by Kim Baldock:
When my father was ill, I struggled to find the words to sum up how much he had impacted my life. So, in a self-indulgent blog, with Father’s Day around the corner, I reflect on four valuable lessons that I learnt from him
1. Keep the end goal in sight
Dad didn’t finish high school, yet he achieved a leadership role in an international airline. How did he do it? By accepting risks, firstly by moving his young family across the world and taking the opportunities that came his way and then by continually looking for ways to educate and extend himself.
Like all good businesses, to be flexible and nimble you need to keep the end goal and business strategy in sight.
2. Work hard
My dad never forgot that he started with very little and how hard he had to work to achieve what he did. I was raised with this work ethic built around getting the job done well, loyalty and ethics mirrored through watching dad.
Getting your brand, communications and marketing is hard work – but with the right team and attitude anything can be achieved.
3. Technology is important – no matter what age
If you were looking for a baby boomer who LOVED technology, then that was my Dad. He was an early adopter: tapping away on his tablet, teaching mum how to use her smart phone and jumping onto social media. He saw the progress from pagers, DOS command computers through to what we have today, and he embraced every bit of it.
No matter what your business is or the demographic of your leaders and team, technology plays a major factor in our everyday business. Those who don’t embrace it are left behind. so get that LinkedIn profile updated and be active on social media….and have fun!
4. Don’t take defeat lying down, get up and get on with it
Dad was my go-to man. If the car broke down, the power went off, something to celebrate or work not going well – he was the one I’d call. He’d provide gentle advice generally from his own experience and be my biggest champion.
Early in my career, I was struggling with a work decision and he told me that I could accept defeat and live with it, or I could take control of the situation and make a change.
So if you aren’t successful in a tender ask how you can improve the process and message next time, if you need higher profile get your leaders more visible on social media. If you fail at a step, get up, dust yourself off, learn from your mistakes and start again.
To all the dads out there:
Enjoy your socks, undies and belts you get - they have been purchased with love.
It’s coming up five years since Dad passed away, and this Sunday I’ll be thinking of him and remembering his love of wine, music and family.
xx