Grolistic

3 Factors For Leaders Driving Change

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Three factors enable leaders to drive change:  The leader is perceived as genuine and credible, consistently demonstrating conviction and modelling values-based behaviors, while being positive, transparent and open to feedback.  People trust that their leader has their back – that he or she understands what motivates and concerns them, and keeps this in mind when setting high, but realistic, expectations of them.  People feel respected and appreciated for their contributions, driven by the leader’s confidence …

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Valuing Discretionary Effort

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When an employee fulfills obligations and achieves assigned goals with expected behavior, we recognize this as acceptable performance. The job is getting done.  But when one contributes more than the common standard, more than what’s expected, then that’s discretionary effort.  To improve results, leaders need advocates who can collaborate with them to drive productive change. For them to invest discretionary effort, these advocates need to appreciate how the change creates value for the business and how they …

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5 Keys For Teams That Move Faster

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Bob Schultek Author of  The Gauntlet Profitable growth relies upon the preservation of enduring customer relationships. Sustaining these relationships demands that a business consistently produce more strategic value for a key customer than can be gained elsewhere – value that contributes to the customer’s progress. A key factor in creating strategic value is moving faster – faster in delivering results, adapting to changing needs, and innovating. When Google wanted to move faster, they formed small, cross-functional teams to …

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The One Thing a Business Leader Must Do

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  Bob Schultek Author of  The Gauntlet When small and mid-size business leaders are polled about the key factors that impact their success and that of their business, the responses include: Ensuring customer satisfaction Building a strong leadership team Executing the plan Driving change Pursuing innovation Hiring the right people Creating value Each of these contributes to success, but studies cite that the most important thing that a leader should do is focus – it’s the single most critical …

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Assessing Leadership Competency

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  Preparing for a business acquisition or transfer typically triggers a due diligence process that evaluates leadership competency. Here are the leadership behaviors we evaluate to determine how a leader contributes to the achievement of short-term and strategic goals, and enduring business sustainability: Acting with credibility: more than any other leadership attribute, employees choose to follow leaders who walk the talk, lead from the front and keep promises; they are seen as genuine and worthy of trust. Thinking strategically: despite the constant pressure …

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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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3 Behaviors That Reveal Leadership Credibility

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  When asked in several studies how they judge a leader, employees cite attributes like vision, experience, communication skills and others; but consistently, the dominant response is credibility. When pressed to define “credibility,” people typically reply with a phrase like: “they walk the talk.” The consistency with which a leader’s actions align with his or her words defines leadership credibility. These 3 behaviors reveal how consistently you act in accordance with your words and values: 1. How you spend your …

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Intimacy and Satisfaction

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet When you last faced a purchase decision, what helped you feel more comfortable with your choice?  What gave you confidence that your judgement was appropriate and correct? You had worked through the analysis and were satisfied with it…but in retrospect, there was something more that convinced you that your decision was the right one. This level of satisfaction is most often due to a productive experience with your salesperson. At first, your basic …

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Change Resistance

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  Few change initiatives succeed the first time they are launched. Resistance to change is a potent human reaction so expect challenges and outright rejection. It’s what you do next that matters.   If you continue to believe wholeheartedly that your proposed change will increase the value produced for customers and your company, then persevere. Evaluate the basics of your strategy:   Are you appealing to the appropriate audience? Do they have the experience and analytical ability to …

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Managing the “Gorilla” Customer Relationship 

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  Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet When your business with one customer exceeds 25% of your annual sales, then you have a “gorilla” customer and you’re probably feeling vulnerable. You’ve earned the business by serving them well, and if they offered you more, you’d likely be pleased to expand the relationship, but be wary. Loss of a gorilla customer can be devastating, and typically that loss has nothing to do with your performance. The 3 …

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