Time to learn from the pro’s.

Karren Brady CBE – The Quiet Confident Sparrow

She may be best known as Lord Sugar’s sidekick …But little did you know, Ms Karren Brady: the Vice-Chairman of West Ham FC, government adviser and the Senior Non-Executive Director of the Syco and Arcadia Boards, is probably one of the most self-assured businesswomen I have ever seen! I watch The Apprentice in admiration of how silently assertive she is, seriously like, why are you so together 24/8? Looking at Karren reminds us that you don’t have to be ‘ruthless’ to be ambitious. Never raising her voice, insulting people, nor losing her composure, Karren teaches us that respect is commanded by simply talking the talk in elegant confidence.

Karren says: “A real leader faces the music even if he doesn’t like the tune. What that actually means in business is, it doesn’t matter how much you know how to do, but how you behave when you don’t know what to do.”

Deborah Meaden – The Tenacious Lioness

She maybe smiling in the photo but with Deborah it’s go hard or go home. Taking no nonsense, Deborah has rightfully taken her place as “Queen” of the Den. With 19 businesses up her sleeve, Deborah knows a thing or two about hard work. Growing up from humble beginning’s of a single-parent family with little income, Deborah has never sought sympathy but is someone who just gets on with it. The best thing about watching the Dragon’s Den is seeing how observant she is in reading people’s motivations and assessing situations, not to mention she’s always blunt and to the point. Deborah makes her presence known in any environment, never failing to tell the truth when someone is wrong and is just as eager to congratulate someone when they have done well. Deborah teaches us that honesty is always the best policy and that you will earn people’s trust and respect when you mean what you say and say what you mean.

Deborah says: “The thing that I have learnt is I know what I value in life, I know what’s important to me, I know what I want to spend my time doing, I know the differences that I want to make and more important I absolutely know what I don’t want to do.”

Hilary Devey CBE – The Adaptable Bear

Hilary takes the ordinary circumstance and transforms into the extraordinary. From renting a flat above a fish and chip shop to owning a £100 million business, Hilary shows that anyone has the ability to be successful. Her earlier career started with untold hardships, bankers refusing to back her proposed venture and being forced to sell her house, and downgrade her car to fund her start up. Nevertheless Hilary knows how to adapt and shows us that business is about rising to our challenges. Watching Hilary on the TV screen is a breath of fresh air, whether she’s in the Dragon’s Den, changing lives on The Secret Millionaire, advising Gary on The Business Inspector or fulfilling young dreams on The Intern she always remains authentic. Husky toned, opinionated and unapologetic for who she is, Hilary’s ‘I couldn’t care less what you think about me attitude’teaches us that business is not about being liked, it’s about being 100% original.

Hilary says:“It’s not material possessions that matter. It’s people that matter.”

(Feature images via tumblr)