by Brian Epstein | Articles
A car accident that I had recently, gave me the opportunity to observe how some parents model behaviour for their children. At the same time, it gave me better insight into the genuine concern and caring of people and how that may translate into business leadership. This accident gave me the opportunity to observe how a business leader in Canada, presents one public image, while in his private time, shows a lack of empathy and disregard for others. This leader has sold billions products and services to Canadian businesses and consumers. He is from one of the top managed companies in Canada,.
The Accident
I learned how a young man, who was coached by his father, behaved after this accident. I observed how this leader mentors others, how his moral compass and behaviour does not align with the public profile that he seeks to present. Through his son’s actions, This father and leader modeled inappropriate behaviour, lack of honesty or concern for others.
On June 5, 2017, I was in my car with my mother at a red light. It was 10:00pm and I waiting patiently, behind another car. Soon the light turned green. Without any reason the car ahead of me, backed up towards my car with my mother and I inside, rather than go forward as you should when a traffic light changes to green.
How it Relates to Business Leadership
Obviously, this small accident was not a pleasant experience. It could have been resolved quickly and amicably. However, the accident gave me the opportunity to observe the business leader’s behaviour. The emails that his son sent showed a disregard for others.
Leaders need to model good behaviour and actions. This is important for their children and their teams, whether it’s during business hours or during their private time. Failure to show concern for others during their private time, demonstrates a real lack of leadership skills. Leadership is not only carried out Monday to Friday, during company hours. Good leadership qualities can and should be modeled by leaders tin their private time, and not just during business hours.
To learn more about the behaviour that a leader models, contact me for a consultation.
by Brian Epstein | Articles
Years ago, I was a substitute / supply teacher in public schools. My work there gave me an opportunity to learn more about leadership in schools. This has given me a better understanding of leadership in business. It also gave me insight into what a good business environment is.
How A Principal Is Like a CEO
Working short-term in different schools, gave me the opportunity to observe leadership within the school. Through listening and speaking with teachers in classrooms and in the lunch rooms, I was able to get a sense of what it was like working at that school. I learned:
- If they respected their principal
- If they were motivated to come to work every day and
- How much they enjoyed their work environment.
Over time, I noticed that teachers who liked their principals were more likely to be motivated in their jobs. Even as a temporary teacher for that school, I sensed which teachers were committed. From my observation, there is a strong correlation between principals who are respected and liked, and teachers who are dedicated in their work. A principal who is able to lead by example and develop positive relationships will develop a comfortable environment that teachers thrive in.
What a CEO Can Learn From a Principal About a Good Business Environment
I believe that just like a respected principal will build an effective school environment for learning, my belief is that the influence that a CEO is immeasurable. The CEO also sets the “tone” for that organization. The CEO can model what type of environment is developed within organization. That includes how well people work together. Leadership and a good business environment result in employee loyalty and job retention.
If employees see that a CEO or a principal is able to set a positive tone by interacting well with all members of the organization, a harmonious work environment work will result. Employees will be motivated and produce their best work because they know their leader supports them.
Do you need help in creating a good business environment? Contact me to learn how.
by Brian Epstein | Articles
I come from a small town. When I reflect on my upbringing, I often ask myself what is one thing that I learned from living in a small community? That thing that seems to help me in business and working with others? I believe, strongly, that it comes down to the fact that I have a genuine interest in others
Without question, I believe that the genuine interest that people have for others in a small town is transferrable to working in a small business. Generally, in a small town, people want to support other citizens and the community at large. People find a way to be collaborative with their neighbours and all the people that live and work in the community. Everyone realizes that if they support one another, the entire community benefits. People are happier and enjoy living in that community.
In the same manner, if you create a warm, friendly work environment, and people feel comfortable and welcome, colleagues will feel that support and have less stress. Therefore, when people have a genuine interest in other people, management and employees will feel more motivation at work. A good working environment is one where all personnel show interest in one another. Ultimately, I believe that when people are genuinely interested in one another, it will lead to success in business.
Find out more about how you can create a successful working environment with my help. Contact me today to learn more.
by Brian Epstein | Articles
In a few days, there will be an election in the Province of Ontario. As Kathleen Wynne conceded over the weekend, that means there will soon be hundreds of Liberal political staffers, and a few MPPs, looking for work. That is part of the real aftermath of an election.
Now, if you’re not a fan of the Ontario Liberal government — and not a lot of people are right now — you’re probably not going to lose a lot of sleep if they’re voted out of office. If you’re a Liberal political staffer, you’ve probably already lost sleep — and you’re about to lose a lot more as you try to figure out what to do next. But, if you’re an employer, you should probably be excited because a lot of talented people are going to be available for hire soon.
That’s because political staffers come with a skill set that are valuable to companies and leaders. Unlike officials in the bureaucracy, political staffers don’t have job security. Rather, they serve a minister or premier and get fired when their party loses an election. After an election loss, these highly skilled people all hit the workforce at the same time creating a temporary smorgasbord of talent.
While private sector employers may not be aware of the qualities that political staffers bring, they are incredibly valuable. They include:
Work ethic:
When your job depends on the government being re-elected, you have a built-in incentive to work as hard as possible to help your party succeed at the polls. Political staffers are used to working long hours and being on call — and doing whatever it takes to get the job done.
Communications skills:
Politics is one of the biggest employers and incubators of communications talent. Again, when your job depends on persuading people, you get pretty good at crafting a message, managing issues and dealing with the media.
Analysis:
Every day, even very junior political staffers give advice or make decisions involving millions of taxpayer dollars. To do this properly, staff need to be able to analyze the risks and rewards of a project from all sides. As a result, people who have made a career in politics usually have excellent decision-making skills.
Flexibility and adaptability:
Consider all the government portfolios – education, health care, infrastructure, transportation, natural resources, environments Each of these has its own dedicated ministry. Most political staffers have worked for multiple ministries, meaning they can quickly adapt to new files, people and new projects.
Fearlessness:
Immediately, political staffers are thrown into morning briefing meetings with government ministers and senior leaders. This can include the premier or prime minster. Even the most junior staffer has a lot of experience dealing with big personalities and high-stakes meetings. Policy staff, in particular, are used to high-level meetings with companies, governments and other stakeholders.
Networks:
Though you might think it was more advantageous to hire staff from the current governing party, it is even smarter to hire staff from a party just out of power. In Ontario, where one party has been in charge for 15 years, staff turnover has meant that many former staffers now have key and senior positions in organizations all over Ontario. These people — thousands of them — are all connected through LinkedIn and Facebook. This massive and very loyal network can be helpful when you’re looking for a vendor or a contact or information about an issue — and they all have relationships with senior government bureaucrats.
In the next few weeks, when these talented people hit the market, some private sector employers will gloss over their resumes, thinking that they’re typical “government” workers. But that’s a mistake your competitors are going take advantage of. Bankers – take a good look at Finance ministry staff. Corporations and startups – kick the tires on some Economic Development staff. Run a clean-tech company? Environment staff. Universities? Education staff. And on and on it goes.
Originally published in the Financial Post.
Image: Financial Post
To find out more about how to choose the right people, contact me.
by Brian Epstein | Articles
An earlier version of this article about the CEO Whisperer appeared in the Financial Post on August 30, 2017
Canada’s job market is booming and unemployment is at its lowest point in more than two years. So why are so many people, particularly senior executives, so nervous about the economy. Where is the anxiety from?
The anxiety is real, palpable and growing. A recent poll says that nearly half of all Canadians are more concerned about the economy than any other issue — 10 per cent more than at the end of last year.
Why so much anxiety? It’s true that global politics do not appear to be particularly stable right now, and there are always ups and downs in the markets, but most analysts say that overall, the Canadian and much of the world economy is pretty strong. As someone who works closely with CEOs and high-performing professionals, I think I might have an answer to what’s on peoples’ minds.
I think a lot of the anxiety is because people now have wider access to information, but it’s harder and harder to process what they hear without objective, outside help. At one time, people judged their economic security by what was happening in their community. Things may have seemed fine on the surface, but if the local firm laid off one of their neighbours, they got anxious. That was their network. Now, it’s a much wider network, including our social network. If one of our Facebook friends is laid off — even someone we barely know — we feel like it’s happening at home.
Blue-collar worker are now, sadly, used to the ebbs and flows of good and bad times. For CEOs and other high-performing professionals whose job is to assess risk, these new networks, arguably, make matters worse.
Professionals usually live with the possibility that they could be reorganized or downsized at a whim. But that anxiety is amplified right now, thanks to political uncertainty in the United States, fluctuating commodity prices, climate change and lots of other factors outside most peoples’ control. Often, what modern business leaders really need is an outside perspective — a “CEO whisperer” if you will. An experienced, professional version of someone who does not have a direct stake in every situation but can listen and give good advice.
A growing number of professional CEO whisperers provide this kind of advice. In some cases, they are former business or political leaders who have stepped off the corporate ladder. Others are employment counsellors. When they do their jobs well, they provide objective opinions that can help people make better decisions when they’re worried about their jobs or what comes next.
The best professional advisors all share similar characteristics:
- They use data — Good information is the best remedy for anxiety based on feelings or hunches. Look for an adviser who can analyze real risks and opportunities using data, not speculation based on rumours or vague impressions.
- They can say no — Business leaders often find it hard to let go of the pet project that simply isn’t working, or to tell an underperforming unit that it’s time to pack it in. On the other side, it’s hard for employees, friends or colleagues to give their best advice to the CEO when their livelihood or relationship depends on the boss’ favour. Find someone on the outside who can look in, tell you when you’re wrong and has nothing to lose by doing so.
- They can say yes — Good ideas aren’t set in stone. Leaders sometimes need to test and validate their ideas in a safe place. They can benefit from talking to someone who doesn’t have a stake in a new idea, yet can listen and encourage. The best professional advisers act as a sounding board letting leaders bounce ideas around and raise concepts that may come out of left field, yet might work.
- They identify strengths — Often, business leaders under pressure fixate on their weaknesses, while their strengths are hiding in plain sight. A good adviser can help leaders identify the best parts of their leadership style — what gets people to listen — and encourage them to develop these.
- They give perspective — I often remind my own clients to stay grounded. I remind them that, in the end, what brings us security is not the precarious world of work, but our families, friends and community. What gives us strength are the people we love.
Perhaps it sounds trite or ironic, but sometimes the best person to help a CEO make better decisions in anxious times is someone who can objectively and dispassionately listen and be a CEO whisperer.
If you are looking for a CEO Whisperer, contact me to find out how I can be that person.
