We sat down with Mike Desjardins, President of EO Vancouver, to find out what it takes to be a thriving entrepreneur and an actively involved EO leader. Read on as Mike shares his secrets to success.
Q: What is your work philosophy?
A:I believe that business and lifestyle should be tied closely together. For me, success is about deciding on the life I want and ensuring that my business is there to make it happen. That means choosing me over the business.
Also, my personal core values guide my life, so I design my business to flow within those values.
Q: What is your leadership philosophy?
A: As a leader, my goal is to inspire others to find success through their passion, creativity and unique abilities. I know I’m doing a good job as a leader when the people standing behind me are asking, "Where to next?"
I also feel successful as a leader when my team is able to articulate the vision of where we’re going and I can find a way to engage them in that dream.
Q: What makes a great leader?
A: One of my greatest "ah-ha" moments in this journey was when I realized that my success has nothing to do with how good I am, but everything to do with how good I can help other people become.
In my opinion, a great leader is someone who is interested in constant learning and growth. He or she has a vision, persistence, and a willingness to give and receive feedback. A great leader also has to be adaptable, consistent and reliable.
Q: What’s something you’ve done right that you would do over and over again?
A: I try to consistently encourage contribution from every single member of my team. I ask them where this business is going and how we’re going to get there. This level of team involvement has created more buy-in and engagement than almost anything else I’ve experienced.
Focusing on gaining new business through referrals is another thing I would do over again. We know we’re getting things right when our customers refer their contacts, friends and colleagues to us.
Q: What’s something you would do differently the next time around?
A: If I had it to do over again, I would put a bigger focus on business development and work to build a cradle-to-grave path for each customer relationship. I would also get a mentor much earlier on, and I would definitely take more risks.
Q: What’s the greatest lesson you have learned in business so far?
A: That my personal success has nothing to do with the tasks I carry out— and everything to do with the leadership I provide.
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Looking for EO Global Leaders
As we plan for the future of EO, we are always looking for more members like Mike who are keen on expanding their path to leadership. If you are interested in serving on the EO Global Board, we encourage you to take a look at the Nomination and Selection Process. If you are interested in other areas of leadership, take a look at the EO Leadership Application. To view additional leadership information and access all relevant documents, click here. Please direct any leadership questions to Linda Surles.