In this episode of Doing the Opposite: Business Disruptors, Jeff Dewing speaks to entrepreneur, investor & philanthropist Vikas Shah. Vikas started his first business aged 14 and is now CEO of Swiscot Group (a textiles & commodities trading business) alongside being a venture-investor in a number of businesses internationally. Vikas was awarded an MBE for Services to Business and the Economy in Her Majesty the Queen’s 2018 New Year’s Honours List and in 2021 became a Deputy Lieutenant of the Greater Manchester Lieutenancy.

Vikas and Jeff discuss purpose. What drives us, motivates us and ultimately leads to success? The answer, it seems, is rarely money. So how do you discover your purpose? And how, as a business leader, can you inspire your team to achieve the organisation’s goals whilst also supporting and encouraging their personal development and ambition?

A business’s values should align with the values of the team. If your values don’t match with the organisation your working within, it’s unlikely that you’ll believe in the mission and contribute in achieving it. You need to find a place of work for yourself that aligns with your core beliefs and where your skills and traits are valued and appreciated.

Vikas also explains how he feels that the culture in business has changed over the decades. He felt he did the opposite by opening up and being honest about his depression at a time when it wasn’t understood that business leaders could feel like that. He also shares how his honesty helped other people who felt a similar way.