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Guest Wake-Up: Weather offers opportunity for no-compromise moment

As a Certified Strategies Coach and educator for Strategies, I’ve had a chance to see and experience a lot of different leaders and cultures, but the team at Haven Salon & Spa takes the cake.

I am writing this from Fort Wayne International Airport in Indiana. I have been trapped here for 24 hours at this point, but the trials and tribulations of travel aren’t the focus of this story. Leadership and culture are.

Fort Wayne International Airport is approximately 6.5 hours of driving time from Green Bay, Wisconsin, which is my final destination. A quick flight. However, the weather has had other ideas about getting to that location as it relates to airline travel.

I am traveling to Haven to lead an on-site, important for the future of this company. The company is doing a Team-Based Pay conversion, which is a major undertaking that will shift the culture of the business. The owner, Lisa Schmook, has set a no-compromise direction for her business. They are moving forward on that course, and nothing is going to stop them from reaching their goals. Certainly not a little thing, such as airline travel.

As I write this, stuck at the airport, it is 9 o’clock in the evening. Lisa and her leadership team are driving the 350 miles from Green Bay to Fort Wayne to pick me up in order to turn around and drive back through the night to get to her on-site by 9 o’clock the next morning.

There are two things that stand out to me in this story. First is the leadership. Lisa has worked very hard to create a great company for all involved. She certainly wasn’t going to be held back by a small 700-mile, overnight, no-sleep trip to keep that company from going forward.

This is no-compromise leadership in action. Taking the steps to get done what needs to get done. No excuses. I even tried to convince her that we should reschedule the on-site for another time, a time when the airline could fly me to Green Bay. Her answer was a simple, “No, we’re coming to get you!”

This brings up the second standout moment. Her team. You may have noticed that Lisa’s response was, “We’re coming to get you.” Not, “I’m coming to get you.” When I called she was with her leadership team, and, across the board, they were all in. “Let’s go!” was the united response.

It would have been almost impossible to accomplish the task of doing the 700-mile drive if it were just Lisa herself. Her team was making this trip possible. Taking shifts driving, keeping each other company and staying focused on the task at hand. How many team members do you have who would volunteer to drive all night to return home by around 6 the next morning, knowing they were going to have to be at work three hours later? A culture is a powerful thing. That kind of attitude, commitment and spirit doesn’t happen by accident.

I’m not sure what the future will hold for Haven, but I would expect nothing but great success. They have certainly shown the traits in this one moment alone that say they will not allow obstacles to stand in the way of the success they desire for their company. Your actions have certainly humbled me. Thank you, Lisa and Haven!

By Michael Yost, Certified Strategies Coach

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