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Create With Purpose
John Gearhart • March 12, 2019
It isn't enough to just do the work. Do it with purpose.
I created a series of documents that are meant to be a quick reference guide for working on your publication. I included many tips and tricks that I found myself often having to correct or explain multiple times.
You can download the entire series for free. Simply click here.
John Gearhart's Blog
I bet you love what you do. At least I hope you do. You might even think you or your company are the best in the industry. But being the best is only good enough until someone comes along and does it better. Maybe you think that isn't going to happen to you because you know you have more passion than anyone else in the industry. That passion is important and it is why you should always keep Kodak in your mind. Do you remember Kodak? They were the absolute best in the photography industry. They even pioneered digital photography. However, they were so focused on their film and print business that new companies surpassed them before they even realized what was happening. They were the best...until there was something better. Kodak was left behind because they were blind to their own potential. I will help you discover that potential. You know more about your company than I'll ever know. That knowledge is crucial to the success you've had in the past. But, it is also exactly why you need me. It is possible you've been accepting mediocre results because the systems you're using have areas that can be improved and you don't even realize it. That is where I come in. I will help you understand where you, your staff and your company can improve. Let me provide you one simple example of how I can help your managers become better leaders. Why? Because great leaders attract great people and inspire greater results. Great leaders are the backbone of every successful company and if you only have managers who were promoted because of their previous sales results, managers who have been with your company for 20+ years, or managers who have teams that aren't maximizing their potential, then you're setting yourselves up for failure. Managers need to do a few things to be a great leaders. They need to: be all about the work set others up for success help others earn what they need be strong and disciplined stay informed and aware be prepared help everyone work smarter delegate and follow up give and seek feedback give praise schedule consistent performance coaching spell out expectations have the best attitude and inspire positive attitude in others encourage autonomy insist on developing superior problem solving skills document, measure and track success share best practices expect nothing but the best be there for their people when they are needed. None of these things are very difficult but simply knowing this list of tasks isn't enough to make a person successful if you don't have the right systems in place. I will share with you proven systems that will help your managers accomplish each of these ideologies and become a leader that people not only enjoy working for but who will work harder than they've ever worked to produce results greater than ever before. Contact me so we can do a brief assessment of your situation and discuss what I can offer you when you hire me as a consultant, trainer or guest speaker for your organization. Together we will turn best into better. Guaranteed.
It is true what they say about salespeople. Sometimes they get promoted because they are good at selling – not because they are good at managing. That is how every manager I’ve ever had got promoted. I’ve had good and bad managers and good and bad experiences with all of them. I wanted to be a different kind of manager so I looked at everything I thought they failed at and did the opposite. Learning from their mistakes was beneficial but learning from my own mistakes was even more informative. Working through these challenges on the job taught me more about myself than the B.S. in Organizational Leadership or the MBA I earned with a 4.0 GPA. During my first management job, I was praised for my team's results as we were exceeding our goals. But after a couple of months, when I was doing work my staff was supposed to do I realized I was failing despite our successful numbers and the excitement of upper management. I knew I had to make some changes. I announced a new goal: To allow my staff to use their individual and collective talents to the best of their abilities. So I defined the scope of our objectives by spelling out expectations for which each person would be accountable. I had daily conversations to check for understanding and handle potential roadblocks and empowered my team through trust, training and a mutual set of beliefs. It turns out, I am just as good at leading others as I was at selling multiple products to a prospect. That’s when I realized inspiring others to greatness is my purpose. To do that, I believe it is important that I strive to think differently. I continue to ask why before how and that drives my spirit of innovation and ability to capitalize on previously unforeseen potential. I consider myself a life-long student of learning. I’m naturally curious about everything and I aspire to understand more about myself, my people and my customers so that I can better serve everyone. After all, a leader is but a servant to those he leads.
