"If you don't understand that you work for your mislabeled 'subordinates,' then you know nothing of leadership. You know only tyranny."
--- Dee Hock
As a business leader, it is difficult sometimes to grasp the concept that the employer is responsible for his or her employees. It just seems that as business owners, we should hire those who are able and willing to do the work to do an honest day's work for an honest day's pay and that is it.
We shouldn't have to worry about what they are "feeling" or if they are having trouble in their lives. It is all about the success of the business, period. Like Tom Hanks said, "There is no crying in baseball." In other words, play the game, go home, and don't bother me with your woes.
"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."
--- Winston Churchill
Of course, the reality is that the most successful businesses have happy employees and the employees are happy because their employer cares about them. They are treated fairly and whether it comes to raises or layoffs, the employees of successful companies know that their employers are celebrating their successes and tasting salt when they cry.
They know that their employer is doing all they can to create opportunities for them to succeed and will reward them handsomely when they help the business to succeed.
"The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant."
--- Max DePree
There is no doubt that the employer/employee relationship has two sides to it. Good employees remain loyal to an employer who provides a safe working environment with a clear path leading to profitability for everyone. The good employees are those that recognize the efforts of their employer and who are willing to do what it takes to move the entire organization toward the goals set by their leaders. The good employees understand and trust that when the business succeeds, they too reap the rewards of success.
"The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own."
--- Benjamin Disraeli
Chick-fil-A, IBM, Zappos.com, Scooter Store, and Nordstrom are just a few of the companies that understand the responsibility to employees. They recognize their greatest asset as one that is best served by providing the necessary tools for their success. These businesses know that in order to be a success, they must first care for their employees during the good times as well as the bad.
To be a good business leader, one must first become a good servant. By serving your employees, you are showing them many things, but one of the most important is that you are showing them how to serve as well. With a workforce of servants, how can the business fail?
The CONTENT of Dynamic Place-based Media - The Rise of the 'Content is King' Monarchy, Part II: Content
By Lyle Bunn
In this second part of the series, Content is King, we will explore the opportunities of content and the costs associated with dynamic-placed media content.
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The 21st Century Color Matcher
By Bruce Ridge
If you're in the business of selling color images, you want to take advantage of everything you can to make those images the best they can be with the tools you have available. This is why today's graphic imaging company needs a digital color manager.
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Inside a bowling alley in Walterboro, SC:
"Please be quiet. We need to hear a pin drop"
On a butcher's window in Boston:
In the window of a Kentucky appliance store:
"Don't kill your wife. Let our washing machine do the dirty work!"
We know those funny signs are out there. Take a moment and send them in to us and we'll share them with the world. Send all hysterical observations to: info@signindustry.com.
