Radek Sali is 39 years old, the CEO of a billion dollar business, Swisse. I had the opportunity to attend this session where Radek was speaking but wasn’t able to attend so took the time to listen back to what was said. I was speaking to a friend the other day and it just came out of my mouth, “Its my new favorite thing to listen to CEO’s of million dollar business’ talk.”, and I kind of laughed at myself cause it’s true. A year or two ago I may not have thought about it but it has become a force of inspiration and fascination in my life and is leading me down a new path that is only opening up wider step by step.I am encouraged that this man, Radek Sali, is only 39 years old and has seen incredible success in the 10 years he has been CEO of Swisse. I am 30 next year and I find the older I get the more incredible it gets. I used to think aging was a terrible thing but each year I am thankful for another year under my belt that is training me for what is to come. Its exciting and grounding and gives a sense of calm the older I get. I know time is a very valuable asset of experience to leadership, to vision, to character and to making change in culture and the world.
I have this fire in my belly that is just getting stronger and stronger and this knowing that I will change the world. I am being prepared and equipped for now and for the greater things that are yet to come.
I would not consider myself a natural born leader in the sense of being highly energetic and out going and loud and the centre of attention in a room because I am not that person. I am an observer, a listener, I like to keep the peace, I choose my words carefully and I am very aware of what is happening around me and the people that are around me. That is part of me. Does that stop me from being an influential leader? Only if I think it does.
“Risk is the doorway to opportunity and favor.”
RADEK SALI
The reason I am listening to leaders and CEO’s is my desire to learn what is it that makes business’ successful and how do the leaders get it to that place.
Listening to Radek, he speaks about The Four P’s :
- PEOPLE
- PRINCIPLES
- PASSION
- PROFIT (last)
Now, obvioulsy it is important for a business to be financially successful, but if the culture of your business is not centred on the people then I would wonder how successful you are.
I have SO SO SO much to learn in this area. But I am hungry to learn.
I have taken the following excerpt from thier website which explains The Four P’s
Our People are not one of the reasons we succeed. They are the reason we succeed. That’s why our people are our first priority. Our staff are given an extra ‘Health and Happiness’ day of leave each month to spend time with their families or friends, a fortnightly massage and free personal training and yoga classes. A healthy, fresh lunch is provided daily for all staff at our foundation Australian offices in Melbourne and Sydney. We also include our customers and our partners when we talk about ‘our’ people. Making sure we over-deliver on our promises and build long-standing relationships is an important goal at Swisse.
Our Principles are all based around what will make the world and our workplace a healthier and happier place. We have a couple of catchy sayings that help guide our choices: ‘Morals before money’ and ‘Customer care before profit share’. We’ve had this attitude since we started out and, with consistent growth ever since, we believe it’s a winning one.
Our Passion is what powers our ongoing growth in a difficult market. We want our people to love their work, because we believe there is no engine to drive a business like a group of passionate people pointed in the same direction.
Our Profit results would not be what they are if we didn’t have the three other Ps right. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved so far, but we have only just begun.
At the core of our philosophy is a belief that the conventional approach to health can be improved upon. We believe that people should focus on maintaining and sustaining their wellness, rather than only seeking help when their health is suffering. We also believe that wellness is linked to how we spend our time, what we put into our bodies, and how we approach life. Positive thinking, positive relationships, healthy food and healthy activities are all part of living a healthy, happy life.
If we can embrace our insecurities, the unknown, the fear of change then we can learn from these areas, we can look at the things we do well and the things we need to work on. These million dollar CEO’s all say, “Don’t be afraid of failure and mistakes, examine what happened, don’t be afraid to go back and look at it and admit when you were wrong. Sometimes its just a matter of timing. Learn from the experience and look at how you can do it better next time.
Know who the people around you are and build a team that carries the same passion for the culture you are creating. Dream Big! Find people who will support and champion your vision! Don’t feel like have something to prove! Make choices to be a great leader. Bring your best game! Have mentors of all ages, both young and old.
It takes persistance and committment.
Take the plunge!
If you are interested in hearing Radek talk on leadership let me know.
Enjoy!
Alyce Kate.
WHOLENESS.WONDER.WELLBEING 