Jeff McManus's Blog, page 10

Unleashing Excellence: The Swiss Watch Way

We’ve all heard the expression that something or someone might “Run like a Swiss Watch.”  When we hear that expression we imagine a flawless device, doing what it’s supposed to do and looking good doing it. According to Hermle North America, a watch company in Virginia, the heart of Swiss Watchmaking is found in the intricate attention to detail, innovation and a strong tradition of training their employees to execute their craft to a high standard of excellence. The Swiss Watch industry set a h...

Life is…

“A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.” ~Unknown

As Forrest Gump’s Mama once said, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get.” That is certainly true in a workplace filled with people possessing a wide variety of knowledge, skills, and drive; you get the high and under achievers all mixed together and this makes it more difficult to achieve a level of consistency and excellence in all that you do. So, does that mean that as leaders we just take the go...

Problems or Opportunities?

“The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it is the same problem you had last year.” ~John Foster Dulles

In our world of service, there are always challenges, right? Like fixing things, servicing equipment, and making customers happy. That’s normal! But what happens when these challenges stay the same every week, month, or year? We keep facing the same problems over and over, wasting precious time and money. When this happens, it is time to put ...

Growing Leaders Who Lead

“The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.” ~Harvey S. Firestone

As a leader, growing and developing your front-line leaders is vital to you and your organization. Organizations now require leaders who not only have skills to do the work but bring with them the ability or the desire to learn how to teach the skill, give directions and lead the charge.

And it all begins with communication. Communication is the cornerstone of leadership in just about any indu...

A Time to Remember

“Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection.” ~Winston Churchill

As the holiday season envelops us in its warmth and joy, it’s a time for reflection, gratitude, and celebration. I hope you have time to reflect and remember that at the heart of this festive occasion lies a story that transcends time—a tale of hope, love, and compassion that has touched countless lives throughout history.

In a humble setting, amidst the serenity of a starlit night, a miraculous event unfol...

Purpose-Driven Leadership

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” ~John C. Maxwell

When you get around purpose-driven organizations you know it. You remember the best ones for how they make you feel about the company. If you work for them, you know how they make you feel about yourself.

The same is true about the leaders within the company too because they focus on the significance of aligning organizational purpose with strategies, values, and driving meaningful change. It can happen ...

Do You Need Better People at Work?

“The best leaders are insatiable learners. They’re never finished because they’re always learning.” ~Tom Peters

One of the best ideas ever given to me years ago was to take my direct reports, my leaders, away from the workplace for a training session. Little did I realize that those two days would be the foundation for changing our negative toxic culture to one that would lead us to making some incredible hires and eventually allow us to win 5 national championships in the landscape beautific...

The Art of Saying No

“The art of leadership is saying no, not saying yes. It is very easy to say yes.” ~Tony Blair, former Prime Minister England

Leadership is about making hard decisions, setting boundaries, and prioritizing opportunities based on defined goals and vision. A significant aspect of effective leadership is the ability to judge well, or to develop the art of discernment in decision-making. Discernment is crucial when learning to say “no” to people and projects. This takes skill, discipline, and prac...

Is Leadership a Learnable Skill?

The heat and friction in a leadership position can be staggering, especially when in the process of turning around an organizational culture. There are hard decisions to make that require sound judgement and the ability to be resilient.

“Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work.” ~Vince Lombardi

According to The Leadership Challenge by James Kouzes and Barry Posner leadership is not an inherent trait, but a skill that can be developed...

How to Express Gratitude to our Team

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” ~William Arthur Ward

Expressing gratitude for employees is essential for fostering a positive work environment and building a strong team. Finding the time to give the gift of gratitude is a challenge, but well worth the effort.

Here are a few ways we can express gratitude to our people.

Recognition Programs: Establish employee recognition programs that highlight and reward outstanding performance. ...