October 19th, 2015: Aspiring leaders and business visionaries must develop their emotional quotient (EQ) as well as their intelligence quotient (IQ) if they are to reach the top, according to Canadian branding guru and self-actualizer, Nathen Mazri.
Speaking to students at Canadian University Dubai about what it takes to realize one’s full potential in life, Mazri, who has become known as the World’s Youngest Actualizer, said that it was EQ rather than IQ that set outstanding leaders apart from their peers. What’s more, he said that education has a role to play in developing emotional intelligence in the next generation of leaders.
He revealed, “Emotion drives 80% of the brain’s decisions, so it is important that we know and understand ourselves and are able to apply this knowledge to get what we want out of life. Essential to this is developing capabilities such as self-awareness, self-control, empathy and adaptability, and education needs to play a part in nurturing these human qualities in today’s youth.”
The self-actualizing actor, producer, entrepreneur, model and author went on to share the story of his own journey to success, which began at the age of just 17 when he moved from Montreal to Riyadh to establish his own advertising agency. With a client list including major Forbes Middle East 500 companies, Mazri emerged as a highly-accomplished branding professional, but came to realize that he had other dreams to follow.
He said, “I knew that I wanted to make my mark on the world and realized that there was no single route to success. I sold my advertising business at the age of 24, and decided to pursue my passion for storytelling and filmmaking. I believe that with a positive personality we can take on any challenge.”
Proving the power of positivity and self-belief, Mazri has realized his goal to build a bridge between the Middle East and Hollywood with his forthcoming project, The Brand Guru.
As judge and executive producer of the new branding reality show, Mazri will be teaming up with best-selling author and Walt Disney consultant, Laura Ries, the USA’s first supermodel, Janice Dickinson, Omar Sharif Jr., and Razan Moghrabi, in the ‘entergagement’ project that is set to shape the next phase of media viewing and interaction.
Concluding with the words of Henry Ford, who said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right”, Mazri stressed the importance of overcoming self-denial and encouraged students to master their emotions in order to help them achieve success.
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