On the Lighter Side…………. Michael – Farah & Your Legacy

Do you remember where you were when John F. Kennedy died? I was in a social studies class as a senior. I would bet that the majority of readers know exactly where they were and what they were doing even though it happened in 1964; how about last week when Michael Jackson passed; a tragic event for sure. Michael was a great talent and nobody can take that away from him regardless of the fact that he did some strange things in his life.

Death and tragedy like the events of 9-11 have a way of putting permanent marks on our memories if not our souls. We never forget. I’ll always remember the day I found out my Dad passed away even though I was only nine years old and hadn’t seen him since I was five and what I was doing when my mother passed. Death and tragedy just seem mark our memories with permanent ink. Their legacy often lives on long after their passing.

Everyone, regardless of our status in life, leave some sort of legacy behind. Michael Jackson’s legacy has yet to be completely defined but certainly part of it is going to be about his talent and how he touched millions and part will probably encapsulate some of his weirdness.

I prefer to remember him for his great talents. So, what do you want your legacy to say about you? I’ve posed that question to countless CEOs and Presidents --- “What exactly do you want your legacy to be?”

I have been impressed with how many have really put some thought into that question. However, I have been equally disappointed in how many CEOs, Presidents and owners have really never given it much thought. Speaking from my personal experience and my own deep seeded feelings regarding what I would like to be known for, recognized for and thought of as I go down that retirement pathway and even that final walk in my life, I have began keeping a journal. I believe our legacy is not only defined by what we accomplish in life but more importantly it is defined by how we live our life and by how much we give back in the way we treat our fellow human beings.
Maybe the fact that some famous people have recently left us can inspire you to start thinking seriously about what your legacy is going to be. It sure has made me stop and revisit my goals, motivations and objectives in life.

I believe this journal I have been keeping will not only chronicle my own personal story; my successes, my defeats, my challenges, my GOALS and DREAMS, my own ideas and thoughts but I believe this journal will help me maintain focus and priority on my personal legacy. It will become something my family can review now and into the future. I am hoping it can become one of the more priceless collections for the family as the years roll on.

It doesn’t matter if you are thirty years old or if you’re older than sixty. Creating your own journal can do wonders for your effectiveness as a leader. It will help you put things in perspective. It will allow you to create focus, purpose and clarity of vision.
No matter how old you are; learning of Michael’s death, Farah’s death and even the death of famous pitch man Billy Mays paints a clear picture of how little control we have over life and death. People die every day and the older you get the more you realize how short life is.
Don’t squander the opportunity to work on your personal legacy. Start doing something now that is proactive. You don’t have to keep a journal as I suggest; but do something before it’s too late. Life is short.
Create a bucket list. A list of things you absolutely want to accomplish before you leave this world. It is now a perfect time to begin to think about and document what you want your legacy to be. It will help you put things in perspective; it will add serenity to your family life that will help you maintain balance. It could help you define who you are.
Don’t leave this world with an incomplete list. Don’t leave this world with unfulfilled dreams. Don’t leave this world without a legacy that your family and friends can be proud of. The pursuit of your legacy is the chase of your lifetime. It is never too late to become what you want to become. Start doing it now. Time may be running out.

Developing Your Management Team

Developing Your Management Team

Winning organizations continuously build leaders at every level in their organization. Leaders who actively attempt to mentor and build other leaders gain respect throughout the organization and transfer knowledge, ideas, values and attitude about success. Your management team must have the following attributes. They must:

• Demonstrate a sense of urgency
• Project and articulate the vision
• Create stretch goals
• Develop trust and a spirit of teamwork
• Develop realistic expectations for success
• Promote an environment of success, trust and belief

Your management team must have an edge. They must be courageous enough to take risk and have an unrelenting readiness to act. Popularity is not a requirement but the ability to generate respect from the employees is without a doubt one of the most critical attributes. They must be relentless in their efforts, unconscious about personal sacrifice of their time and the willingness to go beyond normal expectations. Tough decisions are commonplace; uncharted territories will be the norm. Honesty and impeccable character is a must. Being decisive, doing the right thing, setting clear objectives, motivating and inspiring employees and creating a sense of urgency are challenges that must be met by all members of the management team. Every single member of your management team has to make a difference. It’s the price to play the game. It’s part of the rules. Don’t pay, don’t play, it’s as simple as that. You are not in a position to be overly patient with team members that can’t “Bump Bellies and Grunt” to get things done in such a way that they command the respect of your employees.


Check out Rick’s new CD and workbook Real World Leadership Kit --- “Learning to Lead So Others Will Follow”
http://www.ceostrategist.com/resources-store/real-world-leadership.html
www.ceostrategist.com – Sign up to receive “The Howl” a free monthly newsletter that addresses real world industry issues. – Straight talk about today’s issues. Rick Johnson, expert speaker, wholesale distribution’s “Leadership Strategist”, founder of CEO Strategist, LLC a firm that helps clients create and maintain competitive advantage. Need a speaker for your next event, E-mail rick@ceostrategist.com. Don’t forget to check out the Lead Wolf Series that can help you put more profit into your business.

"Nothing endures but change”

“Nothing endures but change” - Heraclitus-540 B.C.

What we are facing (economic turbulence) is not at all unprecedented. Simply put, there are good times when things are going well and it’s easy to make money, and there are bad times, when it’s much more difficult to make money. Prior to 2008 we had a run of good times that exceeded most of our expectations. I have often said that it didn’t take a genius to make money during that run. However, “Profit covers many sins.” That means that many of us got a little complacent. Maybe we didn’t quite run our business following absolute best practice. Maybe some of us overlooked less than the best performance expected from our employees. Maybe we were a little too compassionate regarding employee effectiveness and as a result we haven’t “weeded the garden” to allow our good employees to flourish.
A historic shift must be created by you and your executive team. Employee morale and buy-in must increase every day. Don’t forget the cardinal rule. “There is no room in your organization for loyal, yet incompetent people.” Gardening must become a way of life. Continuous pruning will keep you on track as your team rises or falls to the occasion. If an assessment of the company and your team was performed properly, pruning will be a non-issue. If you made mistakes, pruning will become an active initiative.

Confidence in execution means you are on the winning side of turmoil and confusion. More importantly, you know what it takes to succeed in this economic environment. You now have the vehicle, the process, the initiative and the team to execute. Your leadership has provided the following:
• A clear plan with clarity of purpose and participation of the employees
• A raised bar with relevant accountability
• A definitive marketing and sales strategy
• Best practices and determination to reside in the upper quartile for performance once recovery is secure
• A measurement of success through activity management and customer satisfaction formally

You are now in a position to execute your initiatives. You attacked your sales process first. The sales process is at the heart of your success. It is both complex and subjective because it deals with both customer management relationship activities and contingency-recovery initiatives.
You have asked and answered the following questions in creating your sales plan. You must take action based on those answers.
• What determines a profitable customer?
• What methods and processes do you use to identify customers?
• What is new in the external environment?
• What are your competitive advantages?
• What are your competitor’s competitive advantages?
• What are the methods used for gathering competitive intelligence?
• What changes have taken place externally or with your competitors that offer opportunity?
• What initiatives do you have to improve highest delivered value?
• What initiatives do you have to reach the goal of low cost provider?
• What types of customers and segments do you want to do business with?
• Who decides what customers you target?
• What types of customers are the most profitable?
• Have you identified target markets?
• How do your sales representatives spend their time?
• How often do you plan formal business reviews to compare expectations to results?
• How do you measure costs?
• Who reviews and is responsible for customer profitability?
• How do you measure customer retention?
• How do you track lost business and lost customers?
• How do you determine which customers to fire?
• How do you prospect?
• How do you identify critical success factors?
• How many and which customers represent 80% of your revenue, your profit?
• Has your average order size increased or decreased?
• What single thing has the biggest impact on your profitability?
• What are your competitive strengths?
• What volume does the top 10% of your customers represent?
• What do your sales representatives claim the key obstacles to their success are?
• What support could be added to your sales effort to increase revenue producing actions?
• What is your current market share?
• How do you measure growth?
• How do you maximize account penetration?
• What is the role of your inside sales staff?
• Do inside sales proactively solicit business?
• How do you define supplier performance?
• How do you forecast usage?
• How do you analyze your warehouse operations?
• What are your inventory turns?
• Do you measure your cash to cash cycle?
• What metrics are you using for supplier performance?
• Have you defined and analyzed your logistics initiatives?

Check out Rick’s new CD series and workbook “Unlocking the Secrets to Amazing Sales” @ http://www.ceostrategist.com/resources-store/unlocking-the-secrets-to-amazing-sales-incredible-profits.html It is a must addition for your sales training initiatives. Order today and get a bonus copy of Rick’s book “Turning Lone Wolves into Lead Wolves ----56 ideas to maximize sales.
www.ceostrategist.com – Sign up to receive “The Howl” a free monthly newsletter that addresses real world industry issues. – Straight talk about today’s issues. Rick Johnson, expert speaker, wholesale distribution’s “Leadership Strategist”, founder of CEO Strategist, LLC a firm that helps clients create and maintain competitive advantage. Need a speaker for your next event, E-mail rick@ceostrategist.com. Don’t forget to check out the Lead Wolf Series that can help you put more profit into your business.

Leadership -- Check Your Ego at the Door

Leadership ----Check Your Ego at the Door

A leader’s role is to serve those people that report to him. He or she is not a dictator --- their ultimate role is to serve, to allow those people to achieve their goals. It’s a style that starts by asking: What do you want to accomplish, rather than telling them what you want them to accomplish.Effective leaders demonstrate a respect for employees recognizing their value as their most precious asset and the innovative use of planning and control systems demonstrates a unique ability to balance predictability with simplicity.

Effective Leaders are consistent, explicit and concise and they command a presence when they walk into a room. But, they are not arrogant and ego driven. When they move on, others want to go with them. Their openness and honesty creates a legacy which people admire and look up to. They gain commitment and foster trust.
Check your EGO ---- Don’t be Arrogant ---- Follow these tips:
• If you start to believe you are special and nobody is as good as you, just look at the number of people in your industry, in your state, in your country. Then ask yourself how many of this grand total of people even know your name. Unless you’re Tom Cruise or Angelina Joline, chances are not many people really even know who you are let alone actually care how good you think you are.

• Arrogance is often just a mask that hides your personal self doubt. Try to figure out what is causing your insecurity and work on improving that area. But first you have to be honest with yourself.

• Speak clearly about other people in a positive sense. Make a special effort to ask questions concerning other people’s activities and lives. Take the “I” out of your vocabulary and only answer specific questions about yourself but keep your answer short, brief and to the point.

• Make it a point to listen at least twice as much as you talk.

• Model yourself after the most respected people in your industry. Note, I said respected not the most successful. Success does not necessarily mean respect. It depends on how success is achieved and how success is defined.


• Create a leadership survey and ask your peers and subordinates to actually rate your performance. E-mail rick@ceostrategist.com if you would like a template.

You are the only person that can affect a change in your thinking or your attitude. Your thoughts are powerful. They are energy. How you feel and how you act depends on your thoughts. Master your thoughts and you control your attitude. So how do you create a leadership model you can be proud of, one that speaks volumes about who you are and not what you accomplished? The answer begins by taking an inventory of your personal values. Your core beliefs and how you treat other people will speak volumes about who you are. It also reflects the size of your ego.
Check out Rick’s new CD and workbook Real World Leadership Kit --- “Learning to Lead So Others Will Follow”http://www.ceostrategist.com/resources-store/real-world-leadership.html

www.ceostrategist.com – Sign up to receive “The Howl” a free monthly newsletter that addresses real world industry issues. – Straight talk about today’s issues. Rick Johnson, expert speaker, wholesale distribution’s “Leadership Strategist”, founder of CEO Strategist, LLC a firm that helps clients create and maintain competitive advantage. Need a speaker for your next event, E-mail rick@ceostrategist.com

The Arrogant State Trooper

March was a pretty busy month. I had to spend time in Arizona, Canada, Chicago and Boca Raton Florida. It was on the trip to Boca Raton that Tracy and I encountered the Arrogant State Trooper.

Boca Raton is about a four hour drive from The Villages where we live. I had an appointment scheduled for Friday and we intended to spend a couple of extra days in Boca since it is a beautiful area. On the drive down we stopped several times at a different Turnpike Oasis. On the second stop we both had to use the restroom pretty bad. As we entered the Oasis, we split up both in search of our respective restrooms.

As I approached the “Men’s Room” I noticed that a trash cart was positioned in front of the door. My first thought was that the facility must be in the process of being cleaned. As I arrived at the opening to the restroom, I put my hand on the trash cart to look in. I wanted to ask the attendant how long it would be before I could use the facility. There were no signs indicating any reason for the cart being parked at the opening.

No sooner had I placed my hand on the cart, that I heard this enormous roar from behind me.

“Can’t you see that the toilet is out of order?”

I turned around and no farther than five feet from me stood a grey haired, pudgy, six foot two inch State Trooper staring at me with the meanest, ugliest glare that I haven’t seen since going to my last horror film when I was a teenager.

“Excuse me”, I replied. “You don’t have to scream at me.”

“I’ll do what I have to do,” he screamed again in the same arrogant obnoxious voice that he used the first time.

“Look,” I said. “You don’t have to be disrespectful. There is no sign – Ya know.”

“I’ll do what I have to do. It should be obvious. Can’t you see the water on the floor,” He screamed at me again. This last roar caused me to lose my patience.”

“Obvious”, I replied. “Water on the floor”, I asked inquisitively. “I thought maybe you just couldn’t hold it any longer. What should be obvious to you is the fact that just because you have a gun and a badge doesn’t make you a King.”

I could see the anger build in his eyes. As his mouth opened to scream at me again some drool slithered out of the corner of his mouth and started running down his chin leaving a glistening trail. Just as his face started to turn a crimson red and he was about to take a step toward me, Tracy grabbed my arm almost jerking it out of the socket as she dragged me away at quite a rapid pace. Although I felt pain in my arm I realized that she probably just saved me from being arrested and thrown in jail.

I turned to look at him as Tracy dragged me out the door to the car but I couldn’t make out what he said. I can tell you that the jowls on his face were quivering and his arm was extended with his finger pointed in my direction shaking furiously.

Tracy didn’t say a word and though it was my turn to drive she jumped behind the wheel and we sped out of that rest stop like Bonnie and Clyde.

She wasn’t totally convinced that I didn’t do anything wrong since she didn’t hear the entire conversation but I personally believe I was very patient and didn’t deserve to be screamed at in that fashion. I think the trooper must have been having a bad day but needed to consider retirement. He sure looked a lot older than me anyway.
“Effective Leaders NEVER let position or power go to their Head!”

Now is the Time for Action….NOT… Panic

Now is the Time for Action….NOT… Panic – Ten Immediate Steps to follow in 2009
Profit covers many sins.

We have all ridden the wave of prosperity for the past five years prior to 2008. Let’s face it, it didn’t take a genius to be profitable. You may have ignored small indiscretions, less than stellar performance, even incompetence. You may also have ignored structural issues, process issues, family issues and even corporate executive issues. “Profit does cover many Sins.” So…… Now is the time to take action if you want to maintain market share or increase it during the economic crisis we are facing in 2009.

1. Make sure all your assets are deployed effectively -
2. Find and Shoot your “Loser Customers”. The easiest way to do this is to raise prices and quit giving away free services to the losers.
3. Recommit and focus on profitability – cost control. Don’t scrimp on revenue producing functions or process.
4. If you have to make cuts – start at the top – kill the sacred cows. Take a close look at your executive team.
5. Business survival comes first – compassion second and family nepotism last
6. Invest in developing your structure, your process & your key people. Don’t cut training for key people.
7. Make managing your cash flow a priority. Understand and manage your cash to cash cycle.
8. Focus on increasing market share by going back to basic best practice in sales effectiveness (targeting, goal setting, action planning & sales management vouching)
9. Seek out opportunities in recruitment, vendor negotiations and exploit the competitions weaknesses
10. “Weed the Garden” --- Upgrade your workforce by replacing those employees that have never lived up to expectations.

This is Not the Time to Panic

Yes, there are economic problems, but there are also opportunities! Leadership during these tough economic times is about not panicking, and that's exactly the message I want to get across... don't panic! Panic causes knee jerk reactions, and they're rarely correct. This Economic Panic that could be caused by “Media Sensationalism” can create a knee jerk reaction that negates effective leadership.



www.ceostrategist.com 352-750-0868

Curiosity Killed the Cat but It Can Make You a Better Leader

Several years ago the consulting firm I worked for did a study that included interviewing eight of the most successful CEOs in the country that were within a year of retirement. The requirement to be within one year of retirement on either side was to insure that none of them would pull any punches regarding being totally open with their answers to our questions. This was quite an enlightening experience and in fact I believe you can still purchase DVD’s of these interview from NAW (National Association of Wholesalers)

Each one of these leaders had a different leadership model. Of course there was some commonalities but for the most part each one had a clearly defined personal leadership model. However, a personal character trait that really stood out to me in these interviews was the fact that every one of these CEOs had an incredible sense of curiosity. They were all passionate about it and each one had a new innovative project going on every year.

My personal assessment after spending hours listening to these interviews numerous times is that they came by this curiosity naturally. It’s like they had this “need to know” their entire lives. I have personally known CEOs that have that same sense of curiosity that have told me at times that need can seem so overpowering that they consider it a curse instead of a blessing. But, curiosity leads to new ideas, creativity and innovative thoughts.

Keep this point in mind ------ Most new ideas are simply a combination or rearrangement of old ideas and facts. What that tells us is simply the more we study a topic or situation and the more knowledge we gain about anything specific, the more likely it becomes that we come up with new ideas. Your ability and willingness to explore, study and learn is directly related to your level of curiosity.

If you don’t feel that instinctive curiosity then you need to take deliberate action everyday to improve your knowledge foundation. One very quick and easy way to accomplish this is to read. Read at every opportunity; on the airplane, at home at night, in the doctor’s office. Take every opportunity to read every chance you get. Reading someone else’s version or opinion on something will prompt your thought process and give you your own ideas and versions of the subject at hand. Replace at least one hour a night of television with one hour a night of reading.

Have the curiosity of a cat and ---- it could change your entire life.

www.ceostrategist.com – Sign up to receive “The Howl” a free monthly newsletter that addresses real world industry issues. – Straight talk about today’s issues. Rick Johnson, expert speaker, wholesale distribution’s “Leadership Strategist”, founder of CEO Strategist, LLC a firm that helps clients create and maintain competitive advantage. Need a speaker for your next event, E-mail rick@ceostrategist.com

Strategic Leadership in Wholesale Distribution
CEO Strategist LLC
rick@ceostrategist.com
tel: 352-750-0868