Many say that you should never trust people in business, not even your partners and this is something that I have really never subscribed to. For sure there are some shady people in the business world who are only out to serve their own interests, but in the main I believe most to be honest and hard working individuals. When I started my business here in Hartford, CT, I was always trying to make as many contacts as possible and learn from others who have already found their success. One such person was my ex-boss Mike Giuffrida who used to be a very successful businessman here in Southington, CT, before taking many companies to a national level. The man has always inspired me and here is how he did it.
Leading From The Front
Even when I first started working for Mike I noticed within the first couple of days that he was a natural born leader and businessman. Each day we would have meetings about the tasks and challenges ahead and the way he spoke used to always get the team pumped up and ready to attack whatever plan it was that he had laid out. Mike was always looking to the future and we were always ready to go with him to wherever he decided would be most successful.
Kind
Prior to working for Mike I was under the illusion that everyone in business, especially at his level, were draconian work masters who would do and say whatever it took to get the best results. This couldn’t have been further from the truth however and in actual fact it was his kindness that I was most drawn to. He was always highly flexible with staff and always had a listening ear for you. What I now realize is that this approach of his gained far more support and hard work from the team, than if he had an aggressive approach, this is something that I then took into my own business.
Driven
I have always been a pretty passionate guy but Mike was on a different level, always pumped up about what the company was going to do and how we were going to ‘make history’ in the business world. This energy and passion is absolutely infectious and the team would buy into it straight away. Many people say that they are committed and driven but under Mike I learned that those are just words and that the action is a very different thing indeed.
Making Time
When I decided to branch out and start my own business I spoke to Mike about leaving, during the exit interview I explained why and following it he spent over an hour with me speaking about how I could get things off the ground, sharing some contacts which he had and offering his help with whatever I needed. The greatly inspired me as regardless of how busy his day was, he took time out to genuinely try and help me with my endeavors.
A true inspiration and someone that I certainly try to emulate in my role as a business leader.
