Unlocking Your Full Potential
January brings with it a fresh outlook, a chance for us all to reflect on how we do business and consider what we could be doing differently to achieve our goals.
But perhaps the best question we can ask ourselves as a starting point is ‘are we fulfilling our potential?’ Businesses of all sizes, from every sector and industry, owe their success to their people. Before we can judge the outward potential of our business, we need to look at that of the people within it.
Better leaders are created through inspiration, motivation and empowerment. The importance of ongoing skills development cannot be underestimated in achieving business results. Northern Ireland is abundant with entrepreneurial talent and energy. It is vital we tap into that and give individuals of all levels the necessary tools to grow professionally and ultimately drive the local economy. This may involve fine tuning your employee development programme, encouraging a ‘mentorship mindset’ within your organisation or facilitating networking opportunities which garner confidence and valuable business links.
There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to leadership development, but if your focus remains on enriching, empowering and unlocking the potential of the individual, it can only have benefit. In May this year we will unite business people from across the globe for a unique networking opportunity in Belfast.
Our International Business Women’s Conference (IBWC 2014) will bring delegates together to share experiences and learnings, and to hear inspirational addresses from some of the world’s most influential business leaders such as Dr anita Sands, former group managing director of uBS and member of Global Irish network; una Fox, vice-president of the Walt Disney Company Corporate Technology group and head of ITLG’s Women in Leadership Group; Helena Morrissey, founder of the 30% Club (and CEO of newton Investment); Professor Lisbeth Goodman, director of Smart Lab at nuI Dublin; and Les McKeown, chief executive of Predictable Success.
The conference will be shaped around core business themes such as leadership, motivation, entrepreneurship, global trends and diversity. These themes represent the issues we feel are key to unlocking potential and ‘creating a new economy’- an economy which is vibrant, diverse, sustainable and wholly achievable, if business women and men work together. We’re proud to have secured valuable support for our international conference from our partners at Invest nI, ulster Bank, northern Ireland Tourist Board, Visit Belfast, Belfast City Council, NYSE Euronext and Queen’s university Belfast – testament to its potential economic legacy for northern Ireland.
IBWC 2014 will seek to develop business people from within so they are empowered to drive their businesses upward and outward. As you look to plans for the year ahead, we hope you will mark our conference in your diary for May 12-15 – and make 2014 the year your business truly unlocks its full potential.
Full information on IBWC 2014 at www.ibwc2014.com and via Twitter @IBWC2014
* Roseann Kelly (roseann@womeninbusinessni.com) is chief executive of Women in Business, the largest and fastest growing business network for female entrepreneurs and senior women in management in Northern Ireland with more than 1,000 members. Follow Women in Business NI on Facebook or on Twitter.
Source: irishnews.com
