Name: Miriam Mircea

Title: CEO and co-founder

Organisation: Fort Knox PR, Agent Educateur

I’m a native Romanian, former expat in France, currently successfully transplanted in Germany, where I have been working for the past 12 years as a foreign languages teacher and blogging about culture, education and self love. I’ve been featured on Forbes.com and Forbes Life Romania, amongst many other publications.

Thank you to the 2,000 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 Questions on Leadership!

I hope Miriam's answers will encourage you in your leadership journey. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Jonno White

1. What have you found most challenging as a leader?

I guess my biggest ongoing challenge would be gaining people’s trust and maintaining their respect. Respect has to be earned and I know that, even when I have to deal with very old-fashioned mentalities and even worse misconceptions.

2. How did you become a leader? Can you please briefly tell the story?

I decided that this is my mission, to teach and help others shape their lives for the better, through education to offer them the joy of unlocking their potential as well as taking control of my life and becoming a positive example myself. Destiny is what we make of our time on this rock hotel and our time is limited and the most precious currency that we will ever own.

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

During a working week I usually wake up at 4:30 am and begin my hour long workout at 5-5:15. My workout is non negotiable, it is the time I owe myself, as sport is my therapy. I get ready for work, arrive at school at around 7 am and teach till about 1 or 2 pm. Upon my return home, I rest an hour before doing my domestic chores and in between, I plan my lessons, what topic I’d like to write about next and how to make it work towards my goal. Bedtime is not later than 10 pm.

4. What's a recent leadership lesson you've learned for the first time or been reminded of?

A leader is a leader is not your best friend.

5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

I’ve always been an avid reader, a discoverer of older writings and classical literature. So my education is based quite a lot on our Romanian classics as well as on doing myself a favor and subscribing to an American newspaper in order to understand the investigative journalism and how it’s written.

6. If you could only give one piece of advice to a young leader, what would you say to them?

I’d say and I say: “Just start and do not listen to naysayers, their job is to put others down. Focus on your long term goal and never forget yourself in the process, as you’ll keep learning and evolving. Do not live in the past.”

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a leader, so far?

I’ve had the chance of teaching all age groups, a lot of different nationalities as well as various income levels, leading them to understand how a foreign language is the key to all the doors in another country. I’ve met so many people who have never forgotten me and I would refer in particular to some Syrian refugees who thanked me and said that I’ve made their lives better.