Leadership Resolutions for 2023 and Beyond

Your author shares case studies and a roadmap for a brighter professional future.

By the time you’re reading this, the year 2022 is behind you and 2023 is here. You may have already set your New Year’s resolutions for how much weight you will lose, how much you will stay off your phone or how much more time you will spend with family and friends.  

What if you added a resolution to be a stronger leader in 2023? How might this shape how 2023 would look for your vertical-transportation (VT) business and professional life? If you become a stronger leader, would your business see better bottom-line results? Would people respect you more? Would your customer base be more satisfied with your service level? The answer is a resounding YES! This article will provide four key leadership resolutions to help you be a stronger leader in 2023 and beyond. 

Leadership Resolution No. 1: Be Bold

“It’s only by being bold that you get anywhere.” — Richard Branson

Sometimes, a path that may not be the most comfortable is necessary. In 2010, I recommended to the regional president at thyssenkrupp we needed to develop an elevator industry sales training and recruitment program to “farm” future sales hires. To do this successfully, a BOLD leadership decision had to be made. We needed to centralize recruitment processes, build a sales training “boot camp” and develop a college recruitment program within a span of 12 months. We knew the decision to remove recruitment activities from the local branches was not going to be well-received because there would be a loss of input at the local branch level. The decision was made to move forward with centralizing recruitment practices and, as a result, the STEP (Sales Training for Elevator Professionals) program was launched. 

After the STEP program launched, branches were more involved with recruiting through the College Career Captains program we formed. Each branch nominated a representative to attend recruiting events at colleges across the country. The College Career Captains also mentored new sales trainee hires throughout a six-month sales “boot camp.” In the first year, 21 new sales trainees were hired. The STEP program is still running today, and several members of the inaugural STEP class are now branch managers and sales leaders in the VT industry.  

Leadership Resolution No. 2: Practice Strategic Patience 

Sean Madden, who was president and CEO of Madden Elevator Co. prior to selling it, highlights the importance of practicing strategic patience. Madden summarizes strategic patience as “the ability to wait” — not just waiting to act, but also waiting to make a judgment until all necessary input has been received. Often, when we are in the trenches day-to-day solving problems and making things happen, we jump to conclusions or make rash decisions based on emotions, instead of slowing down to think about the entirety of the situation. If we look at all the pros and cons and practice strategic patience, as leaders we open our minds up to different ways of thinking. We can make strategic decisions based on facts, rather than purely on emotions.  

Work hard at practicing strategic patience in 2023. After all, good things come to those that wait.   

Leadership Resolution No. 3: Hire Great People

Every great leader understands the importance of hiring great people. Studies have shown high-performing employees can make a huge difference to your bottom line. A high-performing employee provides nearly double the value to an organization and they’re three times more likely to be successful leaders in the future, according to a study conducted by Gartner Research Group. 

I asked Pete Meeks, president at Salisbury, Maryland-based Delaware Elevator Co., what advice would he give someone looking to run a successful elevator service company. Meeks’ response was, “Surround yourself with great people.” Delaware Elevator has been in business since 1946 and has more than 300 employees today. Meeks attributes his company’s success to the great people with whom he has surrounded himself. 

What is the one thing your competitors cannot duplicate? Your people!  

Leadership Resolution No. 4: Be an Empathetic Leader 

Great leaders have honed the ability to be gentle and kind when faced with a difficult situation. The 2019 State of Workplace Empathy study indicates that leaders understand the value of empathy in their organizations. The study reports that more than 90% of employees say they’re more likely to stay with an empathetic employer, underscoring just how much they value empathy in their workplaces.  

Make 2023 the year you take your leadership skills to the next level, and make becoming a stronger leader one New Year’s resolution you will follow through on. Your employees will enjoy working for you more, and your customers will reward you for it.