Leadership Value

Only the people around you can say how you have influenced them. They have the right to tell others what kind of value you have deposited in them, not anyone else.

Let's talk about leadership value.

When 5 or more people spread your mess in the room, there must be something wrong with you. The first person you should ask about your leadership is yourself. Some may think it's crazy but only those who lead with integrity do this. Then, with humility, ask the person whom you can trust about your performance as a leader.

Leaders must learn to listen more, act more and talk less. Your staffs are human, not robot. Their 5 senses are active. So, treat them as you want to be treated. When they feel that you value them, you will earn their respect. That's what (your) money can't buy.

Lead others as you lead yourself. But, don't forget to put quality to your followers. You are responsible for their growth. Before you blame them for their mistakes, evaluate first if you have led them correctly.

Better question our leadership if we don't see our flock flying high. 2 things: We might be losing our focus and we are going to fail as a leader.

Fix things up. Give value to your followers and let them grow in quality and quantity. Leaders, don't promise to make your followers happy. Just make them excited about their growth.

Like Jesus, the all time great leader and King. When heaven was waiting for Him, he left His disciples something they should be excited about, not the suffering they should endure...

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8 NIV)

The value Jesus poured on His disciples exceeded at all aspects of life- spiritual, emotional and physical. Until death, His true followers were faithful.

A Leader, A Juggler

I couldn't rid of the life principle I caught at the last seminar I attended. It's about the juggler.

He is the one who keeps two or more objects in the air at one time by alternately tossing and catching them. (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/juggle)You can see them in circus or entertainment show. They are highly skillful. But, before they mastered the tricks, I am pretty sure they spent hours and days and weeks and months practicing.

What does it relate with our life?

You and I have the same 24 hours a day. No one is given much more and no one is given less. The only difference is what we do with the 24 hours a day we have. The balls represent our priorities or responsibilities in life. When we were younger, we juggle not more than 2 balls. Let's say, education and family. The more we get older, the more balls are given. You'll have your relationships, work, life goal, hobbies, needs, economic status and so on.

Now, little by little, we learn how to juggle the balls in our hand. With excellent eye contact on the balls and nice footworks, we can perfectly juggle 2 or 3 balls. But, as life gets complicated, and as life gives us more balls to juggle, we might missed a ball or two and stop juggling.

You just dropped a ball. What would you do? How would you feel? I have 3 things to tell you:

1. Pick it up and juggle again.
2. More practice. Learn the skill. Master the balance.
3. If you dropped a ball again, then go back to number 1.

Don't dare to stop. It happens to everyone. Everyone commits mistakes no matter how good they are.

Too many of us watch others juggle and wait till they drop a ball. Only true leaders will care when someone failed in juggling the balls. He will help him perform better.

WOW Culture of Customer Service

I was so privileged to meet Mr. Merril Yu, my new mentor in customer service. He's so warm and approachable. Armed with more than 20 years of experience in luxury hotels around the globe, he threw us precious insights and true-to-life examples about excellent customer service yesterday in the seminar "Putting the WOW in your Customer Service". That's indeed a WOW to me.

Here are my take away from the talk:

1. He had brilliant mentors.
Imagine being surrounded by not-so-crazy guys. Discipline and Details are essential to win the customer service game. These guys were keen, observant, problem solvers and pro-employee. I suppose his mentors played a major role in his life because Merril still carries their principles and disciplines until today. Having a mentor in your professional life will take you 5 steps ahead of those who learn by their own. Leaders who commit their time to groom their subordinates are not insecure. Their goal is to raise new breed of high performers. That's what I see in Merril. Every insight in his subject matter is a precious gem to me.

2. The 3 A' of Jim.

Merril's mentor is Stan. And, Stan's mentor is Jim. Now, let's define Jim's 3 A's:

- Arrival
Be excellent on the first engagement with the customer. From the greeting, telephone,hand shake, carrying the luggage, color of the curtain...etc. WOW them in everything. Give them the unexpected.
- Activities
Be aggressive and consistent with your excellence in marketing, PR, room service, dining service, etc. This is what you do while you engage with the customer and they will expect you to be as good as you promise.
- Aloha
And, don't forget to WOW them even after the sale. Let them feel you care for them in an extraordinary way. Let them know you that are prepared for their comeback.


3. He treated his subordinates as future leaders.
This is so important to me. You know, Merril carefully watched the people he worked with through the years, specially those who directly reported to him. He showed us tons of photos of those who rose from the bottom and made it on top. What a mentor! Until now, he is still in the business of building people.

While on the way back home, I was still processing all the information and experience he shared. Truly, he lived his discipline and his recognitions will speak for that. Someday, I want to be like him, helping and building other people up.

One example that I won't forget. He asked us to distinguish the black shoe polish from the brown polish. We thought of having 2 containers to separate them and mark it. Behold, he just dimmed some lights and asked us if we can identify the color of the floor.

Now, I got his thinking process. WE REALLY HAVE TO PLACE OUR FOOT ON THE CUSTOMER'S SHOES TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT AND NEED WITH EXCELLENT SERVICE. Or else, we'll be like someone who works in a dim light.

Let me end this post with Jim's saying...

Dreams Shouldn't Die

YOU are the author of your dreams.

No other else.

So, if you have a dream, PUBLISH IT. I came from a publishing company and let me give you a piece of what I know about the industry.

Imagine, you are a writer. You want to write a book. You choose the topic or subject matter. You choose the editors. You choose the printer. You pick comments from respected people. You choose who to design the cover. You choose the best design. You decide the quantity of books to print. You raised the fund for printing. You choose the retailer...So on. Now, notice. Everything must pass on you. Simply, because you are the author. You are responsible for your book to be published. But...you don't have a hold on people's lives and you can't force the public readers to make it a bestseller title.

YOU are the author of your dreams. But only GOD can take you there. Because, I have never met anyone whose dream is too small. Dreams are literally BIG.

Dreams seem impossible. It will take the hand of God for you to have it. You dream about traveling in a cruise. You dream to become a business tycoon. You dream to play in the NBA. So much of elusive dreams.

As an author, your job is to publish it. Let everyone know about it. Work on your skills. Then, let God make your DREAM BOOK a bestseller. In its perfect time, your dreams will happen.

And, don't ever close your DREAM BOOK. Dreams shouldn't die. If you really believe, God will make it possible, in HIS perfect timing.