(Powerful leadership lessons are learned from everywhere. In a sporadic series of blogs, I am going to explore the people that taught me those lessons. Some will be expected, others may not. Thanks for reading!)
My step-dad, Leroy, has been in my life for almost as long as my biological father was. He and my father are a lot alike. He grew up poor and had to work his way to success with will, determination and skill. They took two different paths, but reached success nonetheless.
Leroy created, built and ran one of the most successful bridal registries in America, selling china, stemware, collectibles, etc. Although, it is likely that he would have been monumentally successful in whatever profession he chose.
Outside of only a few people I’ve known, he was singularly focused on being the very best at what he did. Not good, not better than others, but the very best.
Leroy has taught me so many lessons about striving to be the best and leadership. Luckily for me, he continues to share them, but here are the top three so far
DON’T JUST TAKE IT
There is no one that I have seen overcome adversity with more fight than Leroy. He is the true embodiment of “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade, lemon crème pie, and grow a lemon tree. That’ll show life to give you lemons.” (or something like that).
Life is full of twists, changes, body blows and slip ups. He once told me:
Every time something bad happened in Leroy’s life, he kept going. It might have made him sad or mad. He never stopped moving forward. He kept routines that gave him comfort, pushed forward and grew stronger as an outcome! Pain is temporary if you learn why it happened and keep moving forward.
Lesson – Life is full of challenges. Leaders meet them head on. Some they will win, some they will lose. Both are valuable. Both are fleeting. Keep growing and motivating those around you.
GIVE MORE THAN YOU PROMISED
I remember him telling that to a young salesperson. But, that was his philosophy about everything. Leroy built his business not with fancy advertising or marketing campaigns, but referrals. He networked before networking was even a verb.
The reason people gave referrals to work with Leroy was because he always over-delivered. He always knew what they wanted. He always made them feel special.
But it wasn’t just at work. He did that at his church, with his alma mater, charities, and anything that involved people. He didn’t give to get. He gave because he loves it. People want to work with a giver. His success is proof of that.
Lesson – Leaders give of themselves freely, willingly and with joy expecting nothing in return. They know it will all work out in the end.
IT’S ALL BASED ON THE CUSTOMER
Leroy’s simple philosophy about leadership is the cornerstone of any free market economy. It’s all about the customer. I came up with a phrase about linking employees to customers called “Line of Sight” based on a conversation with him.
Why indeed. In the end, no matter what fancy shmancy new management fad comes along, companies can’t be successful unless they are gaining and retaining customers. Leroy saw that and built everything around them.
• Processes weren’t made efficient for the employees, but easy for the customer
• Policies were based on what was best for the customer
• Store hours built around customers
Sounds almost too easy, but each and every employee in Leroy’s store knew how they impacted the customer. As research has shown, organizations that do a great job of this are more successful than those that don’t.
Everything revolves around gaining and retaining customers. That clarity starts with the leader. They need to understand and then ensure that their team understands. Simple, powerful and elegant.
Leroy is a good man, who has always treated me with respect. He’s taught me that leadership starts with a good moral compass and a focusing on the “true north” of business, customers.
Where have you learned your unexpected leadership lessons?
Anil Saxena is the President of Cube 2.14, an organizational development consulting firm that works with clients to increase both customer and employee engagement while decreasing turnover, improving customer retention, and increasing profitability within organizations.
Saxena is a certified High Impact coach and trainer and a Joint Application Design facilitator. He is also certified by both Rush Systems and IBM as a focus group facilitator. He is an inaugural member of Northwestern University’s Learning and Organizational Change program, and he earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.
