May 2020
Strategies for Success Newsletter May 2020 Issue 173
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Published by Emily Huling Selling Strategies
www.sellingstrategies.com
Copyright 2020 Emily Huling. All rights reserved.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
In this May 2020 issue:
- Thoughts from the Road
- Thoughts from Home
- Josmo’s Cafe
- Stay Energized
- Emily Live
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Thoughts from the Road
Timeless leadership lessons
It feels like a lifetime ago, but it’s only been eight weeks since John and I saw the remarkable four-star General Colin Powell (Ret.) speak at the WSIA Underwriting Summit in beautiful Palm Desert, CA. In a moderated question and answer format, General Powell shared a handful of stories from his life in public service. Son of Jamaican immigrants and raised in the South Bronx, his decorated military career spanned 35 years. General Powell served under four presidents including Ronald Reagan as National Security Advisor, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for both George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, and as Secretary of State for George W. Bush.
I had three takeaways from General Powell’s insightful comments.
- President George H.W. Bush governed his administration by trusting the expertise and advice of his cabinet and their direct reports. By listening to all sides of the issues, President Bush created a safe environment so the experts discussing important issues felt free to express contrary opinions. This approach enabled President Bush to make thoughtful and educated decisions based on all views. Do you listen to all sides of an issue before making a decision?
- President Ronald Reagan empowered his cabinet and administrative staff with the authority specific to their experience and talents. He expected his staff to use their authority and not trouble him with “their problems.” By trusting his leadership team and staff, President Reagan promoted a culture of respect and accountability. Do you grant authority and empower people to use it?
General Powell said these two leadership approaches guided him in his future leadership roles.
- General Powell’s closing comments reflected on the future. “The future is our youth,” he said. He encouraged us to do whatever possible to lead, mentor, educate, and develop young people. No matter what your position is, what are you doing to help develop the next generation of professionals?
Listening to all sides of an issue, granting authority and empowering people to use it, and developing future professionals are necessary and doable whether we work together in an office or use online platforms to communicate. Great leadership has no boundaries.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Thoughts from Home
Old-fashioned (online) fun
Golly gee, wilikers! It’s Mayberry month on MeTV! Andy, Barney, Opie, Aunt Bee, and Gomer are very special to me. I enjoyed the original The Andy Griffith Show that aired from 1960-1968. There were a total of 249 half-hour episodes during eight seasons. My favorite episode is The Pickle Story from season two. Andy and Barney try to help Aunt Bee break Clara Johnson’s 11-year blue ribbon winning streak at the annual fair. In the end, it’s the guys honesty and integrity that triumphs. The result is total hilarity.
As luck would have it, Mt. Airy, NC, Andy Griffith’s hometown and the inspiration for Mayberry, is only 80 miles up Interstate 77 from my home in Terrell. Our out-of-town guests love to visit Mt. Airy so we visit Mayberry often. It never gets old. The police car, Wally’s Service Station, Mayberry Courthouse, and Snappy Lunch are popular stops.
Our favorite place is The Andy Griffith Museum which was founded in 2009 by Andy’s childhood friend. During a January visit we stayed almost two hours walking through sets, seeing props and watching clips of the show and Andy Griffith’s movies. Once a month, Thelma Lou (Betty Lynn) visits the museum to talk to visitors.
The attractions are all closed now, of course. Until you can visit, here’s a touching 5-minute video of Brad Paisley and Andy Griffith from 2009 singing Brad’s song Waitin’ on a Woman.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Josmo’s Café
I hit the jackpot googling crock pot chicken recipes. Our favorite so far of the many that I selected is Crock Pot Maple Dijon Chicken Drumsticks. So easy. I had all six ingredients on hand. I’m sure you will have them as well. An additional bonus was that the house smelled heavenly for the four hours it cooked. Enjoy!
Check out the story of how Josmo’s Café came into being and dozens of other Josmo’s Cafe recipes on our website.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Stay Energized
How does she do it? Kelly Donahue-Piro of Agency Performance Partners continues to provide free terrific daily video blogs for insurance professionals. Start with the blog on March 24 and watch them all. In addition to the informative and skill-building blogs, Kelly provides 3 Tips that educate or amuse and a Pay It Forward plan. Kelly can Zoom into your office meetings live or with her video blog. Thank you, Kelly for providing daily inspiration and business advice to get us through this stranger-than-fiction time!
I love watching birds! Our bird feeder has lots of activity this spring. The hummingbird feeder will be hung this weekend. When I can’t sit out on our screen porch and watch them live, I visit the Audubon site to view incredible videos and photos from around the world. Take a break and do some bird watching now.
Speaking of birds, our Energizer Minute podcast for the month of May is Don’t Feed the Pigeons.
Follow me on Twitter @EmilyHuling to read my weekday Energizer Moments.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Emily Live – Only at my local grocery store and post office and wearing a mask.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Please share any of my free stuff, articles, or newsletter content when proper credit is included.
Selling Strategies: Strategies for Success Newsletter is published by Emily Huling Selling Strategies. For further information, contact emily@sellingstrategies.com.
© 2020 Emily Huling Selling Strategies All rights reserved.