Smart Business Magazine, May 2016

Spring 2016 Smart Business Cincinnati Northern Kentucky 5 FRED KOURY FROM THE CEO FRED KOURY President and CEO Smart Business Network Inc is the publisher of Smart Business magazine and operates Convero a customer and employee engagement firm Fred is committed to focusing on relationships not transactions in everything he does 800 988 4726 fkoury@ sbnonline com www sbnonline com www converoinc com www facebook com SmartBusiness http on fb me 1RseSyO @ FredKoury www linkedin com in fredkoury Be open to advice Pride cometh before the fall W eve all read stories about people who have not been teachable Perhaps these are people who thought they could go it alone and reach their goals without any support Or maybe the thought of swallowing their pride and sharing credit with someone else was just too difficult to accept These attitudes only serve to limit your ability to grow My father recently finished a book that details the relationship he had with his father and some of the life lessons he learned along the way lessons he would later share with both me and my siblings He understood the value of mentors and the knowledge that could be gained through those relationships He was willing to accept help when it was needed and as a result accomplished great things in his life and put me in a better position to accomplish my goals These foundational principles Leos Lessons as he likes to call them have stuck with me to this day Here are some of the lessons that he taught me Character Protect your name You could do everything right in your life but all it takes is one wrong move one bad decision to ruin your familys name Were all just one step away from making a bad choice Humility Treat every person equally The people you see on the way up in your career could be the same ones you see on the way down Remember pride cometh before the fall Confidence Fortune favors the bull Have the confidence that you can accomplish anything you want to and dont be afraid to go after ambitious goals while also accepting help along the way Intelligence The worst enemy you can have is a dumb friend Surround yourself with people who add value to your life and can teach you things that make you better Stay away from those who could get you in trouble by accident Trust Constant honesty leads to instant credibility Be truthful at every turn and youll quickly build trust with those around you Wisdom Be a generalist in a pluralistic society of specialists As those around you focus on details always keep the bigger picture in view You cant be good at everything Generosity Take care of the little guy and the big guy will always take care of you Make the effort to help those less fortunate than you and you will always be provided for We should all think about the impact mentors have had on our lives and ask what we can do to provide the same support to the next generation of leaders Bootleggers Son by E G Leo Koury is due out this month One of the most important traits of a good leader is the willingness to allow yourself to be mentored Even the most successful leaders understand that as individuals we cant have all the answers Problems and challenges will arise that require us to seek the guidance of others in order to respond and effectively move forward Fred Koury is the chairman of the 2016 Aspire Conference which will take place in Cleveland on May 18 Register for the conference at www regonline com aspire2016 INVESTORS DEALMAKERS ENTREPRENEURS S M A R T B U S I N E S S P R E S E N T S