bookscoffeeistockNote from Art: This Saturday feature is best served with a cup of coffee and some time to reflect on the leaders that have influenced you in your life and career.

In contrast to last week’s Effective Top Leadership feature where I focused on an example inside a multi-national firm, this one is squarely in the small business category, topping out at about $20 million in annual revenues.  While it was not a large firm, this organization and its founder left an indelible impression on customers, employees, suppliers and the southeastern U.S. communities that the firm served.

Like all of these examples that I will describe in this Saturday feature, the passing of time and the fact that I was a temporary observer, in this case eight years as a supplier, ensures that my view is narrow and personally biased.  Nonetheless, fourteen years after the passing of this founder, I recall observing him and his business and his employees and his approaches as clearly as if the events all occurred yesterday.  In my opinion, the sign of quality is truly the permanent memories that these effective leaders impress upon us as we navigate our own careers.

The Ambassador

I suspect that this individual was larger than life in my mind in part because I was a young professional learning the ropes in an industry, and this gentleman, The Ambassador, was a founding father respected for his tremendous success in the marketplace and revered for his firm but genteel approach to dealing with employees and suppliers.

A new job with a different firm in the same industry put me in a position to work closely with The Ambassador’s firm and on occasion to be in his company in meetings or one memorable personal driving tour of his home town.

As the years ticked by and I forged some close business relationships with the individuals in his firm, I learned a great deal about what made that firm successful and how his leadership practices and ultimately, his presence alone, motivated his employees to strive for excellence.

Observations and Lessons Learned:

–Dress for success…this was a customer focused business from salesperson to technician to receptionist, and I’ve never since walked through a business where people were so well dressed—dark suits, white shirts, a colorful tie and a properly folded handkerchief elegantly protruding from the upper suit-coat pocket.  The mirror in the restroom had a little sign on it that said, “Remember, this is what the customer will see.”

-The Demeanor… everywhere you went, people smiled at you, introduced themselves and were happy to explain what they did for the business and for customers.  I have no doubt that this was politely drilled into the operating routine inside the firm, with the intent of showcasing the operations and the people to prospective and current clients.  It worked.  You could not leave an encounter with the staff without thinking about what an impressive and comfortable organization this must be to do business with…regardless of whether you had toured headquarters or the smallest of the regional facilities.

-The People…were top flight professionals and individuals that you were equally comfortable with servicing your business or conversing with at the Sunday afternoon church picnic.

-The Commitment to Training…selling was a profession to The Ambassador, and he had been the best in his day.  To take a job as a salesperson here was to commit to this profession with your heart and mind.  You would attend sales training.  You would attend vendor product training.  You studied, you learned and you were evaluated on performance…and on your character as a salesperson.  Dishonest and slippery salespeople that didn’t understand how to build lifetime relationships with clients need not apply.

-The Pride…employees used the name of their firm frequently in discussions and it was clear that the name meant something very personal to each of them.  As it turns out, almost every employee had a story of how they came to be part of the organization and why they owed their founder for positively affecting their lives.  The Ambassador had hand selected the majority of his team.

-The Results…this firm was a leading force in its markets and deeply embedded in the culture of the communities that it served.  Getting involved in the community, joining the country clubs, volunteering and becoming visible were both part of the brilliant marketing approach of the firm and representative of The Ambassador’s pride and love of his part of the country.  Winning was expected, great sales results were part of the culture and customer satisfaction was part of everyone’s DNA.

The Man:

I only knew this individual from a distance, with a few delightful encounters and what seems like countless tales of his ethics and professionalism from his staff. Perhaps the second most distinct memory of him was his ability to work a room, and thus my nickname of “The Ambassador.”

This gentleman was the best that I’ve ever observed at walking into a room and raising the energy level.  I never tired of watching him at our annual conferences and noting his technique.  He moved from person to person…starting politely at the top and he carried that attitude of “I’m honored to be here with you,” versus the ego-driven, “I’m here, please pay homage,” that so many lesser senior leaders portray.

The Human Element

My favorite memory of him outside of the many business dealings with the great people in his firm occurred just a few months before his death.  I was visiting his main office along with one of my cohorts and everyone knew that The Ambassador was suffering from some form of cancer.  As our meeting wrapped up, the door opened and much to everyone’s surprise, he walked in, dressed in his usual dark suit, white shirt and pocket-handkerchief, and wearing his usual “You’re here!” demeanor.  While shocked at how the disease was ravaging his physical self, his persona  was unaltered.

We went to lunch, enjoyed great conversation about the industry, our firm’s latest developments and his organization’s prospects for the year.  Of course, he expected to be at the podium at our annual conference pulling down yet again another top producer award.

After lunch in uncharacteristic fashion, he sent his employees back to the office and invited the two of us for a ride.  During the next hour, the Ambassador took us on a personal tour of his hometown, showing off with pride the churches and country clubs and sharing stories of his past and hopes for his firm’s future.  I knew at the time that this was perhaps as special of a moment as you can have in business, and I sat back and soaked up the pride that he had in showing off his community.

He died a few months later.

The Bottom-Line

I did not know his family or his personal dealings, but on the professional side of the equation, this gentleman left much more here than he took from his time on this planet.  The lessons on running a great business and most of all forging unbreakable relationships with customers and employees are tremendous.  The life lessons of treating people with respect, helping people achieve more than they ever expected and teaching people to take great pride in their profession, no matter how mundane, are permanently etched in the minds and on the hearts of the many people that The Ambassador encountered during his walk through life.