When Michael Brown was a child, his father gave him some sage business advice: Get better at golf. Great business deals and relationships come out of the game of golf. The better you are at golf, his father explained, the more people will want to play with you and, ultimately, work with you.
Now an entrepreneur himself, Brown has spent the last 30 years learning how to lead a successful company while honing his golf game. Chairman and CEO of Skyline RoboticsThe company that revolutionized the window cleaning industry.
Brown, who graduated from Syracuse University in 1994, shared his hard-earned business advice with students at the School of Information's graduation ceremony in May. He also served as the iSchool's “Infoversity” podcast, he shared more tips to help students succeed in their careers.
“If you want to lead your own company, you have to have an entrepreneurial mindset,” Brown says. “If you lead, you have to have a positive attitude. It's not okay to yell at people or put people down. I prefer respect.”
Brown, a third-generation Syracuse University graduate (his son is a fourth-generation graduate), shared how he used listening, LinkedIn and other skills to transform his company.
Being a good listener is one of the most important skills to master and will help you build a better culture. But don't just listen to get business done, he says. Find out what people are passionate about and ask about their family life outside of work. When people know you're invested in them as people, not just as employees, they'll be motivated to work harder and be more loyal.
“Sometimes people need a different type of motivation or inspiration,” he said. “It's hard to build a culture like that. You have to be a sociable person.”
