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Many business leaders are so busy “acquiring and protecting power” that they lose sight of what truly motivates people, leadership adviser Tony Baron told about 70 of San Diego’s top CEOs, sales experts and entrepeneurs at the quarterly meeting on Wednesday of the Sage Executive Group.
Baron, who has counseled organizations from the Ford Motor Co. to the U.S. Postal Service and business communities in the aftermath of the Columbine school shootings and the 9/11 terrorist attacks, said that a focus on profits misses what motivates people – and leads to greater business success. To lead, “communicate to the heart,” he said.
“Nothing changes a person’s life until it touches their heart,” he said with an admonition for executives with a hierarchical mindset that puts a premium on hate, fear and survival in an organization. Those are three of the four triggers of life, he said. The fourth – love – is the most important. “The only motivation that last long term is the motivation to love,” making the point that leadership is not about being a nice person, but a person who is seen as “a beacon of hope” in a workplace beset by change, uncertainty, institutional distrust and an digital revolution that has created a climate of “learned helplessness.”
Baron brings a background as a scholar, a corporate adviser and a theologian to his frequent appearances before business groups.  He currently serves as Director of Azusa Pacific University’s Graduate School of Theology in San Diego and as Scholar in Residence at the Center for Executive Excellence in Carlsbad. He is the author of “The Art of Servant Leadership,” and is working on a new book, “Unlocking the Leadership Code,” that was the title of his presentation.
He pointed out that the earliest meaning of leadership was to “guide a ship in the midst of a storm,”  and that the best leaders invest others in common cause by “maintaining a non-anxious presence,” by creating a “vision of stability in the midst of chaos and uncertainty.”
The best CEO is a “cultural architect,” inspiring “personal responsibility” in the workforce while maintaining “an inner compass” that leads to the true north of doing “the right thing, the right way with the right people.” That compass sustains the integrity essential to asking others to follow, and the professional strength to “excommunicate” when necessary to sustain the ethical and cultural foundation of the organization.
Ultimately, he said, “leadership is not for the sake of self but for the sake of others.”
— Chuck Buxton, Sage Executive Group

“Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don’t interfere as long as the policy you’ve decided upon is being carried out.” — Ronald Reagan
As we head into Academy Award season, talk about “The Butler” reminds me of Ronald Reagan’s presidency. Though a Republican, he worked both sides of the aisle and accomplished accomplished a great deal. While the movie had a strong bias towards the Democratic presidents portrayed, it also highlighted the fact that Ronald and Nancy Reagan were the only people to invite The Butler and his wife to a state dinner. The movie showed how Reagan was the president who ensured that black butlers received the same compensation as their white counterparts. Reagan was a friend to everyone he met and led by example. My lesson learned from this great man is that leaders should treat everyone in all positions in the same manner and never abuse the power that comes with a leadership role.
WEEKLY WISDOM, Jerry Rollin, CEO of Sage Executive Group
 

“When you become successful is when you should be especially wary you’re going to turn into an idiot.  There’s a lot of evidence to support that.” —Author Unknown
Success in life and business is both a blessing and a curse.  Sometimes our greatest successes are followed by failure. Perhaps we can become better leaders by ignoring our positive press clippings and remaining humble. During my athletic and business careers, I have observed some very successful athletes who have managed their egos and behaviors in positive ways. One athlete who comes to mind is Wayne Gretzky, whom I met when I was 24 years old and he was a fresh-faced rookie. Although he was one of the most highly touted athletes in Canada, to us he was just “one of the guys” and seemed completely unaware of his celebrity status.
In the recent past, I have had the pleasure and honor to meet several of my sports heroes. Trevor Hoffman and Drew Brees were cut from the same cloth. Both were raised by parents who taught them how to behave and deal effectively with those around them. Amazing success, status, and financial rewards have not changed who they are. The final person who deserves comment is the late, great Jerry Coleman. Although he was a war hero, baseball Hall of Fame member and award-winning broadcaster, he had the unique ability to make everyone he met feel special.
Instead of taking credit for their success, the CEOs I know attribute their success to other people. They don’t do this to avoid the limelight, but because they know that people are their most important assets and the foundation of a successful business.
WEEKLY WISDOM from Jerry Rollins, CEO/Chairman of Sage Executive Group
 

“The problem with New Year’s resolutions – and resolutions to ‘get in better shape’ in general, which are very amorphous – is that people try to adopt too many behavioral changes at once. It doesn’t work. I don’t care if you’re a world-class CEO. You’ll quit.” —Tim Ferriss
I am officially two full days into my New Years resolutions and I haven’t faltered yet. I would like to share some simple ideas that may help you in your efforts to achieve your resolutions in 2014.  First of all, set goals that are SMART:
Specific  — If your goal is twenty pounds of weight loss, set the more specific goal of two pounds per month.
Measurable — Using the above example, weigh yourself each week and track your progress on a chart.
Attainable — Look for little wins and, as you approach your target and become more confident, set tougher goals.
Realistic — If you haven’t exercised in 20 years, setting a goal to run a marathon in four months may be a stretch. Make sure you are realistic with your resolutions.
Timebound —  Set weekly, monthly and annual targets.
Last but not least, write down your goals and share them with family, friends or a personal coach. By creating a community, you will feel accountable to others.
Wishing you a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year!
WEEKLY WISDOM from Jerry Rollins, CEO/Chairman of Sage Executive Group
e-mail: jerryrolllins@sageexecutivegroup.com
cell: 858-775-6900
 

“There’s nothing as exciting as a comeback—seeing someone with dreams, watching them fail, and then getting a second chance.” —Rachel Griffiths
I was honored to address 27 high school graduates of the Urban Corps Charter School last week. I shared my life story to help them realize that they can achieve anything they set their minds to. Because of the dedicated teachers and staff at this organization, these young men and women were given a second chance at school, and many of them will be the first members of their families heading off to college. At a Sage Executive Group meeting this past Tuesday, I mentioned how eight of the students have received college scholarships this year and how it would be really special to give all 27 students a scholarship at their June 27, 2014 graduation. In the past several days, five of our generous Sage members have reached out to fund a scholarship. Now, nearly half the class will have scholarships. Only 14 students to go!
Urban Corps of San Diego is a San Diego-based nonprofit conservation corps that provides a high school education and green job training to young adults from ages 18 to 25. The majority of youth employed at Urban Corps did not succeed in a traditional high school setting and have little or no job training. Urban Corps offers them a second chance to go back to school and develop new skills, while contributing to the overall quality of life in the San Diego area. Their participation increases the connection these young people feel to their community, their environment  and to their own futures. When they care about all three, it benefits us all. Urban Corps is proud to have served more than 10,000 youth since 1989.
— Jerry Rollins, CEO of Sage Executive Group
 

Finding The Illusive Balance Between Work and Family Life

CEOs endure an incredible amount of pressure – both from the business end of the spectrum and from the family side. While the needs of the company always seem to take precedent over the wants of the family, few CEOs of retirement age profess that they wish they’d spent more time at work and less time with the family. Rather, the majority claims that if they had focused on creating a more harmonious balance between work time and home time, they’d have been more successful in their careers. The following are five ways that CEOs can better balance their business and family time:

• Exercise at work – While the benefits of exercise are undisputed, the mental clarity and sense of physical well being that comes from a good cardiovascular workout or weight training session can be incredibly beneficial. CEOs need to stay in good shape to counter grueling schedules and long hours, and the stress relieving benefits of working out can help balance the inevitable mental strains that C-level executives face.

• Block out 90-120 minutes per day – It is common to want to cram meetings, calls, and collaboration time into every thirty-minute time block in the calendar. Better yet, reserve or “gray out” 90-120 minutes out of each day. Inevitably, these timeframes will be devoted to a variety of tasks that would have been later hours or completed at home – on family time.

• Schedule Appropriately – Understanding at which point in the day one is most effective can enhance efficiency and creativity. Some CEOs are “morning people,” while others work well into the wee hours of the night. Understanding when the best work occurs is paramount to ensuring that the CEO’s schedule is appropriately constructed.

• Pick one day and work from home – Working from home has been proven to actually increase the amount of real work that is accomplished. Depending on the home work environment, distractions can be minimized and real, focused work can take place. Plus, the CEO can take a couple hours off during the middle of the day to have lunch with the family, pick the kids up at school, or simply connect with someone outside of the work zone. One of the best pieces of advice for the CEO who wants to try working from home one day per week is to focus on spending a couple of hours thinking, rather than working, on that one home-based day. CEOs don’t typically get enough time to think and are always challenged to put in long days of work.

• Unplug a few times per year and bond with family– Easier said than done for most C-levels, but by making a conscious choice to ignore emails, texts, routine conference calls, and other work-related interferences for a few days or even a week at a time, the CEO will find increased clarity and more enjoyment of the family time at hand.

CEOs are tasked with creating and facilitating the vision of the company. They are relied upon for guidance and must be accessible to leaders within the organization around the clock. That said, CEOs are people – just like anyone else. They need to take care of themselves if they want to take care of others. By understanding the importance of physical health, mental well being, and effective time management principles, CEOs will be able to more effectively handle the challenges of balancing work responsibilities with family time.

Your Employees Define Your Organization – It Is Crucial To Attract The Right Ones!

Attracting the best and brightest of employees is a learned process. While gut instincts will get a hiring manager only so far, creating a company culture that respects the individual, provides appropriate levels of compensation, and recognizes employees for their achievements is the key to attracting the best employees.
How Does Your Brand Affect Your Ability To Attract Talent?
Your company has a brand. The values, beliefs, and motivations of your organization are on display for the entire world to see. Companies that have a reputation for rewarding employees, fostering creativity, and keeping work/life balance in check are more apt to attract candidates who want to work hard and commit to a career. Understanding how your industry and your current employees perceive your organization is important to establishing your brand identity. Have a reputation as a tough place to work with little creative reward? Good luck persuading top talent to enter your ranks – even if the pay is higher!
Innovative Compensation and Benefits Helps To Recruit Innovators
It takes more than just offering a healthy paycheck to an employee – try structuring pay and benefits in a creative way! For instance, structured incentive plans based on productivity or sales are pretty popular these days. Try rewarding employees with time off to spend on philanthropic activities. These can quickly become bonding moments among staff members and contributes to a positive image for the company. Actual paid incentive shouldn’t be compromised, so you’ll want to layer in paid time off as appropriate.
Another way to attract top candidates is by offering tailor-made benefits packages. Bringing on a staff member with school-aged kids? Try offering paid tutoring classes for the kids, or reward the employee with one set day per week where they are guaranteed to be off a few hours early – this way they can spend quality time with the family. Finding rewards that are tangible to spouses or immediate family members is also a great way to build support for the company at home. For example, your company could provide a three or four day paid family vacation for those who are achieving a determined performance standard. This paid vacation would be a motivator for not just the employee but the spouse or family, as well. These outside-the-box benefits are game changers when seeking top talent.

Don’t Wait – Find The Right Person!

While the ideas mentioned above are certainly important to consider when recruiting for top talent, keep in mind that the number one rule of attracting the best employees is to go out and find them! Arrange or attend job fairs, network with recruiters and talent managers, and advertise in trade papers or on sites that are respected within your industry. The talent is out there and by reinforcing the solidity of your brand, being innovative in terms of pay and benefits and work/life balance and hours, you’ll no doubt attract committed and dedicated employees.

Creating a Winning Company Culture Is Vital To Running A Successful Business!

Your company culture may be determined by directly asking your employees. The responses gleaned by asking, “What does our company stand for?” can provide input as to where your company is going, how your employees feel about their jobs, what your position is in the marketplace, and what your long term prospects appear to be to your workers. Company culture can be, at times, fairly intangible. Though it may seem like an organization is just naturally a “better place to work,” the steps that it takes to achieve such a reputation are quite deliberate. The common values, visions, and norms highly successful organizations are the result of lots of planning, implementation of ideas, and self-assessments. The following sections outline six key concepts that can help your company to create a winning culture:

Hire For Attitude, Not Aptitude – Then Train!

A well-respected, international organization promotes a simple “tie-breaker” when faced with two similarly qualified candidates. The message is to hire the candidate who smiles more during the interview. This is a simple distillation of “hiring for attitude… and not aptitude.” That said, it is nearly impossible to instill a good personality in an introverted employee, while a company is certainly able to train most candidates around the skills required of the position.
Establish and Communicate The Vision
Employees will work toward goals if they are clear, so part of creating a winning culture is defining what a “win” looks like! Leaders must establish clearly defined, measurable, and achievable goals that exist within a timeframe. For example, ABC organization is seeking to achieve a 10% increase in YOY revenues, which represents five additional sales per employee per month, and is seeking to recognize this increase by the end of Q4 of the current year. Ideally, employees should understand not only this this overall goal, but also what their additional activities and deliverables need to be on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis, and the timeframe in which this goal must be met. It is also vital that they see the benefit to achieving this goal – both on an individual and at the corporate level.
Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone – Be Vulnerable
A winning culture is more easily adopted by leaders who have confidence in themselves, and by those who are willing to push the limits of their comfort zone. Ask your employees for feedback, act on those concerns, and foster a sense of community among your teams. Leading with the heart creates a culture in which employees feel that their thoughts and opinions are valued and appreciated.

Focus On A Few “Must Do’s”

Your company must determine what its “must-do’s” are. While creating a list of priorities is important, it is vital to narrow it down to the non-negotiable items and to clearly communicate these to your teams. Employees tend to thrive in environments that have boundaries – where employees at all levels play on the same field.
Create Bonding Rituals – No Winners Or Losers
One of the most overlooked facets to creating a winning culture is to establish bonding rituals among your staff. This can be as simple as team assignments during new employee orientations to elaborate yearly retreats that focus on recharging your team. Bonding rituals reinforce the notion of team, and also provide a great way to test your employees and gauge different personality types.

Become A Coach – Not Just a Boss Or Leader

Most effective leaders today agree that instilling a coaching philosophy at the workplace is vital. A winning company culture requires coaches who are invested in the success and development of their teams. Good leaders take people where they want to be, great coaches take their employees where they ought to be.
Company culture can be fairly intangible and transparent, yet it is one of the most important components of any business. Establish it early, live it daily, and you’ll reap the benefits of better employee retention and satisfaction, higher company performance, and a stellar reputation in your field.

Every sixty seconds, one hundred hours of video are uploaded to YouTube, seven hundred YouTube video links are shared on Twitter, nearly six hundred new websites are created, two million new searches are Googled, and hundreds of thousands of images are shared via Snapchat, Tumblr, and Pinterest.  In a single day, Facebook users watch five hundred years of YouTube videos. With social media usage soaring to record levels, one thing is certain: social media is here to stay.
When social media users Google your company name, what are they finding? How can you use LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social media tools to achieve greater success and significance? Stacy Donovan Zapar, CEO of Tenfold Social, and Sarah Hardwick, CEO of Zenzi Communications, answer that question–and many others–in a presentation geared specifically towards CEOs, partners, presidents, and founders.
Browse their presentation for a treasure trove of social media tips that will help you manage your personal reputation online, build your professional network, increase your company’s positive exposure, and steer your organization to greater success.

 
Presenters:
Stacey Donovan Zapar | CEO, Tenfold Social  www.tenfoldsocial.com
Sarah Hardwick | CEO, Zenzi Communications  www.zenzi.com

Peer Advisory Groups Provide Coaching, Collaboration, and Networking Opportunities

Recent studies of executive level leaders at well-known companies have uncovered a common trend – these leaders spend a significant amount of their time surrounded by others. This is a direct correlation to the amount of emphasis they place on the collaborative relationships that can be built on the job. These leaders seek the counsel of others, provide feedback in open and honest forums, and seek ways to improve the policies and processes of their organizations. Peer advisory groups are an efficient and effective way in which to receive balanced feedback, constructive guidance, and, at times, solid ideas about how to improve the business. Two peer advisory groups stand out as leaders in the field – Vistage International and Sage Executive Group, both offering a solid resume of support, guidance, and counseling for the modern day business leader.
Vistage International – Better Leaders, Decisions, Results
Vistage International was founded in 1957 and offers peer counseling to members across the globe. With international offices on six continents, in 16 countries, and boasting 15,000 members, Vistage has created a legacy of helping business owners and leaders make better decisions and see enhanced results. With a corporate office in San Diego, CA, Vistage has a significant presence across the United States. Vistage offers peer advisory groups, executive level coaching, one-on-one sessions with a seasoned leader, and the ability to interact with a diverse group of individuals. Vistage has demonstrated a record of providing quality advising services for more than 50 years.
Sage Executive Group – Greater Success and Significance
Sage Executive Group takes a slightly different approach than Vistage International. The goal at Sage isn’t to be a massive peer advisory entity. Rather, Sage Executive seeks to be the best small to medium sized advisory group for those leading businesses that generate $3 million in revenue or greater. Vistage will provide peer advising to those who lead much smaller operations. Sage is headquartered in San Diego, CA, and has a leadership team with more than 45 years of peer advisory and executive coaching experience. Monthly half-day meetings allow for members to interact with a diverse group of no more than 12 members – allowing for ample time to get the answers they seek, all in a strictly confidential environment. Monthly one-on-one coaching with a Sage Chairman provides additional guidance and feedback – all designed to improve the success levels of the leader’s respective business.
Vistage International vs. Sage Executive Group
A direct comparison of these two groups will uncover some subtle differences that may have prospective members wondering which way to go. Both organizations have firmly embraced the concept of peer advising and executive level coaching. The executive coaching process at Sage Executive group is always led by a former CEO – lending additional credibility to the Sage process versus the Vistage International interaction. Vistage International does have a more global presence than Sage Executive, but with more and more CEO’s finding that lack of free time is the ultimate problem, many are turning to virtual meetings as opposed to traditional face to face gatherings. Both groups offer virtual meetings, with Sage expanding the learning and networking offerings to include events tailored to the family members, spouses, and employees of the member. This can help provide additional insight to those that support the overall mission of the CEO or executive level leader. Finally, with a smaller, more intimate base of leaders, some may say that Sage Executive has kept the scale of the peer advising service right where it needs to be – not the biggest, just the best.