You may drive around in your town
In a brand new shiny car
Your face in the wind, your haircut's in
And your friends think you're bizarre
You may find a cushy job and I hope that you go far
But if you really want to taste some cool success
You better learn to play guitar                                                           

~ John Mellencamp, “Play Guitar"

Remember the song from the 1980s commercial for Enjoli perfume: “I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan and never let you forget you’re a man.  Cause I’m a woman…Enjoli.”

Recently a tweet from Jerry Scott, our Director of Operations, caught my eye and launched a discussion about women in the workplace and at Gibson. He was responding to an earlier tweet about a recent article in The Washington Post where the new Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, the first woman in its 100 year history, said that America’s economic success over the past century has been due in large part to greater contributions by women: “Making fuller use of the talents and effort of women in the workplace has made us more productive and prosperous.”

George Bernard Shaw once said “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” He died in 1950 when the methods of communication were much simpler than they are today.

There’s no question that the availability of information is abundant. The channels for information consumption are endless. Yet effective communication has become more difficult.

As I discussed in last week’s blog, leadership transitions are a lot like relay races. First, you have to make a good handoff. Once the baton is passed, the new leader needs to hold onto it, something that apparently isn’t easy to do. Research by the Center for Creative Leadership shows that up to 40 percent of newly promoted leaders are no longer in their roles within 18 months.

Because our Chairman Greg Downes has been involved in each of Gibson’s three successful leadership transitions, he’s in a unique position to comment on this issue.

As the right hand guy of Gibson founder, Dan Gibson, our Chairman Greg Downes witnessed almost daily battles between Dan and his son Dave on the direction of the organization. “One day after one of those shouting matches, Dan walked out and simply said, ‘Dave’s in charge now.’” Greg knew it could be done better than that.

“When it came time for Dave and I to transition, we did it better than he and Dan did, but there was still a lot of room for improvement,” said Greg.

Wes and I walked out of the Denver airport. We were headed to visit a strategic partner in the Englewood area. Joey, our driver, introduced himself and immediately oozed charm. He was a gentleman in his 60s with a very youthful face. That and both ears pierced with gold hoop earrings. A warm and hearty greeting was followed by the usual banter as we pulled away from the airport.

As I am sure you have figured out by now, one thing that occupies a large amount of my personal reflection time, or as my colleague Jerry Scott calls “sharpen the saw” time, is how to build a stronger Gibson over time. “Strong organizations grow, thrive, and find a way to reinvent themselves in changing times and market conditions,” says Jerry.

He’s right. They stand the test of time and provide support and a good living for their employees and families over the course of entire careers. They also contribute in very meaningful ways to the success and vibrancy of their communities.

Another installment of the Olympic Games has come and gone. The journey of an Olympic athlete represents perhaps the ultimate metaphor for grit: passion and commitment to a long-term goal.

It’s February. Is your 2014 off to the kind of start you wanted? It’s not too late to turn the ship around. Even with an uncertain economic and regulatory climate, leaders of businesses large and small have a great opportunity to step up their game.

Recently I visited with my friend and business advisor Tom Searcy, co-founder of Through Eagles Eyes. He talked about how difficult the past half dozen years have been for many organizations. Beyond the headwinds of cost control, unengaged employees, and some of the slowest GDP growth in our nation’s history, Tom pointed to the unprecedented level of reputation damage we’ve witnessed as leaders cut corners.

We are fortunate to have a very talented team at Gibson. Seeing them put their various strengths to work in the name of our #1 core value, Clients Come First, is one of my greatest joys. I feel blessed to work with a group of folks so devoted to excellence.