September 2009

The Leadership Fit®  Newsletter is written and emailed monthly to leaders seeking the

clarity, confidence, effectiveness and vitality

necessary for achieving their highest level of leadership fitness™.

To learn more about our Institute for Leadership Fitness™, including dates for our upcoming programs in Ann Arbor, MI, Lansing, MI, and Phoenix, AZ, please visit

www.theleadershipfit.com/institute

Check out our new blog: http://thefitleader.blogspot.com

  IN THIS ISSUE

Staying in the Game With Help on the Sidelines

Turning Even the Most Difficult Customer into Your Biggest Fan

One More Thing - The Positive Side of Life

Staying in the Game

With Help  on the Sidelines

In a recent Wall Street Journal article on executive coaching, demand for coaches was seen as steady despite the recession.  As executives continue to hone their skills, clients point to one-on-one coaching as critical for career success, especially during tough times.

Coaches typically are hired by companies to sharpen and/or further develop the management or communication skills of senior leaders and rising stars. Even with the recession, many companies are retaining professional coaches to help leaders get lean and efficient. 

A 2007 study commissioned by the International Coach Federation pegged annual revenue world-wide for the industry, which includes life, career and executive coaches, at $1.5 billion, with about half the study's 5,415 respondents in the U.S. Of the respondents, 58% reported executive coaching as their specialty.

Coaching sessions often cover areas such as how to build an executive presence, communicate ideas and influence others.  Executives and senior professionals interested in executive coaching should research prospective coaches carefully to ensure they are certified by an accredited coach-training program and/or credentialed by the International Coach Federation.  

To learn more about coaching, visit www.theleadershipfit.com/services/coaching.php. 

To meet our team of certified and credential coaches, please visit www.theleadershipfit.com/team/.

The Positive Side of Life 

1. Living on Earth is expensive, but it does include a free trip around the sun every year.
2. Birthdays are good for you: the more you have, the longer you live.
3. Happiness comes through doors you didn't even know you left open.
4. Ever notice that the people who are late are often much jollier than the people who have to wait for them?
5. Most of us go to our grave with our music still inside of us.
6. You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
7. Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
8. Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened.
9. We can learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors....but they all exist very nicely in the same box.
10. A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Turning Even the Most Difficult Customer into Your Biggest Fan

Each month, we review a book selected to both engage and challenge leaders as they seek to make a difference in their organizations.

Our pick this month is Who's Your Gladys? How to Turn Even the Most Difficult Customer into Your Biggest Fan by Marilyn Suttle and Lori Jo Vest.  This book is filled with real world case studies from companies in a wide range of industries that excel in their customer care. 

Researchers have announced the arrival of the "hypersensitive customer," who is pickier and more demanding than ever. Companies that put a strong emphasis on service will be better prepared to deal with this new generation of clients.

While your team may be well-versed in some areas of customer care, are they well-versed in all of them? Have you clearly conveyed specific expectations for how they treat your most valuable asset - your customers? And since this hypersensitive customer is sure to be coming your way, what should you emphasize to better accommodate them?

Find out by reading the new customer service book, "Who's Your Gladys?" When you order today, you get a special package of 40+ electronic bonus gifts in customer service, sales, marketing and professional development.

Buy your copy today at www.whosyourgladys.com.

Watch the WYG book trailer here: www.youtube.com/whosyourgladys

For our current reading list, please click here.