Blog Archives
I came across this insightful post by Cathy Berggren yesterday and I wanted to share it now. I am always looking for posts that grab my attention, and what better way to make me stop in my tracks then a bowl full of M&Ms! The cool part is there is a wonderful message here as well for all leaders. Now I have to run to the store 🙂 Enjoy…
Ever pick out your favorite colors in M&M’s when you eat them? Are you drawn to a particular color? Statistically, the company puts the highest number of blue in each container…in fact 24% in each bag. Can you guess the least amount? Yep, brown, an average of 13%. Any guesses as to why blue is favored over brown? I don’t have the answers, but have my own theory.
Blue stands out
We are drawn to people for the same reason. We are often drawn to those people who stand out. It may not be because they are loud or outgoing, or because they are some great leader by position, or because of their following or even their money. It might be because of their gentle quiet spirit, or maybe it is how they consistently love people. They may stand out because of their guidance and leadership to…
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The Five Star 5 – A Collaborative Leadership List
There is an incredible amount of content available on leadership, and I made sure to research none of it for this post!
I wanted to share five key points of what leadership means to me, but I also wanted your comments to compile a longer list. Don’t research, just share what you feel! I will post the full list on my blog next week.
- Motivate, inspire and most importantly have fun
- Give an enthusiastic thank you when things go well, and a supportive ear when things go wrong
- Be a positive example with your work ethic, and have a desire to succeed that others are proud to follow
- Understand that all your employees are unique people and need to be managed accordingly
- As often as possible smile, laugh and have a bounce in your step!
My Best Sales Manager
One Sales Manager in my career was a cut above the rest. As I think back to our first meeting close to 11 years ago, I realize that it took about 5 seconds for us to click. Sometimes it is there, and sometimes it is not in a business relationship. But I knew right away that I had made the right decision to move and start a new life in Edmonton.
Everything between him and the team worked. There was limited drama in the office, and the focus was always growing the business, and having fun along the way. He never made it feel like he was our boss, more of a team captain. He was a leader who supported us in every way. He was there for us when we succeeded, and when we failed. He assisted in our personal development, and often commented on how lucky he was to have a team like us to support. It was never “below him” to help us with whatever we needed assistance with. He was a manager, but he was more than willing to get “dirty with us in the trenches”.
He was the consummate mentor, and was always thinking about succession plans for those who were interested in moving up within the organization. He was an ear for everyone with respect to business or personal problems.
I had often thought about what would happen to the team if he ever decided to move on. I have to be honest; it worried me  a bit, more than it should have. When he finally did move on, as expected, things were never the same again with our sales division.
I called him out of the blue when I was in his city a few months ago and we had a last-minute coffee. Before I knew it, more than an hour had passed. We picked up right where we left off from the last time we saw each other! I had to pinch myself to realize that we were not between sales calls working for the same company anymore. I will always credit him for being the most influential person who assisted in getting my sales career to the next level as quickly as it did.
- Who has been influential in getting you to where you are today?
- What awesome things have they done that really stand out in your mind?
I really enjoyed this post from Tony Schwartz via David Kanigan this morning. Have a great Sunday everyone!
I don’t believe that I’ve read a better self-help post in the past year. Tony Schwartz turned 60 and these are his reflections. He is the author of Be Excellent at Anything.  This post is from the HBR Network and it’s titled: Turning 60: The Twelve Most Important Lessons I’ve Learned So Far. I find his insights remarkable…
- “Humility is underrated…deepening self-awareness is essential to freeing ourselves from reactive habitual behaviors…
- “Notice the good – we carry an evolutionary disposition to dwell on on what’s wrong – take time each day to notice what right and to feel grateful
- “Never seek your value at the expense of others…devaluing the person will only prompt more of the same in return”
- “Slow down. Speed is the enemy of nearly everything in life that really matters. It’s addictive and it undermines quality, compassion, depth, creativity, appreciation and real relationship.”
- An…
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Sell, Lead, Succeed! 