One thing we appreciate most is the sense of optimism John brings to the Success Strategies AdvantageTM process!
Do you ever feel like your operation needs some fresh thinking? I do. That’s precisely why I read so many different books and publications…to get great new ideas. Maybe it’s time to change our thinking in the Dairy Industry NOW!! Seth Godin, in his book The Big Moo, explained his thoughts on organizations. This can include your business, your bank, your vendors, and even your milk cooperative. He states:
“There are two kinds of organizations.
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In their book Confronting Reality, authors Larry Bossily and Pam Charda discuss how any business expecting to stay around in the new environment must raise the bar for leadership. They state, “Two leadership qualities have become absolutely indispensable today, and they aren’t on the usual lists. The first is business acumen, more commonly called business savvy. The second is a need to know—or, to put it another way, a refusal to take anything for granted, an insatiable curiosity about what’s new and different.”
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Subject: Are You Always Running Out of Time?
On our way to an important bank meeting, my client turned to me and said, “I wish I had more time to prepare of this – I’ve been so busy I didn’t do a thing for the meeting.” “Are you kidding?” I asked. Busy? Doing what? So we analyzed it: 84 hours per week at the dairy, 21 hours firefighting, and 18 hours in meetings!
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Subject: HOW TO BE A CHANGE LEADER
Previously, I talked about how to come up with ideas to improve your operation and implement positive change. “The Best way to manage change successfully is to create it.” Peter Drucker in his book, The Daily Drucker, discusses how to be a Change Leader! “One cannot manage change. One can only be ahead of it. In a period of upheavals, such as the one we are living in, change is the norm. To be sure, it is painful and risky, and above all it requires a great deal of very hard work.”
At a Leadership Conference at Duke University, I heard a keynote address given by Duke’s head basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski entitled “Building a World Class Team.” His message centered around his experiences during 2005-2008 developing the USA Basketball Team that competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. He also outlined what he felt are the primary keys to positive leadership and sound teamwork.
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