It was a special week, 19 years after 9/11. Every year we remember that surreal, crazy and sad day. But it was also a week were I could make one of my dreams come true. I had the chance to bring 2 people together in an interview and it is great as an interviewer when the match you have in mind works. I call myself an Olympic entrepreneur, because I was once focused only on sports and now for many years beside a career in the media I am an entrepreneur. I see many thing we can, as entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs, learn from sports people. It is strange as sometimes I wonder whether I was I an artist or a topsporter, but it was probably the combination of both that gave me the focus, drive, creativity and discipline I can still rely on after many years. Bringing Wim Vanlessen(ballet dancer) and Hanne Claes (athlete) together was very special and made me very happy.
At the end of our talk I asked them what they thought entrepreneurs could learn from them. Hanne said, never to give up. She said she was the perfect example: some years ago she was struggling with bad results, sponsors that stopped working with her due to injuries. But she decided to follow the passion one more year…and look where she is now.
Wim said: hope! As an entrepreneur, manager and leader you need to give every single person in your team hope to grow, hope to reach the goals together and reach their dreams. If hope is gone you are lost.
Later this week I hosted a webinar on how to increase engagement during these times of social distancing. And the speakers, Nathalie Arteel & François Lambotte confirmed the same ideas. As a leader, manager you do not only need to say thank you to your people, you also need to make them feel that you trust them, that you believe in their talents. That you are confident that what they are doing will be successful. We need to show compassion. Give them the space and tools to become intrapreneurs . It is in those small unforeseen moments when you show your team you care about them that will have a huge impact.
Hope gives life, hope gave life after 9/11.
I hope I can interview many more beautiful people, as Oprah Winfrey does and who knows have a my own "Niyus Studios" one day.
