The past few years have been filled with many changes and new norms. As I think about the coming year in a retrospective way, I thought I would share my thoughts on these changes and vision going forward.
Traditionally, I would put together my New Year letter wishing all a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year, followed by a New Year Kick-Off meeting with a vision for the organization in the coming year and a strategic view for our organization. It would not be unusual to start the letter and meeting with something like, “It is a pleasure to see you and a pleasure to be with you today.”
Then I thought, many leaders and organizations have not been in their people’s company physically for some time; most may only know their names through Zoom and emails. I certainly won’t be starting the meeting by saying I am glad to see old friends and a pleasure to see and meet the new people whom I have not yet met, as many of the people I have not yet met may be a much larger group than the old friends.
The old ways of very few people working remotely and the new way of everyone working remotely clearly are out of balance. It is incumbent on us as leaders to find a way to use the best practices of what we learned from these two experiences and institute a better, more inclusive work protocol that leaves no one behind.
In my past letters, I may point out a few things about the many job responsibilities we have in our organization and the new ones we have created. I would thank our people for their efforts that I have witnessed and the recognition that there are no easy jobs, and each one is important to our success. I can say this confidently because I have done many of them or I have visited them in the field or spent time with them as they performed these jobs on behalf of our organization.
If these simple but powerful activities are a victim of the many changes that have occurred over the past years, each of us will have to evaluate what our future will look like going forward and which of these activities are nice to do and which ones are needed going forward.
As I write to you in this newsletter, it remains remarkably clear, nothing worthwhile is easy. In this new world and norm, there is no substitute for managing by walking around and the interaction you have with the people in your care. When you see your people and recognize their efforts, they know you care.
People want to be part of something special, want to be part of a culture that values diversity and inclusiveness and where they are viewed as part of the solution, not part of the problem. It is up to us as leaders to make that happen. We need to be creative as leaders to capture the best of working remotely and the best of the interactions of being in an office as part of a team and company family.
Finally, it is always important to recognize in your leadership team that in addition to their own work, the most important thing is the work they must do through others. In interaction with people, I believe you always start out with: people are good people who want to do a good job. Although there are times when our expectations and theirs may not be aligned, remember that the vast majority of people are good people who want to do a good job and will do the right thing, so it is critical you are aligned.
This may sound old-fashioned or naive, but if you start by looking at things from their viewpoint, you will start right and then stay right with them.
Regardless of the approach you take in 2024 and beyond, if you choose to lead, you will need to be an honest and trusted leader to establish your vision, mission, and values so that those in your care or supervision will trust you enough to follow. As a lifelong learner, we are constantly forging a path to transform ourselves into a high-character, high-performance leader. We will never be without challenges both in life and business. But if we are focused and ready to face these complex business challenges and personal changes with discipline, determination, honesty of purpose, and in an ethical manner, we will be successful.
Purpose-driven people put their morals, character, and honesty first. Without purpose, we drift. With purpose, we steer.
You have a responsibility to yourself and to others to use your best judgment, weigh your options carefully, and make the right decisions—even if they’re not the most favorable or popular, even when no one is watching!
When you do that, you honor yourself and your values. Wherever your path takes you, know that your trustworthiness is your highest honor. For if you are a trusted leader, others will believe in your vision, mission, and values and will trust in you enough to follow you. That will be your legacy. As a person, your core beliefs are not what you would like them to be, but rather what lives and breathes in you as a person. The good news is that you will have many opportunities in your career and in life to demonstrate these values and beliefs, but only one chance to get it right each time.
To A Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year.
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I have broad experiences to share that can help others as they grow and take on new challenges. During my time as president of UPS Supply Chain Solutions, I integrated over 20 acquisitions that became UPS Supply Chain Solutions. I steered UPS’s entry into the health care industry and created the mantra, “It’s a patient, not a package. ®” With the ability to see a clear vision of the changing business landscape, the passion to develop strategies, tactics, and metrics to drive desired results, and the passion to develop the Best, The Brightest, Most Informed, and Best People in the industries they serve
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