How to Be a Bankable Leader: Interview with CSAA Annual Meeting Keynote Speaker Tasha Eurich

Marco-Island-Logo_vertCSAA is pleased to present Dr. Tasha Eurich, keynote speaker at the upcoming Annual Meeting in Marco Island, FL. “Tasha Eurich understands the importance of our industry. She and her family have been devoted alarm users for more than 30 years,” says Security Central, Inc. (Centennial, CO) President Jordan Jackson. “Her personal security experiences blended with her professional leadership expertise make her the perfect keynote speaker for this year’s conference. We have been utilizing the leadership principles she shares in her fantastic book Bankable Leadership, and what a difference it has made! Don’t miss your opportunity to transform your business with Tasha Eurich’s intriguing insights into leadership, business, and security!”

Read on to find out what you can learn from Dr. Eurich in Marco Island in October, and register now for the CSAA Annual Meeting!

CSAA: So just what is a “bankable leader”?

Eurich: As an organizational psychologist, I’ve devoted the last 15 years of my life to making bosses better—from start-ups to the Fortune 100, and in almost every Tasha Eurich low resindustry. And no matter their level or position or business, there’s one common denominator that all leaders face: the tension between engaging and retaining their people and driving results for their business.

Bankable Leaders, put simply, successfully manage the tension between people and results. And even though the best leaders do both, this balancing act is easier said than done. Most leaders tend to favor one over the other: some favor the people side—what I call the Cool Parent leaders—who are so focused on making sure everyone’s happy and that everyone likes them that nobody gets anything done. But even more fall on the other side, favoring results—the Trail of Dead Bodies leaders—who focus on outcomes at all costs. And though they might produce short term results, it’s not a matter of if their results will crumble but when. My belief, supported by decades of academic research—is that not only are most leaders out of balance, but they rarely know that this is the case!

CSAA: Tell CSAA members how you came to be interested in helping leaders.

Eurich: My purpose in life is to help leaders become more successful and self-aware, and in so doing, create value for their employees, customers and shareholders. When I was a child, shortly after my parents’ divorce, my mother started the first business in the country that trained and placed nannies in the homes of single parent and dual paycheck families. My mom would often take me to the office with her, where I watched her solve problems, coach employees, and communicate her vision. Even at a young age, what she had accomplished wasn’t lost on me. Not only was she supporting our family, she was supporting the families of the 25 people who worked for her.

Thus began my lifelong leadership obsession, which eventually led me to seek my doctorate in organizational psychology. Over the last 15 years, I’ve studied and applied the scientific principles of human behavior to help leaders and companies succeed. At its most basic level, my work is about helping leaders learn the skills they need to be successful at work (or, as a client of mine recently quipped, “Leadership is my Everest, and you are my Sherpa”). I’ve worked with people at all levels, in most industries, all around the world: from family businesses to the Fortune 100; from salespeople to engineers; from frontline leaders to CEOs.

CSAA: What can CSAA Annual Meeting participants expect from your session, “Bankable Leadership?”

Eurich: We will answer three general questions. First, what are my personal preferences as a leader between people and results? Second, what does that mean for the engagement and performance of my employees, the happiness of my customers and the success of my business? Third, what are a few actionable strategies I can use to accelerate my business goals through my leadership (not just my own, but also through the leaders who report to me)?

CSAA: Can you share a sneak preview of a data point that you use to help leaders evaluate themselves? Or some finding about leadership that you find particularly interesting/illuminating?

 Something rather amusing that I often hear is that “leadership is a soft skill.” To be blunt, that’s just plain wrong and there have been decades of empirical research showing just how wrong it is.

One of my favorite studies looked at over 30,000 leaders and showed that leadership has a direct economic impact on the bottom line. Specifically, the bottom ten percent of leaders had (on average) $1.2 million of net losses in their functional area while the top ten percent showed (on average) $4.5 million in net profit! There is also a direct, causal link between leadership effectiveness and employee and customer satisfaction.

But in spite of this powerful impact, most organizations do precious little to prepare their leaders to lead, and as a result, 50 percent of leaders are ineffective. If executives aren’t closely tracking and growing the leadership effectiveness within organizations, they’re likely suffering more for it than they realize.

CSAA: What is something you have found really surprising in your work with leaders over the last 15 years?

Eurich: Especially over the last five or so years, there’s been a lot of talk about the “great person” view of leadership—that is, that great leaders are born with more charisma, or vision, or skill than others. But psychologists have known for almost 80 years that leadership isn’t about traits—it’s about skills. Why is this distinction important? Because it means that leadership is largely learnable, no matter what your style or personality. In our session, you’ll learn why 96 percent of leaders can dramatically improve their effectiveness (and why the remaining 4 percent can’t).

CSAA: You’ve mentioned that you have an alarm system for a long time. Bet you have an alarm story to share!

Eurich: Some might call my family paranoid, but we prefer the term “security conscious” (or, for CSAA purposes you can think of us as “forever customers”). My family and I have been proud Security Central customers for more than 30 years. And not only have Jordan Jackson and his team kept us safe in by our count more than ten houses, they have treated us as part of their family. Our relationship with Jordan and his team goes far beyond just business—he and the entire company truly care about our safety and well-being. I couldn’t be prouder to be addressing Jordan’s colleagues this fall!

CSAA: Tell us something about yourself that drives or influences the way you do business. 

Eurich: Before I decided on a career in psychology, I was a professional actor and a classically trained singer. As a double theater and psychology major in college, then, I had quite a fork in the road to navigate. Of course, I chose psychology, not just for the inspirational reasons I mentioned earlier in this interview, but also because I wanted to, you know, have health insurance and make a livable wage. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss theater, but there isn’t anything in the world I’d rather be doing than what I’m doing now.

CSAA: What do you hope CSAA members will take away from your presentation?

First and foremost, I want folks to leave with a no nonsense strategy to improve their leadership effectiveness when they get back to work: both to accept their current reality as well as a few new things to try to accelerate the performance of their employees and their business. Just as importantly, I hope that they feel a sense of excitement and inspiration about what it will mean if they do.

CSAA Brings ASAP Message to PSAPs at APCO 2016

Interest in ASAP was high at last week’s APCO 82nd Annual Conference & Expo in Orlando. ASAP Subject Matter Expert Bill Hobgood and CSAA staff spoke with many interested PSAP representatives at the ASAP booth in the exhibit hall.

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Bill Hobgood gives PSAP representatives from Kentucky an overview of ASAP.


CSAA also hosted a session called “ASAP: A Win-Win No-Brainer for Public Safety and the Alarm Industry.” Hobgood, Boca Raton PSAP IT Manager Cindy Cevallos, CSAA Executive Director Jay Hauhn, and Duff Wheeler, representing Houston’s Emergency Center, described the agencies that participate in the program, projected implementation outcomes, and showed a live demo with alarm signals from Vector Security. Participants were able to see how the program reduces 9-1-1 processing and response times to alarm events while eliminating telephone calls and miscommunication errors between alarm monitoring companies and 9-1-1 PSAPs.

“The ASAP-to-PSAP educational session on the last day of the conference was well-attended with approximately 40 individuals,” reported Hobgood.”The attendees asked some very good questions at the end of the session. Aside from the excellent testimonials from the presenter panel, the session concluded with a live demo between Vector Security and the City of Richmond which could not have gone better. I am sure that the ASAP program will reap additional interest from the PSAPs as a result of this session.”

The Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP) is a national service that is the next generation for the processing of information from alarm monitoring stations needing emergency dispatch. This protocol was founded through the joint partnership of APCO, CSAA and Nlets. “CSAA would like to thank APCO, and Executive Director Derrick Poarch, for sponsoring the ASAP booth special session at the 2016 conference,” said CSAA’s Hauhn. “The event was a great opportunity to bring the ASAP message directly to people we need to reach at PSAPs around the country.”

Alarm companies can find frequent updates on ASAP on this blog, in CSAA Signals, in CSAA Dispatch, and on the CSAA Website.

Contra Costa Co. (CA) Office of the Sheriff & Bay Alarm Win National Award

The Security Industry Alarm Coalition (SIAC) is proud to team with the Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA) and the National Sheriffs’ Association to honor Sheriff David O. Livingston of the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff and Bay Alarm with the inaugural Sheriff/Private Security Partnership Award.

This new award recognizes a strong partnership between a Sheriff’s Office and a local private sector security partner. SIAC Executive Director Stan Martin and Sheriff Mark Wasylyshyn on behalf of the National Sheriffs’ Association presented the award to Sheriff Livingston and Matt Westphal from Bay Alarm.

“Sheriff Livingston and his department have a tremendous relationship with Bay Alarm,” said SIAC’s Martin. “This public/private sector bond has proven extremely beneficial in Contra Costa County and the San Francisco Bay Area.”

As part of this great relationship, Bay Alarm provides the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff Law Enforcement Training Center with scholarship funding to assist new law enforcement recruits who are putting themselves through the basic academy.

“For the past 12 years, Bay Alarm has been and continues to be a proud partner of the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office,” said Matt Westphal, Co-President of Bay Alarm. “Our scholarship program helps prospective law enforcement officers get the training they need to start a career of keeping the public safe.”

“We are honored to be the first recipients of this award,” said Contra Costa Sheriff David O. Livingston. “The Office of the Sheriff has an important and successful partnership with Bay Alarm. Their scholarships, which help fund the next generation of law enforcement officers, are invaluable.”

“Bay Alarm is one of our CSAA Five Diamond Certified members meaning they strive for the best in service, training, quality, reducing false alarms and industry participation,” said Jay Hauhn, CSAA Executive Director. “In addition to these standards, their work with the community and law enforcement make them a proven leader in our industry.”

 

Sheriff-Private Security Award Photo

Pictured above from left to right: Sheriff Mark Wasylyshyn, Sheriff David O. Livingston, Matt Westphal, Stan Martin

ABOUT SIAC

SIAC represents one voice for the electronic security industry on alarm management issues – communicating solutions and enhancing relationships with law enforcement.  SIAC is comprised of four major North American security associations–Canadian Security Association (CANASA), Security Industry Association (SIA), Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA), and the Electronic Security Association (ESA).  For more information, go to www.SIACinc.org, www.siacinc.wordpress.com, or follow us on www.twitter.com/siacinc.

 About CSAA International

The Central Station Alarm Association International (CSAA) is an internationally-recognized non-profit trade association that represents professional monitoring companies, including those listed by a CSAA-approved Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory, such as FM Global, Intertek/ETL or UL. Incorporated in 1950, CSAA is legally entitled to represent its members before Congress and regulatory agencies on the local, state and federal levels, and other authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) over the industry. CSAA’s mission is to advance the professional monitoring industry through education, advocacy, and public safety relationships.  www.csaaintl.org. For more information, contact Elizabeth Lasko at CSAA, 703-242-4670 x 16.

 ABOUT Bay Alarm

Bay Alarm Company, based out of the San Francisco Bay Area, is the largest privately held alarm company in the United States. Founded in 1946 by Everett Westphal, Bay Alarm is now in its third generation of family leadership. Currently Bay Alarm’s customer base includes over 120,000 customers and 800 employees. Bay Alarm is single-mindedly focused on serving the state of California and the unique security needs of its communities.   Bay Alarm maintains 14 branches throughout California, providing Burglar Alarms, Fire Alarms, CCTV, Access Control, Video Verification and Guard Patrol services.

 

 

CSAA Verification Standard Approved at Long Last

On August 5, ANSI announced approval of the long-awaited update of the CSAA Confirmation and Verification Notification Standard (CS-V-01). It is designated as ANSI/CSAA CS-V-01-2016.

“My thanks to all the committee members for their work on this project and for everyone’s patience as we went through the fairly arduous process,” said Lou Fiore, past president of CSAA and outgoing chair of CSAA’s Standards Committee.

With this approval, the updated standard retires ANSI/CSAA CS-V-02-2012, CSAA’s video verification standard, and ANSI/CSAA CS-AUD-01, CSAA’s audio verification standard.

“When I initiated the process that began work on these three standards some 14 years ago with the original CS-V-01, my intent was to eventually combine the three into one standard, as I announced back then. The video and audio verification standards have now been successfully combined and updated into CS-V-01,” explained Fiore. “My thanks to Jim McMullen and Peter Giacalone for their leadership in chairing those two committees.”

CSAA is an ANSI-accredited standards writing organization. As such, the CSAA Standards Committee works on standards that benefit consumers, regulators and the security industry.

Industry standards were named one of the most critical issues for CSAA at the 2015 Long Range Planning meeting and are a central focus of the CSAA “Voice of the Customer” initiative. The CSAA Standards Committee promotes and produces standards to help guide alarm companies in operating their central stations within ANSI guidelines. Its efforts benefit CSAA members and the industry as a whole.

“[This approval] is wonderful news, after much time, effort and dedication by all. I was glad to have been involved with this process and great progress,” commented Peter P. Giacalone, President, Giacalone Associates, LLC.

 This momentous event officially marks Fiore’s departure from CSAA standards activity. “I handed off the standards chair to the capable hands of Steve Shapiro some months ago but stayed on to finish the ANSI audit process for CS-V-01,” noted Fiore, “happily now concluded.” He will continue to chair the Alarm Industry Communications Committee (AICC).

Many CSAA members were involved in the process of revising this standard under Fiore’s leadership.

“Lou is to be thanked for this and all he has done over the years to help us collaborate on standards while always ensuring we followed ANSI rules in the process,” said Donald M. Young, Chief Information Officer, ADT. “It was not an easy task and one I am very grateful to him for accepting.”

“This is a great accomplishment,” said Steve Walker, Vice President Customer Service, Stanley Security. “Many thanks to all who participated – and special thanks to Lou for guiding the process to a successful conclusion!”

“It was a pleasure being involved in the process and working with Lou and the committee. His leadership was greatly appreciated,” said Mark McCall, General Manager, Security Central Lake Norman Security Patrol.

“We all owe Lou a debt of gratitude for the many years he has spent running the standards committee and establishing performance expectations that make our industry better. He has given unselfishly of his time and we, as members and participants in the industry, are better because of this,” stated Pam Petrow, CEO of Vector Security, Inc. and current CSAA President.

Standards work is never quite done, however. The CSAA Standards Committee seeks volunteers to work on a number of new standards development projects, including emerging technologies and remote station. Interested in getting involved? Contact membership@csaaintl.org.

Meet Dr. Tasha Eurich, 2016 Annual Meeting Keynote Speaker

CSAA’s 2016 Annual Meeting will feature a keynote address titled “Bankable Leadership Strategy: The Secret Weapon to Accelerating Business Success” presented by Tasha Eurich, PhD.

Keynote speaker Tasha Eurich is an organizational psychologist, speaker and New York Times best-selling author of Bankable Leadership – and a fresh, modern voice in the leadership world. By pairing her scientific grounding in human behavior with a pragmatic approach to business challenges, she has helped thousands of leaders over the last fifteen years. With a PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Colorado State University, Eurich serves on the adjunct faculty of the Center for Creative Leadership, one of the top ten executive development institutions in the world. She’s also the principal of The Eurich Group, an executive development firm that helps companies succeed by improving the effectiveness of their leaders and teams.

 

(View Eurich’s recent TedxMileHigh Talk at https://youtu.be/NVPxmz_PvUw.)

“In today’s competitive business environment, leadership is as difficult as it is important. Good leaders create economic value–and poor leaders can sink companies. Even though research tells us that effective leaders balance people and results, this complicated balancing act is easier said than done,” says Eurich. “In the quest to create engaged employees and drive business growth, most leaders feel more comfortable doing one than the other, but this imbalance drastically limits their success.” Eurich will deliver an engaging keynote based on her bottom-line research that will help attendees master the balance. Built on decades of research on the transformation of real leaders, her fresh, practical approach can help almost anyone become bankable–delivering bottom-line results, while simultaneously fostering a healthy work environment. At the end of the session, attendees will understand their personal preferences as a leader and what skills they need to sharpen, and leave with a plan to improve immediately.

Find all the details about CSAA’s annual meeting and register today at CSAA Annual Meeting.

CSAA Seeks Volunteers for Emerging Technologies Standards Effort

The Central Station Alarm Association seeks Subject Matter Experts to help define and write several new standards around new and emerging technologies:

  • GPS / Mobile services including mPERS
  • Active Shooter systems
  • Video Technology
  • Telehealth
  • Home Automation
  • Mass Notification systems

The focus for these standards will be to define how these systems and devices are handled within the alarm monitoring environments — and then ultimately how PSAPs and other responders will interact with alarm monitoring centers and the subscribers using these services.

In addition to alarm monitoring experts, we are specifically looking for SMEs from the public sectors including PSAP staff, fire/medical services, and law enforcement. It’s crucial to have all the stakeholders represented in these processes.

This would require a monthly commitment of no more than two to three hours, with a single one-hour conference call each month. No travel is required — all meetings will be done via phone calls and/or remote video conferencing.

If you are willing to help or have questions, please contact the Chair of the Emerging Technologies Committee, Morgan Hertel, at mhertel@rrms.com or 877-553-4531.