Dear friends, I read a book recently titled 'The Reflective Life' by Ken Gire. It's an easy read that encourages you to slow down a bit and consider more carefully the people and systems with whom you interact. In the book, Gire opines you really don't know someone until you know what scares them.
I was discussing a potential investment opportunity with a friend last week. He was telling me about the opportunity he wanted his company to capitalize on, but he summed it up by saying his boss really wouldn't make a decision. Instead, his manager wanted to 'curl up in a ball' until the current economic uncertainty had passed. What a shame. There is a manager afraid of losing what he has instead of being motivated by a fear of not gaining what is plausible for himself and his company, which is under his leadership. Fear informs behavior.
When a deer steps into the path of an oncoming vehicle, it either freezes or takes action by jumping out of harm's way. Those who do not take action face a nasty fate. Much like the deer in the headlights, the worst action business leadership can take in the current economic environment is to stop where they are. We are most certainly on an upswing. There is tremendous enthusiasm for the 'Trump bump' for energy markets. It is Roosevelt-esque: The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Of course, we are still required to make wise choices, for the moment, and to position ourselves and our companies for long-term success. Some fear is always normal and should indeed inform our behavior, but not freeze us. Bravery is often defined as action in the face of fear.
Coincidentally, not long after I read the aforementioned book, a young man who I have been disciplining asked me if I was afraid of anything. It caught me off guard. Then my wife, while reading Gire's book, asked me to share my fears with her - not a 'normal' conversation, but an interesting thought, because fear is such a motivating force.
Fear is not necessarily a harmful emotion; its effects can be quite positive and even lifesaving. Once a child learns a hot stovetop will burn his hand, he will have a healthy fear of the painful burn and will steer clear of the hazard. As an adult, we might say we don't fear the stovetop, but we do have a respect for it. That respect or 'fear' still informs our behavior. One might say fear and respect are two sides of the same coin. I respect my parents; by that, I mean I love my relationship with them so much that out of 'fear' of injuring that relationship, I curb my behavior so as to not do anything to upset or dishonor them.
As business people, we should steer clear of disabling fear and move forward boldly in fear of not doing our best for our stockholders, bosses, families and selves. Scripture teaches 'fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom.' What am I afraid of? I am most afraid of not doing what is right in the eyes of God, my family, and my employees. In a business context, this distills into our mission of connecting people in business and industry with one another for the betterment of all and providing top information to you, our readers.
In this issue of BIC, we feature interviews with G.R. (Jerry) Cardillo, president and CEO of Contanda; Bruce Johnson, works manager, Lubrizol Deer Park; Kari French, director of the Railroad Commission's Oversight & Safety Division; and Shane Marcheson, global sales director, SHECO.
We also have the latest information to help you on the job, with topics including eliminating gaps in productivity, optimizing performance and achieving sustainability excellence. We also explore the expansion of drone technology in industry and feature leadership topics on influencing and engaging your employees, networking and more.
I hope you too will see the glass as half full and seize the opportunities before you.
BIC MAIL
Please send emails to kaye@bicalliance.com.
Andrew,
Thanks for such a fine job on the article in the February edition (pg. 11). I thought it captured the topic very well. The plant staff and myself enjoy BIC Magazine every month, and it was a pleasure to see an article on us! We are looking forward to BICâs future endeavors.
William McConnell, Plant Manager, Eco Services Operations Corp.'s Houston Plant
Jeremy,
We were very excited to be on the cover of the November issue, with a story on Veolia's expanded industrial regeneration capabilities and our role in driving a more circular economy. BIC provides us with an unmatched platform to reach our customers and prospects in the oil and gas and chemical processing industries and demonstrate the value we bring to their operations.
Miranda Schield, Director, Marketing, Industrial Business, Veolia North America
