It’s The Truth, Actions Do Speak Louder Than Words
About ten days ago I had the privilege of hearing the President of The Trump Network (TTN), Lou DiCaprio, speak to a room of a few hundred independent marketers for the company. TTN is a new company in the health and wellness field with a big mission. For someone in organization development promoting the creation of engaged organizations, that is not anything new. There are hundreds of company’s with big missions and beautifully articulated mission statements who never realize their mission. There are many reasons why. Some reasons are totally outside of the control of the CEO and or president, like natural disasters, unprecedented downturns in the economy, or even the introduction of state of the art technology. However the reason for many failures has to do with ....the actual managerial leadership of the company. Many executives and business owners are unaware of the impact the inconsistency between their words and actions have on the workforce. Creating a new business and/or growing from small to big requires a different mindset and is best done when utilizing a set of organizing principles which capture the nature of the work to be done, how roles need to be designed and what is the best structure to put in place-the foundational structure and organization beliefs that will allow the company to grow and expand naturally. Consistent managerial leadership behavior is essential to creating an engaged organization.
Hearing Lou DiCaprio speak and having a few words with him privately made me think of another important aspect of success. This is the demonstrated authenticity of the CEO and/or president. Lou is one of three original founders of a company called Ideal Health. It’s mission was to change the health of the nation and then the world one test at a time. Its only product was Priva Test and Custom Essentials. Individuals take the Priva test in the privacy of their own home and then send the specimen to the lab for analysis. Once analyzed the lab sends results to the formulary, which then identifies the right custom formula for you. A report and the first month’s customized supplements are sent to you. Monthly supplies of the supplements are then automatically shipped to each customer. The company grew slowly and steadily, with setbacks along the way. The founders dreamed of being the first direct marketing company to be billion-dollar company in the US and then go global. Apparently this has yet to be done. They were courted by other companies but rejected the advances. The founders not only believed in their product; they wanted it to become the hallmark of the wellness industry. They speak their truth. Now under a new name, branded as The Trump Network their authenticity is even more important.
I have heard Lou speak on at least six or seven occasions. I’ve heard hundreds of independent marketers refer to he and his partners as great guys. I’ve seen people stand on line to speak with Lou, myself included, and find that he is totally focused on the conversation at hand. He looks you straight in the eye with the clearest of eyes and everything around you fades into the background. My life partner an actor says “he’s mastered the art of interpersonal skills”. This may be true. I also think it’s a demonstration of authenticity at work.