Management and Leadership

This week has been about management and leadership.  Is there really a difference?  I think it was best said by Hugh Nibly in is speech "Leaders to Managers: The Fatal Shift". Nibly said,

"The Generalstab tried desperately for a hundred years to train up a generation of leaders for the 
German army; but it never worked, because the men who delighted their superiors, i.e., the managers, got the high commands, while the men who delighted the lower ranks, i.e., the leaders, got reprimands.

Leaders are movers and shakers, original, inventive, unpredictable, imaginative, full of surprises that discomfit the enemy in war and the main office in peace. For the managers are safe, conservative, predictable, conforming organization men and team players, dedicated to the establishment."

Yes, there is a difference. Managers delight in their self worth and leaders delight in the self worth of other.

We were asked to complete a Leadership Style Survey and I have included my reflection assignment as I think it clearly articulates my thoughts on my personal leadership style.

Leadership Style Survey Reflection

I have grown up being thrust into leadership positions. Some worked out well and others did not. I have tried to take these experiences, both the good and bad, and create a leadership style that defines who I am. One of the reasons I am asked to take leadership positions is that I tend to get things done, can be a team player when necessary, but am able to stand alone when called upon to do so. I have found that I really struggle to sit in the shadows and watch others take over because they seek to manage a group instead of finding ways to include the group. I hate with a passion the phrase, “that’s how it’s always been done.” My first instinct is to question, “Why”?  This doesn’t always bode well for me.

Having completed the Leadership Style Survey I was neither surprised nor disappointed with the results.  I was good with what I saw and can see how my leadership style has changed over the years. As a child and youth I was more of an Authoritarian leader. It was my way or the highway. In high school I was involved in leadership classes and student council. I learned that I can’t do everything alone and that it is okay for others to have ideas on how things should be done and to allow them to do it their way.  As a young adult I learned the importance of delegation. I had been called as the Activities Chair for my YSA Branch. This required a huge time commitment. At the time I was going to school and a shift manager/trainer at the salon I worked at. My Branch President taught me that I could be a better leader if I would delegate the majority of the planning and carrying out of activities to my committee. He said that I should follow up with them and offer assistance but allow them the opportunity to own their assignments. This is the style that has been the hardest but most rewarding for me. The survey indicated that I am not “strong” in any particular leadership style. I scored highest in Participative (Democratic) Style, 36, followed closely by Delegative (Free Reign) Style, 31.  I feel that this is a fair assessment. You can’t always be right and sometimes leaders need to be able to support the majority even when they are in the minority. As a leader it is also important to lead through delegation. One of the best ways to get others on board with a goal is to give them an assignment, offer assistance, and then hold them accountable. The feeling you get when another person on your team accomplishes a goal is awesome. You can see their commitment level rise and you can see your own rise along with them.

I think each of the Acton Heros we have studied possess each of the three leadership styles. While one may be more dominate it is finding a balance that allows them to be successful. Leaders that are too authoritarian may struggle with employee retention and customer service. Leaders that are too participative may lack direction as it relates to the big picture. It is great to get along with your colleagues, but there may be a need for role distinction. Finally those who delegate too much may find that they don’t have a job!  If you delegate all of your responsibility, why does the company keep you around?  There will be different times in your career where one style may be needed more than another such as during a transition.

Overall, I am pleased with the results of this survey as they show that you can make a shift from one style to another with a conscious and consistent effort. As I am sure you can attest I have no problem taking a stand when I feel there are ground to do so, but I have come to the understanding that I don’t always have to be right either (well, okay, sometimes I don’t have to be right).  Learning to let go and allow others to achieve has been a long road but it has been worth it. I have gained a much greater appreciation for those who train others and get involved in the process instead of watching from the outside. It is these type of leaders that make me want to work in a corporate type job instead of being an entrepreneur. It is the idea that you can have an impact on others without having to be the boss that has guided the last ten years of my life. I no longer have the need or desire to be the CEO or Department Head to feel that I have arrived. I can now see others succeed and feel accomplished and fulfilled.

Entrepreneur Interview - Update

Over the next week I will be putting together the final draft of my Entrepreneur Interview. It was a good interview and as I reflect I can see how Jim has a passion for both his career and his entrepreneurial venture. His leadership style would be more participatory than any of the others but I can see him using each of the styles depending on the situation.

$100 Project - Update

This has been a rough week for my $100 project. My daughter had her tonsils removed last Friday and has struggled a bit with pain and the dry weather here in Idaho. I have put a couple of ad campaigns together but failed to get them posted on FB. I don't know how successful I will be with this project overall as my heart really isn't in it and we are in the process of moving again. This type of project is really geared to those who are established in their communities not those like me who are constantly moving and don't have a lot of time to get out and get to know those in the community. I wonder if this project would be more successful if it was done in teams? I am still struggling with some of the legal aspects of the project and that has definitely contributed to my lack of drive.  As a funny (or maybe not so funny) note. My kids brought home their Jump Rope for Heart donation information and asked if they could go out and solicit donations.  It honestly made me feel like they were asking to be sleazy used car salesmen. They honestly don't care about the American Heart Association they just want the "prizes".  In my own mind I compare this to the $100 project, I don't really have a desire to do it I just want the "prize" of a good grade in the end. Are we really teaching our kids to make the world a better place if they know nothing about he groups they are fundraising for?  Are we as college students really getting that much out of this project if our only goal is a good grade?  Are either of these really the entrepreneurial spirit?

My total to date for this project is $55

Love Your Customer

Without customers businesses are just an idea. It is important to develop meaningful relationships with our customers and ensure that we are providing the best service possible so they will continue to come to us with their needs instead of going to the competition.  Last night I was the recipient of excellent customer service. My husband and I were at Lowe's looking at appliances for the house we just bought. We weren't buying last night just pricing. When we went out to our car, it wouldn't start. We contemplated what to do, tried calling a friend and ultimately decided we would ask at Customer Service if anyone might have jumper cables and could give us a jump. We learned that as a matter of practice each store has a set of cable in the managers office for just such an occasion. An associate in the plumbing department was able to try and jump our car for us. Unfortunately, it didn't work due to corrosion on the battery. He then recommended a local shop, a place to wait while we called AAA, and then to drive us home. We decided to walk home as it was only 1.5 miles and get our other car. Due to this experience we have decided to purchase our appliances (and possibly cabinets and more) from Lowe's. You don't find this kind of customer service anywhere and it definitely left an impression on us.

Our experience goes to show how important customer service is and I think this idea really should have been discussed more in-depth in this class. Watching an Acton Hero and doing an HMM just doesn't convey the true importance of customer service. On the discussion board the week a student mentioned that while working in a bank they stressed the importance of customer service because they were essentially selling the same products as their competition and customer service was the distinguishing element.

$100 Challenge. I have 3 haircuts scheduled for this week and have my first product order.  I need to be more on top of the weekly product highlight. My goal for next week is an additional product order. To date I have raised $50 in profits.

Building Your Brand

This week we discussed marketing and branding. I have to say one of the main reasons I don't want to be an entrepreneur is because I don't like suggestive marketing. I tend to sympathize with my customers because I know them intimately and know that they can't afford more. So, when I am forced to up-sell them I fell bad for doing so.  I have always felt this way when interacting with the general public. On the other hand B2B isn't as difficult for me. Once while working in a salon we were trying to increase business. As a manager I took several complimentary haircut cards to our neighboring stores and traded for complimentary products and services from their companies. This was super easy for me and I enjoyed it. It as mutually beneficial and it didn't cost them, if anything it helped increase their business. It was great to see how each of us used the other's donations to increase our own business. We used ours to reward stylists and I think we even used a couple of the pizza ones as drawings for customers. I now that we gained at least a couple new clients from Weight Watchers employees because of the creative B2B marketing I was involved in.

Our Acton hero was Phil Romano. It was interesting to hear his story, especially because we love Romano's Macaroni Grill. Phil emphasized using creativity to do what you love and giving back. These are both important aspects of running a business that fulfills you.

I was able to complete my Entrepreneur interview this week with Jim Cline. It was a really interesting interview and I learned a lot about why his business works.  As part of the interview Jim invited me to participate in a CPE webinar via CPA Academy on Tuesday morning so I could see (hear) him in action and get a feel for what his products can do for people. The timing of the material that was covered couldn't have been more perfect. He went over several of the statistics functions that I have been struggling with in my B212 class.  I really enjoyed hearing Jim's enthusiasm as he talked about his business and how it was never intended to be a business. The best story involved him needing to hire some staff accountants and Robert Half offering some of their candidates. Jim told them they likely didn't have the qualifications he was looking for. Robert Half took this as a challenge, when they couldn't perform to Jim's expectations, they asked him if they could buy his program to train their future candidates. It was after that offer that Excel CEO was born.

$100 Challenge
I launched my first FB campaign for the challenge and got some positive and negative feedback. It was good to hear how people would liked it tweaked and what specifically they were looking for in this business venture. Each Monday I will be spotlighting a specific product line and discussing the pro's and con's associated with it. While products can be ordered anytime, the spotlight products will need to be ordered by Fridays so that I can package and prepare shipping labels over the weekend and mail them the following Monday. It looks good to do 1 or 2 mass haircut days at WCNX during the course of the project. Due to some personnel issues at the office I am leaning towards the middle of March. I have had the opportunity to discuss the idea with several employees and they are excited about being involved in the project.

One interesting tidbit I learned during my interview with Jim was that only 50% of profits can be donated to charities without being taxed.....I wonder why BYU-I doesn't spend more time discussing the legality of the business we are asked to create for B283 and IBC.  It seems like they are potentially putting a lot of students at risk with regards to taxation.

Elevator Pitch
I have really struggled with the elevator pitch this week. I don't have a problem putting one together for customers but I can't seem to get a good script for investors. I don't need the investors and I don't have any intention of selling the business so I don't really know how to include them without having to change my business plan. My plan is not geared at someone else getting a piece of the profits.

Funding Your Business

This week we learned the importance of having a plan. One of the things that was discussed in depth in the discussion boards was the need to really vet your plan. This was evident as we read about the Italian restaurant. One of the things that may have been missed in this project was taking in to account the demographics. This area is was in the Southern US and itialian restaurant doesn't scream "south".
In our other discussion board we discussed the value of not being consumed with debt. One of our Acton guides Desh Desdpande showed how money isn't the mother of innovation. A strong desire and hard work can make money go much further and yield a much better return.

$100 Project
This week we submitted our business plan for the $100 challenge. We also discussed how we would  fund this venture. I received "birthday money" from my grandma that I will be using as my initial investment for this project. I have already called and received her permission to use her, and this donation, as an angle investment. With my investment I will be printing marketing materials and purchasing additional combs so I can cut more hair without having to stop and sanitize my materials. I am still waiting on final approval from Kevin to use the office to do a few hair cutting days. As it sounds right now it might be 1 or 2 days only and it would be an open haircut day for employees and family. To fulfill the time requirement for this project I will also be offering professional hair care products as a significant savings that can be mailed within the continental US. I have already gotten some good feedback on this from previous clients and they can't wait for the sale!

Entrepreneur Interview
I will be meeting on Tuesday via phone with Jim Cline of ExcelCEO for my interview. He has also invited me to participate in a CPE webinar prior to the interview so I can see how he markets his courses and the things that he teaches. I am excited for this opportunity and have compiled a list of 20 questions to discuss during the interview.

5 weeks down only 9 more to go in the semester!!!

Create a Business

This week was all about Business Plan Creation. A business plan can help a business have a clear vision, mission and measurable objectives. A business plan is also a map for how to duplicate or improve a current business. In the book E-Myth the idea of duplication is one of the main topics. The book explains that every business should have a business plan that clearly identifies all the job functions that must be performed and have explanations for how each job will be performed. This allows a business owner to guide the business without having to be the business. It also allows a business to be sold and or duplicated aka franchised. This can create an additional revenue stream for the original business creator.

$100 challenge
As part of the $100 challenge I created a business plan for the seven weeks that I will be doing this project. I have selected a mobile hair salon as my business. Also, my husband talked to his business associate and he is looking into what challenges there might be with having a mobile salon on site. i.e. OSHA, insurance, scheduling. While I am waiting to hear back I have begun marketing through the local community Facebook page and have received a few inquiries. I hope to be able to schedule appointments with at least 1 client over the next week.

I am also used this same concept for my Big Idea Business Plan but went into greater depth and created year 1-3 benchmarks for success as they relate to clients, professional contracts and retail sales.

Overall, this still isn't my favorite class but I am trudging through it. I have contacted two different entrepreneurs to see if either might be available for an interview.

1. Jim Cline - ExcelCEO  http://www.excelceo.com/index.html
2. Eugene Smith - Culver's Restaurant  http://www.culvers.com/

If I need a back up I will contact Daren Falter - Founder & Executive VP, Yoli  http://yoli.com/