What can leaders learn from the U.S. Navy Seals?

I recently had the privilege, along with a small group of award winning CEO Coaches, to listen to and engage in a leadership conversation with one of the past leaders of the U.S. Navy Seals program in San Diego, CA. 

The program is phenomenally impressive.....as you would imagine.  The most elite fighting men....the best of the best.  A grueling 25 wk program to determine who can make it through to become a Seal.  A view from the inside was quite rare and led to some eyeopening insights that can certainly apply to the needs of leadership for most organizations. 

Just a few of the numerous insights:

1.  Two is one......and One is none
   All of the training and exercises are done in PAIRS.  For support, for cross-training, to avoid a vulnerability if someone is injured or lost.   If you do things alone.....image the increased risk and loss of effectiveness.
Might this apply to your organization?  Can you afford the duplication?  Can you really afford not to consider this? 

2.  The main determinant of who succeeds.....who makes it through....is not about the most talented, or skilled, or the best athlete!!  It's based on who has the spirit or heart to make it through. 

This was HUGE to me!!  It's not the fastest or strongest that determines success.  It is who wants it the most and who will endure literal HELL to overcome what seem to be superhuman odds.  We asked the Admiral....in all of your pre-screening, tests or assessments, you could predict this in advance......right?
He indicated it is not for a lack of trying to determine this.  They have never been able to accurately predict which candidate will make it to succeed.

Sure seemed to parallel what we try to do in organizations.  We interview for talents or intelligence or past relevant job experience and success.  Well why then, do so many new hires not seem to fit the needs to create success after they are hired?  Do we focus too much on the talents and not the spirit or heart?  Then again.....how would we test or assess for the spirit or the big enough heart or motivation?  Seems the same problem that the Seals have.   Except they spend 25 wks in actual situations to determine who will make it.

What would be the parallel in our organizations for the 25 wk environment tests to determine success?  How many make the investment to do this type of in-depth effort?  Maybe we should if we want the same success rate that the Navy Seals have achieved!!  Worth some serious thought, I believe.

Thank you, Admiral, for these valuable insights. 

Leading a Multi-Generational Workforce

Most of my clients and CEOs are not exactly in the Gen Y workforce. However, it's pretty important for you to understand how to lead these multi-generations today. It just might help lead to your success as a firm.

What do you need to know? How to behave and be flexible with this group?
Recently the Vistage Intl blog highlighted this importance with some valuable suggestions.

You can read more at    click here

The article also mentions a fascinating video from Gen. Stanley McChrystal making a presentation at TED with critical lessons from his military leadership for this same generation of soldiers.

Hope you find value in it.

54 Critical Sales & Career Questions

I recently saw a great list of 54 critical sales, career, service, & loyalty questions for your development. How could these help you?

Questions like.....How am I helping my customers build their business?

Why did the last 5 prospects say no to us?

Why did the last 5 prospects say yes to us?

How can we build on that?

This is from author, Jeff Gitomer and his book.....The Little Red Book of Selling.



Here is the complete list:

1. What are the five most important goals for me to achieve this year?

2. What is my plan for each?

3. Why am I watching TV reruns instead of working on my 5 major goals?

4. What would happen if I lost two of my top ten customers?

5. What am I doing to prevent that loss?

6. How often am I in front of my customers?

7. Suppose my competition was in front of my customer once a day with something of valuable, and all I had was literature about me?

8. What will my website do that will make my customers buy something?

9. What will my website do that will make my customers return?

10. What does my website look like compared to my competition?

11. Do they wish they had mine or do I wish I had theirs? Or do they both suck?

12. How easy is it to do business with me?

13. Am I available to my customers 24.7.365?

14. What's my plan to get there?

15. How much do I hate a computer that answers the phone?

16. Does my company have a computer that answers the phone?

17. What am I thinking?

18. How friendly are the employees at my company?

19. How friendly am I?

20. How's my attitude?

21. Do I try to do one positive mental attitude building exercise a day?

22. What value am I bringing to my customer beyond my product and service?

23. How am I helping my customers build their business?

24. What separates me from my competition in the eyes of a customer?

25. What am I doing to earn my customers loyalty?

26. How vulnerable am I to our competition?

27. How vulnerable am I to a price reduction from a competitor?

28. Will all my best employees or co-workers be here at the end of the year?

29. Why will some customers leave?

30. What am I "known" for?

31. What am I recognized as being "the BEST" at?

32. How excellent are my selling skills?

33. What questions am I asking my prospects and customers that my competition is not asking?

34. Why did the last five prospects say no?

35. What am I doing about it?

36. Why did the last five prospects say yes?

37. How am I building on that?

38. What does my voicemail say?

39. Is my voicemail message smart or dumb?

40. How many hours of TV a day do I watch?

41. How many hours would that be per year? (OUCH!)

42. How many of those hours are helping me succeed?

43. How many books on creativity have I read in the last 12 months?

44. How many books on sales or service have I read in the last 12 months?

45. How many books have I read in the past 12 months?

46. How many self help tapes have I listened to in the car last week?

47. How much time am I devoting to learning?

48. How much time am I investing in promoting and positioning my business?

49. How much am I spending to improve my image?

50. What do the leaders in my industry say about me?

51. How many people are spreading my "word" for me?

52. What's my plan to double my income over the next three years?

53. What will i need to learn to get it? What will I have to give up to get it?

54. How much do I love what I do?

(my questions to you)

54.5 If you don't love it, why are you doing it?

Free GitBit -- Want a great list of books that will build your success library -- and your success if you read them. Go to www.gitomer.com - register if you're a first time user, and enter the words SALES PILLS in the GitBit box.

Jeffrey Gitomer, author of The Little Red Book of Selling, and The Little Red Book of Sales Answers.

LEADERSHIP CAN NOT BE TAUGHT, LEARNED, OR IMITATED…..OR CAN IT?

Do I have your attention? I had the priviledge of having a very thought provoking and insightful speaker on leadership to my CEO, Executive Groups. He made the above statement….what do you think?

If it can’t be taught, learned, or imitated……then what? It must be DEVELOPED.

Not just semantics here....meaning that you, as the CEO must develop your own leadership agenda. Put it to writing and create an Intentional Culture. Develop your style of leadership….you can not copy mine. Figure out who and what you are and what type of leadership culture do you want.

If you are the Quarterback of the team…the leader…you must run the plays. I can coach or guide you and put you through exercises but YOU have to develop the play. You have to execute and create your style of leadership.

You can read more about this at: www.logistyle.com by Balaji Krishnamurthy, PhD.

Challenge yourself, it could pay big dividends.

Entering Leadership? How must your perspective change?

Entering Leadership? How must your perspective change?

I recently viewed a video from legendary GE CEO Jack Welch. It was actually from his last management meeting upon retiring from GE. He was offering some valuable insights for his leadership team as they approach the future.

One powerful section talked about entering “leadership.” How must your perspective change? Think about your own career. On the way up, you are totally focused on yourself and achieving certain performance goals or standards. Then you are promoted into a position of management and now leading a group of people. So what is different?

You must change your focus from you!! You no longer can do everything. Your focus needs to be about them, now!! Your team, the development of your people.....accomplishing things through others. In sports terms....you are moving from the star player to the Coach. Your role is very different.

If you want to hear Welch’s comments go to YouTube and search “Jack Welch final meeting” or click here http://bit.ly/eArcHW

There’s also an interesting interview of the CEO of TheLadders.com that deals with similar insights as he was moving up the leadership curve.

click here to read it http://nyti.ms/h09xQe

He talks about the focus on how to build your team and the importance of sharing the passion, the vision and direction of the firm.....spending more time on communicating the direction than telling everyone else the details of how they should be doing their jobs. Good advice.

So how are you spending your time? If you are the leader, what is your focus and direction with your firm? What should it be?