What Type of Person Thrives in the Business Industry, According to a CFO and NPO Founder at Biomerica and Forge Optima
To thrive in Gary's industry, agility and adaptability are key, as is a blend of strategic thinking and tactical execution, as "you have to play chess, not checkers, right? But there's also a part you need to play checkers." Furthermore, success requires strong interpersonal skills, emphasizing empathy alongside the ability to drive execution and "get this stuff done."
Adaptability, Strategic Thinking, Tactical Acumen, Interpersonal Skills, Empathy and Execution Balance
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Gary Lu
CFO / NPO Founder
Biomerica and Forge Optima
UCLA
Economics
Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical, Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Finance
Worked 20+ Hours in School, Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. Agility and Adaptability: Thriving in this industry requires being agile and extremely willing to adapt to changing circumstances.
2. Strategic and Tactical Balance: Success demands a blend of strategic thinking (like playing chess) and tactical execution (like playing checkers); understanding both sides is crucial.
3. Empathy and Execution: Balancing empathy with the need to execute and get things done is essential for navigating teams and organizations effectively.
Transcript
How would you describe people who typically thrive in your industry?
One, how would you describe people who typically thrive in your industry? That's a great question.
I think in order to thrive, you have to be agile. You have to be extremely willing to adapt. On the other side, you have to be a bit of a strategist. You do have to think ahead.
A lot of people say you have to play chess, not checkers, but there's also a part where you need to play checkers. You have to be able to know the tactical side to be a strategist, and to be a good strategist, you need to know the tactical side. It's very correlated.
I think those are the areas that are important to have. Obviously, from a human capital perspective, you just want to be a good human. You want to be able to navigate your teams, your divisions, your organizations. That's going to be really important.
A lot of it has to do with empathy. I think the other part too is there's a mixture of empathy, but also you need to get things done or execute. Finding that balance is probably the most difficult, but obviously one of the important traits as well.