Core Values

Leading Through Volatility

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Cyclical revenue – lots of orders one quarter, not enough the next. Inconsistent cashflow – payables out of balance with receipts. Unpredictable profitability – decision-making is inhibited. Business is rarely stable, but volatility like this is becoming more commonplace. Defining such circumstances as “volatile” seems to suggest that, in the future, business conditions will settle down and return to a calmer state. But instability is well established now, challenging leaders to prove their effectiveness. Sustain …

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3 Reasons Why People Choose to Follow You

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Most leaders know what is expected of them to get the job done – evaluating, planning, organizing, executing & managing. They also realize that leadership is primarily about influence, not power. Leaders rely on others to accomplish the necessary work, so why do your people choose to follow you? Most leaders recognize the need to earn their team’s respect. Just because you have been anointed as leader doesn’t ensure that people will choose to follow …

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Why Should Customers Trust You?

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Some companies profess allegiance to their core values while behaving in utter disregard of them. Customers observing this disingenuous behavior doubt the sincerity of that organization’s commitment. Why should customers trust you? Our daily existence in this world depends on our ability to interpret the signals delivered to our brains by our senses. We receive all of our information in this way. These signals are received as sensations, feelings. “We are feeling beings that think …

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The Best Formula For Expressing Appreciation To Employees

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Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday! Family, food and football is a compelling combination, but what makes this holiday my favorite is the simplicity of its message. We dedicate this day to celebrating our blessings and thanking God, family and friends for making our lives exceptional and worthwhile. Inherent in the Thanksgiving Day message is a reminder to celebrate and express appreciation as often as possible. It’s a reminder that busy leaders often need. Appreciation is …

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Purpose Is Power

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We all recently relived the horrific events that seared the date of September 11th into our memories. It was a tragic day, but it provoked in us a realization of common purpose that many had forgotten. Do you recall the pride and energy that our shared purpose aroused in us? There are days when you feel like your business is under attack. Meeting rapid fire challenges drains the energy in your organization and can cause …

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Is Your Leadership The Excuse?

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When Frank and I first met, he expressed concern that his company’s growth strategy was not achieving its goals because his organization was not acting in a coordinated manner to produce results. Once Frank refined his approach to this challenge, organizational behavior changed and strategy execution improved. Follow the link below to learn how Frank removed the behavior excuse. Leadership and management are not synonymous. Leadership is a mandatory ingredient of transformational change; management is …

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What Are Your Priorities?

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Seeking More High Touch To Balance Our High Tech Last week at this time, we were first learning about the heartbreaking violence committed against innocent children and their teachers. This horrific news follows other terrible stories of carnage that have occurred during the past several weeks. What a season of joy and peace it has been! In last week’s blog, we explored the issue of balancing our business responsibilities with our personal core values. This …

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It’s Lonely At The Top!

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Balancing Business Needs with Personal Values After completing our business development strategy meeting with his team, the CEO grabbed me and said, “Let’s get a coffee.”  As we settled into his office, he mentioned that the year had been a good one, albeit very challenging, and he was ready for a break. “There’s still so much uncertainty out there – the competition, tax law, new regulations – we can’t get a break and I’m tired.  …

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The Power of “Syzygy”

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Lashing Together To Achieve Results During a meeting the other day, a group of us were discussing the leadership characteristics that have proven most successful in nurturing enduring customer relationships and generating sustained revenue growth. We reviewed how the more effective “growth-oriented” leaders are outward looking – they have a vision and a passion for their business.  They deeply value the customer relationships that have enabled their growth, and have a clear, comprehensive perspective of …

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