leading teams >

This is an area that I feel deeply about and have worked hard on over the past 25 years. I have had the pleasure to lead a wide variety of teams over my career, and am firmly convinced that you “lead” people and “manage” projects. Leaders must realize that a leadership role is a precious and humbling honor. Effective leaders must consider the complete person of the individuals on their team, always working to influence the “three impact points” of leadership
(the mind, hearts and hands.)

I have written extensively on this topic, but the following essays offer a strong sense of my belief, experiences, and approach in this critical area.

“The Three Impact Points of Leadership”
“Teachable Point of View”
“Leadership with a Growth Mindset”
“The Four Precious Traits”

serving customers >

I use the word “serve” with intent in this section. Over the last half of my career, I have had the honor to hold a number of sales leadership roles including Sr. V.P. Retail Sales Coca-Cola North America and most recently Chief Customer officer, Bolthouse Farms. Regardless of role or company, having a headset of “service” has been foundational to my approach. I believe you need to work hard to understand “their” businesses, “their” challenges and opportunities, “their” issues and concerns … it’s all about “them.” Now I am not naïve to think that you can have a thriving business ONLY by understanding your customers’ headset. As is often the case, a truly successful sales leader IS the balancing point between “the voice of the customer and the voice of the firm,” identifying and often creating solutions that create “wins”
(for both sides of the balancing act.)

I have written a number of essays on this topic, for more information click on the links below:

Selling: The art of the question
Selling: Sell the suit, don’t sell the buttons
Selling: The curbside debrief

building brands >

At the center of my career are brands, brands that matter to consumers and shoppers, and brands that have grown over the decades. I have had the pleasure to work on a number of large, growing, expanding brands that have really stood the test of time, ranging from Kleenex, to Breyers Ice Cream, to Coca-Cola, and to Bolthouse Farms. Brands are precious and valuable, and like children, are also fragile and needing of care. Brands aren’t static, they are never in “pause mode” with the consumer or shopper; they are either gaining or losing relevancy in the lives of their consumer franchise.

To see more on this topic see:

Building Brands, a daily regimen
Brand Loyalty, a dangerous and outmoded marketing principle

innovative leadership >

I have found it very productive to find unique approaches and experiences as I work with teams. I have created experiences ranging from wilderness hikes, to team cooking moments, to battlefield re-enactments, and used readings from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Plutarch, Cicero, Walt Whitman, Aung San Suu Kyi, and beyond, with great result. I have found that taking individuals outside of their normal setting , and using readings outside of their normal “business lexicon” as critical tools to “open up” thinking about the business realities and challenges at hand.
For more writings on this subject see:

“Let the ball come to you”
“Over the hood and over the horizon.”
“Resilience & perseverance: redux”

disciplined execution >

Tracking performance and more importantly the “drivers” of performance is critical in all business environments. Over my career I have developed a number of key metric “dashboards,” daily/weekly & monthly routines, along with one on one coaching templates that has allowed me to bring “Disciplined Execution” to life in a number of varied business settings.

I have expanded on a number of facets on this topic, to learn more about my views on “Disciplined Execution,” click the links below:

“Beating Cadence, the ‘Drumbeat’ of Performance Management
“Aunt Lorraine’s Law”
Execution is THE Strategy
Watch the Feet

authentic inspiration >

Over my life, I have had the chance to learn lessons of life, leadership and business from a wide variety of inspirations. I work to find ways to share these “stories” in a variety of team settings to help inspire individuals and organizations in their career and life’s journeys. These stories range from significant life lessons that I have learned over my life from my grandmother, my Aunt, and from previous bosses/mentors, to more current experiences that illuminate more current or pressing lessons. Finding the ability to “authentically inspire” an organization is no simple feat for any leader, but is crucial in order to have an engaged organization focused on the right priorities.

The following are a few examples of my writings in this area:

“Legacy”
“Aunt Lorraine’s Law”
“PBR”