Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/330408
June 2014 | Construction Equipment Distribution | www.cedmag.com | 7 BY KIM PHELAN The subject of leadership is a kind of a hot item today, but I get the feeling that some companies find it much easier to sort of give a patron- izing nod to its importance than to really exert energy or expend resources to build quality leadership. That boded true in a recent business study I read about in Training Magazine – "The Leadership Deficit," from APQC, reported that nearly 80 percent of its respondents say that business chal- lenges require a different leadership style, but only 21 percent believe their organization's leadership practices are effective. And 46 percent report that their organization places little or no priority on leadership development. Coincidentally, a speaker that AED may be featuring at the Summit next February just sent me his book – a fable actually – about building cus- tomer loyalty one relationship at a time, as the cover states, but really loaded with lessons about genuine leadership. Todd Gothberg, who was a trainer for Volvo for a number of years, weaves a good tale in "No Reserva- tions," the story of a fictional Chicago hotel management professional sent to North Carolina to salvage a dismal property with a staff revolving door and abominable occupancy rates. It's a light read at just over 100 pages, and I zipped through it while munching my lunch a few afternoons last week. (It's available on Amazon or at toddgothberg.com) In a nutshell, Rob, the main character, launches his plan of attack by surrounding himself with high-quality, great-attitude em- ployees and placing priority focus on them. He gets rid of the toxic mem- bers of the staff immediately – you know, "Energy Vampires," Gothberg calls them; the people who don't give a rip and drag down as many as they can into their dark dissatisfac- tion. Then Rob proceeds to create a culture where people are valued and challenged and empowered, because he realizes that: Happy employees = happy customers. His new team ends up developing a theme for themselves: "BYB," meaning "Bring Your Best," a mission statement that reminds everyone to commit to bringing their best attitude, talent and service to the job every day – and if they can't, they should stay home. Gothberg's character makes sure that his new management team members actively "catch people doing things right." I like his analogy to a ball game – fans don't wait till the final score before cheering for their team, right? They cheer every great play and every single time points go on the board. Shouldn't a good leader do the same? One of the best takeaways from the book is the message that seldom, if ever, does anyone ever achieve something amazing alone. Gothberg's character achieves an amazing trans- formation of a dying business, and he does it "the right way, living our values and proving that you can be successful in the business by treating people with dignity, respect and love." Another truth, and one I'm sure you know well, is that "many people can manage, few can lead." Personally, I don't think leaders are born. I believe they possess natural, God-given abilities and traits, but raw gifts have to be shaped and taught, polished and refined. So why am I so hopped up on leadership this month? Might have something to do with spending the better part of this spring develop- ing what is now an exciting program for AED's Leadership Academy, Aug. 26-28, at the relaxed country-club atmosphere of Eaglewood Resort near Chicago. (It's also Frank & Dave band country, for those of you who know and love their music, which we're featuring one evening.) Creating positive culture in the dealership is very important to young leaders, and relating and communi- cating to Gen Y employees, and all the generations of the workforce, is a big deal today. Building their loyalty as well as customer loyalty is a chal- lenge, and so is making good hires. Developing skills to become the next leader of the business is big, too. And so is understanding the succession process and options for owners and both their family and non-family suc- cessors. We're covering all these areas and more, plus we've built in gener- ous splashes of fun to enhance the networking and friendship-building environment, which is equally critical for future leaders – they need a sup- port network apart from the business and even separate from the brand. If this event aligns with your past AED experiences or what you wish your leadership development had been, please give your rising star the opportunity to benefit from AED professional development and con- nections so that he or she can not just manage, but be prepared to really lead. (aednet.org/leadership) Thanks for reading. Many Manage, But Few Can Lead Some companies just pay lip service to developing their next generation of leaders – here's your opportunity to do much more for the next owner of your business. Editor's Note KIM PHELAN (kphelan@aednet.org) is the executive editor of Construction Equipment Distribution and director of programs for AED.