JEDDAH — Trusting your gut, following your values and giving your people a sense of real purpose are among the top qualities possessed by successful entrepreneurs, according to a group of global business leaders who are all members of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), the world’s premier network of over 23,000 chief executives and business leaders in 130 countries worldwide.
Sixteen members of the YPO have shared their tips on achieving business success in 2016, following the recent announcement that the respected organization has selected Dubai as the latest host city for its landmark annual event, the YPO EDGE.
Taking place on March 10-11 this year under the theme of ‘Vision to Reality’, the event will deliver powerful idea exchange, inspiration and discovery across a number of industries including business and finance, technology, entertainment, human rights, politics and policy, education, energy, health and wellness, and more.
Scott Mordell, CEO of YPO, said “the Middle East – and Dubai in particular – is a thriving environment for entrepreneurship, and is a hotbed for ideas to spark and thrive. The EDGE event will provide the perfect platform for knowledge exchange, with unparalleled insight offered from the most influential business leaders from across the globe, bringing the theme of ‘Vision to Reality’ to life.”
The 16 tips shared by YPO’s global and regional members are:
1. “Listen to everyone and don’t judge. Always be positive. It works” – Jenene Ronick, CEO of Luxury Attache, a global luxury lifestyle company
2. “Trust your gut – if you feel like something is not right, you should probably address it.” – Jessica Mah, CEO and co-founder of inDinero, an accounting software company
3.“A true entrepreneur is that rare person who is able to combine an audacity of a dream, a clarity of a vision and a relentless drive with the limitations of reality.” – Amar Sharany, YPO since 2002, Founder Chairman in/PACT
4. “Leadership is service, and I am always inspired by those who I aim to serve.” – Santiago Sanchez, Mexico, 2015-2016 YPO International Chairman, President of COA Internacional, a company specializing in dental trade
5. An entrepreneur listens to that inner voice pushing them toward a higher calling, and plows forward with the tenacity to use any and all resources to turn their vision into reality” – Emily Anderson-Greene, YPO since 2011, President of VIVA Creative, a marketing company
6. “Don’t let the momentum of a certain situation carry you into a bad decision.” – Rick Kimball, YPO since 2010, CEO of HEXL Healthcare, a company providing healthcare technology
7. “The most important thing a leader can do is to give people a sense of purpose beyond themselves.” – Adam Goodman, CEO of Goodman’s Interior Structures, an interior design and construction based company
8. “People first, then profit.” - Lavina Valiram, Creative Director of FLOW, a fashion retail company
9. “An entrepreneur is someone who takes the leadership and the risk of building an enterprise that adds value to society while generating sustainable profits.” – Fred Mouawad, CEO of Synergia One Group of Companies, a management consultancy & co-guardian of the 125-year-old Mouawad family jewelry and watch business
10. “Celebrate achievements before moving on to new challenges.” – Samer Halawi, , CEO of Thuraya Telecommunications, a mobile satellite communications company
11. “The entrepreneurial spirit is encapsulated by an insatiable curiosity and the eagerness to try new things without worrying about being judged.” – Russ Pullan, YPO since 2006, Chairman of the board at EvoEnergy Solar
12. “Write down your values. Know your values. Never compromise on your values.” – Kelly Mooney, YPO since 1998, CEO of Resource, a digital marketing agency
13. “An entrepreneur is a person who dares to go out and do.” – Anastasios Economou, Athens, Greece, YPO since 2005, Founder of iGroup, an investment holder company
14. “If you’re not passionate about it, don’t waste your time on it.” – Adarsh Radia, Founder of Telenomics, an O2 mobile network franchise
15. “It is not what you know. It is about the questions you ask that makes for an inspiring and effective leader.” – Umang Bedi, YPO since 2013, MD Adobe, South Asia, a software company
16. “An entrepreneur knows how to pick up after any fall and start again but, every time, stronger and more confident than the time before.” – Neveen El Tahri, Cairo, Egypt, YPO since 2001, MD of Delta Shield for Investment, a financial services company, — SG
