<![CDATA[The Bottom Three: Experiential Leadership - Blog]]>Sun, 05 Nov 2023 08:32:40 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[ The Bottom Three Takes on Sales Leadership ]]>Sat, 25 Apr 2015 02:39:27 GMThttp://www.thebottomthree.com/blog/-the-bottom-three-takes-on-sales-leadership
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Eric Pearson, Founder of The Bottom Three
In support of ProSource360 Consulting Services, Inc., The Bottom Three participated in a three day Annual National Sales Meeting for Compliant Healthcare Technologies (CHT), LLC in Cleveland Ohio on March 23-25, 2015. 

This annual event brings the owners, president, regional sales directors as well as the lead sales managers and support staff together to review the company’s progress.  The event also provided the opportunity for participants to share sales best practices, develop the company vision and common values and processes. All of this was to engage the employees to capitalize on the outstanding growth CHT is experiencing in the hospital/clinic operating room gas delivery systems domain.

Eric Pearson, Founder of The Bottom Three, LLC partnered with Ben Skyles, President & CEO and Dan Konstanty, Vice President of Sales and Marketing to lead the discussions and facilitate all sessions of the conference.   Eric led participants through the opening session, an interactive session titled, “Sales Leadership – Maximizing Your Potential”.  This session included an interactive element during which the teams of participants were tasked to develop a fictional sales company.  The teams were then led through a three-hour experiential workshop where they developed their company vision, business objectives, corporate structure and sales initiatives.  The session culminated in a friendly sales challenge competition where participants competed for the right to be declared “best sales team”. 

A unique aspect of this workshop was the participation of the CHT owners.  They were positioned on opposite teams and were not allowed to lead discussions or decisions.  The two newest sales managers were designated as team captains and selected their teams.  The teams were then provided “rules of engagement” and a set of instructions where they were to complete specific modules during this timed event. Both teams fell into the planned leadership traps in the workshop and had to regroup multiple times and redo planning and execution because new instructions invalidated critical decisions they had made prior to being instructed to do so. 

Each team presented its “sales pitch” to their final customer and then voted on the best presentation, followed by a short discussion led by Eric on the leadership lessons and the value of networking across different levels of the company while solving challenges filled with unknowns.

Eric continued to support the remainder of the conference by sharing his experience and expertise in organizational leadership and commercial sales.
]]><![CDATA[Learning to Lead in Uncertain Times]]>Wed, 22 Apr 2015 05:24:31 GMThttp://www.thebottomthree.com/blog/learning-to-lead-in-uncertain-timesBy Athena Castro,
Executive Director Caltech Y

What does it mean to embrace uncertainty and demonstrate leadership through turbulent times? Beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 28, 15 students and community members found
out. In the Leadership Lab: The Uncertainty Principle, a workshop led by Y board member and Caltech alum Tim Boyd, participants were able to learn about and practice leadership skills through a customized role-play simulation.

In small groups, team members were given the task of creating strategic initiatives for a hypothetical company that were then presented to the board of directors. In a narrow time frame and limited information, group members were presented with unexpected challenges that required quick thinking, flexibility, and teamwork.
By the end of the workshop, participants  deepened their understanding of fundamental leadership skills while learning to re-frame challenges as opportunities. Tim also emphasized the importance of having the right perspective when approaching uncertainty and managing stress. The day ended with a reminder of the importance of maintaining a balanced life and
participants were treated to a hot-dog lunch while supporting the Caltech baseball team in a double-header game.

Special thanks to Tim Boyd, who volunteered his time to, not only facilitate the workshop, but also created this distinctive workshop experience for Caltech students. Tim is an aerospace engineer and leadership consultant with The Bottom Three, a group of consultants focused on changing the way the world views leadership by leveraging experiential hands-on training to transform the world, one leader at a time.

[Tim was also joined by leadership experts, Nathan Czubaj (an amazing trainer with Dale Carnegie Training) and Marian Fu (an incredible leadership coach and group facilitator).] Caltech students benefitted greatly from the combined expertise of Tim and his special guests.

Thank you to Tim, Marian, and Nathan for a truly unique experience!
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Caltech Student Utkarsh Mital (left) and Tim Boyd, Caltech Alum (right) Photo by Hillary Bhaskaran
]]><![CDATA["The Uncertainty Principle":   Caltech Leadership Lab]]>Sun, 29 Mar 2015 19:52:18 GMThttp://www.thebottomthree.com/blog/the-uncertainty-principle-caltech-leadership-lab
The Bottom Three recently partnered with the California Institute of Technology to host a brand new leadership lab, affectionately titled "The Uncertainty Principle".

This leadership lab focused on critical decision-making and embracing uncertainty while leading through turbulent times.  Participants came away with a deeper understanding of fundamental leadership skills by testing them against unpredictable constraints of time and resources, while reinforcing the often underestimated urgency of stress-management.

Participants included undergraduate students, graduate students, staff, faculty and even local community members. 
]]><![CDATA["Sales Leadership - Maximizing Your Potential": National Sale Conference Workshop]]>Wed, 25 Mar 2015 23:06:23 GMThttp://www.thebottomthree.com/blog/sales-leadership-maximizing-your-potential-national-sale-conference-workshophe Bottom Three led an innovative Leadership Workshop, titled "Sales Leadership - Maximizing Your Potential"; in support of Prosource360 during the Compliant Healthcare Technologies, LLC National Sales Meeting.

Participants in the experiential sales workshop included the CHT owners, company president and regional sales managers as they experienced success and failure in the development and proposal process. They rushed to a solution, tripping over the nuances of leadership leading to discussion regarding the responsibility of leaders at different levels of the organization and the importance of following process. The Bottom Three also served in a networking and mentoring role during the four day meeting to the sales staff and technical support.

]]><![CDATA[Happy Holidays, Here's Your Review]]>Fri, 20 Dec 2013 14:27:42 GMThttp://www.thebottomthree.com/blog/happy-holidays-heres-your-reviewBy:  Dawn L Miller


It's that time of year again!  The 4th quarter brings our end of year reviews, possibly raise (or not) information and hopefully the anticipation of a long needed break.


If this is the first time you're giving or receiving feedback for the year, 2014 is the year to change your approach!  Entering reviews should be like a proposal submission - if this is the first solid, wholesome interaction with your customer, you've missed the boat!


The "reward" for good performance, however, is where many employees and managers focus.  With shrinking budgets, rewarding talent is increasingly difficult.  How would you handle this or have you handled this challenge?


Whether a manager with direct reports, employee or just someone with an idea, I encourage you to respond to this post.  For those that attended our fall off-site - consider your team's discussions, your thoughts since then and I encourage you to post on your thought process and perhaps how the exercise changed your viewpoint!]]><![CDATA[Fall 2013 Offsite Weekend: "Leadership 101"]]>Sun, 24 Nov 2013 03:36:46 GMThttp://www.thebottomthree.com/blog/fall-2013-offsite-weekend-leadership-101Picture
The Bottom Three led a weekend retreat, entitled “Leadership 101” from November 8-10, 2013.  The retreat was held in Cambria, CA at Camp Ocean Pines overlooking the Pacific Ocean. 

A total of 18 participants, representing three different companies: B/E Aerospace, IJK Controls and Northrop Grumman were in attendance.  Five (5) leaders and coaches were also present on behalf of The Bottom Three.

Participants engaged in hands on, experiential training modules in which they were encouraged to utilize out of the box thinking and were provided numerous opportunities to interact and observe the styles of other leaders.  The modules focused on a variety of topics: communication, decision making, feedback, teamwork and many more.
As the weekend unfolded, the participants quickly began to interact with their teammates and started incorporating their own personal experiences into the various discussions. Ultimately, this led to stronger bonds among the teams and a richer experience for everyone. These deeper connections among co-workers are some of the intangible benefits we hoped the participants would uncover – the Fall 2013 group did not disappoint.  

Overall, the weekend was a tremendous success.  Participants have reported that they left with an updated viewpoint on leadership fundamentals, new perspective on their respective corporations and strong connections with co-workers and teammates across their organizations.  All were surprised at how many new insights into leadership they experienced.  They all felt empowered to return to work and not only grow their own personal leadership traits but also to make a difference in the future of their organization.
]]><![CDATA[I don't want to be *that* guy...looking up the leadership ladder]]>Fri, 11 Oct 2013 15:07:06 GMThttp://www.thebottomthree.com/blog/i-dont-want-to-be-that-guylooking-up-the-leadership-ladderBy:  Dawn Miller

I committed to myself many times over that I would never hold the position I hold now.  A couple years ago, I crossed over to "the dark side", entering a management position and leaving the technical world.

I enjoyed my role as an individual contributor and ability to lead from the bottom.  The financials, supplier headaches, schedules and other seemingly tedious tasks had no real draw, nor did I understand their importance to the success of our business.

I do understand these now; my passion for them hasn't grown, but my willingness to learn new things and to elevate myself to better assist my teammates reach their individual potential and the team's potential has made these moves worthwhile.  Seeing their success means more than some of the mundane work that comes with a management position.  With each step, I swear its the last, yet the ladder hasn't seemed to stop yet.  In chatting with my mentor about this feeling, he succinctly summarized how I feel - one day I woke up, looked in the mirror and thought "How did I become *that* guy?".  I don't know where I'll end up, but I know I'll love the journey and will strive to continue to make my workplace better for my colleagues.  *That* guy, I don't mind being that one.  ]]><![CDATA[Leadership Discussion with Student Leaders]]>Sat, 05 Oct 2013 07:23:51 GMThttp://www.thebottomthree.com/blog/leadership-discussion-with-student-leadersPicture


















By:  Tim Boyd

Founder Eric Pearson and consultant Tim Boyd supported an inspirational discussion with key student leaders at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. 

Topics ranged from the definition of leadership to how long it takes to become a leader.  Eric and Tim received many very insightful questions showing the hunger student leaders and their organizations have for more information on leadership. 
Student leaders were also invited to participate in the upcoming 3 day offsite weekend that is focused on four of the critical dimensions of leadership.  The offsite weekend will tie all elements of the leadership model together in a unique and experiential hands on environment.  Register today and experience it for yourself.

bottom3offsite.eventbrite.com
]]><![CDATA[The Business School Equation]]>Thu, 19 Sep 2013 19:19:14 GMThttp://www.thebottomthree.com/blog/the-business-school-equationBy: Amit Shah

Most people at some point in their careers will consider going back to school to get another degree and of late most people are thinking about going to business school.  There have been lots of articles written about the value of an MBA.  Some of the more interesting ones I have read recently are here, here, here and here.  The one thing that is clear from most of the literature and statistics is that an MBA is not worth as much as it used to be.
There is plenty of information available on calculating the benefits and costs of an MBA and that exercise should be completed by anyone even considering applying to a program.  I would rather speak to some of the ‘softer’ benefits of business school that might be hard to quantify but are important to keep in mind. 

One reality of MBA programs is that what you will get out of it is what you want to get out of it.  If you want to take two years off from work and have a relaxing time reliving your college days, you can easily do that in business school.  If you want to learn about the intricacies of “Footnote Accounting” (a real class offered at my school), strategy, corporate law, or start your own business, you can do that as well.  There are vast amounts of resources and guidance at your disposal during the two years and many students take full advantage of these, while there are many other students that use the time to develop relationships, find spouses and plan out their next career move.  The choice is yours.

The best part of business school is the people you meet, both professors and students.  Everyone has a very unique background that brings interesting perspective to a discussion.  I’ve met students that are engineers, investment bankers, writers and entrepreneurs, as well as professors that advise world leaders and have the ability to incorporate the latest world news into the classroom lectures.  Everyone talks about the network you build in b-school – which is important – but there is also a more immediate benefit of meeting such a large and diverse set of backgrounds; an expanded worldview.

Finally, an MBA program is a great opportunity to realign your career with your preferences.  Most people decided on their college major when they were 16 or 17 years old.  By the time you are in your mid to late twenties with some work experience under your belt, you might have a better idea of what you do or don't like doing, what skills you are good at, what things you need to improve on, and possibly areas that you always wanted to learn but never had the opportunity.  You might not know exactly what your ideal career will be after business school but you will have the opportunity to explore and better align your interests and your daily work life.

When making an investment decision of this magnitude you should first weigh the numbers.  What will leaving the workforce for two years, paying tuition, and taking on debt cost me?  What do I expect to be making after the MBA and does this line up with what graduates from my prospective school earn?  If after all this investigation and analysis you end up on the fence, I would say consider some of these softer benefits and how important they are to you.  For me, it made a world of difference.  I’ve always wanted to study Economics – but didn’t take the opportunity during my college years.  It so worked out that I was able to get my MBA at a school with one of the foremost Economics programs.  This wasn’t the only reason I went to b-school (far from it) but it really was the cherry on top.

]]><![CDATA[Candy Dish Perceptions]]>Sun, 01 Sep 2013 01:50:31 GMThttp://www.thebottomthree.com/blog/candy-dish-perceptionsBy:  Dawn L Miller
My colleagues love dropping by my office to sample the range of candies I keep in a bowl at the edge of my desk.  I do my best to keep my own fingers away from it - striving to stick to
the latest popular P90X diet.  One gentleman asked me why I have goodies yet do not partake; I told him it was part of my diet
plan.  He was perplexed - persistent resistance to temptation isn't my goal!  I joked that by making everyone else around me gain weight, I look slimmer, with no change in my routine.

While funny in this case, our surroundings help dictate how we are perceived.  This is a mix in how we chose to surround ourselves, as well as how we portray ourselves in each situation.  A tall 300-lbs man looks of average weight amongst sumo wrestlers.  A healthy, trim woman looks heavyset against runway models.  Similarly, a cultural faux pax at a business dinner function with your partner company's
CEO likely has far very different repercussions than a dinner in your home.  Our behavior reflects not only our ourselves, but our peers, subordinates, family, friends.  Intentions mean little as we are judged by others' perceptions.

Stop by for a piece of candy and chat for a moment.  I'd love for you to join in my diet plan.  We may have a lively talk, too.

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