For more information, and to access application and audience registration forms, go to www.sjchallenge.com.

As the CEO, you’re the one responsible for the success or failure of your company. A lot rides on your shoulders — operations, marketing, strategy, financing, creation of company culture, human resources, hiring, firing, compliance, sales, PR, etc. At times, it can feel overwhelming. Some days, you feel just like a “one-armed paper hanger.” Everyone has those days but it’s important to monitor whether they’re the exception or the norm. If it’s the latter I suggest you take a step back and re-focus. The goal is for you to “sit in the CEO chair.” I say this to my clients all the time. If you feel that you’re “in the weeds,” there are several actions that can be taken to get you back to where you should be.

Be Honest With Yourself

Start by being honest with yourself. Are you in the weeds? Are your hands in the dirt?

If you have your hands on everything going on in your company — to the point where you are meeting with every client, reviewing every contract, reading people’s email before they send them — you are making one of two mistakes: over-functioning or micromanaging. Neither is healthy for you, or your organization, and neither is going to allow you to affect profitability in the way you should.

So, if you’re “down in the dirt” because you’re micromanaging, then ask yourself — why? Generally, the response I get to this question is, “I can’t rely on anyone else to get the job done.” That’s a problem — and a great place to start. Addressing this issue is going to take some self-reflection. If you are surrounded by the wrong people, that can be addressed. If you have the right people on board, but you are micromanaging, you have to figure out if you’re willing to let go of the reins and start leading not doing!

The Right People in the Right Places Doing the Right Things

In either of the above scenarios, you’re not getting a good return on your investment. You’re a CEO. You know the key to your business’ success is one word — profitability! Often the largest expense on your P&L sheet is your investment in people. Make those investments wisely. If you’re PAYING people to do a job, then LET them do it! And if they’re not, FIRE them!

Now, I know it’s not always quite that simple, and there are many stages in between. I’m not suggesting that you fire your whole staff. However, I am suggesting that you create a strategy that allows you to “sit in the CEO chair” and refocus on what you’re supposed to be doing. You need the RIGHT PEOPLE in the RIGHT PLACES doing the RIGHT THINGS.

(Related: Today’s Corporate Superheroes)

(Related: Seven Reasons Interim Executives are Great for Business)

The CEO Must Set The Strategy and Vision.

Which markets will the company enter? Against which competitors? With what product lines? How will the company differentiate itself? The CEO decides, sets budgets, forms partnerships, and hires a team to steer the company accordingly.

The CEO’s second duty is building the culture. Work gets done through people, and people are profoundly affected by culture. A lousy place to work can de-motivate and drive away high performers. Every action — or inaction — sends cultural messages. Culture forms invisible bonds between members in an organization. People get a sense of purpose and belonging from the culture.

If an organization’s business plan, culture and values are clearly defined, it allows team members to make decisions that are in alignment with the company’s overall goals and objectives, resulting in a profitably engaged workforce and you “sitting in the CEO chair.”

(Related:The Four Parts of Vision: The Passion of Vision)

(Related:The Four D’s of Communicating and Casting Your Company Vision)

(Related: Seven Reasons Company Vision Casting Benefits Employees)

The Solution

I do a lot of work with CEOs who struggle with this issue. It’s simple to get back on track, but you have to be honest with yourself, committed to making it happen, and willing to do the work. From there, it’s just a matter of putting a plan in place to do it.

Your job as CEO is very similar to an NFL coach. A coach’s primary goal is to win the Super Bowl. To do that, he needs to have a game plan and draft the right talent. Then train and coach the team to win by calling the right plays. Successful coaches not only build the right team, they also surround themselves with a very talented coaching staff. Most importantly, they hold their assistants accountable for making things happen in their respective areas. They also hold each individual team member accountable for doing their jobs. They review tapes with their players, they point out where they did well and, they also show them the missed tackles; then expect them to improve. If not, they’re cut. Imagine if your team had a star quarterback making millions of dollars and not winning games. Then, when you tune in on Sunday the coach is out there throwing the ball!

This would never happen in the NFL. So why would you let it happen in your company? The coach creates the game plan, communicates the strategy, and then calls the plays from the sidelines. He doesn’t run the ball! You have to do the same. If you’re running the ball, you need to take a step back and figure out why — and then change your game plan.

We’re External Resources, a company that delivers interim and permanent executives who specialize in leadership and strategy, finance and human resources, sales and marketing, and information technology for commerce and government.

“2012 is going to be a recovery year… and it’s going be a year of economic expansion in the U.S.,” states Alan Beaulieu, the CEO of the Institute for Trend Research (ITR). Alan and his brother Brian Beaulieu, the President of ITR, gave a positive outlook on America’s economy from 2012-2013 during a Dec. 16 Fridays with Vistage webinar but also warn of a possible 2014 recession.

The respected economists base their view of several factors:

Capital Investment: Of 781 companies surveyed by the National Federation of Independent Business, 24% planned capital outlays in the next 6 months (the highest proportion in the last 40 months). While still relatively sluggish, expansion of U.S. manufacturing capacity should continue as entire industries (such as automobiles) shift production back to the U.S. as a result of the strengthening of the U.S. dollar.

Retail: The convergence of mobile devices and real time data has completely changed the face of retailing. Retailers will be moving towards solutions that morph the in-store and online retail experience. Consumer spending this Christmas season was high even as joblessness remains relatively high and there is virtually no rise in household incomes.

Hiring: U.S. companies who have cut staff for 3 years are starting to hire again. Economist Carl Riccadonna said “We’re getting to the stage where employers can’t squeeze more water from the stone”. Remarkably, the talent war persists as many employers cannot find skilled workers.

The worst is over with bankruptcies: Over one million consumers filed for personal bankruptcy in 2011, down sharply from 2010.

Construction: If there is an industry that has been beaten down it is construction (especially general contractors). The few who are still profitable are niche players or those with a unique selling proposition or penetration in unique markets (such as those that do environmental work or projects for municipalities and state governments).

Government: Presidential politics will dominate the debate. In 2012, 30% of Medicare’s burden will shift to states. “Draconian” cuts in government spending at the Federal, State and Local level (with more than 200,000 expected lay offs in local government) will impact businesses reliant on government spending.

Businesses should take advantage of the positive climate in 2012-2013 but need to be mindful of 2014, the economists shared. Regarding preparation for 2014, Alan suggests that businesses should “grow market share . . . make sure you have enough cash and make sure your credit lines are where they ought to be.” They warn that producer price pressures due to inflation and increased demand could cause your cost of production to go up through 2013 but those costs can eventually be passed on to customers. Also, they say to be mindful of setting your price points too high going into 2014.

Alan and Brian encourage what they term as “make your move” items, which are those things a business needs to act on in order to stay competitive in a changing environment. As a result of an improving economy, the “make your move” items that a business owner should focus on are capacity constraints such as under-staffing or inadequate training. Any constraints that a company is facing at the current level of business will be compounded moving forward as demand for products and/or services increases. Failure to address problems could result in delays to customers and the risk of losing market share to competitors. Other factors business owners should concentrate on include: “positive leadership modeling,” “hire ‘top’ people,” “invest in customer market research,” “judiciously expand credit to your customers,” and “review and uncover competitive advantages.”

By now, every company should have revisited their strategic plan, set 3-5 year goals and set their budget for 2012. Here are a couple additional New Years Resolutions:

Invest your energy on building the infrastructure to support future growth

Focus on revenue growth and where it will come from – new clients, new products or services, new customers, or new geographies? If significant revenue comes from the government it’s time to diversify or is outsourcing for government an opportunity.

For most businesses this is a time for steady, modest growth, not to be making wild bets.

We’re External Resources, a company that delivers interim and permanent executives who specialize in leadership and strategy, finance and human resources, sales and marketing, and information technology for commerce and government.

Being a leader requires emotional perseverance. That has never been clearer than it is now. The overall morale at many companies is low due to the threat of layoffs and cost-cutting that has stymied raises and bonuses. A great leader is one who can restore optimism when it is most needed. If a company is struggling and needs to be revived, this can happen from the top down.

Restoring optimism does not mean seizing the reins and creating a centralized network of authority, though many are tempted to make this move when times are hard. Instead, you want to be daring: ask intriguing questions, meet with your employees regularly to build trust and avoid status quo. Research shows that a group of people can make stronger decisions than an individual.

(Related: ExecuTeam®)

Do take the time to meet with people.

People will respond positively only if they see that your belief in the company is genuine. Demonstrate this by making eye contact and creating plans that include their contributions. Don’t make the mistake of stating the obvious, such as the fact that everyone is working harder and for less money these days. Focus instead on inspiring your employees to find creative solutions to the company’s current challenges. Those who have ideas and a desire to be recognized will work toward developing methods which have measurable positive results.

Rather than imposing layoffs which will surely disrupt trust and loyalty within the ranks, consider tapping into the youthful energy of Generation Y, the job-hoppers. They have the desire to work for multiple companies in short term positions to build credentials and knowledge. You can secure their loyalty by emphasizing that while the contract is temporary, they may be invited back in future if their work is excellent. They may be able to provide trainings on the latest technology to your staff in the meantime.

Securing loyalty and engagement requires regular communication as well as larger company strategies. Use success stories that focus on people who have met the challenges of our times and found inspiring ways to achieve their goals. Another method is to recommit to your company’s social programs and make sure your employees know about them. If people cannot expect raises, they can at least appreciate and work for the social contributions of the company.

Dare to be optimistic.

During these times, nothing is more important than maintaining your leadership by inspiring those around you to trust the organization and contribute to it in creative ways. Inspire yourself as well by continuing to move forward and gain new ideas. Hard economic times create opportunities for a true leader to shine.

(Related: Today’s Corporate Superheros: Interim Executives)

If your company is in need of strong leadership and direction, External Resources can help. We are a company that delivers interim and permanent executives who specialize in leadership and strategy, finance and human resources, sales and marketing, and information technology for commerce and government. Contact us today to schedule a consultation appointment at (209) 491-2200 or email us through our contact page. We look forward to hearing from you soon and assisting you in finding the best solutions.

About the Author: Kaity Nakagoshi works for the University of Notre Dame’s online certificate program. She is a native Floridian that graduated from the University of South Florida with a B.S. in Management and a B.A. in Political Science. She plans to pursue a masters degree, as well as some of the leadership certifications offered by Notre Dame. Kaity enjoys golf, cooking, and mountain biking.

The University of Notre Dame, in partnership with University Alliance, has provided this article. The University of Notre Dame offers an online executive certificate in negotiation, which can improve leadership skills and conflict resolution style. To find out additional information about the courses offered please visit http://www.notredameonline.com/.

Most organizations will shrink or disappear in the long term. It’s not uncommon for great companies to be humbled by what the Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter called the forces of “creative destruction.” The most common reason their business models are under pressure is because they’re dependent on outdated distribution technologies even while their core products are still very much in demand.

Changing economics and global competition have reduced behemoths of the past, such as General Motors and Kodak, into mice of the present. Only a third of excellent companies remain excellent for decades, and when organizations try to transform themselves even fewer succeed. IBM and General Electric have done so, but not many others. As economic, political, social, and technological change, continue to accelerate, and competitive pressure grows more intense, leaders can’t afford those odds. Five basic questions should shape any change program.

Where do we want to go? Sounds simple, but answering this question means setting an aspiration at the intersection of where market opportunities exist, what capabilities your company has, and where you and your employees are passionate about making a difference.




How ready are we to get started? Leaders of most failed change programs move straight from aspiration to action. But you can’t know what actions to take if you don’t have a clear view of the capabilities and mindsets you’ll need to develop to make the change stick. When Pierre Beaudoin took over the aerospace division at Bombardier with a mandate for change, he and his team understood that boosting factory performance would require building lean capabilities, something the company sorely lacked despite its engineering experience. Crucially, they also took the time to figure out that ensuring those capabilities were put to full use would mean changing workers’ mindsets, from a focus on what engineering could make possible, to valuing individuals, enhancing the role of teamwork, and understanding the needs of customers.




What practical steps do we need to take? Leaders need to be as clear about what the company won’t do anymore as about what it will do to improve both performance and health. A.G. Lafley, in his famous turnaround of Procter & Gamble, established a portfolio of performance initiatives that gave priority to four core businesses. At the same time, he created a “not-to-do” list including projects that were driven by technology rather than customer needs. He ensured every initiative — whatever its specific focus — included building mindsets and capabilities related to focusing on customers and forging external partnerships as part of its implementation.




How do we manage the journey? Implementing a portfolio of performance initiatives can take different forms — everything from running pilots to ‘big bang’ roll-outs. But too often leaders underestimate the amount of energy that is needed to roll out large scale change: Clear communication so people understand how their project contributed to that year’s targets and to the overall transformation program; employee engagement – employees must feel a meaningful degree of ownership of the changes by involving people at different levels in designing and tweaking initiatives as necessary; making sure that real progress is being made and that the goals are still relevant by holding regular progress evaluations, the results of which were also widely communicated.




How do we keep moving forward? Those few leaders who actually reach their performance goal too often see it as the end of the road, and don’t plan a transition to a period of continuous improvement. This creates a risk that the company won’t be able to sustain the impact it’s achieved. Avoiding this trap involves re-purposing some of your transformation infrastructure to have an ongoing role in facilitating knowledge sharing and learning methods, and providing expertise to help the company continue to improve. For these to be embraced in the long term, the right leadership skills and mind-sets must also be in place.

The circle of life in business is a natural phenomenon, the lesson of which shouldn’t be overlooked by companies that seem to have cemented themselves into permanent spots at the top of the world today — including Apple, Google and Facebook. The lesson is: Nothing lasts forever.

We’re External Resources, a company that delivers interim and permanent executives who specialize in leadership and strategy, finance and human resources, sales and marketing, and information technology for commerce and government.

Welcome fellow FaceBook Friends from External Resources!

My name is Stu Gilman, the founder and President/CEO of External Resources. Since 2008, External Resources has been helping businesses, government and non-profit agencies succeed by providing them highly experienced, qualified and dynamic personnel to fill short-term, permanent, and project-based needs.

“Like” External Resources on Facebook for news, updates, special events, and customer feedback. Feel free to drop my personal FaceBook page where you will learn more about me, Stu Gilman.

While you are here, visit our blog or if you would like to learn more about External Resources and our services, feel free to visit our company website.

We look forward to connecting with you!

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Getting ideas off the ground often require a power surge. In years of observation of successful leaders I’ve seen that getting the credibility to reach important goals comes from uplifting actions that increase five personal and organizational powers.

Showing up: the power of presence. There’s a well-known saying that 90% of success in life comes from just showing up. It’s a cliché because it’s true. Digital and other remote communications are efficient and helpful, but there’s much to be said for being there, face-to-face with others. Instead of ruling from headquarters the most effective CEO’s go out to the field, meet major customers, and press the flesh.




Speaking up: the power of voice. It doesn’t matter who runs the meeting; the de facto leader is the one who frames the debate and articulates the consensus. The power of voice is not mere noise; it comes from the ability to put into words what might be only embryonic, thus shaping the direction for action. Memorable themes provide meaning out of a mass of verbiage. They echo and are repeated, providing a guidance system for companies or countries. Great speeches make great leaders.




Teaming up: the power of partnering. Most things worth achieving can’t be done alone. Entrepreneurs need a founding team. Innovators in established companies need a coalition of backers and supporters. Sports teams perform better when athletes help one another hone skills. Physicians seem to get better results for patients when part of a team that shares information and advice. Partnership invites reciprocity — giving as well as getting.




Looking up: the power of values. Higher principles help people transcend the conflicts and concerns of the moment. Standing for something larger than mere self-interest gives leaders moral grounding and provides a basis for inspiring and motivating the work. Those who are honored as great leaders are not merely good at getting results efficiently, they are able to find grander goals that help people look up to see the big picture and set their sights higher.




Not giving up: the power of persistence. Remember Kanter’s Law and repeat often: Everything can look like a failure in the middle. CEOs in the middle of controversial changes have told me that they feel comforted by this idea — if it’s still the middle, there’s always hope. Keep at it, make mid-course adjustments, and surprise the naysayers. Change agents in companies sometimes get approval after repeated turn-downs just because they wear out their critics, who run out of arguments. Turnaround leaders certainly know the truth of this.

Achieving goals is always a matter of hard work, and success is never guaranteed. Still, cultivating these 5 powers can shift the odds in your favor.

Do you have a great success story where you had reached a hard earned goal? Share it in the comment section below and inspire someone else to achieve!

Welcome fellow Twitterers from @ExtrnlResources!

My name is Stu Gilman, the founder and President/CEO of External Resources. Since 2008, External Resources has been helping businesses, government and non-profit agencies succeed by providing them highly experienced, qualified and dynamic personnel to fill short-term, permanent, and project-based needs.

Follow Us on Twitter @ExtrnlResources for news, updates, special events, and customer feedback.

While you are here, visit our blog or if you would like to learn more about External Resources and our services, feel free to visit our company website.

We look forward to connecting with you!

Find us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+, YouTube, Delicious, and Digg.

Does it take millions of media dollars and dramatic Super Bowl commercials to create a Brand? NO!! When we think of the word “brand” we often think of Chevrolet, Budweiser and McDonald’s, but seldom consider the brand message created by our experience with the corner hardware store, the local dry cleaner, or our neighborhood restaurant. By definition, every company has a Brand. The real question is whether you are managing it and building on it.

What Makes a Brand?

There is a simple definition of a brand anyone can use whether we have the media clout to reach our consumers by pounding the airwaves or are a small manufacturing company dealing with business customers. It recognizes that all purchases and customer relationships – whether B2B and B2C – are based on product or service attributes and the emotional connection shared by buyer and seller, product and consumer. Jim Collins’ record-selling business book, Good to Great, recognizes the foundation of a brand as a company’s reputation and the emotional connection customers have to it.

A true brand connects us with both logic + emotion. Even the most basic of business contracts require not only an agreement on the attributes or deliverables to be offered but also an often unspoken emotional element of confidence, credibility, trust, security, dependability, reliability, fairness, or other similar non-tangibles. Even though Nordstroms has great buyers, merchandisers, and real estate planners, the connection we always talk about is its level of service, the great sales people who engage us and with whom we connect.

Understanding that a brand is based on logic + emotion is important because it means that any company, no matter how small, can create a brand which is something they own – something which is competitive and distinctive.

A properly developed and positioned brand delivers that final hook to win the sales transaction whether the product is sitting on the shelf, being delivered by a restaurant’s server, or offered up by a committed sales team.

How Do I Develop My Company’s Brand? How does a small, even a B2B company, create, build and execute its Brand?

The Brand is the key element, which ties the consumer or customer to the purchase in a memorable way, and you probably already have the building blocks in place. The first step to create your company’s Brand is to understand what makes your company distinctly competitive or even superior. What aspects of this competitive edge are product focused and which are more emotional or personality driven? The second step is to work this competitive advantage into your overall strategy or what the company expects to accomplish by creating direct and simple vision and mission statements which all employees can understand and relate to. The third step is to develop or recognize the personality of the company. Is it energetic? Thoughtful? Caring? Solid? Analytical? Technical? Steady? Reliable?

When these elements are combined, understood, and embraced by the management team, they can be consistently communicated as the vision/mission/personality values to the company, whether it’s made up of five or 2,000 employees. The Brand values exist at this point, but decisions have to be made on what the brand’s “voice” will sound and look like. This voice will impact everything from the logo and the font and layout chosen for the company’s business cards all the way to how we want to “talk” and relate to our own staff and our customers. A real brand is tightly woven into everything the management team communicates to its employees and the company communicates to its consumers or customers. It represents what a company makes, the services it provides, and its culture and values. A brand is much bigger than an advertising slogan!

Does It Really Work?

Because we are accustomed to thinking of brands in terms of Coke, Pepsi, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Honda or Toyota, people tend to presume brands are not important to small to medium sized companies. But my own experience working with both multi-million dollar marketing budgets as well as more minimal budgets has taught me differently. One example is an experience with a medium sized wholesale distributor to the pool and spa industry, which had been suffering through a malaise created by the economy and a lack of clear leadership resulting in a severe revenue decline. Its media budget was close to zero. However, the management team repositioned the company and brand based on three core values of solution selling, sustainable product development, and customer service. Everything from training to bonus programs to business cards to customer communications was redesigned to communicate a clear message. Every operations meeting and every CEO speech or presentation focused on the three core elements in a way which was consistent with the new “personality.” The result turned a negative sales trend to 40% growth track as the company became known for its great service and innovative products.

A real brand is tightly woven into everything the management team communicates to its employees and the company communicates to its consumers or customers. It represents what a company produces, the services it provides, its culture and values. A brand is much bigger than a short term advertising slogan!

Your Brand, Your Culture

The foundations for a true, long lasting Brand come from within the company and therefore can be articulated by any company of any size, whether it is B2B, B2C or even an individual. These brand elements can then speak to both customers and the internal organization in a consistent, sustainable, and business building fashion to give your company competitive leverage for both the short and long term.

We’re External Resources, a company that delivers interim and permanent executives who specialize in leadership and strategy, finance and human resources, sales and marketing, and information technology for commerce and government.

Can you state your three most relevant and compelling brand attributes? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

External Resources is opening up our blog doors and extending an invitation to you to write a guest article. We are looking for a few great writers to share their story about business related experiences and achievements. We know you have so much to share and may not have time to write or blog about it all. Our goal is to feature at least one or two guest writers a month.

This is your chance to engage with a new community, to have your voice be heard, and to contribute your gifts to a community eager to hear your thoughts and perspectives.

Consider this your official invitation to write a guest post on ExternalResources.net:

Who: You!

What: Your Stories about Business Related Experiences and/or Achievements

When: NOW

Where: External Resources NEWS on our Company Website

Why: Guest posts are a great way to share your voice with a new audience.