John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success

January 1, 2025Posted inGeneral Management
There is no better way to start the year than to revisit tried-and-true principles that have led to repeated success. John Wooden, the legendary coach, created “The Pyramid of Success” after years of outstanding performance. Wooden is “old news,” and many more success paradigms have been created since he put together this pyramid. And yet, I find his tenets to be eternal and always relevant. His definition of success resonated with me: “Success is the…

MANAGEMENT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE

July 31, 2024Posted inGeneral Management
Recently returned from a magnificent trip to Africa. During the trip we stayed at four different lodges, all wonderful in their own way. One lodge in particular stood out. Every person we passed stopped and introduced themselves with a smile. In general, the lodge staff was smiling a lot, even when they were amongst themselves. A sense of well-being and positivity permeated the place. Even my extreme food pickiness and requests (I didn’t know blueberries…

THE IMPORTANCE OF CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE PART II

July 19, 2024Posted inGeneral Management, Retail
This article is a perfect follow up to my recent article on the importance of customer experience and perception. It is a summary of an interview conducted by David Martin of Julie Mayrant, the dynamic, ever-vivacious leader of Woodforest’s consumer bank. Woodforest’s roots are in consumer banking. It has over 740 branches in 17 states, mostly located inside Walmart and catering primarily to America’s working class. While much has been written about the importance of…