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Thank you to the 1,400 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 questions!
I hope reading
7 Questions with Faris Alami
helps you in your leadership.
Cheers,
Jonno White
7 Questions with Faris Alami
Name: Faris Alami
Current title: CEO
Current organization: International Strategic Management
As ISM Founder, Faris works with international leaders and entrepreneurs on strategies
and implementations to create an empowering environment for startups and businesses to
prosper and grow. He has functioned as:
* Special Advisor, Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and SME Development Expert with the World Bank
* Business Advisor with Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program
* Affiliate with Kauffman Foundation
* Mentor to MBA Students and Entrepreneurs Globally
In his work facilitating economic and workforce development programs that include
entrepreneurship, small/medium enterprise development, mentorship, and funding, Faris
works with high-ranking officials — presidents of countries, ministries, universities,incubators/accelerators, economic development groups. The ISM team has been particularly successful helping entrepreneurs in underserved communities find success.
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1. What have you found most challenging as a board member?
Boards are actually fun and rewarding
2. How did you become a board member? Can you please briefly tell the story?
Started as a volunteer to several organizations and the chairman of the board asked me to join their Executive teams. One of the things that I was told is that the strategy and the approach to challenges that we’re faced we’re need in the Executive space.
3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?
Start with reading in the morning any updates and looking at the schedule, creating top one to 3 priorities then meetings, emails, speaking engagements and then planning for the next day/week/month.
4. What's the most recent significant leadership lesson you've learned?
Stay the course and don’t let tactics stop you from the strategic direction that you need to go after.
5. What are some of the keys to doing governance well in an organisation?
Communication
6. How do you differentiate between the role of board member and the roles of CEO or executive team member of an organisation?
Board is strategies and directions. CEO and team is for operations and day to day operation
7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a board member so far?
One of them as I explained how we may want to think about our finances in a different way and look at creating buckets.
