I recently had the pleasure of spending time with Nicolas Brusson, the co-founder and COO of Europe’s leading ride sharing service BlaBlaCar, and was completely struck by his earnest quest to foster exceptional company culture.
Having recently raised the largest funding round of all-time for a French startup, BlaBlaCar’s garnered significant press highlighting the company’s expansion to emerging markets like Latin America and the Middle East and the founders’ dream to be on the NASDAQ billboard in NYC. While the media’s coverage of BlaBlaCar’s 200% annual growth rate and growing database of nine million members is certainly warranted, it’s the founding team’s unwavering commitment to build a company people love working for that’s leading to their immense success.
Nicolas inspired me to be more authentic in each of my relationships and I hope these ten insights will help you do the same.
1. Nothing will garner attention more than your presence. Being in present moment awareness with your audience forms an unbreakable bond.
– Inspired by Gary Genard The Genard Method
2. When you speak from the heart and to the heart, you make a lasting impression.
Inspired by Jeremy Donovan, Author of How to Deliver a TED Talk
3. In a boss led culture, few emerge as leaders. While in a boss-less environment, everyone is encouraged to lend expertise.
– Inspired by Richard Sheridan, CEO of Menlo Innovations
4. Want to stimulate your team’s creativity? Cut the noise and get out of their way.
– Inspired by Faisal Hoque, Founder of SHADOKA
5. As the leader, don’t expect to gain allies at work, if you’re not first a trusted ally to them. Model the behavior you desire in others.
– Inspired by Morag Barrett, Author of Cultivate: The Power of Winning Relationships
6. Rules don’t have to be rigid. The more logical and clear they are, the more trust they garner.
– Inspired by Anna Bernasek, Author of The Economics of Integrity
7. Confident people pursue mastery, not perfection. In that quest of learning lies your greatest wisdom.
– Inspired by Claire Shipman, Senior Correspondent for Good Morning America
8. While it’s scary sometimes to be authentic, do it anyway. You’re the only one who can be you.
– Inspired by Renee Blodgett, CEO and Founder of Magic Sauce MediaTM
9. The path to ‘Flow’ requires that you trust the truth of your own life. Ignore your voice of intuition at your peril.
– Inspired by Steven Kotler, Co-founder of Research Flow Genome Project
10. “The reason birds can fly and we can’t is simply because they have perfect faith, for to have faith is to have wings.” – J.M Barrie