Sarah Ward, chief executive of The Giftware Association

Thoughts of a chief executive

Sarah Ward

I’m thrilled to give you a little insight into a ‘ big project we are undertaking in 2023: the introduction of an interactive, highly personalised and relevant education portal for our members on our website ‘

The Giftware Association chief executive Sarah Ward gives her insights into how to cultivate positivity and trust

Ihave written before about the value of optimism, and the power of creative thinking and agility in the face of adversity.

At The Giftware Association’s Gift of the Year Awards in May, we celebrated the dedicated optimism shown by our beloved industry as new brands, innovative products and sustainable developments were introduced to us.

So far this year, I have visited more than 70 trade events throughout the UK and overseas. And, as we manoeuvre our way through the final quarter of the year, I wanted to provide my thoughts about positivity.

One of the key roles of a chief executive has to be cultivating optimism in themselves, their teams and, in the case of an association like ours, their members as well.

There is a universal benefit to being positive. I saw a great quote the other day that said: “Pessimists may be right in the end, but optimists have a much better time getting there.” I’m not writing today to provide a justification for pessimism, of course. Today is about insights into how to cultivate positivity and trust.

Focus on what you can control

During chaotic and busy times, one way to be more positive is to focus on what you can control. There is so much that sits beyond this point: the moves your competitors make, the thoughts and beliefs of your colleagues, the changes in the marketplace…

There is much that we can control though, and this is where true leadership is recognised. Your effort, your attitude, and your energy is all within your control and can lead to strong results - creating a selfpropagating loop of positive thinking and outcomes.

Focus on your purpose

For me, no matter how busy I am at work, focusing on my purpose is enough to drive me on with positivity.

I’m absolutely focused on the mission of The Giftware Association to provide the most effective, relevant, and meaningful support for our members to be able to grow. If I know I’m working towards this mission, then I can lead my team and guide our members in the most effective and inspirational way.

Focus on what you can solve

There is a brilliant podcast by American entrepreneur Tim Ferriss that I’ve started listening to and if you are yet to discover him, then please make a point of doing so: incredible content and so much about the role of leaders.

Tim advocates that completing a key, solvable task first thing in the morning provides a boost of positivity that can lift your attitude throughout the day, and help bolster a more positive mindset.

Be positive, but not delusional

Leaders, as one CEO has noted, need to be positive, but also need to be wary of coming across as delusional. Positive leaders accept and communicate that a situation isn’t great, but put a positive spin on it. So be sure to ground positive thinking in the reality of the situation.

I want to shift focus slightly and reflect on a quote by Frederick W. Smith, founder and CEO of FedEx, who said: “Leaders get out in front and stay there by raising the standards by which they judge themselves - and by which they are willing to be judged.”

Lead from the front

I mentioned our mission earlier and this underpins everything. We have to stay at the front of our industry so that we can support, educate and enable success for our members.

We are constantly judged, particularly when times are hard, so our positioning and value must be up to that scrutiny. We are constantly asking ourselves: ‘What else do our members look to us for?’.

Education, education, education

So in the spirit of looking forward, planning ahead, and leading from the front, I’m thrilled to give you a little insight into a big project we are undertaking in 2023: the introduction of an interactive, highly personalised and relevant education portal for our members on our website. We will be the only place you need to go for learning and professional development. Excited? I know we are! Watch this space to find out more…

That just leaves me to say thank you for all the amazing conversations I’ve had with you all, at events, during mentoring sessions, and on the phone over the past few months.

I can safely say that despite the turbulent political landscape, businesses in our industry are remaining resiliently positive and working collaboratively for a strong future. I’m very proud to be the chief executive of your industry body.

Call: 0121 236 2657 Email: sarah.ward@ga-uk.org Visit: www.ga-uk.org