Interview of Daniel Lydianov for Leaders For New Beginning's Blog*, by Desislava Sabeva:
Daniel Lydianov co-founded Weband when he was 20 years old and for him, this was the best "mistake" he has made so far. Some of his acquaintances left their jobs in large international corporations, while others did not even take the step to start elsewhere. And so for five years, he has been striving to be a better version of himself than the day before.
He has been in the web for more than a decade and has repeatedly said that this is his place to develop his mind, create and have fun. He has participated in various competitions, conferences, hackathons, events, and everything from which one can benefit from new knowledge and acquaintances.
For him, success is not the result achieved, but his satisfaction with it.
What do you think are the most important leadership qualities?
The leader must have the quality to learn new qualities constantly!
There is no formula or specific criteria that we need to be leaders. A leader alone does not mean a good leader. But undoubtedly the leader, when he is such, has no right to be lazy, non initiative, or unambitious.
If I come in search of my leader, the qualities I will require of him are at least to have clear goals, to have a vision of the things he does, how to bring them at least to their end, and adequate selection of means to justify these goals.
What are the main challenges for leadership today, in your opinion, and/or for yourself as a digital agency manager and young entrepreneur?
I would divide the challenges into internal (own) and external (the world around us).
Leadership has the spirit that the words "difficult", "mistake" and "ignorance" are not bad words at all. If one is convinced of this, one will draw a good path for the development of one's leadership.
External challenges are all things that happen to us. It is important to know that everything teaches us and we must draw conclusions from it. In practice, we have encountered both good and bad things that have given equal value to the development of the company.
To what extent do digital channels and communication support and create a favorable environment for the emergence of new leaders?
You will probably expect me to say that it makes it easier for us. No, it makes it easier for those who spare no effort to get where they want to go. But if a person does not have the necessary incentive, no matter how many channels of communication he has in front of him - on the contrary, the probability of remaining unnoticed is higher. And as we know, missing out on the digital world today means you'll have to look for serious compensation in something else if you want to survive.
What motivates you to create, be active and develop the business and the environment around you?
It is very important for a leader to know that without the right people around him, things will not go far. I am grateful to the people I work with, the books, the midnight ideas, the good and bad examples around us, and everything that has the effect of keeping you awake until late ... or early.
Leaders you admire and/or inspire in your daily life?
I admire people like Jeanne d’Arc, V. Zaimov, E. Che Guevara, and many others, even those who, due to their motives, have left a bad mark, but have indisputable leadership qualities and skills.
I can not miss all the quality leaders around us today, among friends and colleagues and those who do things happening here in Bulgaria and abroad. These are the people who find motivation, strength, and adaptability no matter what!
Advice that you would give to young people who have taken the path of leadership?
As my father likes to say, instead of "I can't" say "I will try" and instead of "I don't know" - "I will learn".
*Leaders For New Beginning is a book by Justine Toms, Marina Stefanova, Jane Muita, and Esther Gombash, which is "about people in leadership positions who are constantly improving themselves and changing their attitudes and habits according to new realities."
