Graig Robinson Of Diagnostic Service Center: Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Talent expansion. Tough times are made for tough people. Most companies have the talent to navigate these times. Don’t pigeonhole your team because traditionally, they haven’t had a role or responsibilities. The solution is right in front of you and has been aboard for two to five years. Give them a clean slate and a chance. You’d be surprised.
As part of our series about the “Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times”, we had the pleasure of interviewing Graig Robinson.
Graig Robinson, the owner and CEO of Diagnostic Service Center, is an entrepreneur, and a thought provoker, representing the next generation of thought leadership.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
I like to think of myself as a “Freemason.” Let me explain.
I started with the United States Pharmaceutical group when I was 18 years old as an administrator and moved quickly up the ranks into a senior role. I had a lot of success very young, and through each success grew into a well-rounded healthcare administrator, working for companies like WellCare, United Healthcare, and Caremark.
After years of successfully climbing the corporate ladder, I decided to move into doing my own thing. Entrepreneurs are the Freemasons of today. We take business opportunities and literally build enterprise, not just for ourselves but also for others. We do this brick by brick, and we do it with a level of mastery.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘take aways’ you learned from that?
There are so many, but we contracted with a strategic partner who wanted to scale and ramp up across the 48 states.. This was our big fish, and we wanted it to succeed.
With meticulous planning, we thought we had everything covered. We ramped up 7000 customers in 22 business days. I mean, we went full-fledged with data, and we spent a tremendous amount of money on Facebook marketing because of our demographic print mail.
Then the snowstorm hit, not just any snowstorm. We got a snowstorm in the Midwest, and when there’s a horrific storm in the Midwest, in hubs like Illinois, the mail can’t move.
We handled the crisis by running up unlimited overtime. We spent $40,000 reshipping to places that weren’t frozen over, that did not go through the Midwest postal hubs to get to those customers.
I’m happy to say that while we fell short of hitting our big goal, we met our deadline and our margin. I always say this was a “W.”
I say it was funny because we had accounted for everything; we avoided the holiday season and decided to go in October to avoid the heavy holiday mail. We spent so much on that postage and re-postage, but we made it happen, and we came out on top. The “takeaway” is sometimes you have to gamble, and you’ve got to believe in yourself.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
I have two people in my life that have been incredible mentors.
My dad is such a driver for me, especially as an African American male. To watch him throughout my life, to watch him make the moves he’s made, becoming the authority in his industry.
To watch my dad build such a beautiful name and brand for himself was huge for me. I remember watching my dad at “take your kids to work” day, watching my dad at executive meetings, taking charge; that was significant.
When I first moved into sales leadership, I met a sales operation manager named Michael Jacoby. He was pivotal in changing my mind from being a production-based producer to a production-based leader with a solid operational foundation to ensure a positive impact, a positive customer journey, and an onboarding experience.
I still lean on both of them regularly. I’m vulnerable with them; I tell them when I’m scared as an entrepreneur when I’ve lost confidence in myself. I lean on those guys.
Extensive research suggests that “purpose-driven businesses” are more successful in many areas. When your company started, what was its vision, what was its purpose?
Our vision was to make sure that we were continually growing and adapting. Our second one was to partner with businesses with the same mantra and help them do the same thing. Adding to this vision is that we’re never going to stop helping from a place of servitude, where all greatness is grown.
We stopped selling, and we started helping. We stopped pitching, started listening, and started searching for solutions to problems. We always want to grow and always help. We believe that as long as we get out and help people, we can’t lose.
Thank you for all that. Let’s now turn to the main focus of our discussion. Can you share with our readers a story from your own experience about how you lead your team during uncertain or complex times?
The first thing that comes to mind is the Midwest snowstorm story. Even in those times, we didn’t make excuses; we didn’t get down, we didn’t lose our confidence. We got back to the table, and we found a “W” even in chaos.
I was very proud of our team because many businesses would have caved or made excuses. We made it work.
Did you ever consider giving up? Where did you get the motivation to continue through your challenges? What sustains your drive?
I don’t care who you are, we all win and lose from time to time, but when all is said and done, we win more than we lose.
I woke up this morning, and all my limbs were intact. I had ten toes and ten fingers, so I already knew I got a “W.” But when I need someone to talk to, my mentors are a phone call away.
What would you say is the most critical role of a leader during challenging times?
You’ve got to know who you are as a leader, and you can’t be afraid to surround yourself with people who are everything that you are not.
Strong leaders surround themselves with the best and listen to those around him. I’m a huge fan of FDR, and he was never afraid to surround himself with the best. If you weren’t more intelligent than him, you couldn’t sit at the table. FDR made it his business to understand his strengths and his weaknesses.
When the future seems so uncertain, what is the best way to boost morale? What can a leader do to inspire, motivate and engage their team?
Through turbulent times, I will walk into my office at any time of day and pull everybody off of the floor, out of their offices and have them come to the call center floor and stand in a circle. I will go around that circle and look them dead in their face and ask them, “Who better you?” There is no one better than you.
What is the best way to communicate difficult news to one’s team and customers?
Communicating in these turbulent times takes emotional intelligence, honesty, and empathy. Use your emotional intelligence to empower your people.
How can a leader make plans when the future is so unpredictable?
Leaders must be flexible and keep an open mind. When business is upended, we have to look for creative solutions. It’s important to be fearless and allow for experimentation. Finally, utilize your team and give them a chance to help rise to the challenge.
Is there a “number one principle” that can help guide a company through the ups and downs of turbulent times?
There are several of them, but if I have to lean on one it’s going to be, “Buckle your knees.” You’ve got to stay in the fight.
When the smoke clears, the ones left standing will become the dominators of their market and industry leaders.
Can you share 3 or 4 of the most common mistakes you have seen other businesses make during difficult times? What should one keep in mind to avoid that?
1. Sticking to previous market data to make decisions; data was compiled before a pandemic. While I’m sure it is valuable, unprecedented times call for equal measures. Use it as a guide but keep an open mind.
2. Letting the suffering taken Acquisition model to be an excuse for poor support and customer journey.
3. Talent expansion. Tough times are made for tough people. Most companies have the talent to navigate these times. Don’t pigeonhole your team because traditionally, they haven’t had a role or responsibilities. The solution is right in front of you and has been aboard for two to five years. Give them a clean slate and a chance. You’d be surprised.
Generating new business, increasing your profits, or at least maintaining your financial stability can be challenging during good times, even more so during turbulent times. Can you share some of the strategies you use to keep forging ahead and not lose growth traction during a challenging economy?
I’m a firm believer in the principle, “buckle your knees and weather this storm.”
Life is about balance, so you have to take the good and the bad. You can’t take just the wins. When the losses come, you’re going to be in for a stormy ride, but it’s a powerful one that the universe will pay dividends. So be mindful to buckle your knees and weather the storm.
Here is the primary question of our discussion. Based on your experience and success, what are the five most important things a business leader should do to lead effectively during uncertain and turbulent times? Please share a story or an example for each.
1. You’ve got to maintain your mental dexterity.
2. You’ve got to maintain your mental endurance.
3. You’ve got to develop your knowledge of yourself.
4. You have to keep your Mamba mentality.
5. And you have to remember to stay connected to your mentors.
I motivate my employees constantly. I run around my office like a locker room two or three times a day. I get in there, get their spirits up, give them the mental dexterity, and allow them to plug themselves to me and let me be the conduit.
You need to be the calm in the storm; you have to keep your wits, mental dexterity, mental fortitude, emotional intelligence, and your Mamba mentality.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I’m one of those people who is incredibly positive. It drives my wife crazy. I even listen to positive affirmations in my sleep. I wake my children up in the morning, and I put on positive affirmations to listen to why they get ready.
Success starts internally. You must trust the process.
How can our readers further follow your work?
Go to Diagnostic Service Center
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
Graig Robinson Of Diagnostic Service Center: Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
