Boardroom hustle #2
How to stop and smell the roses
This episode covers a wide variety of different topics.
My guest, Alan Jones, and I get into things like EQ, IP and everything in-between. Alan is an entrepreneur, investor, board director and startup mentor, and he sheds some light on the life-changing moments he’s experienced throughout his journey: the relationships between startup founders, investors and the boardroom.
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He also talks about the big changes he’s trying to encourage and bring about in the world.
Throughout Alan’s career, he’s been lucky to realise the importance of stopping and smelling the roses.
Today, we discuss how he came to that realisation, as well as:
Why serenity is such an important part of Alan’s day
The Darwinian approach that many industries take towards business, and how this can be of detriment to those industries
How Alan came to value taking time out from the daily grind and learned to relax
The various flaws within his industry, and who is the most likely to come up against discrimination
How Alan came to be known as the Chief Hindsight Officer
Why EQ is such a vital aspect of business, especially in the boardroom
How to get that ‘spark’ back into your boardroom
Why we tend to have shallow interactions rather than deep and meaningful ones, and how to start digging deeper with your directors
The best way to take minutes for your meetings to ensure you get the most out of your time
The one common theme that can be found in every single boardroom
Negative outcomes that come from living a hard, fast lifestyle, and how you can avoid falling prey to them
What it means to be a whole person, and how you can aim to become one
Can a younger director find that balance between work and life, or is that something that comes with time
Actions you can take:
If you’re not familiar with EQ (emotional intelligence) yet, read up on it. While you might think you have absolutely none at all, you’ll quickly find that this isn’t the case. We are all born with a certain amount of EQ, though it tends to get lost among the intensity of our day-to-day worlds.
Learn to stop and smell the roses. That’s a terrible cliche, but it’s one of great benefit. When you finally realise that you can take 5 minutes out of your day just to breathe and relax without the world (or your business) imploding, you’ll be a happier, calmer person.
Aim to encourage deeper conversations among your employees, colleagues and fellow directors. Instead of focusing on their work life, ask them about their home life. Did they have a good weekend? What did they get up to? What do they enjoy doing in their spare time? At the end of a busy workday, we are all human beings. Remembering that humanity, and the fact that it’s the one thing we all have in common, is a very effective way to build strength and trust in the boardroom.
