Engaged Leadership Advisors

READ STEVE'S BLOG POSTS

Five people brainstorming

Salesforce’s CEO Empowers His Team With His Own Energy. Here’s How You Can Too.

February 21, 2018

Salesforce’s CEO Marc Benioff has been dubbed “Tech’s Mad Genius” and “The Decade’s Top Innovator” for a reason. Forbes recently published an article about the tech giant’s dynamic leader and his strategy for success. Benioff created Salesforce with the desire to innovate and disrupt an industry that seems to aways been in flux. To enter…

A hand with a pen drawing stairs and an arrow

Quicks Wins: Going Small to Get Large

February 14, 2018

Having led and advised many companies throughout my career, I noticed that most of them share one trait– they think big. While no one would argue that this characteristic is essential to drive growth, like most things, the devil is in the details. Thinking big usually leads to complex projects, spending lots of money, and…

“Interview in Progress” signage

Want To Hire The Best? Ask This 1 Question During Interviews

February 7, 2018

One of the most important responsibilities leaders have is to hire great talent. The right people make all the difference for a company’s performance. There is clearly a domino effect, great people tend to hire great people. If you strive to hire the best, your direct reports (the folks you hire) will tend to hire…

Want to Motivate Your Employees? Enable Them to Be Proud With These 3 Tactics

January 26, 2018

Most leaders are proud of their position and the company itself. After all, they’ve put in the time and effort and now find themselves in a position of leadership. All those fortunate enough to be in a position of management should ask themselves a simple question that will make them look at their team differently: “Are my employees proud of…

Paper boats

The 5 Strategies That Guide Leaders To Success In The New Year

January 17, 2018

I hateNew Year’s resolutions. We all know people who join a gym in January and stop in February. Everyone makes them and no one keeps them, yet every year the cycle continues. I realized this several years ago, and stopped making resolutions. Instead, I decided to choose one thing I could really accomplish in the…

A man looking over the streets

The Problem That Plagued My Company For Years And Continues To Hurt Leaders Today

January 8, 2018

When I was the CEO of Sears’ credit card company back in the mid-90s, I made it a point to visit our stores to talk with the employees and customers and to see what we could do to help boost sales. One February, on the way to delivering a speech, I stopped by one of…

Boxes on a conveyor belt

The 5 Leadership Values That Transformed Zappos To A Billion Dollar Company

January 4, 2018

Back when Zappos was just starting to become a household name, I ordered a pair of shoes to give them a try. Not long after my purchase, I received an email that said my shipment was upgraded to “overnight shipping” for free. It wasn’t a joke– my new shoes were at my doorstep within 24…

A man standing inside his office

3 Ways Listening Saved Arby’s And How It Can Help Your Business Too

December 27, 2017

If you’re the CEO of a company, it’s safe to bet that you’ve probably had a few years experience in the industry. For Arby’s CEO, Paul Brown, however, that wasn’t the case. Instead, he was hired by Roark Capital after being an executive of Hilton Worldwide for years. The restaurant chain empire was drowning —…

“Corporate Social Responsibility” poster

How Leaders Can Improve Employee Engagement While Giving Back To The Community

December 20, 2017

During a cold November night, you wouldn’t expect the CEO of Samsung U.S. to be out on a New Jersey street bundled up and shivering. But that’s exactly what Tim Baxter did to raise funds for Covenant House, a nonprofit that helps homeless children. With Baxter’s help, the organization raised nearly $500,000 for this cause.…

A “resignation” paper

The Top 5 Signs An Employee Is About To Quit

December 14, 2017

When an employee quits, it’s very rare that he or she did not show some signals prior to leaving the company. Still, many leaders are shocked when certain members of their team present their two week’s notice, even though there were most likely very clear indicators — if only they were connecting and paying attention.…