HOW TO THINK ABOUT LEADERSHIP
Trucking and transportation is one of the most competitive industries you will ever find,
and if you’re reading this, then you must be one of the crazy few that participates in it. Everybody is trying to get a leg up, find an advantage, stand out, find quality drivers and staff, and win over the best customers.
People in charge have different ways of looking at things. Are you the team coach? The captain of the ship? The wise king? The modern CEO? The commander of the space shuttle? The military general tasked with battle strategy? No matter how you think about it, bottom line is – as the leader, it’s your job to lead the team to victory, wealth, and success.
Michael Jordan said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.”
Henry Ford said, “If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.”
Sun Tzu said, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.”
If you study great people of history, you’ll find that many of them place an extremely high value on teamwork, and on information. The same lessons hold true today, for businesses of all shapes and sizes. As the leader, it’s your responsibility to gather a strong team, give them what they need to succeed, and set sail in the right direction.
For some more industry-focused tips, check out our FREE BOOK – 7 SECRETS TO PHENOMENAL TRUCKING SUCCESS.
WHAT DOES A LEADER NEED TO DO?
Well, there are thousands and thousands of books written on this subject (and to save you some time – most of them say the same handful of things using different words). We’ll limit ourselves to a few short thoughts.
Here are some rules of thumb that seem to apply, regardless of industry.
- Take in the best possible information, and confidently make decisions about the direction of your business.
- Give responsibility to the right people and provide the tools and equipment they need to be successful.
- Motivate staff to be productive. This obviously includes wages, but there is certainly more to it.
- Provide unique challenges and problems as often as possible, to make work more interesting and avoid burnout.
THE ULTIMATE TOOL FOR TEAMWORK, PRODUCTIVITY, AND ANSWERS
If you want to meet your goals, you and your staff need the right tool for the job. We’ve been perfecting Axon Software for over 35 years, which is a system designed specifically for the trucking industry. We wanted everyone, in every department, to work together in a single program that auto-updates in real-time – always showing the most current information.
Dispatchers, office admin, compliance, IT, accounting, everyone can work out of the same system. There is no need to email files back and forth, run around with sheets of paper, or rely on whiteboards, sticky notes, and file folders.
Owners and managers who want to see daily, or even hourly updates on the status of their business can have that. With a variety of powerful reports and a custom report builder, you can see all the information you need. If it’s being recorded in the system, then it’s being tracked, and it can be analyzed.
One of most powerful reports for those in leadership roles at a trucking companies that use Axon Software is the executive briefing. This screen gives a total overview and summary of the company’s financial situation – net profit, outstanding orders, outstanding payables & receivables, account balances, and more. It’s a starting point that can help you pinpoint problem areas or unexpected results. You can drill deeper into the details from there..
Contact us now for a FREE DEMO and see how you and your company can benefit from Axon Software today! Ask about the executive briefing.
