“The most valuable asset that any company has is its relationship with its customers. It’s not who you know; rather it is how you are known to them.”

– Theodore Levitt, Harvard Business School

I discovered this quote about 8 years ago and it has become my daily mantra. I strive to live by it’s principles.

So, this quote immediately came to mind when I heard the news that Governor Mitt Romney was suspending his campaign for the Republican Presidential nomination. How was Gov. Romney known to many voters? As a “flip-flopper”; someone who frequently changed his position on key issues.

It is one thing to change your position on an issue after receiving new information or after considerable thought and deliberation. Unfortunately, Gov. Romney seemed to change his position based up the audience that he was addressing or as a result of a recent poll that indicated that voters showed a preference for a different position.

Leaders do not listen to the latest poll results. They listen to their heart. They speak directly; not from both sides of their mouth on all sides of a core issue.

In an article on Politico.com, Mike Allen and Jonathan Martin wrote: Continue reading “How are you known to your customers?” »