I strongly believe that the CEO is more than a leader that tackles business issues they are superheroes.
People want to follow a CEO Superhero who attracts people and makes things happen! They want someone who has bold dreams, is a visionary, and an innovator. The CEO has charisma and is a relationship/team builder. This leader never lets up and has the amazing ability to turn today’s problems into tomorrow’s profits. The enthusiastic and energetic CEO is able to hire and retain the best employees and win customer loyalty—both important to the success of the company. This leader can feel the customer’s pain and find a solution. Taking risks, and being stock market savvy to bring financial success to the company are skills that top notch CEOs have.
Let’s take a glimpse into the talents of some amazing CEOs. These talented CEO superstars are SUPERHEROES! Every company wants a Superhero.
CEO Superheroes have skills that make them stand out above the conventional leader. Here are seven Superhero traits that set an excellent CEO apart from a merely good one.
1. Visionary
2. Innovator
3. Charismatic
4. Chief Problem Solver
5. Employee Motivator
6. Customer Loyalty Builder
7. Relentless
Let's look at traits one through four today.
1. VISIONARY
Ask a Question or Leave a Comment (0)
Digg This 
Del.icio.us
March 21, 2008
Today we will finish looking at traits five through seven of the seven traits of a CEO Superhero.
5. EMPLOYEE MOTIVATOR
A CEO Superhero knows how to manage talented people effectively and generate high levels of performance from them. Communication is a key to keeping employees informed. Attractive and unique benefits are provided to employees thus enabling the company to maintain the best employees.
John Chambers of Cisco Systems has a Blog to communicate with employees to encourage employee ideas.
Jerry Yang of Yahoo Inc., hosts monthly Chat’n Chow lunches and answers employee questions online.
Jack Welch, former GE CEO said, “Hire the best and then support them through thick and thin, through failure and success.” The people he hired were people who understood how to think outside the box, people who were creative, energetic and had a vision, and who are willing to turn visions into reality.
Toyota spends a lot of time and effort to support their employees. Employees are considered their most important asset.
Wachovia, one of the nation’s largest diversified financial services companies, is recognized as one of the top 10 best companies for working mothers by Working Mother magazine. Wachovia not only offers essential benefits like flextime and telecommuting—they raised the bar by offering programs and policies for childcare, leave for new parents, opportunities for women to advance, work/life benefits such as elder care and other employee programs.
It would be hard to surpass the benefits that the 12,000 employees receive at the Four Seasons hotels. Isadore Sharp, founder and CEO of the chain says, “How you treat your employees is how you expect them to treat the customers.” In fact at the new hotel that opened up in Hawaii they received 25,000 applications for 600 positions BEFORE it opened in 2006!
They contribute 3% of an employee’s salary to their 40l(K) and another 3-5% to profit sharing. All employees regardless of rank break bread together, free, in the hotel cafeteria. The food is good, and they have staff showers and locker rooms. Everyone is treated like they are someone special. The company provides managers from within and they can offer an employee the world with hotels all over the world. The staff is happy, well cared for, and safe. They feel like they are family and they treat their customers the same way.
6. CUSTOMER LOYALTY BUILDER
Ask a Question or Leave a Comment (0)
March 23, 2008
According to the New York Times, February 13, 2008 issue, Gary Kelly, CEO from Southwest Airlines, dressed up like a woman. He walked into the office looking like the mother from the movie Hairspray, just to have fun and make the employees laugh. He was continuing the custom of making the airline a fun place to work.
Southwest has raised fares, packs more people onto airplanes, has passengers line up and board by numbers and consequently this is a lot of hard work for the employees. Mr. Kelly’s dress-up routine is just one of many ways the company put a little fun into the work environment.
“Many times,” Mr. Cerf, the Southwest union officer said, “You have to work fast. Workers who come to Southwest Airlines after being laid up by other airlines often quit. They are not use to working that hard.”
Southwest believes that “fun translates into a lot of productivity.” It has the industry’s highest wages, but because of efficient work habits its costs are the lowest among the big airlines.
Mr. Kelly knows how to have fun at work, yet many companies do not do this. Board meetings and decision-making are important, yet how employees are treated is important too.
I would like to share with you seven reasons why many companies do not excel, or profits and productivity are low.
1. In my experience, many people will do just what they are told and no more. They are not motivated to do anything else.
2. They do not know what their talent is or how to use it.
3. Lack of training.
Continue reading "Fun and Laughter Bring Profits and Productivity to the Job: Part 1" »
Ask a Question or Leave a Comment (0)
March 26, 2008
In my previous post I shared with you seven reasons companies do not excel and why productivity and profits could be low.
In this post I will share with you nine ideas to bring fun back into the workplace.
Here are a few ideas to get you started.
1. First, the CEOs must reinvent themselves. Stop being serious all the time. Wear a bright color tie that might have a fun print on it. Then employees will have something fun to talk about. Practice facial expressions just like actors do. Practice smiling and laughing and it brings passion to the people. Nod with a smile. Maintain eye contact with the people you are talking to. Give a sincere smile and appreciation to others. Say, “Wow!” “I like it.” “You are amazing.” “I’m impressed.” “Can you tell me more?” When you say that, how do you feel? Your praise is giving direct positive impact to your employee.
Practice humor every day. Tell a joke.
For example, three people went out to lunch. On the way to the restaurant they stopped at an antique shop. They saw an old lamp.
The first one, an accountant, rubbed the lamp by accident. A genie came out. “I’m a genie and I can give each of you one wish.” So account said, “Send me to Hawaii. I want to lay down o the beach in the sun and drink unlimited amount of Margaritas.” Whoosh! He’s gone.
Second one, Product Manager, said, “Send me to Florida. I want to spend everyday at Disney World and play, play, play.” Whoosh! He’s gone.
Third one was a CEO. He rubbed the lamp and he told the genie, “My wish is bring the two guys back to the office as soon as possible. There’s a deadline and I need them.”
This is a business joke. People understand and laugh. They would be delighted with you to share a joke like that.
Continue reading "Fun and Laughter Bring Profits and Productivity to the Job: Part 2" »
Ask a Question or Leave a Comment (0)
March 28, 2008
Are you positive and looking on the bright side every day?
Is optimism a part of your company culture?
Do you have a good sense of humor during the day?
If you do, then you are an optimistic leader like many Silicon Valley companies. You are an adventurous, fun leader. You know how to take an element of risk to have a FUN Management company.
You recharge yourself everyday with positive thoughts. You surround yourself with like-minded people. You take action. You are moving and full of energy.
Sometimes you get stuck in the mud. You accept it as part of the excitement and you figure out a way to get out and move on. You have outside mentors that can help you with new ideas when you get stuck. You are always optimistic about the future of the company because you trust your employees and know they will do the right thing.
You know how to visualize your great future and how to bring your company to the best level. You do visualize at least five times a day your great goals.
Continue reading "Optimism Begins With the Leader: Part 1" »
Ask a Question or Leave a Comment (0)
March 30, 2008
In my last post I posed the question, "What would you do if you are selling a food product, it is linked to a strain of the deadly E. coli, and a 16-month-old child dies 10 days after drinking some contaminated juice?"
This did happen and here is what one company did to move on and succeed.
In 1996, a 16 month old child died after drinking fruit juice that contained the
E-Coli virus. The company was the Silicon Valley fruit juice company, Odwalla.
The CEO, Stephen Williamson, ordered a complete recall of all its apple and carrot juice products from the 4,600 retail outlets in seven states and British Columbia.
Here was a company that was built on its commitment to healthy products. Their $90 million dollar business was growing by 30% each year. Morale was down with their 500 employees. And now everything came to a halt. Key employees quit, sales went down, and he almost lost his will to fight this terrible situation.
“People were getting sick with our product,” Williamson said “Our company will never be the same.”
That was 12 years ago. Today, the company is healthy, growing, and profitable! So what did the CEO do to move the company forward?
Mr. Williamson was optimistic. He believed in his company and he believed in his employees.
He brought the leaders of the company together and they developed four immediate objectives:
1. Have constant internal communication so that everyone knows what is going on. Williamson began conducting regular company-wide conference calls. Employees across the organization could dial in to hear Williamson’s overview of what was happening each day.
2. Have personalized customer service. Anxious customers had an 800 number to call to ask questions and find out what was happening each day.
Continue reading "Optimism Begins With the Leader: Part 2" »
Ask a Question or Leave a Comment (0)