Introduction: From Laughter to Leadership
In 2023, during my intro as the CEO of UPBRIGHT, it was apparent that a good number of people were laughing.
For plenty, the vision of a 20-something potentially becoming the CEO of a company with four people working for it was uproarious.
My team also joined in the laughter, completely clueless abut the unfolding trajectory. Now that I reflect on those days, I can only reminisce and smile fondly.
“For multiple people, the world of UPBRIGHT seemed nothing but a vision, but we as a determined team strived to build off of that.
Alhamdulillah, within a few years we have more than triple offices and a significantly scaling of workforce stationed. Following the right mindset arrested with utmost determination, the belief that needing to keep an optimistic perception towards everything is truly the way to anything.”
The Early Days: “You’re the CEO of Just 4 People?”
A good proportion of the world would view us as timid pioneers riding off nothing but visions.
The initial catchphrase of mine as the CEO was met with grade A skepticism. “You’re the CEO of just four people?” was something very common and rather amusing to hear at the time.
It did get its own share of laughs. While even the team root for having a drill down gut buster. While it did become discouraging, focusing off the vision we had driven an astoundingly high level of motivation deep down, above following a numerous stride and getting the correct perception on what real success means.
As the saying goes, “It’s not about the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.”
I understood that if I started thinking and behaving like a CEO, I would one day become the leader I sought to be. Therefore, I adopted that mindset from day one.
Mindset is Everything: Thinking Like a CEO
Achieving success as a CEO is not something that happens instantaneously or just because you wear the title.
A successful CEO is made after years of shaping their thoughts, actions, and tactics. If you wish to steer a vast corporation forward, begin by sculpting your mindset first, irrespective of the stage you are at your career.
In my perspective, a CEO brings in ownership to everything that happens within the company, ranging from the most trivial decisions to the most daunting challenges.
It’s about being a role model for the team by demonstrating what leadership truly is while unwaveringly advancing the business. The core principle here is to have a long-term vision toward which every action, decision, and strategy is taken.
Each of those challenges while in the early phases were opportunities to sharpen our commitments towards the mission.
Apportioning the attributes of a CEO means to being proactive and solution-focused while looking at ways to make everything better not just at the individual level but at the organizational level.
The Power of Persistence: Building UPBRIGHT
The experience I gained while establishing UPBRIGHT was, to put it mildly, deeply insightful.
There is no such thing as pure luck in any venture; there is UPBRIGHT because of hard work, relentless effort, and a team that shares the same vision.
Now, I take great satisfaction in telling others about what we have accomplished together in building UPBRIGHT UP.
The initial stages of the expansion were undoubtedly challenging. During the voyage, there was a lot of uncertainty coupled with challenges of its own.
Having said that, every single one of our actions was intentional to ensure that this initiative goes a long way being of importance to every UPBRIGHT UP stakeholder.
That is the mission that has powered our engines and helped fulfill them in tough times.
As of now, Alhamdulillah, we are operating from 3 offices and have a rapidly growing team.
As one of the first employees in a team of 4 cultivating a real impact in our industry, we are beginning to realize our potential. Or, as I like to think, it is only a starting point.
Overcoming Doubts and Criticism: “Aim High, No Matter What”
This journey taught me to manage criticism because, as we know, it is part and parcel of high achievement.
When you set a high bar for yourself, potential detractors and naysayers are sure to pop up. As long as someone has the audacity to ridicule you for your big goals, you are doing things right.
People who have attained some level of success do not waste their precious time in self-deprecation or bringing someone else down.
Their thought processes revolve around empowering others. My empathy to people who laugh at over-ambitious goals stems from the notion that they are not laughing out of achievement, so they haven’t achieved that level of success themselves.
Rather than feeling disgruntled, I learned to become more intent on resolving the so-called ‘impossible.’
Lessons Learned: From CEO of Four to CEO of Three Offices
I have faced multiple obstacles during this specific journey of growth. From managing a business that had four employees to now operating three offices, meeting with such obstacles has been worthwhile.
Success does not come without effort. It did not happen without putting every ounce of will into the effort day in and day out.
It stemmed from working like a CEO and trying to build a passionate team to achieve common objectives.
Key Takeaways
Set Goals Bigger Than Life: No matter how small something starts, aim for the greatest height. You have to harness your belief before anyone believes in you.
Take Criticism Positively: If your dreams are getting scoffed at, make it a target for putting in the extra hours. Let no negativity stand between you and your undeterred goals.
Act With Intention: All choices made must be measured with your future goals in mind. Be it the mundane tasks or giant leaps for the corporation, have the end in sight at all times.
Show, Don’t Tell: Leadership goes beyond the crown. It functions. You stand and act as the example you wish to see and the team will replicate.
The Road Ahead: Continued Growth and Ambition
The expansion of UPBRIGHT has made me more devoted than ever toward the growth and vision of the company. My leaders deliberated on the previous four years and recap as “a journey,” while UPBRIGHT is undergoing transformations as developmental phases, and I completely agree. With the appropriate attitude, there is nothing that cannot be attained.
A clean slate awaits in the form of making plans, achieving set goals, and inspiring employees globally as every step of further project initiatives make toward supplementary developmental aspirations.
