Leadership Quote: People Don’t Want to Hear Your Story…

by Elisa Spain Comment Closed

This month’s leadership quote:

“People don’t want to hear your story, they want to hear their story through you.”

–Nicholas Tremulis

My husband is a big fan of Nicholas Tremulis, a Chicago musician who plays a unique mix of rock, R&B, and pop. Earlier this year, we had the opportunity to see him live in a small venue. Between songs, Nicholas told us his story and the story of his music.

He talked about song writing with this quote. When I heard it, it resonated for me as not just about songwriting, but about leadership, in particular the coaching part of the essential roles of a leader. I like to tell stories and I read this quote often to remind me why I do, and to remind me only to tell stories for this purpose.

Why Vistage Works

Elisa K. Spain

Leadership Quote: The Concept of ‘Value Added’…

by Elisa Spain Comment Closed

This month’s leadership quote:

“The concept of  ‘value added’ will drive more companies bankrupt than any other.”

—Sam Bowers

What???, you say. Value added is how we differentiate; value added is how we compete; it’s how we win. Yes and..

  • How much is it costing to add that extra value?
  • Are you giving away services that you can legitimately charge for?
  • When you assign a team to help a customer beyond your normal service, do you know how much it is costing you?
  • Does your price reflect the true value of your product and/or service?

Why Vistage Works

Elisa K. Spain

Leadership Quote: You Never See A Conductor…

by Elisa Spain Comment Closed

This month’s leadership quote:

“You never see a conductor play an instrument.”

—Larry Steinhauer

The intended leadership lesson here is leaders need to do less and lead more. And, like everything else, it depends.

Sometimes the exact right thing to do is back off and let other folks lead. And sometimes, the right thing to do is get in the trenches and work side by side with your team, letting them know you get it, you care and you aren’t hanging out in your ivory tower. The conductor, after all, is right there in the pit with the orchestra.

I heard two stories recently that support each option. One of my Vistage CEO members shared a story of offering to brainstorm with a key executive; the executive politely replied, “I’ve got it”.

On the other hand, another member after sharing a story of frustration on the part of the team, due to staff shortages, heard fellow members suggest, “you are spending too much time in your office, get out there, participate, show them you know you get it and that you care.”

The secret is in knowing when to pick up an instrument, even if ever so briefly, and when not to.

Why Vistage Works

Elisa K. Spain

Leadership Quote: Great Leaders…

by Elisa Spain Comment Closed

This month’s leadership quote:

“Great leaders delegate success, not tasks.”

—Anonymous

Frequently the leaders I work with tell me they are willing to delegate, as long as they trust the person to whom they are delegating. Makes sense. And yet, what happens when the person they delegate to doesn’t deliver?

For many leaders the answer is, I step in, because the risk of failure is too great.

In my experience, it’s when the leader won’t or can’t step in, that true delegation happens. The corollary to this quote is really, “great leaders delegate success and failure”. Hard to do, sometimes costly to do, and is there another way that will allow for scale?

Why Vistage Works

Elisa K. Spain