It is not often that you are in the company of a world recognized leader and icon and this is one who I have always wanted to see (meeting would be a challenge but perhaps some time in the future?). Today I got to listen to Sir Richard Branson at a Vancouver Board of Trade event…ok, so there were 1,400 people as well but I still got to be in the presence of greatness. I did meet some interesting people and reunited with others who I have not seen in a while. Thanks for the ticket Austin!
I found Sir Richard to be genuine, authentic and humorous. He has an entrepreneurial spirit but is not your traditional boardroom type of person. There were a few points that stood out for me from his talk.
• Reputation and your name is all you really have in life and you must fight to keep them
• Don’t take yourself seriously…allow yourself to have fun
• Always exceed people’s expectations – over deliver on your promises
• Create something and make a difference in people’s lives. This is the only true thing to strive for.
• You find a gap and you fill it. Be innovative and creative and always moving.
• He believes that the village life in many countries has respect for the elders so he has created a force of global elders. These are high profile statesmen/women leaders who can be dispatched to solve world conflicts by getting people to talk.
All of these are important thoughts to live by and makes sense. Sir Richard brings innovation and ideas to the forefront and seems to always have a smile. He would be one of the people around the world that I respect as a leader. I think what I now need to do is sit and make a list of some amazing souls who I would like to either meet or get to know better. This one was an important one to be in the presence of.