Joshua Smith’s Post

Do Awards Always Tell the Full Story? 🏆 It’s always exciting to see a company receive accolades and recognition, especially when it’s for being a top performer in the industry. But as someone who works within an organization, I’ve come to realize that these awards don’t always reflect the full picture. In my experience, while the accolades are based on impressive metrics like financial performance, customer satisfaction, and industry recognition, they don’t always capture the internal dynamics that employees deal with daily. Disorganization, communication gaps, and other challenges can often paint a very different picture from the one these awards suggest. This isn’t to say that these awards aren’t valuable—they are. They highlight important achievements and can help attract new talent and business. However, they should be seen as one piece of a much larger puzzle. For those considering joining an organization, it’s important to dig deeper and get a holistic view by talking to current employees, reading reviews, and assessing the company culture for yourself. Remember, a company’s shiny exterior doesn’t always reflect the full reality. It’s crucial to look beyond the accolades and see the complete picture. #CorporateCulture #Awards #Transparency #Leadership #EmployeeExperience

Effective Client Engagement: The Power of Listening Over Talking In client engagement, listening more than you speak can be the key to success. Adam Grant highlights how dominating the conversation doesn't necessarily make you the best leader. We can apply this to all aspects of client engagement - from marketing to sales and client management. When we speak too much, we miss opportunities to learn, build trust, empathise, and be client-centric. So, what is the "babble effect"? It's the phenomenon where the person who talks the most is perceived as the leader, regardless of the quality of their contributions. While this might elevate someone temporarily, it often leads to missed opportunities for genuine connection and understanding, particularly in client interactions. In one of our account management training sessions, a participant often felt nervous and unsure about how to deliver her message effectively during client meetings. We introduced a mindset shift: focus on finding out more about the client rather than delivering your message. The goal is to provide opportunities for the client to talk about their experience and challenges, fostering better connection and understanding. We supported her by using a specific slide on key challenges across the industry and taught her how to deliver this in a way that promotes engagement and conversation rather than just delivering facts. This approach transformed her meetings. She reported back with great success, noting that she had discovered much more about the client and had created a strategic plan that truly met their needs. The main point: Listen more than you talk. True client engagement comes from understanding and addressing the needs of others. Let's shift our focus to quality over quantity in our conversations. #ClientEngagement #Leadership #humancentreddesign #businessdevelopment #thebabbleeffect https://lnkd.in/gfjNc5ra

𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: I’ve known peter twelftree for more than a dozen years but only recently spoke with him about his first CEO role. Peter shared these wise and wonderful insights: • Embrace the role when others are hesitant, even if it means stepping outside your comfort zone. • Lead through open communication and genuine engagement, fostering trust and stability. • Nurture a positive work environment where every individual feels valued and empowered. • Set a clear vision that encompasses both financial success and the well-being of the team. • Champion diversity and inclusion, paving the way for a more equitable future. ➡️ Peter shared that one of the best things he did was to schedule in a 30 minute focus session with 𝙖𝙡𝙡 NEW employees a fortnight after they commenced to share insights about the company's history and the importance of their role - he learnt more about them individually so he then connected them with other colleagues to support their journey. Peter's advice for new CEOs is to prioritize communication, actively listen to employees' concerns, build a good relationship with the board & chair, and have a clear strategy for achieving goals. Thank you Peter!! Stay tuned to get access to the full video where Peter shares the 5 strategic initiatives that he set and agreed with his Chair - and let's find out how he performed against these ... #CEO #strategy #goals

Business Hero Thursday: Embracing the Habit of Excellence! ✨ "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." — Aristotle. These words resonate deeply with our team as we reflect on the incredible journeys of the business heroes we encounter each week. Their path to success is defined by consistent, intentional actions. It's not the grand gestures but the daily commitments that set them apart. Take a moment to think about your own routines. Are you cultivating habits that lead to excellence? 💪 Whether it's showing up for your team, continually learning, or striving to improve, each small action builds the foundation of greatness. 🏆 At Trustegrity, we celebrate those who embody this philosophy, turning excellence into a habit. These individuals inspire us to push boundaries and set higher standards in our professional and personal lives. 🚀 Who in your network exemplifies this habit of excellence? Tag them and share how their consistent efforts have made an impact! 🌟 Jim Tates, Marck Brock, Marc Metz, John Davis, Damien Meyer, Kevin Donovan, CSL, Donovan Manley, Keith Rathbun, Bill Frechtman, David Lopez, Dean Nolley, Mark McKenzie, Lane Monson, Mike Haupt, Jesse Poll, Daniel Chambers, Steve Landrum, Samuel Kniseley Ballesteros, Bethany Marinac, Tessa Keen, Leland Murphy, Bishop Beall, CSL - PE and SMB Growth Advisor, Paul Wehrly, CSL, Dan Rawls, Douglas L. Kennedy, Kimberly Jones Alexander, Eric F. Gross, CFP®, CLTC®, Ajay Saini, Maile Collmer, David Alexander, eugene Maresh, Branden O'Neil, Kim Casner, CDLP®, Debbie Harris, Richard Stroiney, Alexandria St. Peter, and Blaine Watts. (Photo taken by Kimberly Jones Alexander) #BusinessHeroThursday #Excellence #HabitOfExcellence #Leadership #Inspiration #GrowthMindset #Trustegrity #HighAchievers #powertogrow #TrustedAdvisors #connect #confide #collaborate #superchargeyourreferrals #relationshipsmatter #businesshero #businessherothursdays

🌟 The Importance of Working with Service Excellence 🌟 At Service Corporation International, we prioritize Service Excellence as a core value because we believe it’s crucial for our success and the satisfaction of our clients. Here are three key reasons why Service Excellence is so important: 😀 Building Trust and Loyalty: By consistently delivering exceptional service, we earn the trust and loyalty of our clients. This not only leads to long-term relationships but also fosters positive word-of-mouth, helping us grow our business organically. 😉 Enhancing Client Experience: Service Excellence means going above and beyond to meet and exceed client expectations. By focusing on the client experience, we ensure that every interaction is positive, memorable, and tailored to their unique needs. 😃 Driving Continuous Improvement: Committing to Service Excellence pushes us to continually evaluate and improve our processes. This drive for constant improvement ensures we stay ahead of industry standards and deliver the best possible outcomes for our clients. #ServiceExcellence #ClientExperience #ContinuousImprovement #BusinessGrowth #Leadership #CustomerSatisfaction #ProfessionalValues

People First, Performance Always --- Key Takeaways 1. Take care of your people, and they'll take care of the mission. Morale isn't a byproduct of work—it’s the foundation for exceptional performance. 2. Advocacy is leadership in action. Stand up for your team, whether it’s protecting them from unfair blame or shielding them from poor partnerships. 3. Listen and respond. Decisions made in collaboration with your team foster trust and long-term loyalty. --- "A reflective reading of history will show that no man ever rose to military greatness who could not convince his troops that he put them first, above all else." – Gen. Maxwell Taylor This week at the cooperative I lead as President, we wrapped up our annual exhibition, exceeding every metric. While reflecting on this success with my VP, she mentioned how hard our staff worked. My response? “We’ve focused on keeping morale high because when we care for them, they care for us.” In leadership, “caring” often means standing up for your people. Two examples come to mind: - Scenario 1: A vendor tried to pin project delays on my team. I stepped in, firmly defending my staff and shutting down the unfounded accusations. The response? Staff members privately thanked me for standing by them. - Scenario 2: Last year, another vendor mistreated our team during the exhibition and got blacklisted. They tried to leverage connections to force a re-entry, but after consulting my staff, who were clear about their preferences, I stood my ground. My decision strained some external relationships, but it solidified my team’s trust and morale. Leadership is rarely about grand speeches or flashy projects—it’s about these small, deliberate acts of advocacy that show your team you value them. As Simon Sinek famously said: “Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge.” --- So here’s my question to you: How do you show your team that they come first? I’d love to hear your thoughts or stories! Uncle C. The Peoplepreneur. #LeadershipMatters #TeamFirst #MoraleBooster #PeopleBeforeProfit #TheObaniShow #GallupInsights #LeadershipInAction https://lnkd.in/dtpGPyMv

🚀 Jim Walsh's career trajectory, from scaling telephone poles to Fortune 100 CMO, underscores the transformative power of a strong personal brand. At an EY roundtable, he emphasized the pivotal role of personal branding in shaping career paths. Walsh's journey highlights how expanding one's personal brand can unlock unforeseen opportunities and guide through career transitions. Through his experiences, he learned the importance of balancing impact and influence, making decisive decisions, and building great teams founded on trust and authenticity. His advice resonates with aspiring leaders, stressing the shift from individual contributor to influencer to drive organizational growth. #PersonalBrand #CareerDevelopment 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eAYT7wPV

Excellence is a choice—and it’s a choice that businesses need to make every single day. It’s not something that happens by accident. Recently, I was working with a vendor whose approach made me realize the difference between saying you're committed to excellence and actually choosing to embody it. Their promises were all about being a reliable partner, but what they delivered fell far short of that. The gap between their words and actions showed that excellence wasn’t their priority. In business, we can choose to settle for “good enough,” or we can choose to pursue excellence in everything we do. From the smallest task to the biggest project, excellence requires attention to detail, consistency, and a willingness to go the extra mile. It’s about aligning what you promise with what you deliver, every time. The real key is this: excellence isn’t a one-time decision; it’s a daily commitment. Every touchpoint with a customer, every interaction with a partner, and every product or service we offer should reflect that choice. #Excellence #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #CustomerExperience #Accountability #Trust

Senior Recruiter Stephen P. Locker was selected to present at the LPL Financial Institutional Advisor Recruiting Quarterly Forum, where he shared his expert insights on “Recruiting to Win.”   Stephen highlighted four key pillars of success: 1️. Have a strategy – Develop a detailed plan aligned with the target advisor’s value proposition and prepare all parties for quick success. 2️. Do your homework – Research recruiter notes, BrokerCheck, and LinkedIn ahead of prospect calls; set clear goals and prepare thoughtful questions. 3️. Execute at pace – Make advisors feel pursued and always follow up with a clear, actionable next step. 4️. Overcommunicate throughout – Ensure alignment between all stakeholders and never leave anything to assumption.   Stephen’s hard work, disciplined approach, and repeatable process have paid off, resulting in a referral-to-join rate nearly 3X that of his peers! 👏   Congratulations, Stephen, on this well-deserved recognition of your expertise and leadership in our industry! #LPLFinancial #Leadership #RecruitingExcellence

"𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨; 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐝𝐨." - 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐉𝐨𝐛𝐬 One of the biggest challenges modern-day businesses face is attracting the right talent, inspiring them to deliver their best, and retaining them amidst fierce competition. People often prefer to stay within their comfort zones, restricting their areas of work. However, witnessing a success story where an employee evolves and excels beyond expectations makes all the effort worthwhile. For instance, we had an accounts and credit control professional who was exceptional with customers. We encouraged him to transition from accounts to sales, and today, he is one of our top performers. Similarly, several of our team members started in the hotel industry, focusing on guest services, and now they excel in customer service, becoming our star salespeople. At Moloobhoys, we take pride in achieving extraordinary performances from ordinary people, beginning with myself. This is our Unique Selling Proposition (USP), and it defines our approach to leadership and talent development. #inda #leadership #management #strategy #business #growth #success