Name: Sharon

Title: Sharon Zaks

Organisation: Sharon Zaks

Who Am I?

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👉 I coach remote workers to overcome various challenges ✈️

👉 Content writer, digital writer, copywriter & social media manager with 4+ years of experience ✍️

👉 I write CVs and LinkedIn profiles from scratch

👉 Digital slowmad for two years 👩‍💻

👉 Lived slowly in 6 countries (Bulgaria, Albania, Spain, Turkey, Bosnia, and Poland) 🐌

👉 Former Manager of Digital Nomads Israel community (45K members) 🌎

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

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

Cheers,

Jonno White

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

Understanding different people's perspectives, opinions, and lifestyle choices.

When working with people, you have to realize that people think differently than you. Sometimes not so logically, sometimes very emotionally.

I had to learn to listen and respect others, even when I knew they're wrong.

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

I was a member of Digital Nomads Israel.

Then, the community leader asked me to join the leadership team and help him grow the community.

I wasn't a digital nomad or remote worker back then.

But I took the challenge anyway because I knew I was about to become a digital nomad.

For 2 years, we grew this community into the largest DN community in Israel.

We created collaborations with other companies and communities, bringing the remote work world to Israeli society.

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

I always start my day with a long walk at the beach and listening to a podcast.

It rewires my brain to focus on the one mission \ challenge I wish to solve.

Then I go to a coworking space and work on my most urgent challenges.

Then, in the afternoon, I dedicate 1-2 hours solely for learning: Digital courses, webinars,

workshops about AI, content writing, social media, and marketing.

Then I hit the gym to lift weights. Healthy body = healthy mind.

Then I go out for a walk, meet friends, and enjoy my evenings.

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

You can't force an agenda.

You have to inspire one.

This is also a quote from my favorite show, Mr. Robot.

This year I launched a service that nobody wanted to buy.

I was convinced the market needed it, so I didn't do market research properly.

I invested much time and energy in this.

I realized I have to ask people, consult, get a business coach, feel the market.

I can't force my service on other people.

I have to inspire them to want it.

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?

"Start with Why"

I used to focus on features instead of benefits.

I used to talk about what's in there for me, instead of the client.

After reading start with why, I realized most people don't care about that.

They're interested in my deep, meaningful reasons.

They wanna know WHY I do what I do.

Why I work remotely.

Why I refuse the 9-5 rat race.

Why I travel the world.

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

Learn social skills.

Learn all of them: Handling conflicts, humor, flirtation, charisma, marketing. All of them.

Learn to communicate fluently by writing and speaking.

And learn them as deeply as you can.

We live in a world of marketing.

If you can't market yourself, you're a ghost.

No matter how good you are.

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

An American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied, “only a little while. The American then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish? The Mexican said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs. The American then asked, “but what do you do with the rest of your time?”

The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siestas with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine, and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life.” The American scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing, and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually New York City, where you will run your expanding enterprise.”

The Mexican fisherman asked, “But, how long will this all take?”

To which the American replied, “15 – 20 years.”

“But what then?” Asked the Mexican.

The American laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions!”

“Millions – then what?”

The American said, “Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siestas with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos.”

Be happy with less.