During the ‘50s and ‘60s, IBM was the place that developed the next generation of business leaders. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, GE was the place that was the training grounds for business leaders. Today, Amazon has assumed that mantle as the “go-to” place for new and emerging leaders. Like IBM and GE before it, Amazon receives a lot of criticism of its culture and demands. Amazon is a major player in the market today. It has changed how America shops, as well as the retail landscape. Every successful organization or business has key core values or driving principles, and Amazon is no different. Successful businesses make their driving principles real and apply them rigorously to everything they do.  I came across an Inc. article that discussed Amazon’s 14 Principles of Leadership and found them insightful and instructive. Here are Amazon’s 14 Principles of Leadership: Customer Obsession – Amazon works…

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Listening is a challenge. We are bombarded with so much stimulation, noise, and digital overload that our attention span and ability to listen are becoming less and less. Social media has reduced one-on-one communication and has eliminated all the small social cues we get when we listen and talk face to face. We hear, but we do not listen. Also, as we have become more divided culturally, we are quick to put people in particular silos based on labels and “trigger” words.  We do a lousy job of listening. We may hear the word coming out of a person’s mouth, but we allow internal and external distractions to steal our focus. The typical process for many people today is to speak and then, in turn, wait to talk again. We never really hear what the other person is saying because we are already processing what we are going to say…

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How do you build success for your business or career? What are those key elements that can make your business or your career stand out? Many times, people expect a complicated formula or some deep process that a person must go through to be successful. The formula for success is pretty simple; it is the execution and delivery of these key elements that can be so challenging. Here are three key elements of success today: 1. Trust – This is a trait that seems in short supply in today’s world of lies and fake news. Trust is a characteristic that can pay huge dividends or cause a person’s downfall within weeks. Every business and venture needs trust. I am fortunate to work with a group of people who work hard, regardless of whether I am standing right next to them or if I am out of sight. I trust them…

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Hundreds of thousands of businesses in the United States pay lip service to customer service and building customer loyalty. In truth, very few businesses deliver at a high level. In a business climate where customers can choose to order now from their smartphone or walk into your store, how you build customer loyalty will be the foundational success for your business.  There are things a business can do to help make its odds of success increase dramatically; all it requires is just a little thinking and planning to make all the difference in the world. Here are ten things a business can do to increase its chance of success.  Hire good people and train them well. Long term, there is no better investment a business can make than in hiring good people and training them well. This process is not based on finding the cheapest way to hire or train.…

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In the coming months, the voters in our country are going to hear a discussion about “Democratic Socialism”. Defenders of this new “Democratic Socialism” argue that the Soviet Union was an aberration of socialism and was not the norm. The new groups that are now pushing this new generation of “Democratic Socialism” claim their vision and version is a kinder and gentler socialism, with democratic inclusiveness, social justice, and egalitarianism for all.  These new advocates claim to reject the socialism of the Soviet Union and claim any attempt to link their version to the old Soviet Union socialism is an attempt to throw their ideas into disrepute through guilt by association. The problem with their argument is that any claim of socialism that is based on class conflict is still based on Marxist theory and forms.  The claim about the “one percent wealthy” is merely a modification of Marxian terminology…

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Leading and the core elements of leading are interesting to study. One area that is fascinating to study is military leaders. Their leadership role is much larger for one simple reason – lives are at stake. Military leaders are literally making life and death decisions. It is a responsibility that weighs on them long after the battle or war is over.  For the rest of us, there are key lessons to be learned in leading from military leaders. I am thankful I do not have to make those types of decisions. One general in particular always stands out to me – Ulysses S Grant. He demonstrated, at the Union’s lowest point in the Civil War, that he could lead and win.  He showed the resolve to defeat Robert E. Lee, who had become almost mystical, both in the North and South. Lee had become that figure and leader the Union…

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Many times, a business or organization is faced with a tough decision concerning keeping an employee or letting an employee go. Those moments as a leader or manager are never easy, but a situation or event has forced a decision to be made. How to evaluate and document what is essential to the organization is critical. Understanding what can be fixed and what cannot are important questions. Here are my five fatal flaws that would cause a serious conversation about termination: Lack of ability to learn from mistakes – We all make mistakes; mistakes are part of the human experience. I don’t worry too much about what I call “one-off” mistakes. “One-off” mistakes are missteps that happen just once. What catches a leader’s attention is the same type of mistake that is being made repeatedly. A mistake is corrected, but the person then keeps making the same mistake over and…

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I spend a lot of my time working with startups and entrepreneurs, and it is one of the most rewarding and exciting parts of my day that I get to do at the McAllen Chamber of Commerce. Seeing some of the fantastic ideas in development, and some even becoming realities, is thrilling. Our culture believes creating something from nothing can be done overnight and that entrepreneurs and innovators catch “lightning in a bottle”. In actuality, that couldn’t be any further from the truth. The average entrepreneur and innovator we work with will take almost five years to get his/her idea to a profitable stage, if it makes it that far. So, here are a few things I have noticed about our local entrepreneurs and innovators: They have lots of ideas – The innovators we work with have lots of ideas, and one approach leads to two or more ideas in…

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Last week, I wrote about the McAllen Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. The Chamber board has been strategic in finding key leaders across sections of McAllen’s economy who bring to the table relationships and the ability to drive critical goals for the Chamber. The McAllen Chamber of Commerce Board is the tipping point, or “X” factor, for our organization. Here is Part II of the McAllen Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors: Jason Leal – Jason is the immediate past treasurer for the Chamber and brings a robust analytical approach to the trends financially impacting the Chamber, along with the benefits of a long-term banking relationship. Todd Mann – Todd is new to the board and is President and CEO of McAllen Medical Center. The healthcare industry is a massive driver in the local economy and is impacting the community in a variety of ways. Carlos Melguizo – Carlos…

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The new fiscal year for the McAllen Chamber of Commerce started October 1, and I am excited about all the new things the Chamber will be doing this coming year. One of the essential touchstones for the Chamber’s success is the board of directors. These businessmen and businesswomen make such a huge difference in our success and bring the intangible, or “X” factor, to the table. The board has the ability to commit to, and see the possibilities for, the future and the role the McAllen Chamber can play in the business community. Listed here are the people who are driving the Chamber’s success: Sally Fraustro-Guerra – Board chair and “connector”. Sally knows everyone and has stepped up, time and time again, in making things happen at/for the Chamber. She is always positive and willing to do whatever it takes for this organization to be successful. Bob Boggus – Chair-elect…

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From the very beginning, the United States was founded on the concept that anyone could become anything they wanted. It was never a guarantee, but it was the concept of a “fair chance.” The dream meant a “fair chance” to achieve what a person desired, no matter where they were born or the circumstances of their birth. Government is not supposed to block a person’s path, and everyone should be offered a fair chance to compete.   What we have seen in the last decades has been an eroding of that confidence in the American way. Here are some examples of the erosions: Well connected and wealthy families cheat to get their kids into prestigious colleges and universities. Cheating to win. Doors to jobs and opportunities seem to open for people who have the right family connections and right school ties. Connections to win.  If you are not born in America…

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There has been a lot written about decision making and what goes into the process. Bad decisions made by businesses get scrutinized repeatedly – they even become urban legends. Here are several examples: Ross Perot passed on buying Microsoft for $50 million in 1979; IBM allowed Microsoft to retain the copyright of the DOS operating system.  In 1999, Excite (a popular search engine in the 90s) passed on purchasing Google for $750,000; Western Union turned down purchasing the telephone patent for $100,000; In 1970, NBC and CBS passed on Monday Night Football; and, last but not least, Edwin Drake failed to file a patent for his oil drilling process in 1858 (he developed the process of using pipes to keep water away from the drill bits and ushered in the modern oil business).  Here are five traps that can happen during the decision-making process:  The First Idea Trap. We tend…

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One of the critical things that drives the success of a business or organization is the set of core values of that organization or company. Core values are the foundational stone for success and provide the “North Star” for businesses managing change and disruptions in the marketplace. Without clearly defined core values, an organization bounces from situation to situation, without really understanding why it has chosen to do things a certain way. Core values become the guiding principle and standard by which situations, customers, and even how internal matters are handled. Core values become “red lines” that are not negotiated or compromised. Everything can be traded and compromised, except core values. Easy to say, but much harder to do.  A person’s core values need to match with his/her business or organization’s core values. Without a close match, there is internal stress created, which results in a mismatch between an individual…

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