Business can really be brutal and if you aren’t looking for what you need to change and improve, by default you are embracing an exit strategy.

Just tickle your memory banks to reflect on the number of technology products and companies that no longer exist. While some of that is because it was simply that they were beat by others with new and better technology and will continue to suffer that, the failure to meet the challenge can be from a misunderstanding of what the company really is. A recent example of that is Yahoo who just entered into a purchase agreement with Verizon for a fraction of its former value. Yahoo’s mistake appears to have been that it believed it was a media company and not a technology company. Their announced reason was because they didn’t have a revenue model (market) to go forward with and were too far behind to catch up. And a whole host of others in recent times preceded them, like Eastman Kodak, Compaq, Pontiac, and a variety of some of the biggest in every industry.

And yet change is one of the toughest things for us individually or corporately to embrace. What we are doing is working so why change it and run the risk of ruining what’s working. The answer is simple. One of your competitors, current or future, is already trying to find a way to do what you do better, cheaper or faster and when they figure it out they intend to take your customers.

By learning the obstacles to change, the process of change and the power of change, and building a culture capable of change you equip yourself and your business to meet the challenges of the future. Less than 3 of 10 leaders know how to do, create, and manage a culture of change. The rest are failing.

Getting from where you are to where you want to be as leader in career or business requires the ability to change and this is a core competency in the New Leadership Paradigm!

Barney Kramer, barney@smra1.com and initial strategy sessions are always without charge or obligation!

Getting from where you are to where you want to be as leader in career or business requires the ability to be a good communicator is a core competency in our New Leadership Paradigm!

The desire to grow and advance rapidly is one of the characteristics of today’s millennial. In fact that trait is greater in their generation that their predecessor’s and it is to be commended. And as admirable as that is in my view, the desire alone isn’t enough to make it happen. Those who aspire to lead and grow must act to learn the skills it takes to lead. The skills they didn’t learn in their undergraduate studies or postgraduate studies unless their discipline was on leadership which is rare today.

And the most important skill anyone must have to be a good leader is to be a good communicator. The greatest vision and strategy will fail if a leader can’t communicate it to those they lead. Those they lead will be lost for lack of a clear direction and objective. They will never know the real purpose of their work and how it serves others and the impact it has on others if they don’t know what, how and why they are doing the work they are doing. It’s like building a house without an agreement as to what it will look like, how big it will, what it will have in it and even where they will build it because they have no agreed upon plan to guide them. In fact it is as true today as it has been for most of humanity that the greatest problem with communications is the illusion that it has taken place!

Communications is both a science and an art but it’s one that operates on a lot of accepted and teachable principals delivered in a variety of ways through a variety of tools and technology-ALL WITH THE PURPOSE OF CONNECTING WITH OTHERS TO SHARE INFORMATION, KNOWLEDGE, AND IDEAS THAT PROVIDE A DIRECTION OR PLAN OF ACTION!

Effective communications can be learned by anyone willing to learn some basic principles; the obstacles to effective communications; and the techniques to overcome them! If you want to accelerate a career, prepare yourself for a career and quite frankly improve your life in general becoming a good communicator is one of the best investments you will ever make. In fact businesses with good communications can be over 40% more productive than others. Your ability to be an effective communicator will be one of if not the most important skill you will ever develop as a leader!

You can find out how, where and whether you are ready to take the next step in your career and business by going to www.smaleadershipquiz.com

Barney Kramer, barney@smra1.com and initial strategy sessions are always without charge or obligation!

Getting from where you are to where you want to be as leader in career or business requires the ability to be a good communicator is a core competency in our New Leadership Paradigm!