Lead Thru Values

It's graduation season around the country and high school seniors are facing the "So, what's next?" question from well-intentioned adults.

In this episode of Lead Thru Values, Nate Clayberg and James discuss the power of experiences and connections shape who we are... and who we become.

Nate Clayberg, CEcD, is a certified economic developer, broadcaster, marketer, and career navigator. He has spent his career helping others to solve problems and make connections for success.

Over the last 25+ years, Nate has switched careers over seven times and knows the frustration many people can have in not finding purpose in their career. 

Today, through Cedar Valley CAPS and the Career Adventure Academy, he helps students of all ages and early and late-career professionals better identify "What work they are wired to do for a living." Nate is also active with his local community in Northeast Iowa. This includes involvement in his kid's school and activities. 

He resides with his wife of over 20 years and two teenagers near Jesup, Iowa, and enjoys traveling, golf and life on the water.

Follow on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nateclayberg/
And at www.nateclayberg.com
check out where Education and Economic Development come together at www.preparingforpurpose.org
CAPS info at www.cedarvalleycaps.org

When I work with leaders in business, I emphasize this powerful truth: 

If you want to achieve organizational excellence, you must understand how the people on your team are exceptional.

That's why it's such an honor for me to talk with Kristin A. Sherry.

In this conversation we discuss how managers miss opportunities to recognize and coach the magnificent talents of their employees.



Kristin A. Sherry is a bestselling and award-winning author, globally recognized career expert, and creator of the YouMap® profile which won a 2020 Career Innovator Award from Career Directors International.

She is a speaker, trainer, and author of international bestseller, YouMap, and a 2020 Pencraft award-winner in business books for Your Team Loves Mondays...Right? She is the managing partner of YouMap LLC, which certifies coaches, career services and HR professionals as YouMap® coaches and facilitators.

Kristin is also an award-winning children's book author, and her #1 New Release personal success book, Maximize 365, released February 2021.

YouMap® is a holistic self-discovery tool that uncovers a person's strengths, values, preferred skills and personality-based interests. Visit us at www.myyoumap.com.

Hello, everyone this is James and this is Lead Thru Values where we talk about how to create a sustainable, scalable business where people want to come to work because their values align with the values of the organization.

I enjoy conversations around leadership development because you can’t create a high performing culture without strong, committed leadership.

And that is exactly why I’ve been looking forward to this conversation.

I’m blessed to have Brent Henley, CEO of The Pyramid Group, join us today.

Brent founded The Pyramid Group in 1980 to assist clients in increasing performance in sales, customer service, supervision and leadership in various industries including manufacturing, financial, service, technology and community leadership.

One thing that caught my attention when we spoke is that he is a practicing Industrial Psychologist emphasizing performance technology for rapidly changing businesses. 

He’s the author of The Nexus Initiative, a book he wrote about how giving is the catalyst for helping you reach your long term goals and growth initiatives.

Links:

Brent's website:  http://www.thepyramidgroup.com
Right People Right Now  https://www.rightpeoplenow.com
Order Brent's book, The Nexus Initiative: 
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0982923910/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_RCKK042EB48CVHSDVFRP

There are 4 key areas that define how you’re exceptional:

1. How you think
2. How you communicate
3. How you relate
4. How you work

But the very thing that makes you exceptional could very well be the thing that frustrates you most about them.

That’s the topic for today’s jam session

If you want to achieve organizational excellence, as a leader, you have to understand what makes people exceptional.

But don’t miss this…

How YOU think, communicate, relate and approach work absolutely guides your perception of how others do.

In other words, you are impressing your own abilities onto others…

…sometimes unfairly.

For example, I’m a futuristic thinker and that means I can quickly and easily step 5 years into the future. 

I can see it. Hear it. Touch it. It’s vivid and very real.

But the problem is that it comes so naturally for me that I forget to invite others along into the vision…

And it leaves them confused, wondering how I made such a leap. 

So they ask questions or probe for the details, or they just have bewildered look.

To them, my head was in the clouds again.

But for me, I’m frustrated that they were failing to see what could be…

And that’s exactly how what makes me exceptional can be very frustrating to my teammates.

Other examples include:

• Your tolerance for risk…
• Your careful and considerate planning every little detail…
• Your desire to include every opinion…
• Your eagerness to dive right in…

Each of these are your unique and wonderful gifts… what makes you exceptional.

And the very thing that can drive disagreement and conflict between people in your business.

If you want to achieve organizational excellence, you must first understand what makes people exceptional.

This is at the core of my coaching and training programs.

Leaders, It is essential, vital – critical even to know the talents and abilities of your team.

Because when you do that, you unlock creativity and insights by getting out of the way of what your team is most gifted at.

Lots of companies have invested in their core values. 

However, much like with vision and mission statements, core values for most businesses end up as little more than words on a wall.

So how do you make sure that your values aren’t just a ‘feel good, warm and fuzzy’ experience for your business? How do you make them integral to your business goals? 

Thats the topic for today’s JAM session.

Monte Pedersen is a fellow consultant of mine on LinkedIn and he recently posted that the problem with most core values is that they’re largely aspirational in nature.

And in my experience, he’s 100% right. 

In other words, you can’t have a strong culture without a set of core behaviors that drive action. 

Don’t miss this:  Values just don’t ‘say’ what you do… they characterize everything you do.

They are the fuel that powers your strategy… and ultimately your profits.

So unless you’ve made your core values observable, measurable and coachable, they may inspire people for a while, but over time they’ll lack substance because they lack accountability...

They become little more than words on a wall.

I have yet to meet a great business leader who’s satisfied with checking boxes or who settles for average performance and mediocre results.

Great business leaders create high and measurable standards for performance and they are unwavering in their commitment to 

• recruiting & hire to them;
• set goals and expectations around them;
• and create a culture of ownership through them.

Create lasting and positive impact.

That's what it's all about for electrical contractor, Tom Manternach of Electrical Concepts in Cedar Rapids, IA. 

Tom and James discuss their client/coach relationship and the friendship that has grown from that. In this episode, they discuss the 4 unique core values that emerged for Tom's business, how they've impacted him and the crew.

About Electrical Concepts
Electrical Concepts is an electrical contractor that desires to create lasting and positive impact each and every day. Nothing more. Nothing less.

We believe in keeping things simple. And, while we are mindful of managing the strategies of a growing business, the true measure of success we’re most focused on is creating better lives for everyone we work with from our employees, to our partners, and our customers.

We abide by four simple, yet powerful core values to help us be better tomorrow than we were today:

• We enjoy what we do.
• We are prepared.
• We are uncompromising in our quality.
• We build lasting relationships.

From small businesses to large operational plants, from demolition to repairs and new installation, the professionals at Electrical Concepts will provide quality, experienced services for all your commercial electrical needs.

Learn more at ElectricalConceptsCR.com

Martin Harshberger joins James on the Lead Thru Values Podcast where he shares his experiences about taking a business from a few employees to over 500.

Enjoy the back and forth dialogue with James and Martin as they dive not the intricacies of leadership and building teams that perform.

From a General Manager to a Founder of One of the Fastest Growing Inc. 500 Companies in the U.S.

Martin's humble journey of entrepreneurship began right after he reached the highest peak in his corporate career. He became General Manager for an international, multi-million-dollar organization.  In reality, he acted as a Vice President, but he couldn't officially receive this title because he never finished college. 

At the Control Data Corporation, Martin interacted with senior executives at hundreds of companies. He felt he was ready to leave and start his own company. 
 
He founded Logistics Management Inc. with 800K cash investment by two investment groups. They subsequently guaranteed bank loans of an additional $2M. 
 
Martin grew the company to over $50M in the U.S. and Europe and had five separate offers to buy it at a minimum of 12 times the investor's cash investment. They made the Inc. 500 as one of America's fastest-growing companies. When it became clear the Board was not interested in selling the business at any price, Martin cashed out in 2000. He knew that technology changes would eventually make their services less profitable, and a sale was their best option.
 
Martin invested his time in a second venture financed by friends. They started with 1M in sales and got it to 8M in 5 years. They sold the company to a large organization. Next, martin decided to launch his consulting business.

Martin started consulting at 58. He moved from Memphis to Tupelo, MS, 90 miles away from his previous home, but 25 years back in time. A nice community, low crime, low traffic, just what he needed. He bought a house on a golf course and was going to slow down.  Martin had a health issue in 2005, kidney cancer. He had surgery, and all is ok now, but Martin began to think about how he wanted to spend the rest of his life. He took a few months off and really got bored. His wife was still working and was going to be for at least five more years. So, Martin was looking for something productive to do part-time.

Learn more about Martin at MartinHarshberger.com

We've always done it that way.

Some would say they're the costliest words in business.

I've found something different... 

Those 6 words are the (shhh...) the SNEAKIEST words in business.

But if one of the tools from the weather lab could shed some light on why?

Bari Richter joins the Lead Thru Values podcast. 

In episode 10, Bari shares her experiences from the corporate world, being a small business owner, creating a top customer experience and how to create a values system that empowers people to perform at their best.
 
Enjoy the episode! 

Bari Richter owns Convey Sign Solutions in Waterloo Iowa, a signage company whose niche is business graphics, vehicle graphics and color change wraps.   

In her previous life working in casinos, she held a variety of positions.  She most recently was Vice President General Manager of casino which employed over 500 people.  During that tenure her property consistently held top tier scores in the corporation for Employee Engagement.    

Bari learned the importance of taking an organizations desired outcomes and supporting those through messaging, procedures and accountability to help it become a part of a company’s DNA.    She also learned about warning signals to watch for when an organizations voiced desires do not match the company’s true DNA or culture. 

Bari is certified in Sametrix Net Prompter System, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business with a minor in Psychology, taken way to many additional college accounting classes, a proud mother of 2 sons and very appreciative of her husband of 30 years who has been her rock in this very crazy so called journey of life.

https://conveysign.com

[email protected]

Connect with Bari on LinkedIn:  Search for Bari Richter and Convey Sign Solutions

Fred and I pick up right where we left off in part 1 and we dig into the leadership and organizational culture that's helped Queensboro deliver an outstanding customer experience for over 30 years.

Download my free guide, How Culture Drives Performance, at LeadThruValues.com