Month: August 2013

Success’ Secret Recipe

On By Joe DeRosaIn LeadershipLeave a comment

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How is it that some people never really advance in life? On the job, or off the job improvements seem to allude them. No promotions. No weight lost. Audition after audition that never amount to getting a place in the band or a spot on the team. They keep trying, but continue to come up empty handed. But why? Growing up we were taught to stay focused, work hard, and to never give up. We’re doing all those things now, but still…

The secret sauce to success differs slightly for each person. However, after years of working with some incredibly talented and successful people, and observing traits that are common amongst them all, I’ve found the one ingredient that stands out and changes the game. This ingredient cannot stand on its own to ensure success. It can’t take the place of hard work, discipline, focus, and the other necessary traits that most successful people seem to possess. However I have seen many talented people who seem to have all the right characteristics but simply “never make it”. So again, I ask why? I would propose it is because they’re missing the most powerful ingredient to their own secret sauce for success…self-awareness.

Successful people are self-aware. They have an intimate knowledge of their strengths and weaknesses, or as I call them “blind spots”.

Blind spots are those areas that we can’t see. They are the weaknesses, or the things we may think are okay but are far from it. Blind spots can be hidden from sight or can be smack-dab in front of your face. Being self-aware helps eliminate blind spots that can limit success.  But is it possible to eliminate your blind spots?  The answer is absolutely yes!  The first step is to identify your blind spots and then immediately move to address them.  If you don’t eliminate your blind spots after you’ve identified them you’re simply in denial…and for most people success is not possible when in a state of denial.

3 things successful people do, and you should do, to eliminate blind spots:
1. Read. Read as much as you can. Read broadly. Books on leadership, business, biographies of great leaders, and history provide great insights and perspective on traits and characteristics necessary to achieve success.  I have found some of my best “ah-ha” moments reading American History, specifically in the area of Presidential biographies or autobiographies.
2. Ask. Create a list of 5 people you can count on to give you the honest-to-goodness truth. These may not be the people you think of immediately. Your closest friends may actually not be the best source of feedback. You may need to turn to someone you have a good relationship with as a close associate but not a close friend. Associates in your network often times provide the best, most honest advice.
3. Listen. Many people struggle to be good listeners. The act of listening is an intentional one. Hearing takes no intention. As I write this blog I have Dave Matthews playing in the back ground. I hear it, but I couldn’t tell you the lyrics, and most of the time when I’m deep in work I might not know the song that’s playing. Listening requires a person to open their mind and concentrate on what’s being said and the words being spoken. Only through effective listening is it possible to understand the feedback being given. Point being, when you are receiving feedback make sure there is no other noise or distractions…don’t just hear it…listen.

Being self-aware is the one ingredient that can help you achieve game-changing success.  Expand your knowledge, ask for input, and most of all open your mind and listen.  If you can do these 3 things you’re on your way to being able to accomplish your greatest dreams and goals.

As always, I’m interested in your comments and feedback so keep them coming!

Confidence, what confidence?

On By Joe DeRosaIn BusinessLeave a comment

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s July 24th report, home sales are on the rise along with prices.  The unemployment rate in July saw a slight decrease from 7.6% to 7.4% adding more than 160,000 jobs to the economy.  The market has been on a tear, up nearly 9,000 points from its low.  And what about GDP?  Well the latest numbers published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis suggest a 1.7% increase in the second quarter.  Sounds good right?  So what’s the problem?

The fact is that even with all this positive data these is still an overwhelming sense of discomfort, uncertainty, and general lack of confidence in the world around us.  People are skeptical of government action (or inaction in certain areas), turmoil overseas, the real unemployment rate (includes those under-employed, marginally attached, and those who have simply fallen off the unemployment claims list), and the ongoing list of scandals that seem to plague our society.

But are these issues really creating a lack of confidence?  Consider these facts:

  1. Gold prices nearing $1,400 an ounce.  In the last 5 years, gold has literally doubled in price.  Typically viewed as a safe-haven for worried investors, an increase in the price of this precious commodity suggests confidence problems abound.
  2. Consumer Confidence as reported by the Conference Board drops 2 points in July.  This decrease was “precipitated by a weakening in consumers’ economic and job expectations.”  This point drop tracks back to the real impact of the current unemployment numbers.
  3. Small business confidence as reported by both NSBA and the NFIB showed a slight month over month improvement in their respective July reports.  However, the small uptick in confidence didn’t translate into hiring more workers.  Less than two-thirds of small businesses are able to obtain adequate financing to run their business.  Tight credit markets are typically a sign of low confidence.  And, if businesses don’t feel confident in the availability of credit they most certainly will not extend themselves into growth-driven initiatives such as hiring or expansion.
  4. The recent market pullback may not be a sign of low confidence as much as it may be a normal correction.  The last two weeks has seen the markets end on down notes (unless something miraculous happens today).   This drop has still only resulted in a 5% pullback.  Not considered a major correction by any means but still worth watching.
  5. Consumer spending has decreased quarter over quarter this year as American’s pull back their spending due to concerns over their jobs, and the overall economy.
  6. And what about George Soros‘ bet this week buying millions in Put Options...a hedge against a drop in the market.  Said simply…Soros believes the market is going down and has taken action to protect his investments by purchasing Put options.  He bet against the market once before in 2008 and was right.

Trying to read the tea leaves continues to be difficult.  With all the fairly positive data floating around you would think there would be more confidence among consumers and businesses.  But the realities facing the market from tight credit, to low hiring, to major shifts from full-time employment to part-time suggest we’ve got a long way to go until confidence makes its return to our great country.

3 simple steps to get started with Small Business Marketing

On By Joe DeRosaIn Marketing1 Comment

Small business owners often ask “Do I really need Marketing?”  The answer of course is absolutely yes!  In fact, as a small business owner you need to market yourself more than the bigger brands that have already established awareness and familiarity with their products and services.  But how do you do this on a tight budget?  When do you find the time to market your business when you’re doing inventory, payroll, selling and servicing?  Take a breath and relax.  It’s not complicated and it won’t break the bank either.  You will need to spend some time getting started, but once you do you’ll find the positive results to be energizing and encouraging.  And when you begin to see favorable results based on your early efforts, this momentum will make adding an additional Marketing tactic here or there so much easier.  So what can you do to get started Marketing your business?

Here are 3 simple steps to introduce some basic Marketing tactics for your business.

  1. Set up a LinkedIn profile for yourself.  Set aside 30 minutes to get started.  You’ll need to write a short summary of what you do and what makes you special.  It’s important to highlight your “specialty”.  If you deliver outstanding service before, during, and after the sale explain how you do it in a brief statement or two.  Be bold but don’t mislead.  Be clear, concise and to the point.  Say what you mean and mean what you say.  Make sure to also include your photo on your LinkedIn profile.  This is an absolute MUST regardless of how much you dislike pictures of yourself.  Get over it.  It’s been proven that people are more likely to read, click, or pursue an interest when there is a personal picture accompanying the profile.
  2. Recognize customer milestones.  Most small businesses really know their customers.  Use that knowledge to your advantage.  Recognize birthdays, anniversary’s and key milestones.  Word of mouth is the best advertising you’ve got and paying that extra bit of attention to your customers will help create strong advocates for your business.  People spend an average of 3.2 hours per day on social media, and with 1.1 billion Facebook users it’s likely you’re getting talked about already.  Make sure you’re included in that conversation.  Satisfied customers will talk, and the power of social media will only expedite your message getting out to new prospective customers.
  3. Networking.  Most people associate networking with Sales but it’s really a Marketing function.  What’s the difference?  Think of Marketing as all the activities required to create the opportunity to sell.  It’s all the front end work.  Studying your market, knowing your competition, pricing correctly, creating a strong and compelling value proposition.  Sales is just that…taking that lead that’s been created from your Marketing efforts and turning it into a revenue generating customer.  So think of networking as an outbound Marketing effort.  You need to identify which functions to attend, who to talk to, what to say, how to follow up.  Networking is critical for small business owners.

These are 3 simple steps to get started Marketing your business.  I will dive deeper into each of these steps in future blogs.  In the mean time, check out the Small Business Administration website for some additional Marketing tactics.

Healthcare Reform…Trick or Treat??

On By Joe DeRosaIn BusinessLeave a comment

The closer we get to 2014 the more scary things look for healthcare reform.  We’re about to walk through the cracked doorway of a dark room not knowing what’s inside.  The music is building, the suspense reaching new heights.  Just like in the movies we don’t yet know what’s in that dark room.  It could be nothing, it could be something that imposes a greater fear than we ever expected.  Think of the first time you saw Michael Myers in Halloween.  Before anything bad ever happened in the movie you were left with an eerie and unsettled feeling that there was an impending doom on its way.

Regardless if you own your own business, work for a small company with less than 50 employees, or work for a colossal employer with tens of thousands of employees, the Affordable Care Act will have an effect on you and your family.  The type of policy you have, the premiums you pay, the contributions made on your behalf by your employer most likely will change.  The reality is that we just don’t know how much will change.  It is this not-knowing that creates the same anxiety we feel as we watched The Shape appear behind Jamie Lee Curtis‘ character Laurie for the first time in Halloween.  While we didn’t know for sure what would happen next we knew that whatever it was wouldn’t be good.  And we were right.

Many people believe that all of Healthcare Reform has been postponed until 2015.  This is incorrect.  What’s been postponed is a piece of the Act that mandates businesses with more than 50 full time equivalent employees to provide health coverage if they don’t currently offer it.  This roller coaster ride between the current Obama Administration and GOP-led House raise concerns, questions, and anxiety levels, while diminishing overall trust in the U.S. Government.  Republican or Democrat, Congress’ approval rating sits at an all-time low of 17%.  CBS News has gone as far as labeling this 113th Congress as being the “least productive in history”.

Just like Laurie in Halloween we’re left wondering what we will encounter when we get through that door.  The questions still on the table include:

  1. How much more will insurance cost me and my family once all the pieces of the Affordable Care Act go into place?
  2. Will my employer stop offering coverage entirely and pay the fine because it’s cheaper than providing insurance coverage?
  3. What happens to the quality of my healthcare as we layer on another 35 – 45 million people to the current health system infrastructure?
  4. Will there be doctor shortages in the U.S. as seen in many European countries?

In a previous presentation put on by the NFIB stated that every business owner would need to have an accountant, broker, and attorney to help them sort through what the Affordable Care Act meant for their specific business.  Given the vastness of this Act, and the number of different areas affected by this legislation, it’s perhaps impossible for any one person or adviser to know everything.

To give yourself some peace of mind I’d suggest finding a few trusted partners who can assess your specific situation and provide feedback and guidance tailored to your specific circumstance.  Be wary of those dispensing a general prescription for your business relative to Healthcare Reform.  Remember every business is different as are their employees.  Add to that the fact that every business has been handling health coverage differently making their specific employee situations just as different.  A one-size fits all approach will not work and may even lead to significant business failures.

Invest the time you need to educate yourself.  Turn the lights on before going into that room, as it may make things less scary when you finally encounter them.  And finally surround yourself with trusted advisors that can provide guidance and confidence as you make these important decisions that will most certainly affect you, your business, your employees, and their families.  This is one of those rare moments in history when we’re faced with one piece of legislation that will impact everyone in so many different ways.

8 simple steps to creating a strong brand promise

On By Joe DeRosaIn MarketingLeave a comment

In my prior blog, How Difficult is it to Change Your Brand Promise, I talked about some companies that did an excellent job of delivering on their brand promise, as well as one company in particular that didn’t deliver on their promise.  A visible disconnect between your promise and what is actually delivered, many times is the fatal flaw that brings down a company.  Even companies who are considered “Great” by today’s standards can fall prey to a faulty brand promise.  Therefore it is crucial that you ensure your promise is aligned, and able to connect to your delivery.

Developing a strong brand promise requires attention to detail.  Having a process to follow as you build or revamp your promise is necessary to maximize your success.  Here are 8 simple steps to creating or modifying a brand promise:

  1. Involve key stakeholders – having the right people involved from the onset of this journey will help with alignment at the end when implementation is critical.  People are most likely to support something they had a hand in developing.
  2. Talk to your customers.  Not just your favorites, or the customers you know will say good things.  Test the waters using VOC tactics to obtain a broad and random voice.
  3. Understand your competitors.  One of the most commonly missed steps of the process.  Why?  Because most people/companies think they already know everything about their competitors.  Wrong!
  4. Size your market opportunity to justify a change in your promise.  Think Amazon Prime.  Amazon changed how merchandise was shipped.  They strengthened their promise but not before researching and understanding the potential takers for this service.  Earlier this year the Business Insider indicated Amazon had reached 10 million Prime members.  At $79 a year that’s not a bad addition to the top line!  All from taking the time to understand the market opportunity.
  5. Develop your core brand attributes and identify statement – value proposition.  If a core attribute of your business is “easy” then you need to make sure that everything you do checks back and balances to easy.  If you market an “easy set-up” and set-up is actually time and labor intensive you’re already disconnected from your promise.
  6. Establish an Advisory Group.  Create a Council or Group of 9 to 11 members…always an odd number to ensure voting efficiency on topics and items that require decisions.  Use this group to test attributes, messaging, and most importantly experience.
  7. Talk to your employees.  Too often companies exclude the “rank and file” from this work believing it is an executive function only.  The problem with this mentality is that it’s all wrong.  I have witnessed countless times when an employee reviews branding work and raises a topic or issue that no other executive caught because the employee is closer to the action.  Involve your employees and you’ll see results in improved morale, better processes, and overall better performance.
  8. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate.  Once you’ve locked into your brand promise share it.  Tell your story.  And most importantly monitory your results.  Is our promise connecting?  How are our customers and prospects reacting?

I will post future blogs diving deeper into each of the above 8 steps.  Until then remember:  “Do what you say, and say what you do”.  That’s your promise.

3 ways working out can improve your career results

On By Joe DeRosaIn SalesLeave a comment

We all know being physically fit improves your overall health, helps to lose weight if that’s a goal, improves heart health and overall cardiovascular activity.  But there’s another element to being physically fit that transcends the health benefits and provides another incentive for us to hit the gym, streets, basements, or where ever you can engage in physical activity.

Over the years doctors and scientists have studied the effects of physical fitness and the impact it has on your professional results.  You heard right.  Being fit can actually improve your performance on the  job.  Whether you’re a sales rep, surgeon, statistician, seamstress, or scientist, being in shape will drive better results in nearly everything you do.

In Exercise: 7 Benefits of Regular Physical Activity, the Mayo Clinic sites 7 benefits or reasons to exercise.  Benefits #3 and #4, detail how exercise improves your “mood” and gives you “energy”.  Clearly those are two critical elements in successful selling.  Who wants to talk to someone in a bad mood, let alone buy from them.  What about the sales rep who comes in like Eeyore?  What a downer.  Of course you don’t want to walk in bouncing off the rooftop, but clearly you need to have a little giddyup in your step.  A good mood mixed with energy throws off a very positive vibe which translates into confidence and demonstrates strong self-esteem.

Finally, Benefit #5 discusses how regular physical activity promotes healthy sleep patterns.  Sleep is an essential part of restoring the brain and keeping it functioning properly.  The Franklin Institute study, Renew:  Sleep and Stress, cites many benefits to “normal” sleep patterns including your ability to learn accompanied by improved memory.  Again, two things every sales professional can benefit from.  On the flip side, lack of sleep, according to the study, results in increased risk of diabetes, Alzheimer, stroke, and depression.

Of course exercise takes commitment and discipline.  As a life-long student of fitness I hit the gym 6 days a week for 60 -90 minutes.  I do something different each day to keep it interesting.  I mix single work-outs with class settings like SPINNING.  Exercise for me has given me the ability to hold my focus for long periods of time during the day in critical business situations.

So if you’ve found your sales results to be flat, think about adding exercise to your day.  If you’re already exercising daily try something different.  There are so many different options available today it’s unbelievable.  Whether it’s Yoga, Pilates, Crossfit, or a simple walk around the block, take action and drive your performance to the next level.  It’s all you.

The anatomy of a great Sales presentation

On By Joe DeRosaIn SalesLeave a comment

Over the years I’ve read hundreds of sales books.  I’ve attended countless sales training sessions with various philosophies from Spin Selling to Solution Selling, and Relationship Selling.  As I’ve sat through these courses as both a rep and ultimately as the head of Sales I began to watch expressions and reactions to the material being presented.  I have seen the excitement, and the hunger, in people’s eyes as they listened intently with the hope that “this will be the training that changes everything” for them, and that “this class will provide the silver bullet” that has eluded them throughout their career.   Most often times they’re wrong.

A recent article on training cited a statistic that 87% of sales training was forgotten within the first 30 days.  This begs the question, why?  Is it because the philosophies being taught are not good?  Are the different sales processes wrong?  Is it just bad information?  Is it because the rep tried it and it didn’t work?  I would offer that all of these sales methodologies have great aspects to them. They all offer tremendous insights and perspectives on various sales situations.  But there’s no such thing as one-size fits all when it comes to Sales training.  Why?  Because all people are different and as such react in different ways when they are being sold to.  That means it’s incumbent on the sales rep to be savvy enough to know what elements to apply in any given situation.

No Sales training methodology will work 100% every time.  The key is knowing what pieces to take from each perspective and incorporate them into your own style and process.  The best sales people know what to say, when to say it, when not to say anything, what questions to ask, how to ask them, and when to ask.

Recently I participated in a discussion on “What makes a great Sales Presentation?”  Some of the responses were very classroom-ish.  The fact is, the more complex you make something the less likely it will be tried, let alone followed.  As such I put together my own step-by-step recommendation for delivering consistent, high-quality sales presentations.

To get the most out of every Sales presentation follow the steps below:

1. Prepare – know the buyer persona you will be meeting with, your competition, your own products and services.

2. Be early. If you’re on time you’re late.

3. Dress the part. I can’t tell you how many sales presentations I’ve sat through where the reps tie was not straight or a blouse had one too many buttons undone. Attention to the small details says a lot about you.

4.SMILE – no one wants to spend time with a grouch or scary person!

5. Listen twice as much as you talk – that’s why we have 2 ears and one mouth.

6. If your product requires a formal presentation use an iPad and get theSlideshark app. It is a powerful tool and demonstrates your ability to “integrate” various tools into a process…the sales process.

7. Boil your presentation down to 3 salient points…be clear and concise but have back-up and detail should the buyer want to dive deeper.

8. Gain continuous buy-in. Throughout your presentation make sure you check in with the buyer to gain their continued approval and agreement. When you get to the end you can sum up your presentation by saying, “we agree this solution makes sense for your business so lets talk about next steps”

9. No matter what the outcome, shake hands, smile, thank them for their time and let them know you will keep in touch…then do it!

Give this a try for a month, or however long it takes you to do no less than 25 presentations.  Then let me know what your results were.  Remember, to be successful in Sales you MUST be a continuous learner, broadening, and deepening your perspective each and every day with each and every presentation you give.  Not even the 9 steps above are a silver bullet but they can certainly help you improve  your overall sales effectiveness.

Like this if it helped.

Happy Selling!

How difficult is it to change your brand promise?

On By Joe DeRosaIn Business, MarketingLeave a comment

promise

A discussion around a brand promise makes for a spirited conversation.  Outside of Marketing professionals, the concept of a brand promise is new, or at least a new way to describe what your brand means and represents.  To understand what a brand promise is, let’s look at what the two terms mean by themselves.

What is a brand?  A brand is commonly defined as a name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s product distinct from those of other sellers.  Basically the name you’ve attached to your business as the producer of the product or service you sell.

What is a promise?  A promise is a declaration assuring that one will or will not do something; a vow.  This is your commitment to follow through as you said you would.  Say what you do, and do what you say.

When combined together, a brand promise is what you say to your customers that you will do for them if they purchase your product or service.  Fulfilling that promise is critical to building trust in your brand.  With trust comes growth through more sales, higher revenue, and long-term customer relationships…repeat business.  In the absence of trust, your brand is teetering on thin ice with the slightest move one way or another causing a complete collapse.

Companies that consistently demonstrate their brand promise include:  Nordstrom, Whole Foods, Lowes, and the Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts.  These companies understand the importance of connecting their brand promise to their operating plans…and they execute in most cases with near perfection.

But what happens when a company falls through the ice on their brand promise?

JC Penney has been struggling for years.  After the Great Recession JCP’s revenues began to fall and store sales declined.  In the fall of 2011, JCP turned to Ron Johnson, a celebrated senior executive from Apple and more recently Target, to lead a turnaround of this iconic brand.  Unfortunately Mr. Johnson began tinkering with an age-old JCP promise that centered around weekly “sales” of their merchandise.  In a bold move Mr. Johnson eliminated “weekly sales” and began promoting “everyday low prices”, a promise Wal-Mart built an empire upon.  I believe what Mr. Johnson missed was the fact that consumer attitudes didn’t align with this new JCP brand promise.

Of course the result of this move became clear very quickly.  The stock price dropped by more than 50% in the 16 months Ron Johnson was at the helm.  JCP’s revenue declined by nearly 30% and profits turned into losses in 2012 and so far in 2013.

So is it even possible to change your brand promise?  The answer is yes.  I’ll explore this process in a future upcoming blog.  As a sneak peek I’d suggest that it all starts and ends with a deep and intimate knowledge and understanding of  your customers, as well as your complete target audience.

What’s happening at Apple?

On By Joe DeRosaIn Business2 Comments

With last week’s financial results posted by Apple showing a $1.3 billion decrease in year-over-year profits, is it possible we are about to witness one of the greatest rise and fall from corporate stardom?  What’s going on at Apple?  What are the employees thinking?  Better yet what is Tim Cook thinking?

Sure Apple returned a nearly $19 billion to shareholders via dividends and share repurchases, but their operating numbers raise some eyebrows.  While revenue was nearly flat at $35 billion this quarter, over the same period last year, what is more concerning is the drop in profit.  This year’s quarterly profit was $6.9 billion compared to a $8.8 billion profit a year ago.  And to make matters worse, sales of iPads dropped by more than 2.5 million units along with a 200,000 unit-sale decrease in Macs.

So what’s happening at Apple?  Have they lost their swagger.  Perhaps.  But why?  Is the answer fear?

Apple has been one of the most, if not the most coveted brand for the last decade.  People rush to buy their products, attend their conferences, and hope to work for a company whose founder is no doubt the greatest visionary of this generation.  Apple’s goals and desires rose above Wall Street’s performance expectations.  They operated with this notion that they could really change people’s lives…and they did.  And, as a result of changing millions of lives they in fact changed the world and how we consume information, use it, access it, and show it off.  Apple products carry a certain cachet with them.  All these accomplishments are the result of many things but perhaps the single biggest driving force behind their success was Steve Jobs.  A bold visionary who bucked the pressures of Wall Street and critics and moved in directions others wouldn’t dare.

Today Tim Cook is at the helm with some big shoes to fill.  It’s hard to expect a mere man, while a good man, to become superhuman like Jobs.  Cook may be a good operator but he’s no Jobs.  He may have walked into the worst CEO seat in the universe.  After all, following in the footsteps of someone like Steve Jobs would be difficult even for many of the greatest CEOs of all time.

Signs are already showing that Apple is becoming a “me-too” company.  After the strange introduction of the iPad mini, I began to wonder what was next.  Perhaps a gaming system like Xbox, or getting into selling flat screen TVs like Samsung?  Apple seems to be flailing about trying to find their way.  They’ve shifted their strategy in their retail stores from a laid-back, informative, fun experience to the typical “gotta sell them something” model used by all other retailers.  Unfortunately this shift has been noticed by consumers and they have voted with their feet as sales slipped to $4 billion, down slightly from a year earlier.

While the fear of failure affects people and companies differently, with Apple it may not have a positive result.  Companies throughout history have turned to visionaries when facing troubled times.  Chrysler turned to Lee Iacocca, GM turned to Bob Lutz, JP Morgan turned to Jamie Dimon, and Xerox turned to Anne Mulcahy.  Leaders that have clarity of vision along with a strong sense of conviction.  These leaders took bold actions, dismissed Wall Street, and focused their attention on the priority of turning their respective companies around.

Apple needs to find its hunger for innovation and market disruption once again if it expects to stay on top.  The out-of-the-box thinking driven by Jobs, along with his obsession with elegant, yet simple-to-use designs, created a Disney-like company where dreams are made of.  Let’s hope the dream is not over.

3 Characteristics of Great Leadership

On By Joe DeRosaIn LeadershipLeave a comment

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John Quincy Adams said, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”  That one statement sure packs a punch.

Effective leaders all possess similar strengths.  Discipline, focus, enthusiasm, commitment, and limitless energy are all characteristics displayed with strong leadership.  Leaders are hard chargers who operate with a clear sense of direction and are generally successful in getting people to follow.  After all you can’t be a leader without followers.

And then there are great leaders.  Those individuals who not only are able to get people to follow, but who inspire them to go beyond what they ever dreamed possible.    The great leaders understand the human condition.  They thrive on people engagement and behavioral observations.   They realize that all people are unique and therefore respond differently even when faced with the exact same circumstances.  It is the great leaders’ ability to shape their message in a way that reaches and resonates across a large group of people.  But it’s more than their message.  A great leader is able to not just create a compelling message (vision) but make it believable by the actions and characteristics they demonstrate daily.

Great leaders play at a higher level than regular leaders.  They’re the All-Stars.  The one-of-a-kinds.  The most sought after individuals that people want to meet with, get to know, or work for.  What separates the good from the great are 3 capabilities the leader must demonstrate daily:

  1. Clarity of vision.  Great leaders know where they are headed and how to get there.  It’s crystal clear to them on the inside which makes it easier to communicate outside.  They have a superior sense of direction and know where their own True North setting is which can be felt by those following.  This clarity of vision demonstrates their confidence and conviction in the actions they take and ask others to take.
  2. Teaching.  Great leaders are teachers.  They get energy from meeting with people and sharing their knowledge, perspective and beliefs.  They realize that to be great teachers they must commit themselves to being a life-long learner.  Constantly reading, asking questions, listening, and engaging in the exchange of ideas allows great leaders to capture the hearts and minds of their followers.
  3. Motivation.  Great leaders provide reasons to act.  Through their vision and teaching, they inspire people to take action and begin the journey.  Great leaders know how to motivate those around them by recognizing the differences in people and what drives individual behavior.  Even the great leader him/her-self requires motivation whether it’s spiritual, family, personal or professional they have their own reasons for taking action.

So who are you?  A leader, or a great leader?  Where do you fall relative to the 3 must-have capabilities of a great leader?  You’ve already taken steps to improve your Teaching skills by reading this blog…and I assume others.  Remember, if you can dream more, do more and become more, others will follow.