Robert Pieper Of Responsive Advisors: Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Think big, act small- It’s important to take a look at the big picture, but not get overwhelmed. Be methodical in our actions, and plan as best as we can, but know that if something isn’t working, we can’t be married to the idea. Break out goals into short increments so that it’s attainable, and you can celebrate the wins, while still working toward long term goals.
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 Robert Pieper.
As CEO and Principal Advisor at Responsive Advisors, Robb believes that things that evolve can survive in a changing world. With that in mind, he has set out to maximize customer value by delivering techniques and lean practices with expert-level skills to professionals looking to be change agents. As a former class clown, he injects an energy into class that makes learning Scrum actually fun without the spitballs. He’s worked with a wide range of well-known organizations, including Cray Super Computers, John Deere, Walgreens, and many more. He loves metalcore, cupcakes, tacos, and most of all, watching companies successfully transform into agile organizations ready to take on the future.
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?
My first job was me working for myself as a paperboy. I would buy the local newspapers from the paper company, turn around and sell them and keep the profit. I also had a candy business in grade school. It’s safe to say that the entrepreneurial spirit has been in me since a young age. I knew that one day I wanted to own and run my own business, I just had no idea what that would be.
I’ve always been someone who has just loved to fiddle with electronics. It’s been a hobby of mine since I was young. I got a job at Circuit City installing car stereos and absolutely loved it. I loved it because I got to see the look on people’s faces when I would install their car stereo and they would pick up their car and be amazed at how much better it sounded. I was young at the time, and didn’t really know what I wanted to do, but I knew I loved to make things better and more sustainable. In my spare time at that job, I would spend my time upgrading my own PCs and making them better, which piqued my interest in computer programming, and eventually led me to focus on a degree in software development where I worked a few corporate jobs. One of the jobs I worked was going through an Agile transformation of their own. It was my first experience seeing a company go from pretty darn messed up to pretty darn cool. I got my first experience with Agile delivery frameworks and I went to my first Scrum class. One thing led to another, and that became my passion. This passion would eventually lead me to start by business today, Responsive Advisors.
Can you share a mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘take aways’ you learned from that?
I didn’t have a very large business network when I first started Responsive Advisors. It would have been great to build that network before I started so I could see if any of my former colleagues were in need of a consultant. A lot of consulting firms start because of their connections. Many independent consultants break off on their own after doing it for 15–20 years, I broke off after three. I really had to focus on being open to the public, and building that network while starting my business.
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?
When I was starting school for my electric engineering degree, I was working as a waiter, but there were two guys that would regularly come into the restaurant. They would have a great time, and order fancy wine and food, so they got my attention. I found out after a while that they owned their own electrical engineering company, and they built software for industrial purposes. I got to know them, one thing led to another, and I was their intern. They taught me the basics of programming, and it was really fun! They were super interesting guys, and it didn’t feel like work. They taught me that as an engineer, your job is to figure it out. Regardless of how, you just figure it out. I got kind of used to that, I would find available resources, I would google things, be in contact with support teams, whatever it took. They really instilled persistence in me, and I am grateful for that, and embrace that lesson even today.
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 mission is this: We partner with our clients to help create a sustainable culture that is responsive to change. That mission still rings true today as change is inevitable.
I envisioned us as being a management consulting firm that uses Agile delivery techniques to make better businesses. Not just regarding technology, but the entire thing including process and culture, and everything in between.
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 difficult times?
With the pandemic, things quickly shut down and we really didn’t see it coming. We were getting word of not being allowed to gather in groups of more than 10. Well at the time our entire business model was centered around group classes, and our students were getting nervous. I didn’t want to act irrationally because I really didn’t know what I was looking at. So I remained calm and saw what I had to do in order to pivot.
Since we had no choice but to pivot, people’s job descriptions changed. Those logistical jobs changed to tech set up. We immediately offered virtual classes. We figured out a structure to keep our classes engaging (which is what we are known for) even despite not being in the same room. I had to be everyone’s biggest cheerleader while also having a level of transparency about the changes we were making. It was a balancing act, but at the end of the day we were better for it.
Did you ever consider giving up? Where did you get the motivation to continue through your challenges? What sustains your drive?
Never was going to just “give up.” That wasn’t an option for me. It all goes back to what I learned in my internship from those guys who took me under their wing. We just figure it out, we pivot, and we find a way to do it better. Since I’ve found my passion for problem solving at an early age, this helped me to stay motivated.
What would you say is the most critical role of a leader during challenging times?
The most important role is a balancing act of being a source of encouragement, while still being realistic. We can’t just approach turbulent times with rose colored glasses and not address the elephant in the room. It’s important to set the tone and inspire, while still communicating your plan of action.
What is the best way to communicate difficult news to one’s team and customers?
Preserving trust is huge, because if you are vague with the news, people start to do bizarre things when they don’t have trust for leadership. So be transparent, don’t sugar coat it, and be straight forward. People will respond well if they feel you’ve given respect.
Is there a “number one principle” that can help guide a company through the ups and downs of turbulent times?
Being adaptable and open to trying new things is the only way businesses can survive. Just look at Blockbuster, they had the opportunity to respond to change, and find a different way of doing things, and they didn’t. Eventually new services like Netflix and other streaming services found a way to make consumers’ lives easier. Never stop learning and doing research on your customer, as that can also help to prepare you for change.
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?
- They kept everything a secret. As I’ve stated before, transparency is critical. When you don’t let people know what changes are being made, and take the time to explain the rationale behind it, you are creating a toxic work culture. People like to be informed, and as leaders, it’s our job to keep everyone in the loop and be sensitive to human beings in our workplace. When people aren’t informed, they’ll start to do bizarre things.
- They were very reactive, not proactive. Knee jerk reactions can be very costly. It can damage reputations and it can lead to really bad ideas and unhappy customers. That’s why it’s important to be methodical in all approaches. Doing your research, evaluating your customers, etc. It takes time, but will pay out in the end.
- They weren’t set up to pivot. Agility is key for the continued success of almost all businesses. While the ability to pivot has to happen sometimes, the reality is, a company has to be equipped without the need to change their entire internal infrastructure. This means before a problem arises they should be equipped to change. From a new competitor, to a change in consumer preferences, and more. If your company isn’t set up to adapt and change, that’s a problem.
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 difficult economy?
I had read a lot of books about businesses that survived economic crises, such as the Great Depression, and other intense situations, but it’s different when it happens to you. However, from those books I learned about mistakes people made when they were running lean on cash. They became desperate, and made irrational decisions. I never wanted to be desperate. So I made sure I had enough money in the bank to make payroll even if nothing new came in for months. Unlikely situation, but that paranoia was always in my head. Because I had this money in the bank when push came to shove, I was able to slow down and really think through my plan.
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.
- Have a cash reserve- When you are low on money in trying times, your actions will display panic mode. You’ll find yourself taking on jobs that you shouldn’t have, working with customers that you shouldn’t have. All of this because you are desperate. Having a cash reserve allows you to slow down and make decisions during critical times, such as a pandemic or crisis that you didn’t see coming.
- Transparency is always best- A human-centered approach is always best. You can be your team’s biggest cheerleader, but it’s important for them to see you acknowledge that these are scary times, and have an action plan that they can listen and respond to. Be open and leave time for questions, because trust is everything.
- Think big, act small- It’s important to take a look at the big picture, but not get overwhelmed. Be methodical in our actions, and plan as best as we can, but know that if something isn’t working, we can’t be married to the idea. Break out goals into short increments so that it’s attainable, and you can celebrate the wins, while still working toward long term goals.
- Know that the future is always uncertain- Know that you can plan ahead as much as humanly possible, but there will always be a fire to put out. There will always be a competitor that will arise, new consumer needs, new trends, the list goes on and on. It’s about how you respond to the changes happening around you that will help you rise above.
- Play the hand you are dealt, and adapt- The more you resist change, the harder you fall. If you find yourself in a situation where what you’ve always done suddenly isn’t working, try something new and seek an outside perspective.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
When nothing is going right, go left.
I am very persistent when I want something. I was like that while a student in school, with software projects I worked on as a software developer, and even now running and growing Responsive Advisors. I’m always looking for new information, for new techniques and strategies to grow this company even when a pandemic tries to destroy my business. I just do not quit until I get where I want to be.
How can our readers further follow your work?
Blog: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbpieper/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbpieper/
Instagram: @responsiveadvisors
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
Robert Pieper Of Responsive Advisors: Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
