5 Ways to Become a Business Leader From The Zappos Experience
Editor's note: Joseph Michelli was Grantham University's guest speaker at a Business Webinar on entitled "How Does a 36-Year-Old Become a Billionaire?" To view the webinar in its entirety, please click here.
First, allow me to celebrate your commitment to personal growth and development! As a student in an online degree program at Grantham University you have already separated yourself from many people I encounter in corporate life who I have come to call ROAD employees. For me, ROAD is an acronym that refers to Retired On Active Duty.
At a most foundational level, companies like Zappos (the subject of my most recent book, The Zappos Experience) select for knowledge-seeking people like you and those leaders strive to fuel the intellectual curiosity of their teams.
Since you are likely busy working on your academic pursuits, let me to give you a quick overview of The Zappos Experience so you might benefit from the essence of the five principles I have culled from leaders in this extraordinary service culture:
1. Serve a Perfect Fit
Most businesses fail to differentiate themselves from the competition because they never take the time to understand what they uniquely value or possess. Rather than emulating the core values of other businesses leaders, Zappos leadership asked their people “what does it take to be a success here?” After securing that honest assessment, leaders used those core values (things like create fun and a little weirdness) to guide all decisions for the company, including the selection of applicants who possess those qualities.
2. Make it Effortlessly Swift
Before a company can build an emotional relationship with its customers it has to get the basics right. In today’s world, that involves making it easy and quick for customer to get their needs met. This principle focuses on a concept I refer to a “service velocity.” It is not just service speed (because you can have service that is so quick that it is inaccurate), but rather service speed in the direction of desired customer outcomes.
3. Step Into the Personal
Once your company can “get it right” and “make it right” for customers, you are satisfying consumers. But satisfaction is just a coupon away from your customer trying a competitor. This business principle emphasizes the importance of leaders developing personal relationships with their staff and in turn inspiring their staff to do the same with customers.
4. S T R E T C H
Many great leaders and companies become irrelevant because they stop growing. They, in essence, lose their entrepreneurial restlessness. This principle examines the need to grow people, products, and service delivery strategies, while maintaining a healthy respect for the processes that led to greatness in the first place.
5. Play to Win
Work and play should not be antithetical. Play without purpose is not a sustainable business approach, but a workplace devoid of play is not likely to fuel innovation and collaboration. This leadership principle shows how productivity can be increased through play and through a mirthful work environment.
Well, that’s a peek between the covers of The Zappos Experience! Thanks for taking the time to explore possible applications as you continue your lifelong commitment to learning and leadership!
About the author: Joseph A. Michelli, Ph.D., is an internationally sought-after speaker, author and organizational consultant whose latest book - The Zappos Experience: 5 Principles to Inspire, Engage and WOW - examines the rich and unorthodox service culture at Zappos, a company known primarily for selling shoes in playful and engaging ways.
