Any parent with young kids knows Daniel Tiger is the ultimate authority on every lesson you need in life. The PBS successor to Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood features a young tiger (unsurprisingly named Daniel) and his family. He confronts life’s difficult challenges with emotional maturity, self-awareness, and singing.

So
Much
Singing!

But, unlike most children’s TV, you won’t end up hating it. In fact, you’ll end up loving it because the songs are so catchy and soothing that you can draw on Daniel Tiger’s extensive catalog of compositions to guide your child through basically any daily struggle.

Turning Market Disruptions into Strategic Growth

The pandemic has led us to ask many questions.

“Are we really more productive working from home?”

“If this is the future of work, how do we keep making sales and growing revenue?”

And mostly, “How are some businesses thriving right now when so many are struggling and failing? How are they turning barriers and disruptions into revenue growth, and how can we too?”

The answer is antifragility.

The conversation happening at most organizations right now is centered around pivoting strategy to make up for lost revenue in 2020. When this is the topic, the focus is on simply getting back to neutral – filling in the hole that the pandemic caused when it upset the market this year and hoping that next year will provide an easier opportunity for growth.

But what if these sweeping disruptions could be a catalyst for growth right now instead? What if the conversation were about how much your business could grow instead of whether it would survive?

Motivational speakers will tell you that we are constantly surrounded by opportunities and all you need to do to is just reach out and seize them. In fact, this advice is so common, that the phrase “carpe diem” has been around for over 2,000 years and has ingrained itself into virtually every aspect of popular culture.

The first month of 2020 has been full of all types of news - good, bad, and extraordinary. The recent news about the passing of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and seven others is sad beyond words. Regardless of whether you are a fan of basketball, you will find Kobe’s principals inspirational and hopefully will help you think more about “what’s next”.

The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do.” - Kobe Bryant

We can do something special today for those we appreciate, to inspire people to be great in whatever they want to do. We have the tools and means to do this, regardless of our location.

Another Leadership Forum is happening in March for members of Center for Advanced Manufacturing Puget Sound (CAMPS).  The forum will be at the offices of Clark Number in Bellevue, WA on March 27. I will have the honor of presenting on the topic of “Becoming a Thought Leader”.

aka How Valuable is a CRO?

Unlike a more narrowly focused Chief Sales Officer or Chief Marketing Officer, a Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) is responsible for the entire array of revenue-driving activities – scaling revenue, overseeing sales and marketing teams, managing partner relationships, ensuring client success throughout the buyer’s journey, and maintaining brand integrity. As an organization grows, the need for a CRO often becomes more evident.

Some companies decide to onboard a CRO to better align burgeoning sales and marketing teams around a singular business goal, while others choose to bring in a CRO to bolster channel expansion efforts. Either way, a CRO will oversee the business processes and staff that accompany the end-to-end revenue value chain.

“The goal of forecasting is not to predict the future but to tell you what you need to know to take meaningful action in the present.” - Paul Saffo

Market volatility and economic disruption are once again becoming the norm, making it more vital than ever that businesses have a strong grip on their revenue forecasts. Not only does strong revenue predictability provide a solid platform for critical decision-making, but it has also proven to be a winning business practice.

Seth Godin said:

Extraordinary contribution changes not just the recipient, but the giver as well…

The hard part isn't working for free. The hard part is figuring out that this is your chance to do more than you're asked, to resist being unpaid labor for an organization too cheap to pay you properly. Instead, this is a rare moment to leap.”

What's missing in Seth’s great share

Those who are still trying to figure out how to show up and be consistent are in the early part of their journey. Without a foundation of skills and expertise, ‘leaping’ does require some good judgment.

When that time comes, they can look at their skills, talents and how they make an impact… and sometimes will have an epiphany: “it matters”.  That is when they go beyond marketing – and leap… which leads to bigger rewards for everyone.