I witnessed something remarkable recently. After delivering the opening keynote speech for First American Equipment Leasing’s annual sales kick-off meeting, the Chairman and co-founder, delivered his state of the company address.

I have seen and heard these hundreds of times. The Chairman/CEO runs through the results from the previous year, acknowledges a few folks, talks about how important the upcoming year is and tells the audience they are the “best team in the league” and “together we deliver a huge years this year”.

That was only part of what the Chairman of First American did. After the review and the projections for the year he came down from the platform, among the people. Then, he asked if they could have a candid conversation. He went back to 2008 and reviewed 6-8 goals that had been outlined for the next 3 years. He asked the group for their candid opinion on what had been done well, which areas they had missed the mark on and which were not worth pursuing at all.

As the opinions and comments began to come forward he did not try to defend, convince or persuade. He actually listened. He noted what was being said, asking others if they agreed. An actual dialogue ensued the likes I have rarely seen. As the outsider in the room I was totally impressed while at the same time being somewhat envious. I had always wanted to work for or with a company like this.

The Chairman admitted that neither he nor the executive leadership team had all the answers and that the company was only as good as the great people in the room. As I looked around the room I could not help but notice a confidence, a belief, a commitment, an attitude of pride and determination. Each person, in their way, seemed focused on what they could do to help the company take on its mission for 2011. This is a company with a goal to revolutionize an industry. Now, that’s a big goal! Creating ownership in that vision is the first step to making it happen. The Chairman accomplished both, in my mind, in a 30 minute session. It was a pleasure to watch a revolution in the making.

It all started when he did not presume to know it all.

Be Well & Be Contagious,

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There is no room for excuses in a culture based on leadership, sadly, in ours, there is.

In our culture it is acceptable to “not have the time because I’m swamped” or to “just be too busy” to make sales calls, to face challenges directly, to be on time for appointments, to change when it is necessary, or to simply get the job done.

To make up excuses means giving up and abandoning responsibility. A company full of employees that at every level only make up excuses generates apathy, and passiveness and detachment kill leadership.

True leaders don’t tolerate excuses because these excuse no one. There is no such thing as a valid excuse for being late, for not contacting a client, or for not changing to improve a company.

However, excuses have become acceptable, are seldom questioned, and have turned into a cycle where effective feedback and leadership coaching are not welcomed.

Contagious leaders and their staff never focus on excuses; instead, they have an unobstructed vision, meaning they focus on a clear picture of the desired outcome. In their case, it is very rare that a distraction or excuse will become more important than the desired result.

But, how do they do it? Well… contagious leaders generate engaged and productive employees who in turn create involved customers.

Here we give you the 3 strategies that contagious leaders use to permanently ban the excuses cycle from their organizations or departments:

1. They commit to their company or department’s leadership goals and vision. They get passionate about them, believe in them, and visualize the result. This brings more excitement than thinking up excuses.

If an excuse clouds their vision, they acknowledge it and find the way to get rid of it.

2. They practice vibrant communication every day. Contagious leaders believe that the attitude of employees and customers is a result of communication, because when one feels involved and understands the direction the company is taking, in other words, when one writes, speaks, and lives in that direction, one makes better and more productive leadership choices.

3. They practice meaningful permission mentoring. They offer their staff thoughtful and straightforward feedback, they speak out their people’s greatness, and extend a helping hand to get people out of the excuses cycle.

Show your concern if you perceive the cycle of excuses in your organization because it is a sign of defeat, and instead… make your team remember the Nike leadership slogan: JUST DO IT! Every good leadership speaker and coach does…

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Each week, we will be highlighting (or “spotlighting”) someone we think demonstrates the actions, thoughts and mindset of a Contagious Leader. This week’s spotlight is on Deanna Brown.

Close up of Deanna Brown's winning pose at Copper Classic, Las Vegas

I met Deanna about a year ago. She was teaching a weight lifting class at my health club. She was precise, inspiring and committed to help us get results. Class was over and Deanna was explaining to another instructor her diet for an upcoming competition. My interest was heightened and I started hammering her with questions about her workout routine, food choices and how she packed it all in…wife, 40 something mother of three with the youngest 13 years old, working at 3 health clubs and a personal trainer, meeting with her trainer once or twice a day and cooking, cleaning…yipes!

There was a time she didn’t work out. She gained weight with each pregnancy and slacked off on her good eating habits. She weighed in at 200 pounds! Take a look at her picture again. She has come a long way!

An interesting story, perhaps even inspiring, but what actually makes Deanna a Contagious Leader? She made a decision to get back in shape, got in action, set a goal to compete in the 2010 Copper Classic in Las Vegas, and let nothing interfere. She has unobstructed vision, nothing is an obstacle for her. 1st competition and Deanna came in 2nd place. She’s amazing!

If you would like to nominate someone, feel free to send us an email by clicking here, and we would love to consider them!  Please tell us a bit about them and what makes them Contagious in their leadership. 

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Each week, we will be highlighting (or “spotlighting”) someone we think demonstrates the actions, thoughts and mindset of a Contagious Leader.

Noah Plumb is an inspiring GoDaddy.com employee. When Eric Keosky-Smith arranged for the Fountain Hills Leaders Institute to meet with Warren Edelmann, COO of GoDaddy.com and to tour the facilities last year, we had no idea that we would still be thinking about Noah. Noah gave us the tour.

It occurred to us that we rarely hear an employee so enthusiastically rave about their company, passionately engaged with the success of GoDaddy.com as he constantly offers up suggestions to grab more market share, expand products and boost morale even more. And GoDaddy.com has had something to do with this relationship as they warmly embrace and encourage even more suggestions from Noah. Noah proclaims that he is a lifer at GoDaddy.com, he drank the cool-aid!

Noah is a Contagious Leader!  Congratulations, Noah!

If you would like to nominate someone, feel free to send us an email by clicking here, and we would love to consider them!  Please tell us a bit about them and what makes them Contagious in their leadership.

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So many of us long for the “good old days” when the good guys finished first. It seems as though those days have been replaced by all the “bad boys” winning the big games and gaining all the notoriety and huge pay days. Well, we have news for you; the good old days may still be with us.

We recently traveled to Baltimore to visit relatives and participate in a fund raiser for the Baer School, which Bev’s sister Debbie Kastendike, her uisband Graham and their sons Eric and Christopher and his wife Ashley are deeply involved with.  The plan was to have an affair at the Legends of Sport Heroes right near Camden Yards where to Baltimore Orioles still play. A special treat would be an appearance by Joe Flacco, Quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens. With all the controversy about and around “star athletes” these days I wasn’t so sure that the QB’s appearance was anything worth getting all excited over. Boy, was I wrong!

Joe Flacco impressed each of the 200 people there, including the biggest doubting Thomas of all, me.

Joe Flacco and the Kids of The Baer School

Joe and more Kids

Eric Kastendike, Joe Flacco and Christopher Kastendike

Joe Flacco and Ashley kastendike

Joe and another Baer School Charmer

To watch him was to learn about him. He began quietly, appearing a bit shy at first. Then as we entered the room where the kids were he began to be more lively. For the last picture above he actually asked if the little girl would like to have a picture taken. He didn’t presume she wanted the shot, nor did he walk away relieved that he avoided yet another inconvenience. No, he asked if she would like a picture.

Most of these kids had no idea who Joe Flacco is, nor did they care. They only knew that he enjoyed being with them, paying attention to them, talking with them, smiling with them. They loved him for that and so did the delighted people that came to help the Baer School.

That night, we all saw a side of Joe Flacco, and perhaps other “star athletes” that made us revisit our attitudes toward all athletes. Perhaps they are not all thugs and bad boys. Perhaps a few, like Joe Flacco, are really good guys that just dress up like athletes and happen to get paid a lot of money for doing so. This doesn’t make them bad. In fact, it just helped prove a really important point for all of us. Despite what the world may look like from time to time, good guys really do finish first.

Be Well & Be Contagious!

John

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Passion Counts, it sells, it inspires and people respond to passion. So, if you are not naturally passionate how does an aspiring leader get passionate. The 3 E’s of a Passionate Leader are:

• emotion,
• energy, and
• enjoyment.

Practice them and watch your passion rise.

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When we could have purchased this light in any one of 100 places in Arizona we chose to buy it in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico? Why? Because now the light has a story and that makes it an experience. What kind of stories are you creating with and for your employees and customers? What reasons are you giving employees and customers to keep returning and expand their loyalty?

Loyalty and employee retention is all in the stories and the stories are about CUEing, Creating Unforgettable Experiences.

John lugging the infamous light through Puerto Vallarta

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