Business Acumen, Networks, and Getting Things Done

    

For many of the readers of this blog, you are probably wondering “What is Rob Brodo up to this focus-business-acumentime?”  What do these three things; Business Acumen, Networks, and Getting Things Done have in common and why are they the title of this blog?

Well, this is simply the Leadership recipe for success as a in 2019 and beyond and something that if understood well can really help you achieve success. Let me explain…

The best leaders in the world have strong backgrounds in business acumen. They can build strong and large networks. And they can get things done a lot easier than ineffective leaders. And as I discovered, these things aren’t mutually exclusive.

This week, at the start of a customized Business Acumen training program for a group of high potential leaders, I went around the room and asked all 23 participants for their learning expectations.  One participant was very open and passionate about his expectations and what he said turned into an interesting discussion with the entire cohort.  He said that his primary learning expectation was to develop the Business Acumen skills needed to have a strong internal brand that would allow him to build the networks within the organization to get things done.  It was a profound statement and by the end of the conversation, the entire group of leaders adopted the same expectation as one of their requirements of learning.

Context and Definitions

To put this into context, a couple of foundational definitions:

  • Business Acumen – The skills and competencies to understand the system of business and how companies make money, how my own company makes money, how my customers make money, and how my competitors make money.
  • Networks – A connected group of people who share mutual respect, ideas, and resources and who can be counted on the help support you when asked and vice versa.
  • Getting Things Done – Flawlessly executing a business strategy through people who set goals and accomplish those goals by prioritizing, proactively planning, and doing whatever is necessary to complete a group of tasks.

As I look at these definitions and recall the conversation, it’s clear to see that having great Business Acumen skills and having a great network is essentially the foundation of success.  But how do you do this and what can you do tomorrow?  Here are 3 tips that can help build your Business Acumen Skills, your network, and focusing on getting things done:

Understand the Big Picture

Great leadership should always start with an understanding of the big picture. The big picture is knowing your business strategy, your goals, your metrics of success, and the same for your customers and competitors.  Having strong Business Acumen build the brand of you which is critical for success. The thing that most people don’t fully realize or appreciate is that the big picture and the strategy is the language by which you lead others, build your network, and ultimately get things done.

Create Alignment with People Around the Strategy, Goals, and Objectives

There is nothing worse than a leader who tries to be a good leader without the context of strategy.  Have you ever experienced a leader who uses all the right buzz words like leading through change, developing a culture of innovation, and developing teams but can’t exactly explain why or put it into the context of the tasks and priorities?  That’s because the words are not connected to anything. When that happens, it feels hollow and worse yet, you loose confidence in the leader and that leader surely has a weak network. The secret here is that leveraging your knowledge of the big picture is the driver of alignment and networks which is the first big step of getting things done.

Use the Human Touch

In this digital day in age where conversations become annoyances to too many, Business Acumen skills and building the network must include the human touch.  People usually respond well to human interactions and good human interactions that are positive, nurturing, and add value to all parties can create alignment, but more importantly they build the network that can ultimately again, get things done.

Why Business Acumen Matters

Robert Brodo

About The Author

Robert Brodo is co-founder of Advantexe. He has more than 20 years of training and business simulation experience.