Being a leader is not easy as it takes a lot of time and effort. In today’s conversation with Mr. Phuc Nguyen - Founder of Emakase - we will explore his biggest challenge as a leader, how he’s overcome it, and what qualities he thinks are important for potential leaders. Let’s have a quick chat and find out!
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Being a leader is not easy as it takes a lot of time and effort. In today’s conversation with Mr. Phuc Nguyen - Founder of Emakase - we will explore his biggest challenge as a leader, how he’s overcome it, and what qualities he thinks are important for potential leaders. Let’s have a quick chat and find out!
To me, the biggest challenge is to lead with mindfulness. As a leader, one may face hundreds of problems, but at the end of the day, mindfulness is the key for leaders to take obstacles in their stride. Basically, mindfulness is the ability to be in the present moment, to actively observe, reflect, and choose the right course of action in the face of a difficult situation. What would you do when you’re faced with failure? How’d you react when your employees don’t deliver work of the quality you expected? You can be angry and disappointed. Leaders without mindfulness will take action immediately. They may blame themselves or they could vent their frustration on their employees. Those impulsive actions though may help them release their negative emotions for the time being, won’t help them solve any problems and may hurt their relationships with others. In the meantime, mindful leaders will, in the same circumstances, try to understand the situation, evaluate how they’re thinking and feeling, and decide on the best course of action that can help them solve problems without hurting their relationships and mental well-being.
As a leader, you might often find yourself caught up in several situations, which sometimes makes you forget to practice mindfulness. After a long day of hard work, it’s easy to get negative when any bad news comes to you. The advice is not to completely brush aside those negative feelings you’re having but rather try to understand why you’re feeling that way. It’s important to always ask yourself questions. ‘What is happening around me and how does it make me feel?’, ‘Why do I feel it and what values does that feeling reflect about myself?’, ‘Do I have any choices in how to react to the situation to solve the problem?’. By constantly asking questions, you can get yourself aware of the situation, be conscious of your feelings and thoughts, and choose the best way to respond. It’s never easy but you can start practicing every day.
In my opinion, it requires a combination of different qualities to be a good leader and no one quality is more important than any other. But if I had to choose some qualities that I personally attach great importance to, I’d say state management and relationships. It’s a healthy body and a healthy mind that can keep you working. Sometimes, leaders may find themselves working 24/7 trying to achieve their career goals and cash that check to grow their companies. Yet, health is essential. You can’t work if you get sick. You can’t empower others when you’re having anxiety and depression. A good leader is one who is mentally and physically stable and can empower their employees with their energy. Relationships are also important if you want to get far on any path. At the end of the day, you can only feel successful if you have someone to share the happiness of success with you. Therefore, maintain good relationships with others, even your employees, as you want them to share your vision and work towards a common goal because they are empowered by you, not because they fear you will cut their salaries or fire them.
