“What do you want for Christmas?”
The Anna Wintour Masterclass I answered without an ounce of hesitation!
I put great value into education, never waisted, knowledge grows, always a good investment, it enriches every aspect of your life and my undying curiosity has always driven me towards knowing more about well, everything that has ever sparked my interest. I have always admired the creative mind and leadership of Anna Wintour, her presence as head of Vogue has revolutionised the fashion world and her implication in the artistic community has inspired and elevated many.
Through her efforts, she has contributed to the arts in various ways. Wintour was pivotal in the success of many exhibitions at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and MOMA (The Met), including Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty; China: Through The Looking Glass; Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology; Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons – Art Of The In-Between (all 2016); Punk London, which showcases punk culture since 1976; America After Titian; LACMA Presents Peggy Guggenheim Collection.
Needless to say, I was thrilled when Masterclass announced that they would offer a course with her. If you’re wondering what has made her so successful in this industry all these years or how she’s built such an enviable empire within Vogue magazine and Condé Nast as editor-in-chief—now is your chance! Masterclass offers students over 80 hours of instruction on business principles from the world’s leading experts on everything from marketing and finance to leadership skills and product development. The investment would be worth it in the long run, I made a trade, Masterclass over Netflix – here are a few things I have learnt from Wintour’s course that you may enjoy too as a sneak peak!
Through her lessons, she will take you through the importance of your creative vision, and to every go-getter out there, she will lead you to know how to act like no one is telling you “no”. Her lessons are not only for beginners or those looking to get their feet wet in the creative arts, they are for business owners and visionaries, those who aspire to become more. What she teaches is applicable to anyone who wants a better understanding of themselves and how they can be more productive through creativity, whether it’s at work by doing something new and totally nail it, or taking that illustration class that you never had time for before.
Anna Wintour puts upfront the many ways to intertwine the art of listening, of leading, of critically thinking, of working with passion and with conviction. Wintour believes these skills will lead to greater success. She states that “the most important thing is just to be the best you can be”. She spends significant time talking about her own experience with these skills and how they can make changes in your career if you put them into practice at work everyday. The lessons are short enough for you to listen whilst sipping your coffee, ready to be inspired for the day.
I particularly adored the way she unapologetically talks about failure as her way to move forward. Just as much as making the right decisions, Wintour highlights the importance to take risks because they’re necessary for growth—and that process of moving through the good and bad in life is what makes us who we are today, it is what makes us good at what we do, it builds experience. She extensively talks about rising to the challenge wether you’re a leader or an artist or both, that it is how one can do to make a difference in this world. She says that the challenge is not only within ourselves, but also for those around us too. You have to be fully committed and passionate towards something you’re doing or else it will never work out well enough for others to take notice of your contribution.
Here are five concrete lessons from her Masterclass :
- Don’t Exhaust Your Mentors
There’s a valuable lesson to be learned from the experience of your mentor. It is important not to overstep their boundaries and ask them for every piece of advice you can get out of them, because that might put a burden on the relationship one day when they need space or time away. The best mentors are those who enjoy giving what they have to offer, but the best way to be in good mentorship is to find ways to do everything you can do.
2. Choose Your Controversies
She said ” Not every issue can be controversial”, as someone who is in the business of innovation, I know the importance of such advice. To succeed as an innovative thinker, one should take a step back and consider the possible controversies that might arise before presenting their ideas. It is important to not only look at the pros and cons of something, but also how it will be received by other people.
3. Bold Initiatives Take Time
Just like Rome was not built in a day, some projects and ideas take more time to evolve, it does not mean they are not right. A new project or idea can be on the drawing board for months before it is implemented into practice. With this being said, there is no need to rush things because rushing could lead you down a path of poor decision making. A strong, visionary leader who is monitoring the progress of an initiative should know when changes need to happen for it go smoothly–especially if something isn’t working out as well as planned (even though this can also lead down another fruitful path!). This means scaling back on certain activities because there’s no point spending money where success is unlikely; but enhancing other aspects by adding funds or attention so they come alive again with renewed intensity.
4. Show You Bring Real Value To Anything You Do
You have a natural, inherent ability to bring value and meaning into any situation that is who you are and it is more than time that you start pouring energy and focus into bringing this value in everything you do. You are not limited by your circumstances or environment—you can make the best of anything that you encounter. It’s up to you how much effort you put in on something, but no matter what it is that you do there will be some aspect of its value that comes from within yourself as well as from your external circumstances.
5. Find The Bigger Meaning in Your Work
People should consider how they can make work meaningful by having an impact on society as whole rather than only thinking about themselves or what’s good for them alone. Keep your eyes on the bigger picture. Delve deep into the psyche of your job and aspirations. What’s in it for you? Why are you doing this? And what is the larger purpose behind it all? These are some questions that every individual should ask themselves when they’re looking to find meaning in their work—and if there isn’t, then maybe its time to make a change.
I am always on the lookouts for ways to feel inspired and I can attest with certainty that her course fulfilled its purpose, channeling my own inner Wintour I am taking her lessons straight into my world. Will you rise to the opportunity too ?
I believe in you
xx
