“If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what’s the sign of an empty desk?” The oft-quoted Albert Einstein had his doubts about pristine working areas, but perhaps even he could not have predicted the capacity of a single instrument capable of holding millions of digital information. Today, our home away from home may not be the visual extension of oneself it once was. Yet, it may hold clues to our successes and failures.
LinkedIn, the professional social networking website, started a feature called “Where I Work” which revealed the working environment of some of the most recognisable leaders in global business. Perhaps one of the following photos will cause you a fit of inspiration.
Ariana Huffington, Editor-in-Chief of the Huffington Post
Ariana Huffington is best known for her online-only news site Huffington Post, which was sold to AOL for US$ 315 million (~RM 954 million) in 2011. She remains the Editor-in-Chief. One would expect nothing less of the office from the esteemed Editor. Her personal library shows an appreciation of journalists before her.
Craig Newmark, Craigslist Founder
Craig Newmark is the founder of Craigslist, which is a hugely popular classified advertisements website in the USA. Craigslist is now in over 50 countries, including Malaysia. Typical of the medium with which Craig Newmark found his success, his desk is mostly vacant. Much like his classifieds website, his workspace is devoid of much flash.
James Citrin, Senior Director of Spencer Stuart
James Citrin leads Spencer Stuart’s North American Board & CEO Practice, which advises top companies in fulfilling senior leadership positions. With new health concerns over sedentary lifestyles, one cannot help but be impressed by a treadmill desk. Good luck fitting that in a cubicle though.
Lou Adler, CEO of the Adler Group
Lou Adler is the CEO and Founder of the Adler Group – a training and search firm helping companies implement Performance-based Hiring(sm). The rise of online capabilities has created a new community of workers who rarely see the inside of an office. Adler prefers to do his work at home (standing up, of course).
Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Group
The forever enviable Richard Branson, Founder and CEO of the Virgin Group, does not look as though he gets much work done here. When you are as successful as him you do not need much else other than a smart phone and a cold drink. Although, this creative entrepreneur also never believed in working at a desk, so maybe there’s something more to learn about this work style.
Source and Images courtesy of LinkedIn
Secondary Source: Business Insider
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Arianna Huffington’s office offers an interesting contrast. She started and edits one of the largest online-only newspaper in the world, yet her office clearly suggests a working style of using a lot of print and hard copy references!