The best CEO advice I received throughout my career:
• influence > authority
• agency (can do) > intelligence (IQ)
customer service is not a department
• sales is the hardest job in any company
• customer focus > competitor focus
• always try to add value and be helpful
• own it and never point fingers
• learn and use people’s names
• show up when it matters most to your customers
• adopt a beginner’s mindset - experts are lifelong learners
• tactics drive strategy - adapt faster
• earn a seat next to your customer, not across from her
• our job is to educate and inspire
• we are all in sales
• stay accessible, curious and humble
• people do business with people they trust, respect and like
• if you are waiting for a title to lead, you are not ready to lead
• the language of business is finance
• there are no IT projects, only business projects
• pay your best people the very best you can
• hire people based on their good judgment and high rate of learning
• in a celebration lead from the back, in a crisis lead from the front
• you are not a team because you work together - you are a team because you trust, respect and care for each other
• to improve the customer experience, start with the employee experience
• you are not taller by making others look smaller
• revenue growth ahead of expenses
• remove bad apples quickly
• leave your desk and spend time with customers
• culture is what happens when the managers leave the room
• tactics drive strategy
• there is nothing more important than our customers
• if you are waiting for a better title to lead, you are not ready to lead
• business is personal - you can be decisive and also be kind, graceful and empathetic
• recognize effort but reward outcomes
• your company is only as good as the company you keep
• your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room
• learn to speak your customer’s language
• often remind people that their work matters
• a zero sum mindset limits your growth
• your company is only as good as the company you keep
• innovation opportunities are found at the edges, not centers (how your customers serve their customers)