It’s no secret that I’m a fan of former New England Patriots CMO and CEO of TrinityOne, Lou Imbriano. After all, how many online friends do you know who will attend your grandmother’s wake simply to “be there for you?”
That’s how Lou and I had our first in-real-life meeting, and it says everything about who he is as a person. He really would do anything for his friends, and he takes the same approach with his customers.
Winning the Customer
Lou’s new book “Winning the Customer” officially launches this evening with a gala celebration in Boston (my original home town) and Lou will be sharing his secrets from the book at tomorrow night’s Leadership Chat on Twitter.
To get a little sneak peek, I asked Lou a few questions that focus primarily on Visionary Leadership…but I snuck a cannoli question in here as well! 
Q1 Lisa: Lou, we focus quite a bit on visionary leadership on this blog. When you were CMO of the NE Patriots, how important to your marketing team’s success was it for you to have a vision? Can you describe how you applied that vision to drive customer loyalty?
A1 Lou: It was extremely important because everything had to change; we had to make a quantum leap not only in how we executed, but also in our approach. When I first started at the team it was a very transactional organization, as many professional sports teams were at that time. However, that mode of operation was never going to be able to generate the growth expected as we built a new state-of-the art facility.
So, while the architects were designing the stadium, we were planning and laying the groundwork for building relationships with clients and consumers. The key in our efforts was realizing that the structure of the group was not conducive to being able to deliver at the level that was expected of us. So changing the structure, protocols and systems was the first step to ensure we would be positioned to build relationships and loyalty.
Knowing where we ultimately needed to be was the driving force in the changes we made to ensure we had the all the pieces to build consumer avidity and spending.
Q2 Lisa: You have tremendous executive leadership experience, which you share with your readers in your book, Winning the Customer. In this economy, what do you think is the top priority or priorities for executive leaders to “keep their eye on the ball?”
A2 Lou: The best way to “keep your eye on the ball” is to look at things differently and to embrace new ways of doing business. This means putting more faith in the folks you have surrounded yourself with over the years. You have to combine the confidence you have in what got you to where you are today with the trust in your group that they will bring you to where you need to be tomorrow.
In these times, those who evolve soar, while those who stay stagnant become extinct.
Q3 Lisa: So much of what you brought to your role, and what you bring to all your relationships, is your humble upbringing in Boston. You share so many stories in vivid detail in the book about what it was really like for you growing up. How important is it for leaders to share themselves openly like this, and how has it helped you succeed?
A3 Lou: A common buzzword these days is “authentic”. I believe the best leaders have operated with this in mind from the beginning of time. The foundation of being a great leader is having credibility; everything else flows from there. Being genuine is one of the building blocks that will lead you to credibility.
Many folks have the misconception that opening up leaves them in a vulnerable place, when the reality is that it puts them in a position of power. When you are real, you get real respect and real results.
Q4 Lisa: What would you say is the most surprising thing about leadership that you learned over the course of your career? Why?
A4 Lou: When I was younger and lacked experience, I assumed that the cold, calculating, and aloof business people were the best leaders. I also thought that they never made mistakes and were always precise.
While there are certain aspects of those characteristics that lend themselves to leadership, the reality is that great leaders make mistakes, great leaders are human, and great leaders do not always lead the right way. The thing that makes them amazing leaders is how they respond to their own mistakes – how they handle the blunders. That is what will determine how effective they are as a leader. And it is not only how they approach their own mistakes, but also how they handle chaos around them.
As Dr. Martin Luther King so eloquently stated, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
Q5 Lisa: Having had the pleasure of dining with you, I know for a fact that it’s a unique pleasure and an experience to be treasured. What’s your favorite part of sharing a meal with others?
A5 Lou: I love when people are having fun and totally let down their guard to enjoy the moment. Having dinner with people is not about eating – food is a conduit to the comfort and conversation.
As you know, I love food, but the sharing that I strive for is the sharing of morsels of oneself so that others may truly get to know each other. That is why you cannot have a quick meal with me; it’s not about the transaction part of eating, it’s about building relationships. The food and the people are both to be savored.
Q6 Lisa: This one’s for the #CannoliCrew – what’s your favorite kind of cannoli?
A6 Lou: This will not surprise you. I am a traditionalist when it comes to cannolis: ricotta and a touch of powdered sugar. My grandmother had the wooden rollers and made everything from scratch on Saturday mornings. Just before we ate them, she would fill the shells and give them a little sprinkle of powdered sugar. That was special.
~Learn more of Lou’s secrets to winning the customer, turning them into fans, and getting them to spend more when he Guest Hosts #LeadershipChat tomorrow night at 8:00 pm Eastern Time on Twitter!
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Need help defining a business vision, purpose and mission and the strategies to support them? Hire me for Visionary Leadership programs, and work with me by emailing me at Lisa@CLevelStrategies.com.
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Photos courtesy of LouImbriano.com and Amazon.
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