I recently viewed a video of Jack Ma, the Founder and Chairman of Alibaba, making a speech on social media. It really inspired me and cleared a lot of confusion in my mind. Jack stated that when you are 20 years old, make sure to study. When you are 25, work on different projects, don’t be afraid to be a failure. Try to work with the boss’ vision and passion, work at small companies to get a lot of hands-on experience. When you are 30, start thinking about whether you want to be an entrepreneur and try to view different options. When you are 40, focus on what you are good at. If you decide to switch to a different field at this stage, and learn something new, the failure rate is higher. When you are 50, mentor the younger generation and help them to grow. When you are 60, you can relax and lay on the beach.
I found his speech to be inspiring. It gave me some guidance on how I want to lead my company. According to him, I am at a stage where I will need to focus on what I am good at and maximize my strength and potential. Having different and new ideas is good, but I must lean toward the ideas that best match my skill set and current resources, and then build from that. Sometimes, having too many options is not good, because it can be hard to focus. Put in all of your effort and make it happen – make it big and make a great impact. Be an expert in your field and success will follow.
Melody Hsieh-Hornstra, CEO/ President