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Entries by Mike Figliuolo

Go Ahead and Make Mistakes – But Not Really

October 22, 2012 /4 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Leadership, Training /by Mike Figliuolo

As leaders, we say we want our people to be empowered and to go out and make decisions. We say we’re okay with them making mistakes and we’ll still support them making decisions on their own. But not really. I’m lucky to have a huge leadership lab in the form of the SmartBrief on Leadership weekly pulse poll. Every week I ask a leadership-related question and thousands of people respond to those polls. Sometimes I get a little sneaky and conduct my own experiments over the period of a few weeks. I conducted one of these experiments recently. First I asked “Would you rather have a team member make decisions and make mistakes or make no decisions and leave that up to you?” Unsurprisingly, all us empowering leaders were eager to give our team members the latitude to make decisions and make mistakes. 96% of respondents said they’d rather have a team member make a decision even if they make mistakes. A measly 4% of respondents wanted the team to leave all decisions up to them. I observed we want our team members to take the initiative, take action and move things forward, even if they make mistakes. It is incumbent upon us as leaders to ensure that, when they do make mistakes, we realize we gave them the latitude to take action — handling the mistakes in that context accordingly. While we need to hold them accountable for the mistake, we also need to ensure they learn from it and do so in a way that we don’t make them afraid to make more mistakes in the future. Heck, I believe so strongly in this notion of decision making and empowerment that I dedicated a whole chapter of One Piece of Paper to the topic (grab a copy here […]

3 Keys to Business Success from 80s Hair Bands

October 17, 2012 /2 Comments/in Balanced Lifestyle, Books, Communications, Guest Blogger, Innovation, Strategy /by Mike Figliuolo

Today’s post is by Kristin Woodman, author of 24 Hours of Life and Leadership: The Marine Corps Way (CLICK HERE to get your copy). I’ve been everywhere Still I’m standin’ tall I’ve seen a million faces And I’ve rocked them all – Bon Jovi, Wanted Dead or Alive Driving home with the top down after a long and tiring day at work, the radio is turned to Hair Nation. The day falls away as the chords come over the speakers, and a sense of rebellion has me belting out the lyrics as I drive down the road. I’m immediately taken back to the days of mullets, torn jeans and concert t-shirts. In my youth, I embraced the loud music, big hair, and crazy antics of 80‘s hair bands in resistance the rules and discipline of my “high and tight” Marine father. Decades later, I’m still a fan. Love ‘em or not, they were successful. Take a walk down memory lane to learn three things the hair bands reveal about success today, and how you too might rock a million with your products and services… Be Different “I’ve seen ‘em come and go, the kind that do it all for the show” – Cinderella, If You Don’t Like It All the 80‘s hair bands followed a general formula: big hair, tight clothes and power chords. Yet, despite their general commonality, successful bands each had their own distinctive something that set them apart. For example, Cinderella whipped their guitars around their bodies while playing (which is harder than it looks by the way). While they followed the formula of their peers, they did something no one else did. The guitar trick got them noticed long enough for screaming kids to pay attention to their music. The bands that enjoyed success followed the […]

A Dog’s Eye View of Being Happier at Work

October 15, 2012 /5 Comments/in Balanced Lifestyle, Communications, Guest Blogger /by Mike Figliuolo

Hi. I’m Gunner. I’m Mike’s Jack Russell Terrier. Mike is busy right now cleaning up my poop in the grass so I figured I’d give him a break from writing and write this week’s blog post for him. He’s a good human so he deserves a treat. Mike’s always going on and on about how to do stuff good at work so I guess I’ll write about that (even though it would be more fun to write about butt sniffing). Here’s how I see the world and how you humans can maybe do stuff like I do it. You’ll have more fun and be happier if you do. Communication When I want stuff, I just tell people. If I want to go potty outside, I scratch the door. If I want food or water, I flip my bowl over with my nose. If I want to play, I shove my Frisbee in Mike’s lap until he throws it. If I’m mad, I growl and bare my fangs. It’s pretty straightforward. I tell the human exactly what I want. The human gives it to me. The only games I play are fetch and super fetch. When you silly humans communicate with each other, you have all these confusing words and don’t always say what you really think or want. I suggest being clearer and more straightforward with what you want. I know when I do that I tend to get what I want. Managing Your Schedule Mike thinks I operate on his schedule. He’s so dumb.

How to Use Social Events to Improve Your Company’s Culture

October 10, 2012 /2 Comments/in Balanced Lifestyle, Communications, Guest Blogger /by Mike Figliuolo

Today’s guest post is by Lyndsea Montgomery. A well thought out business model keeps goals clear and people focused, while efficient manufacturing practices minimize problems and production costs. The list of issues that influence your company is huge and it is hard to keep on top of all of them. One such issue that can often find itself falling to the bottom of the priority list is the strengthening of company culture in a given enterprise. Company culture can be defined as the shared values and practices of the employees of a company. It can have a direct effect on the success of your business and should never be overlooked. Once you have decided on the culture you want, social events are a great way to cultivate it. First of all, the culture needs to be the same across the entire workforce. This can be very difficult if there are various departments who only have fleeting contact with each other, e.g., factory floor workers and customer service agents. Social events that include the entire business enable everyone to meet, socialize and get to know each other, which in turn may help with improving employee engagement. Just with this increased contact you start to affect the company’s culture. Rather than seeing themselves as individual cogs employees start to see the whole machine. Only once they feel connected will company culture become uniform and therefore easier to control.

Making No Decision is Still Making a Decision

October 8, 2012 /9 Comments/in Books, Business Toolkit, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

The following is an excerpt from One Piece of Paper: The Simple Approach to Powerful, Personal Leadership (you can get your copy here). This post focuses on the importance of making decisions. Enough with all the thinking already! Now you need to drive action. Ideas are great but someone has to put them in motion for them to be worthwhile, and deciding to do that is no easy task. Acting on a decision can be terrifying, especially in the case of large-scale change. Your decision may affect a significant number of people, and what if it is the wrong decision? What if things do not go as expected and the resulting outcome negatively impacts you or your organization? You could lose your job. Worse, hundreds of other people could lose theirs. It is hard enough to act on decisions when just facing your own insecurities. Throw the complexities of your organization into the mix and the angst increases exponentially. Politics, lack of resources, uncertainty, doubt, and fear all mess with our minds right when we are on the verge of taking action. However, I am challenging you to be thought leaders. Being a thought leader requires you to be bold. Your decisions must be clear and forceful. The “thought” part of the equation only gets you halfway to your destination. As my colleague Alan Veeck says “It’s good to have thoughts, but that’s not enough.” Being a true thought leader means you not only agitate for but also lead change. Such leadership requires decisive action on your part. You probably see it all the time—people and teams suffering from analysis paralysis. They are unable to make a decision and instead their organization languishes in the purgatory of endless Excel models. People fear making decisions. They sometimes believe, erroneously for the […]

Why You Should Always Lead with a Story

October 3, 2012 /5 Comments/in Books, Communications, Guest Blogger, Sales /by Mike Figliuolo

Today’s post is by Paul Smith, author of Lead with a Story (CLICK HERE to get your copy). You can learn more about him at the end of the post. Here’s Paul… A great sales story isn’t just helpful when talking to the buyer. They’re also helpful to you as the leader to turn your entire organization into a revenue-generating machine—whether they’re in the sales department or not. For example, here’s one that teaches a creative way to approach potential customers that relies on the old adage, “Two heads are better than one.” It’s 10am on your first day off work in six months. You’re just about to watch the whole season of your favorite television program, when the phone rings. It’s a “financial advisor” at some bank, and he wants to know if you’re happy with your investments. The last thing you want right now is to get trapped in a sales call. But you have to admit you’re not happy with your returns. (Is anybody ever?) After two more questions and answers, it’s clear this guy is following his script to the letter. If he’d listened to your answer to the last question he’d already know the answer to this one. While he’s rattling off talking point #4, you’re looking for a way out. After ten minutes, you feel like you’ve been more than generous, and end the call as graciously as you can. He wasted ten minutes and didn’t make a sale. You’re ten minutes behind a 15-episode season. An hour later, the phone rings again. It’s another financial advisor. (Can you believe it!) He also wants to know if you’re happy with your investments. But before you can explain that you just went through this with one of his competitors, you realize something is different. There […]

The False Economy of “I’ll do it Myself”

October 1, 2012 /3 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Training /by Mike Figliuolo

Doing more with less turns us into idiots. Our hubris and arrogance puts our idiocy into action. Sorry – got a little ranty right out of the gate. Let me hit rewind. We’re constantly seeking ways to both improve our business but do so while saving money at the same time. That can lead to the dangerous dynamic of “I’ll do it myself.” We take on tasks and projects ourselves instead of hiring experts or service providers who specialize in the task. The idea looks good on paper but it can be really stupid (sorta like the kid who tries to give themselves a haircut). Allow me to illustrate. Many of you own homes. More often than not, something goes wrong with something in your house. Either a pipe gets clogged up, roof shingles fly off, or you simply need a fresh coat of paint. Given we’re all trying to be frugal in a difficult economy, the notion of popping on down to Lowe’s or Home Depot comes to mind with visions of being a handy dandy Bob the Builder “We can fix it!” type of home improvement hero. We get home with our $376.78 in new tools, shingles, and paint. We carve out an hour or so on Saturday to get the job done because, well… how hard can it be to slap on some paint, snake a drain, or hammer in some shingles, right? Then the stupidity starts.

How You Can Strengthen Your Leadership With a Simple Weekly Quote

September 26, 2012 /7 Comments/in Communications, Guest Blogger, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

John Petrucci is the author of today’s post. He’s one of the most down-to-earth people you’ll ever meet and that’s part of what makes him an exemplary leader. You can read all about his accomplishments at the end of the post. Here’s John… There are many ways to lead. One of the most important is through communication. There are two forms of communication: direct (face-to-face, email, voicemail, thank you notes) and indirect (showing up to support someone who has lost a family member, a smile to celebrate good news, living your values). One form of communication I’ve found most valuable over the last 15 years has been something I call the “Friday Quote.” I started the quotes back in 1997. I was relatively new with my department and my company, and wanted to have a little fun. Even though I wasn’t a ‘formal’ leader, I thought I could lead in this area. I sent out my first quote with a little note, telling folks I knew how depressing Fridays could be, as we had to go home for the weekend and would be away from the office for two days. To help ‘lift our spirits,’ I’d be sending out a quote every Friday to brighten the day. And so I did. The first quotes were just that – inspirational quotes I found from various sources (Dictionary of Quotations, books, magazines and newspapers). When I got promoted to regional vice president of the Eastern Region in mid 1998, I decided to take the Friday Quote to a new level. Not only did I share an inspirational quote, I also shared a brief message about the happenings of the region / company / industry. The Friday Quote became a leadership tool and a communication vehicle – one read inside and outside the […]

Leadership Lessons from My Dad

September 24, 2012 /10 Comments/in Career, Guest Blogger, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

I have a special guest blogger today – my Dad, Lee Figliuolo (that’s him dancing with his beloved and recently-departed pal Brinkley). Today is his 69th birthday. He lives in Florida (it’s the law). He’s also the first guy who taught me about leadership. He doesn’t know he’s writing today’s post because he actually wrote it a long time ago. It’s just taken me 22 years to publish it. Since I’m too cheap to buy him a really nice gift (and he’ll just re-gift it to me next year when he complains his house is too cluttered and he has to “get rid of some of this crap”) I figured I’d share some leadership and life advice he gave me a long time ago in 1989. Dad and I visited West Point in advance of my attendance there. While I was staying overnight in the barracks, he took some time to capture some thoughts in a letter to me. His thoughts are just as relevant today as they were then. As I reread his letter, I realize Dad is responsible for giving me my first set of leadership maxims upon which my book is based. What follows are excerpts from that letter which truly served as a first draft of my leadership philosophy. I’m sure many of you will find the points he raises can be applied to your life and leadership as well. Here’s Dad… … these are things we have already discussed, or at least I’ve talked and you’ve responded “uh huh,” that I have jotted down tonight. I have listed them on a separate sheet of paper for you to use as an outline for the way to live your life. Take what I have written, read it, digest it, and if you want, discuss it with […]

Why Focusing on Weaknesses Doesn’t Create Exceptional Leadership

September 19, 2012 /4 Comments/in Guest Blogger, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

Today’s post is by Jack Zenger, author of How To Be Exceptional: Drive Leadership Success By Magnifying Your Strengths (CLICK HERE to buy your copy now). Here’s Jack… There is psychological problem that some people experience called body dysmorphic disorder, sometimes referred to as imagined ugliness. People with this disorder exaggerate a small flaw in their appearance and perceive themselves to be completely ugly or grotesque. They cannot stop thinking about this minor or imagined flaw. In many ways, believing that a small weakness will crater a person’s overall effectiveness is a similar serious misperception. In talking with groups about strengths and weaknesses, we often ask the groups to think of the best leader that they have ever worked with, know of, or read about. After describing this leader’s profound strengths, we ask the question, “Did this leader have any weaknesses?” Almost everyone says yes; and when we ask people to describe what the weakness was, we are frequently surprised to hear things like: – “He would occasionally lose his temper.” – “This leader was very shortsighted.” – “She failed to appreciate other people.” – “He did not understand the technology.” When asked why the weaknesses did not hurt the leaders, the reply is always the same, though expressed in slightly different words. The message is because their strengths are so profound. In our experience, if the issues are not “fatal flaws,” then people will not overreact to them. If a leader receives feedback and makes an effort to improve, others will be impressed.

If You Want to Sell Better, Speak English

September 17, 2012 /3 Comments/in Communications, Entrepreneur, Sales /by Mike Figliuolo

Don’t worry – this isn’t some rant about English being the official language of the U.S. It’s a rant about using plain, simple language to get people to want to learn more about your business and purchase your products or services. I’m currently a judge for The Big Awards where companies compete to be named company, product, service of the year. It’s a pretty cool way to recognize companies for their accomplishments and give them exposure to broader audiences and prospective clients. As I read one of the submissions, my head almost exploded. It was riddled with awesome $5 and $10 words and phrases. If you simply read it at face value, it sounds like this is the greatest company ever to walk the Earth. Allow me to illustrate with some selected portions of the submission: “Our product is a game changer. It is shifting the paradigm on how an organization can better protect its assets.” “But just like any quantum advance in technology, many are still waiting for the early adopters to validate how this paradigm changes the playing field.” “But looking beyond the obvious cost benefits and immediate ROI, what makes our product uniquely worthy of Product of the Year is the scope of the solution. Its holistic approach to security is unlike anything on the market.” What. The. Hell?

How to Find Balance Between Leadership and Management

September 12, 2012 /14 Comments/in Guest Blogger, Leadership /by Mike Figliuolo

Today’s post is by Ming Ong. Learn more about him at the end of the post. Here’s Ming… In Leading Change, the Leaders as Chief Transformation Officer, Warren Bennis said, “Management is getting people to do what needs to be done. Leadership is getting people to want to do what needs to be done. Managers push. Leaders pull. Managers command. Leaders communication.” The fine line between management and leadership within the workplace is encountered often, and by many individuals in position of authority. Business leaders often fall into a managerial role and take on a plethora of management tasks. However, leadership and management are two distinctively different, though complementary, systems of action. Management is about controlling tasks and creating order in an environment, while leadership is about influencing and motivating staff. Without structured management and control, a business can snowball into chaos. Management is crucial to the success of every and any business, regardless of the industry or business size. Without successful leadership, employees are not motivated to do any more than the bare minimum – also eventually leading to chaos and disorder. Leadership without management cannot sustain change and make improvements in the now; management without leadership is a goalless endeavor that lacks “the big picture” where businesses remain resilient to change. What our businesses today need are managers who lead, inspire and motivate employees to achieve business-wide goals. Relying too heavily on one or the other can be detrimental to a business.