Building a successful business
Strong relationships and developing the right people were recurrent themes at the European Sponsorship Association's latest Insight Forum.
Lane4 Managing Director, Adrian Moorhouse, joined Sir Keith Mills, LOCOG's Deputy Chairman and Karen Earl, Chairman of ESA and Synergy to discuss the ingredients of a successful business.
Opening the morning session, with an embarrassment of corporate success, was Sir Keith Mills. In addition to his instrumental role in London's Olympic bid, Sir Keith has been leading successful businesses for decades.
Drawing on key lessons spanning his diverse career, Mills advised business leaders to plan long-term and exploit market opportunities; develop sustainable business models; understand how to finance growth; deliver on promises and to recruit, retain and motivate good people because "that" he insisted "is what it's all about".
On his pivotal role within LOCOG, Mills called on leaders to focus on how they can use the Olympics as a real catalyst to change their business performance.
Picking up on Sir Keith's poignant and practical themes, Adrian shared his journey from Olympic Champion to successful business leader and the synergies and differences that exist between the two worlds.
"Sport gave me a great strategic planning awareness, but I was naturally very focused on my own performance. As a Managing Director, I am driven to be the best leader possible by creating a high performance environment so that others can thrive."
Describing four areas of focus required to achieve sustainable performance: Achievement, Innovation, Well-Being and Internal Process, Adrian noted that too few businesses create compelling visions and effective goals for their people.
He closed by asking leaders to reflect on who they are and how they can lead resilient businesses in difficult times.
Finally Karen Earl described a career path borne from a passion for sport and PR and an unwavering trust in her intuition.
"I am risk averse and I plan in reality not hope." she explained.
"People are so vital. They are the single biggest reason why my business has succeeded. I have learnt that open and honest communication builds successful relationships."
| 2009-04-27