1Oct2015
The first ever Q&A between Arianna Huffington and John Maxwell at Nordic Business Forum 2015 was a thrilling concept, not least because based on their speeches this morning, they seem to approach the topic of influence and success from varying perspectives. They have led very different lives, Huffington an international media mogul with roots in Europe and a strong opinion leader on redefining success as well as empowering women. Maxwell, originally from Michigan, with a long and esteemed career in church and as a highly respected and awarded leadership author, coach, and speaker. Surprisingly enough, they seem to agree on a lot when it comes to creating true success.
- The common mistake is to assume success can be created just by working hard. It is true that success requires commitment but even more importantly, taking the time to think through if you are working hard on the right things.
- Taking care of your own well-being is necessary for taking care of the well-being of people around you and ultimately, taking care of your company’s success. The worst mistakes happen in a state of exhaustion.
- A good leader needs fearlessness. This means the capacity to see ahead and take risks to adjust to the quickly changing world around you.
- Successful leadership needs to be based on leading people. You cannot be successful without other people but you will inevitably be unsuccessful without them. Excelling at your work is not enough, you need to make others excel as well.
- Success is more than money, status or power. Lasting success is to achieve a life you enjoy living and which brings more to you and others than it takes. The problem of our culture is that we want to be bigger on the outside than inside. However, life is shaped from the inside out. Before you can look far, you need to see close. If you are standing in front of a shiny, reflecting surface, the person who can change the world for you and the people around you, will look back.
Author: Susanna Eskola (Susanna on Twitter: @susanna_eskola)
