Gordon Bernhardt has assembled a collection of profiles that reveal the human side of entrepreneurism. As you read these stories, you discover people who become business leaders by overcoming obstacles of all kinds; internally, personally, professionally, economically. You’ll learn how they’ve pushed themselves over and through these barriers, showing a passion and determination that is inspiring.

For small business owners and CEOs, our businesses are intertwined with our lives and our employees are our family, making it difficult to separate emotion from our decision making. Therefore it is necessary that we create a ‘work life integration’ that blends what we do personally and professionally in order to make both work. Unlike the stories the press often tell about “Teflon-style” CEOs, the individuals showcased in these profiles are very human – striving to make the best possible decisions while serving their communities and leading the way in job creation.

After 15 years in the Air Force, I entered the business world in 1992 working for startups and small businesses before founding Croix Connect in 2001, a management and technology consulting company. I’ve been fortunate to have diverse experiences working with both government and commercial clients in large companies, small businesses, and even as the sole employee of my own firm. I’ve had clients from the Fortune 50 to those with less than 10 employees, and they’ve been a mix of B2B, B2G, and B2C. There have been many highs, including incredibly fast organic growth, IPOs, and M&As. There have been many lows – dot com and telecom industry meltdown in 2000, followed by 9-11 in 2001, the Great Recession, and in the early 2010s, the government sequestration and shutdown. As with all things in life, the real learning and growth comes from the tough times. I’ve learned that flexibility is the key. You’ve got to be a Gumby to survive.

Outside of my duties in the USAF at the White House Communications Agency during the Reagan years, serving as a Vistage International executive peer group leader has been my most rewarding professional experience. The entrepreneurial CEOs who participate in these groups are inspirational in their continued desire to learn and improve themselves personally and professionally, while also growing their businesses.

I’m a true believer in executive peer groups:  helping each other to consider creative solutions to challenges, figuring out the best way to approach an opportunity, or serving as a supportive sounding board. I’ve found spending one day per month working ON our business in an executive peer group is so very powerful. You think you’ve seen and heard it all until you meet with a group like this where you can be humbled by what other executives are undertaking or how they are handling formidable situations. As we CEOs move towards our goals, obstacles and challenges inevitably pop up. The Vistage peer group becomes our “Executive GPS” – helping to recalculate and adjust our bearings as we journey forward. Here are a few lessons I’ve learned from this group:

Have a child-like approach to everything in life, including business. Be inquisitive. Don’t act like you have all of the answers because the only thing you know is that you don’t know it all.

Listen. Learn. Embrace and Act. Treat every employee the same, from C-suite executive to the lowest skilled employee. By living the Golden Rule your employees will be there when you need them to help take your company to great heights.

Stop avoiding a difficult situation or conversation. It isn’t going away and could only get worse, so confront it. I tell my team to “bring me the good news fast and the bad news faster.” Having a foundation of trust in your organization is the key to removing any fear of conflict, on your way to effective communication, accountability, and ultimately results.

Determine what activities boost your energy, and do more of those. For those activities that literally suck the life out of you, find a way to outsource or delegate them whenever possible. When it’s not possible to delegate, compartmentalize by doing those activities all at a certain time of day.

If you aren’t a CEO or owner but have been thinking about taking that leap of faith-DO IT and don’t look back. In 1519, Captain Hernán Cortés landed in Veracruz to begin his great conquest. Upon arriving, he gave the order to his men to burn the ships. Here’s the lesson:  Retreat is easy when you have the option.

I hope the following stories will inspire you to turn it up a notch and to be better tomorrow than you are today.

Brian Roberts
Founder & CEO, Croix Connect
Vistage Chair, Vistage International
broberts@croixconnect.com

‍