Leadership

Currently I am reading two books, both regarding business, leadership and innovation. The first book is called 'Let My People Go Surfing' written by the founder of Patagonia Yvon Chourinard. The second book named 'Making the Sale' is a book written by several business leaders who teach lessons by stories they have experienced throughout their career.

'Let My People Go Surfing' has been unbelievably interesting. The story of Yvon Chourinard is unique, thrilling and very meaningful- everything Yvon has done has been from his heart. He has stuck to his instincts and has now formed one of the most environmentally aware businesses in the world while producing the top of the line products. The story of Yvon and Patagonia is a must read for any business leader or any person pondering about being in the business world. The lessons learned will be lifelong- at the age of 23, just this book has changed the way I look at businesses, especially outdoor consumer goods businesses. Yvons leadership, innovation and belief has been the foundation for Patagonia.

The second book, Making the Sale is also very interesting. The stories told by the successful business people are proof that no matter what position in the company you hold, whether you are the CEO, the warehouse manager, or secretary, learning needs to happen everyday throughout your whole career. How can I do better? What can I do differently to benefit the company and employees? These are questions everybody in the organizations need to ask themselves everyday. As my father once told me, "the difference between leadership and management is managers manage a system already established where leaders lead the organization into the unknown, not afraid of bringing change, creativity and success to the company."

Although there were several great lessons in this book, the ones that fascinated me the most were from David Balter, the CEO of the word-of-mouth marketing and media company BzzAgent, Richard Santulli, the founder and CEO of NetJets, and Doug Elix, a senior VP of IBM. David's main lesson was to keep your head held high and to not let the answer "NO" bring your spirits down. If you believe in the product that you are selling, and if you work hard enough, it will be successful. When David was trying to launch BzzAgent, major corporations and businesses were laughing at his idea, escorting him to the exit. Because he believed so deeply in his idea, he adapted the launch plan and was able to get customers by signing up for a free trial. If the campaign was successful, they would be willing to come back and pay for the service. As you can imagine, he has been very successful solely because he followed his beliefs and worked until people trusted him enough to pay for the service. This lesson is not only a lesson with regard to business, but to life. Follow what you believe in, do not take no as an answer, be willing to adapt and find a way to make it happen- these are all beliefs and actions I believe are incorporated in my leadership style.

Mr. Santulli's lesson was also very important. Your customers must know that you care. As a leader, you must be empathetic and understand that the better relationship between you and your customer, the better off both of you will be. The story of Mr. Santulli calling a customer one-hour before his wedding, putting 1Million on the line if he could guess what he was doing in the next hour, and gaining the trust needed to land the deal is a great example that the best people are always "on call." They will do what needs to get done at anytime. If the customer has invested in you and taken the risk, it is only fair for you to give back. The excuse of Saturday/Sunday/Holiday, even WEDDING is not good enough.... if you want to be the best. If you refrain from straining from the 9-5 schedule, your success will be limited. In order to gain the most trust and be the best at what you do, enjoy answering calls and making your customers happy all day, everyday! This story made me laugh because it reminded me of myself. I am always concerned of others, going out of my way to make them happy without the concern of time, or other situations. Hard work is not easy, if it was, everybody would work hard.

The final story I would like to refer to is from Mr. Elix. Mr. Elix expressed the importance of sales leaders to leave their desk and get out in the field so they can understand their customer base. Mr. Elix's story of the wall of shame for employees was also very interesting. Being the team captain, I have learned it is more beneficial to praise the positive publicly, while confronting the negative in private. Praising the positive in public places, in front of the rest of the team, has a tickle effect- all of a sudden, the people that possess the negative qualities have a bigger desire to get rewarded and complimented. More times than not, their problems will erase themselves through self motivation. If not, confrontation behind doors in a private setting is necessary. This is exactly what Mr. Elix's lesson was. Praise the best salespeople. Reward them publicly, but do not post the entire list of employees. The last place person will walk around the office with a dark cloud, dragging their tale in embarrassment instead of putting themselves on the line, risking a lot to perform their best. Incorporating this lesson and the lesson of removing yourself from your comfort zone and going out in the actual field were great lessons. I believe I will never be a leader who sits at my desk barking orders. In order to know the business and be the best at it, you need to get your hands dirty. Working with your fellow employees and spending time with the customer base will be beneficial.. and fun!

These books are great. I recommend them both. Making the Sale is a very quick read. Pour a cup of coffee and blow right through it. The lessons are quick, but they will influence your habits. 'Let My People Go Surfing' is unbelievable. As my uncle Richie Woodworth, President of Saucony said, "That is the best business book ever written."

In my next blog, I will zoom in on Yvon's book. I want to get through it for my second time before I comment further.

WF