Marianne Romestain is the CEO of Gerard Darel, the French fashion brand with a global presence, including branches at Marina Mall and Dubai Mall. She formerly held executive positions in France with Fast Retailing Co, Comptoir des Cotonniers and Cartier.
1. Listen as much as possible to everything and everybody around you. You will get information and opinions much more than you would get by yourself. Ask questions if necessary to those whose cultural or personal background might not allow free expression. The benefits of being aware of other people's opinions will more than counterbalance the time you have devoted to them. But always make your decisions based on your conviction listening and thinking it all over.
2. You can do nothing just by yourself. Partner with others, and share ambitions and challenges with them. Your efficiency and impact on things will grow proportionally to your capacity to involve others and to have them on the same boat.
3. Be clear on what you want to do or get in the long term. Never act according to immediate steps to be reached. Always re-evaluate in the long-term view, even when you are tactical.
4. Enjoy what you do. Always balance the level of effort with the level of enjoyment to make sure you keep your personal inner balance. Try to make sure the people around you also keep their own personal balance. Remind them that positivity is a key to success and that it is largely based on the balance you achieve in and between the different fields of your life.
5. Keep trying. Be stubborn and try as many times as necessary. Never give up on major expectations.