Tip of the Spear Ventures

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Sam Palazzolo, Managing Director

The Leadership Challenge: Executive Vocabulary – 3 Tips

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The Point: At Tip of the Spear, we’re “lucky” to get exposure to a lot of leaders. Each of these leaders has their own unique way of speaking, and let’s face it, some speak better than others! With a wide-range of personalities, backgrounds, and goals, each executive seems to bring their own sometimes-unique vocabulary to the table. It is this executive vocabulary that sometimes (perhaps every time!), makes us not hear the message they are attempting to deliver. We started thinking, what role does executive vocabulary play in an organization’s success and is there anything a leader can do to enhance their opportunities? So in this post, we’ll explore the leadership challenge of executive vocabulary and provide 3 tips… Enjoy!

The Leadership Challenge Executive Vocabulary 3 Tips

I Can’t Believe What I Just Heard!

“Say what?” we heard a leader exclaim. Not the most outrageous statement we’ve ever heard, clear of vulgarity, and just intriguing enough to make us pay attention to what was to be said next. But it was exactly what was said next that had us scratching our Private Equity | Venture Capital heads! You see, the leader went on to use an executive vocabulary that would have been more appropriate on an MTV-episode instead of the boardroom where we were being pitched to invest in their company.

Just what about using slang/vulgarity is appropriate for executive vocabulary? While some would argue that there certainly is passion at work, is this passion in a desire for performance the most appropriate display of the effort/energy required to have to resort to gutter-speak (or the sewer)? So why do we do it (and we’re all guilty of it every once in a while, right?) The answer seems to lie in either laziness of lack of vocabulary!

3 Tips to offset the Leadership Challenge: Executive Vocabulary

So what follows is our attempt to help you, the leader, offset the leadership challenge of executive vocabulary (In other words, you might be lazy from here forward, but will not resort to inappropriate language due to lack of vocabulary or a strategy to employee that vocabulary!):

Executive Vocabulary Tip #3 – Learn the Right Words

There are over 150,000 words in the English Dictionary (and throw on top the 50,000+ words in the Urban Dictionary and you have a disaster brewing!) What do executives and master communicators do so as to offset the poor choices associated with the leadership challenge of executive vocabulary? They learn the right words that are powerful and practical in use so as to communicate better.

Executive Vocabulary Tip #2 – Learn the Right Way to use the Right Words

What’s at stake if you don’t improve your executive vocabulary? After all, it’s a choice you can make that will determine your career progression. Excellence can be had by ensuring that the right word is at the ready so that you can always communicate your ideas clearly and succinctly with impact. Also, sounding intelligent is important! So make certain you know how to use each word in the proper context.

Executive Vocabulary Tip #1 – Use the Right Words the Right Way in the Right Context

So how do you put executive vocabulary together for a winning strategy, so that you can start receiving those promotions you so rightly deserve and/or ensure that those you lead actually follow? Simple: Learn executive vocabulary constantly. There never is a bad moment to learn a new word for proper utilization!

SUMMARY

In this post we’ve explored the leadership challenge of executive vocabulary, along with 3 tips. Employing a much better vocabulary as an executive is not optional (it’s mandatory!) Empower yourself with an executive vocabulary so that you know the words that can propel your career trajectory onward/upward!

 

Sam Palazzolo

PS – I just published my 4th book, aptly titled “Leading at the Tip of the Spear: The Leader” which looks at the skills needed to successfully lead in today’s business climate. I hope you’ll purchase a few copies for yourself/the leaders you know. 100% of the net profits go towards supporting my 501(c)(3) charity at the Javelin Institute. Amazon’s editors had the following to say about the work:

“In these days when so many expect so much recognition for doing so little, leadership seems easy, when it’s really harder than ever. To be that person who truly takes a chance, makes a stand, and ventures out in front of the crowd requires courage, commitment, and conviction—qualities that more than ever seem to be in short supply. There’s no shortcut to the skills that mark a true leader, but there are definite strategies that can help you set your internal compass, find the right route, and steer others onto the right path.

Leading at the Tip of the Spear – The Leader focuses on the physical, mental, emotional, intuitional, and spiritual abilities that are found in leaders who are willing to lead. You will learn to develop your individual values and purpose, strengthen your foresight and failure-resistance, step up your self-control, plan for any contingencies, and always stay on the offense. It will take effort and energy to understand the proposed process and fully implement it in life and business, but leadership is all about doing hard things for the right reasons. Once you’ve mastered true leadership, nothing can stop you from having the career and the life you’ve worked for.”

 

Mergers & Acquisition Disruption for Exponential Growth: How Amazon’s Purchase of Whole Foods Upended Retailer’s Strategic Plan – 2 Tips!

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The Point: When Amazon announced that they were buying Whole Foods for close to $14 billion, the stock price of Amazon rose to 2.4%. This stock price lift was reported by the news to add roughly $11 billion to Amazon’s market capitalization. At this same period, the stock price of Sprouts decreased by 6.3%, Kroger dropped by 9.2% and Super Value plummeted by 14.4%. It was obvious that one could perceive the short term plans of most traditional retailers (including mergers & acquisitions) – that is, working through some shredding machines. Amazon’s recent purchase now holds high implications towards the future of groceries, the food industry at large, including general shopping – it proved how the strategy of exponential growth could be used to disrupt any industry. This post will discuss how any Mergers & Acquisition deal can disrupt an industry using a powerful Strategic Plan that guarantees growth over competitors…Enjoy.

Mergers & Acquisition Disruption for Exponential Growth 2 Tips

Hello, We’re Amazon. We’re Here to Buy You!

The purchase announcement made by Amazon made the speed and nature of future Mergers & Acquisitions far more challenging for all of us, or did it?. There have been 3 questionable premises by which most traditional retailers are now looking to build Strategic Plans on. The first was whether they can include digital capacities quicker than how Amazon is adding more stores. The second being that Amazon’s e-commerce competitive space is still constrained to retails sales in U.S. The last was how retailers who are brick-n-mortar based can transition to a digital world with any profit by cautiously growing e-commerce sales.

It is now very clear that Amazon’s Strategic Plan intends to offer almost everything for customers- this is a strong indicator that the retail arenas are vulnerable. Think of this for a moment, if Amazon was able to buy into the grocery channel, what do you think can stop it from penetrating into department stores, furniture stores, drug stores or electronic stores (Or, fill in the blank when it comes to _____ stores?) Alibaba, for example, did that in China and beyond with their Strategic Plan without regard to Mergers & Acquisitions. Another thing to also consider is that Amazon may decide to use groceries to increase customers’ delivery frequency – this could pile more profit into home delivery vehicles faster. From now on, retailers in any industry must constantly learn how to develop viable retail Strategy Plans that can help achieve exponential growth and compete worldwide in scope. 

2 Tips on Using Mergers & Acquisition Disruption for Exponential Growth

Let’s use the Amazon Mergers & Acquisition as a case study to explain two tips as disruption for exponential growth:

Tip #1: Advance and Merge Physical with Digital Capabilities

Now more than ever, the Amazon Mergers & Acquisitions activity reflects that it’s more strategically reasonable to conclude only the most viable retail Strategic Plan is the one that can advance and merge physical and digital capabilities. This advance and merge will have to be better than Amazon (or your major competitor in your Industry). What this implies is that retailers need to constantly be well equipped in order to compete with Amazon in certain fundamental capabilities – For example, expense management and innovation.

Tip #2: Develop the Innovation Engine

The real truth is that it is not the e-commerce network of Amazon that gives it its greatest competitive advantage. Instead, it is really the innovation engine at its disposal that provides competitive advantage over its rivals. In order to compete with Amazon’s constant innovations; traditional retailers must relearn how to innovate like successful startups do. This will require the movement from predictive plans to adaptive and building teams of agile innovators. Agile innovation teams are small and also multidisciplinary – they are well equipped with every needed physical and digital skill required to complete with task. They are also geared towards rapid pivots, not predictable straight-aways. These teams tend to always prefer creative working environments, instead of hierarchical bureaucracies.

SUMMARY

In this post we’ve explored the topic of Mergers & Acquisition Disruption for Exponential Growth: How Amazon’s Purchase of Whole Foods Upended Retailer’s Strategic Plan along with 2 Tips! As you have seen above, the retail world has recently learned the limitations predictive Strategic Planning can result to (as compared to a Strategic Plan consisting of adaptive innovation – especially in an unpredictable market!) The right moment could be upon us for retailers to rapidly learn how to adapt to their lists of strategic initiatives, merge digital and physical capabilities and improve on the funding/speed for execution through the development of innovation engines.

Sam Palazzolo

Leading at the Tip of the Spear - The Leader

PS – I just published my 4th book, aptly titled “Leading at the Tip of the Spear: The Leader” which looks at the skills needed to successfully lead in today’s business climate. I hope you’ll purchase copies for yourself/the leaders you know. 100% of the net profits go towards supporting my 501(c)(3) charity at the Javelin Institute. Amazon’s editors had the following to say about the work:

“In these days when so many expect so much recognition for doing so little, leadership seems easy, when it’s really harder than ever. To be that person who truly takes a chance, makes a stand, and ventures out in front of the crowd requires courage, commitment, and conviction—qualities that more than ever seem to be in short supply. There’s no shortcut to the skills that mark a true leader, but there are definite strategies that can help you set your internal compass, find the right route, and steer others onto the right path.

Leading at the Tip of the Spear – The Leader focuses on the physical, mental, emotional, intuitional, and spiritual abilities that are found in leaders who are willing to lead. You will learn to develop your individual values and purpose, strengthen your foresight and failure-resistance, step up your self-control, plan for any contingencies, and always stay on the offense. It will take effort and energy to understand the proposed process and fully implement it in life and business, but leadership is all about doing hard things for the right reasons. Once you’ve mastered true leadership, nothing can stop you from having the career and the life you’ve worked for.”

The Leadership Challenge: Receiving Recommendations – 5 Tips!

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The Point: Receiving recommendations can be tough for a leader. For example, the Ides of March are best known for their recognition of the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44BC. Said to have been warned by a seer earlier in the month that “Harm will befall you by the middle of the month,” Caesar did not heed the seer’s warning. Instead, Caesar later seeing said seer postulated “The Ides of March are come” as if nothing was going to happen after all. To this the seer replied “Aye, Caesar; but not gone.” So we thought here at Tip of the Speer, what recommendations are you as part of the leadership challenge not heeding? Where would you be if you did implement/execute such recommendations? So hopefully with far less dire consequences, in this post we’ll explore the leadership challenge of the Ides of March, along with 5 tips to help you as a leader in receiving recommendations… Enjoy!

Leadership Challenge Receiving Recommendations 5 Tips
“Aye, Caesar; but not gone.”

Eidibus Martiis (On the Ides of March)

The Ides of March are best known for their recognition of the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44BC. Caesar, who was on his way to the Theatre of Pompey, was ambushed by as many as 60 conspirators who lay in wait to stab him to death. A gruesome end to what most consider a glorious life.

But did it have to end this way for Caesar? What if, and only if, he had accepted the recommendations provided by those around him? Would Caesar have succumbed to similar fate?

Accepting Recommendations (Harder than it Looks!)

Whether giving or receiving recommendations, logical flaws and information inaccuracies complicate our thinking. After all, the leadership challenge of receiving recommendations should look to identify their own blind spots, when and how they should provide recommendations (as well as receive perhaps!), recognize the recommendation giver in stature (they should be giving, and you should receive/follow them, right?), and lower defense shields (This coming from the guy who’s famous for first-word reactions of “No!”)

5 Tips to overcome the Leadership Challenge of Receiving Recommendations

Below I describe 5 tips to help with the leadership challenge of receiving recommendations. Keep in mind, there are challenges for the leader on both sides of the giving and receiving recommendations framework, but for our purposes (and to show support to Caesar) we’ll focus on receiving recommendations:

Tip #5 – Overstepping Subject Matter Expertise (SMEs)

The advice of Stephen Hawking (RIP Stephen!) would be greatly appreciated in the physics realm. However, Hawking’s advice in the cost accounting realm would not be so welcomed! While I’m all for cross-training providing exposure to other parts of an operation, I am not in favor of those that don’t attain the 10,000 hours required for SME status providing recommendations on topics they are unqualified to do so. Assessing who the message is coming from could be considered half the battle here. However, the other half would be in identifying even though the individual lacks SME, is what they are offering (recommending) appropriate because of their fresh-take perspective?

Tip #4 – Problem Recognition

What if you’re receiving a recommendation on something where no problem exists? Why would you receive it, and from whom would stoop to a level so as to “throw rocks at glass houses?” I can tell you from experience that recommendations are a lot like opinions, everyone seems to have one. So with this in mind, kindly assess if the recommendations direction is towards something that really needs to have modifications conducted upon it.

Tip #3 – Maintaining Ego

There comes a time when each of us is faced with a leadership challenge. They seem to never end for some of us, never arise for other leaders. Part of the foundation of these challenges could very well lay in not putting aside our egos as leaders. Pride, circumstance, etc. all play a part in sometimes not receiving recommendations as well as they should be (or as they were intended to be).

Tip #2 – Discerning Communication Quality

Does your radar or judgment of the recommendations received go off or lower dependent upon who provides it to you? It shouldn’t! As one of our leaders used to share with me all the time, “Trick me once, shame on you. Trick me twice, shame on me!” The moral here is you should judge each/every recommendation received, including judgment for the individual/group providing it.

Tip #1 – Bungling the Recommendation Aftermath

So you either take or refuse recommendations as a leader… Then what? I am convinced that regardless of if the recommendation is taken or refused, if in so doing success was the aftermath then sharing is done naturally (After all, like Caesar, success has many fathers!) However, if failure is the outcome then responsibility is cast wide with no one assuming lead. Business being business, we should conduct decision autopsies on what has worked/not worked and the recommendations provided.

SUMMARY

In this post, we’ve explored the leadership challenge of receiving recommendations on the Ides of March, along with 5 tips for leaders to qualify such recommendations. Keep in mind, that in addition to his role as leader of the Roman Republic, Caesar was also recognized at the time as being the Pontifex Maximus of Rome (chief high priest of the College of Pontiffs) and a priest of Vesta (Goddess of the hearth, home, and family in Roman religion). Perhaps in light of the Theatre of Pompey outcome he could have been more adept at receiving recommendations!

Sam Palazzolo

Leading at the Tip of the Spear Lunch Offer

The Leadership Challenge: Narcissism – 10 Tips!

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The Point: Some leaders go far beyond the abnormal ways of functioning in leading the business… They go right into the deep end of the narcissism pool!So that got us thinking here at Tip of the Spear Ventures, what would you do with a leader that loves themselves/their work-product far more than their stakeholders/organizational output? We see this in business when the opportunities for excess are great. So, in this article we explore the leadership challenge of narcissism, along with 10 tips… Enjoy!

The Leadership Challenge Narcissism 5 Tips

Exercises of Leadership Excess

Tom is a mid-level manager (Vice President) at a midcap market company ($150Million in Annual Revenue). Tom exercises in a fashion described as a “leadership of excess.” To say that he is a leader, and an effective one by some measures, is accurate: he has tons of charisma, energy, and the ability to inspire stakeholders with low/no drama. But when Tom took over his department a few months back, he made the first move in a series of events that culminated in his demise, pitting stakeholders against him, each other, and a very powerful C-Suite leadership team. Tom’s role as instigator of this chaos led many to question what kind of a person he was.

Some organizational insiders described Tom as simply going mad, no longer in full control of his faculties. Others, an admittedly small faction, denied that there was ever anything wrong with him. This minority would argue that he merely operated by a very different set of rules from those that other leaders within the organization adhered to. In reality, both factions were partially right!

Whatever the case might be, Tom and his actions brings us to several interesting questions regarding what exactly makes a leader go off the rails plunging headlong into narcissism:

  • What kind of psychological processes are at work in a leader like Tom?
  • What key factors push a leader like Tom “over the edge?”
  • How does this narcissism happen, and from where does it emanate?

10 Tips to for The Leadership Challenge of Narcissism

While Tom might not be able to be saved from the clutches of narcissism, you, your stakeholders, and your organization should be spared. The following represents 10 Tips to help therein overcome the leadership challenge of narcissism:

Tip #10 – Establish a Clear Vision

Establishing a clear vision allows for the narcissistic leader the opportunity to not only align current company mission/vision/values, but in those instances where they do not yet exist create them.

Tip #9 – Establish Admiration Zones

Narcissistic leaders tend to create a following that propels them/their egos forward. Ensuring that this propulsion is well timed/well placed is imperative.

Tip #8 – Create an Atmosphere for Constructive Criticism

Abrasive outcomes best describes situations where criticisms were leveled with the narcissistic leader. The atmosphere of allowing constructive criticism to provide alternative perspectives is a much happier outcome.

Tip #7 – Provide Town Halls for Listening

Narcissistic leaders typically find little/no value in subordinate input, let alone stakeholders. If criticism isn’t well received, input from others is also minimized. The creation of Town Hall settings where feedback/input can be gathered is often beneficial.

Tip #6 – Build Relationship Opportunities

If devalue and humiliation are the cornerstone of narcissistic leadership, establishing relationship building opportunities that show care and value for others is desired.

Tip #5 – Disciplined Consistent Actions

Values often drive the narcissistic leader, regardless of how misaimed they may be in reality. Avoid leadership narcissism by recognizing signs of destruction, no values, a preponderous level of fickleness and desire to change direction often because of boredom.

Tip #4 – Build Big Business

Narcissism often manifests in leaders desiring to build an empire, leaving legacies that reflect there sphere of influence. Allow the opportunities for big businesses to be built.

Tip #3 – Empathic Energy

While leadership narcissism reflects a desire to receive empathy and understanding from stakeholders, their ability to provide empathy is void. Bridge the receive/give empathic energy canyon!

Tip #2 – Healthy Competition

“Whatever it takes” and “Win at all costs” are the mantras of the narcissistic leader. Establishing clear ground rules for healthy competition are imperative for organizational longevity.

Tip #1 – Mentor for Motivation

Narcissists love recreating themselves in others, often dictating their behavior in mentoring situations. Mentoring for motivation creates a more structured atmosphere where leadership narcissism works within carefully constructed realms where motivation is the desired outcome.

SUMMARY

In this post we’ve explored the leadership challenge of narcissism and provided 10 tips for organizations/individuals challenged by the narcissistic leader. When are we going to recognize that narcissism is but one of the leadership characteristic potentials, that when properly classified and directed can have significantly more successful outcomes as opposed to when left to run free? If the fuel for narcissism is recognition, perhaps the 10 tips provided can create exponentially successful outcomes.

Sam Palazzolo

Leading at the Tip of the Spear Lunch Offer

Can Business Development Efforts Lead to Less Sales? 3 Tips!

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The Point: The common Sales Leader thought goes something like “Increased business development efforts lead to more sales.” But what if you, as a Sales Leader, increase your business development efforts and achieve less sales? We’ve run into this a few times here at Tip of the Spear when conducting some Sales/Business Development advisory services. So what is Sales Leadership to do when faced with decreasing sales as a result of increased business development efforts? In this post we’ll explore the topic can business development efforts lead to less sales and provide 3 tips… Enjoy!

Definitions of Sales Leadership

One of the most effective definitions of leadership, as applied to sales, comes from former president Dwight D. Eisenhower. President Eisenhower defined leadership as “the art of obtaining some other person to try and do one thing you wish done as a result of HE needs to try and do it.” Another nice definition comes from Peter Drucker, the dean of contemporary management. Drucker was quoted in a speech as saying “Effective leadership isn’t concerning creating speeches or being liked; leadership is outlined by results, not attributes.”

Leaders today face the distinct challenges of managing their stakeholders (Typically comprised of their superiors, subordinates and peers). I took these factors into account and adopted a “new” thorough faculty sales leader approach to sales leadership. What will that mean in practice?

The aforementioned suggests that adapting several of the core leadership practices that have been championed for years and trade them to suit today’s various sales department. What follows are 3 tips to help sales leadership when confronted with business development efforts that lead to less sales:

Tip #3 – Set Realistic/Measurable Milestones

A play off of setting SMART (Specific/Measureable/Attainable/Relative/Time Specific) goals. Sales involves driving towards goals. However, the sales team will not solely reach those goals if they’re realistic (They might be too easily attained, not enough STRETCH!) Sales leadership has to be compelled to work with their team to align milestones that are simultaneously difficult and achievable.

Tip #2 – Align Sales Goals with Business Strategy

Sales Goals ought to be grounded in business strategy and be measured over time. Doing this keeps the sales team on-time/on-target, provides perceptive information to guide new methods, and keeps workers engaged. Once the team witnesses the results of their efforts and recognizes their efforts, they’re driven to further engage to push forward and improve. In fact, a survey conducted by Globoforce found 70% of workers say that they need a bigger emotional association to their job once they’re recognized for his or her work.

Tip #1 – Share Holistic Feedback

Traditionally, sales leadership has stressed performance feedback. However, this feedback tends to be targeted on individual goals and outcomes. They’re observing every employee’s numbers and figures. Whereas scrutinizing concrete outcomes remains necessary, only specializing in this monetary information isn’t the foremost effective way to motivate sales performance. The sales leader understands that feedback must address discussing facts because the job competencies that builds a robust sales performance are present.

SUMMARY

Effective sales leadership is often the distinction between a sales organization that thrives and a mediocre one that hardly stays afloat. Yet, several of the most effective sales managers still mistake the outline in their job title for one thing that’s not even crucial to sales success. Leadership is not a lot of unchecked personal magnetism, rah-rah speeches and a charming demeanour. Instead, in order to offset increased business development efforts that lead to less sales by assigning quotas and reviewing performance reports.

Sam Palazzolo

Leading at the Tip of the Spear Lunch Offer