VIVIAN BRUDER * Entrepreneur / Deal-Maker * Houston, Texas* LEADERSHIP * Interview by Karla Darocas

[Karla Darocas *New Frontier]

Leadership is obviously a difficult topic for business people to talk about
because when I requested interviews from many outstanding entrepreneurs, only Vivian Bruder from Texas was willing to share her opinions. In my books, this is what makes a great leader!

Vivian Bruder considers herself an entrepreneur and deal-maker, however her outlook on life is one of a student and a “wannabe” investor. In the past two years she has learned a lot about the do's and don'ts of International Resorts sales.

“There is a lot of deal making that comes with this type of industry and it is
not unusual to have people seeking your help with the hopes of selling property in different parts of the world. I am not an investor yet but I keep hoping that sooner rather than later, in this market, one of my resorts will get on the "hot" list and I will be living in Spain as part of my personal investment
goals!”

BRIEF PROFILE
Name:Vivian Santoro Bruder
Nationality: Brazilian / USA
Current Living / Working Location/s: Houston, Texas
Type of Enterprises: International Real Estate, Public Relations, Marketing,
Account Executive for Campeche Playa Resort for the Spanish Grupo Mall in Texas and at this time the USA.
Years in Operation: 2 years

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q* Do you feel that we all can "learn" leadership skills and use them in our
business life? Or - do you feel that people are just "natural" born leaders and
others cannot lead their way out of a wet paper bag? Can you give an example from your experiences?

A* I feel that a persons “personality” plays a major role in determining who
will and who won’t be comfortable as a leader. The right combination of
self-discipline, high emotional stamina, preciseness, competitiveness and
emotional stability all are important factors.

Having worked with someone who was a good leader, I witnessed how she was able to bring out entrepreneurship of each one of us. She helped us to achieve individual and group success without micro-managing.

Q* Who would you say are the top new frontier business icons that are using their leadership skills to reach the people?

A* I really don't have an specific icon at this time, however if I was to point
out a group then I would say the new frontier leaders are the Internet Gurus and some of the new Airline Executives.

Q* Do you believe that good leaders - make mistakes?

A* Yes they do make mistakes and they should, as their mistakes made early on in their career will help mold and prevent other minor and major mistakes from happening. The most serious mistake a leader can make is not being able to lead himself or herself and not being able to manage their behavior and thereby engaging in self-destructiveness.

Q* What would you categorize as the top leadership skills to have in today’s entrepreneurial climate that is faced with a global recession?

A* I believe that the ability to adapt and "think out of the box" is important.
Maturity, good intuition, the courage to take risks, empathy and the ability to
guide a team towards a common goal are some other leadership skills. It is a
combination of these skills and a certain amount of luck plus a good humor that are necessary in an global recession.

Q* Can your leadership qualities make an impact on your sales? Can you give a few examples?

A* Yes it can. A leader should not act as a dictator to assert their leadership.
It is better to invite collaboration and show employees genuine appreciation for
their sales efforts. When a leader demonstrates gratitude in a positive manner
then employees understand. Incentives such as sales bonuses, benefits, cash
rewards are good. Also, welcoming new ideas and rewarding them, celebrating
achievement and making everybody a part of the success, while at the same making each and everyone feel responsible makes for a good leader.

[Nina Hübscher]

Very true. I see it the same way. Vivian, you had good teachers and developped yourself and did not stand still. Very important for a leader - not to show any snobbing, "know-better manners" and to put any pressure on unimportant things. Each person is different. I think it is essential for an entrepreneur and leader to be helpful, appreciative, understanding but at the same time to defend his thinking, his/her way to do business and give resposibility to your staff. It has a lot to do with love. Love and enthusiasm for your work, for your clients, for your employees. A real leader can show his/her abilities in a fine, human way - because first of all - we are all humans. He/she does not need to suppress and to "show the boss". Be natural, humorous and not to forget to praise good work. You have all "on your side". Whatever we give - comes back to us in one or another way.

Thank you, Vivian, you made me thinking about this subject.

Nina

[Vivian Bruder]

Hello Nina,
Thank you! I appreciate your comments. This was not an easy subject to answer. Lets keep in touch.
Vivian

Nina Hübscher said:

Very true. I see it the same way. Vivian, you had good teachers and developped yourself and did not stand still. Very important for a leader - not to show any snobbing, "know-better manners" and to put any pressure on unimportant things. Each person is different. I think it is essential for an entrepreneur and leader to be helpful, appreciative, understanding but at the same time to defend his thinking, his/her way to do business and give resposibility to your staff. It has a lot to do with love. Love and enthusiasm for your work, for your clients, for your employees. A real leader can show his/her abilities in a fine, human way - because first of all - we are all humans. He/she does not need to suppress and to "show the boss". Be natural, humorous and not to forget to praise good work. You have all "on your side". Whatever we give - comes back to us in one or another way.

Thank you, Vivian, you made me thinking about this subject.

Nina