“6…Out-Of…10”….Can Show You… The Value of Leadership

By Sid Chadwick, Chadwick Consulting, Inc.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sid-chadwick-163a1a12/

“…One key lesson from the experience of 2007-2008…. is that companies that move early… and decisively in a crisis….do best…”…….McKinsey & Company

INTRODUCTION:

6….out of…10…Members… in our Biweekly Business Development Director’s Peer Group Zoom Conference Call….last Friday….had revenues that are up ….or holding steady-but climbing (for April & May)….and have not furloughed any positions…..as of April 20th.  (To be more clear, a very small number of people were replaced…..in 4 of the 6.

Three of the ten… had revenues… that are dramatically up (multiple-six.. and seven figures)….two of the six had hired more personnel……one had hired 35 more finishing people….in the last 30 days.

Common Qualities of Those Six…..

1. They had distinct Business Development Leadership…that were allowed, encouraged….supported….expected…..to take charge….
2. Accountability for results..…and…Transparency… in their Teams….from top to bottom….even daily accountability….
3.  Leadership…by example….from the front…..and not from the walled safety of an office….or computer…
4.  Personnel…throughout each organization….knew they had a personal stake in success….as their leadership took risks…. of publicly failing.
5. Innovation…and creativity…were frequent…. the result of purposeful talent previously, purposefully hired…and not… for keeping payroll costs to a minimum….
6. Each organization’s Business Development leadership understood target customers’ and prospects’….”Business Development Models….and engaged (not so soft) discussions… on how to improve execution…including revenue and margin performance….Said differently, their customers’ and prospects’ senior management recognized supplier talent….that could improve their business model’s performance.
7. New Products and Service combinations….not previously produced or understood….were frequently part of the equation….examples included innovative packaging designs --- e.g., a patent has been applied for…..(after borrowing our die-cut catalog concept-three years ago)…creating new opportunities for “new combinations of products and services”….that radically increase the supplier’s perceived value… to their customer markets.
8. Self-Promotion for themselves…and… their target customers…include multiple media… particularly personalized digital….and…more  consistent branding….
9. “Speed-bumps”….”cancellations”….were considered temporary…..
10. Morale was considered critical…and infectious……as General Jim Mattis wrote….“…a Marine’s attitude… is a competitive weapon…”…

SUMMARY:

Leadership is a talent….and… can be somewhat taught…..but… you can’t “fake it”…

We share results of this Peer Group’s discussions with our CEO Peer Group…our Plant Manager’s Peer Group….and our Wide-Format Peer Group.

Suppliers… are sometimes invited…including… to Zoom Peer Group Conference Calls.

There’s always a post-Zoom Conference Call Report….  intended to assist “Next Steps”….which are different…. at each organization.

There are expected to be fourteen attendees… to our next Business Development Director’s Peer Group….next week.

We are here….to make a difference…..

“A teacher affects eternity….he can never tell where his influence stops…..”  ….….Henry Adams

“Good leadership requires you to surround yourself with people of diverse perspectives… who can disagree with you without fear of retaliation..”…….. ………….Doris Kearns Goodwin

“We can not outsource our independence…”……………………Donald Trump