A message from Kevin D. Crone, CEO, Dale Carnegie Business Group, Canada.
Welcome to the Monday Morning Mentor!
Each Monday, you will receive valuable coaching on topics like:
- How to design your life to get what you want
- Facing up to the 8 Mistakes of Growing a Business
- Implementing 21 Ways to Grow a Business
- Facing up to the 8 Mistakes of Management to Grow Your Career
- Implementing 10 Ways to Engage, Connect and Build Your People
- The One Big Missing for Management
- How to Prepare for a Slowing Economy
- Designing Your Business to succeed in an ever-changing market
- Execution – Creating a Climate of Focused Action
- How to achieve results through the willing co-operation of others
- Can Your People Change?
- Getting ahead faster while maintaining a balanced life
- The Little Recognized Secret of Success
This is a personal Monday Morning email from Kevin D. Crone, an experienced business person and CEO of a national company who is committed to helping businesses in Canada grow while they engage and connect their people, and help employees make a difference.
Here is a welcome message from your mentor, Kevin D. Crone, Chairman of the Dale Carnegie Business Group (Ontario & Maritimes).
Fortunate to Have Many Mentors!
Like many, I know the joys and perils of owning and running a business. I’ve been doing it for 44 years. Since I was 21 years old I’ve been involved in helping Canadians succeed. I started Dale Carnegie work with a small team in one county in South Western Ontario. I had very little going for me except this mission and passion. By the time I was 28, I purchased the largest Canadian Franchise and within 18 months became the largest franchise in our world-wide organization. We grew 800%. This sounds good and exciting but since those days, I’ve seen my share of business ups and downs. I now know that success, although exhilarating and fun; can be wearing on family, even though I’ve always had the support I needed. I wished I had given my family more time. It takes a lot of energy and you can become worn down from the constant changes and challenges.
Recessions and market changes take a toll on your spirit and body. I was fortunate to have several mentors who helped me along the way. Stu Scott, a Burlington accountant who went on to own over 15 companies and become very wealthy, was a great coach. His tough love approach and knowledge of business was passed on to me. Stu would always say to me, “Focus on what’s left in your jeans Kevin.”
Lee Straughan from New Mexico, a former Carnegie franchisee is another great mentor who guided me through the people challenges of running a large organization. He impressed on me the importance of investing what was left in my jeans. God love both these mentors.
Who is your mentor? It became obvious that as much as I thought I could do everything myself, I couldn’t. We all need support and coaching.
In the 90s I was mentored by Gunnar Floryd from Sweden and Robert Fritz from Vermont. More on my Mentors in later weeks.
It’s tough to see what’s going on from the inside. Most business people are overwhelmed with details, problems to be solved and being pulled in many directions. Chasing the right one can be the crux of how or whether we grow. Most times we can’t see what’s required. Why? Because we’re so in love with our business, our offering, the story in our head of living out the good life. These concepts limit what we see as reality. Our vision can become stale and we may be more interested in other things than our original vision and our dream of how we would change our market or make a difference in our companies. Also, many times we get bogged down with operations or sales and lose sight of the market. And not to mention, the many people problems that wear us out – this is where an outsider can really help.
Today it’s still exhilarating to be in business, yet I see that the stakes are higher, the change is quicker and the people challenges are more complex. The fundamentals of success are still there. How to live those fundamentals keeps changing.
Every business and every leader has potential and the great opportunities are still there. Most companies could explode if they saw things more clearly, changed what needed to be changed and then executed and most importantly, get the help they need.
Well, you now have a mentor… me! Every Monday I’ll send you a quick email . It should take about 2 minutes to read and 10 minutes to digest. You could use it as a conversation starter with your people or partner(s) – or just something to kick start your day. It may help to keep you inspired, not so totally consumed by problems and overwhelmed with the ‘gotta do’s’. Inspiration and clarity is the source of focused action. You’ll get lots of that here.
It will just be me. The business owners whom I mentor, tell me that I’m candid but engaging. I’m as action-oriented as they come, and communicate in a down to earth way. Basically, I’ll bring you all the research my national group digs up to help you see the trends, what’s going on, and what you can do to grow your business and leadership – in a simple “how to” way. I’ll replay for you real-life coaching experiences from Canadian businesses and leaders just like you on how to:
- acquire more customers
- compete with good ole “tough in the corners” Canadian grit strategies to outsmart and stay ahead of the competition
- nourish existing customers so they feel special
- engage new markets
- engage your people
- change your leadership habits so you don’t inadvertently sabotage your business
- create a climate of focused action
- create a structure and design required to advance your business and
- make your strategies work
I see the need and feel the pain. I see schools, coaches, trainers, and peer group clubs failing to help people like they should. When consultants leave, so does momentum. I want to help where I can.
We need practical, down to earth ideas that work, sprinkled with clear direct communication that causes you to act.
Talk to you next week,
“Kevin from Heaven” (all Irish men are this way)
Kevin D. Crone
CEO
Dale Carnegie Business Group
(905) 826-7300 / 1-800-361-2032
