I find people love to be challenged. We challenge people in a number of ways. A key part of our culture is ARC, which stands for "Attitude, Results, and Continuous Improvement." Our culture demands ongoing improvement in each area. We challenge people to spend 15 to 20 percent of their worktime on learning and development activities. Beekley provides a variety of seminars and workshops as well as a library of books and videotapes. A key part of my job is people development, and that starts with challenging people to do better than they think they can. Another way I challenge people is through a technique called "thought transmission." I ask questions that force people to find their own answers. The right question can also help people see an issue from a different angle. Asking questions that prod people to think differently can open up many new possibilities.

Benchmarking is another way we challenge people. I want our employees to look at other companies and find best practices. If you're really committed to continuous improvement, you have a natural curiosity to learn from the best.

On an operational level, all of our teams have five key goals that challenge and stretch them to be the industry leader. Establishing challenging goals is very important, but I've also learned I need to set the example. One of our initiatives is LBE-Lead by Example. I have to challenge myself. I constantly read books and articles, attend seminars, and network with other business leaders. I've also brought in several consultants who challenged us to rethink some of our strategies. If I don't practice continuous improvement, how can I expect others to continually improve?

It's true people need confidence to handle today's demands and pressures. I fundamentally believe that people can do whatever they set their minds to do. People are capable of unlimited development. In every meeting I try to convey my confidence in people. It may take the form of asking their opinion and showing I value their ideas. It may be verbally telling them "I know you will succeed," or it may be giving them candid feedback. I try to give feedback in such a way that the people know I believe in them. Coaching and teaching are an important part of my job. I teach several components of our management and leadership seminars. This gives me a chance to formally present my ideas. Informally, I coach by helping people apply what they learn in the classroom or textbook. I also tell lots of stories. Good stories describe a specific situation that can be a springboard to discuss what was done and what other approaches might have been as effective. I want people to look for the "third right answer." There is more than one right answer.

Another part of coaching is giving feedback. One of our company initiatives is called "care to confront." It's kind of a tough love approach. People need to confront problems, face reality. If you don't deal with problems, they keep showing up. We use role playing to teach employees how to effectively confront problems.

The 3 C's-Challenge, confidence, and coaching-are important leadership qualities. I try to apply all three C's by first setting the example. Continuous improvement is hard work, but it's also exciting and rewarding. People developers are the leaders who make a difference. My goal is to help people find the spark, the excitement, to engage in lifelong learning and growth.