Being different is easy. Being distinctive in the markeplace ... now that takes work. But, according to a study by Booz Allen Hamilton, it doesn’t require you to break the bank for new research and development.
Someone out there is waiting to take your customers, your best employees, and ultimately, your business. Your competitors are not just the usual suspects you know. They can come from anywhere – from a dorm room to a foreign country.
Consciously changing – even tweaking – a culture is hard work.. There is no twelve-step program. There are choices you can make that, over time, will help you repair a damaged culture or sustain and grow a positive one.
We choose every day. Consciously or not, we make it nonetheless. Are we a leader or a liar? Here is the challenge – we know our intentions, but simply look at our behavior and performance filtered through their lens of perception. Did we do what we said we would do? We may see ourselves as a leader, but to others we are simply lying to them or ourselves.
Mistakes happen. The lawyers are paid to tell you the answer that will protect your legal interests, just like your CPA is paid to tell you the answer that will protect your tax interests. You, on the other hand, are responsible for making the best leadership decision.
We have all seen and/or participated in an experience similar to my purchase of an Arabian horse. More important, we have witnessed the result of a well-intentioned idea gone bad in the communities and organizations we serve. Stupid – once in play – can take on a life of its own.
Your best employees are contemplating quitting. Some of them already have. Increased turnover always occurs after a recession. Pent up demand for new talent combines with pent up desire for something better, and the people with the best skills – your star employees – start listening to the offers for more money and opportunity. Are you vulnerable? Chances are the answer is yes if you are guilty of any of the following:
Brilliance is often ignored because of poor presentation. It is unfortunate, but it is true. That is why I’m excited to recommend two excellent books on making more effective presentations.
Why you? Why now? What makes you relevant? Why should I pay attention to you rather than hit the “Next” button? The answers most of us give are wrong.
The National Football League’s Dallas Cowboys have a record of 1 win and 3 losses. It turns out that the Dallas Cowboys have a lot in common with companies and teams everywhere—they have great talent and yet they are failing to achieve their goals. Which brings us to you, your team, and your company. Accepting effort in lieu of desired results creates an environment where excuses justify mediocrity.
You can’t cut your way to growth. Profitability? Yes, at least for a while. But, growth is an animal of a completely different color. Growth requires increasing the top line and there are only four basic ways to accomplish that: