Episode 4 – Winning the mental game.  Building team depth.  Improving relationships with market makers.

3 Strategies from Leaders that Thrived

1. Winning the mental game.  Building healthy mental habits to prepare for challenging times.

The pressures and rapid changes we’ve all experienced in the last 5 years would rival the most challenging times in history.  Sure, other amazing human achievements dot the historical landscape to the beginning of time; however, the pace of change is increasing.  In engineering, this is simply called acceleration.  Change is accelerating at the speed of thought.

Change is accelerating at the speed of thought.

Whatever you do to keep your head in the game from meditation apps to prayer to exercise to church or whatever it is you use as your virtuous cycle tools, now is the time to keep those habits strong.

Buckle up, strap in and wear a helmet!  This thing is just getting started!

2. Building team depth.

A lesson that rang true with a clear tone was building depth in the team.  Many team members couldn’t or wouldn’t come to work.  Well, those people are still out there working on your teams.  So, be sure there is a back up plan to either outsource or build your own team.

Many, many owners talked about getting caught shorthanded and could meet the market demand.  This is a classic example found in the sports world.  Usually the phrase is, “Next man up!”.

Usually the phrase is, “Next man up!”.

Is your team capable of putting someone else on the field right now?

3. Improve relationships with market makers and sellers.

Networking with the networkers kept many businesses alive and thriving.  In good times, there is a natural tendency to lower the networking guard.  It is easy to understand why someone would do this.  “Things are good, we are good.  No need to find more leads.”  Well, when the well is dry, it’s too late.

“Dig your well before you’re thirsty!”

Harvey MacKay said it best, “Dig your well before you’re thirsty!”

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As a reminder, this is where these comments originated.

Lockdown 2020

Just as the lockdown occurred in 2020, I reached out to leaders in my network and asked them several strategic questions.  I did this as a hedge against falling into the void for myself and possibly for them if it served that purpose.

The responses were obviously shaded with fear and concern, as well as toughmindedness that ended up enabling most of them to survive and even thrive during the lockdown.

How did you make it and thrive?

Then, when the dust seemed to settle in 2022, I went back to those same leaders and asked them how they survived the apocalypse.  The responses are a treasure chest of business counsel that stands the test of time in good times or bad.

The following are a few comments from these leaders after the apocalypse…which didn’t really happen, especially the way the media portrayed it.  The world did not end, but unfortunately there was plenty of collateral damage and lives lost.

Episode 3 –

Personal discipline kept me moving forward.  “If you want to sell penicillin, create a fever.”  Get to market ASAP with new products.

3 Strategies from Leaders that Thrived

1. Personal discipline kept me moving forward.

Perhaps there has never been a more trying period in modern times than the destructive government lockdown.  Personal discipline and those that had it, made serious progress.

Sports seasons were cancelled, school officials grabbed power, local politicians invented new rules of life day by day…and it seemed everyone was just making it up.

Those that were able to continue operating based on sound principles, like personal discipline, saw through this catastrophe and kept on working.  Well, those skills are still super important today and every day.  Whatever your formula is for increasing your personal discipline, today is the day to begin.

When is the best time to plant a tree?  40 years ago, or today.  So, “plant that tree” and double down on personal discipline like the successful leaders that thrived during the lockdown.

2. “If you sell Penicillin, create a fever.”

I got a pretty good laugh out of this one when this manufacturing business owner said it.  Then I thought about it, and it seemed like it was plausible and there was someone out there wagging the dog.

Conspiracy theory or not, the amount of money made by big pharma during the lockdown is possibly the greatest situational profit event of the century.  AI may rival this in the end, but that is a very different situation, a more natural market driven supply and demand.

We cannot go back in time and get a do-over, however, we certainly learn from this calamity.  Think, think, think.  When they are all yelling loudly and yelling the same thing, think, think, think.  “Is this real?”

3. Get to market ASAP with new products!

At one point, years ago, in Wooster, Ohio, Rubbermaid home products was a new product machine.  Rubbermaid was an household name and a new product engine.  They launched a new product every day and had systems for doing it.

The speed and pace of change has increased.  Access to design talent is greater than ever.  The global market continues to grow and expand.  Now is the time to launch the new product!  Now is the time to expand the business!

It’s go time!

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As a reminder, this is where these comments originated.

Lockdown 2020

Just as the lockdown occurred in 2020, I reached out to leaders in my network and asked them several strategic questions.  I did this as a hedge against falling into the void for myself and possibly for them if it served that purpose.

The responses were obviously shaded with fear and concern, as well as toughmindedness that ended up enabling most of them to survive and even thrive during the lockdown.

How did you make it and thrive?

Then, when the dust seemed to settle in 2022, I went back to those same leaders and asked them how they survived the apocalypse.  The responses are a treasure chest of business counsel that stands the test of time in good times or bad.

The following are a few comments from these leaders after the apocalypse…which didn’t really happen, especially the way the media portrayed it.  The world did not end, but unfortunately there was plenty of collateral damage and lives lost.

Episode 2 – We took some big risks!  Relied on my family and Christian Beliefs. Inventory is King!

3 Strategies from Leaders that Thrived

1. We took some big risks!

The adage is as true as ever, “No risk, no reward!”  During challenging times, the luxury of taking time to make calculated risks shrinks and experience takes over.

Several of the leaders I spoke to benefitted greatly from jumping on opportunities immediately such as buying material that was stranded and couldn’t get through the export portal, buying a stranded piece of new equipment or making that hire of someone that was just outplaced.

I saw firsthand companies thrive because they stayed mentally tough and kept their team on track ever single day.  As a result, as other companies were out of production, they kept winning new business.

So, stay in the game!

2. I relied heavily on my family and Christian Beliefs.

This topic resonated with me.  I see this as THE reason I personally go to work along with most of my best contacts in the market.  We work for our families.  We work to bring glory to God.  We work because of Him.

My personal beliefs in Jesus Christ carried me through this difficult time along with many, many challendging times before and after.

No Jesus, No peace.  Know Jesus, Know Peace!

3. Inventory is King!

If you had material during the lockdown, you were in business.  If you were running lean, well, you had extra free time.

This is one thing that many said they would never forget.  Keeping an eye on ample inventory supply was indelibly etched in the minds of so many small manufacturers.  These are people that feed last from the trough when force majeure is declared.

So, stock up!

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As a reminder, this is where these comments originated.

Lockdown 2020

Just as the lockdown occurred in 2020, I reached out to leaders in my network and asked them several strategic questions.  I did this as a hedge against falling into the void for myself and possibly for them if it served that purpose.

The responses were obviously shaded with fear and concern, as well as toughmindedness that ended up enabling most of them to survive and even thrive during the lockdown.

How did you make it and thrive?

Then, when the dust seemed to settle in 2022, I went back to those same leaders and asked them how they survived the apocalypse.  The responses are a treasure chest of business counsel that stands the test of time in good times or bad.

The following are a few comments from these leaders after the apocalypse…which didn’t really happen, especially the way the media portrayed it.  The world did not end, but unfortunately there was plenty of collateral damage and lives lost.

Episode 1 – What are you even talking about?

Lockdown 2020

Just as the lockdown occurred in 2020, I reached out to leaders in my network and asked them several strategic questions.  I did this as a hedge against falling into the void for myself and possibly for them if it served that purpose.

The responses were obviously shaded with fear and concern, as well as toughmindedness that ended up enabling most of them to survive and even thrive during the lockdown.

How did you make it and thrive?

Then, when the dust seemed to settle in 2022, I went back to those same leaders and asked them how they survived the apocalypse.  The responses are a treasure chest of business counsel that stands the test of time in good times or bad.

The following are a few comments from these leaders after the apocalypse…which didn’t really happen, especially the way the media portrayed it.  The world did not end, but unfortunately there was plenty of collateral damage and lives lost.

3 Strategies from Leaders that Thrived

1. We never shut down after 1 week of stopping.

This was one of my favorite answers of all.  The small to medium sized manufacturing leader just didn’t listen to the fear mongering and pressed forward.

Perhaps this is because operators of small to medium sized manufacturing companies face cataclysm with almost every decision they make, so this episode was just another day at the office for them.  For once, the general public felt what a manufacturing leader feels most of the time, the edge of chaos, near misses, sudden changes and so much more.

• 2. We focused on sales.

This comment seems so obvious and probably the best possible use of time during any challenge.  Focus on what we can do for others.  How can we create value for the other guy and help him grow his business?

Focusing on sales is the key to all fast growth and surviving companies.  Once the customer focused vision is lost, value creation is lost as well.

• 3. Went to work every day, focused on my work and kept working.

This leader added some of the following in our discussion.  “Control what you can control.  Delegate what you can delegate.  Focus on making progress right now on the highest priority.  Let go of those things you cannot control.”  Pure wisdom.

Look for more insights from the survivors of the apocalypse in future posts.