autocratic approach. He had to get buy
in and unite the workforce. “I do believe
culture is king. My role is to prove that a
‘People First’ approach is key to success,”
he argues.
6. KEEP AN EYE ON THE FUTURE.
Today, most business climates change
quickly. “I wanted to prepare for the
future,” says Blackman, “so I created a
Next Generation Advisory Board (NGAB)
comprised of young, high achieving
professionals and business leaders.
A key role of the NGAB is to ‘reverse
mentor’ me and our executive team.”
Thought leadership takes a company into
the future, and sometimes that means
listening to insights from new voices as
well as established wisdom.
7. MAKE YOUR MISSION
MEANINGFUL TO STAKEHOLDERS.
History and tradition were important at
Gold Eagle, and Blackman u nderstood
that his core purpose must honor that.
“There’s a real drive to preserve and
protect the things people love--not just
products, but well-balanced work and
home life, community engagement,
continuous
self-improvement
and
financial well being.” In shaping the
company’s mission, he committed to
prioritizing those things while promoting
growth. Long-term employees and
customers could see that what mattered
to them, also mattered to Gold Eagle and
Blackman’s team.
8. FIND A SHARED “WHY.”
Why are Blackman and his company
successful? Because a culture has been
created where people believe what he
believes. Believing in shared values,
mission and purpose - a “corporate why”
- is proof that people will pull together and
rally behind leaders they like, respect and
trust. Blackman proves this every day.
9. SET THE TONE FOR EMBRACING
CHALLENGES.
Change is a constant, and success
depends on taking chances. But those
who have already “made it into the club”
may be resistant. So Blackman believes
that showing you are “comfortable being
uncomfortable” is a powerful way to prove
yourself to others who are complacent.
“Exemplify how every failure can be a
learning experience. If you fall short,
articulate how that will motivate you for
the next time. Try again.”
10. SHOW BOTH GRATITUDE AND
PREPAREDNESS.
“At times, I’ve been in awe of entrepreneurs
who have started their company and
shared their experiences with me. I’ve
been so fortunate to be part of such a
successful, long-standing company,”
he acknowledges. Blackman has been
careful to acknowledge their help and
influence. But with the rapidly changing
business climate, he knows that these
mentors and role models expect him to
step up. They want to see their tutelage
put to good use, and that he is ready for
any challenge. u
Kevin Daum is the best selling author of Video Marketing for
Dummies and ROAR! Get Heard in the Sales and Marketing
Jungle; and columnist for Inc.com and contributing editor
at Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO). Mr. Daum is an
Inc. 500 CEO, with more than $1 billion in sales record, who
grew his online audience from 50,000 followers to more than
800,000 in less than 18 months.
Selling is often hard and painful; most people struggle
with it. Make it easier by creating a compelling message
that speaks to lots of different people. ROAR! uses a
fun and entertaining story to show you EXACTLY how
to create the right message, deliver it consistently, and
connect with all of the different buyers.
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SPRING 2018
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