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Rethinking Success
/in Sharpening Your Personal Leadership Skills/by Tom DoescherTom Doescher
On June 8, Doescher Advisors was honored to have Doug Holladay, author of Rethinking Success, make a presentation to the Flint Business Executives Forum via Zoom. Holladay was actually in Manhattan, speaking with a group of successful business owners/CEOs, and stepped out of that meeting to spend some time and share his thoughts with us. I’ve had the pleasure of hearing him on several occasions, and I always find his message challenging and thought-provoking. This time was no exception.
Here are four major takeaways and/or homework assignments he gave us:
1. Personally and/or professionally, you’re either having trouble, are just exiting trouble, or you’ll be entering trouble soon. To support his observation, Holladay quoted several sources, including the Bible, where Jesus said: “In this world, you will have trouble.” In other words, since trouble is inevitable, be prepared to deal with it and don’t be surprised when it happens.
2. Be your imperfect self. Take off your mask. Don’t try and pretend you’re someone else. Holladay provided several compelling stories to support his advice.
3. Holladay says he’s frequently asked, “What should I do with my life?” He answers that question by saying: First, think about what you liked to do when you were young; then, think about what other people said you were good at. Design a life that includes those interests.
4. Finally, Holladay challenged us to think about our moms and dads, and had us write down their individual strengths and weaknesses. Wait a day or two, then circle the traits that apply to you. Follow up with actions that will help you become the best version of yourself.
I believe Holladay’s book is a must-read for all business owners/CEOs. After you finish reading it and want more, check out his organization, PathNorth (pathnorth.com). You may have heard some of these thoughts before, but Holladay definitely manages to get my attention every time.
Purpose & Passion
/in Nuggets and Encouragement Regarding Strategy and Focus/by Tom DoescherTom Doescher
In 2009, The Purpose Linked Organization was published by Alaina Love and Marc Cugnon, two consultants/authors. It deals with an issue that I’m passionate about — call it purpose, your why, your mission, your reason to exist, or whatever works for you. Especially in light of the aftermath of Covid and the Great Resignation, it may be something you want to read. One of the authors, Love, tells an amazing story of how she overcame the challenges of being a Black female in the business world to become the top HR executive at Merck & Co., a major global pharmaceutical firm — and then, at 36 years old, she left to pursue her purpose. Wow!
Those of you who have met me know that my response to your “How are you doing?” is “Living the dream.” You also know that I’m fond of calling myself the Lucky Guy, which I’ve used in the title of the four books that I’ve published. As I read Love’s story, it helped me understand “why” I feel that way. Today, my life is the most integrated it has ever been (i.e., everything I do seems to connect), and I’m clearly focused on my strengths and passions. These include my expanding family, advising business owners, and my philanthropic activities in my new adopted hometown, Flint.
I mentioned the authors were consultants — so, you guessed it, they’ve developed an online assessment tool, the Passion Profiler. If you decide to purchase a copy of their book, it includes a complimentary assessment code. Again, because they’re consultants, they’ve developed their own list of 10 Passion Profiles: Builder, Conceiver, Connector, Creator, Discoverer, Processor, Transformer, Altruist, Healer, and Teacher.
Yes, I completed the assessment (a 15-minute exercise) and my results were Altruist, Healer, and Builder. Actually, this process wasn’t life-changing, but it provided me with some additional insights about myself.
I wouldn’t recommend this book to everyone, but if you’re evaluating or re-evaluating your life, the Passion Profiler may provide you with some fresh ideas.
BTW, if you purchase the book, I would highly recommend you take the assessment first. Then you’ll only need to review those sections of the book that apply to you.
Now That’s a Great Recruiting Idea for Key Staff
/in Ideas to help you build a solid team/by Tom DoescherTom Doescher
The other day I was meeting with a client who had recently acquired a new company in another city (an airplane flight away). The client plans to spend one week per month at the business location, and to manage it remotely from his office the rest of the month.
One of the key positions in any business is the CFO/controller, but in this case, in light of the owner’s three-week absences from the new company offices, this role is even more critical. Using Indeed, the owner identified qualified candidates, interviewed them, and selected a finalist.
Although the owner had included a salary range in the Indeed notice, he still asked the finalist, “What compensation are you looking for?” The wise candidate quoted the published range.
The owner added $5,000 to the top end of the range and said, “How does that sound?”
Put yourself in this scene and pretend you’re the finalist and you hear that. What’s your reaction?
It turns out the candidate is even better than the owner thought he would be. I’m sure his nice salary doesn’t hurt. The owner has actually received unsolicited comments from other company employees about how much they enjoy working with and for the new CFO.
Maybe some of you have done this yourselves. Good for you! I don’t recall ever offering more or hearing of anyone offering more.
That’s why I love what I do. I learn something new from my clients every day.