SecondIron's Blog

Sharpening Iron to Live Second

Leaders Who Go from “I” to”We” (Guest Post)

Once again my blog has been graciously taken over my a fellow blogger. Today’s guest is T.J. Tison, where she shares her story on her recent opportunity to have breakfast with a business industry leader. Here is her story: “The journey from “I” to We is a long one.”-Bill George I was recently blessed to hear Bill George speak at a leaders breakfast.  Bill George is business thought leader, Harvard Business School professor, and former CEO of Medtronic, and a man of strong faith. When it comes to being an effective leader, we would be wise to sit up and take notice when Bill George speaks. I did listen. One thing that stood out the most to me that morning was, as leaders, we need to take the journey from “I” to “We”. That journey can be a long one. Bill was once told that he wasn’t getting the best out of his team because he was forcing them to do his bidding without hearing their ideas. Early on in college he was encouraged to change the way he tried to lead because he was making it all about himself. Bill was operating as most leaders do. But he decided to intentionally change the way he led. It was a long, but worthwhile journey. Bill chose to make that change and you can too. Some leaders never make that change. They operate as an “I” leader until the day they retire, or die. We have all worked for a few of those.  It’s all about them, […]

Dumpster Diving Solution

In every city in America you can find dumpster diving. With the economy in shambles over the last few years, need has grown. More homeless people are searching for their next meal. Many cities struggle for a solution. Soup kitchens have become common in the urban core. Yet people still go hungry. Many are children, veterans and the elderly that get ignored. People ignore them, walk past then as if they were not there. We complain about them, yet do little to help. One restaurant owner in Oklahoma had a brilliant idea. Rather than turning a blind eye as many do. They opened their heart to their dumpster diving friend. The owner of P.B. Jams noticed someone  had been going  through their trash. Rather than putting a lock or gate around the dumpster to keep them out. The owner invited them in. Oklahoma City metro business leaves message for dumpster diver Imagine a world where  instead of pretending they are not there. Imagine if we all were compelled to feed them. It may not be practical for every restaurant to open their doors to the hungry. However they could all do better in how much food they waste. This also goes for every household in America. We waste more food in a week than many will see a month. So the next time you have left overs that you will just throw away. Rather than leaving it to be thrown in a dumpster. Why not box it up and give it to the hungry on […]

Why a Social Platform is Vital to Your Business

 Why a Social Platform is Vital to Your Business. In the day and age of social media there is no longer an excuse for  companies not be able to provide great customer service.  As a business owner, whether large of small you are under the scrutiny of the public eye. Yet it amazing how many companies will ignore their social customers. There are some companies that use the free or paid social media tools for good. They pay attention to what their customers are saying about not only them but also their competitors. For example I was having an issue with my cellphone and its data service. Out of frustration, I called them out on my Twitter account. Within moments of mentioning @T-Mobile in my comments I was tweeted back by their @T-MobileHelp account. This is the way a company is using the tools for good. By taking time to care and monitor their mentions they avoided me berating them further. One would think that all companies would handle their social platform in a similar manner. Not always the case. There is another instance recently where I took another company to task. Without giving them undo mention here, let’s just say I am still waiting for an answer. Not only can social platforms be useful marketing tools as well as quick customer service. These profiles also provide an online persona for the company. Many companies fall short when they are not being socially active. Nothing is more unsettling than when you find a site for […]