Ильдар Хусаинов – The power of freedom (страница 2)

Speaking personally, in the past I provided more negative feedback. During my first 15–20 years in my career, I was significantly more assertive than I am now. However, this never manifested itself through shouting, pounding on tables, or any other emotional outbursts. I have always avoided a negative tone. If someone had observed me in daily life, they would have been surprised by how calm I remained, even in the most tense work situations.

Over time, I have changed, and I am confident that this contributes to creating the right environment. Now, when I strongly disagree with something during a meeting, I simply politely say, «Guys, let’s end this», realizing that further discussion would become destructive. This is about the ability to quickly assess a situation, which I have developed.

Let me draw an analogy with football. Some players always smile, stay positive, and apologize when rules are broken. Others, after getting kicked, start yelling at the opponent and the referee, creating tension on the pitch. The atmosphere of such a match immediately becomes heated, injuries become inevitable, and there is no enjoyment from the game. The audience might be excited by the spectacle. However, returning to the business context, I want to emphasize that the purpose of business is not to entertain spectators with conflicts. Its purpose is to create a product, and that requires a completely different environment.

A good person plays a key role in a company’s operations. In the age of evolving HR processes, the role of the emotional component is becoming increasingly significant. Many books are now being published on emotional intelligence, and I am convinced that companies possess this quality as well. I hope that after reading this book, you will agree with me.

A company’s emotional intelligence mirrors that of its leader. While this hasn’t been scientifically proven yet, I firmly believe it to be true. Over 24 years of management experience, I’ve observed how people naturally begin to emulate their leader – in voice tone, facial expressions, habits, and reactions. Therefore, whether you’re starting or running a business, consider this aspect carefully. No technology or management methodology can compare to the emotional climate of a company.

Our brains have evolved over millions of years – 100 million years as reptiles, 20 million years as mammals, and only 2 million years as humans. Consequently, emotional processes will always form the foundation of any organization. Understanding this fact is crucial for successful management.

I am convinced that true success is only achievable for leaders and businesspeople with the right foundational values. While I’ve seen exceptions, such success is usually temporary. Effective leadership, in a sense, becomes the center of the universe. The more warmth and openness to change you possess internally, the faster you can build a company and attract strong people around you. This is a bold statement, but if you analyze successful companies, you’ll find they are always led by extraordinary individuals.

This book reflects my understanding that crises come and go, and neither they nor numbers will be remembered after some time. The only constants are basic human needs and universal values! Recognizing this fundamental principle is crucial in business.

However, the main focus of this book will be on understanding the entrepreneurial culture within a company. As a strong advocate of freedom and innovation, I will attempt to explain how to build a company’s operations not on principles of control and administration, but on the best qualities of each employee, their natural desire to unlock their potential, and grow in a competitive environment.

The pinnacle of this approach will be an exceptional corporate culture that develops its own DNA for years to come, strengthening the organizational immune system to such an extent that outdated principles cannot return.

At every stage of development – whether personal or organizational – the decisions made by a leader after thorough analysis are crucial. I have decided to write a book about significant transformation and how to correctly reshape a company. I place particular emphasis on personal aspects because organizational change is impossible without internal transformation of the leader. This is challenging because we often unconsciously replicate the established norms that preceded us.

Research shows that an organization’s structure frequently mirrors the structure of the industry in which it operates. The industry, in turn, follows a model characteristic of the broader context – the state.

Despite this, each of us possesses immense potential that can be unlocked over time. We intuitively sense what makes us unique – it’s what has shaped us. However, expressing these unique traits can be difficult because we must first adapt to existing reality. Just as a new employee in a large organization cannot immediately change its structure – they lack the weight and authority to do so – an individual cannot change a state overnight. But over time, as they reach certain heights, they gain the ability to influence the organization.

In this book, I will share my thoughts on how personality is formed, the principles a leader adheres to, and their significance within a company. The key is not to fear change and to maintain flexibility. As for me, I have always been ready for drastic changes in external circumstances and any unconventional management decisions. Perhaps that’s why the companies I manage have successfully existed for 25 years, showing minimal annual growth of at least 25%, with an average growth rate around 35–37% annually.

Chapter 1. About the Childhood

Speaking of my personality, and how my mindset was built, it’s only logical to turn to my childhood memories. I was born in 1980 in Tyumen and a year later my family moved to a small town in the north of our country. My lovely Novy Urengoy!

The story of my family ending up in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug is quite intriguing and reflects my dad’s character. My father graduated from Industrial University with high grades, and in those days, there was a system of competitive distribution for graduates. This concept is almost forgotten nowadays, but at that time it was like a ticket to a new life. He was one of the first people, who’d won the competition, and chose his career in Novy Urengoy. This decision defines him as really active, brave, and decisive. However, hardly did he pay attention to the risks and side effect of numerous flights or stress at work. He would always move forward forgetting about the consequences.

My father headed for the North and obviously my mother followed her husband. They’d known each other since they were kids, and their families had got on. There are even childhood photos where my mum is seven, and my dad’s nine. But they really got to know and fell for each other on the train. They were both students at the time, my dad was travelling somewhere on the same train where my mum was working part time as a conductor. That very feeling that appeared there lead them to the town hall later. After getting married they had me and two years later my brother Vildan.

When I was a child, I wasn’t that much different from my peers. And if you had asked any of my classmates if I had been a leader, the answer would definitely have been “no”. The only things I was exceptionally good at were Maths and sport, but nothing else. I didn’t really want to become a leader, lead anyone, sometimes I even felt that I was unlucky.

In the early 90s one of my friends got a PC, which was really rare at that time and was considered luxury. I often came to his place to play games like “Formula 1” or “Football”, and it was really special for me. One day, I came home and told my mum that I felt I was the most unhappy kid in the whole world because I didn’t have a PC. At that time, I was absolutely sure I wasn’t going to get one.

It was in childhood that I realized that the environment and external circumstances can either suppress or support a person in their development. And now when I’m an adult I often think about how important it is to create conditions in which everyone has the opportunity for growth and realization of their potential regardless of their financial situation. I’m sure we need to satisfy children’s basic needs, create the environment for their true potential to be fulfilled. And then at some point, perhaps, the government should step up and provide equal conditions for all the citizens of the state. Only under such conditions will all true talents flourish and then demonstrate outstanding results on a competitive basis.

But let’s get back to my childhood memories. I recall having low self-esteem. That’s true! I wasn’t good at arguments, didn’t stand up for myself. My opinion was always different form the ones of my peers and even adults, and sometimes I thought, “How come, my views are completely different from everyone else around?” I had a lot of friends and acquaintances, but I still was quite shy. I was so convinced we wouldn’t make it! I remember that my mum came home once and said that she went to the fortune teller who told her she was going to be a rich old lady. I asked her, ‘Mum, how is that possible? How on earth can we become rich?’ I didn’t believe at all that I can become affluent and successful. And yet I managed to! You might be interested in how a skeptical person can become a leader and founder of a large company, live according to clear life principles, and be a good father to his three children.