I am a news junkie…I admit it.

But I have found myself recently not turning on the news…or should I call it the “olds?”  The same old, same old stuff.  Madoff takes off with billions of dollars, AIG is begging for million dollar bonuses, and Anna Nicole Smith’s boyfriend and doctor are in trouble for prescribing medications for her to the point of stupification.

As an executive coach, I am always looking for the bigger message.  From where I sit, the problem is not with the actions (although they are staggering)…the problem is with our DNA.  As Americans, we have this code being woven into our DNA that reads:

1) Do anything to get ahead

2) To be successful, you must be rich!

3) Go to extreme measures to either be a celebrity or be around a celebrity

4) Bend the rules…just this one time, becuase you deserve it

5) So what if I get a $1 million bonus while the economy is falling apart…you HAVE to have me, so PAY ME!

You see, the issue is that we don’t have integrity sewn deeply into our DNA.  Even our government is having problems with integrity, and it is like a twisted maze to see how to get out of this.

We are going to have to start practicing some behaviors and holding people accountable to:

1) Telling the truth

2) Following the rules

3) Being transparent

4)  Disclosing information to our customers and constituents

5) Doing the right thing when no one is looking

6) Enforcing consequences when the above 5 are broken

Sounds simple, but this is so difficult to follow.  Somewhere along the way, we went down a path as a nation that was built on greed, sex appeal, power and manipulation.  And, the more we have of these things, the more we crave them.

Today, as you are reading this post, I encourage you to take one step…a step in the direction of walking closer to the line, telling the truth and disclosing more of what you need to.  If each person in our world just took one step to get back to some strong core values of integrity and doing the right thing, our world would be a much better place.

I think it is an understatement to say that we are living in uncertain times.  Each time I turn on the news, there is more bad news about our economy and turmoil abroad.

So, as a leader, what do you do during these times to keep people inspired and moving in the direction of profitability and sustainability?  These 5 strategies will help to get you started.

1) Challenge your historical models. If you are leading or managing your business using leadership models or measurement tactics used in the past, you are probably missing a huge part of the bigger picture.  Uncertain times show us that we are moving into a new economy/new world.  New times call for new leadership models and new ways of measuring results.

One Step: Get brushed up on how to lead a virtual team.  With virtual teams, you have to assume that the way you lead in a traditional work environment just won’t work.  You must be willing to mega communicate, form allies across borders and learn how to get people who work independently to work as a unified team.

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In the March issue of Harvard Business Review, Philip Lay, Todd Hewline and Geoffrey Moore make a strong case for using provocation-based selling during a down economy as a way to get your customers to see clearly how YOU can help them solve a critical issue. It’s the “You may not think you need me, but let me tell you why you MUST have me right now!”

So, today in this blog post, I am going to identify the BIG problem I see with many of my current clients and my provocative point of view.

Big Problem: A large number of decision makers are cutting out coaching and training right now, because it appears to be a luxury expense in their budget.

Big Risk: Without coaching and training, your existing employees (those few you have left) are probably not growing and becoming stronger. Right now, with the economy as it is, you want to have the best and brightest people on your staff who can help your company make more money, save more money and be more productive (saving time WILL save you money!)

Big View: Executive Coaching is not a luxury! It is a requirement for your competitive advantage in the marketplace.  Without Executive Coaching, your team stands the risk of falling apart over the next year.

How I Can Help You Get Stronger and NOT Fall Apart: With the type of Executive Coaching I offer, I can help your team become the strongest team in your industry by teaching them how to:

1. Build  intellectual horsepower
2. Increase their ability to think strategically
3. Garner new clients
4. Use Web 2.0 tools (which are free) to “listen” to what your competition and the world are talking about
5. Diagnose their biggest shortcomings and teach them how to turn these into strengths for your company

If you are serious about staying ahead during this down economy, you need me!  Send me an e-mail to beafields@beafields.com, and I will show you how I can help you get stronger while your competitors are losing market share and quite frankly falling apart.

Chuck Todd and Sheldon Gawiser have recently published a book How Barack Obama Won: A State-by-State Guide to the Historic 2008 Presidential Election.  I have read a few excerpts and have listened to Todd interviewed on the subject, and I believe this is a must read for anyone who wants to learn how to lead AND market.

Reason 1: On Morning Joe this a.m., Todd pointed out how important speeches were, are and will be to President Obama.  His oratory skills are outstanding and compelling.  He uses every chance he can to sell the public on his position, and he clearly states his position with poise, charisma and strength.  His intelligence and polish are impressive.  Many pundits are arguing that the President is not winning in the “bubble” on Capitol Hill but that he is still winning with the public, and for our confidence as a nation, this matters, and it matters in a very big way!  Now his big challenge is to win with Congress.

Reason 2: Is Obama still in politicing mode?  You bet he is!  He has some major initiatives on his plate (the economy, pulling out of Iraq).  If a Presdient can’t go out and get the votes needed in Congress to get the job done, then you may as well hang it up.   Just as in politics, in business and leadership, you don’t stop campaigning…you do all in your will and power to get people on board.

Reason 3: President Obama is appealing to the intellect of the American people.  He is talking straight from the hip, lets us know that he is fully aware that we all know we are in the midst of a major recession and that we have to act swiftly to take action to turn things around.  Many leaders will try to paint a rosy picture, and I am just not hearing this from Obama.

Reason 4: President Obama is using is his audacity of hope approach.  He is staying hopeful, using optimism and reminding us all that we’ve been in this situation before and came out stronger on the other end.

If you are a business owner or a leader in any position, I would recommend that you begin studying why Obama won and how he is continuing to be popular with the public.  I am certain you will gain a few insights into how to apply his skills in the direction of your own leadership.

Here is his speech from last night to Congress.  Watch this and see what you can learn.

I’m almost embarrassed to say that our company is thriving in this down economy. The last three months have been the best ever by more than 10%.  What’s the secret?  One word: TRUST.  In this environment people are looking to trade their hard earned dollars for an experience they trust.  In entertainment, ticket sales for movies are strong.  My wife and I were at the theatre last week and the house was packed. Why?  Because we trust the experience we’re paying for.  In business, this principle works the same way.  So how do you build trust amidst this chaos?

What we’re doing is focusing on articulating our customers core values and then infusing them into the work we are doing for them.  It’s cutting out all the extraneous B.S. in their marketing materials and making them leaner machines that get to the heart of their customer’s needs. When their core values are accurately expressed in their marketing materials (writing AND design), their customers have a subconscious reaction to their materials, an intangible feeling of love or hate. What happens is that they attract the customers who are most perfect for them, while turning others off so they’ll not waste their time!  This leaves our customers with more time to nurture their perfect customers, deliver results to them and increase orders as our results drive more customers to them.

And you don’t need to hire a company like ours to help you to articulate your core values and then infuse them into your materials. Send me an email to corey@writersoftheroundtable.com with Core Values in the subject line and I’ll be happy to send you a step by step approach to help you articulate your core values. The process will take you less than 30 minutes in total!  Then you can take those results and hand them over to your own writers and designers to ensure your marketing materials are built around the values of your organization.

It’s actually really easy once you understand the power of the principle.  I was fortunate to learn about core values when working with Bea Fields on EDGE! A Leadership Story. I truly believe that the power of core values can make the difference between thriving and dying in this economy.