Success

Emotional fuel… keep their tanks full!

We all know that food is the fuel to keep our bodies going. Water is the oil and food is the gas. You could say these are our essential needs as human beings. At work we’re really good at making sure our employees have everything they need: ergonomically engineered work stations for optimum output, best software and hardware to get the job done, and a bunch of other stuff that corporate America hides behind as meeting people’s legitimate needs.

OK, I admit we do need the “stuff,” which are tools to help us succeed at what we do, but how about appreciation? Appreciation is our emotional fuel. Mother Theresa once said, “People crave appreciation more than food.” Conversely, Henry Ford said, “Why do I get the whole person when all I want is a pair of hands?” Is it any wonder Detroit has ended up where it has? Now let’s look at Toyota. They make cars, too. They have the same equipment and engineers and “stuff.” How come they don’t seem to be hurting as bad as the Big Three?
 
The answer is Toyota realized that they pay for the hands of their people but they can have their hearts and minds for free! How? They call it Lean Manufacturing, but essentially they take the time to ask their people what THEY think could improve processes and operations. They don’t tell their people what to do; they lead them instead.

It’s going to be an uphill climb for me in my crusade to bring inspirational leadership into the workplace. However, I’m determined to keep preaching and teaching employee engagement by creating tools and systems to help bring about the changes that I believe are needed in the world.

It’s been said that employees’ pay is their right but your praise is a gift. Start involving your employees. Ask their opinion and give praise when you see them doing things right.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Give 3 people honest appreciation today!

How many Susan Boyles do you have?

Last week I spoke to a local health care organization. The topic was on leadership. In traditional Road Show style, the audience laughed its way to learning. We had a lot of fun that day and I did something I’ve never tried before: I accessed the Internet to make a point.

I began the session by challenging the group to be leaders and not managers. There are far too few leaders in America today. The top four attributes of a great leader as stated by employees are: Credibility, Trustworthiness, Vision and Inspiration.

Inspirational leadership should be the goal of every leader. Inspiration has little to do with style. There are quiet and charismatic leaders who inspire in their own way. The rule of inspiration comes from getting to know the strengths of the people you lead. Take an active interest in them and inspire them to greatness every day.

During the Road Show, I shared a real life example of greatness unleashed by Googling “Susan Boyle.” If you haven’t already, please try this. Susan Boyle is a plain Jane who showed up on the TV show “Britain’s Got Talent.” Everyone judged her by her appearance, but when she opened her mouth to sing everyone stopped judging and was blown away.

I shared this with my audience and then asked the question, “How many Susan Boyles are there in your departments?” Talented, wonderful individuals who just need to be understood and supported. How many do you have? Do you judge them from the cover or do you take the time to understand them?

Stop managing and start inspiring. There is no greater feeling than when employees tell you their life is better because you are in it!

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Google Susan Boyle!

What assumptions are you using for excuses?

I think assumptions are used by people to create excuses. It makes me sad to think about the number of brilliant people with brilliant ideas who simply dream and then go to sleep with their ideas. I hear all kinds of excuses using antiquated assumptions. Statements like: I’m too young. I’m too old. No one will like this. I’m too busy. I don’t have the money to make it happen… blah, blah, blah.

I just read in our local paper about a 13-year-old girl who raised $5,000 in a few weeks. Her cause was to help families build farms overseas. Amazing! If you haven’t heard about Johnny the Bagger… Google him. You will discover a young man with Down syndrome who transformed the experience at a grocery store.

Men and women, young and old, are doing exceptional things in ordinary ways. They simply take action and do something small each day to reach their goal. They do it with a shoestring budget, they do it with kids at home, they do it in retirement – they do it, they do it, and they do it! See a theme here?

So what idea or dream do you have? I learned a healthy exercise from a colleague of mine: Create an Action Plan and start by making a list. On the top I want you to put your idea or dream. Then I want you to list all the excuses and assumptions that you have told yourself as to why you can’t begin working on it today. When your list is complete, find the nearest shredder and SHRED IT! Then create a new list with a timeline of what you CAN do today to push your ideas forward.

There is no adventure in waiting. Do it now and let the adventure begin!

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Shred it!

I’ve been humbled!

If you’ve been following my philosophies for a while, you know I’m on a crusade to drive tension out of the workplace. All of us Prophiteers work very hard to maintain a healthy corporate culture. I’ve been training companies on Servant Leadership for about five years now, but I must admit that I recently had an eye-opening experience that has fully changed the way I explain the benefits of such a program within an organization.

I recently had an opportunity to interview Bob Chapman, who is CEO of Barry-Wehmiller, a holding company for a variety of successful companies, mostly manufacturing. Bob and his team have created an empowered, purpose-driven culture for all who are employed in their care.

Before this interview, I would tell business owners that companies with a strong corporate culture always outperform their non-culture rich competitors. I would tell them they should engage because not only will their people be more efficient but as companies they’ll make more money! Mr. Chapman, however, put me in my place. He shook my tree!

Bob explained to me that many leaders have visited their company to find the solution. Barry-Wehmiller practices an approach called Lean. Bob told me he always asks his visitors why they are interested in creating this type of culture. He said, “If they tell me it’s to make more money, they will surely fail.” He further explained, “Executives who are successful launching Lean do so because they feel a moral obligation to enrich the lives of all associates.”

I was blown away. He began telling me stories of how proud their associates are to work there. I certainly believe that taking a sincere interest in others is key to being a great leader, but I’ve just realized it’s the key to a great life.

I believe there are few things more satisfying in life than when you support self-motivated individuals who contribute ideas and processes of improvement that focus on a single goal. That’s often called “purpose.” What’s your purpose in life? Is what you do fulfilling?

Bob told me that Newsweek did a poll on employment pride in the workplace and only 10% of American workers are proud of where they work. Can you imagine! It’s time to begin a movement of engagement and enlightenment in the workplace. Will you join me?

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Are you enriching other people’s lives?

90% of Success Is Just Showing Up!

I’ve written on this topic before. Just showing up is often 90% of why a person is successful. When it comes to sales, successful sales people will tell you “never stop calling and reaching out.” That extra call often turns into sales. I was reminded of this fundamental truth while having lunch recently with a stranger at a Society of Animal Welfare Administrators conference, which I had been invited to speak at.

The gentleman I sat next to sold large operating systems for animal shelters. Products that cost a lot of money and last a long time … 20-30 years. They do not have the luxury of repeat business. So I asked him, “How do you market yourself? Booth space, hand shaking and walking around?” His response was, “Both.”

He admitted that it was very difficult but he found that continuing to show up can lead to unexpected connections that can result in sales. So why do we often get busy making excuses as to why we’re not reaching to meet our potential? Is it fear that holds us back? The fear of being wildly successful? I may sound a little sarcastic, but Nelson Mandela believes that what people truly fear is success.

You are a uniquely talented individual who has the right to be wildly successful. If you find you are limiting yourself or making excuses as to why you can’t, instead focus on making a plan as to how you can!

Joe Kiedinger

Walt Disney … what a guy!

My family just returned from a week at Walt Disney World. I am always amazed at the experience the Disney brand delivers. While visiting Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM), I visited a pavilion sharing the history of Walt Disney which included a documentary with Disney himself telling his story.

Amazing! Walt failed a lot as a young entrepreneur. He believed it’s a good thing for a young person to experience failure. It’s a character thing. His first cartoon character was Waldo the Rabbit. Through a patent loophole, he lost the rights to his own character. His sales manager sold it to a competing firm along with all the artists. Walt was in New York when he found this out. He returned to L.A. without a product or artists. His studio was empty.

His wife Lillian was with him for this historic train ride back to L.A., and it was on this ride that Walt drew the first Mickey Mouse. He decided that Mickey would be the first cartoon character to have real emotion and personality.

One thing Walt never sacrificed was quality. With all the cartoons he created, he insisted that his artists spend extra time with details. His brother Roy challenged him often about the expense of such detail. Walt ignored him in this regard, insisting on quality.

While sitting and watching the film, it was humorous for me to watch the 50-something Disney say, “Once we became successful, they finally believed that my ideas were right.”

Disney certainly achieved success—but only by finding the will to persevere through 30 years of on-and-off-again failures.

Do you have the guts it takes to believe in something so strongly that you drive your belief through negative feedback and criticism? Not too many people have this type of passion. As his company grew, Walt Disney was reported to have said to his staff, “Just remember, it all started with a mouse.”

Michael Eisner, former CEO of Disney, is quoted as saying, “No, it started with a man.”

What will be your legacy?

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Time to start putting your dreams in motion. Make small efforts everyday to build your legacy. Whatever that means to you!

Mentors Are Everywhere

I’ve had the privilege of interviewing successful entrepreneurs, and one thing I’ve found with all of them is they’ve all had mentors in their lives. Mentors who have walked in their shoes, and who have felt the wisdom of defeat and the thrill of expected and sometimes unexpected victory. All of these successful business people have told me stories about their mentors and what they learned.

I wrote on this subject about two months ago and had a subscriber e-mail me and ask, “Joe, how do I go about finding a mentor?” While listening recently to a new CD on leadership, I realized that mentors are everywhere and their messages can come in many forms, such as books, CDs and face-to-face interaction. Listening to this leadership program I realized the mentors in my life include individuals like Anthony Robbins, Dale Carnegie, Jim Collins, Stephen Covey, Nelson Mandela and Michael Gerber, and the list could go on and on.

These are all people who I have never met but who have changed the way I look at things. The right book at the right time can change your life. When I was young, I needed to hear the Personal Power inspiration from Anthony Robbins. Later when I started my career, I was interested in processes and growing a business and relied on wisdom from Gerber, Collins and Carnegie. My current journey has me focusing on leadership ideas from Mandela, Lincoln and Covey. I also have a host of mentors who I actually talk to as well!

If you’re going to lead you’ve got to read! There are great books on CDs and other audio programs that you can listen to in your car or on your iPod. I just heard a quote that reads (and I’m paraphrasing here): “It’s just as bad not to be able to read as it is being able to read and deciding not to.”

It’s so much easier to be successful when you have help along the way. If you need a source to begin your journey, visit www.mondaymm.com (Monday Mastermind). Good luck and good reading!

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Ask for recommendations from business people you respect about books and programs to help get you started on your journey.

Make the Call and See What Happens

Have you heard of Servant Leadership? If you’ve been reading my column for any amount of time, I’m quite sure you’re aware of it. Meeting the legitimate needs of others is the center of it all. It’s not about being a slave but more about choosing to be there for others and taking a genuine interest in them.

I just discovered another term for Servant Leadership. It’s called Lean Manufacturing. One company, Barry-Wehmiller, is a leader in Lean Manufacturing.  Barry-Wehmiller owns many manufacturing companies, including one right here in Green Bay, Paper Converting.

Barry-Wehmiller’s slogan is “We build GREAT people who do EXTRAORDINARY things.” In Paper Converting’s case, the slogan is not “We build great machines that do extraordinary things.” This company gets it. Machines do nothing without people! I received a copy of a DVD that shows Barry Wehmiller’s CEO Bob Chapman talking about its philosophy, what it looks like inside and the results. Amazing!

If you haven’t decided yet to take a genuine interest in the people you serve… why? Let’s be greedy for a moment. What if I gave you a guarantee? What if I guaranteed that if you took an active interest in getting to know your associates better by asking for their input on projects and getting them more deeply involved in issues that your paycheck would increase by 30%. Now would you do it?

More and more companies are showing amazing returns when they practice their form of Servant Leadership. I called Bob Chapman’s office and asked if I could interview him for my radio show, Monday Mastermind, on WTAQ here in Green Bay. Guess what he said? Yes! We are working on details as to when. Have you ever wanted to learn from someone successful but were too afraid to make the call?

Let me tell you, I take anyone’s call who wants to learn. That’s what a
Brander-In-Chief does. We relied on people to help us on our journey and still do and we want to give back. Make the call, introduce yourself and learn.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Who will you call today?

Advertising in a Recession

There’s a car dealer on the west side of the state. Yes, I said a car dealer. Ya know, that industry that has been slammed by this downturn in the economy. They have seven lines of new vehicles as well as used. They have the typical service and body shop you would see at any other dealership. Yet this dealership is special.

It’s special because the people who run this dealership have a drive and commitment that is rare in these turbulent times. Their commitment to service is top notch. I heard it myself when the president stood up in front of his leadership team in the beginning of 2009 and said, “We’re in for a rough road. We’re going to run leaner and better than ever before. I need you all to find ways to work leaner without sacrificing service. And though we’re looking for areas to cut, advertising will not be one of them.”

You see this company made a commitment to continue to tell customers about the savings they can expect with their tire program, the service they can expect from their technicians and the overall benefits of doing business with them. It’s true, sales were very tight the first half of the year. However, after three years of being 100% consistent with their message and media coverage, the bottom line began to rise and continues today.

If you’re ever in the La Crosse/Onalaska area, stop in at Dahl Automotive. They get it when it comes to focusing on the customer and their brand. By the way, they’ve recently added Mazda to their lineup and have expanded their downtown location. Perhaps nobody told them we’re in a recession!

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Do you have vision and perseverance? Now is the perfect time to gain market share. Contact me and I’ll help you.

Getting Paid to be a Jerk!

Have you seen the reality TV show, Hell’s Kitchen with Head Chef Gordon Ramsay? Well the premise of the show (and I’ll only tell you what I know because I don’t waste my time watching it) is young apprentice chefs work under this “renowned chef” (I’ve never heard of him before). He screams and yells at them to cook things right.

I don’t see how people can watch that stuff. Perhaps it’s because they think, “Yeah, it’s not me!” I wonder what his turnover rate is at his restaurant? This is a perfect example of a person leading with power: “Do it this way or else!” Leadership by power is the most common approach by many executives. The problem is you don’t get too many seasons out of a person with this approach.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve got better things to do than be yelled at all day. Leadership by authority is the ticket in today’s workplace. Can you inspire and have associates willingly follow you because of how you lead? Work at it; work hard at it because how you make others feel in your presence is the essence of growing your paycheck and your status within organizations you serve.

Do you think the president would raise someone up to senior management if he or she didn’t “feel” something about that person? They must “feel” confident about that person in order to entrust them to such a high position.

Become the boss you wish your boss was. Become the friend you wish your friends were. Lead with authority, not power, and look out! Oh the places you’ll go!

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Go to Amazon.com and check out the book The Brander-In-Chief and start your journey today!