The Three C’s of Leadership: Navigating Today’s Business World Requires ‘C’s not ‘A’s By Leslie Grossman
 
Yesterday’s words of wisdom telling us to “stay the course” is like navigating a new world with an old map instead of a GPS. Today, we  need to go off road and plan a new route.  Many of the old ways of doing things, just won’t cut it today. To be a successful leader in your business and in your life requires a new set of principles.  Instead of trying to get A’s like you did in school, go for  the C’s:  Courage, Communication and Collaboration – the three C’s of leadership.   When we focus on the three C’s, we will find ourselves on a path to success. 

Courage is the number one ingredient to move forward today.

When you lead your own business, it takes courage to examine your business model and determine if it is still viable in this new virtual world.  Should you be offering new products and services to meet the current needs of your customers?  What are the most effective ways of reaching out to new customers and discover what they want?    To get the answers to these questions and others you don’t have to look any further than your computer.  Social media sites and websites like Constant Contact offer online research tools that make it easy and inexpensive to find out what your customers want and how they feel about your offerings. When’s the last time you invited some of your best customers to lunch or had drinks with your vendors to get their ideas?  

For some it takes courage to get out of one’s office and ask vendors and customers the tough questions.  Be willing to hear answers that you may not like, but can set you on the right course for new strategies and tactics.  And don’t forget, the best way to get new customers and keep your current ones is by leaving your office.   Build relationships at one-to-one meetings, over coffee and meals.   That’s how you discover new opportunities for business.  So  muster up your courage, and schedule those dates.  The office can live without you.

Have an employee that isn’t performing well?  It often takes courage to sit down face to face and give them an honest evaluation.   Many business owners are nice guys and gals who are uncomfortable delivering bad news.   Today, we can’t afford to have team members that aren’t delivering.  As leaders we need to sit down and share the good the bad and the ugly. Discussing it in a way that doesn’t disrespect the employee and motivates them to improve is good for both the company and the employee.  Pre-scripting the conversation, will give you the courage to have a complete conversation that gets results.

It was Eleanor Roosevelt who said, “We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face…we must do that which we think we cannot.”

Think about the things going on in your business that bring up your fears, list them, and then begin addressing them tomorrow.  This takes the courage each of us has buried deep within us. Being fearless and courageous is a requirement for success today.

Watch this spot for my upcoming blogs about the other two C’s – communication and collaboration.  Read more about navigating today’s business world at www.womensleadershipexchange.com and becoming the leader of your life at www.lesliegrossmanleadership.com

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