leadership

In my journey through life representing different businesses and industries along the way. There’s a particular question that would surface from time to time. A question that may have been presented to you based on your industry or service, or actually maybe you have asked it of someone else. That question in question is “what’s the one thing?” 

It actually seems like a misguided question to me. When I was in the restaurant management, patrons would ask me, Michael, what’s the one thing you do to run such an effective restaurant?” When as a financial advisor, the question would be, Michael, “If there was one stock I should buy, what would it be?” As a consultant to financial advisors and money managers in 2008, the question was, Michael “what’s the one thing I need to do to best handle this current adversity with the market?” As a Business Coach, I get, Coach “what’s the one thing I should do to attract the right customers?” “What’s the one thing I need to do to get my team to step up?” “What’s the one marketing idea I should implement that would make a big difference?” Always the one thing question. 

I’m here to share that unfortunately there is not one thing. I’m here to tell you that absolutely everything you do matters. Everything you do continuously, compounded over time begins to make a difference in you both personally and professionally. 

It first and most importantly starts with what goes on between your two ears in what you think. In the great book Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, Chapter one’s title is “Thoughts are Things”. 

The words you use in your communication makes a huge difference in your results and/or the results of others. 

What and where you choose to focus your energy and attention makes a huge difference. 

The books you read, the people you associate with, the structure or lack of structure in your business or organization. 

The discipline or lack of discipline in everything you do both mentally and physically. 

There is simply never one thing. It’s everything you do over time that compounds into a better you that makes the difference. And a better you make of a better everyone else around you. Which ultimately in business eventually reaps greater benefits and rewards.  

Over the next several weeks, I will be breaking down all the different areas of what we can do that while all working together eventually compounds to make a big difference. If you’re ready for the challenge to take it on, continue to join me in this journey. I will declare, however, that some of the lessons, some of you may not necessarily agree with, you may actually resist. However, understand that the value will and is only to be had to those who are open and ready to receive it. 

So, sit back over the next few weeks, let your guard down, open up and get ready to grade yourself on of which everything you do matters in the lesson of there is not one thing. 

There’s a particular show that I like to watch on CNBC called the Profit. It’s a show that features smaller companies reaching out to a man that will hopefully come in and essentially either save the existence of their company and/or take them to the next level. 

The show is centered around Marcus Anthony Lemonis who is a Lebanese-born American businessman, television personality, philanthropist and entrepreneur. Marcus will visit selected companies on the show, go through a short due diligence process with the owner and sometimes the team and if he sees an opportunity will make an offer to invest in that company. The kicker is that once he writes the check he is then in full control until he sees that he can relinquish that control back to the original owner of the company. 

Now understand that this is television and there always has to be some type of drama involved. One particular episode featured an owner of a company that was hands down absolutely gifted when it can to creating designs. However, on the flip side, he was an absolute mess when it came to his leadership, management and communication style with those of the team. 

Marcus observed this challenge, addressed it in whatever manner he needed to make a positive change. He placed the next in charge as of the leader, manager, and communicator of the organization and had the owner focus entirely on designing and creating of which was his god given strength. Because of these changes the company improved in many areas, grew its sales and maintained a happy and more engaged team. 

At the end of the episode, Marcus talked about the success and made a statement that the owner of that company was the most talented gifted individual he ever met in all his years of business when it came to creating and designing. 

I share this as I will wager a bet that somewhere down the road this man shows up again as a consultant of Marcus to create and design for other companies that Marcus ventures into partnerships with. 

Marcus recognizes the value in his strengths and I’m sure plans on Leveraging them wherever he can in his other companies as to add value to them and their brands. 

Leverage is an important tool when it comes to business. We have to learn to first identify then leverage certain technologies, systems and most importantly people. When you find something or someone that brings cost and time-saving advantages to your organization, you want to leverage this expertise. 

Think of a superstar salesperson who consistently hits and exceeds their numbers. Don’t make the mistake of making that person a sales manager. Just ask them if he or she can share their tricks of the trade with the others on the team. Maybe write out some scripts that have been successful. Conduct some role-playing in meetings. Maybe share the books, seminars, and webinars that have helped him or her reach that expertise. Simply Leverage their strengths! 

Think about the use of Leverage in outsourcing particular tasks. We have organizations like upwork, fiverr and other outsourcing models that you can actually send a task to the other side of the planet and have it done by the time you walk into your office the next morning for a very low fee. 

Leverage is about getting more with less. Being more conscious and intentional about your time, what technologies, systems and people to use to have around you to leverage certain areas of your organization to deliver better results with less time, effort and money. 

Think about where in your organization that you can use more leverage in your technology, systems and people to get more efficiency and results with less time, effort and money. Do that and you will have a happier more efficient staff of people and most importantly a better bottom line. And, in business isn’t that what we all really want?