A Business of Leaders

By Ronald Louis Robinson

The year 2001 initiated a groundswell of change around the world. Changes in technology, markets, and the economy created greater necessity than ever before for businesses to respond rapidly to change. Since 2001 here are just a few of those changes. The financial devastation of three recessions where each was worse than the one before, the cala

• Language: English
• Publisher: Land of Sky Advisors
• Release date: Feb 22, 2022
• ISBN: 9781088008171

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Dedication

This book is dedicated to my children, Brad, Hank, and Hannah Robinson, and my wife Judy, for their support and love after I lost everything and began my journey in life all over again.

Acknowledgment

A recent client, Tyler Richardson, Tennessee Agency Manager for Country Financial, asked for my help to create leaders throughout his business. Over the course of six months that we worked together, his agency rebounded from one of the lowest-performing agencies in the company to a top producer. His is the only agency in the company to have 70% of his insurance representatives reach All-Star status in sales. He has created leaders throughout his business, as no other state agency leader has done. The title of this book is in recognition of the yeoman’s work of Tyler Richardson and his band of ten, dedicated and focused reps using the four milestones I used to rebound and grow personally.

I would like to acknowledge the contributions of several people who developed knowledge, strength, and skills that helped me survive and thrive for most of my life. Those persons include; Charlie Robinson, my grandfather, who taught me the importance of kindness and attention to finances in business; Ted Welch, Vice President of the Southwestern Company, who developed my determination to accomplish goals through effective sales skills. In addition, to Dr. Aubrey Daniels, Aubrey Daniels International, for his faith and trust in a young man as he developed as a consultant using the tools of positive reinforcement, to Larry Miller and Jennifer Howard, principles in The Miller Howard Consulting Group, for their support and help as I learned to turn around businesses and to Earl and Cathy Davis, owners of Moonshadow Learning Systems, for including me in their team of consultants serving the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

To one of the finest leaders I have served, David Natysin, Regional Vice President (retired) of McDonald’s largest region and with whom I served for more than two years. I learned from Dave the value of utilizing a totally diverse leadership team and the value of focus and determination to be the best. Together we worked with managers and teams throughout until the region moved from 40 out of forty regions in the US to number one. It was with Dave that the management model I developed of today began its formation. A model that assists businesses to achieve greater success levels in the turbulence and uncertainty during the past two decades of Century 21.

I would like to thank the following people for their encouragement and help writing this book, Pamela Haddock, an ardent reader, painter, and writer kindly took time to review the book and serve as an invaluable proofreader, and my dear wife Judy, an ardent reader, writer and painter for her diligent editing assistance before I dared send this document to be published.

Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgment

About the Author

Preface

IN THE DARKNESS

Chapter 1: Losing My Job

Chapter 2: Struggling to Manage

Chapter 3: Into the Darkness

Chapter 4: The Scream

Chapter 5: Reflecting

PERSPECTIVE

Chapter 6: Cooperate or Compete

Chapter 7: Thinking Outside the Box

Chapter 8: Lemons to Lemonade

A Proven Model for Business Success in the 21st Century

Chapter 9: Changing the Approach

Chapter 10: Navigating Uncertainty

STUDY

Chapter 11: Research & Adaption

SKILLS

Chapter 12: Connect Communicate

Chapter 13: Deliberate Making Critical Decisions

Chapter 14: Inspire Bring out the Best

Chapter 15: Create Awaken the Spirit

STRUCTURE

Chapter 16: Mastermind Groups

STRATEGY

Chapter 17: Strategy for Today

BUSINESS SUCCESS STORIES

Chapter 18: Success Stories in Turbulent Times

Chapter 19: Bring Out the Best in Your Sales Skills!

Chapter 20: Life Through My Lens

About the Author

Ronald Robinson has traveled the globe, improving and turning around Fortune 500, mid-sized and nonprofit organizations. He has served on boards and assisted the homeless, poor, and those with developmental disabilities. He campaigned to represent Western North Carolina as district 50 State Senator. He published two books, On All Cylinders, The Entrepreneur’s Handbook, and On All Cylinders, Succeeding as an Entrepreneur and Leader. His books are distributed to university libraries around the globe and are considered cutting edge and recommended by university business professors. In addition, Ron has published a white paper on winning elections, written and conducted speeches, and published OpEd pieces. He has spoken to groups as large as 3,000 and facilitated groups as large as 300. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill — BS, Industrial Relations - Post Graduate: Journalism: UNC-Chapel Hill and Georgia State University. He is certified and practiced implementing the concepts of Lean Production, Total Quality Management, Mediation, and Performance Management.

Preface

The year 2001 initiated a groundswell of change around the world. Changes in technology, markets, and the economy created greater necessity than ever before for businesses to respond rapidly to change. Since 2001 here are just a few of those changes. The financial devastation of three recessions where each was worse than the one before, the calamity of 2020 that has been compared to the Great Depression, climate crisis with forests aflame, failed crops caused by droughts and communities washed away by floods; pandemics and social strife creating worldwide labor shortages and supply chain disruptions As Catherine Gray observed, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the butterfly effect. You may be familiar with the concept that a slight change in one place, such as a butterfly flapping its wings, creates significant, unexpected changes somewhere else, such as a tornado many miles away. As a conservationist focused on climate change and someone concerned with the health and safety of my family, friends, and community, I find the idea of small actions catalyzing unpredictable outcomes both unsettling and encouraging as our planet deals with the tremendous tragedy slow recovery from COVID-19.

The impact of the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, became a catalyst for unpredictable effects throughout this century. Yet, uncertainty has existed daily for more than a year for every living being on our planet.

Agile companies can respond to these changes using a new model for leading organizations through frequent and demanding change. But, unfortunately, for many companies, even 20 years into this New World economy, how people are managed has not changed from the more traditional 20th Century model of Plan, Organize, Direct and Control.

The purpose of this book is to first describe my journey from losing everything to starting again and, secondly, to share how that experience shaped me as I grew from barely surviving to thrive. In the process, I learned a business model that now assists companies to become nimbler and thrive in today’s new world of continuous uncertainty.

IN THE DARKNESS

Chapter 1

Losing My Job

It was the year 2001, the prime of my career, and I had the feeling that things would only look up from here. I loved my job, and I strove to be the most dedicated person they had on the team. My job did not just pay me well. It helped me be of service to others too. I traveled around the world and offered my consultation services to businesses and nonprofit associations, and organizations. My goal was to help them prosper and capitalize on their craft more productively and maximize and better achieve their target. Every day I would walk into work thinking of ways to make someone's life better than it already was. I felt that this was a mutually beneficial thing. I earned an outstanding income to take home for my wife and three children, giving them the life they deserved while ensuring how someone else could afford the same for their family. Every day, I would incentivize myself to be more productive and do better than I did the day before. I could use the gift I was endowed with to make the world better for businesses while making my own life better. It was the first year of the twenty-first century, and I could feel myself energized at the thought of opportunities my work would bring and the possibility of how successful I could become. I could visualize that this was the time I would be able to manifest my dreams into reality. I could be the best consultant that ever graced the face of the earth. I was literally riding on the wind going into work that day. Who would have thought that this little bubble of happiness I was living in would soon burst?

I arrived at my office and prepared to get my schedule ready for the day. I turned on my computer to prepare to go out of town on assignment just as my manager entered and asked to talk with me. In the following minutes, I was given the most unpleasantly painful news that anyone doing well in their career could hear. Since a national firm had purchased our small firm, I learned that it was stripped of ample funds to sustain our consultants. I had watched many people over the past few weeks pack their things and leave, defeated looks on their faces. I never thought that I would be at the receiving end of such a termination. Nor could I have imagined that I would not be able to talk my way out of it. I never considered that I would be one of many employees laid off. I had dedicated years of service to them. My employers were kind enough to let me know that I was probably one of their hardest goodbyes and offered a severance package. But I only heard that. I would be losing my sole source of income. I would have no choice but to start afresh if I wanted to keep providing for my family. How was I going to make ends meet? How was I going to provide for my family? I felt as if I had failed my family and deprived them of the very thing they expected of me. On top of it all, I felt as if I had failed myself.

With my blood pressure rising, I went to my desk, gathered my belongings in a cardboard box while consumed by the thoughts of how to break the news to my family. I could not stomach the thought of them finding out that I had failed them. With the mortgage installment due on the house, I had very little time to figure out a plan. I could not ask my extended family for help, it would have been tough for them to arrange such a vast amount, and my pride would not have allowed me. My ears were ringing; I tuned out everyone. All I could hear was the inner monologue I was having with myself, and that conversation was not encouraging; I can assure you of that. Circumstances had turned a full 180. It felt as if I had been dethroned, my crown snatched from my head. I could definitely relate to Leonardo Di Caprio from the movie Titanic, where he declared how he felt like the king of the world only to die in the end, drowning with the wreckage. At that moment, I was Jack, and my Titanic was my career. I had no hope, no will to work or even the will to live. I was hoping somehow I could avoid witnessing the disappointed look on my family's faces as I broke the news to them. Being out of a job and funds may be easier when you are all by yourself, but the responsibility feels overwhelming when you are a provider for a family of five. With my head down and gazes fixed on my cardboard box, I walked out of the office with a guard by my side and out of the building.

I did see other employees gaze in my direction as I walked out, but alas! I was too ashamed to lift my head and meet their eyes. They got to keep their jobs, and I was going to have to start from scratch. I could not help but blame everyone around me for what I was going through. I felt as if there were thick, dark gray clouds all around me as I walked out of the building and climbed into my car to drive home. I have no idea how I made my way back home and drove aimlessly because I could not focus. At home, I broke the news to my family. I watched their faces. To my surprise, my family was supportive and reassured me that they were my family, and they were always going to love me and care for me regardless of what I had to offer them. But sadly, no matter what they said, nothing could help me drag myself out of the growing despair I was suffering. I felt like a complete failure.

As I processed my grief with the kindness and support of my family, I decided to gain everything back and find ways to get back on my feet. The following day, I went to the bank to assess a way to overcome this setback. I expected that with limited severance, I would also have my savings to fall back on. I asked the teller to arrange a meeting with my account manager. We met in his office to explore options that could save my family from losing our home. To my dismay, the manager revealed that I had insufficient funds to pay our children’s tuition payments and two mortgage installments on the house. He said the bank could have given me a loan if I had a stable job. However, if the mortgage payment was not made on time, the bank would have no choice but to foreclose on our home. I asked if there was any way we could fix it by delaying payments or by consolidating loans. The bank manager told me how he could not help, no matter how much he wanted to. I panicked. My face turned red and sweaty. The manager offered me a glass of water as he reassured