On Thursday I will be the keynote speaker for the West Cobb Business Association monthly luncheon. This is a great group of leaders I cannot wait to invest in.
In preparation for this time together, I asked James Albright, City Manager of Acworth (Ga) and author of the incredible website Leadership And Main, his thoughts on how I could add the most value to this audience. He mentioned the business leaders he deals with need encouragement. They are just tired and weary from dealing with continual issues like shutdowns, inflation, supply chain issues, and worker shortages.
After speaking with James and other city leaders, I put together the following list of items I want to communicate during my coaching session. These are 15 Things I Want To Thank Business Leaders For During The Pandemic, Inflation, Supply Chain And Worker Shortages:
- I want to thank you for the mental, physical, and emotional hard work you put in. We understand how hard it’s been and are grateful.
- I want to thank you for doing noble work. The work you do as a business leader and the wages you pay provides the basis of life for countless people.
- I want to thank you for stretching yourselves. You had to continually learn, unlearn, and relearn all aspects of your business.
- I want to thank you for being in the messy middle. There was the beginning of the pandemic and the end of the pandemic. You are now dealing with other issues but were there the entire time. You were there in the 3rd Quarter making adjustments and not knowing what was next.
- I want to thank small business owners for being courageous. You are the backbone of the American economic system. It would have been so much easier for you as business owner to simply take your skills to a larger company.
- I want to thank you for your energy management. You maxed out, gave us everything you had, and left it all on the field.
- I want to thank you for developing your inner-circle. You were wise about who you chose and were then willing to invest in them. As a result, they were able to help you manage your energy and business.
- I want to thank you for delivering great service with a lack of help.
- I want to thank you for building trust with your employees, customers, and community because you treated everyone well.
- I want to thank you for your perseverance and endurance. You thought you were in a sprint, then you thought it is was a marathon, and now you realize you’re actually in a triathlon.
- I want to thank you for being humble enough, and desperate enough, to begin doing tasks you haven’t done in 20 years to serve you customers and employees well.
- I want to thank you for being creative and willing to change… and change… and change… and change again.
- I want to thank you for the sleepless nights and early mornings.
- I want to thank you for the financial sacrifices you personally made so employees and vendors could be paid.
- I want to thank you for not quitting. Our communities and countries are better because of you.
Regardless of where you may be reading this from, if you are a business leader, I hope these words encourage you as well.
The Top 75 Leadership Quotes From 2021 Part 2 is my latest ebook. For many entering a post-pandemic environment, leadership looks completely different than the pre-pandemic world. People are more broken now. They are more uncertain. Fear and anxiousness are unwelcome constant companions. Cultures are more unhealthy. Relationships are more dysfunctional. Hope seems to be in short supply. Every day seems to bring a new hacking, natural disaster, or unexpected calamity.
Therefore, the fundamentals of leadership are more important than ever. The quotes in this book deal with the basics of leadership. If you want to be the best leader you can possibly be, click HERE or on the image provided to download this FREE resource. The lessons learned from last year, if applied, will sustain you for years to come.