Working Resources Blog

Six Essential Leadership Traits for Hard Times

One of my CEO leadership coaching clients knows that for his company to thrive she needs to create a climate of trust and possibility. I am consulting with the company senior leadership team to develop a new direction for the business. They are currently evaluating a new business strategy.

The CEO knows that thriving in the future depends on all company leaders modeling the qualities of good leadership. He is empowering her leadership team to create a more empowered company culture. Human Resources is partnering with the CEO in helping the company create a more sustainable future. Our current executive coaching and leadership consulting work is focused on helping leaders and all employees become more change resilient.

Six Essential Leadership Traits for Hard Times

The following behaviors characterize a good leader in a downturn:
1.  Honesty and credibility. This can prove difficult. Nobody can be certain about the business environment and its direction. How can you tell people what you believe when you lack full confidence? The only viable options are intellectual honesty and humility. Your authority depends on your ability to facilitate understanding and solutions — not from omniscience.

2.  Ability to inspire. Many people are extremely anxious. The recession descended as suddenly as a tsunami, destroying hard-earned savings and putting jobs at risk. People don’t trust what they hear, see or read. You and your team must inspire employees by working with them to toughen their resolve. Help them develop one or two realistically optimistic pictures of what can lie ahead. People need a vision that sparks the creativity required to develop new ideas and solutions.

3.  Real-time connection to reality. Reality is a moving target. You have to keep updating your picture of it, continuously monitoring change with ground-level intelligence. The same applies to your team, whose members must put all concrete information on the table, however bad it may be. Gather info from unconventional sources, and don’t get locked into one view. Allow the picture to change as you gather new intelligence.

4.  Realism tempered with optimism. Unadulterated pessimism is no more realistic than unbridled optimism. The first order of realism is to understand and accept a problem’s magnitude. Then, focus your people on a vision of what’s possible. Energize them to search for actions that will help them realize their visions.

This kind of leadership becomes a performing art. When you introduce the right touch of optimism, your people will tap into their psychological reserves to deal with bad news and transform fear into action.

5.  Managing with intensity. Dig into the right details more frequently than before. Hands-on participation is essential. Only through personal involvement can you acquire the ground-level intelligence needed to act with the required speed.

6.  Boldness in building for the future. The need to conserve cash and survive may pressure you to shortchange the future. You must resist. It takes imagination and guts to place strategic bets with no guaranteed payoffs when there’s little money and great uncertainly; however, it’s critical to aim for long-term payoffs.

Are you working in a company or law firm where leaders demonstrate honesty and integrity when things get tough? Does your company or law firm provide leadership coaching and leadership development to help leaders temper realism with optimism? During tough economic times, leaders need to fully engage their people in building for the future.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “Am I a leader who inspires people to develop new ideas and solutions?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching and leadership development for leaders who want to become more inspiring so that their people and organization will thrive.

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help you create an organization that will co-create and execute a sustainable business strategy. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.

I am currently accepting new executive coaching, career coaching, and leadership consulting clients. I work with both individuals and organizations. Call 415-546-1252 or send an inquiry e-mail to mbrusman@workingresources.com.

Smart Leadership in Difficult Times – Shrinking Business

Smart Leadership in Difficult Times

One of my CEO leadership coaching clients knows that for his company to thrive it needs to become more innovative and make better business decisions. I am consulting with the company senior leadership team to develop a new business strategy. They are currently evaluating several new business possibilities.

The CEO knows that thriving in the future depends on making good business decisions and correctly identifying and solving the problems the company faces. He is empowering his leadership team to create a more innovative company culture. Human Resources is partnering with the CEO in helping the company create a sustainable future. Our current executive coaching and leadership consulting work is focused on helping employees become more resilient and better manage change.

Shrinking Business

The new reality is that, barring acquisitions, your company will likely be smaller two years from now, according to Ram Charan in his new book, Leadership in the Era of Economic Uncertainty. In an environment of falling demand and liquidity risk, most companies have no choice but to shrink.

As bitter and painful as it may be, survival depends on cutting costs and raising cash. This is the time to narrow your focus and concentrate on your business’ core: the invaluable assets you can’t afford to lose.
Choose the market segments and customers you will continue to serve, the products you will continue to make and the suppliers from whom you will continue to buy. Eliminate the rest.

Seize opportunities to simplify your processes and reduce layers of management. In the end, you’ll have fewer customers, products, facilities, people and suppliers, but you’ll set the stage for a stronger company.
Reducing costs and managing liquidity risks will reshape and refocus your business, putting you on the offensive. You’ll turn a bad situation into an opportunity to emerge from the storm even stronger, more flexible and better positioned than the competition.

Are you working in a company or law firm where leaders make good decisions when things get tough? Does your company or law firm provide leadership coaching and leadership development to help leaders create new possibilities during a tough economic climate? During tough economic times, leaders need to fully engage all of their people to create execute the business strategy.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “Am I a leader who makes good business decisions and thrives during tough economic times?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching and leadership development for leaders who want to become more innovative so that their people and organization will thrive.

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help you create an organization that will co-create and execute a sustainable business strategy. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.

I am currently accepting new executive coaching, career coaching, and leadership consulting clients. I work with both individuals and organizations. Call 415-546-1252 or send an inquiry e-mail to mbrusman@workingresources.com.

Leading in Turbulent Economic Times - The Call for Leadership

Leading in Turbulent Economic Times

One of my CEO leadership coaching clients knows that for her company to thrive it needs to become more innovative and execute a focused business strategy. I am consulting with the company senior leadership team to develop a new business strategy. They are currently evaluating several new sustainable business opportunities.

The CEO knows that thriving in the future depends on facing reality and accurately assessing the problems the company faces. She is empowering her leadership team to create a more innovative company culture. Human Resources is partnering with the CEO in helping the company create a more sustainable future. Our current executive coaching and leadership consulting work is focused on helping employees better manage change.

The Call for Leadership

Do tough times make great leaders, or do great leaders emerge when the going gets tough? The ability to stare into the face of uncertainty, accept change and make decisions with incomplete information is crucial.

Such skills require strengths you may not have previously tapped. You must be able to:
•    Experience fear realistically, without getting paralyzed.
•    Act decisively, even if you’re uncertain about whether your plan is the best—or even the right—one.
•    Take charge and pull people together.
•    Adjust quickly, change course as needed, and maintain people’s confidence.

Management challenges don’t usually strike to the degree we’ve experienced over the last year. It’s not only your business or industry that finds itself in a downturn, but a disruption of the entire global economic system.

Uncertain Data

Projections and estimates are little more than guesses these days. We won’t know when we’ve turned the corner, and we cannot envision the future shape and scope of our businesses. What we can say is that change will present as both a danger and an opportunity.

Whether you can afford to see these changes as a pessimist or an optimist is not the question. Some predict the global economy will take a full year to normalize, while others project a three-year wait.

Smart leaders are reshaping their businesses to carry on through whatever hard times lie ahead. They are making changes now so they can emerge in better shape than before, ready for new growth. They’re pouncing on new opportunities, devising ways to move faster and trying to serve customers in different ways.

These leaders will be the game changers in the next period of expansion. How can you be one of them?
Are you working in a company or law firm where leaders emerge when things get tough? Does your company or law firm provide leadership coaching and leadership development to help leaders create new possibilities amidst chaos? During tough economic times, leaders need to fully engage all of their people to create execute the business strategy.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “Am I a leader who stays positive and thrives during economic adversity?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching and leadership development for leaders who want to help their people and organization thrive.

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help you create an organization that will execute a sustainable business strategy. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.

I am currently accepting new executive coaching, career coaching, and leadership consulting clients. I work with both individuals and organizations. Call 415-546-1252 or send an inquiry e-mail to mbrusman@workingresources.com

Leading in Tough Times - The Call for Leadership

Leading in Tough Times

One of my CEO leadership coaching clients knows that for her company to thrive it needs to become more innovative and execute a focused business strategy. I am consulting with the company senior leadership team to develop a new business strategy. They are currently evaluating several new sustainable business opportunities.

The CEO knows that thriving in the future depends on facing reality and accurately assessing the problems the company faces. She is empowering her leadership team to create a more innovative company culture. Human Resources is partnering with the CEO in helping the company create a more sustainable future. Our current executive coaching and leadership consulting work is focused on helping employees better manage change.

The Call for Leadership

Do tough times make great leaders, or do great leaders emerge when the going gets tough? The ability to stare into the face of uncertainty, accept change and make decisions with incomplete information is crucial.

Such skills require strengths you may not have previously tapped. You must be able to:
•   Experience fear realistically, without getting paralyzed.
•   Act decisively, even if you’re uncertain about whether your plan is the best—or even the right—one.
•   Take charge and pull people together.
•   Adjust quickly, change course as needed, and maintain people’s confidence.

Management challenges don’t usually strike to the degree we’ve experienced over the last year. It’s not only your business or industry that finds itself in a downturn, but a disruption of the entire global economic system.

Uncertain Data

Projections and estimates are little more than guesses these days. We won’t know when we’ve turned the corner, and we cannot envision the future shape and scope of our businesses. What we can say is that change will present as both a danger and an opportunity.

Whether you can afford to see these changes as a pessimist or an optimist is not the question. Some predict the global economy will take a full year to normalize, while others project a three-year wait.

Smart leaders are reshaping their businesses to carry on through whatever hard times lie ahead. They are making changes now so they can emerge in better shape than before, ready for new growth. They’re pouncing on new opportunities, devising ways to move faster and trying to serve customers in different ways.

These leaders will be the game changers in the next period of expansion. How can you be one of them?

Are you working in a company or law firm where leaders emerge when things get tough? Does your company or law firm provide leadership coaching and leadership development to help leaders create new possibilities amidst chaos? During tough economic times, leaders need to fully engage all of their people to create execute the business strategy.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “Am I a leader who stays positive and thrives during economic adversity?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching and leadership development for leaders who want to help their people and organization thrive.

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help you create an organization that will execute a sustainable business strategy. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.

I am currently accepting new executive coaching, career coaching, and leadership consulting clients. I work with both individuals and organizations. Call 415-546-1252 or send an inquiry e-mail to mbrusman@workingresources.com

Leading in Tough Economic Times - Shrinking Business

Leading in Tough Economic Times

One of my CEO leadership coaching clients knows that for her company to thrive she needs to become more innovative and develop a new business strategy. I am consulting with the company senior leadership team to develop a more sustainable business strategy. They are currently evaluating several new business scenarios.

The CEO knows that thriving in the future depends on confronting reality and accurately defining the problems the company faces. She is empowering her leadership team to create a more innovative company culture and climate. Human Resources is partnering with the CEO in helping their company create a more sustainable future. Our current executive coaching and leadership consulting work is focused on transforming the company to better manage change and create a viable business strategy.

Shrinking Business

Are you the type of leader who’s dealing well in these trying economic times?

•    Who confronts reality?
•    Who figures out what needs to be done?
•    Who communicates with confidence?
•    Who finds opportunities in chaos, despite uncertainty, inevitable change and unpredictable sales?

If you’re like most, you’ve never before experienced a downturn like this. Reports about the end of the recession mean little if your company continues to fight cash-flow problems.

You cannot allow yourself to be afraid. Others look to you for strength and guidance. You must give the best you have and move quickly, even when faced with incomplete information.

Leading in uncertain times is not for the faint of heart. Some management teams navigate these challenging times well, while others fail miserably. It’s not just the CEO and CFO who are responsible; everyone has an important role to play. Indeed, those who lead well during the recession will emerge as shining stars for tomorrow’s top teams.

In his new book, Leadership in the Era of Economic Uncertainty, bestselling author Ram Charan identifies the key rules to follow if you want to get the right things done in difficult times. They include:
•    Pay attention to salespeople’s contributions.
•    Accept guidance from your board of directors.
•    Understand how various business functions must be aligned and coordinated.
•    Communicate candidly and frequently.
•    Respond to external pressures in realistic, yet positive, ways.

Are you working in a company or law firm where forward thinking leadership confronts reality? Does your company or law firm provide leadership coaching and leadership development to help leaders uncover opportunity amidst chaos? During tough economic times, leaders need to fully engage the entire workforce and create a sustainable business strategy.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “Am I an enlightened leader responds to solving business challenged in a positive way?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching and leadership development for leaders who want to help their organizations thrive.

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help you create an organization focused on executing a sustainable  business strategy. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.

I am currently accepting new executive coaching, career coaching, and leadership consulting clients. I work with both individuals and organizations. Call 415-546-1252 or send an inquiry e-mail to mbrusman@workingresources.com.

Sustainability Equals Innovation – Green Hiring

Sustainability Equals Innovation

One of my CEO leadership coaching clients knows that for her company to attract top talent her organization will need to become more innovative and green. I am consulting with the company senior leadership team to develop a more sustainable business strategy. They are currently evaluating several green business scenarios.

The CEO knows that thriving in the future depends on hiring managers attracting environmentally conscious future employees. She is empowering her leadership team to think green and create a more innovative company culture and climate. Human Resources is partnering with the CEO in making their company attractive to socially responsible future hires. Our current executive coaching and leadership consulting work is focused on helping the company attract top talent who want to work for an innovative green company.

Green Hiring

Recruiting and retaining the right people is crucial. Recent research suggests that three-fourths of U.S. workforce entrants regard social responsibility and environmental commitment as important criteria in selecting employers.

People who are happy about their employers’ positions on these issues also enjoy working for them. Thus, companies that try to become sustainable may well find it easier to hire and retain “green” talent.

Leadership and talent are critical for developing a low-carbon economy. The current economic system has placed enormous pressure on the planet, while catering to the needs of only about 25 percent of its inhabitants. Over the next decade, this number will double, creating more consumers and producers.

Traditional approaches to business will collapse, and companies will be forced to develop innovative solutions. That will happen only when executives recognize a simple truth: sustainability = innovation.

Are you working in a company or law firm where forward thinking leadership is determined to grow a more green enterprise?  Does your company or law firm provide leadership coaching and leadership development to help leaders become more innovative and develop a more sustainable business strategy? During uncertain economic times, leaders need to fully engage the entire workforce and create sustainable business practices.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “Am I an enlightened leader who understands the importance of hiring green?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching and leadership development for leaders who want to make their organizations green and thrive.

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help you create an organization focused ion executing a sustainable green business strategy. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.

I am currently accepting new executive coaching, career coaching, and leadership consulting clients. I work with both individuals and organizations. Call 415-546-1252 or send an inquiry e-mail to mbrusman@workingresources.com

Growing Innovative Companies – Green Thinking

Growing Innovative Companies

One of my CEO leadership coaching clients knows that for her company to thrive her organization will need to become more innovative and embrace green technology. I am consulting with the company senior leadership team to develop a more sustainable business strategy. They are currently evaluating several green business scenarios.

The CEO knows that thriving in the future depends on employees and leadership collaborating in creating a sustainable new business strategy. She is empowering her leadership team to think green and create a more innovative company culture and climate. Leadership team members are collaborating with the CEO in the strategic decision-making process. Our current executive coaching and leadership consulting work is focused on helping the company create a green business model.

Green Thinking

Green is not merely a cost center, but a profitable path to growth. People at all corporate levels must focus on the following keys:

•  Understand what climate change means for business (which is very different from everyone agreeing on the science).
•  See the long-term constraints in natural resources and nonrenewable energy.
• View the business in the context of the full value chain, from suppliers to customers and beyond.

Some of these areas touch on people’s belief systems, so leaders must send a strong message. Throwing some basic information about the environment into internal training modules isn’t enough. Top executives must make strong statements about the harsh realities, current and future constraints and challenges, and the organization’s commitment to action.

The CEOs of some of the largest, most energy-intensive global companies formed a group called the Climate Action Partnership. Members include GE, DuPont, Johnson & Johnson, PepsiCo, Deere and Duke Energy, among others. In 2007 and 2009, some of their CEOs traveled to Washington, DC, to ask for a federal cap on carbon emissions.

Their presence sent a message to Congress, as well as their own employees: Environmental challenges are critical business issues, and climate change is here to stay unless we intervene.

Are you working in a company or law firm where forward thinking leadership is determined to grow a more green enterprise?  Does your company or law firm provide leadership coaching and leadership development to help leaders become more innovative and develop a more sustainable business strategy? During uncertain economic times, leaders need to fully engage the entire workforce and create sustainable business practices.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “Am I a forward thinking leader who understands the importance of going green?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching and leadership development for leaders who want to transform their organizations and thrive.

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help you create an organization that fully engages its people in co-creating a sustainable green business strategy.You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.

I am currently accepting new executive coaching, career coaching, and leadership consulting clients. I work with both individuals and organizations. Call 415-546-1252 or send an inquiry e-mail to mbrusman@workingresources.com.

Building Innovative Green Companies – Green Engagement

Building Innovative Green Companies

One of my forward thinking CEO leadership coaching clients knows that for his company to thrive his organization will need to become more creative and green. I am consulting with the company executive team to develop a more innovative business strategy. They are currently evaluating several green business initiatives.The CEO knows that thriving in the future depends on employees and leadership collaborating in creating and then executing the new business strategy. She is empowering her leadership team to think green and create a more innovative company culture.

Leadership team members are collaborating with the CEO in the strategic decision-making process. Our current executive coaching and leadership consulting work is focusing on helping the CEO and her executive team to develop a more sustainable and green business model.

Green Engagement

In tough times, when employee morale is low and difficult economic conditions increase stress, people seek more meaning at work. A green focus will engage and inspire your people, which helps keep them going.

The pursuit of profit sometimes isn’t enough to keep people engaged. An environmental mission can offer more meaning. Getting lean can be moderately exciting, but doing it for the dual purposes of profit and environmental concern is motivating.

New ways of thinking challenge and engage people. Employees will work harder if they understand why environmental challenges are real and why going green is good for business. Without this understanding, some employees may spin their wheels or feel disengaged.

Training must focus not only on what employees do, but on how they think. Going green should not be presented as an idealistic idea, but as a stark and urgent reality, regardless of individuals’ political or scientific beliefs.

Are you working in a company or law firm where enlightened leadership realizes the organization needs to green their business?  Does your company or law firm provide leadership coaching and leadership development to help leader develop a more sustainable business strategy? During uncertain economic times, leaders need to fully engage their people and create green businesses.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “Am I a visionary leader who motivates and fully engages my workforce?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching and leadership development for leaders who want to make their organizations thrive.

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help you create an organization that fully engages its people in creating and executing a sustainable green business strategy to thrive in the New Year. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.

I am currently accepting new executive coaching, career coaching, and leadership consulting clients. I work with both individuals and organizations. Call 415-546-1252 or send an inquiry e-mail to mbrusman@workingresources.com

Creating Innovative Green Companies – Green Recovery

Creating Innovative Green Companies

One of my very smart CEO leadership coaching clients knows that for his company to thrive his organization will need to become more innovative and green. I am consulting with the company executive team to develop a more innovative business strategy. They are currently evaluating several green business initiatives.

The CEO knows that thriving in the future depends on employees and leadership co-creating and executing the new business strategy. She is empowering her leadership team to think green and create a more innovative and accountable company culture. Leadership team members are collaborating with the CEO in the strategic decision-making process. Our current executive coaching and leadership consulting work is focusing on helping the CEO and her executive team to develop a more sustainable and green business model.

Green Recovery

In Green Recovery, Andrew Winston proposes four key focus areas for staying healthy today and getting ready for the inevitable upturn.

Slashing costs frees up money to prepare for future constraints and changing consumer demands. Figuring out priorities is critical. Winston suggests placing scarce resources in four strategic areas:
•    Get lean: How can you economize your organization’s energy and resource efficiency?
•    Get smart: What environmental data about products and value chains will save you money, help you innovate new solutions and create competitive advantages?
•    Get creative: Rejuvenate your innovation efforts by asking challenging questions, such as “Can we run our business with no fossil fuels?”
•    Get people engaged: How can you stimulate your people to solve the company’s environmental challenges?

These four areas will start benefiting your organization today, while preparing it for the future. Getting lean saves money quickly, but it also prepares you for a future in which higher resources prices will most certainly exist, and more questions from customers about your environmental impact will matter.

How can you gather data on your organization’s footprint up and down the value chain? Where can you identify high-priority areas for cost-cutting today? How can you intelligently plan for future long-term innovation efforts?

Getting creative means you not only have to optimize today’s processes and operations, but find innovative ways to develop tomorrow’s new products and services.

The engagement and alignment of all of your people makes these benefits possible. Green isn’t an additional, tangential pursuit that distracts from the real work of the business; it’s a core part of modern operations.

Are you working in a company or law firm where transformational leadership realizes the organization needs to make their business more lean and green?  Does your company or law firm provide leadership coaching and leadership development to help leaders become more creative and develop a more sustainable business strategy? During uncertain economic times, leaders need to get smart, fully engage their people and create sustainable business practices.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “Am I a smart leader who is creative and fully engages my workforce?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching and leadership development for leaders who want to transform their organizations and thrive.

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help you create an organization that fully engages its people in creating and executing a sustainable green business strategy to thrive in the New Year. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.

I am currently accepting new executive coaching, career coaching, and leadership consulting clients. I work with both individuals and organizations. Call 415-546-1252 or send an inquiry e-mail to mbrusman@workingresources.com

Building Sustainable Companies – Corporate Social Responsibility vs. Bottom Line

Building Sustainable Companies – Corporate Social Responsibility vs. Bottom Line

One of my CEO leadership coaching clients realizes that to thrive and overcome competitive pressures from companies that have more resources, they will have to become more eco-friendly and create a sustainable new business strategy. I am consulting with the company executive team to develop a more innovative business strategy which they plan on implementing in the New Year. They are currently evaluating several green business initiatives.

The CEO knows that surviving and thriving in the next few years depends on employees and leadership co-creating and executing the new business strategy. She is empowering her leadership team to think green and create an innovative company culture. Leadership team members are collaborating with the CEO in the strategic decision-making process. Our current executive coaching and leadership consulting work is focusing on helping the CEO and her executive team to develop a more sustainable business model.

Corporate Social Responsibility vs. Bottom Line

The fight to save the planet has turned into a battle among governments and companies, companies and consumer activists, and sometimes consumer activists and governments. One solution is more—and tougher—regulation. Some argue voluntary action is unlikely to affect necessary changes.

Others suggest educating and organizing consumers so they can force businesses to become sustainable. While both legislation and education are necessary, they may not solve the problem quickly or completely.

Some executives behave as though they must choose between the largely social benefits of developing sustainable products and processes vs. the financial costs of doing so. This may be yet another myth.
In the HBR article “Why Sustainability Is the Key Driver of Innovation,” authors Ram Nidumolu, C.K. Prahalad and M.R. Rangaswami report that research with 30 large corporations reveals sustainability to be a significant source of organizational and technological innovations, yielding both bottom- and top-line returns.

Becoming eco-friendly lowers costs because companies end up reducing the inputs they use. In addition, the process generates additional revenues from better products and/or enables companies to create new businesses. In other words, smart companies now treat sustainability as an investment in the future.
Progress in times of economic crisis relies on innovation, which means companies that focus on sustainability will not only benefit post-recession, but emerge stronger than ever before.

The HBR article lays out the five stages companies will go through on their path to becoming sustainable.

Stage 1: Viewing Compliance as Opportunity

The smart response to government regulations is to go beyond the norms everyone else follows. Look at the opportunities for transformation.

Of course, it’s helpful if an organization can anticipate and shape the rules. This is why consumer participation is necessary, so leaders may stay abreast of customers’ issues and environmental impact.
Leaders, managers and their staffs must have the requisite skills to work with customers, activist groups, lobbyists and other companies (including rivals) to explore and develop creative solutions.

Stage 2: Making Value Chains Sustainable

How savvy is your organization about carbon management and life-cycle assessments?

You must pay attention to, and foresee, the redesign of operations so you can use less energy and water, produce fewer emissions and generate less waste.

Your value-chain oversight should ensure that suppliers and retailers also make their operations eco-friendly.

There are groundbreaking opportunities to develop sustainable sources of raw materials and components, increasing the use of clean energy sources (wind, solar) and finding new uses for returned products.

Stage 3: Designing Sustainable Products and Services

How do you develop sustainable offerings or redesign existing ones to be eco-friendly?

First, you have to know which products or services are most unfriendly to the environment. Chances are, your organization hasn’t yet devoted much thinking to this.

Don’t fall into the trap of “green-washing,” where companies advertise products and services that claim be to eco-friendly, yet fail to meet well-accepted environmental criteria. New skills may be required, such as biomimicry (emulating nature to solve human problems) to develop products and compact, eco-friendly packaging.

Stage 4: Developing New Business ModelsCompanies fail when their leaders misunderstand what consumers want and how to meet their demands. Today’s opportunities lie in developing new delivery technologies that change value-chain relationships in significant ways.

Monetization models may emphasize services over products. Look at ways to combine digital and physical infrastructures.

Stage 5: Creating Next-Practice Platforms

Each of us will need a new set of glasses to view our personal and business lives through the sustainability lens. Only then can we lead our companies toward future profits.

Many leaders lack knowledge of how renewable and nonrenewable resources affect business ecosystems and industries. Smart companies will invest time, energy and people in finding these answers.Look at ways to build business platforms that enable customers and suppliers to manage energy in radically different ways. How can technologies be designed that allow industries to use energy produced as a by-product?

Are you working in a company or law firm where transformational leadership realizes the enterprise needs to make their business more eco-friendly?  Does your company or law firm provide leadership coaching and leadership development to help leaders become more innovative and execute a more sustainable business strategy? During difficult economic times, leaders need to strive for transformational change and create sustainable business practices.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “Am I a leader who believes sustainability is an important driver of innovation?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching and leadership development for leaders who want to transform their organizations and develop a sustainable business strategy.

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help you create an organization that fully engages its people in creating and executing a sustainable eco-friendly business strategy to thrive in the New Year. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.

I am currently accepting new executive coaching, career coaching, and leadership consulting clients. I work with both individuals and organizations. Call 415-546-1252 or send an inquiry e-mail to mbrusman@workingresources.com