Why ARCHIBUS is here to stay!

As you know, I just returned from the ARCHIBUS Nexus conference at the Marriott Marquis in San Diego.  Being curious about the direction of the company, I listened and observed, secretly looking for the flaws in the direction of ARCHIBUS.  This was not because I had lost faith in the product. The skepticism came from the passing of Bruce Forbes the founder and late CEO of ARCHIBUS.

It had been 4 months since his passing.  Watching the new CEO, Wise Cho, listening to Steve Segarra the CTO, and seeing Sean Benson step up as a spokesperson, my concerns turned from being concerns to interest and fascination. The conference moved forward as if nothing had changed.

Don't get me wrong - there were moments of silence for Bruce, testimonials about his leadership and humanity, presentations of his legacy and history; these were needed and appreciated as we all healed from this loss.

As the conference transitioned from commemorating a great leader to presenting the next generation of ARCHIBUS leadership, I was once again impressed with the thought that ARCHIBUS is not going to disappear.

The following are just 3 reasons ARCHIBUS will continue to lead the industry:

1) Bruce Forbes - Benevolent Leader

We all know the unique style that Bruce Forbes had; ranging from using his own rearrangement of words in the English dictionary, to showing the gifts he had received from various parts of the world at conferences. 

I reflected on Bruce's legacy during the slide presentation of his life.  There were several quotes within the video that helped me to reflect a little better on how Bruce had managed ARCHIBUS to success. Quotes like, "Each of you have the same DaVinci in you. We are all genetically related. It relates to how we manage people, processes, and places.", and, "One of the things we are all trying to do is to make things better for ourselves and our families. If we can work ourselves to personal needs and organizational needs, we all win." widened my perspective on Bruce's style and led me to conclude that I had overlooked his great leadership.

"It's not about the money, but what you can impact on the world, what you can provide for future generations. God gives us a very short time here on earth, let's make the most of it."

Not only did he care about his exponentially growing business, but he cared about other's lives as well:

"Success begins with you. Every one of you have your own careers, your own families, your own organizations, your own departments, you own vision for the future. The opportunity that we have together is to take the visions that you individually have, compile them with other visions, and become the remarkable."

He created an environment in which the worker could thrive by being supported by others.

"The ARCHIBUS community basically recommends each other to become recipients of awards. There are many categories. These [people that have received awards] are heroes."

2) Wise Cho - Filling Big Shoes

Now, in direct juxtaposition to Forbes's style, Cho is quiet, pensive, and not at all similar in public style to Bruce.

I saw Wise take his own style and combine it with the genius that Bruce Forbes had put into the company previously. Though maybe not as vivacious as Bruce, Wise has his own aura that fills his position perfectly.

In the very first meeting that he had with the business partners, he outlined the mission statement of ARCHIBUS, the culture, and the vision to go forward, then stepped aside and let other people within the company present.

As a CEO myself, I was very impressed. This tactic combined a continuation of what Bruce had already established with a vision of the future growth of ARCHIBUS. This mix could not have been more perfect. Cho kept to what he knew and did not try to change himself nor ARCHIBUS.

3) Stability - Continuing Without a Hitch

I came to realize that ARCHIBUS is a company that has great internal stability. The conference had the exact same format as it had for the past 18 years. 

Even more impressive is the fact that none of the staff at ARCHIBUS left nor vied for other positions. Bruce Forbes built a legacy and a company that could continue to work without him. That energizes and excites me to continue in my line of work.

ARCHIBUS will continue to run strongly and smoothly. It is evident that Bruce Forbes built a company that is self dependent and stable. He has chosen people that will continue his legacy like Wise Cho, and make sure that ARCHIBUS will be strong in leading the industry.

ARCHIBUS is here to stay.

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The Five Things a CEO Can Learn From Vistage: Pt. 1, Becoming a Confident Leader

This week we are excited to bring to you a part 1 of a new series on The Five Things a CEO Can Learn From Vistage: Becoming a Confident Leader

Several years ago, I found myself extremely frustrated.  It didn't seem as though I was getting the results I wanted from my staff.  After expressing this irritation and disappointment to the head of Human Resources, she recommended I join Vistage. Vistage is a premiere CEO coaching group.  After looking into it, I figured it was worth a shot.

After joining the program, I quickly felt weights being lifted. Things got clearer, easier, and better.  I felt as though I’d gone from navigating vicious, stormy seas in a tiny boat to sailing on a calm, serene lake.  About six months into coaching, Lance Descourouez asked me a life changing question: 

Are you an Accomplished Leader?

“Bob," he posed, "Do you consider yourself to be an accomplished CEO?”

My immediate, gut reaction was an emphatic, “No.” Lance prompted me to think more deeply about his question, but even after several minutes, my answer remained the same.  No, I did not feel like an accomplished CEO.

Thankfully, Lance provided some follow up questions, sparking an epiphany. He asked:

• How long have you been in business? 
• At the time, it was 14 years
• What’s your yearly revenue? 
• It was well north of seven figures
• How many people do you employ? 
• There were 15-16 people on payroll at the time
• Has the business survived any recessions? 
• Two, actually

Lance then repeated his initial question: “Bob, do you consider yourself to be an accomplished CEO?”

Confidence Is Key

I’d been so busy looking at my goals that I’d neglected to look at the journey. I couldn’t see the forest through the trees. I couldn't see that I was, in fact, a successful CEO. I accomplished more in those 14 years than most others do in a lifetime.

Then it hit me - I’d lost my confidence. That interaction helped restore it as well as my sense of direction. The transformation from uncertain and doubting to a fearless, self-assured CEO was drastic. I felt like a caterpillar breaking free from my chrysalis.

Now, my purpose in telling the story is this: every leader has these kinds of doubts at one time or another. It is normal. But it is vital not to let those doubts break you or weigh you down.

Confident and accomplished leaders are born by remembering who we are, where we were, and how far we’ve come. 

That is why, as leaders, we need the support of good friends and coaches to help us keep our minds in the game. We need people who can help us own-up to our fears, answer the hard questions, and move forward with direction. We need people who've been there before, so they can help guide us through the dark times. Vistage is that support group.

This is part 1 of a 5 part series on "The Five Things a CEO Can Learn From Vistage" from our CEO & Managing Director, Bob Stephen.  

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