Leadership and sacrificing in sports

Sacrificing personal achievements to lift others to the finish for the greater good...isn’t that what leadership is all about? 

By Cheryl Higley
Sports...your success is usually measured by wins and losses and your stats page. We live in a hyper-competitive society, where some will do whatever it takes to win and those who don’t are quickly cast aside. 

When I was asked to write about leadership for the third-annual Snow Business CEO of the Year award, I immediately jumped on the sports topic. I had hoped to write about the leadership coach Tom Crean showed in guiding my beloved IU Hoosiers to a national basketball title, but we know how that turned out. 

So as I pondered what sports success and leadership means, I remembered:

• In 2008, Western Oregon University senior softball player Sara Tucholsky hit her first ever home run during a playoff game against Central Washington University. She missed first base and as she ran back to tag it tore a ligament in her knee. She crawled back to first base but could not get up. If her teammates helped her, she would be out. Instead two members of the opposing team picked up Tucholsky and carried her around the bases. Her three-run homer counted and eliminated Central Washington from the tournament.
• In 2012, Ohio high school track star Meghan Vogel had already won a state championship in the 1,600 meters. Running in the 3,200 meters she didn’t have enough left in the tank and decided to run at an easy pace just to finish. From the back of the pack, she watched as a runner fell and got up, only to fall two more times. Vogel sped up, lifted the runner and supported her weight and essentially dragged her to the finish line, making sure she crossed first.

These athletes showed there is more to life than winning. Sacrificing personal achievements to lift others to the finish for the greater good...isn’t that what leadership is all about? 

These athletes set an excellent example of how to show leadership. Those who emulate them, I believe, will be more successful and respected than those who climb their way to the top with little regard for those they stomp on in their journey to win at any cost. Just ask fired Rutgers coach Mike Rice. 

SIMA’s CEO of the Year award was created to recognize leaders with many of these leadership traits, and how they reflect on the values and culture of professional snow and ice management companies. If you work with or know of someone who would be a great candidate to receive the CEO of the Year Award in 2013, please nominate them at www.sima.org/ceo.

Cheryl Higley is Editor of Snow Business magazeine. 

Leadership Lessons from Abraham Lincoln

“I get knocked down…But I get up again…You're never going to keep me down.” 
- Abraham Lincoln

By Mark Adamson, Vice President, Douglas Dynamics, LLC
Alright, maybe I’m stretching credit for that quote a bit. You probably better know the above words from Tubthumping, a song by a band called Chumbawamba. But then again, we don’t know that Honest Abe didn’t say it, as his life certainly emulated the spirit behind the words. But before we talk about Mr. Lincoln’s perseverance, let’s talk about modern day heroes in our industry who make a living out of overcoming obstacles.

Once again, Fisher, Western, and Blizzard Snowplows has the pleasure of sponsoring the CEO of the Year Award. As a member of SIMA for over a decade, we have enjoyed long-term friendships with some of the most amazing business professionals. While it does take perseverance to take Mother Nature head on in the most extreme conditions, that is just the business we choose; a CEO also has to be concerned with the business of running a business. It comes with its own obstacles like a struggling economy, increasing fuel and health care costs, shrinking workforce talent, and competition...all unrelated to the weather.  

So, needless to say, a few failures along the way are expected. We never look forward to them, but in hindsight, we CAN cherish them. Not only do they test our mettle and separate the quitters from the achievers, they also teach us valuable lessons. Thomas Edison, an American Inventor who, singly or jointly, held a world record 1,093 patents, was allegedly quoted as saying “I never failed, I've found 10,000 ways that don't work.”

But this blog is not about Thomas Edison. It is about the inspiration that Abraham Lincoln has provided me, and no doubt millions of others, long after his passing. I’m not sure when in my childhood I verbally affirmed Lincoln as my favorite president, but it was before I was 7 years old. That is the year we had to dress up as our favorite president for class (and no, you will not have the benefit of a photo). My young inspiration may be as simple as the proximity of our birthdays; I was born on February 13th between Valentine’s day and Lincoln's birthday. 

However, my true admiration and pursuit of learning about my hero didn’t really occur until my early teens when I was leafing through my parent’s old Reader's Digests and I discovered an article on the failures of Abraham Lincoln. I’m sure you have seen reprints of the same list, but when I saw it for the first time I was amazed at his fortitude. If you haven’t seen it before, consider this:

A common list of the failures of Abraham Lincoln (along with a few successes):

• 1831 - Lost his job
• 1832 - Defeated in run for Illinois State Legislature
• 1833 - Failed in business
• 1834 - Elected to Illinois State Legislature (success)
• 1835 - Sweetheart died 
• 1836 - Had nervous breakdown 
• 1838 - Defeated in run for Illinois House Speaker 
• 1843 - Defeated in run for nomination for U.S. Congress 
• 1846 - Elected to Congress (success)
• 1848 - Lost re-nomination
• 1849 - Rejected for land officer position 
• 1854 - Defeated in run for U.S. Senate 
• 1856 - Defeated in run for nomination for Vice President
• 1858 - Again defeated in run for U.S. Senate 
• 1860 - Elected President (success)

Talk about testing your mettle…why this man did not just give in from what I call “mettle fatigue” should inspire us all. True leaders, many who would easily pass the test as CEO of the year, exist in SIMA. They have met adversity, got” knocked down”, but got “up again.” I will issue this fair warning; as I interact with many of you at future events, one of my favorite questions to ask a leader is “What is your greatest failure?” Not “biggest” failure, but “greatest” failure! It sounds like an oxymoron, but it is a question that is rarely asked, and yet defines most of us more than our successes do. The path to greatness has many bumps, do you cherish yours?

I hope to see you at the Snow Strategies Forum for the CEO of the Year Award, August 5-6, in the city where in Abraham Lincoln united and inspired a great nation...Washington DC!

SIMA’s CEO of the Year award was created to recognize leaders with many of these leadership traits, and how they reflect on the values and culture of professional snow and ice management companies. If you work with or know of someone who would be a great candidate to receive the CEO of the Year Award in 2013, please nominate them at www.sima.org/ceo.

Mark Adamson is the Vice President, Sales and Marketing for Douglas Dynamics, LLC (Fisher Engineering, Western Products, Blizzard Snowplows).

Small business help for Obamacare

Small business owners really need to be focused on what they need to do in terms of compliance in 2013 – they can’t wait until 2014 to decide how to react to the new regulations under the health care law. 
-Jennifer Pierotti, Manager, Health Care Policy, US Chamber of Commerce

The upcoming healthcare changes in the US have the potential to dramatically impact small businesses, including snow and landscaping professionals. SIMA interviewed Jennifer Pierotti of the US Chamber of Commerce, and asked her some key questions related to the impending implementation of Obamacare.

There were some recent announcements related to deadlines associated with health care exchanges for small businesses, what actually happened?

The SHOP Exchanges, or the Small Business Health Options Program Exchanges, are the new exchanges meant to provide greater choice for employers and employees of small businesses than currently seen in the small group market.  The Chamber is hopeful that the SHOP Exchanges will offer a way to access, compare, and provide employer-sponsored coverage to employees.

The Administration announced in April 2013 that it would delay the ability of employers to offer the “employee choice” option  in the SHOP Exchanges until 2015 for states with federally-facilitated or state partnership model exchanges.  Employers who purchase coverage through the SHOP Exchange will choose one health plan to offer its employees, which is similar to how many employers currently offer coverage to their employees.  State-based SHOP Exchanges, however, may offer the “employee choice” option starting in January 2014, and many states are planning on having employee choice right away.   

What is the most critical thing that a small business owner should be thinking about related to upcoming healthcare changes?

In January 2014, the employer mandate provision of the health reform law will take effect, and it will be the first time that a federal mandate requires certain employers to offer and in many cases subsidize prescribed health care coverage or potentially face a penalty.  Businesses with 50 or more full-time equivalent employees (a calculation that not only takes into consideration full-time employees, but part-time employees as well) must figure out whether they will be required to offer coverage and what their penalty exposure may be.  Further, simply offering coverage is not enough.  To avoid a potential penalty assessment, coverage offered to full-time employees must meet the minimum value and affordability requirements.  

In addition to the employer mandate, small businesses also need to consider how they may interface with their state’s exchange. Open enrollment begins in October 2013, allowing employers with fewer than 100 employees to offer coverage through the SHOP Exchange.  Along with the exchanges and the employer mandate come various new reporting requirements to ensure necessary data is collected and shared among employers, employees, plans, and the federal and state governments. 

Are there any good resources online that provide facts and helpful tips?

In October of 2012, we launched our Health Reform 101 website  with education information, particularly geared towards our small business members, which includes:

• A Coverage or Penalty Chart helps a business determine if it has to offer coverage and/or pay a penalty due to the employer mandate.
• A Penalty Calculator assists businesses in figuring out whether they must offer coverage and what the potential penalty might be under the employer mandate.
•  An Added Costs Table highlights the revenue provisions of the law, the effective date, and the revenue impact.
• An interactive timeline outlines when key provisions of the law will take effect and offers a brief description of each provision.
• The FAQ page offers in-depth answers and definitions to help businesses navigate the employer mandate.
• The Press Room and Video pages provide recent news and video coverage of how the health law is affecting the business community.

For SIMA's position on Obamacare and other legislative issues, download this pdf.

Jennifer Pierotti is the Manager, Health Care Policy for the US Chamber of Commerce, the world's largest business federation representing 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations. Jennifer will be presenting during SIMA's 2013 Snow Strategies Forum August 5th-6th, 2013 in Washington, DC.

Leadership lessons from a football star

What made Steve Largent successful was his tremendous focus, his knowledge of his opponent, and his ability to bring his team together through his humble nature.  

By Mike Mason, CSP
As I think about leadership, a slow, undersized champion comes to mind. Number 80, Steve Largent. Mr. Largent was drafted by the Houston Oilers in 1976 and traded to the Seattle Seahawks after 4 pre-season games because he was “too small and slow to make it in pro football.” Although all 6 of his records have been broken, he was the NFL’s all-time leading receiver when he retired in 1989. In 1995, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. After football, Steve served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1994-2002 and also ran for governor of Oklahoma in 2002. In 2003, he became President and CEO of CTIA-The Wireless Association, a non-profit association that represents the wireless communications industry.  

Steve wasn’t the biggest, strongest and definitely not the fastest guy on the field, but he did have an amazing ability to catch a football. As most know that doesn’t necessarily translate into success for a wide receiver, especially at that level. What made Steve successful was his tremendous focus, his knowledge of his opponent, and his ability to bring his team together through his humble nature.  

One of the great things about football is that it takes 11 guys all working together in a unified manner to be successful. This is true for any organization. As a CEO, there are a million different ways to lead a team, but focus and knowledge of your competition or environment must be present. In Steve Largent’s case, a portion of his success came from his uncanny ability to focus on the ball no matter what was going on around him, whether it was a 250 linebacker about to unleash a bone jarring blow, or a defensive back bumping him as he ran down the sidelines. He was able to singularly focus on the ball and make the catches that most couldn’t. The goal for Steve was to catch the ball and get to the end zone and he could do that better anyone.  

As a CEO in an organization the goal is going to vary, but the focus on achieving that goal must be paramount. The other factor that contributed to Steve’s success was his knowledge of his opponent. He studied like nobody else. In football, as in most sports, you watch a lot of video of your opponents. As any coach will tell you this is done to determine the strengths and weaknesses of your opponent and how to exploit them. Largent was a master at this. According to his teammate Paul Jones, “The biggest thing with Largent was in the film room. He studied his opponent just like they studied him - but in even greater detail. He knew the defensive back’s weaknesses. He knew how deep he needed to take a route before they would turn their shoulders to run with him.  So he knew how to set guys up.” This knowledge allowed him to take advantage of the guy attempting to cover him and beat him. 

When leading an organization, a CEO must have a true understanding of the forces working against the organization, whether they are internal or external. Understanding these forces in a way that nobody else does allows a CEO to lead in a way that no one else can.  

SIMA’s CEO of the Year award was created to recognize leaders with many of these leadership traits, and how they reflect on the values and culture of professional snow and ice management companies. If you work with or know of someone who would be a great candidate to receive the CEO of the Year Award in 2013, please nominate them at www.sima.org/ceo. 

Mike Mason, CSP is the Chair of the SIMA Board of Directors, and the Vice President and COO of The Lawn Pro in Louisville, KY.

Forecast for Snow and Ice on Capitol Hill

This is a next step is a series of many to help improve our industry and I’m thankful we have the backing and support of the association management industry and government leaders who are willing to lend a hand and help.

By Phill Sexton
On March 18 and 19, SIMA CEO Martin Tirado and I had the opportunity to meet with House and Senate representatives on Capitol Hill. All of them were very responsive listening to the issues that affect snow & ice management professionals and other small business owners who are members of SIMA. What impressed me the most was their willingness to meet with us and the increased level of interest and urgency they expressed regarding some of the issues they had no idea existed. Martin and I met with our respective congressional representatives from Wisconsin and New York. I personally met with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s office, and offices of Congressmen Tonko and Gibson. I was able to spend a few minutes with Congressman Tonko himself, who lives in a snow belt area of Upstate, NY, and expressed personal interest for snow & ice management professionals and is anxious to learn more about the issues.

I give particular credit to Congressman Tonko and his staff who ended up meeting with me for a little over 45 minutes during what was originally slated to be a standard 15 minute meeting opportunity. They offered particular focus and dialog about issues related to insurance liability created by frivolous slip and fall lawsuits and the potential need for common sense reform of lawsuit abuse. SIMA has been invited back to continue dialog about this issue in future months, which we plan to do when we partner with PLANET’s legislative day on the hill in July. 

3 main issues representatives heard from SIMA that directly impact the snow & ice management industry included:

1. Proposed Reform of Lawsuit Abuse. We spoke with everyone we met regarding the issues of frivolous slip and fall claims and how they are affecting both the cost of doing business and the ability (or inability) to obtain the necessary insurance coverage. Every representative office expressed they had no awareness of this issue and wanted to learn more. We also discussed the inequity of liability between property owners and service providers, as well as how liability had been increasingly transferred solely on the service provider over the past decade or more, which is a larger contributor to insurance issue equation. 
2. Comprehensive Immigration Labor Reform. The representatives I met with seemed to be aware of the issues for small business finding qualified seasonal labor and said they will support legislation to ease the process for obtaining workers. They realize this affects not only the snow and landscape management industries and recognize it as a broader issue for all service industries and agriculture. We did briefly discuss specific proposed legislation for the H2b program without much new information offered by any of the representatives we met with. We plan to continue discussing these issues with them during our next visit in July while also adopting PLANET’s position on this issue.
3. Health Care Reform and the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act (PPACA). We spoke about how small businesses need simple, straightforward answers and solutions to offer their employees adequate and affordable health care coverage and the need for minimizing the regulatory burdens on the business community to the greatest extent possible. I didn’t receive much in the way of feedback on this issue other than a nod of understanding and agreement on this issue.  

I appreciate Martin’s support in helping represent the snow & ice management industry. Furthermore I thank the state representatives from Wisconsin and New York for providing us their time and focused attention to listen and understand the issues affecting our industry. This is a next step is a series of many to help improve our industry and I’m thankful we have the backing and support of the association management industry and government leaders who are willing to lend a hand and help.   

To find out more how SIMA is advocating for the industry and you the members, including legislative updates and to download a copy of SIMA’s Legislative Position Statement, I encourage you to visit www.sima.org/advocacy. Also feel comfortable to contact me directly phill@sima.org.

Looking forward to our return to Capitol Hill in July! We will keep you updated.

Sharing the impact of snow

This campaign, which we dubbed the Impact of Snow, is the first national awareness campaign ever conducted on behalf of the professional snow management industry. 

By Brian Birch, CAE,
Fighting the worst that Mother Nature can throw at you is part of what makes this industry great. This season, SIMA set a strategic goal to advocate for the values and services that snow professionals provide to the public. The association launched an official Impact of Snow awareness campaign, working with a PR firm out of Washington DC to target regional and national media outlets, as well as snow industry professionals. 

This campaign, which we dubbed the Impact of Snow, is the first national awareness campaign ever conducted on behalf of the professional snow management industry. 

To get started, SIMA pulled together a team of volunteers from across the US and Canada and met with them in October in person in Louisville, KY. That group helped brainstorm what became five separate press releases targeted at the media and the public, designed to both increase public safety and highlight the true value of professional snow removal. This included representatives from Pro-Tech Manufacturing & Distribution, whom we are proud to thank for their strong financial and strategic support.

This multi-media campaign is just the beginning of a much broader focus on advocacy and awareness by SIMA. See the image below for some tangible results from the Impact of Snow Campaign; a full update will be provided at the 16th Annual Snow & Ice Symposium during the General Membership Meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Scroll down to check out some of the images that were shared via Facebook and in other areas during the campaign.

Leadership lessons from Thomas Jefferson

As we think about who leads and inspires us in our lives and businesses, let us be reminded of Thomas Jefferson, a great leader who was able to move past challenges in order to see a better way for the future.

By Phill Sexton
As another snow season winds down, we at SIMA are continually thinking about leadership for our industry. This time of year also marks another opportunity to choose SIMA’s CEO of the year. In the practical sense of their role, CEOs are the leaders who drive and motivate teams, people, ideas, initiatives, goals and purpose. So many come and go, yet there remain a few in the snow business and in history that stand out from all the rest. I’ve had the pleasure to work with many in the snow industry as well as read and study about many more, including one great historical leader of our country, Thomas Jefferson.

At his core, Thomas Jefferson was a man of many great interests and talents. In the book Thomas Jefferson – The Art of Power by Jon Meacham, Jefferson is described as a philosopher, naturalist, scientist and historian, which are just a few of the many attributes and passions that drove Jefferson to become one of the great leaders in American history.  Jefferson was a rare leader who stood out from the crowd without intimidating it. His bearing gave him unusual opportunities to make the thoughts in his head the work of his hands, transforming the world around him from what it was to what he thought it should be. 

As a planter, lawyer, legislator, governor, diplomat, secretary of state, vice president and president of the United States, Jefferson spent much of his life seeking control over himself and power over the lives and destinies of others. He did not allow politics to distract him from his vision of making everything worthwhile possible. For the great leaders and CEOs who are members of SIMA, the current politics, economic environment and competition offer the same possibilities to make our industry and those who work in it better, more professional, and possibly even more profitable.  

Jefferson embraced the role of leader and patriarch, accepting the accompanying burdens of responsibility. CEOs share this similar desire with Jefferson as today’s leaders of business teams who carry the burden of a company’s people, clients, mission and culture through economic downturns, competition, growth and downsizing. Jefferson found the means to endure and prevail in the face of economic uncertainty, external threats of a still newly founded country and extreme partisanship. His style of leadership offers an example of a president who operated at two levels, cultivating the hope of a brighter future while maintaining the flexibility and skill to bring a future ideal closer to current reality.  

CEOs of the snow & ice industry have a similar opportunity to balance the current economic climate and national competition while creating a progressive movement toward a more balanced and consistent service and pricing approach. As we think about who leads and inspires us in our lives and businesses, let us be reminded of Thomas Jefferson, a great leader who was able to move past the challenges and current realities in order to see a better way for the future.

SIMA’s CEO of the Year award was created to recognize leaders with many of these leadership traits, and how they reflect on the values and culture of professional snow and ice management companies. If you work with or know of someone who would be a great candidate to receive the CEO of the Year Award in 2013, please nominate them at www.sima.org/ceo. 

Learning from an elite basketball coach

A few leadership lessons that came to mind were passion, commitment, dedication.

By Martin Tirado, CAE
In early January, I had a surprising inspirational and learning experience. Where did this happen? At a local 1st grade basketball practice of course. I’m watching my son at his first basketball practice this past winter, he’s on 1 of 8 teams practicing in a large field house. Another team practicing on half the court in front of me makes me take notice. The coach of this group of 1st graders is Buzz Williams, head coach of the Marquette University men’s basketball team. This is elite level, he just took Marquette to the Elite 8 in last year’s NCAA tournament, they were nationally ranked during most of the past season, and here he is in a local high school field house filled with kids who are playing organized basketball for the first time in their lives. Wow.

I’m clearly focusing on him now, as are several other parents. How will he coach a team of 1st graders compared to how I see him coaching on the sidelines during games? Now here’s the inspirational stuff. He brought the same passion, enthusiasm and positive attitude he brings as a college coach to these kids, yet without the harsh criticisms he must at times have with his college players. He was loud, he was encouraging, he was sweating, and most importantly, he didn’t seem to care where he was or who was paying attention. He had 100% of his attention and focus devoted to the 10 kids fortunate enough to have him as a coach. 

A few leadership lessons that came to mind were passion, commitment, dedication. At the end of practice, he even taught his team how to properly encourage each other from the sidelines and that player substitutions require giving your teammate a ‘high-five’ when entering or exiting a game. Teamwork. Despite his stature in the community, he’s taking time every Sunday afternoon this winter to coach these young kids, including his own, in the basics of basketball. Humility.

What’s to be learned here? To me, a lot, and I’m glad I was there to see it.

SIMA’s CEO of the Year award was created to recognize leaders with many of these leadership traits, and how they reflect on the values and culture of professional snow and ice management companies. If you work with or know of someone who would be a great candidate to receive the CEO of the Year Award in 2013, please nominate them at www.sima.org/ceo. 

True insurance value in snow removal

Anytime a snow-specific insurance prospect calls our office, the first question I ask them is if they are a SIMA member. If the answer is yes, I have a greater degree of confidence that this is a professional contractor serious about snow.

For the last five years SIMA has coordinated with some vetted, qualified insurance providers to help connect members with potential insurers in the US and Canada. This provides a great opportunity for current members to find insurance when they need it. We sat down with Sam Rolph, an Agent of American Family Insurance recently to ask how his insurance agency in the Chicago region helps SIMA members see more value in their snow insurance programs.

What is the first thing that happens when a SIMA member contacts you?
Anytime a snow-specific insurance prospect calls our office, the first question I ask them is if they are a SIMA member. If the answer is yes, I have a greater degree of confidence that this is a professional contractor serious about snow. I then offer any insurance advice and answer any questions at no charge to the member.

Can SIMA membership have an impact on their individual policy?
Since I’ve worked with SIMA and its members for so long, I have been able to show that SIMA members are good investments for our company. I’m proud that American Family Insurance nationally recognizes SIMA as a professional body which aids in the control of losses, due to the exposure to professional training and template contracts. This does help aid in the final value offered to the contractor seeking insurance.

What about Certified Snow Professionals?
A well-managed, established certification program is attractive to insurance providers. Certified Snow Professionals are a highly qualified set of individuals that we are interested in insuring. Depending on the company history, I would estimate that CSP’s insured by us receive underwriting credits that can lead to between 2%-15% reductions in price based on loss history and annual premiums. This includes our general and liability insurance, as well as our vehicle and fleet insurance products.

What other value do you see as a result of the relationship?
I think that SIMA membership is a great icebreaker, and it provides the prospect and I an opportunity to connect and begin building trust. This allows for a more specific discussion about their business and its current state, as well as their future goals. I can then help them see that a good insurance partner is more than just a quote, we are a risk management resource to them that can aid in contract language, liability management, and overall cost management.