Bob Schultek

Bob has more than 30 years of service as a senior sales and business development executive, CEO and business owner. His expertise includes customer-partnered business development, strategic planning, sales management, customer service, operational alignment, lean process analysis and improvement, quality assurance, and performance management. He has worked in the energy, medical device, bioscience & pharmaceutical, discrete and process manufacturing, packaging and distribution, communications and information technology, and business-to-business service industries.

3 Questions About Choosing to Follow

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet rschultek@staging.elfin-bead.flywheelsites.com 216-272-4449     People act in their own best interest. Before choosing to follow your lead, your team will assess your credibility (are you genuine?) and your intentions (why should I follow you?), asking themselves these 3 questions: 1. “Can you help me?” The number one reason that people choose to follow is because the leader is credible. More than vision, or communication skills, or other effective leadership characteristics, people need to believe that a leader has the credibility …

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Sustainability & Value Creation

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet The fundamental premise for business acquisitions is that the merged organizations will be more valuable together than they would be if they continued as separate entities; an acquisition is expected to create value. Yet, a multitude of research studies cite a high failure rate for mergers. One KPMG study indicates that 83% of acquisitions fail to boost value, and another by A.T. Kearney concludes that total return on many M&A deals is often negative. These studies consistently …

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Benefits from Promises

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet Delivering promised benefits to a new customer communicates that you respect and value the business shared with you, and that your commitments are reliable. The customer’s confidence and trust grows, earning you consideration when the next opportunity arises. Consistently producing promised benefits, time after time, builds customer loyalty. And when your solutions do more than resolve short term needs, when they also contribute to the customer’s progress and goal achievement, an …

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Sustaining Change

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet Because people drive change, sustaining a change initiative requires a commitment from leadership to invest significant time and energy in engaging everyone connected with the effort. By remaining personally involved, modelling behaviors that support the change, and focusing more on why the change is essential than what is changing, leaders can preserve the vision of desired outcome or common goal. They lead by exhibiting 3 qualities: 1. They remove barriers …

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Opportunity from Disruption

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet Change often leaves disruption in its wake. When that disruption is personal, it can be unsettling and disheartening; the sense that you have no control can paralyze decision-making. Regaining control begins by recognizing the opportunity hidden within your challenge and moving forward to exploit it. One of my associates recently shared the following quote about such situations from the book “A Joseph Campbell Companion: Reflections on the Art of Living” by Joseph Campbell. When …

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3 Growth Culture Drivers

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Bob Schultek Author of  The Gauntlet Organizations that sustain profitable growth tend to demonstrate three cultural drivers. They are guided by their Purpose Motive. The organization understands how it contributes to its customers’ strategic progress, beyond providing quality products and exceptional service. Because its people realize how they make a difference, they are motivated to invest extra effort, strengthening offerings and operations to sustain their progress. They are committed to Innovation. The business recognizes that innovation fuels its purpose by …

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Why Buy the Quarter-Inch Drill?

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet “The customer rarely buys what the company thinks it is selling him.” Peter Drucker “People don’t want to buy a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole.” Theodore Levitt Customers don’t care about products or services – they want solutions. Developing a creative, satisfactory solution to a vital, unmet customer need is the origin of many businesses. But as it matures, the business often loses its focus on how it makes a …

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Why Teams Bond

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet Teams bond when they struggle together to accomplish an objective. Every military, athletic and business leader knows this truth and relies upon it. Why do team members choose to join in the struggle? Accomplishing the objective is meaningful. The struggle provides a unique opportunity to make a difference, to contribute to a vital, significant endeavor. Participating enables mastery. Struggling with the team to overcome barriers enables the mastery of individual strengths that increase satisfaction, self-confidence and …

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Why Innovations Succeed

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Bob Schultek Author of  The Gauntlet The pursuit of innovation is a vitally important strategy for organizations seeking to accelerate their progress. Companies dedicate significant time, energy and investment to it, often optimizing the efficiency of their innovation process with the goal of improving their success rate. But what if this effort does not improve their ability to predict which innovations will succeed? As Dr. W. Edwards Deming, the renowned quality and management expert observed, every process is …

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3 Attributes That Increase Your Value to Customers

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet In a commoditized market, why do customers choose to build enduring relationships with some suppliers? It’s all about the strategic value you produce for them. Customers cite 3 attributes that increase your value: 1.   Reliability Customers expect you to keep your promises—it’s the price of admission into the relationship. If your team makes it easy to do business, perhaps delivering exceptional service as well, then your value is increased. What …

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