6 Sep, 2019
Building relationships, rapport & credibility within your business & industry creates tremendous IMPACT.
Les Graham Retires
The video tribute to the retirement of my former colleague & family member Les Graham brings tears to my eyes because everything Les says here is 100% true. Below are my 2 biggest takeaways from the wisdom & insights from an authoritative leader & expert in the precision technology industry.
- Building relationships by way of creating rapport, credibility & authenticity. This I know to be true in my business because of the modelling I have experienced & techniques I’ve learned from leaders such as Les. Building relationships was & always is top of mind for Les. His unique & masterful way of demonstrating this was evident throughout his entire career. Whenever I visited clients with Les it was always clear to me that his clients always felt secure & supported by him at all times throughout the sales experience & beyond. As a result, Les built lifelong friendships & associates directly as an outcome of his approach in placing extraordinary emphasis on authenticity combined with relationship building.
- The key to moving forward & up-levelling comes down to this – making decisions and letting go. Les realized that adapting to change & embracing new talent & new blood is an opportunity for continued growth. Holding on only holds one back.
Les mentions that not once throughout his 34 years at Epson America did it feel like a job. The work ethic & culture always comes from the top, & I can definitely agree with Les. Being of service to each other and over-delivering to lend a helping hand and support each other was always a priority. The answer to a question to a colleague was never “It’s not my job”, or “why to do you need it” it was always “I’ll find out and get back to you”, or “I’ll get this done for you ASAP”.
Epson America’s Factory Automation Robotics (FAR) Group has always had the culture of community and zero politics. This is something so unique & unheard of in larger corporations. It was the key distinction for me during my 5 year career as a manager within this group. I am truly grateful & so fortunate to have been part of this amazing group during the peak of my marketing management career at Epson America.
I have so much respect for Les & I am so proud of his accomplishments. 34 years of success as a leader in his field and now happily retired with his beautiful wife. I am so privileged and humbled to have shared 5 years working alongside Les Graham at Epson America. This is my tribute & appreciation to his success & legacy.