As the President and CEO of Dr. Brandt Skincare, Stephane Colleu is also a husband to his wife and a father of two boys who views being a leader as a non-negotiable. A member of the dr. brandt® skincare management team since its inception, he worked side by side with the late Dr. Brandt to bring the latter’s state-of-the-art skincare innovations to the world. Here, his 5 Rules For Life, in his own words.

1.  Practice Self Awareness

As a leader, it is important for me to be self-aware to “know thyself.” I must possess this in order to continuously improve. I try to be aware of my strengths and weaknesses. I have effective strategies for compensating on my weaknesses (my wife ensures I stick to them). It’s so important for me to cultivate this in order for me to have healthy social relations.

2.  Practice Daily Self Care

I pride myself on taking an active role in this and I do this deliberately in order to maintain healthy mental, emotional and physical health. One of my self-care routines is yoga—it teaches me to breathe and take a step back from everything. Yoga brings awareness and control to my breathing patterns, breathing calms my emotions and allows me to think clearly. This sets the tone for my day.

3.   Communicate Effectively  

Great communication is inspiring. We all know those communicators that really capture your attention and always have compelling messages. I really try to understand the needs of whoever I am speaking with and have an impact on their needs in a way that they understand it. Depending on who I am speaking to, my style of communication must adhere to them. During one on one conversations I try to remind myself to listen more than I speak, so much can be learned by listening. 

4.   Be Passionate and Enthusiastic

Guess what? It’s contagious. When I convey my passion and enthusiasm, before you know it, everyone around me becomes passionate and enthusiastic.

5. Everyone Was Born With A Purpose

I feel like I am a part of something bigger than me. Great leaders give people that feeling, by having a clear sense of my own purpose. My rule is to foster this in everyone I encounter as my mentors did to me. I was made to feel like I had a sense of purpose and I wish to do this to others. I encourage my circle of people to speak up, offer insights, ask questions and present possible solutions. This makes them feel connected and valued which fosters more ownership, dedication and commitment.

Bonus Rule:  Embrace Wellness

Healthy lifestyle = healthy skin. My skin plays an important role in my overall wellness. If something is wrong, my skin tells me. Managing my overall health allows me to feel better physically and psychologically. When I look good I feel good. It’s important for me to have a skincare routine as part of your everyday life. I’m not just saying that because I am the president and CEO of Dr. Brandt Skincare, I say it because it is true! Buff, smooth, prime is my go-to regimen every day to maintain a healthy glow.

Thanks, Stephane! Stay tuned for more Five Rules installments.

“Five Rules,” is a series on Rouge18 in which I ask others to share their five rules for life about anything and everything. You can learn a lot about a person by reading which five things govern their actions, no?