Work-Life Balance — CEOs Share Their Wisdom

This week, I came across an inspirational LinkedIn post by Rick Beggington, Filmmaker, Producer, and Creator. Rick had recently celebrated his 40th birthday, or, as Rick puts it, his “40th lap of the sun.” In so doing, he found himself reflecting on his experiences. And, in a very creative and clever way (which, I suppose, is the way we’d expect filmmakers, producers, and creators to reflect), Rick shared “40” of the most important things he’s learned in his 40 laps of the sun.

As I read Rick’s list, I had a number of emotional reactions. For instance, I giggled at Rick’s #9 and #34 and shed a tear at #’s 20 and 40. I felt included in many of Rick’s life lessons and found myself nodding in agreement as I worked my way through the list. Feeling inspired to write, I reached out to Rick and asked if he would mind my using his life lessons as the basis for one of GIM’s “Snippets While You Sip It.” Luckily for me, Rick agreed and was humbled that I found his post inspirational. And then it dawned on me —

How many of us, especially those in leadership positions, share our life lessons this way? If ever there were a “reason” for anything, especially for heartache or crisis, I’ve always felt strongly that “that” reason is to share what we’ve learned. In sharing, there is community. In sharing, we support one another and encourage those who are struggling. When we share, we help others to feel less alone. After all, a rising tide lifts all boats. 

With that thought, I searched for life lessons that LSP leaders have shared with their employees, stakeholders, customers, and greater worldwide audience. And what I found once again inspired me.

In 2021, Common Sense Advisory (CSA) published an article entitled “Navigating Through a Global Crisis.” Although it is an article that summarizes the lessons CEOs of some of the world’s largest LSPs learned during the COVID19 crisis, these lessons apply to the present day. I thought you’d be inspired by what some of them had to say. So, I took snippets from that article and summarized them below:

CEOs of Some of the Largest LSPs Share Their Wisdom

John Fennelly, CEO of Lionbridge

Communicate, be transparent, and don’t be afraid to admit what you don’t know.

Scott Klein, CEO of LanguageLine Solutions

We wake up striving for a world in which language and cultural barriers no longer exist.

Mark Evenepoel, President & Board Member at Acolad Group (former CEO of Amplexor)

We gradually adapt our policies and offices globally to cater for more flexibility while striving not to compromise on teamwork, collaboration, and communication.

Richard Glasson, CEO of Hogarth Worldwide

There is going to be a surge of energy, excitment and emotion when we can finally bring our teams together physically and remember all of the reasons that we love being surrounded by our friends and colleagues. I can’t wait for that.

Smith Yewell, CEO of Welocalize

Full transparency about challenges is the only way to create the trust needed to get everyone through together… Regular and clear communication is necesssary to keep all on the same page pulling together.

Kåre Lindahl, CEO of Venga

Seek flexible solutions and be creative.

Juan Julián León, CEO of SeproTech Multilingual Soloutions

During this kind of challenge is when you test and see the results of your team building activities and internal communications efforts. I’m extremely proud of the loyalty and commitment shown by our different teams and the respect all have proved when interacting with other business units or functional areas.

Konstantin Josseliani, CEO of Janus Worldwide

Companies seeking to expand cannot simply tread water but must evolve to meet the changing needs of their customers.

Ludmila Golovine, CEO of MasterWord Services

At MasterWord, we define success by having each individual team member feeling empowered to become their best self. We encourage each person to identify and refine their strengths to follow their dreams.

Pedro Luis Díez Orzas, CEO and Founder of Linguaserve

Teamwork, education, professional growth, and the search for excellence, both as employees and collaborators, are the keystones of any transformation.

Anette van de Loo, co-CEO of Powerling

[From COVID19] emerged a new way of doing business as it required everyone to adapt quickly… These changes forced us to shift our focus in the way we interact with our collaborators, clients, and providers… It challenged us to rethink the way we work, and not take for granted the physical time together… so, let’s stick together.

I was inspired by these reflections, but I also noticed a gender imbalance. And, if you know me, gender equality, among many social issues, is near and dear to my heart. So, I decided to research a little more and found a 2022 CNBC article entitled, “3 Fortune 500 CEOs share the advice, lessons, and skills that have shaped their success.” It is an article that focuses on career advice and lessons learned from three female CEOs.

3 Female Fortune 500 CEOs Share Advice and Life Lessons

Rosalind (Roz) Brewer, CEO of Walgreens

I spend a good amount of my time making sure that our employees are benefiting from social engagement and thinking about issues that I can influence from a legislative standpoint… I’m slowly realizing that I have to take my position as CEO and make it really meaningful, not just to this company, but outside of it.

Kathy Warden, CEO of Northrop Grumman

The best career advice I’ve ever received is to really challenge yourself and expose yourself to as many new opportunities as possible so you can continue to learn and grow.

Beth Ford, CEO of Land O’Lakes

On the two traits you need to succeed in business… Humility and Authenticity.

On Humility:

Folks who are successful understand on a deep level that they don’t know everything, and have the humility and the courage to ask someone else for assistance or input.

On Authenticity:

Most of the terrific leaders or CEOs that I meet aren’t talking about themselves or how great and smart they are… they talk about their team, how they can make a bigger impact through their work, how they can learn from past mistakes. I think that level of authenticity and real courage is necessary to be a strong leader.

Key Stakeholders’ Expectations for CEOs

In a recent survey, Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance questioned working professionals and institutional investors about their expectations for CEOs. Their research revealed that these key stakeholders want much more from CEOs. Some of the main expectations included taking on complex societal issues, demonstrating strong corporate purpose and values, and effectively (and frequently) communicating and engaging with their people and key stakeholders.

Data Source: Harvard Law School Forum

Does this resonate with you? Are you meeting (if not exceeding) these expectations?

Want to Share Your Wisdom as a CEO?

I hope you have found this snippet insightful. I equally hope that you will take the time to read Rick’s 40 life lessons. Who knows, you might just have some advice of your own you’d like to share.

If so, GIM can help.

GIM Content Management can work directly with you to build effective content marketing collateral and a robust multimedia portfolio that promotes your values and lessons as a leader. With GIM’s content marketing support, you’ll help build and strengthen your community and impress your investors by highlighting what matters most to you and your company. 

Give GIM a call today, and let’s use your rising tide to lift all boats.

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If you liked this Snippet While You Sip It, you might want to check out some of our latest, including Being an Agent of Change at Work, Defending Quality Education in the Workplace, and the 10 Best — and Worst — States for Healthcare.

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REFERENCES

“Featured Content.” CSA Research, https://csa-research.com/Featured-Content/For-LSPs/Thought-Leadership/14-CEOs-Reflect-on-2021-July-2021.

Thewordsmithm. “3 Fortune 500 CEOS Share the Advice, Lessons and Skills That Have Shaped Their Success.” CNBC, CNBC, 22 July 2022, https://www.cnbc.com/2022/07/22/fortune-500-ceo-roz-brewer-kathy-warden-beth-ford-best-career-advice.html.