It is not often that I have the time to reflect on times passed in general, yet when The CEO Magazine asked me what advice I would give to myself as a younger man, I have realised this advice is just as important today as it would have been back then.
You see, as I write this to you, I have recently finished presenting on a panel at the tenth annual edition of the Health 2.0 conference in Santa Clara, California. For its tenth year, the conference organisers decided to recognise the most influential leaders in our industry.
Much to my surprise, I was included in the top ten list of finalists, and you can imagine my
shock when my peers selected me to be awarded the distinction of ‘Best Industry Leader’.
The ability to dream big is the only way to push the envelope.
You probably would have strutted around in pride over this award as a younger man, but over the years I have learned that being humble, sincere and transparent is the only way to get to this point to begin with.
It would be easy to be tempted to sit back and be satisfied with this achievement, but the truth is that this is but a transition point for all the work that still needs to be done in healthcare innovation. Therefore, the other piece of advice that is as relevant today as it would have been twenty years ago when you started Healthware International, is that the ability to dream big is the only way to push the envelope.
If a dream seems achievable, the bar has probably been set too low, so go for the sky!
Along the way, be self-critical, and learn to let go of the things that you know don’t work well for yourself, and also cultivate your strengths, as strengths are the things that will lead to success.
And don’t be afraid to be afraid! In the end, a healthy relationship with fear is the one thing that will save you from yourself when the dreams you are pursuing are too ambitious and risky to be achieved.
Yours Sincerely,
Roberto Ascione
