Many leaders I know are raving fans of the ABC hit series Shark Tank. The individual known as “the nice judge”seated on the far right is Robert Herjavec. Herjavec co-founded the cyber security company Herjavec Group in 2003 and has become a world-famous Apex Leader ever since.
Recently, Herjavec was interviewed by Inc. Magazine in its July-August 2016 edition. He discussed a variety of topics including how his participation in the television series has made him a better businessman and leader.
Below are 25 Counterintuitive Leadership Quotes And Lessons From Shark Tank’s Robert Herjavec I captured from the article. Many will challenge your preconceived notions about leadership and what is required to be a success.
Before reading those, make sure you check out my previous post 36 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From Daymond John, Robert Herjavec And Members Of The Shark Tank for additional learnings from one of their weekly episodes. Now, onto Herjavec’s comments:
- “Don’t mistake (my) kindness for weakness.”
- “Nobody in this world is better than you, but you are no better than anyone else.” – Herjavec’s mother
- “The No. 1 reason people tell me they won’t start a business is that they don’t think they have what it takes.”
- “What I learn every week is that success has no shape, no color, no height.”
- “The underlying factor in all of us (Shark Tank investors) is inner strength.”
- “I wound up graduating with a BA in English literature – and I didn’t know what to do with it…we’re experts in cybersecurity – but my degree allowed me to compete with people in this field who are smarter than I am technically because I could always tell a better story.”
- “I’ve learned how to squeeze drama out of every moment and make an impact – both on the show and in my work.”
- “Shark Tank has also showed me how people from humble beginnings are always inspired when they meet people who are more successful than they are.”
- “It’s really hard to grow and succeed if you don’t have someone to look up to.”
- “The importance of scale is one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned…Herjavec Group had to venture outside of Canada.”
- “We showed up. That’s how you start.” – Herjavec’s other company founders who understand exporting.
- “Herjavec Group doesn’t look at the Canadian market or the U.S. market. We look at the global market.”
- “Someone is going to dominate the world. Why not us?”
- “There is no such thing as a genius if it’s kept in the basement. You have to tell the world you exist.”
- “People pay a premium for the value he (Daymond John) built around his brand (FUBU).”
- “We go out of our way to let people know what we do best.”
- “Which (what we do best) is shining in highly complex environments that need to be secure. We tend to go toward complexity as opposed to avoiding it.”
- “I also used to think that I was good at operating a cybersecurity business – that was my talent. Now I see that, first and foremost, I am good at running a business.”
- “Teamwork and leadership are no different if you’re in technology or the retail world.”
- “Monday is still my favorite day of the week.”
- “I still get excited about going to work – and so that is what I look for in the founders of the companies I invest in. I look for me.”
- “You actually don’t need education of any kind. You’ve just got to have desire.”
- “Shark Tank has taught me that any business is a continuous uphill battle.”
- “We use the word continuous to describe our forward momentum. That really defines our culture. We celebrate success briefly: quick high-fives, a great dinner of party. The next day, we want to out and add to the momentum.”
- “Passion and desire, the ability to tell a good story, and the knowledge to read a business’s vital signs. These traits in a founder signal a worthwhile company for Herjavec’s portfolio.” – Inc.
What is one lesson from this great leader can implement to become a better leader today?
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