Strategic Leadership on LinkedIn Live:

Last week we had a great conversation about how to be a more strategic leader. Strategic leadership is characterized by vision and direction. Vision doesn’t require grand vision statements, though. Having clear vision about an initiative, a project, or even a meeting is often the clarity about what success looks like and sharing that with others. And vision won’t likely be implemented without direction: leaders need to be able to define what needs to be done and the outcomes of those actions. It’s about the ability to communicate powerfully and succinctly and focusing more on the “what” and less on the “how.”

How can you develop a stronger strategic perspective?

• With customers, focus on the value you are creating and determine where there is more. What are some problems that haven’t been identified that you can reveal? Are there opportunities you can help them capitalize on? Can you share solutions to problems that the client hasn’t yet thought of?

• Choose innovation and look for ways to raise the bar on performance versus just solving problems, which just restores performance. Work with your team to analyze challenges and define the most important problems to solve.
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  Make a little time to be more strategic because it doesn’t just happen. You must plan time to be strategic. It doesn’t need to be huge chunks of time; it could be 5-10 minutes of critical thinking about a project or a meeting, or maybe even 45 minutes to an hour to prepare some thoughts on a major issue. Regardless of the duration, you need brain space and white space on your calendar.

To dig deeper into strategic leadership, watch the replay on LinkedIn here. 

Join me on Wednesday, July 8^th at 12pm ET/ 9am PT as I join my good friend and colleague Robbie Kellman Baxter on her LinkedIn Live.

Robbie, an expert on subscription business models was featured in my HBR article last week How to Convince Your Sales Team to Adopt a Subscription Model. The article highlights the importance of aligning your Sales Organization with any subscription model or recurring revenue transformation efforts. Robbie has some great insights and I look forward to discussing them with her next week! It’s sure to be a lively conversation and I encourage you to join us! 

Times London:

I was recently interviewed by Morag Cuddeford-Jones from the Times London about sales in an economic downturn. We discussed why sometimes less is more, especially in a downturn. Every day we face the challenge of making the numbers happen, and not just any numbers. We are in relentless pursuit of numbers that make business profitable as well as retaining customers. This urgency drives us to make quick decisions against our better judgement as opposed to capitalizing on the right opportunities at the right time. I speak from experience: I have sold through two recessions and know that it’s easy to fall into the trap of chasing bad business when times are tough. When monitoring sales activity, you should focus less on the quantity and more on the quality. To read the full article you can find it here, it starts on page 18.

The Value of Fresh Eyes in Your Business:

If you know a college graduate, you know the challenge these young workers are facing as they enter the job market in an economic downturn. Securing employment in these times is even harder with no work experience. While there is a plethora of candidates out there, employers should not underestimate the value of a fresh perspective and a youthful eye, especially as we watch the world rapidly evolve. Recent college graduates will need training and mentorship, but they just might bring the valuable energy and perspective needed right now. If you have positions to be filled, here are some reasons to consider a recent graduate.

• Malleable. With a lack of work experience comes an opportunity to build good work habits. In some ways, recent grads are a blank slate. You can coach them to be top performers, not spend your time undoing bad work habits.

• Fresh Perspective. Business as usual is no longer a reality and identifying opportunities for innovation can be difficult for those currently in the industry. Let’s face it, we can get stuck in a rut with how we do business, and learning new technologies and trends can be daunting. Fresh eyes quickly identify areas of opportunity, and a digital native can be an invaluable asset if your business must expand or transition into the virtual world. 

• Curious and Quick Learners. Quick caveat here... as is true with any candidate, how recent college graduates show up in the workplace largely depends on the individual, and I encourage you to thoroughly vet all candidates. That said, many recent graduates are coachable, resourceful, and eager to learn. They will be curious about everything. They will want to know why and how things are run at the company and how your competitors’ approach similar challenges. An energetic and curious employee goes a long way in the development of a culture of learning and critical thinking that will benefit your entire team.

As we face so many unknowns, now may be the perfect time to invest in the fresh perspective, energy, and curiosity of a recent college graduate.

Current Read:

As someone with a bachelor's degree in Rhetoric and Communication, I was immediately drawn to this article. It discusses the five rhetorical devices using data, evidence, and facts that will help take your next speech or presentation to the next level. If you like that article you may also enjoy this article I wrote for HBR years ago, Three Elements of Great Communication, According to Aristotle.

Question to Ponder:

When you think of summer days, what do you think of?

For those of you in the USA, is there a specific 4th of July tradition that stands out? What about the 4^th ignites a childlike spirit in you or makes your kids light up?

Quotable: