Leadership: It's not as commonly understood as you might think

A very important aspect within the LMN Solutions culture is the concept of making a situation (team event, project, or research activity) improve through strong leadership and collaboration. This is a key aspect of leading within diverse environments to accomplish specific projects. As with most programs, the ability to translate user job activities into correct requirements is an important factor related to project delivery. At LMN, we feel the most important principle is developing people to work together and balance individual goals with the greater objectives of a team. In the technology world where being viewed as an evangelic and uber-intelligent resource is desired by many, a true integrated team-concept can be challenging. However, we have a solution that works very well for us. At LMN Solutions, we include academic and market leading staff development and training, but the galvanizing element includes significant leadership training within the company. Our "force multiplier mechanism" involves a combination of customized training by team leads, peers, and LMN management designed to enhance the specific needs of each LMN teammate. Progress is measured monthly with the full impact observed within the respective project assignments. Interviews of clients confirm proficiency levels and identify new areas for continuous improvement. The goal is to have each LMN teammate elevate people/processes around them to accomplish successful solutions. We pride ourselves in our excellence and customer delivery through exemplary leadership. To find out more about our leadership training, contact us at services.lmnsolutions.com.

We Are Pyramids....

As a small business, we've developed our reputation by combining a strong blend of strategic thinking and technical excellence. We've developed a highly diverse team focused on the delivery of mission focused solutions, advanced education, and innovative technology concepts. With the changing financial climate, the need to provide tangible results is more critical than ever before.

The graphic to the right (and above) is my view of talented small businesses operating within several unique markets. One such environment includes the dominant presence of many large systems integrators. Our company maintains excellent relationships with these partners and respects their ability to meet the demands of large scale programs. After a successful engagement, we look for additional opportunities in which to "team" for high value technology solutions.

The key question: What happens next?

We tend to move quickly to the next program/project and continue hiring bright minds for new assignments. The failing part of the equation is the lack of business partnerships with other small businesses. Large corporations aggressively compete for talent and contracts. They even attempt to distinguish themselves by highlighting perceived deficiencies of fellow large competitors. However, they've also mastered the art of strategic teaming. Large companies team within areas of product and service "overlap" as well as complimentary offerings to provide value to end customers. This also addresses the ability to support large scale programs within a particular market.

Small businesses appear to suffer from a form of insecurity due to their size, similar skills, or lack of a defined business strategy. Instead of building relationships to make their offerings stronger and expand their presence, small companies "huddle" to prevent their perceived small competitors from hiring away talent or outpacing their growth. This is a large problem that restricts what should be the ultimate goal of each small business - growth, diversification, refinement of offerings, and solid infrastructure. Instead, poor relationships are matched with even worse perspectives on business strategy (especially within tech-centric markets) and financial planning. Large companies benefit by this lack of vision by furthering their profit "centers" and limiting the amount of market penetration of new firms (based on scale/financing needs). With the economic crisis and objectives of buying organizations to become more efficient in spending (which means leaner budgets), small companies must begin to think in a more strategic and agile way - lest they become ancient like the pyramids of Giza.