SURPRISE TALK Today with "Mike and Sam"

Hello and welcome to Mike and Sam. Hey Sam, how you doing?

I am great. Lots going on, been pretty busy working with a lot of clients, dealing with challenges. It's amazing what's going on out there.

Yeah, you and I have been assessing different membership platforms. So for those who are watching, both Sam and I either already have or are working on both online courses and online membership communities. I've got a course running right now and it'll be branching into another course and community. Sam's building something really, really cool. So, we're teaming up with each other assessing all these platforms.

Yeah, it's interesting though. It's interesting these businesses, leaders are having challenges. You know, challenges haven't gone away. The challenges that are out there just seem to It's almost like leaders can't get out of their own way. They're still using antiquated methods to try and manipulate people to get things done. They're not building these super powerful corporate cultures where things like respect and accountability are thriving.

And it's as if they haven't even been exposed to the idea that they can change the way Well, I think a lot of it is that in the COVID-19, in the coronavirus situation that we're filming this live, is that it's so focused on how do we survive that they're forgetting that their culture dictates how you survive. The choices you make and how you treat people and how you lead dictates on how you survive, including in a COVID-19 coronavirus and any other circumstances. that can come up. Your culture dictates that. So, to fail to acknowledge that, to fail to dive deeper into your culture in moments like this is a massive failure. And it can be what sinks organizations.

Yeah.

I was just talking to you before we came on that my one son is with a major multinational company out of college. And he won't— he doesn't have to, they've announced, step into the office at the earliest January. At the earliest, and I would say to you it's pretty cool because when you and I were 22, if you came out of college and were given a job, no one would have shown that kind of trust back then in a 22-year-old in a job that has a lot of responsibility and in a great program that they're in. And so no one would have done that. But but this company and others like them—not the majority necessarily. get that, look, we know these people know what they're doing. We know this 20-year-old knows what they're doing. And we're going to give them extra training for what they don't know. And they're going to ace this. This isn't going to be a problem. They're going to figure this out. They trust because they have the right culture. And that makes a huge, huge difference.

Well, and I don't know, it's amazing. In the last week, from different leaders in different organizations, And on interviews that I've been on, it's come up multiple times. How do you deal with times of crisis? How do you get through times of crisis? How do you deal with challenges like we're faced right now? And my answer each time has been, it's the culture. The organizations that have taken the time to create a culture that positions them during the good times is positioning them during the tough times. You know, it's like It's easy to succeed when times are good. This is America, for Pete's sake. If you can't be profitable, then you're really not doing something right. It's when times get tough that then we find out what you're really made of. And those leaders that have taken the time to build a culture, a culture that respects their people, a culture that inspires accountability, then what happens is Their people rise to the occasion because they've created these relationships inside the organization that are fostered within this culture. And your people do not want to let you down. They do not want to let the organization down. They do not want to let the clients down. But those seeds need to be placed ahead of time. This is something that should be worked on 365 days a year because it is what will take you through the toughest of times.

Yeah, there used to be an old saying that money doesn't fix problems, money reveals them. And so when somebody wins the lottery, they're bankrupt 6 months later. You know, the research shows this. If they're poor with money, they're just that much more well-off if they're good with money. Well, it's the same thing with company culture. Economic stress, stresses on a company do not create the problems of the culture. They expose them. That's what they do. They expose them. And when you've built something really amazing, Well, you know what economic stress does? It exposes how amazing the organization is and how well people work together and how they come together in tough times. And not the kind of come together that you and I both know a lot of CEOs are saying right now, like, our people are working extra hours, they're doing everything they can. Yeah, because you've told them they have to, to not be fired. That's totally different than—

Yeah.

I'm offering you, hey, what can I do? I wanna do everything I can. That's totally different than, you better be here 80 hours. You better be here. They're night and day in conversation.

Well, and I think that, I think that's exactly right. And so my question is going to be, what do these leaders need to do to change that situation? You know, it's, it's how do they go about changing that culture? And for me, the thing that, that, that I always start with a leader is, You have to change what you think before you're gonna change what you do. And it matters what you believe, what you believe about your people. Are they the problem or are they the solution? Well, you know, you've heard me say this multiple times. It's one of the daggers of leadership that just tells me right away this leader doesn't get it, is when a leader tells me, I have 37 problems and each one has a first name. No, you have one problem and it has a first name and that's you. Because if your people are problems, then you either hired the wrong People, or you don't see them properly, or probably could be even both. But when a leader sees their people as the answer, as the solution that they have the ability to create, and then a leader is open to listening, that's going to start something. And so, we need to get leaders to think about how they need to change how they think if they want a different culture. It all stems from how you think and how you see your people.

Oh, absolutely. You know, I was talking about my son and the job. Well, what is that company known for? Incredibly, incredibly in-depth hiring process. So they're only hiring rock stars. Well, you know what? You can trust rock stars. And you and I, Sam, a year ago when we were talking to companies and we were talking at conferences and we were with CEOs, everybody's like, well, what do we get? We can't let go of the rock star. We can't let go— the rock star salesperson who is cultural problem, totally different rock star. The company I was talking about before, they hire all-around rock stars, not just sales or just not one number rock star. They hire a rock star human being, right? That's what you want to hire. That is key. And you and I both know that a year ago, people would be like, well, the rock star salesperson who's horrible for the culture, we can't afford to get rid of them because everybody has low unemployment.

There's no one hiring.

Right, right. And so they sacrifice the culture. But here's the weird part. Now, a year later, when unemployment is struggling, when people have— are looking for jobs and there's rock stars that might be available out there, you know what? It's the same CEOs still complaining about how they can't change anything, even though the hiring environment is completely different a year later. They somehow seem to focus on the same problems, which means it goes back to you. It's the person in the mirror, which you said, Sam, right? If the problem is the same in good times and bad times, it ain't the times.

Well, exactly. And so, everything rises and falls on leadership. If there's an accountability problem in an organization, there's a leadership problem. If there's a culture problem in the organization, there's a leadership problem. And a lot of leaders don't want to hear that. They don't want to think that it's them. But the reality is, Every leader has the culture they deserve. Every leader of every organization has the culture they deserve because they have made decisions, whatever those decisions are, and treated people in a way that has ended up with the culture that they have. And if it's an amazingly great culture, and we see this all the time, look, go look, there's all these lists of the best companies to work for. There's a reason they're the best companies to work for. It's, it's It's not because the campus that that company is on had a cloud overhead rain down gold and diamonds. And they have some unfair advantage. No, leadership has led a culture that makes it a desirable place to work. Conversely, there are other companies that don't attract and keep the best people. They repel the best people and they lose the best people. And it goes back to leadership. And so, what I always say is this. Let's assess your culture. I mean, we have an assessment for that. We look at accountability. I don't care if you're a terrible leader. I don't care if you have a terrible culture. All you have to do is say, you know what? Enough is enough. It's time to change. How can we change? And the leader that steps up, especially now, and says, I want to change. I want our organization to change. They'll turn things around. It's the ones that aren't open up. that aren't open to saying, you know what, maybe, maybe I'm not as good as I could be. They're the ones that are going to stay stuck.

Yeah. And you know what this comes down to is the idea of what do you invest in as a leader? Right? Where are you spending that money? Are you investing in training, in bringing in people to help change the mindset and give how-to skills? You can't just come in and say, we're changing mindset, but then don't give people skills. Right? Both have to be brought together when you're doing this. And that becomes critically important. So, somebody's watching out there, you should be asking yourselves, all right, who am I bringing into my organization from the outside to help us get there? Because you're not going to get there with the same people doing the same things. You've got to bring in some outside experts, some outside voices that can help lead you and have those tough conversations.

And when you do that, then you start down that road of saying, You know what? We're gonna get better. And it's, no, it's not overnight. You don't expect it to happen between Monday and Friday. But if you wanna change the way that your people are acting, you have to change the way they think. And if you wanna change the way they think as a leader, then the responsibility falls on your shoulders to change the way you think. And when you accept that responsibility to change the way you think, then you'll change what you do. You'll change how you see and treat people. And then what happens is your culture— Your culture will evolve into a much better place.

Love it. That's an awesome place for us to wrap up. Sam, you want to let everybody know how they can find us?

Just pick up the phone. No, it's—

Let's pause there. That's true.

That is true.

Call you or I if they want to dive into these conversations. So it doesn't have to be the show. So I'm actually glad you said that. You know, it could be our website, centerforrespect.com, samsilverstein.com. They can go there and call us. That's true.

Absolutely. Of course, the podcast is up on iTunes. And then everyone should hopefully by now that you've subscribed to us on YouTube at youtube.com/TheCenterForRespect or /SamSilverstein. Always be sure to subscribe and click the bell so you get notifications when we post something new. We love the thumbs up and Again, if you found value in this message, share it with other leaders so it can help them as well. And that way, you'll be extending your influence, and you'll be taking a stand as a great leader. Bye-bye.