There’s an old saying, going back centuries: “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.” One of my very smart clients said he had a mentor who quoted that old saying, but then added, “This is why I always look for thirsty horses.” I’ve been smiling about that ever since.
I’m not alone in noticing that we seem to be in the midst of an explosion of not-so-nice behavior. I’m not surprised, having noticed decades ago that the entertainment industry seemed intent on showing us the seedier side of life.
It’s a sad fact of business life—and one people hardly ever talk about—that your company is only as strong as your primary weakness. No matter how well you perform in one or several areas, your primary weakness will drag down your revenue growth potential.
Clients come to us because they are frustrated with their digital marketing vendors and the disappointing results of their efforts. What they want is a steady flow of qualified, ready-to-buy leads. They also want help with the “what happens after the customer reaches out to us” part of the exercise.
There are many books about management, theories about management, and courses that teach certain types of management. The whole concept of management is fascinating to anyone who has tried being a manager for more than a day or two. It is not something that comes naturally, even to people who have been in management for a long time.
The truth is, we are all a combination of positive and negative characteristics. No company leader is perfect. Which means that we have to be careful that our negative characteristics aren’t killing our companies without us realizing it.
Zhivago Partners provides full-service Digital Marketing Management and Revenue Coaching for mid-sized companies.
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