KANDL

In the second part of this two-part episode, KANDL thought it would be valuable to bring together some of our previous guests to have a topical roundtable discussion about the opportunities presented by the current economic conditions and the importance of resourcefulness and resilience in making it through to the other side.

We’re delighted to have with us Marilyn Finnemore and Aldo Bello of Mind & Media, who were the stars of Podcast #105, and Les Smolin, founder of the Executive Leadership Forum, our guest on podcast #108.

Marilyn and Aldo have a hugely successful media strategy, communications and production company working primarily with government clients, and Les is a seasoned business executive and consultant as well as a facilitator, coach and mentor to groups of CEOs.

Today, our conversation is going to focus on those opportunities - e.g., to make organizations leaner and more agile, to enter new markets with new products/services, to work closer with customers to help solve their problems, to work with suppliers in ways that serve both parties, and to form strategic partnerships for mutual benefit.  In short, we’re going to be talking about how to be resourceful and resilient, about how to run businesses better and smarter.

In upcoming weeks, we have some great guests including a discussion with Cliff Hyra, founder of Hyra IP, LLC, an attorney who specializes in Intellectual Property - it’s a timely conversation, which, you the listeners, will find important for protecting your business. Other future guest will include Julie Lenzer Kirk who will talk about thinking like an entrepreneur. I know Lorraine and I are excited about our guests and realize our listeners are just as valuable - so keep listening.

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In the first part of this two-part episode, KANDL thought it would be valuable to bring together some of our previous guests to have a topical roundtable discussion about the opportunities presented by the current economic conditions and the importance of resourcefulness and resilience in making it through to the other side.

We’re delighted to have with us Marilyn Finnemore and Aldo Bello of Mind & Media, who were the stars of Podcast #105, and Les Smolin, founder of the Executive Leadership Forum, our guest on podcast #108.

Marilyn and Aldo have a hugely successful media strategy, communications and production company working primarily with government clients, and Les is a seasoned business executive and consultant as well as a facilitator, coach and mentor to groups of CEOs.

Today, our conversation is going to focus on those opportunities - e.g., to make organizations leaner and more agile, to enter new markets with new products/services, to work closer with customers to help solve their problems, to work with suppliers in ways that serve both parties, and to form strategic partnerships for mutual benefit.  In short, we’re going to be talking about how to be resourceful and resilient, about how to run businesses better and smarter.

Listen Now:

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Les is the founder of the Executive Leadership Forum, a company that specializes in providing executive development, training and consulting services primarily to small and mid-sized organizations around the U.S. He is also leader of the Sales and Marketing Workgroup and a facilitator, coach and mentor to groups of CEOs through his affiliation with Vistage International.

Les spoke with us about the elements necessary for successful business growth. Among them were such things as clarity of purpose, inspiring leadership, performance and accountability, surrounding yourself with people from diverse perspectives who are willing to “tell you like it is,” and having fun. On the flip side, failure can result from under-capitalization, ineffective leadership and lack of ongoing innovation.

We asked Les for his parting words of wisdom, and this is what he shared.

• Be clear on your go-to-market strategy. Without that, your business has no foundation.
• Beware of the culture you create. Be intentional about it, and make sure it serves you and your employees.
• Make sure your leadership style is flexible and appropriate to the situation you find yourself in. Be adaptive as any one style will not work all the time.
• Get out of your comfort zone on a regular basis. It keeps you fresh, keeps you challenged and gives you the opportunity to step back and be self-reflective.

Les Smolin can be reached in the Silver Spring, Maryland (USA) at:

P: +1 301.942.3785 E: LSmolin@comcast.net

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