key success factors for leadership by peer m. schatz

It was with great pleasure to welcome Peer M. Schatz, entrepreneur, executive, investor and Managing Director of PS Capital as guest speaker to the KBS Women in Leadership event. Not only is Peer Schatz a strong advocate for diversity, he truly believes the business world needs more women in senior roles. What he also shared were his insights into key success factors for leadership:

1. Have a vision for yourself and the company. This drives strategy, yet critically, it allows leaders to make a difference by living the values defined, contribute to culture and be a role model.
2. People count! Leaders need to be optimists, have a positive mindset, see opportunities and be decisive. Leaders also need the right people around them – people with shared values / mindset and people in the right roles to succeed. The secret: Hire for attitude, train for skills.
3. Work smart and get things done. Businesses needs plans and processes, but you must assume plans will need to change, and fast. Adaptation requires boldness, and essential today as the world continues to change!
4. Focus on the outside world as that’s where the world is happening. All roles in an organization need to focus outwards on the market, the customers, the reality. It’s how you stay real and win business.
5. Agility….. if you don’t move, you won’t succeed. Yes it takes courage, trial and error, risks, but without agility, businesses will not be relevant nor sustainably profitable.  
6. It’s more than business: Everyone needs to know why they do what they do and why they spend so much time at work. The most important thing a leader can do is spread the why so everyone knows what you believe in and what you are all trying to achieve. When people know they are going, can will unleash their energy to get there!