Taking Care of Your Business

How Do You Make Decisions?

How do you make decisions? Some rely on instinct and others rely on data. But you can’t overlook the value of outside perspectives. The CEO Confidence Index is one of the crown jewels of Vistage. It’s the definitive source for what leaders of SMBs are thinking—outside perspectives—and a leading indicator of a major metric used by the best economists in the US. It’s a bit like those curved mirrors in a parking garage, you know the ones that help you see around the corner. As the leader of your organization you still have to drive the car, but the Vistage CEO Index helps you see what’s coming around the corner for small and midsize companies. It may help you make better decisions.

Ryan Dempsey on Vistage

Current member, Ryan Dempsey, provides insight into what drew him to Vistage.
Ryan Dempsey is the Managing Partner at East End Group that provides commercial maintenance services to property owners, managers and businesses in New York and throughout the northeast. They install new services and fixtures, perform preventative commercial maintenance services, and complete building condition reports. East End Group has distinguished themselves from other commercial maintenance companies through its exceptional professionals, dedication to innovation, communication, and significant experience as a full-service provider of maintenance solutions. Their professionals are East End Group employees, not subcontractors.

What Can Business Learn From Non-Profits?

A colleague of mine, Norma Rosenberg, says she loves when her non-profit and for profit CEOs get together, because they “rub off on each other.”  Leaders grow when they’re exposed to different leadership approaches.  And in the course of these interactions, divergent perspectives “rub off on each other” to the benefit of all.  In this installment you’ll gain key insights on what business can learn from non-profits on two important topics: strategy and people.

What Can We Learn From Our Competitors?

I recently went to an exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum Art that got me thinking about leadership and in particular this question: what can we learn from our competitors? The exhibit focused on two painters from the 19th century—Edouard Manet and Edgar Degas. They were rock stars! (Think “Taylor Swift and Beyonce” from the 19th century!) And they had a complicated relationship over the years; they were friends and competitors, adversaries and even enemies for a time. But they leveraged what they learned from each other to become even more proficient—and creative—artists. The leadership take away for me was that we have a choice in how we think about our competitors. We can give in to the impulse to mock what they do, discredit them at every opportunity, even try to eliminate them. Or, we can step back and appreciate what they do, and look for ways to learn from them to improve our business and become a better leader. This podcast describes the unexpected painting that illustrates how even hostility can lead to innovation.

James Dussich on Vistage

Join me with current member James Dussich to talk about our Vistage peer advisory group.James Dussich is a solution-based leader with immense passion, focus on accountability, dedication to growth and integrity across all aspects of his work. As Chief Executive Officer and Owner at Mint-X® LLC, James manages all aspects of the business including P&L, vision and planning, growth strategy, operations and manufacturing, sales and marketing and business development.His “roll up your sleeves” attitude has driven his company from inception to an international thriving business that includes strategic partnerships with the leading retailers in the world.James has spent his career building Mint-X® from the ground up. Prior to becoming CEO, he was Chief Operating Officer where he established and then managed multiple manufacturing facilities across New York and New Jersey. Additionally, he led research and development of new products, overseeing everything including quality assurance and logistics from ideation to store shelves. Under James’ leadership the company earned multiple prestigious certifications that are nationally recognized as the Gold Standards in manufacturing practices.

The Value of One-to-Ones

I meet each month privately with my members where we really dig into the issues and opportunities specific to each member. In these sessions, I don't have all the answers. In fact, my philosophy in coaching is to ask the questions no one else is asking them. My role is to question their answers and help them get to the next level. 
 
This episode contains testimonials about the value of these one-to-one executive coaching sessions straight from my members themselves.

The Culture of the Peer Group

A friend of mine recently returned from a long weekend with friends she has known for decades. When I asked about the weekend, she smiled and said, "I was with my tribe again: it was wonderful!" There are tribes in the workplace too, and the wonderful book "Tribal Leadership" points out that there are various stages of tribal development in organizations. And each stage has its own culture. What's the culture of our Vistage tribe, otherwise known as a peer advisory group? This video describes that culture, in the words of several of its members.

How We Process Issues in Vistage

When I was a teenager my mother used to talk about the importance of "keeping good company." It was another way of telling me to stay out of trouble! One of the business books on my shelf is called the "Power of Peers," and the subtitle always brings my mother to mind: "How the Company You Keep Drives Leadership, Growth and Success." When executives "keep good company" it allows them to leverage the collective wisdom of diverse perspectives to better meet challenges and identify opportunities. My Vistage peer advisory groups leverage the power of peers through the way we process business issues and opportunities. In fact, one of my CEO members told me that issue processing is the "secret sauce" of Vistage. In this video you'll learn why.

How Vistage Members Manage the Time Commitment

One of the most common reasons I hear for not joining Vistage is, "I can't make the time." It's a great observation, because time is our most precious asset. And it's non-renewable. We all have the same number of hours each week: 168. The key question is how we spend the time we have. Vistage members don't join because they're looking for something to do. In fact, they are among the most productive leaders anywhere. As a colleague of mine is fond of saying, "Vistage doesn't take time, it nets time." How? By putting a stop to doing other people's jobs, by practicing how to delegate effectively, by getting home earlier, and by devoting more time to the most important relationships in their lives. In this podcast you'll hear how they manage the time commitment.

True Grit

One of the qualities I often see in small business owners is grit. Angela Duckworth is a leading authority on the science of grit, which she describes in her popular book by the same title. Duckworth did her research on grit among cadets at West Point, all of whom endure a 7 week summer initiation program called "The Beast," 'which is engineered to test the limits of new cadets. In this podcast you'll get some insights into Duckworth's "grit scale" that may surprise you. You'll also learn about the applicability of true grit to running a business from a husband and wife team who runs a Greek market. You'll enjoy hearing how they took on their landlord to launch a small--and highly successful--business.