University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
Lead with Your Customer
Book

Lead with Your Customer

Transforming Your Culture and Brand into World-Class Excellence

Mark David Jones and J. Jeff Kober
ASTD Publications, 2010
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Editorial Rating

6

Qualities

  • Applicable
  • Concrete Examples

Recommendation

Many business leaders view their corporate culture and their brand image as two separate entities. To achieve “world-class excellence,” executives should treat these as two sides of the same coin. Former Walt Disney Company executives Mark David Jones and J. Jeff Kober outline their “World-Class Excellence Model,” which encompasses service concepts any organization can use to deliver exceptional customer service and engender employee loyalty. The authors offer case studies from successful companies, including Disney and Apple. These ideas aren’t novel, but getAbstract finds that the book demonstrates how to apply them to your firm.

Summary

Chain of Excellence

All businesses, whether they sell a product or service, or operate in the public or private sector, have one goal in common: to succeed. Each firm struggles with the problems of budget constraints, unresponsive or obstinate leaders, employee disengagement, customer complaints and burgeoning competition. Envision workers and consumers as the same: your customers. Your “internal customers” are your staffers, and your “external customers” are your clients.

Use the four-part “Chain Reaction of Excellence Model” to develop your organization. Each level of success leads to the next:

  1. “Leadership excellence” – Encourage action and promote achievement by communicating a clear vision and creating an environment conducive to success.
  2. “Employee engagement” – Motivated, caring and committed workers are essential.
  3. “Customer satisfaction” – Inspire passion and loyalty from your customers.
  4. “Loyalty and long-term success” – Successful organizations boast customer and employee advocates who generate revenues and value over the long term.

“The Customer Compass”

World-class companies...

About the Authors

Mark David Jones is Chief Operating Officer of World Class Benchmarking, where J. Jeff Kober is CEO.

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