Brilliant Leadership in times of Change

By Simon T. Bailey
www.SimonTBailey.com

As I travel around, I continue to hear stories of gloom and doom. Corporations are tightening their belts, consumers have closed their wallets, and when I look into the faces of many people I see a blank stare. It’s as if they are saying, I am just here, I’m merely going through the motions.

Snap out of it! Rattle the cage! Tip the boat! Grab your life by the shirt collar and pull it forward into the future! You’re a leader, and this is what you signed up for when you became one, right? Did you know that everyone is looking to you as a barometer, and they are feeding off of your energy and taking a cue from you in how to pursue? Perhaps this may come as a shock to you, but people are watching you. They are looking to you to see how they should behave, think and believe.

Brilliant leaders embrace change as a friend instead of a foe. They believe change offers wonderful opportunities for growth. And no matter what is happening around them, brilliant leaders remain optimistic. As defined by dictionary.com, optimism is a tendency to expect the best possible outcome or dwell on the most hopeful aspects of a situation. Brilliant leaders know that pessimism and cynicism feed on one another and produce negative thoughts and negative actions. Winston Churchill said it best: “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

Perhaps you subscribe to the school of thought that says you are neither an optimist nor pessimist but a realist. That’s very nice, very sweet and very special. But in the words of Dr. Phil McGraw – how’s that working for you? Please know that whatever you believe, this is the greatest time in the history of the world. Why? Because adversity gives us the chance to be brilliant! Hard times determine our true characters.

Here are seven arrows to put into your leadership quiver (I am using this metaphor because Alan Roberts introduced me to Cabelas and even though I don’t live in Oregon, Idaho, or Montana, I sure wish I did. The next time we visit I will have to tell you about my first horse riding experience in Bozeman, Montana. It’s one for the ages. Anyway, I digress.)

• Share with your customers what you are willing to do to earn or keep their business. They don’t really care about what you can’t do or all of the hoops you have to jump through to make something happen. Be straight with them. People are tired, and their tolerance is very low after watching the stock market plunge, retirement plans diminish, and lay-offs happen all around them.

• Remember names, facts and details about customers. What is the name of his dog or cat, of her son or daughter? When is his birthday? What is her favorite cuisine or type of book? Alan Berg, VP of Strategic Solutions for The Knot, says, “Raise the bar on everything you do. Be the kind of business or person you would want to do business with.”

• Your greatest asset in this economy is not your house, your car, your 401k, your savings account, or the money under your mattress. Your greatest asset is your confidence and that of your team. Protect that confidence; grow it and watch what happens. It is your bailout plan.

• Customer Service is a mindset, not a department. Everyone should be in the business of surprising and delighting customers. More businesses do more to run customers off (automated phone trees that launch us into a plethora of choices). Don’t fall into the trap of choosing your own convenience over providing good service.

• Make sure your company is investing in You, Inc. Organizations that spent an average of $900 per employee on learning experienced 57 percent higher net sales per employee, 37 percent higher gross profits per employee, and a 20 percent increase in market-to-book value ratios. (Source – American Society of Training and Development.)

• Host your own “chew and chat” or “lunch and learn.” Buy customers or employees a meal or treat them to lunch in the employee cafeteria. Prepare at least three questions to prime the conversation pump. The first should be personal. This creates a bond and answers the question of why you wanted to invite this person to lunch. The second question should be business related, which creates a connection between the two of you within the company. The third question should be future related, which gives you a chance to listen to and support the hopes and aspirations of that employee or that customer.

• Create an Oh Brilliant One Award so you can celebrate brilliance in your organization and highlight what employees are doing right instead of what they are doing wrong.

I had the great opportunity to work with 200 of the top leaders of Sterling Savings Bank in Spokane, Washington recently, and I am thrilled to say, “Sterling Savings, you have a brilliant culture.” And I don’t say that just to blow smoke up your leg. As leaders, you are contagious optimists instead of annoying pessimists.

You are excited about the opportunities this economy is presenting you, and you truly care about your customers and each other. When I was with you, I could tell there was something authentic about all of you. You are the real deal! In the words of your president, Greg Seibly, the real business that you are about is building trust and dreams.

As leaders, you are contagious optimists instead of annoying pessimists. I believe that all of you are brilliant leaders, and that, in these tough times, you can either create history or just read it. I believe all of you are committed to embracing change and to remaining confident and hopeful. Here’s the bottom line: Change, or be changed by change. You decide, Oh Brilliant One!