A message to our CXOs: Believe in what you do
According to marketing guru Seth Godin, "The secret of leadership is simple: do what you believe in. Paint a picture of the future. Go there. People will follow."
Oh, if only it were that simple!
Sure, part of leadership is the ability to stick with the dream for a long time—long enough that those around you realise you're going to get there one way or another. But running a successful business—a services business—requires you to grapple with the imperatives that all businesses are governed by: the HR function, money management, the legal aspects, client services, sales and delivery, marketing… the list goes on.
What you as a CXO of a company know already is that you're running a business that has to meet or exceed the expectations of customers and staff. No matter the size of the business you run, you’re sure to be in a constant state of flux, morphing, growing or pruning—and adapting to the multitude of things happening outside your control.
If you're lucky, you may occasionally take stock and do some strategy. Most CXOs I’ve talked to over the years spend way too much time working in rather than on the business. But more than that, many wear a multitude of hats (at the same time) and thus flit from one thing to another with little time to look at the horizon and plan accordingly.
The DrupalCon Business Summit, hosted by the Drupal Association, is therefore a chance for you—managers and aspiring leaders—to put yourself first for a change. In a nutshell, the Dublin-based event on 26 September provides you with a:
- Chance to take stock and work on your business
- Forum to pay back and pay forward your experience
- Safe harbour to share and tackle your fears, uncertainties, and doubts
- Place to meet and network with your peers from around the world
I remember wearing an HR hat for the first time and hiring a fresh-faced graduate who, to this day, I thank for taking the leap of faith in joining me. The very next day the realisation hit me: I had doubled my staff (better don an accountancy hat quick) who needed a computer and stuff (better find an ops hat too).
Gaining this experience and many others whilst growing a service business is invaluable. It’s why I’ve participated in business summits across Europe and in the US. And it’s why I jumped at the chance to work with Emma Jane Hogbin Westby (emmajane) to help host and facilitate this year's summit.
Who is the business summit for?
Business leaders of agencies at work today, and those of you who are thinking of jumping the chasm and setting up your own firm.
How can I get the most out of the day?
- Trust your peers. Sure, you may compete with others who are attending this summit, but on that day you're pooling your know-how to survive the day-to-day and steel yourself for tomorrow.
- Share your knowledge with your groups. You'll get far more from the day if you are willing to participate openly.
- Challenge ideas and statements (in the right way), so that healthy debate can ensue.
- Respect. The day is a safe harbour, where participants are free to share and use information without having to reveal or promote business affiliations.
- Commit. It'll be a fun and informative day. But without commitments to "do something" or make change, you may think back on the summit as a nice day out, rather than as a day that provided you with insight and actions.
If I have learned one thing in my journey of building, re-building, acquiring, and being acquired, it's that becoming a person who challenges the status quo—who dares to be great, truly present, and isn't just punching a clock—requires you to have confidence in your beliefs. Achieving this means making time for self improvements, learning, and training.
I look forward to welcoming you to this year's Business Summit in Dublin and networking over the Liffey water as the day draws to a close.
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Myles Davidson
Business Summit Co-Lead
DrupalCon Dublin
About Myles:
In 2015, as co-founder and managing director of iKOS Digital, Myles led the merger with the Inviqa group of companies to form the leading open source digital group in the UK. Today, as Director of the Content Management practice at Inviqa, Myles is responsible for strategic alliances and client engagement for the UK and Europe.