Many Thanks to You!



2011 - The Authority on Business Advice

I would like to thank my clients, supporters and friends - those who nominated me, voted for me and those who were there in spirit for the wonderful award I received in November called 'The Authority on Business Advice'.
I am honoured.
I am touched.
I am inspired by the business leaders in my community who are looking for ways to develop their own leadership potential and that of those around them.  You are a gift.

In my thank you speech I mentioned my boys- husband and kids! - they support me endlessly.  Most importantly I spoke about the opportunity to be back in a city that is changing - growing, fostering innovation, reinvention and development.  Windsor Ontario is home.  And I am proud of it!

Take a moment and think about your business.  I have been thinking about mine a lot in the last few weeks. 

• Does your business model foster innovation or clearly remove it from the picture - keep the status quo - what ain't broke, don't fix?
• Does your mind look to reinvention? To new ways to do old things?  To improvements to products, services or brand?
• Do you focus on the future while working in the present?  Are you planning to develop - yourself, your business and your people?

More to follow on what I have been thinking about my business in the weeks leading up to the end of the year ....

The Life Lessons of Leadership

My seventeen year old started a part time job in a factory. He was amazed at the ages of those who worked with him. This was a line operation, so whatever one person did, it would impact the rest of the team.


My son came home and explained that he was told to slow down, he was going too fast. He was making the others work too fast, they would get too much done and have to do more on the next shift.

My son was disappointed. He said he never wanted to work in an environment like that when he grew up. He said he was a leader and leaders don’t work slowly, they get the job done and move onto something else. He wanted to be in a motivating, productive and innovative environment.

I challenged him on that thought. If he was the leader of the line, or the plant for that matter, what could he do as a leader to change things? My son thought for a minute and came up with the following:

He would challenge the team to finish in a specific time frame and provide rewards like still get paid for eight hours if they finished in seven. Or accident and mistake free bonuses. This way he could create healthy competition and improve efficiency and productivity at the same time.

I was impressed. Even though his seventeen year old brain said OK to what the team wanted, he was able to step outside and look for alternatives. His next life and leadership lesson will be attempting the change the line...will he try? Or will he be respectful of the team and simply drop hints and examples?