Chalk Talk: Jason Tienor interview on The Leaders Spot

Today's Chalk Talk takes us back to one of my favorite resources -- The Leaders Spot. I recently listened to the interview with Jason Tienor, the CEO of Telkonet. Here are my comments:

"Work Hard." Jason mentioned that the key to his success is working hard, and I would agree with that, but there's a great deal to be said for "working smart." What that means is that it is better to work hard at the RIGHT things, rather than just work hard at EVERYTHING. The former leads to effectiveness, the latter leads to burnout. My observation from the interview was that Jason wants to do everything, and that's not good advice when you are trying to grow a business. A CEO who wants to do everything will constrain the growth of his/her company.

Leadership Takeaway: Jason gives some great advice here. First, he says to surround yourself with the best people. Second, he says attack one thing at a time. Last, he says don't micromanage. Great, great, great advice!

Problem Solving: Rebecca (the host) suggests that problem solving is 95% of a CEO's job. Jason subtlety disagrees by saying that being able to prioritize is the most important part of a CEO's job -- bravo, Jason! That's absolutely right! If the CEO is not spending his/her time setting the direction and making sure the company stays on that direction, mediocrity will be the result.

Decisions by Committee. Generally I would say that this is a bad idea, and although Jason calls this his decision-making process, the interview seems to suggest otherwise. I think Jason knows and demands that the buck stops with him, but he seeks out the advice and input from others on his team and Board before making a decision. Given his relative inexperience (he's 33), this shows great insight and humility. One of the hallmarks of a great leader.

So, overall, I'd say that Jason sounds like he's a competent leader. Look to see his name more and more in the future!

Grow Strong!

Coach Grev

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