlist.PWCpredictedthatAIwillhelpmarketing solutionsbasedonBigDataandwealreadyseebusiness systemslikeBuxtonincorporatingAIintotheirmapping models.AIisadvancingscience,marketing,andbusiness management,AIhasthepowertopredictresults,improve ROI,andsavemoney.
Ÿ
AugmentedReality(AR):AugmentedRealityis becomingagamechangerformanyindustries,however, whatexactlyisitandhowdoesitbenefitmodern business? ManypeopleItalkwithstillconfuse AugmentedRealitywithVirtualReality(VR).Virtual Realityisa3Denvironment,acompletevirtualworld thatisimmersivewheretheconsumerisfullyrendered insideadigitalspaceandrequiressomewhat cumbersomeelectronicslikeheadsetsandhapticsto completetheexperience,(álaReadyPlayerOne).
AugmentedReality(AR)ismuchmorepracticaland prevalent.ARallowstheconsumertochangethingsabout theirrealenvironmentwiththeassistanceoftechnology,
usuallyaphoneapporintegratedwebtech.Thebeautyspace hasflockedtoARtoallowconsumerstovirtuallytryonmake uporchangetheirhaircolorsuchastheYouCamMakeup–MagicSelfieCamshowcasedatthe2019CESshow.These arepracticalsolutionstoconsumerpainpoints,allowingthem totrybeforetheybuy.ARcanhelpaconsumerchoose furniture,caraccessories,andmore,astheylookinreallife onthemselvesorintheirownhouseasopposedtohowthey thinktheywilllookbeonlineimages.Wayfairhasbeen leadingthechargeinthisspaceandrevealedatShoptalkthat theyaredigitizingmuchoftheironlineinventoryand convertingthemintointeractiveimages.
Ÿ ZeroClickEcomm:ZeroClickEcommisn’ttech,butit isarevolution.PowerhousesGoogleandAmazonare goingheadtoheadforyourbusinessanditisatwo-pony race.AccordingtoanAdeptmindSurvery,46%ofproduct searchesoriginatedonAmazoncomparedto34% originatingonGoogle.Amazonhasbeendominatingthe globalEcommmarket,provingalongtailstrategycanbe immenselysuccessful.Astheygrow,Amazonisbringing thatlevelofinnovationintothebrickandmortarworld withautomatedcheckoutandaccountbasedtransactions. Googlehoweverhasnotgivenup.Theymaybebehindin productsearchoriginations,butaccordingtoStatista.com 63%ofallsearchesstillstartwithGoogle.Google’sgoal overthenextcoupleofyearswillbetohaveyounever leavetheGooglePlatform. Google’stechnology investmentsinGoogleBusiness,GoogleMerchant, GoogleManufacturer,GoogleReserve,andGoogle Analytics,allowsbusinesstolisttheirlocation,selltheir products,booktheirservices,advertisetheirwares,and tracktheirROI,allwithouteverleavingtheGoogleSuite.
Asbusinesstechevolvesandprogresses,businessneedto keeppacetoavoidbecomingobsolete.Thegoodnewsisthat asthetechadvancessodothesolutions,andmanysoftware companiesarebuildingoutoftheboxsolutionsforvarious industriestobringyouuptodate.ThereareAIsolutionsfor customerservice,marketing,andmanagement. ThereareAR appbuilderswhocanhelpyouutilizethetechnologyforyour consumersolutions,evenifyourcompanyhasn’tbeen keepinguptodate.ItwillbeeveryCEOsresponsibilityto providethevisionofhowthetechfitsintotheirorganization andCITOsandCMOswillbeintegratingthetechnologyand pushingitevenfurther.Ifweembracethechange,wewillbe abletodomoreandachievehigherROIswithdeeply satisfyingconsumerexperiences.ArtificialIntelligencewill makesenseofBigData,AugmentedRealitywillprovidethe ultimatecustomerexperience,andZeroClickEcommwill makethetransactionprocesseasierandsimpler,bringing moreROItocompanieswiththevisiontoutilizethe technologyandavoiddigitalirrelevance.
Greg Forsythe
is the Senior Director of Branding and Innovation for Deka Lash and serves as a marketing consultant and advisor for the beauty and wellness industries. Greg has directed commercial projects for Fortune 100 clients such as Wal-Mart, CVS, Verizon, Kroger, Walgreens, Johnson and Johnson, and UPS. Greg studied Operations Management at Penn State before obtaining his Marketing Certification from The Wharton School.
