As a business owner, we often look to other business owners for inspiration.
Every year, Forbes comes out with the list of top 10 most powerful people in the world. While not all of them are in business, there are some aspects that startup founders can learn from them –and be inspired
Xi Jinping
Xi Jinping is the leader of China, the most populated country in the world and the second-largest economy. He is the leader of the Communist Party that rules the country and has seen his powers extended in recent times, including scrapping the limit of his term.
For me, stepping away from politics, Xi Jinping is an excellent example of leadership that can apply to business. Unlike many Chinese officials, he has an active public profile, allowing the state media to publish a day-in-the-life piece of his workday.
He has also stepped beyond traditional Chinese views, including grasping the benefits of privatisation and bringing in reform to encourage this.
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Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin has been voted the most powerful person in the world four times between 2013-16. Since then, his influence has not waned. Putin served as Prime Minister in the government of Boris Yeltsin before becoming President in 2000. Before politics, he worked as a KGB agent, notably in East Germany in the mid-1980s.
From a business viewpoint, Vladimir Putin is an excellent example of a leader and someone who makes the most of all resources at his disposal.
Personally, Putin is a ‘lead from the front’ style of leader who presents a macho image of himself hunting, fishing and practising martial arts to the world.
Donald Trump
Love him or hate him; there is no denying the power and influence of Donald Trump. Currently, the President of America and the first billionaire to hold the role. Initially working for his father, who was developing low-cost housing in parts of New York. He now has much of his fortune in property in the Manhattan area.
From a business standpoint, Donald Trump is worth following for several reasons. His wealth of over US$4billion does not come from having only one interest.
Trump has diversified his income, wineries, golf courses, and hotels to his name. Not only that, but he has gone through rough patches in his career and bounced back. How he has handled uncertainty is an excellent example for business owners experiencing difficult times.
Angela Merkel
Angela Merkel became the first woman to be elected as Chancellor of Germany in 2005. She is currently in her fourth term, although she has stepped down as leader of her party and does not intend to serve another. She has been voted top on the Power Women 2018 list.
Angela Merkel is a lesson in how to manage the many roles of a business owner. She leads a coalition government that has become unpopular with voters but continues to get things done. She has a strong personality and will stand up to anyone (including Donald Trump!) and has seen the German economy through the financial crisis and into growth.
Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos started Amazon in a Seattle garage back in 1994 and is now the CEO of the mega-company. With a net worth of over US$111 billion, he routinely tops the lists of the wealthiest people in the world. He is also the owner of The Washington Post newspaper and an aerospace company, Blue Origin.
Business always has an element of chance to it, and there is no doubt that for people in business, the idea of being Jeff Bezos is the dream. Bezos started something fundamentally different from what anyone else was doing, with no clue if it would work.
In his words: “I didn’t think I’d regret trying and failing. And I suspected I would always be haunted by a decision to not try at all.”
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Pope Francis
Pope Francis is the leader of the Catholic Church and there is a great deal in terms of leadership to be learned from him. Pope Francis is the first pope to come from South America and is the spiritual leader for 1.3 billion people around the world. Quite an achievement!
He is an expert in balancing the traditions of the Catholic Church with the need to reform and evolve in other areas. He has continued with many traditional aspects while pushing for new relevant changes, such as climate change reform and the better treatment of refugees around the world.
He is a perfect example of someone who understands the need for change but also for keeping some core elements the same.
Bill Gates
Bill Gates is best known as the co-founder of Microsoft, although he only owns around one per cent of the company. His focus now is the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the largest private charitable foundation in the world.
His work with Microsoft is an inspiration for anyone wanting to build a business. He is also an inspiration for what can be done with wealth to help others and to give back to society, including his work to improve global health and to save lives.
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Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud
Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud is the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. While his father remains king, few doubt that he has the most power in the country. He is also the future of politics in the area and is known for his strong stance against corruption.
I admire the work he has done to change his country with his anti-corruption campaign. This saw many prominent Saudis arrested and ten billionaires vanished from the Forbes list of world billionaires due to the nature of how they gained their fortunes. In business, making money the right way is always top of the list.
Narendra Modi
Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi is the leader of the second-most populous country in the world with over 1.3 billion people. He is also the second most followed leader on Twitter, with over 43 million followers, showing how to use modern technology to reach people.
For me, he is another strong leader who has worked to eliminate corruption in his country, including taking the unexpected step to remove two of the largest banknotes in circulation. He has also become one of the world leaders working most on climate change, aware of the impact on his people, especially in rural areas.
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Larry Page
Larry Page is the CEO of Alphabet, best known as the parent company of Google. He co-founded Google in 1998 with Sergey Brin, and the pair created PageRank, the algorithm behind the top search engine.
With a net worth of over US$53 billion, Page is an inspiration for business owners. The way that Alphabet and Google continue to diversify their business is most inspiring, including the development of smart home appliances, a healthcare division and more.
Inspiring individuals
Whether you agree with these people in areas such as politics or faith is not so relevant for me versus the inspiration they offer as a business owner. From leadership qualities, adapting to change and rooting out corruption, they can all help us be better business owners.
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