Leadership in Balance

Leaders set the standard for there organizations.  Their emotion's especially those regarding results or production must stay in check, leading with a balance.  Balance is understanding your staff/employees/subordinate's reaction is strongly influenced by the manner you react.  Justin Menkes states, "One of the most critical tasks leaders have in today's stressful business environment is to channel their emotions and reactions in a way that does not hinder their people's progress."  


I am not saying be a robot, just control your emotions.  They are watching your reaction to the results and if that act is overly positive or negative, where or how you can react to better or worse results is defined, they will follow that lead.  Yes, lead with a positive optimistic attitude and reaction, remembering stability and consistency matter.  React as though the results can be better or could be worse.  Stay in balance.       

 

Is Success Your Goal?

This morning reviewing, my social media channels, I noticed a post on Facebook by Harvey Mackay  regarding goals.  His statement triggered my thoughts to Earl Nightingale. 

The use of goals is the means of placing your mind and focus to the path of success.  Earl Nightingale stated   "People with goals succeed because they know where they're going."   Believe in yourself and goal.  Know deep in your mind, your subconscious, that you will achieve.  Concentrate, nourish and repeat the goal.  The intensity of your belief in the goal will drive you on the path to success.  

Along the path fear and obstacles will emerge, leverage these into opportunities.  Keep the focus on the goal, do not allow your mind to be tempted by fear or obstacles.  Your mind will move with the current dominant thought, stay focused on the goal and all ways be positive. 

Earl Nightingale's belief  - You get what you think about most of the time and you become what you think about most of the time.  Think about your goal, Think about success!

Honesty by Technological Verification

Twenty eight years ago when I entered the hospitality industry lie detection was a required instrument to fish through your staff to find the unworthy employee, I.E., the truth.  Most times the detection would not fester out the individual who was being tested, rather that person would rat out a co worker.  


Now with the technological tools provided by the internet, social networks, plagiarism detection software and information exchange algorithms we are all subjected to instant information verification.  This expedition is not just a tool to check down the ladder
of the business hierarchy, it allows the verification up the ladder; where C-level to the 
board room's credentials, proposals and presentations can be instantly proven.  
Included in this has been President Obama's virtual polygraph exam.


Per Michael Schrage blog  -  "But the real revolution emerging is not the greater transparency of a LinkedIn here and the statistical significance of a "lie detection" algorithm there; it's their linkage, fusion and aggregation."
Interesting that as we have advanced, we still just seek the truth.   

Reflecting on Steve Jobs' Words of Wisdom - Jeff Dyer and Hal Gregersen - Harvard Business Review

Reflecting on Steve Jobs' Words of Wisdom - Jeff Dyer and Hal Gregersen - Harvard Business Review

Great discussion on Jobs' philosophy, on life and what it takes to succeed.

Content marketing, its not science or a heal all, its simply good business. by Haney Sweda

 Define - Content marketing is an umbrella term encompassing all marketing formats that involve the creation or sharing of content for the purpose of engaging current and potential consumer bases. Content marketing subscribes to the notion that delivering high-quality, relevant and valuable information to prospects and customers drives profitable consumer action. Content marketing has benefits in terms of retaining reader attention and improving brand loyalty

Historically we delivered the marketing message via some sort of advertising, TV, radio, print, which can get pricey or via a free media press, with no real control over the broadcast message.  This type of message was "pushing" the information to the consumer.  Once the message is broadcast the business, hopes and prays that the message worked and that the consumer whether B2C or B2B will respond,  then we measure the results, determine adjustments and do it over and over again changing the message per our measurement results.

Content marketing, takes information,  that all businesses have in inventory, leverages that information to the consumers advantage.  By providing the information the business "pulls" the consumer in, gains trust and a level of expertise, thus the business develops a relationship to that consumer.  A relationship that will bear fruit laterally and in the long-term.

Funny, but I get asked over and over again, when consulting with clients, “Where will we get the content?”. Its as if the business owners have lost site of their own business, like content marketing has caused them some kind of amnesia. The majority of the content exits within the business. Yes, it may need to be packaged or rewritten for content marketing delivery.  But the content or message is not magic, its the content or messages you have been telling your good loyal customers, your staff and your friends.  It is content that all good and savvy business people know and teach about their business.  

I spent years owning/operating in the food and beverage industry. I can recall countless times speaking to my staff(s) and customers, regarding their happiness or contentment with our place. If I were still in that industry, there is a significant portion of the content that I would use to market my business.  

Content marketing allows the small, medium or large business to spread the word the word that for a long time was shared only in staff meetings or with the bestest best customer or with your friends.  Content marketing spreads the word about your good business practices. 

Cautious Investing. by Haney Sweda

The economy had been growing robustly.. It was a technological boom as innovations of the new industries dominated the economy. Companies that had pioneered these advances, saw their value soar. Financial corporation’s also did well as Wall Street bankers floated companies. Investors were infatuated with the returns available in the stock market.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average stood at a level that all analysts’ said was low as compared to corporate profits. Then it became clear that the economy was contracting and the stock market went through a series of volatile declines. These declines fed investor anxiety and events soon came to a head. Then in a matter of 2 days the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell approximately 25% and would lose 40% in a matter of two weeks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average would not regain the high levels for 25 years.

This is a general description of financial affairs, but it is not of the occurrences of the past two weeks, it is of the affairs leading into October 24th, 1929 BLACK THURSDAY.
Will history repeat?

Real Product for Restaurants, Bars and Nightclubs? by Haney Sweda

The menu may include appetizers, salad, sandwiches, seafood, chicken, pork, steak, beverages both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, desert, etc.,  reality is these are the indirect products, for restaurants, bars and nightclubs.  Memories! that is the real product.

The customer's choice to utilize your establishment to record a date, birthday party, team function, prom night, family event, etc., results in a memory.  It is the responsibility of the establishment to ensure that each customer has a memorable experience.  Selling memories is a difficult proposition and each member of the staff must realize that a memory is subjective.

The moment the customer arrives in the parking lot the experience begins; Is the parking lot well landscaped, lit, clean; Is the front entrance attended with smiles and greetings; Are the restrooms clean, not just picked up but thoroughly clean;  Is the establishment organized, prepared and operating efficiently?  The small items matter! And the consumer notices them.  The consumer wakes up the next day and they have two things to recall the experience at your establishment a receipt and a Memory!

Power of Optimism by Haney Sweda

As a husband, father, friend, business owner, employer, coach, motivator; the power of optimism is the key to achievement.  I am reminded of a quote by Helen Keller - "Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement." 




The confidence you can instill in others through optimism is contagious.  Hope regarding the future; success is forthcoming; this will be sopped up like gravy on a biscuit.  Even in the worst of situations find one thing, item or thought to be optimistic.  That one optimistic thread will fester and bloom into good.  That good will grow and prosper.  


Your family, friends, employees, co-workers, team  will be invigorated by your optimism which will lead to achievement.  Achievement that can only be brought about with an optimistic outlook.