Consistency
SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT TODAY
I’ve been stuck in the house for the past couple of weeks. Like most people, my purchases have decreased, but I am trying to buy from local businesses when I have the chance. Most of my experiences have been great. Here are a few examples of experiences that weren’t. “I Don’t Care.” I drove to…
Read MoreCULTIVATING TRUST
Trust is Essential to Leadership. People enter new relationships with a degree of trust. Then trust either grows or recedes as the relationship develops. If people don’t trust you, they might follow your instructions (kind of), but they won’t follow you. In Stephen M. R. Covey’s best-selling book, “The Speed of Trust: The One Thing…
Read MoreYOU ARE WHAT YOUR CUSTOMERS SAY YOU ARE
Years ago I joined a company just as they were preparing to launch a new (and expensive) marketing campaign. A focus group comprised of a dozen customers was invited to preview the campaign. As the new executive, I was asked to attend. The central message of the campaign was “innovation.” Its focus centered upon all…
Read MoreTHE ONE THING YOU CAN’T DO FOR YOURSELF
The one thing you can’t do for yourself… is to coach yourself. Here’s why. You can’t see what you can’t see. Everyone has blind spots. A coach can be an extra set of eyes to assist you in “seeing” and understanding things going on in your organization, marketplace, or even within your leadership team, that…
Read MoreManaging The Two “Black Holes” of Business
Marketing and Customer Service are the two “black holes” of business. Both are critical, but neither is ever complete. Unlike more tangible areas of work there is no “quota” to exceed, there is no “inventory” to manage, there is no “work order” to complete. But no matter how much is invested in Marketing and Customer…
Read MoreThe Best Non-Profits Have Much In Common With For-Profits
Over the years I’ve had the blessing of serving non-profits as a volunteer, board member, leadership coach, and as a strategy and performance evaluator. And one big thing has jumped out at me. The best non-profits have much in common with for-profits. Especially in terms of goal setting and strategies. They don’t mistake good works…
Read MoreA Crisis in Business Identity
A company who hit a business downturn contacted me, seeking my help with improving their alignment and efficiency. The deeper I dug I realized this was not an alignment issue. It was an identity crisis. The company had grown quickly. Their rapid success had the company running to keep up, and the inflow of money…
Read MoreThe Unappreciated Leadership Trait That Powers All The Rest
As part of a research project I compiled the “best” leadership traits from over 100 sources, including several that aggregated their information from other sources. The total list comprised 237 different attributes. The most frequently listed attributes were expected. They were: Communication Decisiveness Honesty Integrity Confidence However what was a surprise (at least to me)…
Read MoreBe Nice
A while ago I was contacted by a couple of people I know who wanted to meet to discuss my interest in becoming the new CEO of a company. They were investors and board members of the company. I had already heard the company had severe p programs. But to my great surprise no more…
Read MoreTurning Your Thoughts Into Action
If you are like most CEOs I know your head is overflowing with many new and exciting ideas. New products. Sales promotions. Program enhancements. Innovative equipment. Better customer engagement. There are also not so exciting things in your head. Worries about cash flow. Increasing the margin on sales. Managing inventory and overstock items. Poor quality…
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