Baptiste Lejeune — Dragon #06

Baptiste is an incredible storyteller — and it shows in everything he does: his job, his passion project and even his answers to these very questions.

The first time I met him, he was giving a talk. Three years later and I still remember what it was about! The reason why is simple: Baptiste doesn’t just speak, he tells stories. He builds connections with his audience, regardless of who they are and what the conversation is about. It’s a fundamental human experience that’s useful to any profession.

What’s an unusual fact or story about yourself that not a lot of people know?

After completing my Bachelor’s Degree in International Business and Management, I was supposed to move to Canada to take my Master’s Degree at Queen’s University. I ended up taking the job offer I was given in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) after completing my internship. Lots of my friends told me this was a big mistake and that I would never be able to get a “decent job” without a Master’s Degree 🎓

I left home when I was 17, and I’ve now been living abroad for more than 10 years. 5 Countries later (US, Ecuador, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia), I live with no regrets.

Is there one thing about your morning routine that you can’t live without?

Besides coffee? ☕

I usually start my day by just looking out the window for a few minutes to get my thoughts in place. No phones allowed until breakfast is over.

What books have influenced your professional life the most and why?

• 🧑‍🚀 An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield. This book has given me a lot of perspective on how to approach a problem or a challenge at work.

Favourite Quotes

“A lot of people talk about expecting the best but preparing for the worse, but I think that’s a seductively misleading concept. There is never just one “worst”. Almost always there is a whole spectrum of bad possibilities. The only thing that would really qualify as the worst would be not having a plan for how to cope.”

“​​Anticipating problems and figuring out how to solve them is actually the opposite of worrying: it’s productive.”

• 💥 Atomic Habits by James Clear: This book has blown my mind in so many different ways. If you believe in becoming a better version of yourself every single day, this practical guide will teach you how to create good habits and break bad ones.

Favourite Quotes

“Forget about goals, focus on systems instead. Goals are about the results you want to achieve, systems are about the processes that lead to those results.”

“​​You don’t have to be the victim of your environment. You can also be the architect of it.”

What quality do you look for when hiring someone for your team?

3 Things:

• 🤩 Enthusiasm and Passion: If you don’t know how to use a tool or if you are not familiar with an industry, we can teach you, but there isn’t much we can build together if you’re not interested.
• 💬 Communication Skills: Communicating is more complex than it looks. More than 60% is non-verbal (body language, intonation, attitude, etc.) and in many jobs, your ability to present a problem or a solution will have an impact on your performance.
• 🦄 Proactiveness: Being proactive, as opposed to being reactive, allows you to be in control of your destiny.

What’s the worst advice someone’s ever given you?

“Stay the same” 🤨

This is something I’ve been told a few times and something pretty common. Some people even think it’s a compliment. I wake up to be 1% better by the end of every single day. Not interested in just being “the same”.

Is there anything that has improved your life since the very first lockdown? It could be an investment of money or time, or a new habit, a gadget.

📲 During the first lockdown, I decided that I wasn’t gonna check my phone first thing in the morning anymore. It’s now been 18 months since I haven’t picked up my phone as soon as I open my eyes. Try it — You won’t regret it.

That’s Level 1, if you wanna go to Level 2, turn off all your notifications so you are in control of what you check and when, and not the other way around.

What do you do when you feel stressed and overwhelmed at work?

I stop everything I’m doing at that moment and I go back to my notebook 📓

I’ve tried so many apps to keep track of my to-dos, and my progress, but nothing has ever beaten the power of a notebook and a pen to lay my thoughts/priorities.

If you were a marketing tagline, what would it be and why?

“Consistency is more important than perfection”

I feel like this could be the tagline for many products or services (Think about it… A gym? A sports apparel brand? A camera brand?) but it’s also something I try to live by every single day.

Getting started is important, but consistency is what transforms average into excellence.

Where can people find you?

If you like aerial photography, you can head to my Instagram Account (@baptistelejeune) and if you wanna see my debut in filmography you can check my Facebook Page (/baptistelejeune.bap) — I’ve recently started a series called #BehindTheCounter to celebrate SME Owners in the F&B Industry in Malaysia.

🤓 You can hit me up on LinkedIn as well.