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Category: Leadership
Leaders engage
In 1921, the newly formed United States Steel Company hired their first president. His name was Charles Schwab, and his salary was over $1 million a year. He was hired by Andrew Carnegie. When asked why he was paid so much, Schwab said, “I consider my ability to arouse enthusiasm among my people to be the greatest I possess”.
The importance of that high paid quality remains today in companies, sports teams, and other organizations. The leader who can generate the highest performance and measurable results is always the most sought after.
Customer service is a home game
It is worth repeating…The goal of a business is to create and keep customers. I would like to focus on the word “keep“. I find that too often there is no organized and disciplined strategy to “keep” the customers you create, and we won’t keep them unless we give exceptional service and added value. I guess we could say that customers are like our teeth…”Ignore them and they will go away. ”
Keeping others accountable: The carrot or the stick?
We live in a world of increasing complexity. And part of that complexity involves doing more, better, faster with less. When we move in this direction, it is easier for some tasks and duties to get overlooked.
Earlier this week, I was working with a management team that was disappointed in their staff. The staff members had agreed to entering specific data regularly, and it wasn’t getting done. There had been many conversations with the group members both individually and as a team. In spite of all these efforts, the data was not being entered consistently.
Leaders Listen…to everyone
While reading the Wall Street Journal this morning, I noticed an article on “Work Place Bias”. The author gave an example of an executive from a major aerospace security system provider. Her name was Denise, and she admitted “I may not have made the best decisions because of inadequate input from introverts. I tend to favor more talkative personalities.”
This reminded me of a key fundamental of a collaborative team: Idea fluency.
Respected leaders walk the high road
We all know the value of emotional intelligence in leadership. Knowing it is one thing, but applying it can be more challenging.
About a year ago, I was coaching a client who owns highly successful business with a sterling reputation. Linda was working with her biggest client and ran into a tough situation: The company had hired a new person to lead the department that Linda interacted with. When Linda met the director, Megan she immediately sensed resistance and hostility. It quickly became apparent that Megan wanted no part of Linda, and was poised to undermine and distort all the Linda did.
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