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Posts Tagged ‘Leadership’
Wednesday, May 9th, 2012
 Blogs on leadership are so inspiring! I came across one this week titled “Leadership Lessons From Mom” By Rebecca Robinson. As a mom, whether it be a full-time mom or a working mom, for me, that is a lot of both worlds – it is easy to forget how important that your role as MOM is in your family and how that can spill over in to your community and company. Check out how Rebecca ties in leadership with being a Mom – so important to be a leader in our homes and teach our children these concepts and you can use these lessons in your companies as well!
Leadership Lessons from Mom
Yesterday, I asked the question: What is a mom’s most important work? And the answer is complex; often behind-the-scenes, moms are helping to shape the lives and character of their children. Their roles as leaders are obvious. These leadership lessons from moms can be good tools to put into practice for people who want to make a difference in their families, communities, or organizations.
Great moms (leaders) build a cohesive team. Teamwork is important in companies and families. To get things done, people need to work together well. Effective leaders faciliate teamwork by encouraging cooperation among people and departments. People who are proud of their company and their place in it work harder to achieve the company’s mission. Parents can promote a team mentality in their families by helping their children develop kind and caring relationships with each other and providing opportunities to work and play together.
Great moms (leaders) see and celebrate the best in their children (companies). A mom friend of mine whose son is struggling to adjust to preschool lamented to me recently “It is so hard for me that others can’t see my son the same way I can: his creativity, his uniqueness, his spark.” A mother’s love trumps everything. A mother is a child’s most spirited cheerleader, most persuasive advocate, and most unwavering supporter. In this same way, great CEOs champion their companies and employees.
Great moms (leaders) multi-task. In order to get things done, moms become experts at doing more than one thing at a time. On any given morning, I might be preparing breakfast, packing sack lunches, overseeing my daughter as she finishes homework: all while carrying around a cranky toddler.
Great moms (leaders) are present in the moment. While both motherhood and leadership require juggling multiple tasks and responsibilities, they also demand the ability to shut out distractions and stay focused on a single task or person. My kids can tell when I’m not really paying attention. And employees can tell when their employers are not listening.
Great moms (leaders) make sacrifices. People making significant contributions to society through their leadership in business, politics, or education commit their time and energy wholeheartedly, often at the expense of other pursuits. In the same way, motherhood requires a woman’s complete devotion. Moms may slow down or stop their careers for a time. A mom’s sleep may be interrupted frequently beginning with pregnancy and continuing through her children’s early years and beyond. Moms give up their time alone, their tidy homes, and their own hobbies and interests. A mother’s sense of her identity and self image is often consumed by her role as a mom.
Great moms (leaders) let their children (companies)shine. My friend Carol is a successful educator and musician. She balances family life and career in a way that inspires me. The most remarkable thing about her, though, is her deference to her childrens’ energy, conversations, and activities.
Moms may seem overshadowed or eclipsed by the presence or achievements of their children. Leaders may seem to disappear in the bright light of their organization’s accomplishments. The best ones fade to the background willingly, knowing that true success is found in the influence they make in the lives of others.
by Rebecca Robinson
What a great comparison Rebecca has made here with being a mom and leading in an organization. Happy Mother’s Day!!
Tags: authentic leadership, Executive Women, Happy Mother's Day, Leadership, leadership characteristics, mentoring, Mother's Day, WELead, Woman's Initiatives, Women Executives, Women Lead, Women Rock
Posted in Communication, Corporate Culture, Executive Coaching, Leadership, Motivation & Inspiration | No Comments »
Sunday, April 22nd, 2012
 Jim Schwab Come learn from a multi-faceted, seasoned leader who has made an impact in multiple arenas and invested in the lives of many on their journey through career transition, by weaving a successful portfolio of both corporate leadership and non-profit engagement. This event is hosted on Wednesday, May 2nd 2012
Mr. Schwab serves as President/CEO of two philanthropic organizations: The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati, a 501 (c)(4), independent foundation whose mission is to improve the health of the people of the Cincinnati region; and InterAct for Change, a 501 (c) (3) public charity whose mission is to inspire, lead and support active philanthropy.
Jim and his wife are two of the most engaged philanthropists in our region serving on many boards, while volunteering their time, talent and treasure to better our community.
Prior to joining The Health Foundation, he served as the President of Cincinnati Market at U.S. Bank (Cincinnati, OH). A lifelong Cincinnati resident and UC graduate, Jim’s 41-year career spans a broad range of markets, from being Chairman & CEO of Xtek Inc. (a metals technology and manufacturing firm in Cincinnati) to holding high level management and finance positions with Penn Central Corp., General Cable Corp., and Corporex Cos. Inc.
More about our speaker, Mr. Jim Schwab and The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati
Click here for more information
Centennial hosts and sponsors events to educate, encourage and inspire leaders and client companies. The way we accomplish this is through ExecuNet, Financial Executive Networking Group (FENG), and a variety of other sponsorship’s & co-sponsorship’s.
ExecuNet networking meetings focus solely on topics related to career development, management, search, leadership, growth and the opportunities in entrepreneurism or corporate business.
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Tags: career search, cincinnati, employee engagement, employee retention, execunet, executive career coaching, health foundation, james schwab, jim schwab, Leadership, leadership events, non profit involvement, return on involvement, us bank
Posted in Career Coaching, Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Leadership, Leadership Events & Networking Opportunities, Motivation & Inspiration, Networking & Connecting | No Comments »
Monday, November 14th, 2011
Do Your Actions Support Your Values?
This was originally posted on Erin Schreyer’s Leadership. Life. Legacy blog. Erin is the President of Sagestone Partners, Founder of Authentic Leadership Cincinnati and a trusted adviser and business alliance with Centennial, Inc. Erin is passionate about building into people and bringing out their leadership qualities to help them excel in all areas of life.
“I dropped my daughter off at elementary school the other morning and had to do a double-take on a mother who was just coming out of the school. What made me look twice was her outfit.
She wore a very fitted designer t-shirt (huge logo on the front.) That wasn’t so bad…except that the length of her shirt exposed her entire mid-section. Combined with her low-rise jeans, she was exposing quite a bit of skin…to drop her children off at school.
I wondered immediately, what message is she trying to send? Is it about designer fashion? Fitness or weight? Wanting to be desired or praised by others?
I thought about her children, and I wondered if she thought of them when she got dressed.
I bet she doesn’t want them to get their confidence from wearing certain labels or from having a specific appearance, I thought. As a mother, I have to believe she wants more for them. I have to believe she wants them to be authentic and to be liked and valued for who they are; not what they look like or wear.
But weren’t her actions speaking louder? And weren’t they sending a conflicting message? How will her children understand what’s truly important?
Does this ever happen to you? Are your behaviors in alignment with your values?
Whether we are leaders in our homes or leaders in an organizational setting, we have to model behavior that is consistent with our values.
People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do.
~Lewis Cass
Actions do, in fact, speak louder than words. People see what you do, and if it doesn’t align with what you’ve said, then you’ve immediately lost their trust, their admiration, and their willingness to follow. And worst yet, your words have lost their meaning and value.
What effect would that have on your company? Your team? Your family?
As we lead, we must consider our priorities, beliefs and values. They cannot be swept under the rug. They must be lived.
 What values does your company profess? Putting clients first? Treating fellow employees with respect? Being thrifty with spending?
What values do you uphold as a family? Kindness to others? Integrity? Always doing what’s right?
Take a few moments and think about your actions over the last week. Are you living out what you claim to hold important? It’s a tough question we should all challenge ourselves with. We are, after all, human. We can, so often, get distracted or derailed. What’s important, though, is that we recognize it, and then we commit to making the necessary changes to bring us back to the best of who we are.
Support what you say. Model your values. Let your actions do the speaking, because they’re what people hear anyway.”
We encourage you to read and subscribe to Erin’s blog – Leadership. Life. Legacy.
Erin & Sagestone Partners provides service and expertise in the following areas:
- Leadership Coaching, Development Programs and Strategy
- Employee Engagement, Motivation, Team Building
- Strengths-Based Training and Development
- Business Development Strategies
- Effective Communication
- Motivational Speaking
Contact Sagestone Partners:
Dallas:
972-349-9915
Cincinnati:
513.535.2305
Tags: authentic leadership, Business Coaching, Erin Schreyer, Erin's Writings and Thoughts, Leadership, Sagestone Partners, Talent Management | Tagged beliefs, trust, values, values based leadership
Posted in Communication, Corporate Culture, Employee Retention, Employment Brand, Executive Coaching, Leadership, Motivation & Inspiration | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 12th, 2011
 “When does our organization’s executive search & recruiting process start?”
It’s an active process that is developing every moment of every day, as your employment brand perpetually communicates the value you are placing on:
- The values your organization lives out – not simply what is written in the lobby
- The true ‘culture fit’ of your company
- The chemistry dynamics of individuals and teams within your organization
- The probability of success
- The scope of developing, engaging and retaining the ‘best’ talent to hit your goals and objectives
- The impact an employee will experience if they accept an opportunity with your organization
- The short and long-term challenges a hired candidate will have if they accept the position
- Growth and succession planning
- Professional and personal time
- The truth – what it is really like to work at your company
- Authenticity – never before has authentic leadership and authentic culture been more important to leaders
- Passion – every “A” player wants to join a passionate team that has a consistent and constant desire to succeed!
If you believe the recruiting process starts when you or your HR department ‘finally’ get around to posting a position externally, it is time to have a crucial conversation with your leadership team, people managers and key stakeholders to discuss how you can best position your employment brand and proactively attract the right candidates to your organization.
What question should we ask to start this meeting?
Watch this video and ask your leadership team to be critical of your recruiting and hiring processes. If you want to recruit the best talent you must have a culture that attracts the best!
To Recruit Top Talent You Must Have A Culture That Attracts Leaders
~Your Executive Search & Recruiting Advisor
Mike Sipple Jr, Vice President – Executive Recruiter / Talent Acquisition Expert / Business Advisor
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Tags: best places to work, centennial, company culture, company values, employee engagement, employment brand, executive recruiting, executive search, Inc., Leadership, mike sipple, recruiting, retention, succession, succession planning
Posted in Corporate Culture, Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Employment Brand, Hiring & Recruiting, Leadership, Motivation & Inspiration, Recruiting & Executive Search, Succession Planning | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 6th, 2011
 Centennial, Inc. has focused on our 4C Recruiting Process for over 36 years to recruit top talent and executive talent to our client companies – which includes recruiting for character, culture, chemistry and competence. Our team knows first hand how important company culture plays into attracting, recruiting and retaining ‘Top Talent’ and we make this a priority internally as well. As the President of our organization I also consider myself to be the Chief Culture Officer…
I am writing today to share something that I hope will help you and your organization. One of the greatest business levers that has helped Centennial become a better, more effective organization has been the Cultural Audit work we have done with our business partner, Perfect 10 Corporate Cultures. They worked with our team to assess our organizational landscape, identify critical needs, and develop skills and solutions that have made Centennial a better place for our team and for our clients.
In order for us to better advise and guide our clients regarding their talent recruiting, engagement and retention strategies, we highly recommend a culture audit by Perfect 10.
 4C Recruiting Process “The only thing of real importance that leaders do is to create and manage culture.”
-Edgar Schein, Award Winning Author and Professor MIT Sloan School of Management
The Cultural Audit work helped us in many ways.
Centennial could not have achieved what we did without the Perfect 10 Culture Audit, which was central to our development.
As you know, Centennial believes deeply in the power of people and the power of an effective team, whether that’s within our own organization or in the passionate service of our clients. We aren’t perfect, but we keep getting better. Perfect 10’s Cultural Audit work has helped us tremendously by identifying our most important growth and communication needs and helping us focus our efforts. I am convinced it can help your business too.
To learn more, visit Perfect 10 Corporate Cultures, or call 513-874-4220. Share with them that Mike Sipple & the Centennial team strongly suggested call to learn more about creating and maintaining a Perfect 10 Corporate Culture.
- Organizational Performance & Culture Model
“I hope you’ll consider this as a potential business-building tool, and I wish you the very best in the process.”
Last, if you know me you know that my making this kind of endorsement is extremely rare. There’s a reason for that. I do it only because of our personal experience and conviction, and I do it only in the spirit of offering you information which I believe will add value to you and your organization.
Warmest regards,
Mike Sipple Sr.
President & Chief Culture Officer
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Tags: best places to work, company culture, corporate communications, Corporate Culture, employee retention, engagement, engaging talent, Gerry Preece, Leadership, leadership assessment, leadership recruiting, Lynne Ruhl, organizational assessment, organizational planning, organizational values, P10 Corporate Culture, perfect 10 corporate culture, retaining talent, retention, top cultures, top workplaces
Posted in Communication, Corporate Culture, Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Leadership, Motivation & Inspiration, Succession Planning | 4 Comments »
Tuesday, June 28th, 2011
 Why did we have to invest $180,000 to legitimize that learning? Do you think the answer we figured out in Part 1 sounded simple and obvious?
The best way to answer these questions is to think about how your own organization operates:
- When a vital project or initiative must be done, do you consciously select the BEST team leader and team?
- Do you remove or reassign all, or a significant part of team members’ current workload so they have sufficient time to successfully execute the new initiative?
- Do you ensure that they are continuously allowed to focus on the vital initiative without having their attention diluted?
- Or, do you normally pile the new project’s expectations and workload onto your best, most capable people and then hope for the best?
Did a light bulb just illuminate in your mind?
You now have the potential to earn improved performance results. Implementing the learning we just discussed builds a foundation upon which a successful, winning culture can be built.
- What are keys to success that you have learned?
- What have you found to be the most beneficial approach to bringing out the best in your leaders and your organization?
Part 3 of this article we will discuss the power of ‘divide and conquer’ – the truth and power of doing it correctly!
~Randy Pound, Vice President @ Centennial, Inc.
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Tags: brainstorming, career strategy, communications, Leadership, leadership strategy, strategic planning, talent engagement, talent succession
Posted in Communication, Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Hiring & Recruiting, Leadership, Motivation & Inspiration, Recruiting & Executive Search | No Comments »
Monday, June 20th, 2011
The ACG Cincinnati’s 2011 CEO Focus event - Dave Dillon, CEO of The Kroger Company, spoke on “Lessons Learned via Organic Growth and Acquisitions”
This event was absolutely fantastic, like all ACG events, and after this event I feel inspired to share my key takeaways with you.
The choices you make will create your strategy:
- Customer First Strategy – make sense to the customers vs. trying to make sense of what you are you doing internally that you want to sell or provide to them
- Centralize but listen to the field – “we have learned that the consumers, field operations and team members tell us what we should be doing”
- Adopt values that you truly live out – values that are core to your organization and yourself.
- “If we are not improving we are dead – life will pass us right by!” Dave Dillon provided a golf story that gives a great real life example of this quote. In 1980 the longest average driving distance in golf was 274.3 yards. Today the longest average driving distance is 317.2 yards by J.B. Holmes. The top 182 golfers on the PGA tour now have an average of at least 270.3.
- “The difference between success and failure is not much”
- Develop a culture of feedback
Ask your customers: feedback provides you the best route for growth.
Ask others: employees and customers – how you come across and where you can improve.
Give all of those around you the open opportunity to share with you how you make them feel
“Focus is important but it is how you come across that makes a long-term impact” ~Dave Dillon
The two most important learning’s from living out Kroger’s values are:
- When you start caring about values centered leadership vs. making money you will see tremendous transformation that will impact your brand(s), customer loyalty and internal & external customers
- “Diversity – We take this very seriously within Kroger and for our customers.” The more Kroger focuses on diversity the more impact they are making on the lives of others which in turn has generated substantial loyalty, revenue and growth.
Joint ventures have added tremendous value to Krogers strategy and their customer’s experience – including dunnhumby and US Bank.
When Kroger acquires other companies through mergers and acquisitions (M&A):
- Kroger acquires strategically and does not chase a deal
- Kroger does not buy fixer-uppers but well run organizations with solid leadership is what attracts them
- Kroger has flexibility when doing a deal – they listen to the other parties side and strive to have a win-win relationship as their goal is to have the existing leadership team in place and keep them in place when the acquisition is complete
- Kroger provides opportunities to receive feedback
- Measure short-term and long-term risk against consequences and impact
- Create strategy around anticipated changes in customer base
- Dillons out of Kansas City and Kroger only bought/buy winners.
- Mergers and new endeavors help your company but do not rely on them to reach your immediate year profitability goals
Quotes from Dave Dillon, CEO of The Kroger Company, at the ACG Cincinnati CEO Focus event:
“Be authentic – genuinely take an interest in the people around you and those you either employ or those you serve.” ~ Dave Dillon
“Small Details Matter” ~ Dave Dillon
“Always ask your customers, consumers what matters to them – make feedback a daily part of your culture” ~ Dave Dillon
“I have learned the most in life by asking others how I come across and providing a culture that people openly share this with me” ~ Dave Dillon
“Take pride in your job – Embrace it and Value it” ~Dave Dillon
Interested in learning more about ACG of Cincinnati or ACG Global? Visit the websites, leave a comment here or message me. I am happy to help you get connected!
Centennial is engaged with ACG as it focuses on assisting organizations who are experiencing change and growth – both organically and through mergers and acquisitions.
~Mike Sipple Jr, Vice President – Executive Recruiter / Talent Aquisition Expert / Business Advisor
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Tags: ACG, acquisitions, Association for Corporate Growth, authentic leadership, CEO, company culture, company strategy, Dave Dillon, Kroger, Leadership, leadership motivation, private equity, strategic planning, The Kroger Company
Posted in Communication, Corporate Culture, Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Employment Brand, Leadership, Leadership Events & Networking Opportunities, Motivation & Inspiration, Networking & Connecting | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 7th, 2011
Do you realize the importance of visualizing and consciously planning for success rather than merely planning enough to get started and then hoping that good things happen?
In 1994, my company’s senior leadership decided that they needed to learn the root cause of why some of the $13 billion corporation’s initiatives and projects exceeded expectations, while others either did not meet performance expectations or outright failed. The decision was made to bring a select team of 100 of the corporation’s most effective leaders to Atlanta for a two-day meeting to analyze the subject of “success.” As a 33 year old, I was very surprised and honored to be chosen to serve on this team.
Convening the two-day meeting in Atlanta cost the company over $180,000 including salaries, travel, lodging, and meals. This fact is shared only to highlight the seriousness with which the meeting was treated by the company’s leaders.
The meeting was extremely energetic and informative, with many passionate and articulate points being made. During the two days in Atlanta, we discussed, debated, and documented the topic of success for over twenty hours. Hundreds of excellent observations and ideas were documented and analyzed.
To conclude the meeting, we prioritized the many ideas and developed our list of the critical few keys to ensuring the success of future initiatives.
What do you think our 100-member team determined to be the most important?
We agreed unanimously that THE most important key to success in any critical endeavor is:
…selecting the right team leader and team members, and then constantly giving the entire team the time and resources to focus, without distraction, upon the mission to which they have been assigned.
WOW! Doesn’t that sound simple and obvious? Why did we have to invest $180,000 to legitimize that learning? I will attempt to answer this in Part 2… Tune in!
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Tags: brainstorming, executive leadership, Leadership, leadership challenge, leadership characteristics, planning, strategic planning, visionary
Posted in Communication, Employment Brand, Executive Coaching, Hiring & Recruiting, Leadership, Motivation & Inspiration, Recruiting & Executive Search, Succession Planning | No Comments »
Monday, May 2nd, 2011
So, how can we succeed more often?
There is one essential element of success that is too often unknown, under-appreciated, and poorly executed by key decision makers. That element is called “The Technical Right to Succeed.”
Here are some keys to this element of success:
Whenever leaders choose to undertake an initiative, the eventual outcome is that they are either going to succeed or fail.
True leaders consider “partial success” to be a euphemistic term for failure.
As an initiative is being planned, leaders and other key stakeholders who control vital resources should consciously understand what human resources, tools, equipment, training, planning, funding, and timeline must be provided to the team from the very beginning in order for the team to have a good chance of succeeding without having to depend upon luck.
This complete set of vital resources is called “The Technical Right to Succeed.”
Without having the Technical Right to Succeed, the team is forced to rely upon its own luck, the misfortune of its adversary, and/or divine intervention.
As you, your teams, and your organizations are planning and preparing to undertake improvement initiatives, I highly encourage you to first gather all key stakeholders and consciously provide those who are going to do the work with the Technical Right to Succeed.
A couple of examples:
- If your mission requires coordination of multiple, dispersed groups, widespread internal and external communication, marketing, and rapid response and decision making, you cannot possibly have the Technical Right to Succeed unless your team is equipped with the latest internet-based communications infrastructure and tools.
- If you are competing to win customers and your competitor gets face-to-face with those customers frequently while you sit at home calling them on the phone or sending them faxes, you don’t have the Technical Right to Succeed.
As you move forward I hope that the term “Technical Right to Succeed” will become part of your organization’s vocabulary. But more importantly, I hope it will become a key contributor to your successful culture.
Interested in reading more? Check out the first part of this article…
What resources and tools are you providing to your leadership team and stakeholders that is providing a competitive advantage?
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Tags: Communication, Leadership
Posted in Employee Engagement, Employment Brand, Leadership, Motivation & Inspiration, Recruiting & Executive Search | No Comments »
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The Dan Beard Council is the administrative body of the Boy Scouts of America in the Greater Cincinnati area. With a geographic area of 12 counties in Southwestern Ohio and Northern Kentucky and an average annual membership of 33,000 youth, the Dan Beard Council is one of the larger metropolitan councils in the country and the largest youth organization in the Cincinnati area. Hundreds of Cub Scout Packs, Boy Scout Troops, Venturing Crews, Varsity Teams, Explorer Posts, and Learning for Life groups make up the membership of the council. The Dan Beard Council has a long history of providing life-changing programs to the young men of the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area.
