From Corporate to Entrepreneurship: Steven Bartlett’s Lessons on Growth and Leadership

Last Sunday, I attended The Business & Life Speaking Tour with Steven Bartlett in Hong Kong — in spite of the severe typhoon, we made it!

Steven’s sharing felt just as relevant to luxury leaders as they are to entrepreneurs.

Here are five takeaways that stayed with me:

Steven shared an experiment with spiders – when a circle is drawn around them, they believe they’re trapped.
Humans do the same. We draw invisible circles of limitation around ourselves, just they’re only circles of imagination.

In entrepreneurship, I’m reminded how often we underestimate our capacity: the partnerships we can form, the business deals we can win, the prices we can set for our work.

Let’s keep erasing those paper walls – reach out to someone we admire, pitch the bold project, ask for the opportunity that feels slightly out of reach.

Steven explained how doing things we don’t want to do actually strengthens the anterior mid-cingulate cortex – the part of our brain linked to courage and resilience.

How often do we train this muscle? Saying yes to a challenging project, holding a difficult conversation, or learning a new skill that stretches us – these are the daily workouts that build entrepreneurial and leadership strength.

“The most important thing in business,” Steven said, “is not to waste time trying to make decisions.”

Slow decision-making is one of the biggest pitfalls I see in many corporate organisations – debating whether to launch a campaign, refining client initiatives over and over, waiting for every stakeholder to sign off.

Just start, and refine along the way. Momentum beats perfection especially when the business is challenging.

Steven introduced the RICE framework – Reward, Ideology, Coercion, Ego  as a way to understand what truly motivates people.

When it comes to client loyalty, rewards aren’t always financial. It’s rarely about deeper discounts or more gifting. Genuine recognition, meaningful engagement, and a sense of belonging often create far stronger emotional loyalty.

The same applies to leadership and talent retention. Beyond compensation, people seek purpose and connection. Step into their world, understand what drives them, and help them become the hero of their own story.

One of Steven’s most thought-provoking lines was:
“Leadership isn’t about being liked; it’s about the dedication and ability to do great work consistently – and giving your team room to grow.”

This applies to every boutique, boardroom, and start-up. Leadership is not about pleasing everyone – it’s about setting the standard of excellence, nurturing potential, and creating an environment where your people can perform at their best.

Whether you’re leading a brand, building a business, or nurturing clients – your biggest impact as a leader is how you bring people on a journey with you.
Commit to great work.
Stay courageous and curious.
Move fast – but always with heart.

Whenever you are ready, here are the ways we can support you (or your business) to thrive in your industry:

• Review your customer loyalty strategy

• Audit luxury Customer Journey & Experience

• Master The Art and Science of Clienteling

• Design your VIC Event & Experience

• Deliver an Inspiring Keynote

• Support your leadership and communication development