Like every active entrepreneur, I am constantly traveling between my companies scattered around Poland and the world, between one business meeting, congress and finally a press interview. Wanting to “catch my breath” in the meantime, to take care of my work-life balance, I travel even more. They say about me – an inspiring woman, and when repacking another suitcase, I sometimes smile to myself and think – rather a traveling woman.

After years of building companies, today I know for sure that it would not be possible to be successful if I wasn’t a master of planning – what strategy to choose to reach the goal, at what pace to move forward, what means of transport – both literally and figuratively. Today I know that our inner peace also depends on good planning, and this, in turn, is the base around which we should organize our entire lives – private and professional.

However, this state requires conscious effort and self-discipline. I encourage young entrepreneurs to remember that at any time, they should remember to take care of their emotional sphere, their interior, because living in a sense of uncertainty – which unfortunately accompanies them at the beginning of the road to success – will make their self-confidence and self-confidence will only decrease, and this will only attract problematic situations.

I’ve always told myself – don’t wait for a better tomorrow, don’t wait for spring, don’t postpone anything for other, easier times, because if you don’t change anything for the better, your inner life will only change for the worse and will reflect in your outer life. Both personal and professional. Both personal, spiritual and professional development is much more effective when it is taken care of, then it is good and stable than when you have to put out fires. That is why I plan every step, I try to anticipate every possible obstacle and I constantly improve my skills of effective time management and project management under the pressure of its lack.

Despite the fact that now it is much easier to travel thanks to modern means of transport and technologies, it still requires a lot of determination and the ability to make quick decisions in various, sometimes difficult situations. Moving between countries and continents, often by different means of transport, requires self-discipline, self-control, commitment and … yes, yes, something more mundane and completely independent of me – good telephone and internet connections.

In one respect, the world has not changed – entrepreneurs have always had to travel around the world, more often than an ordinary salaried employee. Fortunately, today it is much easier and faster, and with good telephone and Internet connections and the ability to work remotely, we are able to effectively manage projects and maintain contact with the team and clients even from afar. The proper use of online collaboration tools, such as cloud computing or project management programs, also help in work and support the achievement of professional goals regardless of where you are. That is why, when asked how I make my work easier in constant travel, I say that a manager, in addition to personality traits such as determination, decision-making skills, ability to work under pressure and flexibility, must constantly increase knowledge of modern remote project management technologies.

Thanks to such self and project management, I am not afraid of risk or new challenges. My instincts are reliable, but it is true that employing trusted and competent people in each company or branch is crucial in order not to lose emotional and financial balance. Thanks to this balance, it is possible to maintain consistency in actions and the set strategy to reach wherever we have set the direction – both professional and private. What I sincerely advise all young entrepreneurs at the beginning of their journey.

It is also important that these people are fully engaged and understand the company’s goals and how its leaders operate. This allows us to make quick and effective decisions on behalf of the company, as well as to maintain a good atmosphere and organizational culture.

That’s why my employees are chosen by me, I don’t want to be an anonymous CEO traveling on business, I want them to know me, I want to talk to them, know what their goal is, how they see themselves in the organization, what they are guided by. This allows me to build a relationship with them based on trust and understanding and gives me a chance to better understand their needs and expectations. Employees who feel noticed and appreciated tend to be more motivated and more likely to engage in the company’s strategy.

I believe that it is worth investing time in building relationships with employees and taking care of their development, which will certainly bring positive effects for the entire organization. Thanks to such activities, people feel appreciated and noticed, are more engaged in their work and are more willing to contribute to the development of the organization, and thanks to this our business achieves better and better financial results.

Coming back to the original thread: what’s better a CEO on the go looking for new ideas or a CEO sitting and directly supervising? There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question because every CEO is different and everyone has their own management style. The manager must answer for himself whether the organization supervised by him will function properly and whether he can effectively manage even when he is not personally present. There are CEOs who cannot imagine carrying out tasks and achieving set goals without personal presence and direct supervision. However, whether he is inside or outside the company, the manager needs to be sure that his team is working efficiently.

It is important that the CEO is able to maintain control over the overall direction of the organization and be able to monitor whether the stated goals are being met. This means that he should delegate tasks and empower the leaders in the company to make decisions.

I am happy that I manage my companies in such a way that they function perfectly regardless of my presence, because my team knows that I trust them, and they can count on me anytime and anywhere.