Advice from other leaders…
One quick note on something I am very passionate about before we get into the good stuff: Keep refining your craft. Keep learning, improving, and growing. No exception. Whether that’s a learning new skill, a new way to communicate, a new way to lead… whatever it is, just keep growing and striving to be better. Just never get complacent. Complacency hurts your team, your product, your vision, and your own personal growth.
I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by colleagues and clients who are passionate leaders and who are always refining their own crafts. They are passionate about their position, their teams, and supporting others. And I am passionate about learning from them and sharing that knowledge with others. So we met in the middle 😊
I reached out to some of those leaders and asked them a “simple” question….
What is your one piece of advice or one habit that has helped you create and maintain success?
Fair warning: This will be two part series because their thoughts are so powerful, I want to make sure we digest them thoroughly. Here is round 1 and thank you to those that shared your experience and wisdom so that we can all continue to refine our crafts.
What is your one piece of advice or one habit that has helped you create and maintain success?
“The environment we provide as leaders is critical to the success of our employees and the organization. In the wrong environment, even the best employees can fail but given the right environment, average employees can do great things. Leadership is about setting direction, providing the tools, resources, and guidance to support those goals, and then getting out of the way.”
David Hamm, President and CEO
What is your one piece of advice or one habit that has helped you create and maintain success?
I think it is important to have a mantra or something that you can actually live in addition to core values which every organization has but, are generally just on a wall somewhere. In my current role that mantra is “Know your business, invest in your team, delight your guests.” Each of those three buckets are very simple on the surface but, can be very detailed if you really think about them and buy in to that philosophy. I tell my team they should spend 99% of their time filling one of these three buckets and if they are not they really need to evaluate what they are doing and why.
You have to know your business at a very detailed level to understand where you are, where you need to go and how you are going to get there. You should be as detailed as possible knowing how and why every aspect of your business is how it is. What about those businesses that you depend on or that depend on you? How do they work, what are their strengths and weaknesses? How can you work together to improve the value you collectively provide to your customers? There is virtually no limit to the level of detail you should seek because it will only help you have a better understanding of how you can improve.
You cannot accomplish anything without a great team so do everything you can to invest in your team. We work in a service industry so how can I expect my team to provide good service if they do not have a consistent example of what is desired or expected. More simply put, model the behavior you want every day. My goal is to put each team member in a position to win in everything they do. This means I need to invest in each team member in a variety of ways so that each person not only has the tools, resources, equipment, training and education they need to succeed but it is delivered in a variety of ways to align with each individual’s unique style. The result is a team that is self-motivated and understands what their role is and is prepared to execute in a seamless and effortless manner. The goal is for each team member to arrive on time with a smile on their face and have everything they need to execute their job flawlessly.
If you are successful in filling the first two buckets, the third is just finding the greatness in each member of your team. The environment we work in is ever changing and unpredictable but a well prepared team will handle those challenges without missing a beat and it won’t go unnoticed by your guests. Team members who are prepared and have had all their needs met are focused on the task at hand and are not distracted by the work related aggravation of the day. With a clear mind, the only thing left to do is deliver on what they have been put in position to do. More often than not, this freedom results in a lasting impression for our guests because their expectations were exceeded by a genuine act of service or kindness from an individual with confidence and pride in themselves and the organization that supports them.
Assistant Director, Houston Airport System
What is your one piece of advice or one habit that has helped you create and maintain success?
The obstacle is the way. When I take a hard look at what is causing me the deepest emotional pain - it's usually fear masked as anger, frustration, annoyance - that is the growth I most need. If I am willing to engage with it and do things differently than the way I've done them in the past, magic happens and I grow.
I'm obsessing over this Marcus Aurelius quote, paraphrased is "the obstacle is the way" and in detail is, “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” I'm not a philosophical person typically, but this is some ninja master advice. Here's why. When I take a hard look at what is causing me the deepest emotional pain - it's usually fear masked as anger, frustration, annoyance - that is the growth I most need. If I am willing to engage with it and do things differently than the way I've done them in the past, magic happens and I grow. If I avoid it is any way, I don't. It's up to me. I can choose. I wish I could say I also pick to grow, but there is always different work in front of me readily available for distraction.
Founder and Managing Director
Again, big thank you these first three folks for sharing their wisdom. Their words are powerful. Their lessons in success come from experience. And I can’t thank them enough for sharing.
What are your thoughts? Does any of this advice resonate with you and how you lead your own teams and businesses?
TD