In a recent webinar, Lisa Bisaccia, executive vice president and chief human resources officer at CVS Heath said, “Results matter, but how you get there can be even more important. Did you lead the way, and did your people follow you?”
As an executive in your organization, your main objective is to set overarching goals for your company and to lead your employees to obtain those goals. In today’s world, competition drives business, which creates a larger obstacle in the path of a company’s success. If you truly believe in your employees, your company will overcome any obstacle.
Mind over matter
Cleveland has always been viewed as the underdog in the eyes of outsiders who questioned whether the city could successfully obtain and run major events. Many outside of Northeast Ohio saw Cleveland as a failing city. After being awarded and successfully executing the 2016 Republican National Convention, that mindset shifted and Cleveland began to be viewed as a city on the rise.
What many didn’t realize is that long before the term “Cleveland Renaissance” was coined, this city was hosting large-scale events. Without a winning mindset, Cleveland wouldn’t have been awarded opportunities to host the Gay Games, National Senior Games, NCAA Women’s Final Four, the 2018 USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships or the 2019 MLB All-Star Game. None of these events would have been possible in Cleveland without the winning attitude that was instilled long before last year.
Leading by example
As an executive, you must create a culture where your organization reaches beyond what people thought was possible. You must lead with a winning attitude. Both Destination Cleveland and Greater Cleveland Sports Commission have always had the cultural mindset that Cleveland is the best place to host major events.
We know that our teams can run and manage events better than our competition. That cultural mindset starts with you, as an executive. You must run your organization with a belief in your ability to achieve.
You cannot fake being genuine. It sounds cliché, but if you have a passion for your goals and instill confidence in your team, those same ideals rub off on your employees. Eventually, that lofty goal that seemed out of reach will be attained.
Let the hard times motivate you
I’m not naïve to think that you won’t have any setbacks. When another city is selected to host an event over Cleveland; it motivates us to work harder. It’s true that you won’t win every race you run and in that same vein, you won’t achieve every goal you set.
Nonetheless, there is a lesson in every loss. Do your diligence to find out as much as you can about why you didn’t succeed and use that knowledge to grow as an organization. You must move forward because nothing puts losing in the rearview mirror faster than winning! Let that loss motivate both you and your employees to achieve better results next time. ●
David Gilbert is president and CEO at Destination Cleveland and the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission.
