My dad used to say, "It's not what you've done for me, it's what you've done for me lately." Unfortunately, this way of thinking is prevalent in the business world, but not a realistic way of operating - if your goal is one of longevity. For example, I have seen many a good consultant who ends up blacklisted or on a "no fly" list. All because of mistakes made on the job or personal situations that bled over into the workplace. Oftentimes these same individuals were ousted because of something that was merely situational in nature while the ousters saw them as having flawed character or incompetent.

At globalstar, we have welcomed many an ostracized consultant who was placed on a ridiculous no-fly list, only to have them shine in the field. That's why I like to refer to our team as the "Land of the misfit toys." We believe in helping people find their genius not the door. This way of thinking requires taking a deeper dive into understanding the psychological aspects of people. None of this one size fits all mentality, because people are uniquely different and complex by nature. If you are in a management or a leadership position and expect your constituents to back into your singular view of the world, you will not only fail to attract the best of the best, but you will have difficulty retaining anyone of caliber.

Another cringe worthy comment by my dad was that he would write people off. At globalstar, we don't write people off, period... Instead of firing them, we fire them up! We put team members in situations where they can not only succeed but thrive, and we don't set people up to fail. This takes doing the necessary upfront work to better understand the landscape prior to engaging on any effort. Also, we are not talking about coddling or enablement here. We are talking about conditionally providing direction, empowerment, and accountability. There are no free rides or sacred cows at globalstar. There are only those who from time to time need a little support or encouragement by leaders who hold themselves and others to a higher standard.