Business Owner Newsletter - Page 39

Perhaps the part of leadership that makes it so tricky to master is that there is no one way to be a great leader.  What works well for one leader is a miserable experience for others.  Leadership is a patchwork of traits that you have to learn to adapt and blend in with your own unique personality.  Our Great Leadership Series focuses on three leaders and the qualities that they have displayed that drives the results.   We challenge you this month to pay attention to your own leadership traits and be prepared to ask yourself some tough questions on how your leadership skills need to change/develop based on the results you want to create.

There are a number of leaders in today's business world that I would love to work for or emulate in some specific way. The one that stands out most is Elon Musk. With degrees in physics and business, he is quite simply trying to change the world. Electric cars, space exploration and eventually colonization, online point of purchase transfers, and solar power advances are all a part of his stable of life altering endeavors. But that is not the entire story because employees also love to work for him. Why? What makes the experience so transformational? Simply put, Musk has unrivaled vision, unequaled determination, and no fear of failure.

Perhaps the part of leadership that makes it so tricky to master is that there is no one way to be a great leader.  What works well for one leader is a miserable experience for others.  Leadership is a patchwork of traits that you have to learn to adapt and blend in with your own unique personality.  Our Great Leadership Series focuses on three leaders and the qualities that they have displayed that drives the results.   We challenge you this month to pay attention to your own leadership traits and be prepared to ask yourself some tough questions on how your leadership skills need to change/develop based on the results you want to create.

One leader that has always captured my interest is Tony Hsieh of Zappos. This isn’t just because his particular leadership style has a way of capturing headlines with story subjects such as: pays employees $2,000 to quit, sold to Amazon for over one billion, longest customer service call breaks 8 hours, and of course the ongoing mention of creating happiness. No, it’s because it is the only company I can think of that when I have to call their customer service line I actually look forward to the experience.

Perhaps the part of leadership that makes it so tricky to master is that there is no one way to be a great leader.  What works well for one leader is a miserable experience for others.  Leadership is a patchwork of traits that you have to learn to adapt and blend in with your own unique personality.  Our Great Leadership Series focuses on three leaders and the qualities that they have displayed that drives the results.   We challenge you this month to pay attention to your own leadership traits and be prepared to ask yourself some tough questions on how your leadership skills need to change/develop based on the results you want to create.

As the end of 2013 draws near, we wanted to take a moment and thank you for allowing us to hear and even participate in your story. Running a small business is not for the faint of heart.  We see the time and energy you devote day in and day out.  We hear the worry along with the excitement for the dream you are bringing to life.  In the middle of all this hard work there are the milestones that really count.  Sure there are the sales goals that you meet, but more important are the customers you help,the employees you empower to create a better life, and the difference you make in a community. Every day you are creating a story that is bigger than we often stop to think about.  

Question: In what ways have distrac.......... Oh, in what ways have distractions kept you from realizing your potential?

It’s December and as a business owner you’re probably in a state of distraction. Those distractions can be fun such as your vacations and holiday parties. They can also be work related as you try to close deals before the end of the year, set goals for next year, and run end of the year processes.   The pressure is on and it’s there not just for you, but for your employees and customers as well. All of this while trying to run the day to day business operations that already occupy at least 40 hours of your week.   

Before jumping into this week's article we wanted to take a moment to thank each of you for making the time to read our thoughts each week.  We know that as business owners you don't have spare time and we truly appreciate every moment that you choose to spend working with us on building your business.  We wish you, your staff, and your family a Happy Thanksgiving.

This week we'd like you to set aside all of your doubts and concerns for just a moment and step into the dreaming room with us. Take a moment, stretch your imagination, and think about the customer contact strategy you'd put in place for your customers if time and money were not an issue.  

You probably have some great ideas, but why don't they get implemented?   Because time and money are realities that business owners are constantly balancing against each other. While we like to hear that anything is possible the truth is some things simply are not possible, right now.  

What would your customers say about your customer contact strategy?

This month we're focusing on client contacts and what better place to start than the Holiday cards that will soon be filling up your mail box. Many businesses are rightfully asking: Should we send a holiday card this year? And if so, do we mail it or will an email work just as well?

The truth is that there is no right or wrong answer. Instead of getting caught up in the "do I" or "don't I" battle, focus on the following three questions. Once you're finished, the answer to the original question should be clearer.