By Rolf Crocker

Since 2004, I have had the privilege of writing for this fine publication.  If you review The Book Report archives (http://www.adamen-inc.com/Book-Reviews---The-Complete-List~71423~12525.htm), you'll see that the vast majority of articles contain book reports that can be condensed into two (2) key topics: Leadership and Business.  Now there's an old adage that says, "Those who can't, teach…"  That is about as bogus as a $3 bill.  Most of the books I have covered are from people who have been highly successful in their respective fields and now want to help others by guiding them through the minefield of their own experience - what worked, what didn't and how you can find your own path through the mire.  It was along these lines that my editor, Dan Adamen, chose to challenge me in preparation for this article.

Many of you know that a year ago I jumped back onto the Management side of the industry.  Seven months ago, I was asked to take the helm of a management company that has over 160 associations, 22,000 units and a staff of around 80.  Some of the questions Dan  posed to me were:  Can you still be productive and profitable in a down economy?  If so, what are some basic truths that contribute to that end?  If you had to distill it all down to a couple of key concepts, what would they be?

A quick disclaimer before I start - what I am about to share with you has precious little to do with any 'special skills' that I bring to the table.  This is all based on what former UCLA Basketball coach John Wooden would call the 'fundamentals' - drills and skills available to anyone who will take the time to check ego at the door, look at their operation in a holistic fashion and apply them consistently.

So, can you be productive and profitable in a down economy?  The answer is an emphatic YES!  In fact, many will proffer that real money is made in a down economy.  To that end, here are four 'fundamentals':

1)      Cut the Fat - When times are tough, you have to look at every aspect of the operation.  Reduce, consolidate, and tighten the belt.  This point is by no means the 'key' to long-term profitability, as it only controls the bottom line, adding nothing to the top line.  But it is a key to short-term sustainability.  Never forget the power of saving money when it is reasonable to do so.

2)      Good Human Resource Management - "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."  This quote from John Maxwell is especially relevant in tough times.  Ensuring your Staff is engaged, nurtured, properly utilized and trusted is especially critical in tough times.  Your Staff can make you or break you - it's where all the real work goes on.  Invest in them emotionally, educationally and through career opportunities.  While this is important in any economy, doing this during a time when so many others are being downsized and outsourced develops an extraordinarily deep loyalty that will continue long after the economy comes back around.

3)      Develop New Business - When things are down, everybody is evaluating their options.  The key here is to not panic - just because times are down, you don't have to slash pricing or take on opportunities that don't make good business-sense.  However, your offering will need to be what business guru Tom Peters calls "work worth paying for."  This is the only way you can get premium pricing in a down market.  The springboard for this is by taking points 1 and 2 above to heart.  If you do, you'll be ready to capitalize on this one. 

4)      Personal "Continuing Education" - On a personal level, you have to be continually willing to learn and grow.  Hold no process or methodology as 'sacred,' but be prepared to evaluate everything in the light of others who are successful in what they do.  This can be accomplished through books, seminars, articles and networking with others.  The biggest load of hooey I hear is people telling me they "don't have time" for this kind of effort.  I would submit to you that, in times like these, you (if you'll forgive the double-negative) don't have the time to NOT do it.  There is a treasure trove of great information in many different industries that can be of use.  They key to this point is to 'pick the meat off the bones' - take what resonates to you and don't swallow everything you read or hear as 'gospel.'  Most of what we do and believe is an amalgam of lots of information, distilled and marinated internally along with our hopes and dreams, our relationships, our successes and our failures.  Also - make sure have good leaders around you to whom you have given the freedom to tell you when you're headed for a cliff.  No one person has the corner on truth or methodology, especially if we're emotionally invested in it.  Surround yourself with leaders who can help you with your 'blind spots'

In answer to Dan's last question, if I had to distill this down to two (2) key concepts they would be these:  Leadership and Stewardship.  Leadership, as defined by John Maxwell, is influence - nothing more, nothing less.  If you don't have influence beyond your position or title, you cannot hope to gain any of this.  People will follow you to the extent they have to in order to keep their job, but that's about it.  To go beyond this level, you need to earn the respect and trust of staff.  Only then will they 'permit' you to lead them.

The second point is Stewardship.  This is an under-utilized concept these days, especially with some of the more 'urban legend' definitions of Leadership.  At its core, Stewardship implies that one is holding something in trust on behalf of others - those 'others' being shareholders, clients and staff.  It gives an underlying yet foundational truth that, "It's not about you."  When it's not about you (or me), we make decisions from a position of true strength, because we're charged with the responsibility of the health of the organization as a whole, not to the minor sliver of "what's in it for me?"  A Steward is one who looks after the well-being of others and to see that the organization is running to its highest possible level - not as compared to others, but, as Robert Greenleaf said, to the standard of "what is reasonable and possible utilizing all available resources."  In that competition, you are ultimately competing with yourself.

In conclusion, I leave you with one of my favorite quotes.  Robert Quinn, Professor of Organizational Behavior and HR Management at the University of Michigan Business School, states, "Excellence is a deviation from norm.  Excellence is a form of deviance…  You become excellent because you are doing things normal people do not want to do.  You become excellent by choosing a path that is risky and painful, a path that is not appealing to others…  You do it because it is right and because it brings enormous internal satisfaction.  That is the key."