Vistage CEO Confidence Index - Optimism at a Two Year High among Small and Mid-sized CEOs

Vistage CEO Confidence Index

Optimism at a Two Year High among Small and Mid-sized CEOs, According to New Survey from Vistage

SAN DIEGO (October 1, 2014) – Optimism among small and mid-sized business leaders is at a reported two year high, according to the Vistage CEO Confidence Index, the largest survey of chief executives from small and medium-sized businesses in the United States. And this vote of confidence from these business leaders reveals a positive trend in the U.S. economy as a whole. 

The Voice of Main Street Business

History

The Vistage CEO Confidence Index is a compilation of responses from more than 2,000 CEOs of small- to mid-sized companies. The Vistage CEO Confidence Index began in Q1 2003 and is the largest and only comprehensive report of small and mid-size CEO opinions and projections.

U.S. small and mid-sized businesses represent the most vital component of the nation’s economy. This sector creates 75% of all new jobs and generates 50% of all national revenue. The opinions of these business leaders provide a clear snapshot of current economic, market and industry trends and demonstrate their plans for growth over the next 12 months. These insights provide a leading indicator for employment, capital expenditure, sales, and revenue and profit trends.

When It Began

The Vistage CEO Confidence Index began in Q2 2003 when 1041 Vistage member CEOs responded to a Vistage survey, creating the baseline against which the index is measured. Since then, the Index has grown into the largest survey of chief executives from small and medium-sized businesses in the United States. Each quarter, CEOs are asked the same set of 9 questions based on the overall economy, as well as 5-7 questions relating to current economic issues. The set questions become the components of the Confidence Index score.

How is the Confidence Index Calculated?

All component questions are scored as the percent giving favorable replies minus the percent unfavorable plus 100. The Vistage Confidence Index is the sum of the components calculated as a percentage of the level recorded in the 2nd quarter 2003 survey. The results are analyzed by Dr. Richard Curtin, the chief analyst at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

About Dr. Curtin

Dr. Richard Curtin is a Research Professor and the Director of the Surveys of Consumers at the University of Michigan since 1976.

Professor Curtin’s monthly report on consumer confidence is one of the most closely followed economic indicators, with findings from his research extensively reported in the media. His research is widely used by businesses and financial institutions as well as by federal agencies responsible for monetary and fiscal policies. Data from the Surveys of Consumers is an official component of the Index of Leading Economic Indicators.

Through frequent presentations and published articles, Professor Curtin has reported on his research in behavioral economics, including the theory and measurement of expectations, consumer saving and spending behavior, household income and wealth, reactions to changing economic opportunities, and public policy preferences. Professor Curtin has consulted with hundreds of corporations on issues related to future trends in consumer purchases.

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But I am a Baby Boomer Entrepreneur!

It’s been on the news, so it must be true. Baby Boomers and those over 50 are boosting the number of SME’s in Europe. One group of “Silver Foxes” have gone further and have established a fast growing international collaborative consultancy, learning and development, wellbeing, institute and business services cooperative. With his 70th birthday in 2015, Retirement has brought fresh interest and motivation. So why have Ricky Kujawa and his team involved themselves in a new business venture at this time in their lives (only a few of the 24 current members are under 50)?

“Why not”
Ricky Kujawa, President.

After a busy lifetime which has included extensive travel and opportunities to observe other cultures and organisations in many sectors, Ricky still gets excited about the idea of being able to facilitate change to the benefit of organisations, their shareholders, their people, their customers and their communities. “Who would want to stop doing that? Not me for sure. Says Ricky

“It’s like Mount Everest.”
Archie Waters, Secretary.

Archie’s view is that like the mountain in question it is there. There is an opportunity to make a difference and in doing so to gain new insights into the world and other cultures. Archie has a long history of involvement in social enterprises, outdoor learning, and mediation and is a qualified Psychologist. He also skippers a popular boat trip on Loch Lomond. Clearly he is not someone who wants to sit and watch the clock tick on when there are mountains to climb, real or physcological. “I want to make a difference. I have already travelled to countries that I never imagined I would ever visit and have learned so much from those I met.”

“I’m not old, just older than more people than I was last year.”
Lesley Campbell. Executive Vice President, Learning and Development.

Lesley awakens each morning to a view of the firth of Clyde that would feature in tourist brochures for holidays in Scotland so why is she involved in starting a new business? Well, as this is being written she is en route to Dar es Salaam followed by Johannesburg and then Cape Town so maybe she just likes a change of view. Not so according to Lesley who feels that she has something to give to share with others called experience.

“I am too young to stop working.”
Steven Whalley. Executive Vice President Marketing and Business Services

Steven recently “retired” after a very successful career in Marketing from a very high level post in a world renowned Financial Services company. Faced with the prospect of life without pressures and deadlines, Stephen chose: “A life with stress and deadlines, but they are my deadlines.” Stephen wants to help others with marketing and communication issues but he has not stopped learning. "I have enrolled in a course which will bring me up to date with Social Media and it is accredited. Even better, the Scottish Government are funding 50% of the cost and PTPI Ltd the rest."

“Collaboration suits how I like to work.”
Booker Odenio. Ambassador for East Africa.

Booker has enjoyed a busy, productive and rewarding career. He sees no need to stop. Instead he wants to collaborate internationally to create win-win positions for East Africa, its institutions, organisations and people. I enjoy collaboration so being involved with an international cooperative is ideal.

Written by

Ricky Kujawa

10 Tips for Using Social Media in Holiday Ecommerce Marketing

The holidays will soon be upon us. With just 26 days between Black Friday and Christmas and a reported 15.5 percent growth in ecommerce sales at stake, retailers should leverage every marketing opportunity.

Social media is one such opportunity. It can help extend brand reach, build awareness for promotional efforts, support overall sales activity, and do so at minimal expense to the merchant.

With that in mind, here are 10 social media marketing tips you can employ this holiday season. 

1. Use Social Media as a Layer, Not a Channel
Don’t think of social media as an individual channel, but as a layer that blankets other marketing activities. While it may not prove to be a catalyst that directly contributes to sales, use of social media can support everything else you do. The key is to think omnichannel and integrate social media into every activity.

For example, tie social media into email marketing by asking people to share your message with their friends and followers. Add social sharing buttons (including the Pin It button) to product pages on your website. Create content on your website that people will want to share, as well as social network content that links back to your ecommerce site.

Read my post, “8 Ways to Integrate Social Media with Existing Marketing,” for more ideas. 

2. Decorate Your Social Media Graphics with Holiday Themes
Almost every social network utilizes profile images and cover graphics. Some, like Twitter, also include background images. Put your shoppers in the holiday spirit by updating such imagery with seasonal themes.

If you do not have access to a graphic designer, sites like fcoverphotos.com or Canva offer plenty of ready-made images. Pixlr, a easy-to-use photo-editing tool, enables you to overlay text on graphics. You can also achieve the same effect with PowerPoint.

Example of fcoverphotos Facebook Christmas cover graphic.

Canva is a do-it-yourself image creation and editing tool. 

3. Give Your Content Visual Appeal

One of the biggest social media marketing trends to emerge from 2013 is the use of visuals. So, in keeping with changes to profile and cover graphics, add some visual spice to your holiday posts.

Facebook timeline post graphic featuring a Christmas sale.

As a general rule, include a graphic with most of your social posts. Add a graphic element to blog posts so that when visitors share your content on social networks, the image will appear along with it. 

4. Use Pinterest to Inspire Shopping Ideas
Pinterest is especially popular during the holiday season as people look to it for inspiration on everything from Halloween decorations to Thanksgiving table centerpieces to Chanukah and Christmas gift ideas.

Two simple ways to build on that interest include creating holiday-themed boards and adding Pin It buttons to product pages on your site. 

5. Run Contests on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Contests are a fun way to utilize social media, especially at this time of year. Sites like Offerpop and Antavo have several out-of-the-box contest solutions to make it easy.

Antavo offers six different types of contests. 

6. Send Personal Holiday Greetings to Loyal Customers

Businesses can take a cue from individuals and send special holiday greetings to customers via social media as a way to express appreciation. It’s an unexpected message for them that could lead to increased sales for you.

Create a Vine or Instagram video and post it to your Facebook Page timeline, send out direct messages to customers that follow you on Twitter or host a Google Hangout with your most loyal customers just to say hello. If you happen to be friends with customers on Facebook, send an e-card using an app like the one from 123 Greetings. 

7. Create Relevant, Interesting Content
Posts to your blog, Facebook Page, Twitter feed or another social network should not be just about you and your products. Think in terms of creating content around topics of interest to your customers, particularly during the busy holiday season.

That could include creative seasonal decorating tips, a list of ways to reduce stress during the holidays, ideas for making the holidays more meaningful, inspirational quotes, and more. 

8. Support Organic Efforts with Advertising
Social media ad campaigns are cost-effective when compared to other forms of advertising and are a good way to increase reach and introduce new people to your brand or products. 

9. Draw on Your Customers’ Social Influence
Shoppers are more likely to make a purchase based on social media referrals. Because people tend to trust others with similar interests, it makes sense to draw upon your customers’ influence. Due to its inherent sharing capabilities, social media is a primary outlet to make that happen. 

10. Support a Worthy Cause
People’s minds turn to giving during the holidays, and that doesn’t mean just friends and family; charitable giving tends to rise, too.

Businesses can use social media to achieve social good — by supporting a worthy cause. Aside from the benefits charities receive, it is a way to build goodwill between you and your customers that can result in greater loyalty and increased lifetime value.

Use crowdfunding sites such as Go Fund Me or YouCaring.com to provide your customers with an opportunity to give, as well.

Paul Chaney
Bio  

5 Signs Your Company is in the Dark Ages

One of our vendors recently asked us to fax a form to them … really, a fax? So I started thinking, what are the signs that a company has not kept up with times and is stuck in the dark ages?

If you are guilty of any of these fives things, it’s time to move forward. Immediately. It’s not just about productivity, it’s about keeping your pulse on how people do business and what is important to them. Keep your particular customer base in mind, but these five things are most likely holding you back.

1. You still use a fax machine.
   Our company does not own a fax machine and I have not sent a fax in over a decade. If you are not aware that fax machines have been replaced with emails, you are a dinosaur headed for extinction. Even when signatures are required, the businessperson of today expects things to be signed, scanned, and emailed. You shouldn’t expect clients, customers, or vendors to have fax machines.
2. You only communicate by phone.
   If you sell anything to millennials, don’t ask them to call your customer service phone number … that’s not how they communicate. Reconsider your ‘social media seems like a silly fad’ attitude and embrace the new ways your customers want to communicate with you and each other. Yes, it’s good to have the option to call. But if you’re not transitioning to live chat and social media correspondence, you’ll soon lose any customer base below the age of 40. (If I lost you at “live chat,” it’s time to hire a consultant.).
3. You still print everything.
   Seriously? This is my planet too, so learn how to archive electronic documents, sign PDFs online, and stop killing our trees. With a few very rare exceptions, you don’t need a hard copy. The risk here is not just to the planet, it’s to your ability to hire and retain quality employees. Now and for at least the last 10 years, college graduates are looking for companies with good environmental practices. You don’t need to bring 15 printed copies to the meeting, trust me.
4. You’re still using snail mail to do business.
   When a customer asked us to snail mail a paper copy of our invoice half-way around the globe, we refused for oh-so-many reasons, ultimately walking away from the small deal. Snail mail might be even more obsolete than a fax machine and does not gel with our approach to protecting the planet. Stand up for what just makes sense and stop mailing paper.
5. You still need “face time”.
   Gone are the days when working 15 hours a day was a solid measure of success. If you allow your employees to utilize flexible scheduling options, you will likely see more productivity than if you encourage the traditional “first one in, last to go home” paradigm. Remember that sometimes a task takes longer because someone refuses to consider easier options. The person staying late every day may need some help with new approaches to work smarter rather than applause for burning the midnight oil.

It happens to all of us, we find ourselves holding onto a tradition even though it’s not logical. We find comfort in doing things “the way we’ve always done them.” When it comes to your business, it’s important to fight this urge and push forward. The longer you hold on, the more behind you’re getting. 

I'm sure you, too, have a few things in mind when it comes to antiquated business practices. Please share them below!

Written by

Thomas Michael

Wheel of Success Referrals-Based Business Model

Magnetic Business Solutions (MBS) is the name I’ve chosen for my company because all of us as entrepreneurs have to pay attention to attracting great clients and having them stick with us.

Yes, we have to prospect. And yes, we have to sell. But we also have to create a system with all of the processes and procedures to build an ever-growing, more profitable business year after year after year.

That’s why, decades ago, I created this concept called The Wheel of Success System©.

You are the hub of your own Wheel of Success. The spokes of your Wheel of Success are the skills, coaching, mentoring and marketing support that empower you to build a lasting business by achieving these three objectives:

Continuously expand the amount of business with existing clients. Strategies: 1. Raise prices as you add more value; 2. Add other products and services through client feedback; and 3. Develop longer-term contracts with clients.

Generate quality referrals. Strategies: 1. Clearly identify Your Ideal Client Profile*; 2. Develop a system for creating a steady flow of referrals from clients and referral buddies; and 3. Create alliances with Centres of Influence.

Turn prospects into clients more easily. Strategies: 1. Follow up faithfully with referrals; 2. Use testimonials from existing clients to establish trust; and 3. Make your marketing strategy all about education.

MORE CLIENTS AND HIGHER AVERAGE SALES
I call this The Wheel of Success System because, like a wheel, it keeps on rolling through this continuous cycle. When you improve the quality of your referrals using your Ideal Client Profile as a model, and those referrals become clients, the number of clients and the average income per client also increase. Thus, your Ideal Client Profile is enhanced, leading to an even higher quality of referral.

BONUS – INCREASED LOYALTY AND MORE PROFITABLE PRODUCT LINES
As a bonus, you also increase the loyalty of your clients by allowing them to help you bring in clients they already like and trust, and by providing feedback that helps you increase and refine your product line to serve them.

Some people describe this as creating a “Tribe” or a “Community”. Whatever you choose to call it, it definitely works as the foundation of any successful business.

EMAIL ME FOR THIS FREE WORKSHEET
For starters, email me at MaryLou@MagneticBusinessSolutions.com and request a worksheet for creating your own Ideal Client Profile. * I’m always happy to help.

The Wheel of Success System © 1991 Mary Lou Gutscher

How to Analyze Business Opportunities

How do you analyze a small business opportunity? How do you differentiate good small business investment opportunities from bad ones? How do you assess a business opportunity to know if it’s worth pursuing? Do you want to learn how to evaluate a business opportunity? Then I advise you read on.

“There are no bad business and investment opportunities, but there are bad entrepreneurs and investors.” – Rich Dad

Savvy entrepreneurs know that not all business opportunity that appears viable on the outside is really viable. It takes a trained or experienced eye to tell a good business opportunity from a bad one. So today, I will be sharing a checklist that will help you analyze or assess a business opportunity. If you are ready to learn, then below are six checklists to analyzing or assessing a business investment opportunity. 

How to Evaluate a Business Opportunity

1. Industry and Market

The industry and market of the proposed business plays a vital role in helping you decide if a business opportunity is worth pursuing or investing in. You can analyze the market or industrial situation by asking yourself or the promoter the following questions:

• Does a market exist for the business idea?
• What is the size of the market?
• What is the growth rate of the industry?

These questions will help you gain a further insight into the nature of business opportunity you intend pursuing. It will also help you know if the promoting entrepreneur did his/her homework properly. 

2. Length of the window of opportunity

Another point to consider when analyzing a business opportunity is its length of window. What I mean by length of window is this;

• How long can the business opportunity or investment remain accessible?
• Will the business investment remain open and accessible while you try to raise the required investment capital?

Based on my experience as an entrepreneur, I know that some good business opportunities come with a short access time frame, meaning they won’t be available for too long. It is important to know the length of window of an investment because the investment might not still be open by the time you’ve rounded up the required capital for its exploitation.

Examples of business opportunities with short window length are contract opportunities, where there are bidders and a stipulated time of contract execution.

3. Entrepreneur’s motivation and competence

The third thing to consider when assessing a business opportunity is the entrepreneurs’ or promoter’s motivation and competence. The competence factor is a critical criterion you must scrutinize carefully especially if you are investing in someone else business opportunity. The entrepreneur must be highly motivated, competent and experienced in game of entrepreneurship.

“An average person with average talents and average ambition can outstrip the most brilliant genius in our society; if that person has clear focused goals.” – Mary Kay Ash

Never invest in a startup where the promoting entrepreneur assigns himself huge salary. Never invest in a business venture where the entrepreneur’s primary objective or motivation is just to make money. Making money from a business idea or opportunity is something every entrepreneur loves but my point is; it shouldn’t be a primary motivation. 

How to Analyze or Assess Small Business Investment Opportunities

4. The Business Management team

“Business and investing are team sports.” – Rich Dad

The fourth thing to look out for when analyzing a business investment opportunity is the business management team. If you are the facilitator or originator of the business idea or opportunity, then you can decide or choose the business management team to bring on board. But if you are simply investing in someone else idea, then you have to assess the strength and weakness of the business management team.

“We need leaders, who add value to the people and the organization they lead; who work for the benefit of others and not just for their own personal gain.

Leaders who inspire and motivate, not intimidate and manipulate; who live with people to know their problems in order to solve them and who follow a moral compass that points in the right directions regardless of the trends.” – Mary Kay Ash

To be on the safe side of any business or investment opportunity, you must think and analyze the business investment like a Venture Capitalist; otherwise called VCs. VCs prefer a strong team and an average product to a weak team and an excellent product. This is the major reason why most brilliant business ideas don’t get funded.

5. Capital, man power and technological requirements

Another issue you must analyze with respect to a business opportunity is the capital, man power and technological requirements. These three principals are very important especially when you want to assess the risk to reward ratio of a business or investment opportunity.

They form the basis of business and investment risk analysis. If the requirement to pursue the business opportunity is extremely high with respect to the profit potential, then it’s not worth pursuing.

6. Economic Environment

The last on my checklist for analyzing business or investment opportunities is the economic environment where the business opportunity exists or is intended to be pursued. When assessing the economic environment, you must also take into consideration the fiscal or monetary policy of that environment or country, political situation and government’s policy.

“You are a product of your environment. So choose the environment that will best develop you toward your objective. Analyze your life in terms of its environment. Are the things around you helping you towards success? Or are they holding you back? – W. Clement Stone

This is important because some business and investment opportunities are favored by certain economic environments while others are not. For instance, some businesses thrive well in a socialist system of government, while others do well in environments where capitalism is the norm.

As a final note, these are my six checklists for analyzing or assessing a business investment opportunity. Though there are other factors to consider while carrying out a business opportunity analysis, these six checklists will give you a strong insight into any business or investment opportunity.

Ajaero Tony Martins

Feasibility Study

Listen To Understand vs reply

How to Have Productivity After The Write Up

Write ups...you know, that thing most managers hate to do, and theoretically all employees hate to receive. Write up, corrective action, disciplinary action, performance improvement plan all are meant to put employees on notice that they are doing something wrong. And that they need to improve it, usually with an expected time frame.

Maybe you have received or delivered these in your career. There are good ones and bad ones. Sometimes HR assists and sometimes not. If written or delivered well, you can get a good outcome. If written or delivered poorly, well... you don't get a good outcome. The biggest pitfall of a poor write up is that the employee comes away demotivated and productivity spirals downward.

There are three things to consider: the write up itself, delivery and follow up.

The Write Up. How is it structured? Does it stick to facts and company policy or does it degrade the employee as an idiot, a poor excuse for a human being? Or is it unclear such that the employee is confused? It should state what the employee did wrong, statement of the policy that was not adhered to, expectations of what the employee must do going forward, the consequences if the employee does not improve and the time frame. That's it, clear, brief and to the point.

The Delivery: Manager. This is the most important aspect to have good productivity afterward. It is important to be straightforward about the specifics, no long embellishment dragging details through the mud. Then close with something positive. If the manager REALLY wants the employee to go back to work and be productive, then give the employee something positive to make them want to go back and be productive. Compliment the employee in those areas deserved, and let him/her know that you are confident of their success in overcoming this. Having the employee productive afterward is 80% how the manager delivers. Just remember that turnover is very costly, and salvaging a struggling employee can be well worth the effort.

The Delivery: Employee. OK, the burden is not all on the manager. The employee has to be honest, face up that the corrective action was warranted (almost all are). The best way to prove that you are a great employee is to deliver...correct the performance or behavior, be positive, and thank the manager for believing in you. Deliver these things even if you don't agree with the write up or the manager does not have faith in you. Others will notice, and the manager may change his/her mind about you.

The Follow Up. It has been 30, 60, or 90 days. Time to close the satisfied write up (hopefully). The manager should have been watching, encouraging, taking time to steer and be ready for the update. Of course not all will succeed, and that is worthy of a whole separate article. For those who do succeed, this should be a wonderful meeting. Both manager and employee should be saying "Thank you" to each other. The manager says "thank you for digging in and persevering to overcome this obstacle and succeeding. I knew you could do it, and I am happy and proud of you." The employee says "thank you for helping me along the way, your guidance and advice, and believing in me. I am happy that you are my manager and will continue to do a great job." I have witnessed employees becoming spectacular after working through corrective actions and being given a second chance.

This wonderful scenario doesn't happen on all occasions. There are poor managers, and there are poor employees. Managers should be focused on the bottom line for their department, knowing that productivity affects their bonuses and promotions as does turnover. Employees should be looking at their careers, promotions, or just keeping their jobs. In any case, good, strong productivity is important to both. And productivity can be strong even when write ups are necessary.

Written by

Mary Thompson, SPHR,

Leading People Older Than You

Regardless of how you got to your management position, eventually you will find yourself managing people older than you.

I met one manager last week who is the youngest person in her department. That situation is pretty common these days, and it is a scary one for many leaders, especially those who are not well seasoned.

Here are ten tips that will help you be successful at gaining the necessary respect to lead more senior people effectively.

1. The first few days matter most
Actually, the first few hours or minutes are incredibly important because that is when you plant the seeds of confidence or doubt in your abilities.

Be authentic and do not play head games with people. Show immediate interest in and respect for the people who will be working for you.

Get to know them personally as quickly as you can. Every small gesture of interest in them and their thoughts will transform into credibility for you.

2. Be observant before you try to transform
Many leaders, especially those with little experience, figure they need to impress people with their power or brilliance to get respect. That approach usually backfires.

Before you seek to influence how things should be done in the future, you must first understand and appreciate how things have been done in the past. Do not spout out theories you learned in school in an attempt to snow people into respecting your knowledge.

3. Ask lots of questions
Many new leaders make a lot of statements and expect the workers to listen or take notes.

Instead, ask a lot of questions. The best approach is not knowing the right answers; it is knowing the right questions and using them wisely.


4. Put the age issue out to pasture quickly
People really do not care if their leader is older or younger than them. What they want is competence, compassion, and integrity. When you show those three things and respect people for their knowledge, then they will quickly forget that you are 20-30 years younger than they are.

5. Be genuine
Head games are for losers. Be genuine and real.

Try to figure out what matters and pay attention to those things.

Do not make the mistake of trying to be popular all the time, but also don’t be a jerk.

Think about the behaviors that you respect in a leader and emulate those. Respect people older than you for the experiences they have lived through, and listen to their stories with interest. Avoid doing a “one-up” on an experience that one of your reports conveys to you.

6. Begin to work on the culture
It is the culture of the work group that governs the quality of work life most of all. Work to figure out what is already working well and support that.

Where things need improvement, ask for advice about what people think would work. You do not need to do everything suggested, but you need to let people have a voice.

Work to build higher trust by making it safe for people to tell you what they really feel. In most areas that have morale problems, it is because people are afraid or feel disrespected.

Be approachable and be willing to listen deeply to the opinions of others. Make up your own mind what to do, but only after you have internalized and considered the ideas of others.

7. Be sincere, but not overly lavish, with your praise
People can smell a phony a mile away, and they will have no respect if you just try to butter them up in an effort to gain control.

Make sure that 100% of your reinforcement comes from your heart. People will know by the look in your eyes if you mean it or if you are just saying it. Mean it!

8. Create a positive culture
Motivation comes from within a person. If you try to manipulate the situation by providing perks in order to motivate the workers, you will fall flat on your face.

“Motivate” is not something you can do to another person; rather it is something a person does alone. Work to create the kind of environment where the workers decide this is a better place to work than before. They will motivate themselves in short order.

9. Be humble
People do not warm up to a braggart. Trying to impress them with your Harvard MBA will set you back several years in terms of ability to lead.

People relate to someone who is genuine and willing to learn from them. That attitude is far more effective than trying to win them over with your own prestigious background.

10. Care
There is an old saying that “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” It sounds trite to say it, but that is really the secret to effective leadership of people who are older than you in years and experience.

Once you have built confidence in you as a leader, the issue of age goes away quickly, and you have overcome a stumbling block that trips many bright young leaders.

I grant that it is possible to muscle in and force your way to compliance with an older population. The problem is that compliance is another word for mediocrity. What you need from people is brilliant engagement, and that is what you will get if you follow the ten tips above.
 

Bob Whipple

The Most Undervalued Leadership Traits Of Women

It’s impossible to respect, value and admire great leadership if you can’t identify what makes a leader great.  Because of this, the identity crisis I have written about that exists in today’s workplace is something that women leaders in particular have been facing  for much too long. While the tide is changing and more women are being elevated into leadership roles, there is still much work to do. As of July 2013, there were only 19 female elected presidents and prime ministers in power around the globe.  In the business world, women currently hold only 4.6 percent of Fortune 500 CEO positions and the same percentage of Fortune 1000 CEO positions.   As women continue their upward trajectory in the business world, they have yet to be fully appreciated for the unique qualities and abilities they bring to the workplace.

Like many who grow up with a Hispanic upbringing, I was surrounded by strong-willed, hardworking and purpose-driven women. It is through their leadership that the traditions, values and legacy of our family have been upheld.  My grandmother, mother, wife, and sister-in-law all possess natural leadership skills and they are masters of opportunity management – seamlessly keeping us all in check while running the family household and at the same time supporting our family businesses.  They have taught me that a woman’s instincts and emotional intelligence can be off the chart. They seamlessly manage crisis and change and are turnaround experts – sensing and neutralizing any signs of danger well before it invades our path. It is because of the women in our family that we are well-organized, full of love, spiritually aligned and well-balanced. We are by no means a perfect family, but we are a modern family who embraces traditions even as we adapt to changing times.

It can be difficult for a man to understand how women think, act and innovate unless  he has been closely influenced by  the women in his life.   I’ve learned that women may process things differently and  in their own terms. Fortunately for me, I’ve been influenced by great women who made me appreciate their approach towards leadership. I’ve grown to understand their decision-making processes, the dynamics and subtleties of their personality and style, and other special character qualities that women possess.

The best women leaders I know have circular vision that enables them to be well-rounded people.  For example, they have their finger on the pulse of the culture and can talk to you about the latest pop-culture news – but then easily switch gears to give you their perspective on what is taking place on Wall Street.  Women leaders seeking a chance to be significant see the world through a lens of opportunity; they are especially in search of those opportunities previously unseen (perhaps this is why the women I know enjoy a good treasure hunt).   My experiences have taught me that great women make it a point to teach men about women.

I’ve seen women run the show for years both at home and in the workplace, which has enabled me to recognize behavior patterns and see the value behind their way of doing things.  These women are master multi-taskers and highly collaborative (though not afraid to get territorial to protect their domain).  They enjoy their own space to test themselves and find their own rhythm.  These women leaders are like scientists: many of them want to make new discoveries or solve for problems where others have failed.   The women leaders I’ve been around don’t stop pursuing until the job gets done. This is why I believe they are good collaborative leaders – not afraid of trial and error as long as they continue to build the resource infrastructure around them that gets them closer towards accomplishing their goals.   As one of my women mentors told me, “Without enough of the right resources around me, I will not risk the outcome. I know the resources I need to get the job done right.

I’d rather be patient than foolish.”

The women leaders I know invest in themselves and become knowledge seekers. They are not afraid to ask questions when given a safe platform to express themselves. For example, during my keynote and conference appearances – more often than not – it is the women who ask me the most questions and they are also more inspired to adopt new ideas and ideals.  Though extremely curious, it’s often balanced with a bit of skepticism    – after all, they don’t want to be fooled or taken advantage of.   My experiences have taught me that women leaders need to trust a person before they will endorse what they have to say.   Many just want to know that there is legitimacy behind the opportunity.

As I’ve learned from my women bosses and mentors, they want things to be authentic yet practical. These women leaders enjoy a good challenge – and seek to find meaning and purpose from each circumstance they face and opportunity they are given.  They like to see and understand the connectivity of thoughts and how they work or why they don’t.   They want all the facts and figures before making important decisions.

Competitiveness amongst themselves may really be about looking for validation — an identity that matters and a voice that is heard.  Successful women leaders don’t rely on favors; they earn respect   and truly believe they can influence their own advancement by serving others.  Consummate team players, they also seek to prove their value and self-worth by exceeding performance expectations..  Looking for respect more than recognition, the most successful women leaders don’t seek to become the star of the show — but they enable others to create a great show.  In other words,   being in the spotlight is not what drives them – but rather it’s the ability to influence positive outcomes with maximum impact.

One thing is certain: these women leaders understand survival, renewal and reinvention. They have grit and are not afraid to fight for what they believe in or an opportunity to achieve something of significance. They believe in what they stand for, but that doesn’t mean they won’t put their ideas and ideals to the test.  For them, doing more with less is simply a matter of knowing how to strategically activate those around them.

While women leaders have their productivity secrets, it’s not secret where they come from:  the leadership traits that women leaders naturally possess and – based on my personal and professional experiences  – are the most undervalued.

1.  Opportunity-driven
When confronted with a challenge, the women I know look for the opportunity within. They see the glass as half-full rather than half-empty.  They push the boundaries and, when faced with adverse circumstances, they learn all they can from it.  Optimism is their mindset because they see opportunity in everything.

Estée Lauder, the child of Hungarian immigrant parents, was quite the opportunist in the cosmetics industry. During the postwar consumer boom, women wanted to start sampling cosmetic products before buying them. Lauder noticed and responded to this shifting dynamic by pioneering two marketing techniques that are commonly used today: the free gift and the gift-with-purchase. It’s exactly this type of inventiveness that other women use to pursue the opportunities in front of them.

2.  Strategic
Women see what often times others don’t see.  As one of my women mentors told me, “A woman’s lens of skepticism oftentimes forces them to see well beyond the most obvious details before them.  They enjoy stretching their perspective to broaden their observations.  Many women are not hesitant to peel the onion in order to get to the root of the matter.”

At times they “play the part” to test the intentions of others and to assure that they are solidly grounded and reliable. Successful women leaders know how to play the game when they have to – and can anticipate the unexpected.    They know what cards to play and keenly calculate the timing of each move they make.

I wouldn’t be surprised to learn a woman leader made the word “organic” a business term.   I learned that women who enjoy the ebbs and flows of business activity also know that the best things are accomplished when they are done naturally – and unforced.  When things are happening organically, this means that they are functioning within a natural rhythm and speed – that is safer and risk adverse.

This is not to say that women are uncomfortable with risk – in fact,  they will often tackle risk head-on in order to get to the root cause of  a problem and to solve for it (they value time and money).  Women leaders who don’t allow their egos to stand in the way of good business are in the mindset of getting things done for the betterment of a healthier whole.

3.  Passionate 
While women in general were historically viewed and stereotyped as emotional leaders by men, I believe they are just passionate explorers in pursuit of excellence.   When women leaders are not satisfied with the status quo, they will want to make things better.  These women leaders get things done and avoid procrastination. As another one of my women mentors said, “They enjoy order and stability and a genuine sense of control. Many women have learned not to depend upon others for their advancement and thus have a tendency to be too independent.  A woman’s independent nature is her way of finding her focus and dialing up her pursuits.”

When these women leaders are locked into what they are searching for – move out of the way.  Their passionate pursuits allow them to become potent pioneers of new possibilities.  No wonder minority women represent the largest growing segment of entrepreneurs.

 According to a report by the Center for Women’s Business Research, U.S. Hispanic and African American women entrepreneurs  grew at rates of 133.3% and 191.4% respectively from 1997 to 2007.

4.  Entrepreneurial 

Entrepreneurship is just a way of life for many women.   They can be extremely resourceful, connect the dots of opportunity and become expert in developing the relationships they need to get the job done.   Many women leaders also see through an entrepreneurial lens to best enable the opportunities before them.    They know that to create and sustain momentum requires 100% focus on the objective   – and so they don’t enjoy being disrupted by unnecessary noise and distractions.

As one of my former women bosses told me, “Women can play into the politics of the workplace, and do so if it means adding value to the momentum they are attempting to create.”

Many women leaders find excitement and motivation by being extremely creative and resourceful when completing tasks and other duties and responsibilities –. They avoid falling too far behind on projects – knowing that if they do it will disrupt their focus and momentum.   That is why I learned never to disrupt a woman’s focus and concentration if I can avoid it.

My former female boss continued by saying, “This is why women like control.  Not necessarily to be in charge, but to not lose the rhythm or compromise the momentum they need to accomplish their goals.”

5.  Purposeful and Meaningful

I have found that many women leaders enjoy inspiring others to achieve. They know what it’s like to be the underdog and work hard not to disappoint themselves and others.  Women leaders in particular often have high standards and their attention to detail makes it difficult for others to cut corners or abuse any special privileges.

Women leaders with a nurturing nature are good listeners and excellent networkers/connecters. They enjoy creating ecosystems and support a collaborative leadership style that melds the thinking and ideas of others; this is what multiplies the size of an opportunity and/or its speed in execution in order to create a larger sphere of influence and overall impact.  Women who don’t have to be right all the time make good consensus builders and will more likely enjoy participating in a team environment.

6.  Traditions and Family
Whether at home or at work, women are often the glue that keeps things together and that is why they represent great leadership for America’s future.  When they sense growing tensions that can lead to potential problems or inefficiencies, the most successful women leaders enjoy taking charge before circumstances force their hand.   Women are usually the ones to secure the foundational roots of the family and to protect family and cultural traditions from wavering. They provide the leadership within the home and in the workplace to assure that legacies remain strong by being fed with the right nutrients and ingredients.

The most successful women leaders are big believers in team building and the enforcement of mission, goals and values to assure that everyone is on the same page with like intentions.  This secures a sense of continuity making it easier for everyone to have each other’s backs.  No wonder women are assuming more management and leadership roles in family owned businesses.

To the great women in my personal and professional life, thank you for the opportunity to be inspired and mentored by your leadership (you know who you are).  I’ve read many things about women in the workplace and their lack of advancement into senior executive roles and in the boardroom.  Rarely have I read something from a man who has been inspired and influenced by the wisdom of a woman’s leadership.  Hopefully this perspective helps awaken more of us to the opportunity of learning about leadership from the women in our lives, whether in the home or at work.

Glenn Llopis,