Put people first. Add value to people. They’ll come back and add value to you. Serve people. They’ll come back and serve you. – John Maxwell

One topic that is critically important for all great leaders is customer service – and that is especially true for our team at Southwest Michigan First. Customer service isn’t just crucial for retail or restaurants because no matter where you work, everyone has customers to serve. It may be customers who buy your products, constituents who vote for you or students who count on you for education.

As leaders, we need to remember that we are here to serve others, not to be served. This is the heart behind great customer service.

In this podcast, we cover key points like:

* Great customer service means exceeding expectations.

* It needs to be woven into the organizational culture.

* Sometimes best serving the customer means telling them no.

We also cover some great companies who are doing it right like:

* The Ritz-Carlton

* Chick-fil-A

* Greenleaf Trust

As leaders, I encourage you to anticipate the needs of your customers instead of being reactionary. One great thought on this comes from Steve Jobs: Get closer than ever to your customers. So close that you tell them what they need well before they realize it themselves.

Always Forward.

Ron

Question: Looking around your organization, do you think you’re exceeding customer expectations today or perhaps just barely meeting them?

 

Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I’m going to learn, I must do it by listening. – Larry King

Thanks for joining us today for the Always Forward Leadership Podcast. Today, Amanda and I are talking about the critical leadership skill of listening. I believe that in order to be a great leader, you first have to be a great listener.

As we break this topic down, we cover:

* Hearing vs. Listening

* Easy steps to take to become a better listener

* Physical signs of a great listener

* How to “listen” to body language and facial expressions

* Developing better emotional intelligence through listening

If you want to take your listening to the next level, take a look at these experts for additional resources:

* Amy Cuddy on body language

* Brené Brown on vulnerability

* Senator Cory Booker on Twitter

As a leader, I hope you’ll make it your mission to be known as a great listener.

Always Forward.

Ron

Question: If you asked your spouse or coworker today if you are a good listener, what would they say? How will you work to improve your listening skills this month?

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. – C.S. Lewis

We took a survey of our listeners at the end of 2015 asking what topics you most needed help with in terms of your leadership. Thank you to everyone who responded; we saw a huge theme on how leaders can stay motivated or better motivate teams – so that’s what we’re talking about today!

In today’s conversation, we discuss how to lead yourself, how to lead your teams and how to lead others external to your organization.

A few questions to ask yourself:

* What is your why? Why do you do what you do?

* What drives you? What breaks your heart? What would you do for free?

* Where does your energy come from?

Tips for your own motivation:

* Start journaling. Write down what happened in your day and how you feel about it. Patterns will develop over time that will give you greater insight into what motivates you.

* Learn your own “tricks” for finding your joy. For me, it’s being around family, having great BBQ, being on the water or binge-watching a new TV series. For you, it will likely be something completely different.

* Align yourself with other amazing leaders that you can learn from.

Tips on how to inspire others:

* You have to get buy-in and ownership on your vision – remember, no one washes a rental car or pulls weeds at a greenhouse.

* Treat each person like an individual, not just another cog in the wheel. We did a podcast on this last year, Why you need to KNOW your people, that may be helpful for you to hear again.

* You have to know what you want and, likewise, help other people get what they want.

Bottom line, great leaders are inspired and motivated. If you want to build a great organization, you’ve got to first start with leading yourself well. I hope today’s conversation helps you do just that.

Always Forward.

Ron

Question: In addition to these thoughts, what do you do to stay motivated in your leadership?

 

Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less. – John C. Maxwell

In most organizations, there is only one “CEO” – which means the majority of leaders must learn how to lead with influence from somewhere in the middle of the pack. We often hear the idea of “managing up” to create impact and influence, so today we’re breaking down what that actually looks like and how it’s viewed from the point leader’s perspective.

Some of the major points we discuss include:

* Servant leadership no matter your title or position

* Taking true ownership of your responsibilities

* Exceeding expectations

* Asking for advice, but not passing off problems

* Open communication

Whether you’re the point leader of a large organization or just joining a new team in an entry level role, this conversation will help you elevate your leadership and gain more influence with those around you.

Always Forward.

Ron

Question: How has “managing up” helped you gain influence in your leadership?  

 

Where there is a void in communication, negativity fills it. – Jon Gordon As a leader, you can never provide too much communication. But that’s not to say that volume of words equals good communication. Great communication is arguably one of the most important components of great leadership, yet it is something most leaders struggle with […]

Energy and persistence conquer all things. – Benjamin Franklin In today’s Always Forward Leadership Podcast, we’re talking about how to maximize your energy as a leader! When we think of resources, we usually think of time, talent and treasure – but energy is an incredibly important resource in our leadership and we have to be […]

The currency of great leadership is transparency and truth. – Howard Schultz Every organization has cultural characteristics. Something we give great value to at Southwest Michigan First is transparency. It’s critically important to be transparent in how we share our work externally as a not for profit organization, but being an “open book” is just […]

You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you. – Dale Carnegie It is commonly said that success is not about what you know but who you know. So, on today’s podcast we’re talking about networking vs. […]

Your career is your business, and you are its CEO. –  Andy Grove We have all heard the cliché: don’t judge a book by its cover, but the harsh reality is that people often do judge a book, a leader or an organization based on outward appearances. This isn’t about looking like a runway model; […]

Culture eats strategy for breakfast. – Peter Drucker After podcasting about our hiring strategies a few months ago, we had a few listeners write in and ask us how we handle our onboarding practices once we do make a decision to bring in a new team member. So, today’s podcast is all about how we […]