What Does It Take To Be A Leader?

Journal SlashChick's Journal: What Does It Take To Be A Leader? 7

Journal by SlashChick on Wednesday September 29, 2004 @02:46AM

First of all, thank you all for your comments. You've given me a lot of food for thought -- in particular, the idea to throw a dinner party (I think that one's a winner!) and the idea that maybe, possibly, I should be more considerate of other people's feelings. (I completely agree and will take that one to heart, as I should.)

I really think this past weekend was a turning point for me. For the first time in my life (with regards to Simpli), I realized that I could do this. I had 3 other people there helping me with the move and I led and directed them -- okay, not perfectly, but pretty darn well for someone who is still new at this whole leadership thing. These 3 people all listened and respected me, which, again, was new and vastly refreshing. I stayed up 30 straight hours without either falling asleep or becoming incredibly bitchy. I respected the members of my team and earned respect in return. It was an incredibly awesome feeling and really proved to me that an executive management role is where I want to be in my life.

Something I have learned from talking and listening to business leaders is how to deal with setbacks. Obviously, every setback is a new and exciting challenge. The key to overcoming obstacles is to see them as challenges, not roadblocks. They are mountains, but you can climb them! Running around them doesn't work because there are always more of them; you really have to be a person who can say "Alright, folks, here's what we have to do to climb this mountain," and then execute the plan well, to be a leader.

Another thing I'm quickly learning is that you don't have to be perfect to be a leader. Here's the infinitely cool thing: people intuitively understand that you are not perfect. When we had to move all of those servers, there were a few whiners in the bunch. "Oh, I can't be down then" or "This is going to hugely inconvenience me", etc. There were a couple things I said to the whiners that made them, by and large, happy customers:

1) This isn't our choice either. We're in this with you together. This isn't a cakewalk for anyone. But it has to get done, and we promise you we'll do whatever it takes to make sure the move is as smooth as possible for you.

2) What can we do for you to make this move go as smoothly as possible for you?

I ran backups for our customers. I moved some of them in the afternoon or on complete other days. I spent extra time and effort to make sure not only that we got everyone moved, but that we communicated with and accommodated our customers to the best degree possible. That really is the key.

If you spend your life making sure your customers are happy (while keeping in mind your own goals and making sure that their goals align with yours), you will always be successful.

And...

Keeping 100% of your customers happy 100% of the time is completely impossible. Just do the best you can, while bearing in mind the above.

And one more, that I just have to add because it made me much more sane...

Learn how to say NO!!!

---

I am incredibly proud of myself for this weekend. While it wasn't perfect, I did the absolute best I could under the circumstances, took the lessons learned to heart, and made it successful. We did not lose a SINGLE customer from this move. I grew (personally and professionally) this weekend. Sometime during my 30 hours with no sleep, I realized that my heart belonged right where it was now -- being a leader and being in control of my own destiny.

I am a risk-taker. No question about it. I run my bank account down to zero. I invest in risky stocks and I read, read, read (obsessively) about market trends, business trends, and customer trends. I firmly believe that things are more simple than most people want to admit.

I will tell you right now in this journal: I will make mistakes. No one is infallible. I will have climbed hundreds and thousands of mountains by the time I am finished with this life. Sometimes I'll fall down. My company will occasionally falter. But if I believe in the simple principles above -- namely, keep my customers happy, but not at the expense of myself -- I will succeed and my company will be successful. Believe it or not, it really is that simple, and it doesn't matter what kind of business you run -- from a gas station to a law firm to a web hosting company -- in the end, it boils down to your customers and how they feel. Are they happy? Then you're successful. If they're not, assess the situation and correct the problems, and you'll convert them. I believe that, in the end, that's all you really need to run a successful business.

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