There are a few factors that can help you stand out In the highly competitive working world; exceptional leadership strategies, an attractive company culture that offers both freedom and responsibility, and a leadership style that allows people to tap into their “genius.” Tune in to this episode to hear from Maxwell Reed about the effort that has gone into turning Kingdom of Something into the irreplaceable production partner it is today.

About Maxwell Reed:

Maxwell is a Swedish-Canadian creative entrepreneur based out of Amsterdam. Having worked for one of the biggest companies in the creative advertisement industry, he quit his job and founded his own motion design company in 2016 with four former classmates (one of whom he now runs the company with). With the amazing talent on the team and clients like Adidas, KFC, Nike, and Panda Express, he often looks forward to returning to the office on Monday morning.

Episode highlights:

• Find your genius because that’s where you will create magic for your business; and then delegate the rest. Your genius is the skill set that comes naturally to you; the things you can do exceptionally well without needing to try too hard. For Maxwell, it’s networking. For you, it might be anything from organizational skills to coding. (09:25)
• A strong, healthy company culture is essential for attracting and retaining great people. Maxwell’s approach has been to create a safe environment that gives people freedom with responsibility (people can take as much time off as they want to, as long as they are delivering high-quality work on time). (14:55)
• As a leader, it’s important to find the right balance between being a boss and being a friend. This will help to cultivate a good atmosphere in the work environment and motivate your team members to give their best selves to the company. (22:20)
• As a leader, don’t think of yourself as being better than your team members. Flatten the hierarchy in your company by not asking your team members to do things you aren’t willing to do yourself (cleaning the coffee machine, for example). (26:40)
• Be a problem-solver, not an order-taker. This approach will get the creative juices flowing, keep you and your team members feeling inspired, and set you apart from your competitors. (28:13)
• You don’t have to say yes to every opportunity that comes your way. But if you say no, always try to give clients another solution. This will allow you to avoid burning out and delivering sub-part work while sustaining relationships that may result in more work in the future. (43:20)

Maxwell’s best advice for entrepreneurs:

Connect with Maxwell:

• Website
• Instagram
• Creative (K)Nights Podcast

Resources Mentioned:

• RevThink
• Joel Pilger

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