Creating Greater Impact

Does your business, your team, your department or your organization (or maybe even you) need to find ways to be more impactful?

After a challenging year of controversy in 2010, Jeff Bezos (The Founder of Amazon) spent time the following year wondering whether Amazon would be viewed as a innovative and value-adding, delightful service provider to its customers, or would it be seen as a greedy monolith?

I often wonder whether founders and CEO's of businesses and large organizations or Leaders of teams and departments ever stop to ponder the same thing... do you? (Without the preceding controversy of course)

Lets not be ignorant here, businesses need to make money, but at what cost?

What I love about Jeff is his constant drive to deliver great value and convenience to Amazon customers, but what didn't sit well with me was the people, businesses and industries that were sent to the sacrificial slaughterhouse along the way. (hence the controversial year) I think he was beginning to realize that there is a far better way of doing business. I truly believe that if we use our mental faculties to their fullest potential and courageously lead from the heart, we can always find a way to progress and transform industries that sees everyone benefit, including the customer.

Jeff's wondering got me wondering too. I began to think about all those decision makers in businesses, do they actually care about their customers, their community and the planet enough to create memorable and delight filled moments that not only has their customers coming back for more, it has their customers also making a difference and sharing their remarkable experiences. Are the Leaders in organizations creating a culture based on people, service, greater purpose and passion, and more importantly are they role modeling the culture they want to see?

After much postulation over how Amazon may be viewed, Jeff sent a memo to his team with the title AMAZON.LOVE capturing how he wanted Amazon to conduct itself and how he wanted it to be perceived in the world.

He wrote:

"Some big companies develop ardent fan bases, are widely loved by their customers, and are even perceived as cool. For different reasons, in different ways and to different degrees, companies like Apple, Nike, Disney, Google, Whole Foods, Costco and even UPS strike me as examples of large companies that are well-liked by their customers"

He goes on to mention that companies like Walmart, Microsoft, Goldman Sachs, and ExxonMobil tend to be feared or disliked. I would add that many organisations in general seem to miss the mark when it comes to delivering innovative products, high quality services and memorable customer experiences. It is after all, the remarkable experiences that create endearing and enduring stories that go on to cement a businesses brand and potentially change the world as we know it. With the power of social media, all it takes is one tiny story (preferably a good story) to shift the perception of an organisation... or even a leader.

Jeff then came up with, and shared in his memo, twenty four simplistic and subjective conclusions as to why some companies were loved... and some were not.

He wrote...

• ? Rudeness is not cool.
• ? Defeating tiny guys is not cool.
• ? Close-following is not cool.
• ? Young is cool.
• ? Risk taking is cool.
• ? Polite is cool.
• ? Defeating bigger, unsympathetic guys is cool.
• ? Inventing is cool.
• ? Explorers are cool.
• ? Conquerors are not cool.
• ? Obsessing over competitors is not cool.
• ? Empowering others is cool.
• ? Capturing all the value only for the company is not cool.
• ? Leadership is cool.
• ? Conviction is cool.
• ? Straightforwardness is cool.
• ? Pandering to the crowd is not cool.
• ? Hypocrisy is not cool.
• ? Authenticity is cool.
• ? Thinking big is cool.
• ? The unexpected is cool.
• ? Missionaries are cool.
• ? Mercenaries are not cool.

There are many organizations and leaders already creating cultures that embody this kind of forward thinking. Organizations like Mindvalley and leaders such as The City of Melbourne's Lord Mayor Sally Capp and The Man Cave Global's CEO Hunter Johnson just to name three.

Wouldn't you agree that it's time to collectively and collaboratively make a positive impact, and just like Amazon and Jeff, that cultural change starts at the top... it could simply start with a heartfelt, open, honest and vulnerable memo to your team.

I believe there is a lesson for everyone in Jeff's list and I invite you to ask yourself... is the business you're in, the team you lead, the department you manage, the organization you work for, or even the way YOU personally behave ? cool or ? not cool. Knowing the answer to this question and acting on it... is how you can make a positive impact.

Ref: The Everything Store - Brad Stone

Georgia believes that every person and business can successfully bring their vision and goals to life. She knows that personal mastery is a fundamental requirement for career fulfilment and business success. After 22 years working in a corporate environment and more than 17 years researching human potential, philosophy, spirituality, neuroscience, ancient wisdom, quantum physics, epigenetics, psychology and various business models for success. Georgia has taught individuals and teams in Asia, the UAE, UK, USA and Australia how to reprogram their mind for success. She is the creator of Blue Chip Minds, Conscious Architects of Life, Life Reloaded & Rise Up Masterclasses and host of the “Ellis in Wunderland” Podcast. Founder of Leadership32 and The Awakened Leader program.

Georgia works with organisations and individuals who are caught in a cycle of reliving the past, struggling to bring ideas to life, unable to shift results, overwhelmed by all the ‘noise’ or in the midst of adjusting their sails to meet the demands of the ever-changing business world. She is passionate about helping people align their mind for success.