This is what Ms Shih carries with her everywhere. Picture: Clara Shih/LinkedIn Source: Supplied
Richard Branson says he just can't function without his wonderful assistant Helen. Picture: Richard Branson/LinkedIn
- Job networking site quiz 50 influential people
- Reveals the secrets behind powerful CEOs' success
- The things I always carry on me: LinkedIn
THEY may be some of the world's most powerful and influential business people, but when push comes to shove, there are some things they simply can't function without.
From personal assistants to gadgets, and an old fashioned book, we've selected ten of the best company leaders who reveal some of the secrets behind their success.
The full list, as featured on job networking site LinkedIn, quizzed more than 50 influential people to find out just what made them tick and what it was they had to have on them at all times.
1. First off the bat is Virgin king pin Richard Branson who might seem on the go and on the ball, but admits he’d be hopelessly lost without his personal assistant Helen.
The Virgin founder insists having an assistant who is on the ball 24/7 is one of the main ways he stays on top of business.
2.Meg Whitman may be the most powerful person at Hewlett-Packard, but when it comes to the things she always carries it’s clear cut: her laptop, swimsuit and country music are a must.
The HP CEO says spending more than 60 per cent of her time on the road means she needs to focus, tune out and stay flexible.
"When traveling, I always carry a swimsuit and try to stay at a location near a pool so I can get in a morning swim regardless of time zone," she says.
And in terms of staying flexible she says she can’t travel without her HP Envy x2, which allows her to do business around the clock while her music lets her to tune out.
3. Indian-born American physician Deepak Chopra has these things he says he just can’t travel or work without: "Mybasis, Dream Weaver, and my iPhone and iPad in my toolkit."
He says travelling around so much means it’s vital he has all these with him.
His mybasis acts as his online personal dashboard recording information about his body, while his Dream Weaver helps him relax and his iPad keep him connected to family, office and friends, something he says is important to him.
4. For Peter Guber, CEO of Mandalay Entertainment and owner of Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Dodgers, it’s simple - he can't function without his smartphone which he admits he's addicted to.
"I have become habituated, if not addicted to my mobile and all of its benefits." The author also reveals he's gone back home to get his phone if he's forgotten it but not his wallet.
5. Then there’s Vivian Schiller Chief Digital Officer, at America’s NBC News who admits to carrying almost nothing.
Having gone from carrying over-sized bags filled with makeup, multiple pens and notebooks, snacks, shoes etc in the past, she admits she’s cut right back on what’s essential.
"When I travel, which is now two or three times a week, the goal is to carry nothing with me - or as close to nothing as possible. No laptops, just an iPad; no printouts, no books, they’re all on my Kindle," she says.
6. Neil Weinberg, Editor-in-Chief at American Banker, used to be hooked to be hooked to his smart phones and laptops until he realised it was raising his blood pressure and stress so he changed tack and stepped back.
"That's when I decided to start packing a non-volatile, random access analog device whose origins hark back to 2400 BC. It’s called a book," he says.
7.Clara Shih, CEO of Hearsay Social & Author of The Facebook Era, says being on the go as head of a fast-growing tech company means she can’t be without her Droid 4 (phone), her Tory Burch ballet flats and one business card with an important reminder: to slow down and take a deep breath.
8.RedBalloon founder Naomi Simson says she never gets by without a smile.
“It’s far easier to get things accomplished with a smile on your dial,” she says.
9. Jennifer Dulski, President and COO at Change.Org simply can’t live without her calligraphy pens because "I find that a handwritten personal note can be especially precious."
10. Finally Craigslist.com founder Craig Newmark says he can’t function without his Samsung Galaxy Note II which he uses 80 per cent of the time. Having also worn a watch most of his life he says he also depends on a Martian Watches Passport, which “functions as a little speakerphone with caller ID”
