The Impact of Leaders Who Step Up

I received an exceptional email from a founding partner of a national window covering company. He thanked me for my interest in their company and reinforced their commitment to the “health, happiness and safety of our team and our customers.”

So far, so good.

He then said, “You’re in great hands with your Design Consultant, but please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly if you have any questions or if there is anything I can do to make your experience with us more enjoyable.”

Focus and Simplicity

“Focus and simplicity…once you get there,
you can move mountains.”
– Steve Jobs

It almost seems counterproductive to think that simplifying can make a difference in achieving the results you desire. Instead, we tend to overly complicate things. If we add this embellishment or that (time intensive) detail, we think the outcome will be so much better.

Clarity in Communication

Everyone is getting busier, which is great for business but perhaps more challenging in execution. This continues to be more complicated if you are working remotely or in a hybrid situation.

During the most intense periods of the pandemic, employees adapted and got the work done clumsily but effectively. What’s different now is the pace and higher levels of expectations. Business is returning to previous activity levels and leaders need to help their teams adjust to expectations.

The Price/Value Equation

The recent appearance of inflation in the economic data has spurred on price increases. With choruses of “welcome back” and “we’re returning to business as usual”, companies are charging more while offering the same or less as they did before the price increases.

While that may have worked in the past, today’s buyers expect more when prices go up.

Handling the Unexpected

No one likes to deal with disruptions, but let’s face it, every leader has dealt with the consequences of unexpected interruptions. Sometimes the timing can be so disruptive that you feel paralyzed about how to move forward.

Good decision-making ability is a the key to having the least disruptions during such times. People sometimes overly complicate making decisions. When you approach the problem by first looking at the intended outcome, you create a path for a better result.

Spot Check

Does it seem to you that the first half of the year just flew by? Let’s seize the moment by doing a spot check to analyze your progress towards this year’s goals.

Start by identifying your accomplishments. You can get as granular as you’d like, but you’ll benefit the most by looking at your top achievements.

Have an Open Mind

“A mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work if it is not open.”
– Frank Zappa

In the last of our series on relationship and network building, today’s topic centers on being open to new people in your sphere. Too often, people dismiss the people they meet by immediately judging that there is nothing they can do for them.

Don’t Burn Bridges!

Continuing with our June theme of relationship and network building, someone asked how to handle a scenario when something negative influences a relationship. Hopefully, this doesn’t happen frequently, but you want to be prepared when it does occur.

It’s important to remember that the other person might be more sensitive to what happened than you are. The best way to approach it is to have a direct and empathetic conversation close to the triggering episode, mainly to clear the air and make sure that you’re both on the same page. It is up to the two of you to move the relationship forward after that.

The Value of Your Network

I hope you’ve had a great start to reconnecting with colleagues and friends! Having good conversations with people who have been out of your immediate scope is encouraging and can even raise your spirits.

As you continue the plan to contact five people a week, remember why this is important. Your network is a key element to your value as a professional and a leader. People think of you differently when they know you have an extensive and deep network.

Reconnecting Anew

It’s time to climb out from under the rock! If you haven’t already started, begin reconnecting with people. In the past 15 months, there has been a decided change in how we stayed in touch with people who matter to us. During this month of June, we’re going to explore how you can relaunch these connections.

Today’s focus is on how to get started. Of course, you can randomly reach out to people, but after a few weeks the randomness will keep you from making progress. Make a list of 20 people and commit to reaching out to an average of five people a week for this month.

Leadership is a Mindset

Category: Leadership