3 Significant Lessons for CEOs

This week, I – along with the incredible team at Prizm Media – received a great honour when Business in Vancouver awarded me the BC CEO of The Year Award. To be recognized for the amazing work our team has done is a wonderful feeling, and to be identified as a leader in this community has made me so proud. I want nothing more than to see other businesses grow and succeed in the way we have been so fortunate to. I want to take this opportunity to share a few of my best tips for other CEOs out there, and start a discussion around how to really be successful in this market.

One of the enduring values of Prizm Media has been a focus on diversity – most importantly with our team, but also in how we approach, discuss, and develop new project ideas. I’m a firm believer that diversity directly leads to innovation, and that our firm’s diversity has been central to our success. To CEOs, I challenge you to take a look at the composition of your team and your business. Do you have individuals with varying backgrounds, education, experience, perspectives, and cultures? I have learned so much from team members who are different from myself, and that difference in perspective has been a big contributor to our ability to stay innovative.

I’ve discussed the importance of giving back in previous blog posts and I will reiterate here: ensuring that giving back is part of Prizm’s corporate culture has been one of the best decisions I have made as a CEO. Not only has our team had a tremendous impact on the community (over 160,000 meals served to those in need), but they have become more engaged with the company and have really lead the charge in growing our community involvement. I know how difficult it can seem to focus on community outreach when trying to remain competitive in your industry. I cannot stress enough how important it is to show your team, customers, and prospects that you are an organization that cares about making a difference – in people’s health and in the communities you serve. There’s nothing like it.

There are many traits that define a successful CEO. However, if I were to prioritize one, it would be adaptability. For our business, adaptability has been this biggest trait that has contributed to our success. The healthcare industry is one that is changing rapidly – and adaptability has been the one thing that time and again has allowed us to succeed in this business. Whether it is responding to changes in the market, changes in legislation, or changes in people’s health, being able to adapt while continuing to meet your customers’ needs has allowed us to stay ahead of the curve and continue to grow. It is an honour and a privilege to be recognized as a leading CEO in our business community. I would like to end this article by giving a special thanks to my team at Prizm Media, Business in Vancouver for their incredible organization and congratulations to all CEOs out there.