Between the Lines

Several of my clients are what I would call true entrepreneurs. The characteristics are the same, regardless of the playground on which they are playing. There is a fabulous book which actually does a phenomenal job of capturing common behaviors, or “rules” as the author frames them, which offer the ripest ground for entrepreneurial success. This book will leave you inspired by three extremely successful entrepreneurial stories of Harvard Business School graduates, and their deviation from the standard path toward success.

I believe we can ALL learn from these perspectives, regardless of what our chosen career path may be.

On a recent American Airlines flight, I was reading an article about PGA Tour caddy John Wood, and I thought a few of his tips were relevant for business, as well as our golf game.

Each of these tips on how to play like a pro golfer are easy to offer, but hard to do! Guess that is why there is only one Tiger Woods; yet there are still plenty of strong golfers in the world.

Recently I was asked by an organizational client to solicit feedback on several of their key leaders, as part of their leadership development effort for these individuals. The question was raised: “What do you think has more impact on developing our leaders: peer feedback, manager feedback, or employee feedback?”

In today’s post, I briefly discuss my thoughts.

Newsweek published a fabulous article on Steve Jobs’ creative genius a few months ago. The top 10 tips from his playbook follow. They are very insightful, and can be helpful for any of us embarking upon a opportunity which commands “out of box” thinking and management of a creative process. These tips are not for every situation within an organization; however, when trying to stimulate and inspire new “green field” ideas, they are spot on…

Whether you are the CEO, a product manager, a team leader, or an individual contributor, I have found the most successful individuals are those that actively and sincerely solicit input, help and ideas from others in their organizations. Now, this is not the proverbial “obligated ask” – I am referring to those individuals that seek out and get additional heads and hands on board with their initiatives.

This takes time, effort, patience and a true desire to BUILD A TEAM from all levels of the organization. Many attempt to do this, perhaps because they have been told they “need to.” However, the leaders who master the art of true inclusiveness will build a network which will become a tremendous asset in their careers if done with purity of intention. A few tips:

Remembering 9-11-01. An incredible pause in all our lives. So much hate and so much love.

I shared this yesterday, and the response was so strong, I wanted to post here, as well…

What really is the ‘X’ factor in business? We all know there is one – it is that “thing” that successful executives and leaders have that simply sets them apart from the pack. It is more than just solid performance, track records, and business acumen. It is that extra “something.”

Lack of trust appears to be a common challenge among teams. Why is this? Competition within the organization, overzealous individual ambitions, and prior historical experiences all factor into this being the case. Yet, when we look this harsh reality in the eye, can we move forward. We must work to understand and appreciate our differences, and our experiences up until now. We must reveal our individual and collective vulnerabilities. Only through a conscious process of building trust, can our teams optimize their effectiveness.

Over the past several months, I have lead numerous leadership development workshops for my corporate clients. We have discussed many different aspects of how to effectively lead through building and implementing strategically aligned plans, unifying our boards, leadership and sales teams, embracing and leading through transformational change, and how we as leaders need to stay centered and aligned to set powerful examples. It has been incredibly rewarding. We all learned from one another and shared insightful experiences around the topic of leadership.

While recently visiting my parents, I had the opportunity to witness the utmost of customer service in action. What frightened me is how surprised I was – when did expecting stellar service go by the wayside?

The simplest of exchanges resulted in a raving fan and delighted customer. It is amazing what happens when an individual LOVES what he/she does and is committed to being the BEST in the service he/she provides. What so many of us could learn from this example! If this is the standard approach of a Sears delivery team, this could perhaps be a turnaround in the making.