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www.privateairny.com Private Air | Spring 2020 56 Finally, to lead with impact, the leader will need to be not only engaged but also current and relevant, able to adapt to the changing landscape without compromising the truth.. Winning leadership understands and employs this cyclical process. Customer Speed Hari Abburi is a transformative thinker and leader who believes in centering leadership "at the speed of the customer." is is a non-ego-driven approach that directly concentrates on what a customer is thinking and experiencing in the present. "When leaders stay focused on anticipating customer needs and keeping their teams' customer-centric, a better product or service is produced," he says. In this chase to understand how customers transfer their experiences from an unrelated situation on to a company, Abburi views leadership narrowing down to a few critical elements: curiosity, visual thinking, ability to articulate a clear purpose, using design as a key principle for everything done does and simplicity of execution. "I have worked and lived in several countries and with responsibilities for over 50 countries and have seen patterns emerge, notes Abburi. "Curiosity and imagination are two universal key elements shared by leaders across cultures, ethnicities and industries. Curiosity is the best attribute a leader can have, as it drives the kind of imagination that solves problems and spurs innovation." Pursuing New Markets Great leaders throughout history are known for not shying away from new processes, technologies and, most importantly, new markets. Instead, they have an inherent ability to "see" emerging trends that others do not. Not only that, they take action to collaborate with key creative partners to realize early-stage success in these newly emerging sectors. Orna Azulay did just that. As founder and president of Abington Speech Pathology Services, Inc. and the RemoteSpeech.com teletherapy platform, she significantly expanded the reach of her company—now a global powerhouse—by approaching an existing therapy protocol in a new and more effective way. An experienced business development professional, when Orna opened the business 20 years ago, she saw a business opportunity in a big HMO provider who was looking to have relationships with satellite clinics. Although speech teletherapy was still a new idea in the market compared to traditional therapy, Azulay knew the potential and convinced more clients to share her vision and come on board. Filling in gaps is how great leaders realize great businesses. inking outside the box, trying new things even amid naysayers and trying to fulfill that empty niche in sustainable and scalable ways can catapult one's company to incredible heights. It's a Marathon, Not a Sprint Great leadership is an art that requires a combination of several skills and qualities to be successful. Castle Negotiations CEO Ruth Shlossman urges the importance of thinking long- term as a leader. "Developing a ten- year plan to withstand any expected or unexpected circumstances is how great leaders stay afloat," Shlossman says. "Keeping the bigger picture in mind will help create a culture that believes, plans and aptly executes." Now that we are entrenched in a fresh new decade, it's a great time to recalibrate your leadership approach to be one that's more aware, sensitive and adaptive to those inevitable threats, weaknesses, trials, and tribulations. Being an agile, opportunistic, customer- centric and activist-oriented leader with planning prowess makes the difference between realizing success versus true greatness. As the Executive Editor and Producer of "The Luxe List," Merilee Kern, MBA is an internationally- regarded brand analyst, strategist and futurist. As a prolific branding and marketplace trends pundit, Merilee spotlights noteworthy industry innovators, change makers, movers and shakers. This includes field experts and thought leaders, brands, products, services, destinations and events across all categories. Connect with her at www.TheLuxeList.com / Instagram www.Instagram. com/LuxeListReports / Twitter www.Twitter. com/LuxeListReports / Facebook www.Facebook. com/LuxeListReports / LinkedIN www.LinkedIn. com/in/MerileeKern. BUSINESS

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