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December 22, 2008
A leadership treat
CDW is one of those technology companies that operates quietly and effectively in the background, and makes a lot of money -- $8 billion in 2007, up from $4 billion in 2001.
One reason why: The leadership style of Chairman and CEO John Edwardson, who says "teams (usually) make better decisions than individuals."
"If you make all the decisions, no one will want to work for you," he says in this video interview, which is refreshing for its candor and Midwestern charm.
If a company's culture is a reflection of a CEO's personality, then CDW is one of those companies where employee loyalty is based not just on financial goals, but in a shared ownership of the process along the way -- a great pathway to customer evangelism.
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Hi Ben,
Definitely insightful. Words of wisdom, indeed. Not only from a human, team spirit and motivational point of view, but also from a very business oriented perspective. When Edwardson says "... the customer is ultimately the boss" it tells a lot about his vision of business. Wow!
Thanks for making his words... a post... that became a Tweet... that comes back as a comment... that might become another post. : )
Luc -- Thanks for commenting. Yes, the social media ecosystem in action.
Actually, this post began as a Tweet to the video; when I saw people comment on it, then I turned it into a blog post, which then became a Tweet. Twitter as an idea-trial system!
Especially in this day and age, providing exceptional customer service is a must. It is refreshing to hear how the company invests in its employees with what might be considered by others as extensive and expensive training. However, this seems to be a valuable investment that pays off, with the company’s employees feeling more confident in their job, which in turn allows them to do great work and provide meaningful customer service. Talk about a win-win for CDW, with potential for low employee turnover and a strong repeat and referral customer base. Now there’s a business model any bank could back – even these days.
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Especially in this day and age, providing exceptional customer service is a must. It is refreshing to hear how the company invests in its employees with what might be considered by others as extensive and expensive training. However, this seems to be a valuable investment that pays off, with the company’s employees feeling more confident in their job, which in turn allows them to do great work and provide meaningful customer service. Talk about a win-win for CDW, with potential for low employee turnover and a strong repeat and referral customer base. Now there’s a business model any bank could back – even these days.
Yeah absolutely I agree you. Everybody know Leadership is the Unique characteristics who can able to make things better, even they had failures in the past. They are not known to everybody until...
'One reason why: The leadership style of Chairman and CEO John Edwardson, who says "teams (usually) make better decisions than individuals."'
This implies individuals at the top, yes? Really, one mind cannot possible know all the variables? Careful here, Ben, you could be turning into a freemarketeer!
