Cultivating an individual identity is more important than following guided rules on leadership

TV shows, movies, media and blogs all portray a certain kind of image of a good leader.

Yet the greatest leaders of all times are all different from one another. While they may have one or two similar qualities, each have their own individuality which sets them apart from the rest.

To be or not to be

Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the greatest icons in football history is not just a phenomenal player but also an inspiring leader.

One of the greatest examples of his leadership came out in Euro 2016 when Joao Moutinho refused to take a penalty kick because of his previous experience of missing the penalty shot in 2012.

In an inspiring video that went viral on YouTube, his coach tried to convince the player to take the shot but he blatantly refused.

Then came Ronaldo who magically uttered a few words of motivation to the player after which he made the perfect shot landing Portugal to victory.

The few words Ronaldo had said were “Come. You hit them well! If we lose then f*** it! Be strong, come on, be strong. You hit them well, come on!, it’s in God’s hands now“

The player listened to his fellow teammate rather than the coach, what can be a greater example of his influence on his team.

There are many more examples of how Ronaldo has motivated his teammates to victory in many cases.

And yet, Ronaldo also stands to be known as one of the most hated players in football, due to his lack of humility.

Image Source: Carl Recine/Action Images via Reuters

On the other hand, there is Abraham Lincoln, one of the greatest presidents of all time.

In his biography Team of Rivals by Dorothy Kearns, he is frequently regarded as a lover of poetry (his favourite being Mortality by William Knox) and a president who spent most of his days in melancholy.

As the title of the book suggests with his exceptional leadership skills he befriended the men who were supposed to be his enemies and together achieved freedom for all slaves throughout the nation creating history for generations to come, something that was thought of as an impossible feat.

His humility is evident when he appointed Stanton as Secretary of War, despite the man previously ridiculing him as a ‘long-armed ape’.

By putting his ego aside, he created such an incredible harmony between the people who were never supposed to be his friends and colleagues in the first place.

An extraordinarily inhuman feat.

President Lincoln was gentle, humble and extremely honourable and yet died as a result of assassination.

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Finally, there was the great Genghis Khan (translated as universal leader), one of the most notable successful military conquerors the world has ever known.

He rose from being the son of a chieftain (who was later killed) into becoming the ruler of the largest land empire in the world.

A leader who led his people to conquer more territories in 25 years than the Roman army could in 400 years. Not only was Genghis Khan known for his brutality, but he was also known for forging friendships and alliances.

Apart from his military conquests, he was also widely known for his style of leadership which favoured merit rather than status. So much that even today the Mongols disregard race, ethnicity, and class creating a society on meritocracy where individuals are rewarded based on their talents. This can also be traced back to when Khan established a legal system ‘Yassa’, a form of unified punishment created in order to build a combined society which abided by the same laws.

Khan was of a complex nature being obscenely clever, strong and believed in equality while also being extremely brutal and a sadist who was entertained when his enemies were stripped off of power.

The bottom line

There are thousands of books written on leadership, articles are written every day on the qualities of a good leader. And even as we close our eyes and think about the perfect leader, there is an image created by the mass of what a good leader should look like or be.

But the truth is there is no perfection to being the best leader because there are no right or wrong rules of being one.

Everyone is different and must find their own leadership style that is in harmony with their innermost qualities. There will always be downsides but at least there will be an individuality that will be established.

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Image Credit: Mahesh Patel

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The e-commerce trends change based on the way we shop, buy, and how we respond to products that are being marketed by businesses

In over last decade, a lot of new e-commerce trends have emerged to have a major influence on e-tailing businesses and their models of operation.

That’s why most of the business owner reach E-commerce development company to build their E-commerce site. With the biggest of global e-tailers such as Amazon have been adopting and reaping the rewards of these trends, we would like to sum up a few of these trends that will gain importance in 2019:

Speedy shipping and efficient delivery logistics

With Amazon offering one-hour delivery service with its ‘Amazon Now’ and the plans to expand the services further in the coming few years, the focus has been on drastically decreasing the time between the click and delivery.

Also Read: Five trends in crowdfunding to watch in 2019

The key competitive advantage the e-commerce businesses have been striving for. Leveraging the emerging technologies, including the driverless freight, the logistical improvements are set to take place this year.

AI and machine learning integration

The e-commerce businesses are bringing about the intelligent algorithm to deal with the key challenges to segment the customers and identify the patterns effectively based on their browsing history for enabling personalisation and automation.

Such intelligent strategies have resulted in visible sales conversions and gains and are therefore going to be widely adopted with the integration of AI and machine learning

Augmented Reality inches closer to the mainstream market

With major brands such as Apple and Google introducing tools to enable product visualisation with the help of augmented reality, this trend is highly likely to catch on in 2019 with the use of AR/VR enabled sensible devices

Mobile checkout and IoT growth

Mobile payment is witnessing dramatic innovations enabling the people who shop frequently and more conveniently.

Also Read: 4 hottest HR trends to watch out in 2019

With many different mobile payment platforms available today the mobile payment market has been growing and with Apple Pay, Google Pay, Cryptocurrency, Bitcoin.and the proprietary offerings from banks such as Chase and Softbank, the new trend in 2019 is set to move us further away from cash and closer to mobile payment systems.

The growing popularity of ROPO

In line with the growing shopping habit of a typical consumer, that of ‘Research Online, Purchase Offline’ (ROPO), which is driven mainly by the thrifty and bargain-seeking consumers, 2019 is going to be a year of the e-commerce options and business models that more enable and support the ROPO trend.

The world of e-commerce around us is ever-changing and can solely grow more considerably in 2019. All the latest technologies have been enabling these emerging trends to evolve and get adapted at a wider level with ease.

 

As an e-commerce business owner, you need to identify and embrace the trends that best suit your specific business needs and goals, enabling you to provide consumers with the best value possible.

The key is to understand that the better the user experience you offer, the better will be your sales.

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Bitkub founders want to build a blockchain ecosystem that provides a one-stop service for retail investors and enterprises in Thailand

With the objective to bridge the gap between blockchain, cryptocurrency services and non-tech users Biktub wants to be the most trusted and easy-to-use cryptocurrency exchange in Thailand.

They have successfully closed an additional THB50 million (US$ 1.67 million) pre-series A round at THB750m (US$25m) valuation from an undisclosed investor.

The funds were used for maintenance of high-end services as they are a customer-centric, and easing use, transaction speed and convenience are their top priorities.

Biktub’s cryptocurrency exchange platform provides multi-cryptocurrency wallets, user-friendly technical analysis tools, and alternative cash-out options for businesses willing to improve their payment processing systems.

One of their main goals is to accelerate cryptocurrency adoption in Thailand and the pre-series A round was used to develop infrastructures and applications, compliance program (AML/KYC), automation of workflows as well as the acquisition of additional necessary licenses. A proportion of the funds was allocated to strengthen product knowledge and talent.

Also read: How Thailand is making strides to mold Bangkok into a global startup destination

Co-founded by Topp Jirayut Srupsrisop– Thailand’s leading crypto expert, ex-Goldman employee Atichanan Pulges, and owner of Thailand’s largest bitcoin club– Sakolkorn Sakavee; Biktub currently has about 25,000 users per day want to raise an A round to expand globally.

Bitkub Capital Group Holdings Co., Ltd. consists of four main business units –Bitkub Online for the digital asset exchange platform, Bitkub Blockchain provides ICO advisory services, Bitkub Blockchain Academy works for blockchain education and Bitkub Capital acting as a venture capital firm taking care of investments.

The founders said they want to build a blockchain ecosystem that provides a one-stop service for retail investors as well as enterprises to learn, invest, and integrate blockchain technologies into their own infrastructure. They envision a tokenised world that will create an unprecedented level of financial access, privacy, and security. All these will be made viable with Bitkub acting as a thought leader in financial innovation.

Ever since their SEC license in January, they have joined hands with other blockchain and cryptocurrency entities in Asia such as Asia Blockchain Review, Finansia, and OKex to reach out more crypto enthusiasts. They also have a trading platform for Thais and partnered with Swaple to pay for products with the Dragon Siam in Bangkok.

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Image credit: Jakob Owens on Unsplash

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In Tokyo, it already offers selected local experience to Taiwanese visitors and also introduces an instant booking application for entertainment to local people

FunNow, an instant booking app for entertainment and leisure activities in Taiwan, has raised an undisclosed sum in Series A+ funding from CSV Venture Fund II.

CSV Venture Fund is managed jointly by Japan’s NEC Capital Solutions and Venture Labo Investment. 

This is CSV’s first investment in Taiwan.

The new round comes just over a year after FunNow secured US$5 million in Series A led by Alibaba Entrepreneur Fund.

“We are very honoured to have been recognised by NEC. We also think highly of the entertainment industry in Japan,” says Mic Hsieh, General Manager of FunNow Japan.

“More than 1,000 overseas merchants are now working with us to provide city entertainments for the locals in Tokyo, Okinawa, Hong Kong, and Kuala Lumpur,” said FunNow CEO TK Chen. 

“With the Series A+ round funding, we are going to expand our team and merchant supplies and continue our efforts into connecting life circles in different East Asian cities. At the same time, we are aiming to serve travellers to Tokyo for 2020 Tokyo Olympic,” Chen added.

Also Read: The perfect leader in an imperfect world: how these leaders embraced their unusual traits to lead

Launched in November 2015, FunNow allows people to book entertainment activities instantly. Its search engine and algorithm of real-time availability calculation, combined with the geolocation technology, allows customers to get a glance of all the available slots within their perimeter almost instantly. Through a few clicks, a user can make a reservation for activities such as body massage, bars or fun experiences, or a short getaway to the neighbouring cities without planning.

As of today, FunNow has around one million users and 3,000 merchants. The team has grown from 25 people in 2018 to approximately 70 this year. 

FunNow has around 1,000 merchant partners in overseas markets and continues to expand its territory to build East Asia entertainment ecosystem.

Having gained the experience from its success in Taiwan in the last four years, FunNow is expanding the business to other markets, setting foot in Tokyo and Kuala Lumpur. 

In Tokyo where it launched in July, it offers selected local experience to Taiwanese visitors to the city and also introduces an instant booking application for entertainment to residents. So far, FunNow has partnered with 300 merchants in Tokyo and Okinawa, and the number is expected to reach 500 by the end of 2019.

Kuala Lumpur is another focus for FunNow in its great entertainment ecosystem blueprint. Following the Malaysian government’s Digital Economy policies, FunNow has assisted 200-plus local massage merchants, including the largest massage chain in the nation, Healthland, to digitize their reservation process. 

Along with the expansion, the company is establishing partnerships with other brands. “This year, we also partnered with different brands, including Michelin and GQ, to hold different campaigns and try to offer diverse fun activities to our users,” said Szu-Chi Lee, CMO of FunNow. 

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Image Credit: FunNow

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3 tips to turbo-charge your SEO campaign, and what else you’ll need to know to bolster your digital presence in the modern age

Search engine optimisation has grown to become one of the most important facets of the modern economy; if your business doesn’t have a robust web presence which can easily attract new viewers, you’ll likely struggle to drum up enough income to keep the lights on.

Despite the fact that SEO campaigns have taken on new importance in most industries, many small business owners and seasoned corporate professionals have little to no experience with SEO. Rather than relying on your gut instincts, it’s imperative to learn how to master SEO for your commercial purposes.

Here are 3 tips to turbo-charge your SEO campaign, and what else you’ll need to know to bolster your digital presence in the modern age.

Know how to conduct market research properly

Launching a successful SEO campaign isn’t easy, and every company demands a unique approach to SEO if they want to achieve the best results possible. However, one universal factor which cannot be ignored is that proper market research is essential towards successful SEO campaigns.

No matter who you are or what industry you’re located in, proper market research will elucidate your target audience and the most effective means of reaching it. Without that crucial information, the rest of your SEO efforts will be in vain, so be sure to spare no time and expense when it comes to SEO market research.

Also Read: How online data is transforming market research

Research may be important, but that doesn’t mean you automatically know how to do it. Furthermore, many people who have been conducting market research for years are now sorely unfit to do so in the modern digital environment, which demands a tech-savvy approach to market research if you want to drum up interesting and actionable results.

The first step is to find out who your competitors are while determining which keywords are the most effective in your niche industry.

When conducting this kind of competitive analysis, you’ll want to review some useful SEO tools which may expedite the process.

No professional can make prudent business decisions solely on the basis of their instincts, so remember that leveraging tools to bolster your research efforts could be the deciding factor which determines the ultimate success of your SEO campaign. Fantastic SEO campaigns often rely on paid professionals, too, so don’t be afraid to solicit outside expertise if you lack the human capital you need to achieve your goals in-house.

Understand the importance of stellar content

All the market research in the world will be useless to you if you fail to recognise the importance of stellar content when it comes to a successful SEO campaign. Firms conduct market research for a reason – it teaches them about the local lay of the land and who they need to reach out to turn a profit.

These crucial insights are utterly worthless; however unless you can act upon them, which necessarily entails generating tantalising content which will leave viewers hungry for more.

Failing to make high-quality content the defining factor of your SEO campaign is the easiest way to ensure that your SEO marketing funds are spent in vain.

Many of the hardworking professionals you hire may be excellent in their respective fields but useless when it comes to writing SEO-friendly content, so be sure to familiarise yourself with the tips and tools of the trade required to churn out good work that your audience will appreciate.

Understanding the importance of stellar content necessitates that you understand good work comes with a cost. If you try to cut back on your marketing budget by minimising how much you spend on good content, the overall success of your SEO campaign will be imperilled, so be willing to spend the needed amount of money to make your SEO content sparkle.

Be aware of common mistakes

The final tip for turbocharging your SEO campaign is aware of the common mistakes which have caused countless other marketing initiatives to flounder and fail. If you do some cursory research on SEO without being well-versed in its particulars, for instance, you could end up leveraging some useful-sounding advice that’s ultimately outdated or irrelevant.

Everybody familiar with SEO can tell you the importance of keywords, for instance, yet keyword stuffing is still rife and liable to harm your SEO efforts. Jamming too many keywords into too narrow of space can backfire, as can a myriad of other “tried and true” SEO strategies that will ultimately produce lacklustre results and let you down.

Also Read: Asia’s beauty lies in its complexity: 3 strategies to do well in an Asian market

Something as simple as reading up on the common SEO mistakes which are worth avoiding could help you avoid a marketing disaster which could set your company back months.

Most of these errors can be avoided in the first place if you hire talented, well-qualified experts with a history of success, too, so don’t think that you’re inevitably going to make a mistake when you can rely on an expert.

Keeping these tips in mind, proceed with caution and soon your SEO campaigns will be performing better in no time.

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