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Good morning to all new and old readers! Here is your Wednesday edition of Faster Than Normal, exploring one short story about a person, a company, a high-performance tool, a trend I’m watching closely, and curated media to help you build businesses, wealth, and the most important asset of all: yourself. 

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Today’s edition:

Cheers,
Alex

P.S. Send me feedback on how we can improve. I respond to every email.

Stories of Excellence

Person: Bernard Arnault

Bernard Arnault, the French business magnate, has built a luxury empire that spans over 75 brands. Born in Roubaix in 1949, Arnault started his career in his father's construction company. In 1984, he acquired Christian Dior, marking his entry into the luxury goods sector. Arnault's shrewd business acumen led to the creation of LVMH in 1987, now the world's largest luxury goods company. "I always liked being number one," Arnault once said, reflecting his ambitious nature. His strategy of decentralized management and focus on brand heritage has been key to LVMH's success. As of 2024, Arnault's net worth is estimated at $180 billion, making him one of the world's wealthiest individuals. At 75, he remains actively involved in LVMH's operations, with an eye on future growth and succession planning.

Key Lessons from Bernard Arnault:

• On talent: Arnault believes in surrounding himself with the brightest individuals, even if their roles aren't immediately defined. "It is better to have talented people by your side than to risk them joining a competitor."

• On long-term thinking: Arnault focuses on long-term goals rather than short-term fluctuations. "What I have in mind is 2030. Every one of our plans are aimed to this."

• On brand management: Arnault's strategy of decentralization and highlighting each brand's heritage has been crucial to LVMH's success. "The more star brands a company owns, the less it will be sensitive to the economic cycle."

Read More.

Company: Vitol

Vitol was founded in 1966 by Henk Viëtor and Jacques Detiger in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Initially a small oil trading company, it grew rapidly under their leadership. In the 1970s, Vitol expanded into physical oil trading and storage. The company's big break came during the 1973 oil crisis when it successfully navigated market volatility. By the 1980s, Vitol had established offices in major trading hubs like London and Singapore. Ian Taylor joined in 1985 and became CEO in 1995, overseeing significant growth. Today, Vitol is the world's largest independent oil trader, handling over 7 million barrels per day and generating $231 billion in revenue in 2021.

Key Lessons from Vitol:

• On global presence: Be everywhere that matters. Vitol established offices in key trading hubs early on. This gave them local market intelligence and relationships others lacked. Geography is strategy.

• On corporate culture: Foster loyalty. Vitol's partnership structure and profit-sharing model have created remarkable employee retention. People stay for decades. Culture is a competitive advantage.

Read More.

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Accelerants

High-performance tool

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T-Shaped Employees

The concept of T-shaped employees was popularized by Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO. It refers to individuals who have deep expertise in one area (the vertical bar of the T) and a broad base of general knowledge (the horizontal bar). "The vertical bar on the T represents the depth of related skills and expertise in a single field, whereas the horizontal bar is the ability to collaborate across disciplines," Brown explains.

T-shaped employees are valuable because they can contribute specialized skills while also understanding and collaborating with other departments. They're adaptable, innovative, and great problem-solvers. In today's rapidly changing business environment, these qualities are increasingly important.

Look at your own skill set. Are you more I-shaped (deep expertise but narrow focus) or T-shaped? How might developing a broader knowledge base benefit your career?

Insights

Tactical reads

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> When developing your leadership abilities
9 Principles from Dale Carnegie that will make you a more effective leader (Read it here)

> When optimizing your learning process
How to Make Yourself Into a Learning Machine (Read it here)

1 question

That’s all for today, folks. As always, please give me your feedback. Which section is your favourite? What do you want to see more or less of? Other suggestions? Please let me know.

Have a wonderful rest of week, all.

Recommendation Zone

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I’ve personally used Athyna and recommended them to my Brother, Will, who runs a fashion label, and several close friends running their own businesses. To date, they’ve all had very positive experiences.

If you’re in the market for talent, visit their website to explore options and cover all your hiring needs.

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Alex Brogan

Find me on X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok

Offshore Talent: Where to find the best offshore talent. Powered by Athyna.

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