Leading by Example ... For Example
People "make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better". —Harry S. Truman
Becoming an expert in your field is something that all professionals should seek to achieve. Becoming a LEADER in your field is something that is earned through hard work, calculated risk taking and the strength of character to empower others.
As co-chair of the Greenwich Economic Forum, I've had the good fortune to meet some very unique people who, while not seeking power, became leaders and influencers through their actions. Some of the leaders that have inspired me, include Ray Dalio, Paul Jones, Chenxi Zhai and Arianna Huffington.
"The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant". —Max DePree
Ray Dalio started a business. That business is now the worlds largest (and one of the most consistently successful) hedge fund firms, Bridgewater Associates. Ray endowed his creation with his PRINCIPLES for sound investing and personal conduct, and he and his colleagues have consistently out performed the expectations of their clients. He might have remained a mysterious figure, running Bridgewater, keeping his thoughts mostly to himself, and otherwise "keeping a low profile". Instead (and we are all richer for it) he became a leader by seeking to empower the rest of us. He ventured out from his Westport, Connecticut headquarters, and in 2008 he published "How the Economic Machine Works: A Template for Understanding What is Happening Now", an essay assessing the potential of various economies by various criteria.
In 2011, he self-published a 123-page volume, "Principles", that outlined his philosophy of investment and corporate management, based on a lifetime of observation, analysis and practical application. The public response to that effort convinced him to write a book, and so, in 2017, he published Principles: Life & Work. The book was a New York Times #1 bestseller and Amazon's #1 business book of 2017. In its pages, Ray discusses his background as a backdrop for his takeaways about life and work. More books followed, including Principles for Navigating Big Debt Crises published in 2018, and coming this year (2021), Changing World Order: Why Nations Succeed Or Fail. If you haven't read his books, you may find out more here ... Principles.
Ray has appeared on the annual Time 100 list of the 100 most influential people in the world, and Bloomberg Markets listed him as one of the 50 Most Influential people. In 2020, Ray was the recipient of the first Greenwich Economic Forum Leadership award.
Move over Jacques Cousteau! Passionate about the state of the world's oceans and mysteries that lie within, he launched one of the most ambitious programs for ocean exploration ever conceived, OceanX, The OceanX mission to explore the unseen ocean, map uncharted areas of the world, observe rare deep-sea creatures, pursue scientific and medical breakthroughs, and then bring all of these wonders back to the wider world through cutting-edge media. I'm sure that we will be hearing more form this amazing group in the very near future.
While writing books, creating exploring the oceans, giving interviews, and meeting clients around the world, Ray still found time to start the Dalio Philanthropies, which has already done great good for the children of Connecticut.
Paul Tudor Jones
"What you do has far greater impact than what you say". —Stephen Covey
Another legendary investor, and a giant among macro traders, Paul too, left the security of a corporate job to strike out on his own to start Tudor Investment Corporation. He has since and built Tudor it into one of the top macro trading and asset management firms in the world.
While not a prolific a writer like his Greenwich neighbor, Mr.Dalio, Paul leads by his example and by his results.
Paul's example as a philanthropist influenced many of his peers (including Dalio) to become more civi minded. In 1988 Paul founded The Robin Hood Foundation (the charitable foundation not the discount brokerage!). Robin Hood Foundation is now New York's largest poverty-fighting organization, and focused on finding, funding, and creating programs and schools that generate meaningful results for families in New York's poorest neighborhoods. Since its founding, Robin Hood has raised more than $2.5 billion in dollars, goods and services to provide hundreds of the most effective soup kitchens, homeless shelters, schools, job-training programs and other vital services that give New York’s neediest citizens the tools they need to build better lives. In response to the devastating and ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Robin Hood reactivated the Robin Hood Relief Fund to help provide stability to the communities that Robin Hood has been dedicated to serving for more than 30 years. With the help of Tina Fey (my celebrity crush) and others, Robin Hood hosted the Rise Up New York telethon and raised over $115 million for covid relief efforts.
A fascinating discussion between these two legends, was captured at the 2019 Greenwich Economic Forum annual conference (Yes ... that is Steve Case in the foreground).
"There are three essentials to leadership: humility, clarity and courage". —Fuchan Yuan
One of the perks of running an international finance conference is the opportunity to meet inspiring people from all over the world, and to get an early look at some of the emerging leaders.
Once such, is Dr. Chenxi Zhai. Dr. Zhai, a women, in an industry still dominated by men, has emerged as a leader in China's rapidly growing finance industry. She serves as Vice President of Tianfeng Securities Co., Ltd., as Chairwoman of Tianfeng International Group, and as Co-President of Hengtou Securities.
Chenxi is a member of Securities Association of China, Council of the China Wealth Management 50 Forum and China Finance 40 Forum-Youth Economist.
Since joining Tianfeng, Chenxi has been instrumental in building the firm's core business competencies in FICC, Research and ABS from obscurity to top ten status. Under her direct leadership the firm has successfully expanded into Hong Kong and is strategically positioned for additional international growth
An expert in China's financial markets, Chenxi is routinely consulted for product innovation, market education, regulatory reform and market infrastructure. She has been honored as "Distinguished Market Expert" by National Interbank Funding Center, "Bond Valuation Expert" by Shanghai Clearing House, and "Distinguished Training Instructor" by the National Association of Financial Market Institution and China Financial Futures Exchange.
The combined market cap of the Shanghai (Ray Dalio played a role in its creation) and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges is $8.2 trillion, with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange adding another $4.5 trillion to that total. China's finance sector is opening up and integrating with the world in a manner that we have not seen before. Chenxi Zhai is a leader to watch.
"As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others". —Bill Gates
Another inspiring leader and entrepreneur, Arianna co-founded the The Huffington Post, as well as Thrive Global, where she is CEO. She is the author of fifteen books, and has been named to Time Magazine's list of the world’s 100 most influential people, and the Forbes Most Powerful Women list.
Originally from Greece, Arianna moved to England when she was 16 and graduated from University of Cambridge where she earned a B.A. in economics. At 21, she became president of the university’s debating society, The Cambridge Union. Arianna serves on numerous boards, including Uber, Onex, and Global Citizen. Her last two books, Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder and The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time, both became instant international bestsellers.
Thrive's mission is to unlock human potential by ending the stress and burnout epidemic. Thrive offer companies and individuals sustainable, science-based solutions to enhance both mental and physical well-being and performance, purpose and relationship with technology. Arianna and her team are committed to accelerating this culture shift around the world.
The Greenwich Economic Forum was fortunate to have both Arianna and Ray Dalio as guests at the 2020 GEF (a global digital version of our annual conference) held in the middle of the pandemic. Ray and Arianna shared their experience of self discovery through meditation and mindfulness, practices that have helped them to thrive in both their business and personal lives. I share there discussion with you here as a parting gift ...
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1 个月Bruce, thanks for sharing! How is 2025 shaping up so far?