Reynolds Group Blog

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READ  BATTLE TESTED!

Speaker: Jeffery McCausland

Colonel, U.S. Army (Ret)  

Speaker: Tom Vossler

Colonel, U.S. Army (Ret

Introduction

Our guest speakers Jeff McClausland and Tom Vossler, co-authors of the new book “Battle Tested,” use storytelling to illustrate how key leadership traits observed in the battle of Gettysburg remain relevant in business today.  

My top takeaways:

Why Gettysburg?

Gettysburg is an amazing foundation for discussing leadership lessons from a battle that occurred more than 150 years ago. It is a story that illustrates traits of initiative, authority vs responsibility, and timing. In many ways, the lessons of Gettysburg were the gateway to another leadership model, the OODA cycle (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) developed by USAF Colonel John Boyd who served in the Korean War.

Nuances of Leadership

It’s easy to confuse leadership with management. They are actually quite different.  Leadership is about vision, motivation, and trust – including mastering change. In contrast, management is more about work standards, resource allocation, and organization design. Many can be managers, but fewer are true leaders.

Initiative for the Greater Good

One of the best tests of leadership is to observe an organization experiencing monumental change or crisis. Watching how individuals “step up” with initiative often requires asking why they are making a choice: for their own benefit or for the organization as a whole.

Speaker:  Hema Dey of Iffel International Inc.

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Introduction

Our guest speaker Hema Dey, an expert on SEO marketing and sales, offers tips and lessons learned on 2021 strategic marketing for businesses of all sizes and industries.   

My top takeaways:

E-Everything is Everywhere

Since March 2020, there has been a radical shift to digital marketing – mobile and online. If you are not on digital platforms, your competitors are getting your business. And this “e-everything” environment is congested and combative. This means being equally aggressive and strategic in building marketing plans for 2021.

Where to Start?

Be surgical, not scatter-shot, in your marketing investments. First up, examine your website.  Are you talking the language of your buyers and customers?  (As opposed to telling YOUR story.)  Are you focused on how you will solve their problems?

Find the In-Grown Toenail

Hema describes how she helped her client podiatrist to invigorate the doctor’s digital strategy. The first step was to identify the doctor’s top cash-cow client and market specifically to those potential buyers. In the podiatrist’s case, she chose in-grown toenails. Why? She was an expert at it, her services provided immediate relief, and it would generate the greatest income. This is a solid tenet for all businesses wanting to rapidly reset: identify cash cows that are selling in 2020 and promote those products as part of your 2021 marketing strategy.

Aristotle Had It Right

To engage with customers, you need to craft a compelling story. This means, as always, establishing your credibility and trustworthiness — ethos.  And your presentation needs logos: messaging that reinforces logic (reasoning, facts, data, and case studies). Most importantly,  you need to forge an emotional connection – pathos – that reflects what’s in it for the customer. This is known as the Aristotelian Rhetorical Triangle.

Secrets to creating innovation from within

Presenter: Jim Twerdahl

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The Takeaways

• How to look beyond what you’ve done in the past.
• Springboard for discussion with your senior team.
• How to challenge outside resources.
• “If it ain’t broke” you’d better break it.

Speaker:  Dave Watts of Inovo InfoSec

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Introduction

Our guest speaker Dave Watts, an information security expert, discusses cybersecurity risks and opportunities.   

My top takeaways:

High Risk, Higher Damage Potential

The perpetrators are not bored college kids looking to make a few bucks or entertain themselves. These are professional criminals (basically organized crime) who are often in different countries where there are fewer or no laws making their activities illegal. Because there are no global government measures to guarantee your data safety, mediation is up to you, the business owner.

What’s Their End Game?

In the realm of Small and Medium Business (SMB), basically, every company has something of value to cyber-criminals. While high-profile news coverage would imply the top want is big money (as in, ransom), often it’s not so. Many attacks are aimed to compromise vulnerable systems in order to sell access to specialists who will monetize the data. Others are looking to distribute malware, send spam, or help launch a denial-of-service attack.

IT to IS: Apples to Oranges

In the majority, it’s the Information Security (IS) team that is responsible for averting breaches. Information Technology (IT) should be a partner in executing policies and procedures, but it is the IS organization that creates the company’s strategy, roadmap, and budget.

Key Partners in (Avoiding) Crime

Statistics show that 60% of all U.S. small businesses go out of business six months after a cyber-attack. Being proactive and pulling in all partners is the best strategy to avoid this fate.  In addition to IT and IS teams, business owners should coordinate with their attorneys – Which laws and regulations apply? What are my legal obligations if my clients’ information is breached? – and with their insurance agents – Do I have cyber liability insurance? What does my policy cover and exclude? In other words, a good offense is a good defense.