Is this leadership? Or, not?

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
Ralph Emerson

A picture on my desk instantly and instinctively captures my attention every time I glimpse it. I haven’t been able to find the exact picture on the internet, but, it looks somewhat similar to this one. The vast, snow-banked, flat-as-far-as-you-can-see land, reminds me of my North Dakota childhood as well as the flatlands of Finland, where my relatives immigrated from when coming to the US.

The picture is footnoted with the above quote.

At times I ask, “What does this picture have to to with leadership? There’s one lone trail breaker; and no followers. Everyone knows that you have to have followers to be a leader!”

Then, this evening, I attended the Grand Opening of the Hilton Garden Inn and spoke with Stephen Schwartz, CEO of First Hospitality Group about his path to incredible success. He paused…then talked of his reputation for doing the unconventional. He’d take the risk to do something new and innovative. Eventually, others would follow his lead.

I wondered if that is akin to my solo dog-sledder? Someone who dares to the risk and initiative to “cut the course” through the snow (or to “blaze the trail” as my coach, Jim Early), says.

I’m interested in your insights? What does this quote have to do with leadership? How does this picture speak to leadership? Or, doesn’t it?

I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

Need a Sales Turnaround?

Over the past 10 years, my business has grown because of positive word-of-mouth referrals from clients and business leaders who know of a friend or colleague who’s incredibly frustrated with their sales team’s revenue and margin production…and are fed up, ready for a Turnaround! Here’s what I often hear:

•We’re dependent on a few large clients; it’s too risky. We must diversify.”

•“90% of our sales come from current clients and their business is sliding. I need new clients.”

•“I have order takers; we need people who can generation new business.”

•“Our salespeople can’t hold margin. Help!”

•“Our website is generating leads; but no ones closing them.”

•“Our sales cycle is so long; however, I don’t think there’s anything we can do to shorten it. Or, is there?”

Are you experiencing any of these? If yes, it’s a good time to find help. One place to look is Yes You Can: 67 Tips to Raise Sales Results in a Recession.

I’m looking forward to hearing which tips are most helpful for you in your Sales Turnaround initiative.

Danita

Animal Farm and Modern Leadership

Even though I read Animal Farm by George Orwell over 30 years ago, it still haunts me. And, at the oddest times, scenes from Animal Farm invade my thinking. Does that happen to anyone else besides me?!?

In the StarTribune Opinions Exchange on April 5th, David Lebedoff, author of The Same Man: George Orwell & Evelyn Waugh in Love and War,writes about the Orwell’s predictions of economic collapse based on moral failure.

Lebedoff asserts that the Modern Age (which he detested) has a major distinguishing factor that separates 21st Century people from all previous ages-people no longer believe in life after death. Even though Orwell was an atheist, he asserted that this long-term-view-of-life worldview impacted people’s immediate decisions. It caused many to stop and reflect on their actions… from a moral sense.

In the Modern Age, without this long-term-view-of-life guidance, human’s are more prone to live for today. A reigning thought process might be “Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we may die.” In the article, Lebeoff says, “If you go around once, then the main thing is to have fun.” He goes on to state, “Materialism, hedonism and Stairmasters are what people do until the clock stops ticking.”

So, what does this have to do with our life as president, CEOs, owners and sales leaders? Earlier this week, we looked at Zenger and Folkman’s research published in The Extraordinary Leader. Character is foundational for the leader. Without character as the center of a leaders life; the trust needed to lead people through tumultuous times will be missing. And, as leaders in today’s economic climate, we need trust, or we’ll be one of the many business statistics.

How does your worldview effect how you lead? How might a long-term-view-of-life worldview impact your leadership?

What’s a Fatal Flaw for the Sales Management Leader?

Assigned reading for this quarter’s class in my Master’s in Transformational Leadership program at Bethel University is The Extraordinary Leader by Zenger and Folkman. Have you read this book yet? If not, I highly recommend!

One of their key research findings is that character is core to leadership. You can all sorts in incredible talents and skill, including the ability to drive results and to communicate well. However, lacking character is a Fatal Flaw that will destroy any leader, whether a president, CEO or sales management leader.

This topic is apropos since I’m actively involved in helping two separate companies in separate industries, medical device and manufacturing, hire VP of sales. Yes, the skills identified in Yes You Can: 67 Tips to Raise Sales Results in a Recession, are important; but, they are useless with character.

So, how is character defined? Here are some of the way that authors indicate that character gets defined (page 56 of Extraordinary Leader). I invite you to rank yourself on each of these attributes.

Making decisions with the company in mind; not their personal interests.

Keeping commitments. They walk the talk.

Committed to continuous improvement; they are constantly learning how to improve their game.

Receptive to feedback; in fact, they actively seek feedback from others to help them grow.

Approachable by everyone, regardless of rank or position.

Treating everyone the same; no preferential treatment.

Treating everyone with respect and dignity, regardless.

Assuming others have good intentions; trusting others.

Works collaboratively with others.

Tenacious; being determined even in the midst of difficult obstacles.

Emotionally resilience; adjusts rapidly to changing circumstances.

So, how do you rank yourself? Where are you strong? Where do you need to continue developing and strengthening your core, your character?

The Paradoxical Commandments & Wise Leadership

A couple of years ago, I sat next to a man who told a fascinating story about how he developed his core philosophy on leading. I immediately resonated with his philosophy because I think he addresses the most difficult part of leadership, whether is it’s leadership of a company or of a sales team, (at least for me!) to…love them anyway.

Wise leadership is founded on strong relationships with those around us. In fact, Marcus Buckingham in The One Thing You Need to Know about Great Managing, Great Leading and Sustained Individual Success, says that the greatest manager truly care (love) their staff.

So, how do rate yourself?

Who are the people that are difficult to care for? What does that say about you?

When is it difficult to care for others? What does that say about you?

Take the challenge and read The Paradoxical Commandments by Kent M. Keith:

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.

Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.

Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.

Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.

Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.

Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.

Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.

Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.

Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.

Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.

Give the world the best you have anyway.

© Copyright Kent M. Keith 1968, 2001

www.paradoxicalcommandments.com