Howard Schultz, the return-CEO of Starbucks, tells a remarkable story about he and his team turned around the company over the past few years. In his book, “Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life Without Losing Its Soul,” Schultz identifies the leadership keys to the transformation of his company. These attributes can apply to any firm, and I am trying to learn and apply these in my life and with my company. They are:
1. Grow with discipline.
2. Balance intuition with rigor.
3. Innovate around the core.
4. Don’t embrace the status quo.
5. Find new ways to see.
6. Never expect a silver bullet.
7. Get your hands dirty.
8. Listen with empathy and overcommunicate with transparency.
9. Tell your story, refusing to let others define you.
10. Use authentic experiences to inspire.
11. Stick to your values; they are your foundation.
12. Hold people accountable but give them tools to succeed.
13. Make the tough choices; it’s how you execute that counts.
14. Be decisive in times of crisis.
15. Be nimble.
16. Find truths in crisis and lessons in mistakes.
17. Be responsible for what you see, hear and do.
18. Believe
I look forward to your comments. Thanks! Brett Blair – Sanford Rose Associates, Brighton - Executive Search. Specialists in the placement of professionals in the automotive manufacturing world.
I recently read a GREAT little book by Steven Pressfield, called “Do The Work.” I don’t know who recommended it, but I thank whoever did.
This is a fantastic read for anyone trying to start something new in their life, and needing some encouragement to get over the many inevitable hurdles along the way. Steven Pressfield has an amazing way of describing the mental challenges that are faced by artists, authors, and entrepreneurs. The enemies of success, as he puts it, are:
1. Resistance (fear, self-doubt, procrastination, addiction, distraction, timidity, ego and narcissism, self-loathing and perfectionism.)
2. Rational thought
3. Friends and family
As an entrepreneur myself, I can personally relate to many of the challenges spelled out in this book. I highly recommend it for anyone focused on personal growth. I’d love to hear your thoughts if you read it.
Thanks! Brett Blair – Sanford Rose Associates, Brighton – Executive Search. Specialists in the search and placement of automotive professionals around the world.
I can’t think of anything more important to success in life than the quality of the people that you hang out with.
For a company, a division, or a department – it is ultimately the quality of the team, the people doing the work, that will make all of the difference. This is why it is so important to be careful about who you hire, and then pay very special attention to the issues that will increase retention and performance.
For a person looking for work, the people with whom you associate during this time can make all the difference. Spend time with positive people, and people who will encourage you and help you network. Stay away from negative, doomsday prediction people who will only drag you down.
And, in general, you become the average of the five adults you spend the most time with. Consider who you want to become, and then go hang out with people who will take you there.
I look forward to your comments. Thanks! Brett Blair – Sanford Rose Associates – Brighton, Executive Search. Specialists in the search and placement of professionals in the automotive manufacturing world.
This is a great video clip, with incredible music and images. Please take a few minutes to watch and listen, and ponder the possibilities of this new year, possibly your very best year ever!
Happy New Year! Brett Blair – Sanford Rose Associates, Brighton – Executive Search. Specialists in the search and placement of professionals in the automotive manufacturing world.
I recently read a great book by Brian Tracy, titled “Flight Plan – The Real Secret of Success.” I found this to be a very good book, reminding me of many things that I’ve heard before, but tend to forget in the everyday business of life.
Achieving one’s goals, similar to flying an airplane, requires constant adjustment. Tracy points out that when you fly in any airplane, headed for any destination, you will be off course 99% of the time. The same is absolutely true of life.
According to the author, the three most important steps to success in life are:
1. Decide exactly what you want, write it down, and make a plan to achieve it. Decide upon your destination.
2. Take action. Launch toward your goal. Step out in faith. Take the first step with no guarantee of success. Take off on your journey.
3. Be prepared to make continual course corrections every hour and every day of you life as you fly toward your destination. Expect an inevitable, unavoidable, and unbroken series of problems, difficulties, reversals, setbacks, and crises every day and week of your life. Since you cannot avoid them, your aim must be to respond to them effectively.
Make a decision right now to set your goal, take off, and make continual course corrections until you achieve all that is possible for you.
Thanks! Brett Blair – Sanford Rose Associates, Brighton – Executive Search. Specialists in the search and placement of professionals in the automotive manufacturing world.
“GTD”, 18 minute plans, organized folders… none of them work as well as you’d like.
The reason is simple: you don’t want to get more done.
You’re afraid. Getting more done would mean exposing yourself to considerable risk, to crossing bridges, to putting things into the world. Which means failure.
The leap the lizard brain takes when confronting the opportunity is a simple formula: GTD=Failure.
Until you quiet the resistance and commit to actually shipping things that matter, all the productivity tips in the world aren’t going to make a real difference. And, it turns out, once you do make the commitment, the productivity tips aren’t that needed.
You don’t need a new plan for next year. You need a commitment.
We all are, deep down, on a journey….looking and searching for connection to our purpose. We all want to be successful, but more importantly, we all want to achieve significance. Bob Beaudine, author of “The Power of Who,” recently shared these “7 Tips in Your Search for Significance.”
- When confronted with an opportunity – Ask yourself – is the Risk Worth the Reward?
- Life is made up of “Moments and Choices.” Don’t miss yours!
- Anyone on a great quest is looking for clues that will guide them! You’re closer than you think!
- Your dream is the fire that energizes you toward your destiny Don’t allow your own negative thinking to extinguish it!
- Fear of failure keeps more people stuck in the status quo than anything else!
- One of life’s great paradoxes is that by not deciding you’re making a decision. Step out!
- Don’t be a fence sitter. When given an opportunity – Seize it!
With the new year just around the corner, this is a great time to consider, and act upon your destiny.
Sometimes it seems like “manufacturing” in the U.S. doesn’t get any respect in the media. That’s a shame, as I believe the manufacturing base is a huge part of what has, and continues to make this country great.
The world of manufacturing has evolved for thousands of years, derived from a system of skilled craftsmen and artisans. Today our manufacturing industry looks much different, with mass production across every industry to create products and goods for our growing free market. Though production is much more large scale, it could not be done without the individual skills of each employee involved. Much like the artisans of our past, modern employees each bring something unique to offer to their employers.
Manufacturing starts with raw material extraction, through design and engineering, production, transportation, and delivery to the final consumer. Each phase of the process involves specialized processes and knowledge from laborers, engineers, supervisors, managers, and beyond.
At Sanford Rose Associates – Brighton, we help manufacturing companies by attracting the very best candidates at their “craft” to our client companies. In each search, we strive to find that perfect match to benefit the company and the new hire. We have consistently provided outstanding service to clients across many fields of manufacturing, and are proud to be a valuable asset contributing to the success of their respective industries.
Howard Schultz, the return-CEO of Starbucks, tells a remarkable story about he and his team turned around the company over the past few years. In his book, “Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life Without Losing Its Soul,” Schultz identifies the leadership keys to the transformation of his company. These attributes can apply to any firm, and I am trying to learn and apply these in my life and with my company. They are:
I can’t think of anything more important to success in life than the quality of the people that you hang out with.
Sometimes it seems like “manufacturing” in the U.S. doesn’t get any respect in the media. That’s a shame, as I believe the manufacturing base is a huge part of what has, and continues to make this country great.
