1.  He cherishes standing ovations for the MPO at renowned concert halls

Can you imagine performing at some of the world’s most famous concert halls and receiving a standing ovation?

That’s exactly what Sigmund experienced when the MPO went to the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Musikverein in Vienna and Carnegie Hall in New York under the baton of Principal Conductor, Mro Sergey Smbatyan.

“Knowing that we performed in these spaces was already an honour in and of itself but the fact we received a standing ovation in each of them was a moment of satisfaction I will never forget,” he recounts.

2. He believes in the firm hand approach

Many believe a good leader must be firm and tough with their staff and Sigmund advocates this approach, arguing that a soft leader can never earn the respect of their people.

When working at length with big-headed people (and Sigmund admits there’s quite a lot of these in the arts industry), the MPO chief believes you must hold your ground.

“You need to explain to these people that they now form part of a team and they need to respect the company they work for, as well as their colleagues.”

3. But he knows he needs to achieve perfect harmony in his team 

As a Chairman, Sigmund doesn’t only have to ensure his orchestra plays music in perfect harmony, but that they work in harmony too.

Sometimes musicians will need to be pushed to perform but other times they will need some space to deal with personal problems – recognising when to adopt each strategy is key. 

“A business doesn’t only rely on yourself but on others, you must connect the team and maximise the potential of everyone.”

4. Comfort zones aren’t his friend  

They say life begins at the end of your comfort zone but leaving it is easier said than done – it’s quite comfortable after all.

However, Sigmund says the worst advice he’s ever received was precisely to stay where he is.

“I think people who are happy with that state of mind will never evolve or grow as a person,” he explains. “It’s a life I see as far too monotonous.”

5. His advice to his younger self is to have more self-belief

If Sigmund had to give his younger self one bit of advice, it would be to believe in himself much more.

“I personally went through a period where I didn’t believe in myself much, and nowadays I can understand how important it is to follow your dreams, he says. ” Above all the trick is believing in yourself.”

6. ‘Success is not about luck, but about hard work’

People tend to find all sorts of excuses for why their lives haven’t turned out quite the way they wanted them to, and external factors tend to get the blame.

However, Sigmund warns that success isn’t something which falls into your lap but something successful people constantly fight for.

“A lot of people assume successful people are all lucky, while others blame it on the system or on this or that person,” he says.

“I believe that everyone who has achieved success has done so because they worked hard and were disciplined enough to reach their goals. You cannot dream of something and never act on it, so yes, discipline is very important.”

This is the latest episode of Meet The Boss, a new Lovin Malta series in which we sit down with local CEOs to share their vision and business tips and discuss some crucial topics. More interviews will be uploaded in the coming weeks. 

What did you make of Sigmund Mifsud’s advice? Let us know in the comment section