The Extraordinary Among Us
 
By Julie Adamen

2009 was a very tough year; however, the news wasn't all bad. In fact, some of the news was good, some news was excellent.  The question is who were the generators of that good news? The eximius (extraordinary) among us. Those special people who hunkered down and made our business work during a year of recession. I refer to those executives who kept their firms and their employees moving forward... They are the ones who kept the doors open and the layoffs at bay, or at least at a minimum. The extraordinary among us kept their managers operating with success while the industry itself struggled beyond their control.

During 2009 I had many conversations with these extraordinary executives who weathered the storm. The conversations were wide-ranging and at times astonishing, as I was given insight in to their abilities and thus our industry's continued success.  For this month, I present the critical, innovative, and insightful views this group of executives has to offer and why I think they are extraordinary people. As background, each of these executives' particular circumstances is different: Some have the "final say" in their companies, others do not. Some work for larger organizations. Others are stand-alones. Some are recent to their jobs and others have had them for years. One executive is holding the team together with bailing wire and scotch tape for an absentee owner who holds the checkbook. I have withheld the names of our extraordinary people to protect the innocent (and the guilty) and to allow these executives freedom to discuss the delicate subject of their business. So what are the common threads of these extraordinary executives?

What makes them eximius?

Passion.  The extraordinary love what they do and have a deep passion for the business.  They share their breadth of knowledge without reservation, fear of others stealing their ideas, or implementing their methods. "I never worry about sharing what I know publicly," says one. "If it lifts up the industry as a whole, that's great."  This passion is expressed when they speak, write, teach, are national instructors, and when they hold private- or industry-sponsored training seminars. One executive says, "Sharing your knowledge, your passion, is a selfless and selfish act.  By sharing, I am giving back to the industry but also imprinting the methods on myself." 

Extraordinary executives are always willing to help or lend an ear because their passion runs deep, and they care about their employees, their business and yes, even their clients - the Boards, committees and homeowners. To wit, another executive comments: "(Over the years) my passion for the industry has remained the same: every day presents new challenges and accomplishments either internally through staff interaction; interaction with Board and Committee members and homeowners overall."  One very interesting comment came from an executive who at first equivocated, but then said, "I think my passion is for my company and my staff.  Well, maybe the people in the communities too; Boards, committees, members.  It’s about making it all work with what you have and developing what you need."

To a person, each extraordinary executive has a passion for the industry, their business and their career.  What is even more remarkable is they want to share and instill that passion with and within others.

Curiosity. Even on those "Why am I here?" days, the extraordinary among us are always looking forward, interested in everything and everyone in their world, and beyond.  There is never down-time or a dull moment for the extraordinary minds, and they can't help that, it's how they're wired. They are inquisitive about it all, from the basic, "You’ve got to know what's going on with your employees, the competition and the industry, because you can't make it on management fees alone (referring to value added services)," to the more esoteric: "Business to me is like a puzzle - you know what the finished product is supposed to be by design. You just have to focus and keep working at it to get to where you want to be. It's intriguing - the love of seeing something work. It lets you put a very small mark in the story of life and career. You are happy with the results but never stop looking for a better 'mouse trap.'"  How to build that new mouse trap? The extraordinary among us will build it, put lights on it, sell it, make a profit and still be thinking of an even better version (More lights? Maybe sound effects?). Why? Because they are interested, and so very curious.

The attitude to inspire and support.   "Without being trite… Attitude is everything," said one executive. "When I took over (this office), the attitude of staff was one born of fear. The MO (modus operandi) of the previous regime was to instill the fear of losing one's job as the primary motivation for the staff, and that's just wrong," he said. "Fear is an effective motivator, but it's not the optimal motivator. People need to be inspired, to feel as if they have a stake in the operation and be able to contribute on their own terms."  Does inspiration work? It must work because this company, under new leadership, doubled their profit margin in 9 months. The difference was the adjustment in the personality and attitude at the top, and thus positively motivated the staff.

And another executive demonstrated her attitude of support with the following: "We invested heavily in our staff this year - not only sending them to classes, but supporting them each and every day - sometimes with a Kleenex box." She went on to say, "We had to - this has been a very difficult year for the owners. We've had many foreclosures, and people are angry. We've seen people with guns in their front yards. It's unnerving to the staff to say the least." She went on to say that they even dropped accounts that were no longer working for the manager or the company, quite a feat in such a tough year.  "If a manager tells us what the issues are, and we determine that the account is no longer a fit, we send that account packing. No sense in demoralizing a good manager over a lousy account." And yes, this company will again log an excellent profit margin, even while giving sizable bonuses to their staff member at year end. Wait! I can see the e-mails now: How can anyone drop accounts and still make good numbers? The extraordinary are great at this balancing act and how they do it is as follows.

Courage.  It takes courage to pursue the business decisions that you know may have short-term adverse financial consequences in a good year, let alone one like we had. Yet, the extraordinary pushed ahead, unbowed by temporary circumstances.   One executive put it this way, "Look, we had to make a lot of changes this year, and we had to get rid of a bunch of accounts - they were dead weight. And there was the resultant staff reduction as well, but many of them were dead weight as well. It was hard, but it worked out because we broke a 20% profit margin for 09."  Another executive said, "In late 2009 we raised all of our accounts 2%. It was a simple business decision on our part. Our folks give them great service. Yes, we lost a few accounts - mostly to a low-ball competitor. But that's ok, because it was something we had to do in fairness to the company as a whole, and for the long-term." Making hard decisions like these and moving forward with conviction: That's courage, and the bottom line is that these decisions paid off.
 
Integrity. At no time does the chasm between those with integrity and those without become more evident than in a lousy economy. One executive put it this way, "This year I think I most valued those professionals who possessed and maintained their integrity.  When times are good, it's much easier to uphold the façade of honesty. But when the going gets tough, you realize there are some evil people out there in our industry - and I still find it shocking."

Why is that integrity, that veracity of character so important? One executive said eloquently, "I think integrity, in the main, is more than a compass that points true north. It's been said that choices you make, make you. Once you make those choices, it has ownership over you, and then it colors everything you say or do. We need as pristine a channel as possible to execute a clear path of flight. If you make a bad choice, you have to go back and make it right to move forward. Most people don’t come back to that point. That's the difference. That's integrity. And it's everything."

The steadfast ability to do what you say and say what you mean is the mark of the extraordinary among us. Here's how that integrity works day-to-day: In how the executives view themselves, how the staff sees those executives and ultimately how the client will see the company: holding to an ethical and moral standard of operation.

Intelligence.  As I have spoken to each one of these executives over the year and more poignantly this week, I am struck by how naturally intelligent and industry-savvy they are. [1] Each one was easily able to articulate themselves, their issues, their problems and more importantly their solutions to those problems which they, will without a doubt, be able to execute. The extraordinary among us are never micromanagers, never petty or small, never insecure because they know these features do not promote personal or professional growth, and are indeed the comfortable fortress of the intellectual midget. This is not to say that they don’t make mistakes - they do and sometimes in a grand way. The difference between the average bear and the extraordinary among us is that they know they will make mistakes, and they will learn from those mistakes, and they will move on to be better executive.

Humor.   The extraordinary have fun and see humor at their jobs, despite the reality of working in what is often regarded as a 'negative' business. One executive puts it this way: "This industry isn’t filled with people lining up to say ‘thank you.’  It can get rather intense… Yet there always seem to have a lot of laughter in our office. Life’s too short.  If you’re not having fun in some respect, what’s the point?" No truer words were ever spoken. Laughter eases tensions and anxiety and provides physiological, psychological and even spiritual benefits.  Says another, "If you love what you do, it (work) is fun. It relieves the stress of the job and puts it in a different perspective. Not that the responsibility (of the executive or the staff) is taken frivolously, but that it becomes easier to cope." Seeing the various absurdities and inanities that are an integral part of this business should make us laugh out loud, daily, and realize this humor is a catalyst for good mental health. 

There. That's what makes them extraordinary.

Why is it important to recognize the extraordinary among us? They are the success stories of our industry. Why? They simply do "make things work" to the best of their ability no matter what the current circumstances. And they do it very, very well. If the community management business was the software industry, investment banking, widget making, or the automotive industry, the individuals whom I have quoted would be profiled in the Wall Street Journal: There would be pictures and bylines, and a platform on which others could look to them for leadership and management-style emulation.  Alas, we are an almost-unknown industry and thus our heroes remain largely unsung, as do their enormous contribution to the overall economy as the keepers of the small-business flame.  

The recognition of these individuals and their thought processes is important. They are who we look to for cutting edge thinking. They are for whom we want to work. They are who we want to emulate. Their new ideas or methods will eventually become industry standards. How do we get to them? If you are not lucky enough to work for one of them, you have to get out there and look for them. This doesn't mean pack up and quit your job; it means explore the opportunities to network with these folks. You'll know them when you hear them speak at industry events or simply by word of mouth from another manager. You'll know them when you read an article that strikes the "Boy, that person it right on!" chord within you. You'll know them because you will see they have the common traits of the eximius inter nos, the Extraordinary Among Us: They have passion, curiosity, the right attitude, courage, integrity and intelligence. And they have an extraordinary sense of excitement and amusement, and they look forward to each and every day.  As one of the extraordinary said, "The joy is truly in the journey."

[1] I do not refer to intelligence as it relates to higher education.