No I don’t mean that in the sense that you are always “catching it.” Though that may sometimes be the case. I mean do you think like a baseball catcher?

Did you know that at any given time that almost 50% of all the baseball managers in Major League Baseball formerly played the catcher’s position?

Here are just a few that have had recent success. Joe Torre and Joe Girardi both captured World Series victories as Yankee managers. Bruce Bochy has won two World Series titles with the Giants, Mike Scioscia has one with the Angels, and managers Joe Madden, Fredi Gonzales, Clint Hurdle and Bob Melvin have had good success as they have brought their respective teams to the playoffs.

There’s a reason why catchers make great managers (leaders.) It’s because as a player they were always “in the game,” and they “see” the entire game.

As a leader in your business you need to see and think like a catcher. If you’re going to see the entire field you have to be on the field.

You are catching the ball. You are throwing the ball. You are hitting the ball and mostly importantly you’re making quick decisions that impact the results of the game.

As a catcher/leader you tie the entire team together. It’s your job to back up the bad plays and make them right. It’s your job to call the pitches and to help position the players on the field in positions that give them the best chance to succeed.

You are the putty that holds the team together. Your position is not in the locker room. If you’re going to do these things you have to assume your position behind the plate. That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

1. Guard Against The “Peter Principle”-Don’t promote people based strictly on how they have performed in their current role. Promote them to their ability to perform in their new role. People are often promoted to their level of incompetence.

2. Guard The Processes-The team with the best and most consistent processes wins the most often.

3. Guard The Team-It really is about the team. You need team players. If they aren’t on the same team you cannot afford to keep them on the team. They will destroy morale and production.

4. Guard The Customers-When you protect your customers, you build your business and set the bar for the team to do the same. The team is watching and emulating how you deal with customer issues.

5. Guard The Vendors-You must demand the same high quality and standards from your vendors as you demand from your team. Don’t lower your standards because you’re saving a few bucks.

6. Guard The Culture-There’s nothing more important that you can do than guard your culture. You cannot afford to hire people who aren’t of the same mindset. If you make that mistake you will wake up one day and there is no culture.

7. Guard Against Legacy Thinking-Just because you’ve always done it that way doesn’t mean it’s the best way. Stop looking back. Look forward.

8. Guard Against Making The Same Mistakes-Mistakes are a part of growing, but what you cannot allow is the same mistakes happening over and over again.

9. Guard The Training-You cannot train too much. It’s not “redundant training” until the team is perfect. The team isn’t perfect.

10. Guard The Passion-Don’t let anyone steal or drain your passion and don’t be afraid to show your passion for all the above.

That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

I have a lot of experience in parking my car in garage parking lots. I have that experience every week when I park my car in the parking garage at the Tampa International Airport.

What I find so interesting is that people always want to park on the lower floors. So much in fact, that I will often observe people driving around the portable signs that say “This Level Full” in order to find a parking space on a lower floor.

If those looking for parking on the lower floors are lucky enough to find a space, the odds are pretty good they still have a long walk to the elevator.

I always go to the top floor. Always. The reason I go to the top floor is there’s always room to park right in front of the elevator.

Hanging out on the lower floors is pretty much what the masses end up doing in life. For whatever reason, they don’t realize there’s a lot of room at the top.

When it comes to leadership, there’s always room at the top. Far too many people never take the challenge of going to the top.

Welcome to the top floor. That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

Great leaders are champions of many things. Here’s 8 for you to consider:

1. Be a Champion of Responding-Do it now. Respond to text messages, emails and phone calls immediately. You should respond just as you would expect others to do if you were on the other side.

2. Be a Champion of Empathy-Can you recognize the emotions of others? Are you picking them up or pushing them down?

3. Be a Champion of Self-Evaluation-When was the last time you asked someone who you could trust to tell you the truth about what you could improve on?

4. Be a Champion of Discipline-Are you walking the walk or just talking the talk?

5. Be a Champion of Moving The Strategy Bar-Are you constantly seeking to tweak and kick up the strategy bar? Or, are you locked into thinking you’ve got it right?

6. Be a Champion of Enthusiasm-Sometimes you have to fake it until you make it. Here’s a simple test. How many people have you high-fived today?

7. Be a Champion of Your Culture-Culture is a living, breathing thing. Are you feeding and watering it every day?

8. Be a Champion of Defeating Legacy Thinking-Are you holding “legacy thinking” high on a pedestal or kicking it out the front door? Just because you’ve always done it that way, doesn’t mean you can continue to do so. You can either lead, follow or get the heck out of the way.

What are you a Champion of? That’s all I’m gonna ask, Tommy Gibbs

What I’m actually asking is, it time you took your staff on a retreat? Yep, I know it’s time consuming and expensive, but I can tell you it’s well worth it.

Want to get some better ideas on how to run your business? Hold a retreat

Want to know what’s really going on in your store? Hold a retreat

Want to kick off the New Year with a bang? Hold a retreat

Want to up your vision of greatness? Hold a retreat

Want to get “buy in” from the team? Hold a retreat

Want to find out who’s in and who’s out? Hold a retreat

Want to know if you’re going in the right direction? Hold a retreat

Want to develop a solid culture? Hold a retreat

Many years ago when our organization was trying to find its way I held a retreat at remote location. No phones, no distractions. Team members from all departments participated.

For 2 days we kicked around our culture, our values, our processes and strategies. Of all the things I’ve ever done in the automobile business, I believe it’s the most brilliant thing.

Is it time for you to hold a retreat? That’s all I’m gonna ask.
Tommy Gibbs

Reading is really important to me. Mostly I read to help me with my business. What I find so interesting is that more often than not, when I read something, it’s something I already know to be true.

I don’t mean that as a “know it all,” but after you’ve been in business for as long as I have, and since I’m a student of the game, I’ve either seen it all, heard it all or done it all. That’s just a fact of life.

But, what I also know to be true is that we have to be reminded from time to time about the many things we know to be solid, fundamental business principles.

I’m re-reading a book right now titled, “It’s Okay To Be The Boss,” by Bruce Tulgan. If you’ve not read it, you should. The premise of the book is pretty much what the title says. It’s really ok to be the boss, especially if you know how to manage yourself.

One of the key points the book makes is that if you walk into a restaurant and get poor service then you should not be mad at the person performing the service. You should be mad at the boss.

If people are performing poorly then it’s because they were the wrong hire, they haven’t been properly trained or they are not doing what they have been trained to do. In all of those cases, it’s the boss’s fault.

The boss has a responsibility to hire the right people, make sure people know how to perform their jobs and then demand that they do so. The greater responsibility of a boss is to hold people accountable to do what they are supposed to be doing. It’s foolish to try to hold someone accountable if you’ve not done your job correctly as “the boss.”

Never forget, you’re not running a democracy. You’re running a business that should generate the greatest profits possible for its investors and stockholders.

Can you be a better “boss?” That’s all I’m gonna ask, Tommy Gibbs

Famous last words, “I have great people skills.” How many times have you interviewed someone and you ask them to name something they are really good at and they say, “I have great people skills.”

I often ask that question of people I meet and then I’m amazed to learn they can barely spell “people skills,” much less execute them.

Leaders understand that having great people skills requires them to grow those skills daily by building relationships of trust, respect and productive interactions.

Steven Covey stated it best when he said, “Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.” Having people skills means building relationships.

You may think you are a great people person, but if you can’t be trusted then you’re a long way from having people skills.

Having great people skills involves the ability to communicate effectively with people in a friendly, positive and uplifting way.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “You do not lead by hitting people over the head – that’s assault, not leadership.” That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

I was reading an article recently on the retirement of the University of Florida’s Athletic Director, Jeremy Foley. Foley is finishing up a forty year career at UF.

You can well imagine the number of people Jeremy Foley has had to fire over the years. Of course he’s not always made the perfect decision when hiring and firing, but based on the school’s success, he’s been right far more times than he’s been wrong.

One of Foley’s sayings is, “If something needs to be done eventually, it needs to be done immediately.”

You will often find that to be a characteristic and trait of exceptional leaders. They see what needs to be done and they do it immediately.

You as a leader know there are things you eventually need to do, but for whatever reason you keep putting it off.

You know there are people you need to eventually replace. If you know you need to eventually replace them, then you need to do it immediately.

You know you need to eventually change your pay plans. If you know you need to eventually change pay plans, then you need to do it immediately.

You know you need to eventually get rid of packs. If you know you need to eventually get rid of them, then you need to do it immediately.

There’s a long list of things you know you need to eventually do.
If you want to be a better leader, you would do them immediately.

That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

I think that a large percentage of successful people played a sport or two along the way.

It’s not imperative for someone to have a sports background, but it sure does help. Here are some reasons why you should give consideration to hiring people with a sports background:

They know how to win.
They know how to lose.
They love big moments.
They want to learn more.
They know how to compete.
They always give their best.
They understand preparation.
They stay focused on the basics.
They get up when knocked down.
They coach and like to be coached.
They will get down in the trenches.
They know how to run the score up.
They understand mental conditioning.
They understand physical conditioning.
They know they must maintain discipline.
They like being on the team and understand teamwork.
They have drive, determination and the will to win.
They are eager to get off the bench and into the game.
They think fast. They react fast. They can react on the fly.
They have great peripheral vision, thus they always know what’s going on around them.

Hire more people with a sports background, That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs

Don’t you just hate it when people leave your organization? Oh, I’m not talking so much about those who you know need to go. I’m talking about those that have done a pretty good job and will be hard to replace.

One of the things that good leadership clearly understands is that it’s ok for people to pass through their organization. It’s ok for them to steal the great skills, culture and attributes you’ve helped them develop.

Good leaderships says, “We know there are going to be people passing through our organization but while you are here, do your best, and learn all you can so you can take some of those skills you learned with us to your next adventure. It’s ok, we wish you luck.” Win-win.

No doubt, you want to build an organization of great people that will stay with you for years and years. But, you shouldn’t be angry when they leave.

You should never be angry when people leave. You should ask yourself what could we have done better to retain those good people?

That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs