Big Al

Al started in retail when he was thirteen and fifty years later died in action.

Al was an old school retail manager who believed that no one could be trusted and everyone should put his or her career first before family.

Al worked 80 hours a week, was a master micro-manager and believed that his day was not over until he fired someone or at least made an employee cry.

Okay, so you ask, WHY did I love this guy? Not for any of the above reasons, that is why I hated him and feared him. I loved him because I was able to translate his prehistoric management style into lessons that I still utilize today.

Three Lessons from Big Al

1). Al used to say, “The best and easiest recognition program is to have NO recognition program at all.”

            Translation: Employee recognition programs must be managed,  be fair and be consistent or your results could actually weaken employee morale.

2). When Al said, “Just because I’m pissed off at you, doesn’t mean you can walk around here with your tail between your legs.”

            Translation: Wear a smile and have a positive attitude; no one wants to work for a “Debbie-Downer” manager.

3). One day Al looked me right in the eyes and said, “I’m too old to change now Gambone, what you see is what you get…”

             Translation: I always knew where I stood with Al. Al taught me that leaders need to be right up front with people by providing balanced,  fair and concise feedback.

My 18 months as Al’s co-manager was very stressful, yet very rewarding.

Take a few moments to reflect on your old boss, teacher or coach…dig deep and I am sure you will find a few sunny days somewhere in that storm.
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Entrepreneurs Don't Like To Be "Should" On

Did you ever wonder why free minded entrepreneurs don't like to follow the rules?

Well, its not the rules they don't like,  its the way the rules are often explained to them after they broke them.

Here are 5 tips to avoid conflicts with entrepreneurs:

1. Ask "how can I help?", before helping.

2. Ask for permission to coach, before coaching.

3. When they ask you for help, ask them what have they done so far.

4. Be an expert on not being an expert.

5. Most importantly, never say "you should have done it this way."

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No More Ugly

Not the physical appearance at all.
I am talking no more bad behavior i.e. ugly behavior.. I am talking about not accepting ugly behavior in the business arena.

10 - No More Ugly

1. Consistently late for meetings or no-contact / no-show.

2. Not completing projects on time.

3. Telling off-color jokes.

4. Texting / emailing during a business meeting.

5. False commitments.

6. Bullsh*t lies.

7. Negative, Debby-Dower, Gumpy Cats.

8. Conflictor* personalities.

9. Lazy, lazy, and did I say lazy?

10. Habitual procrastinators.

*definition

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Your Gratitude Will Lift Your Attitude

In business we can be thankful for so many things; we appreciate our clients /customers, our partners, our shareholders, our employees, our suppliers, the list can be plentiful.

One strategic way that we can show our appreciation is by bragging, not about ourselves,  but about those who help us grow and secure our business. Specifically people who may be our strategic partners, referral teams, and networking colleagues.

Pick one person, just one, and throughout the next week brag to others about this person using the specific points answered in the following three questions.

1. What strengths do you see in this person?

2. What specific contributions has this person made to help you grow your business?

3.  How does this person bolster a positive environment?

You will find that bragging about others will benefit their credibility and yours.
Your gratitude will lift your attitude resulting in a more fulfilling business environment.

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Vintage Leadership

Vintage leadership is characterized by excellence, maturity, and enduring appeal; classic leadership.

While leadership can be defined in many ways and applied in many ways I present to you:

Twelve of my favorite movies that have woven within their plots and character development, elements of vintage leadership.

Now wait a minute!....before you read the list below, make no judgments until you share your list with me and then we can have a sincere conversation. Thank you!

1. The Natural

2. Liar Liar

3. Forrest Gump

4. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

5. A Few Good Men

6. The Longest Yard

7. Meatballs

8. Star Wars

9. Armageddon

10. Tommy Boy

11. Die Hard

12. The Music Man

The High Cost of Losing a Client / Customer

1. In an average business, for every customer who bothers to complain, there are 26 other who remain silent.

2. The average "wronged" customer  will tell 8 to 16 people (over 10 percent will tell more than 20 people).

3. 91 percent of unhappy customers will never purchase goods or services from you again.

4. If you make an effort to remedy customers complaints, 82 percent to 95 percent of them will stay with you.

5. It costs about five times as much to attract a new customer as it costs to keep an old one.

Pecan Pie: 32 Business Success Strategies Passionately Baked To Order!
"A must read!" says Ivan Misner New York Times Bestselling author
BY IT NOW on AMAZON.COM  click on link below
Click here to purchase Bob's book 

“Copyright (3-13-15) by Robert V Gambone Sr.”
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10 Characteristics of Successful Leaders

1. Leaders have passionate enthusiasm! Attitudes are contagious and team “leaders” understand that they are role models.

2. Leaders model the company’s values and “walk the talk.”

3. Leaders pull their teams up the hill, face them and don’t turn their backs.
"old-school managers" push employees up the hill.

4. Leaders are not necessarily the best talent, they are skilled at recognizing and utilizing talent.

5. Leaders develop others, place a high value on the “we,” and discourage the “I.”

6. Leaders know when to let other and better “leaders” lead... when the situation demands it.

7. Leaders listen and provide positive reinforcement and constructive feedback.

8. Leaders turn problems into opportunities.

9. Leaders understand that everyone falls, but not everyone fails.

10. At the end of the day... while others may think about the tasks that were completed, leaders reflect on the people that completed the tasks.
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