Letter on the Third — April 2022
Dear Datamax Family,
Author Margaret Wheatley once wrote “Leadership is a series of behaviors rather than a role for heroes."
This month’s Rave Review asserts that, in our collective story, the customer is the hero. Our job is to help navigate the hero’s journey by offering insight, know-how, and developing trust. I believe there’s a lot of truth in that, but I’d like to add my thoughts on leadership, because I think the quote above ties nicely into our theme for this month. The Little Blue Book, on the subject of technology, states that “technology, and the delivery thereof, will always be undergirded by innovative thinking and demonstrated trust.” Looking at our behaviors, how do we deliver on both thought leadership and continued trust?
Not by being heroes. We do it by being leaders.
A leader defers the attention away from him or herself.
On a sales call, the first thing out of an account representative’s mouth should be something to the degree of “tell me more about your company.” After that, “tell me what your role is… I’m sure it’s an important one.” As they begin sharing, you continue with “what are the strengths of your company? Weaknesses? Tell me about your competitors.” Things like a 4-hour response time and in-house leasing are important, but we don’t develop trust by pounding our chest. Remember: the more a person shares, the more they trust. The more they trust, the more they share.”
A leader always looks for more opportunities to serve.
Let’s say you’re out on a service call or on the phone with a customer. A perfect question is “Is there anything else I should be looking for?” or “What else can I help you with today?” We don’t do ourselves any favors by making assumptions or just doing the minimum. The great responses we receive through our service surveys generally come from a Datamax employee being personable, thorough, and eager to seek out an additional avenue to serve.
A leader earns his or her title through trust.
Inside our own organization… When things are going well, a leader should always pass the praise on to their team. When things are going not so well, it’s on them to speak up, rally their team, to encourage. You’re not a manager unless the people believe in you as a manager. I’m not the President of the company if people don’t believe we are headed in the right direction. Trust is never appointed. It’s earned.
When it comes to leadership, to me it’s about deferring attention off yourself and focusing on those you serve. It’s about stepping aside to help create heroes out of those around us.
The Best is Yet to Be.
