I am just back from being at Customer Contact Week in Nashville, where I was lucky enough to be a keynote speaker. In one of those moments that I’ll likely never repeat, I was on the Country Music Hall of Fame stage. I even got to use the Vince Gill waiting room before going on stage. It was all very cool, and a lot of fun to be where many famous artists have been before me. I hope I did them proud in my own performance. I was told the talk went well by people who saw it. It’s hard to tell from the stage, at least for me it is. I also think I could have done better, and usually focus on what I should have done rather than how well I executed what I did.

Overall the event was really interesting, and I learned a lot about what’s happening in the industry. One of the key takeaways was the focus on customer service and experience, including its connection to employee experience. There was a lot of conversation around how to integrate technology, especially AI, to deliver better experiences for everyone involved in the contact center interaction. People still matter, and human moments need humans in them! That’s the good news. Perhaps the bad news is that companies still don’t know how to leverage this technology, buying into the hype rather than focusing on their core strategy. This means that even vendors have to educate clients on how to best implement the technology.

Sorting all of this out is going to require some leadership. And more specifically, servant leadership that focuses on providing benefits to others rather than just enriching ourselves.

This is why I am fortunate to have Arthur Adams on Experience by Design.

Arthur and I share roots in Detroit, Michigan, which already tells you the high quality person that he is. Beyond that, he grew up with a father who was a minister. Both of these foundations led to his emphasis on serving others and embracing a resilient attitude in life. His own journey started out in supply chain, working with CSX in roles that included VP of Sales and Customer Engagement, as well as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Now he is extending his service through his book, “Servant Leaders Finish First,” which provides a “yearlong journey of purpose, presence, and resilience.”

We talk about how modern leaders are faced with a myriad of inputs that they have to manage and make sense of. As a result, the modern leader is fatigued with higher rates of burnout and turnover. To become better leaders, we need to constantly revisit service as the core of our calling. This requires periods of self reflection, self awareness, and engagement in meaningful work. Additionally, we need to be able to take care of ourselves given the cost that can come with service to others.

Arthur Adams Website: https://arthurlead.com/

Arthur Adam LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthurladamsjr/

“Servant Leaders Finish First”: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H8B8TVQH

There has been a lot in the news about fraternities of late, which made me think about my time in a fraternity. When I was pledging as a college first-semester freshman, I had the “privilege” of being pledge class president. I should probably put that on my LinkedIn profile now that I think of it. But “leading” is different from rank. I had the same experience from being the Chair of my academic department. I was “in charge” in the sense of my name being required on a lot of documents, among other responsibilities. Was I leading? That I don’t know. It was more facilitation and accommodation than what I would consider to be leadership.

All of this underlines a couple of important points regarding leadership. The first is leadership is more than a position, it is an activity. All of us can lead in our everyday lives, such as leading by example. But to lead in an organization requires people being willing to follow. This goes back to the old saying about leading a horse to water but you can’t make it drink. Leadership intent in the absence of being well received yields a lot of frustration on all sides.

So we have this reciprocal relationship between those trying to “lead”, and those taking direction to guide action. You can’t have one without the other.

Sean Patton knows something about leadership, having been taught it, exercised it, and advised on it. With a last name of “Patton,” it is not surprising that he went to West Point. From that point, he was a US Army Special Forces Commander, for which he received two Bronze Stars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He also was recognized with a Leadership Award as a commander. At the same time, his first business out of the military failed, providing him with another perspective on leadership and leading. Other personal setbacks further strengthened his perspectives and resolve around what it means to lead not just for others, but for one’s self.

Today he is a leadership coach and trainer at Novus Global, working with various organizations like Redfin, Netflix, and Meta. He also wrote the book “A Warrior’s Mindset: The 6 Keys to Greatness”, and is the host of the “No Limit Leadership” podcast.

We talk about his concept of ‘epistemic humility’ in leadership, emphasizing the importance of being open to changing one’s beliefs when new information arises. In other words, leadership means being able to adapt. We also explore leadership challenges with young adults, as well as the need for ongoing leadership development opportunities. Sean describes the difference between “quiet competence” to “loud obstinance,” using historical figures such as President and General Dwight D. Eisenhower and Admiral Chester Nimitz as examples. Finally we talk about employee experience, leadership, and artificial intelligence. As AI becomes more ubiquitous, employees, and leaders need skills like analysis, creativity, and pattern recognition. A good leader needs to see AI as a tool to enable workers, rather than just an opportunity to replace them.

Sean Patton Website: https://www.seanpatton.me/

Sean Patton LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/seanpattonpresents

“A Warrior’s Mindset: The 6 Keys to Greatness: https://www.amazon.com/Warriors-Mindset-Keys-Greatness/dp/B09HG54YS4

“No Limit Leadership” Podcast: https://nolimitleadership.buzzsprout.com/

Novus Global: https://novus.global/seanpatton

I guess now that it is autumn and nearly October, it’s time to start preparing for the upcoming holiday. And by that I mean of course Christmas, and not Halloween. Tis the season! That is, if the season ever really ends. Honestly, if we mark the Christmas season as starting when stores bring the decorations out and Mariah Carey belts out over the store speakers, the Christmas season has already started. Sure, we do fit Halloween and Thanksgiving in the mix, but those only feel like afterthoughts. It is all Christmas all the time.

I don’t think our devotion to Christmas is because of the level of religious observance in the United States. I do recognize that it is an important day for many because of their religious beliefs, and I don’t want to take anything away from that. But our extended Christmas season is more about society’s devotion to stuff. The buying of stuff, the giving of stuff, the getting of stuff. It is all about the stuff. If you don’t believe me, just remember that today’s rendition of Santa Claus was borne out of a Coca-Cola ad campaign.

I have a different relationship today with stuff. I’ve hit that point in the aging cycle where I am looking to shed stuff rather than acquire more stuff. You start to look around at the stuff you have accumulated, and wonder what it is for and do I need it? Or did I ever need it? If I haven’t used it yet, odds are I won’t. So, I am all about trying to get rid of the things I don’t use and really don’t need.

When you start down that road, you do start to wonder, “What exactly do I need?” “What kinds of things would I really value?” I think that way when my kids ask me what I want for my birthday, Father’s Day, or a holiday. I don’t really need anything. So what then can they get me? It can be a hard decision to arrive at.

Now, imagine doing this on a much larger scale, such as for employees or as give-aways at a conference or corporate event. All the stuff that is given to us, handed out, gifted as tokens of appreciation, and the like.

Ben Greenock has thought exactly about these issues. Ben is Chief Customer Officer and Co-Founder of the company Go Swag. As Ben describes, Go Swag isn’t your typical swag company. Ben tells about how they turned down business with one client because they wanted to order something that Ben knew was just going to be discarded as more “stuff.” Rather than just providing stuff, Go Swag does research to figure out what will be useful to the audiences you are trying to provide for.

We discuss how Go Swag tries to create branded gift experiences using high quality, sustainable gifts which can be distributed globally with unique boxing. Ben also describes how they draw on their UX know-how to develop intuitive and seamless customer journeys. Additionally, they don’t go with gimmicks, but things that the recipients will value.

Ben also talks about going to the Glasgow School of Art and Product Design, especially as a person who grew up with undiagnosed dyslexia. However, these challenges of getting through school allowed him to develop resilience and a unique way of problem solving which he still uses today. Thus, he is wired to find a better way. We also talk about the importance of gift-giving and reciprocity in building relationships with others, and that gifts should be well thought out and intentional to be valued.

Ben Greenock LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bengreenock/

Go Swag Website: https://www.goswag.com