Lynda Spillane
Lynda Spillane, risk taker
Want to be successful and run your own business?
| MGSM alumna and adjunct lecturer Lynda Spillane told how she achieved her goals, as she launched the Alumni A-List presentation series to a sell-out audience in the CBD Campus on 7 September. In a candid, moving, personal exposition of her life from the time she ran away from home in New Zealand to Canada at the age of 18 to the present, as she prepares to open an American branch of her business. |  |
Lynda Spillane is the founding director of The Coach House. Her company teaches the art of public performance in the corporate environment, and how to overcome the fear of public speaking in the business arena. A self-confessed adventurer, Spillane said her success was due in large part to her ability to take risks. "When making important decisions, I don't ever ask why, but rather why not?"
While she doesnt advocate risk taking at all costs, her advice is: "Experiment, make mistakes, learn from them - and don't write off the time as worthless when you've spent it doing something which hasn't worked out. The tough times shape your character, not the good times. Evaluate the tough times. It is often difficult to take a long, hard look at ourselves and life, but you must do it.
"I'm often surprised at people who are not open to opportunities. If I walk out of somewhere with one idea, it was worth it." She watches the television series Home and Away with her 11-year-old daughter and they discuss the events which mirror real-life situations. "I was amazed when some of my MBA students turned their noses up at watching the television series, The Apprentice. Why would they be so short sighted and prejudiced by the concept of reality TV when they could learn from one of the finest businessmen, Donald Trump? I always ask myself, what can I learn?" she said.
"I am open to learning anytime, anywhere. If you're not making mistakes, you're not learning, and I've learnt from my mistakes. I've learnt that I don't need a huge, beautifully decorated office in the CBD. Because I'm always out with my clients, I don't need a show office. I operate from above a bridal shop in Concord. I've learnt that running an office is about cashflow, not image, and keeping your own ego under control.
"Don't worry about what other people think about you or your office. If you have a unique offering, competition will be good for you. If you offer the same as everyone else, why should people buy from you? I decided early on to marry the theatre with public speaking and package the uniqueness and sell it. A major obstacle to small business success is your own ego, fed by others opinions of, say, your building. When you hear them, alarm bells should be ringing!"
Lynda Spillane says she learned about herself from completing an MBA in 1986 and her subsequent teaching, which she began in 1989 at MGSM and at another three business schools, later. "I learned that I don't like the politics of work and the game players. I like the achievement of teaching."
She deplores the Australian custom of cutting down tall poppies. "When people are unjustly critical, make it inconsequential to yourself. Become immune to all opinions other than those you value. Don't trust anyone, other than your business partner and make sure you search carefully before selecting someone for the role," she said.
Lynda Spillane is about to launch her US business and hopes to open a branch in London. She still teaches regularly as an Adjunct Lecturer at MGSM and will be given an award for sustained excellence in teaching at a Macquarie University graduation ceremony on 24 September.
