Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce’s Post

NACD Northern California was delighted to welcome veteran and revered director, Herman Bulls for our Veteran's Cohort program, "Combating the Corporate World: A Veteran's Guide to Boardroom Success." Bulls was generous enough to share his inspiring and personal journey with our community. Thank you to Patrick Huston for asking all the questions that we wanted to hear. Key takeaways and video below: 💡 Mission and People: Emphasize "mission first, people always" to accomplish goals while caring for the team's welfare. Although AI and technology will impact business, it ultimately comes back to prioritizing the human elements, particularly in decision-making. 💡Veterans in Their Boardroom Journey: Trust your qualifications and experience to build confidence within corporate circles. Create a strong board bio that emphasizes transferable skills for boardroom success. Avoid acronyms and have a non-military mentor review it to ensure it translates well to the boardroom. 💡Leadership Skills: The leadership skills learned in the military are key to a successful boardroom transition. Lead from the front, middle, and back, focusing on human connections and strong communication skills. 💡Effective Communication: Master the arts of speaking, writing, listening, and understanding how your own body language and that of those around you can affect communication and connection. 💡Transfer of Military Expertise: You don’t have to be an expert in all aspects of the boardroom, but you do need to be curious, commit to continuous learning, and anticipate risks. This allows you to ask important questions and help ensure the longevity and success of the business. 💡Diverse Perspectives: A successful boardroom requires diversity of perspectives and board members who understand changing demographics and market needs. To stay relevant and competitive, businesses need to consider diverse backgrounds among employees and customers, and understand how this diversity can positively impact business. 💡Networking Versus Connecting: Authenticity is key to building long-standing relationships that may secure your future role as a board director. Truly connect with people on a deeper level, focusing on relationships rather than purely transactional engagements. 💡Critical Decision-Making: Consider your employees, suppliers, the communities you operate in, and shareholders to gain clarity on how to respond to each group. Good leaders have conviction and purpose and may need to make controversial decisions. Recognizing that you can't make everyone happy but instead doing what is in the best interest of these groups in the long-term is critical as a good leader. 💡Board Dynamics and Culture: Build alliances and a positive board culture through creating connections and having open feedback. Ensure you have a board buddy if you are not assigned one to understand the culture of the board better. Thank you to Dr. Keith D. Dorsey and Boyden for hosting. 

The power of the leader as visionary. Vision builds the roadmap, belief and momentum, but requires the stamina and perseverance of the leader or those close to them to fulfill it.

“The key task then is to lead ourselves, and those around us, through the uncertainty to the possibility hidden on the other side. Fortunately, there are many tools to do this. The oldest tool of all might be that employed by Joan of Arc, and that is the story of what is possible. It sounds simple, but neuroscience confirms that stories cause our brains to sync and couple. Indeed, story may be our oldest technology—the ability to piece together events and imagine a future that could be. We can use such stories of what is possible, despite what the situation, to rally ourselves and those around us.” #Storytelling #ChangeManagement

And this is what business leaders and entrepreurs should aspire to - DO right by your patients/clients; DON'T worry about protecting your island. Check out Charlie's two key mentor moments that have helped put his business on a path of continual growth min 4.45. https://zurl.co/AgWz #servantleadership #bethechange

It was fantastic to attend the UK Chamber of Shipping Autumn lunch. New contacts and conversations made and reconnecting with others. Two major themes really being discussed: 1. Challenges of Recruitment and retention, primarily for seafarers. However there is an important part for shore based employers to play too in raising awareness of careers in the maritime sphere. Shipping is a rock n’ roll industry- we need to be shouting about it. 2. Challenges of decarbonisation and future proofing fleets. This is a massive issue and there won’t be a one size fits all solution. Something I have been invovled in this year with RINA projects. I want to do more! RINA can help on both these areas - we are always keen to talk to people wishing to work in the maritime sector! We have the expertise and experience to help with decarbonisation - come to talk to us to see if we can help you on your path. #OurexperienceYourgrowth #RINA

For Stéphan Bourbonnais, Executive Vice-President, Wealth Management, becoming a good leader starts with identifying and respecting your personal values. It’s then easier to visualize your path to performance and the actions you must take to get there. Drawing parallels between sports and work, he shares some of the personal strategies that have led him to success with both discipline and passion! 🔊 👉 https://ow.ly/P3Lh50U73I8

Through AAISA we can build a stronger settlement sector

Highlights of VSync's study trip to Lang Son Province! Lang Son is a significant province that borders China, due to its large cross-border trade flows. The total trade volume through border gates in Lang Son province in 2024 was estimated to be 66.4 billion USD.

Robinsons Land Corporation Appoints New CEO Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC), a prominent real estate development firm based in the Philippines, is witnessing a historic shift in its leadership with the appointment of Maria Socorro Isabelle 'Mybelle' Aragon-GoBio as its first female president and CEO. This significant transition will take effect on February 1, marking a new chapter for the company. A Legacy of Leadership Transition Aragon-GoBio's appointment heralds the end of Lance Y. Gokongwei's tenure as president and CEO, a role he oc... Read more https://lnkd.in/gbnpgGWV #Appoints #CEO #Corporation #Land #Robinsons

For Stephan Bourbonnais, becoming a good leader starts with identifying and respecting your personal values. This helps you better visualize the path to the performance you’re trying to achieve and the actions to take to get there. Drawing parallels between sports and the professional world, our executive vice-president shares some of the personal strategies that have led him to success with both discipline and passion! https://ow.ly/f51850U742F