Last weekend, I participated as a judge at the 20th Annual Kogod Case Competition at my alma mater, American University.  More than 175 undergraduate and graduate students dedicated their time and energy to demonstrate their business skills to 55 judges.  The teams were tasked to analyze a real-world business case, develop a problem solving approach and prepare their recommendations. They were then given ten minutes to present their case and recommendations, followed by a question-and-answer session with the judges.

Scores of books have been written on the topic of leadership, and here are a few observations from the case competition to add to the list:

• “Grace under pressure” is an underrated characteristic of good leaders.

During the final round of presentations, one team had serious technical difficulties with their presentation. Although the slides projected on the screen, the images on the slides did not.  The undergraduate team members did a great job of staying calm and continuing through their presentation despite the snafu. Maintaining your composure, even in the most challenging situations, can be very effective.

• Experience doesn’t always trump hard work.

Without any prior knowledge of the company, its products or the market and business situation, students immersed themselves in solving the problems defined in the case. Given only 45 hours to dissect the business case and prepare their recommendations,  the teams demonstrated insight and knowledge in their presentation to the judges. It was clear that most of the participants had pulled all-nighters in order to compete, while still maintaining their typical course load.

• Collaboration is a guiding principle of the leaders of the future.

In her followup article to the competition, Nicole Federica, Digital Communications Assistant at American University wrote:  ”Pamela Campagna, MBA ’84, and president of BLUE SAGE Consulting Inc., a business and management consulting firm based out of Massachusetts is an experienced judge.  She explained what she looks for in a winning team: “a sense of collaboration amongst team members” as well as “the fact that they’ve worked together in analysis to really identify the business issues and to come up with some creative ways to solve the problems.”

Have you found leadership in different places?

]]> http://bluesageconsulting.com/leadership-comes-from-different-places/feed/ 1 http://bluesageconsulting.com/how-to-know-how-far-to-go-business-lessons-from-the-mountains-part-ii/ http://bluesageconsulting.com/how-to-know-how-far-to-go-business-lessons-from-the-mountains-part-ii/#comments Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:00:35 +0000 Pam Campagna http://bluesageconsulting.com/?p=1192 Note: this original blog entry was posted in 2008. The lessons here still hold true.

I recently hiked two 4,000-foot peaks in the White Mountains.  This may not seem like a big deal to many – unless you’re afraid of heights like I am.   Regardless, I decided to join in on a trip in the White Mountains, thinking, and “How difficult could this be”?  What I learned is that there’s a big difference between walking or running seven miles and hiking seven miles! 

Call it blind faith or dumb luck….we made it there and back – and learned a few things along the way.

•             Lesson 5: Celebrate Your Wins

When we reached the top of the first peak, one of my fellow hikers opened his backpack and cracked open a bottle of Moet champagne.  Although he had been through these mountains many times before, he realized that for many of us this was our first time.  We raised a glass and celebrated our first victory as we moved cautiously downhill to the second peak.

•             Lesson 6: If you’re Not Prepared, Improvise

Ignorance is bliss, and travelling with experienced hikers is definitely the way to go.  In retrospect, I probably could have been more prepared for the “simple seven mile hike in the White Mountains”, but we improvised along the way.  My fleece jacket became a towel after a while (we were thoroughly drenched from start to finish).  I borrowed two walking sticks from another hiker (he had brought an extra pair).  And “tree hugger” took on new meaning as I grabbed every branch in sight while sliding down a 45 foot incline.

•             Lesson 7: When in Doubt, Keep Going

Throughout the day, it never occurred to me to turn back, and in retrospect, I guess we only stopped twice. At times, some of my fellow hikers questioned the availability of daylight and argued about which paths to take. When the compasses came out, I was a bit nervous, but we appeared to stay on course. There was a critical point where we might have retreated and called it a day – the point of no return, but we didn’t.

•             Lesson 8: Never Underestimate How Long Things Take

The guide books estimated that our trip should be completed (under normal conditions) in six hours, and it took us nine hours.  When we started, we didn’t have a clear understanding of all of the variables that would affect our progress: fog, rain, slippery terrain, eroded trails, and slower hikers. By the time we returned, our friends were about to contact the state police to report us missing. Would we do it again? Sure. And this time we’re so much wiser!

Which of these lessons sound familiar to you? We’d like to hear what you think!

I recently hiked two 4,000-foot peaks in the White Mountains.  This may not seem like a big deal to many – unless you’re afraid of heights like I am.   Regardless, I decided to join in on a trip in the White Mountains, thinking, and “How difficult could this be”?  What I learned is that there’s a big difference between walking or running seven miles and hiking seven miles! 

Call it blind faith or dumb luck….we made it there and back – and learned a few things along the way.

•             Lesson 1: Start with a Committed (and Experienced) Team

I knew that I would be with hikers who were more experienced than I was – one of our companions was looking to complete his list of “4,000’ Peaks Climbed”.  In fact, the reason that I had signed up for this hike was to join a friend of mine – a nice way to spend a Saturday, right? When we arrived at the trailhead, it was cold, damp, foggy and rainy.  Two of our members (including my friend) opted to stay back and enjoy a warm fire and lunch and drinks at a nearby restaurant.  I decided to continue on and do the hike with 6 other strangers.  After all, it was only seven miles, the rain had stopped and I figured we’d be home before dinner.

•             Lesson 2: Be Ready for the Pitfalls

As we prepared for our journey, each hiker shared thoughts about the upcoming adventure.  The experienced hikers talked about routes, rain, wind, and fog. The novices (like me) talked about bathroom facilities, warm clothes and lunch. We were all anxious to get started.  Little did we know what was ahead of us.  John Assaraf of “The Secret” fame  describes the road to achievement and self-development much like driving a car in the dark: you may not be able to see what lies beyond the range of your headlights, but as you come closer, you can see more clearly. We were ready.

•             Lesson 3: Take Things as They Come

We planned to cover two 4,000 foot peaks in the White Mountains: Mt. Osceola and its counterpart, East Osceola. We scaled the first peak and forged ahead.  Stepping over rocks and trying to stay on eroded paths, we encountered unpredictable trail conditions.  At each turn and elevation, the terrain presented a new challenge (especially for the novices in the group, like me), and we plodded along, chattering the entire way. I noticed that when the chatter stopped, the terrain became more treacherous – a sign that we needed to pay more attention to what was ahead.

•             Lesson 4:  Find Your Own Pace

The hiking group included novice and seasoned hikers alike.  As time went on, the more seasoned hikers trudged ahead of the rest of the group, acting like scouts who returned to report what was ahead.  It was not unusual for others in the group to drop back and wait for those of us who moved more slowly across the challenging terrain. We developed a kind of rhythm throughout the day, with smaller groups moving together, each at our own pace.

Have you conquered a challenge and applied it to business? What sort of business lessons have you learned?

One of the benefits of being a business management consultant is getting out in the world every day and meeting people from various types of companies and industries. I recently had the opportunity to participate in a working session with the Board of a trade association in New England.  The goal of the session was to educate the group how to use social media business tools and social media marketing, then to evaluate the best way to use them in the organization and each company.  The session was a good learning experience for the participants, and a reminder of basics that are easy to overlook.

If you want to NAIL your message and make sure you’re not losing your audience, here are some things to consider:

1. Everyone starts at their own place and moves at their own pace

The most difficult part about working with a large group is that everyone starts at a different place, and tends to move along at their own pace. It’s important to be mindful of this – and when someone doesn’t get it, stop and reinforce the concept.

2. New things can be intimidating

While we were talking about technology and how to include it in business, one participant claimed that “when the fax machine came, that should have been it”. Ok, so not everyone is an early adopter. Remember the first cell phones?

 3. Change can be empowering

Some of the biggest challenges come from the ability to execute and provide real solutions to business problems using social media business tools. By the end of our time together, the creative juices in the group were flowing, and the room was buzzing with ideas.

4. If you don’t use it, you may lose it

We see this one a lot when we’re helping companies with solutions to business problems: we work with them to develop a process or to acquire new skills in the company. Unless the process is used consistently, it won’t “stick” in the company. The same goes for developing new skills. Make it a habit to take care of your online presence every day. When you continue to use these tools again and again, they’ll become part of your routine.

5. If you build it, will they come?

When you talk about introducing new ways of doing things, you inevitably make some folks uncomfortable. When we talk about “starting conversations” and “building relationships” with employees, suppliers, or prospects  … well, that can be a bit uncomfortable for some. The real point here is this: if you create a way for your customers, employees and suppliers to communicate with you, be ready to enter into the discussion.

 6. There’s safety in numbers

Forming partnerships is critical in today’s marketplace. Whether you’re outsourcing general tasks in your business, or looking for new ways to reach customers and market your products, don’t forget that there are others who are in the same boat. Find them, and look for ways to collaborate and share information with them.

 7. Value is in the eye of the beholder

Let’s say you’re trying to get your arms around a specific issue – like moving a distribution center, or consolidating a product line. The amount of energy, time and money that you want to put into solving the issue depends on how valuable the outcome can be. Keep in mind that what might be worthwhile and valuable to some may not be to all.

 8. You never know how people are going to react

The mental attitude of your audience will affect their reaction. And don’t forget: your business attitude is a choice.

Do you find that learning new things is intimidating? What’s been your experience with these? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

1. Update your plans.

In 2008, we talked about taking a look at your sales funnel, and closely examining  whether or not it needs adjustment. Have customers put off purchasing until this year? Have any of your prospects indicated a significant shift in their business?  What’s the current buyer behavior and has it changed? How/are you reaching your prospects and customers along the way? Are your sales, management and operations plans up to date? The goal here is to settle on a planning method that works for you. It can be a formal mechanism (like a strategic planning initiative), or an approach to managing a particular piece of your business (like a faltering product line or an emerging new partnership). Need some thoughtstarters to get going?  No matter the approach, take a fresh look.

2. Encourage a “We rise and fall together” culture.

In 2008, we wrote: “It’s often true that there’s safety in numbers, so encourage your team and the rest of the organization to look at positive, thoughtful ways to get handle the current economic climate. Engage the organization to work together with a team challenge, for example, to come up with five new ways to improve productivity.”

In the blog post “27 Marketing Wishes for 2012,”  Sam Fiorella of Sensei Marketing says that “My biggest wish for marketing in 2012 would be for marketers to have the courage to link the social media activities they are funded to deliver to the business’ bottom line: profit.” In 2012, with the widespread use and availability of social media business tools, you can’t help but find ways to improve productivity and work together toward a common goal.

3. Reach out and touch someone.

Shifts in global economic and business markets are often a great conversation starter. Over the past several weeks of this new year, I’ve received calls, emails and tweets from vendors, clients and clients who were “just checking in” to see how my business was running. It’s always wise to keep communications open with prospects and clients, in good times and in challenging ones.  All it takes is a bit of discipline to get in the habit of checking in…

4. One person’s trash is another’s treasure.

I’ve often heard this saying when it comes to garage sales, and it can also apply to your business. Look for competitors who may abandon market segments where you can fill a need; take another look at customers that may be underserved. Where in their lifecycle are your products and services? Can you reposition your products or services in a new or different way to appeal to a new/similar/extended audience?

We believe that collaboration and cross-pollination of ideas is what makes for good business.  And we learn by our mistakes as much as from our successes.

As we kick off a new year, consider Richard Branson on Measuring the Success of 2011:

“Our society’s social, environmental and financial problems remain challenging and it looks like next year will be a tough one on many fronts. We will need to look for bold solutions, because change means opportunity. Whether you can effect small changes at the local level or try to push for sweeping cultural shifts in your industry or sector, 2012 – now – is the time to make a difference.”

Bold solutions and opportunity resulting from change. Welcome to 2012!