Rothacker Reviews

RadioBack: Listening

RadioBack: Listening

Remarkable Leadership

Remarkable Leadership by Kevin Eikenberry

Do you work for a living?  Buy Remarkable Leadership now!  Next.

"Jeepers Dave, we're not sure we got our money's worth with that review."

"Let me get this straight, you're paying me for this review?"

"Well, errr, uhhh..........no, but could you tell us a little more?"

Dave is a softy, he relents.

After reading Remarkable Leadership the first time, I closed the book and the first word that popped into my mind was prolific.  Remarkable Leadership is not just a book, it is a work.  Kevin focuses on thirteen core competencies.  They constitute Remarkable Leadership.  Each competency gets a chapter and Kevin weaves within each chapter components that entice you to participate.

"Participate Dave?"

Yes.  Kevin begins each chapter with a self-assessment.  This technique sets the stage for the book to become a conversation.  Then he provides in depth content on topics like continuous learning.  Kevin sculpts out each chapter with:

• Skill areas
• Your now steps
• Bonus Bytes
• Your Remarkable Principles
• Remarkable Resources

Bonus Bytes and Remarkable Resources direct you to an accompanying Web site that is packed with extra information.

If you are a teacher, mentor, manager, boss, coach, executive or otherwise bigwig, this book is for you NO QUESTIONS ASKED!  Jack Welch could benefit from reading Remarkable Leadership. 

"Daaaaave, we're feelin' a twist in the road ahead"

Do you know why Jack Welch could benefit from reading Kevin's book?  Because he isn't a bigwig anymore.  If you work, you need this book as much or even more than your manager does!!  Two reasons:

1. By understanding how your manager is trying to lead you, you'll become more effective.
2. You can become more effective.

Do you know that little guy who is dressed in white and sits on your shoulder?

"Now Dave, keep it together.  Don't loose it buddy."

Well, he kept asking me one question as I read the book.  He said, "Dave, what if you dropped the word leadership?"   I knew exactly what he meant.  I had the same thought myself.

"Your toast."

If  you approach reading Remarkable Leadership with the intent to become more effective, you will.   Nearly everything that Kevin talks about, can be instructive learning for every working person out there.  For instance, Kevin devotes time to the act of Listening.  Now, as much as you hope they would, do you think only leaders could benefit from advice on listening?  How about learning, dealing with change, communicating, telling stories, building relationships, networking, customer service, building values, creativity, innovation, collaboration, teamwork, problem solving, making decisions, responsibility, accountability, projects, processes and goal achievement?? 

"Dave!  You rebounded son!!"

Remarkable Leadership is a prolific book.  I would bind it with good, hearty stock, cover it in leather and cherish it for a lifetime.  But that's just me.

Remarkable Leadership was Smoked-n-Signed.

WingHouse Tampa: Imagine

Imagine owning a restaurant.  Imagine for one day, the cash registers scream out in mercy, "boss I'm overworked. I can't take in anymore money."  Imagine for this to happen all you have to say to your employees is, "folks, we're going to honor our public and civil defenders.  Lets have some fun, and oh yeah, wear a costume."

A few of us from work eat lunch a couple times a month at the WingHouse on Route 301 in Tampa.  We always try to get there before noon to beat the lunch rush.  We pulled into the parking lot the other day at a quarter to twelve.  There were no parking spaces.  Burly pick up trucks had even invented a few of their own parking spaces - off pavement.   We quickly tried to figure out what was up.  Was Hillary Clinton in town?  Was Britney Spears in town?   Paris Hilton?

We were mystified, until the young lady opened the front door for us.  Costume day at the WingHouse.  You'll have to use your imagination, but I can start you off with young, fit women wearing slightly less than full uniforms.

The atmosphere inside was festive and cool.  Ownership was running a contest for the most favorite costumed girl.  Sitting there with my colleagues, my mind began to drift (I know, I am a little sick).  I thought of this one simple and brilliant decision that the owners made...to quadruple their business.  And aside from promoting the event, it didn't cost them a dime.  How could this work in my business?

WingHouse takes their product (wings are their other products), and basically, puts it on steroids.  This takes thought and imagination but think of what kind of move you could make with your own business, using this mindset.

Speaking of thought and imagination and increasing your revenues...   While dining that day, an announcement came over the loudspeaker asking people who had parked in the Red Roof Inn parking lot to move their cars or they would be towed.  Now we are talking the middle of the day at a hotel.  Were the cars disturbing the cleaning folks?  It seems to me that for folks smart enough to whip up an event that hardly costs them a dollar and makes them thousands more, they might be able to work out an arrangement with hotel.  It is also entirely possible that they have and Red Roof Inn is stonewalling.  No matter which company is doing what, the Red Roof Inn came away with egg on its face and the WingHouse was short on parking spaces.

I like this WingHouse.  No matter when we've been there, the staff has been friendly (in spite of the pressure to git ya out), they always demonstrate a sense of urgency - like they actually want you to be there, and the food is good.  And in an attempt to demonstrate that I am not sick, the girls are pretty.

RadioBack: No More Review!

RadioBack: No More Reviews!

RadioBack: Our Vision Hits Home

RadioBack: Our Vision Hits Home

RadioBack: Dave's Vision For The Business Unit

RadioBack: Dave's Vision For The Business Unit

RadioBack: The Perfect Storm

RadioBack - The Perfect Storm

RadioBack Signals

We moved to Florida in 2005.  Our opportunity was so wham-bam-thank-you-mam that I didn't even have a job lined up.  I figured that I would get a management position once we arrived and then I'd write about the experience.  Well I got the job but I couldn't write about it...it just didn't feel right. 

As you can see, I, Dave, got his groove back.  And it now feels right to write.  I  tweaked RadioBack a bit and now have me a place to write about my management adventures.  I would like to post a couple of times a week and will place a link out from this site.

How Dave Got His Groove Back

Dave's life philosophy was Oz is the Yellow Brick Road.  But Dave wasn't living his life creed very well.  As he traveled the Road he continuously looked ahead.  Maybe once he got up around the next bend his ship would be there.  You see, at fifty-one years old, Dave didn't know what he wanted to be when he grew up.

Since 1977 with the exception of one year, Dave has had a manager title at work.  Early on, when his enthusiasm and energy was high, Dave was more busy trying to get work done than to get work done through his people.  The light bulb went off in 1988.  Dave threw himself into the study of business and management.  By 1997 he was ready to mount his steed and lead the troops.  The problem was his immediate boss who was also the company owner.  This gentleman's agenda stymied deployment of the personal development of anyone who worked for him.  Dave had an unbelievably talented and progressive staff.  For them to utilize their talents, he would have to provide cover.  Though rewarding, it was a massive drain on Dave's mind and body.  Eventually he left the company.

From that time on, Dave checked his spirit at the door as he punched the clock.  Personal satisfaction came from sharing knowledge with like-minded people online.  Author David Weinberger captured the essence of Dave's world with one simple sentence, "However much we long for the Web is how much we hate our job."  Dave yearned and longed for the Web all day long! 

Two years ago, Dave hooked on with a company that was different from any other he worked at.  This was an international company with around thirty state-side offices.  What really rocked Dave's world was that no matter what level the people were at, they were just plain nice people.  Perhaps he would be allowed to be a real manager and not one that was forced to strafe management's ignorance from five thousand feet so that his people could find true meaning in their work.

You, Inc. The Art of Selling Yourself

You, Inc. by Harry and Christine Beckwith

How can I tell you what I think with brevity and crystal clear clarity?  How can I make it interesting enough so you will tell others?  How can I get you to come back?

I think deeply about the above questions.  Personally however, I have a huge problem.  Picture yourself wanting to build a new home.  The most important part of a home is its foundation and basic structure.  This is where you need to start.  But your mind cannot choose a foundation so it drifts toward the floor plan and interior design.  Both important components but each will not amount to a hill of beans without the correct foundation.  And so it is with me.  My mind drifts toward bright and engaging communication, when it should be thinking about foundation.  What is your core idea dave?  What is that word that when people speak, associate it with you? 

I thought I might have a bit of fun here with this idea.  So I am going to list my fellow JJLN authors and then list the first word or phrase that comes to mind about them.  For the authors that I do not know that well I am going to visit their Web site and insert the first thing that comes to mind.  I encourage my colleagues to copy and past this list and then create their own associations.  Even if you are not a JJLN author, feel free to contribute.  Heck, add more names if you choose.

Angela Maiers - education, teach, passion.

April Groves - internal spiritual intelligence.

Ariane Benefit - organized.

Benjamin Bach - learning, networking, sharing, improving.

Blaine Collins - relationships, networking.

Chris Owen - Aussie, pink, relationships.

Dan Ward - intellectual, radical.

David Zinger - positive life outlook, educator, learning.

Dean Boyer - teacher, educator, learning.

Dwayne Melancon - sharing, growing, evolving, relationships, spirit.

EM Sky - spiritual, openness, giving, smart.

Greg Balanko-Dickson - biz coach, vast resources, teaching, learning.

Joanna Young - wordsmith, writing, giving, caring, clarity.

John Richardson - productivity, leadership.

Karen Wallace - serenity, learning, giving.

Kevin Eikenberry - relate, learn-from-life, positive, energy.

Phil Gerbyshak - relationship geek, networker-on-steroids, smile, learner.

Rosa Say - management coach, writer, value-anchored, managing with aloha, sister.

Steve Sherlock - learner, hitchhiker, observer-of-life, caring, sharing.

Terry Starbucker - women, uber-positive-life-outlook, leadership, caring, smart.

Tim Draayer - personal development, networker.

Tim Milburn - graphic artist, college-leadership, giving, sharing, learning.

Toni Howard - coach, caring.

Ok, I got a little carried away.  I couldn't list just one thing that came to mind about these folks.  These are my perceptions.  And one perception I must expand upon before it is taken out of context.  Terry Starbucker - women.  To begin with, Terry is one of my most favorite writers.  His insight into business and life is as crystal clear as Rocky Mountain water.  Add in the essence-of-Terry, the glass-half-full philosophy of life, and we're talkin' life after service company exec here.  Here's the women connection (and it ain't deep); I've noticed that more women link to Terry's site than other business-life writers.

"dave, I thought you were going to review Harry and Christine's book here?"

The Beckwiths weave life tales and experiences around advice that navigates us through the narrow and shallow channels of business. 

You are the CEO of you.  If you have established a core idea for your Web site or are on the journey of discovering one, you'll need a copy of You, Inc., to help clarify your communications.  And, if you want to create a word or phrase that you'd like folks to associate with you, do so.  Then repeat that word before and after you read each of Harry and Christine's two hundred and seventy six chapters and you'll be on your way!