Chris Ballance, CEO of Oxford Ionics, emphasizes understanding unfamiliar risks in entrepreneurship.
- Ballance discusses the challenges faced when assembling a solid senior leadership team.
- He believes in motivating teams with a compelling vision achievable by all.
- Reveals how his initial passion for chemistry led to unforeseen educational consequences.
- Shares insights on starting a company with the right vision and intellectual property.
Chris Ballance, co-founder and CEO of Oxford Ionics, insists that founders should place emphasis on understanding the risks that are unfamiliar to them. He believes that focusing on challenges they don’t fully grasp can lead to better preparedness and adaptability.
Ballance recounts the difficulties in assembling a senior leadership team. He acknowledges underestimating the time it would take to establish a robust team pivotal to their success and reflects on starting this process much earlier in hindsight.
He shares his strategy for motivating a team, which involves crafting a vision that everyone can passionately pursue. This vision is expected to be not only inspiring but also attainable by the entire team.
Interestingly, Ballance’s journey into entrepreneurship began with an early interest in chemistry, which amusingly resulted in his expulsion from school, highlighting how unconventional paths can lead to innovative careers.
Finally, Ballance stresses the importance of having a clear vision and securing the necessary intellectual property from the outset when embarking on a new venture. This clarity can streamline the initial phases and set a strong foundation for growth.
Ballance’s insights highlight the significance of understanding risks and having a strategic vision in entrepreneurship.
