Impact Economic July 21-27th 2008

Interview with Leonard Mazilu,General Manager TiriacAuto Constanta
“I have achieved things that seemed impossible”

 
Running  a company is an art that only few of us understand.  Having  technical experience,  also practice in a certain field is not enough to become a good manager. The idea is that continuous training is needed in order to reach a high level. „It takes a lot of sacrifice, patience and tenacity”, said Leonard Mazilu. As General Manager of TiriacAuto Constanta, Leonard Mazilu has proven a strong personality, structured on certain coordinates. In all that  TiriacAuto Constanta represents, the motto of the General Manager is „excellence”.

Interview  by Maria Moise:

Reporter:  What are the most important objectives in life?
Leonard Mazilu: To continuously go up, on both professional and personal level, which requires my total attention and commitment. Considering all I have set for myself, my evolution has been upwards,  which makes me believe I have all necessary resources for the future. Profesionally, I represent  TiriacAuto Group on the local market and I intend to lead it to a good position compared to our local competitors. Personally, my biggest accomplishment is my family and, why not, the fact that in less than 2 months I will be a father for the third time!

Reporter: How difficult is it to achieve your goals?
Leonard Mazilu: Throughout the years I have set goals that seemed impossible at that time, but, with perseverence, I was able to fulfill these dreams. The satisfaction coming from this gives you strenght to carry on. For example I was motivated not by reaching a goal, but by overtaking it. A positive attitude brings success in every action.

Reporter: What are the principles that guide you in life?
Leonard Mazilu: I must say that I am completely satisfied when I see the one next to me happy – whether it is someone higher up, employee or partner. This cannot happen unless it is sustained by ambition, altruism, honesty, which combined lead to quality relationships and thus, to the satisfaction of a job well done.

Reporter: Do you have friends that have been there for you during your journey?
Leonard Mazilu: My family has always been there for me, giving me moral support every step of the way. An old proverb says „ behind every successful man is a strong woman”, and this goes for me also. I must thank my wife for all the support and understanding given. Besides my family, I have met wonderful people who turned out to be real friends once they came into my life.

Reporter:  What was the influence of your position on your every day life?
Leonard Mazilu: This responsibility has definitely influenced me, and to a great extent. On one hand, on the personal level, it helped me appreciate the efforts my family made to be there for me unconditionally, considering my little spare time . On the other hand, professionally,  I have become more aware of the problems of all those around me, of the image of every employee, of products and services we provided, because all the above reflect me as a manager to a great extent.

Reporter: Which are the most important traits in the profile of a winner?
Leonard Mazilu: Intelligence, ambition, perseverence, ability to work with people;  the most important thing is to be pleased with your results, but never satisfied, always trying to push forward. There is a philosophy in these traits, but combined they form a whole, the secret of a successful man.  

Reporter: What do you appreciate in the people you meet?
Leonard Mazilu: How open that person is. Generally I do not like to work with introvert people. This type of people either has something to hide, or avoid the safe direct ways of dealing with situations which leads to a waste of time.  As you know, time is important for every one of us and, as far as I’m concerned, the most precious gift God has given to mankind.

Reporter: What role plays money in your life?
Leonard Mazilu: I couldn’t say money is not important, actually it is extremely important in our lives, but it requires something more – lots and lots of work.

Reporter: How do you see the role of the family in the ecuation of success?
Leonard Mazilu: As I mentioned before, the role of the family is essential. As long as there is understanding, support, the role of the family cannot be diminished or replaced by anything else.

Reporter: What is your biggest challenge?
Leonard Mazilu:  This start-up of  TiriacAuto Constanta which I have set with all my colleagues from Tiriac Holdings and I thank them for being there for me all this time, even late at night. I couldn’t have made it without them, and that is why I believe this holding is one of the most important companies in the country – because we all gather around a collegue when in need of support. Without a doubt, my colleagues in TiriacAuto Constanta have brought a great support to this successful start-up, leaving their personal problems on a secondary level .

Reporter: How do you see the manager- employee relationship?
Leonard Mazilu: From the manager’s point of view, I think the most important thing is to make your staff understand that not the individual, but the team can bring the success. That is why I have a very close relationship with each member of my team, because, without them, success cannot be reached. Being close to them, to listen to their problems, knowing how to communicate with them, showing understanding and empathy. You gain respect throught the way you run the organization, the way you know your employees and how suited they are for their jobs within the company. You gain respect by showing respect to your employees, to every minute they spend working for the company you are running.

Reporter: What are your hobbies?
Leonard Mazilu: Sports, traveling, reading, but these are harder and harder to do in the fast-paced life we’re leading.

Reporter: How do you feel as a Romanian in Romania?
Leonard Mazilu: „I am Romanian and that keeps me busy all day long”....