Romanella’s best-selling book, Tighten The Lug Nuts, was recently ranked #1 in Business Leadership and Business Management. Rocky is a former CEO with over 40 years of experience and has recently developed a new podcast, The Leadership Library Podcast.
What books have influenced your life the most? For top motivational speaker Rocky Romanella, that is an easy question. Coach John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success tops his list. This is an appropriate time to discuss this topic, as March Madness will soon be upon us. Rocky was fortunate to have the opportunity to sit down with Coach Wooden in a one-on-one interview. He addressed this in a recent newsletter:
“During my recent interview with World Class Performers, I was asked the standard question, ‘What book(s) have influenced your life the most? Why?”
Normally this question and my answer would not of had such an emotional impact on me, but as I thought about the question and read my answer after the interview, I thought about that wonderful day I had the opportunity of a lifetime to sit with Legendary Coach John Wooden at his home. And now, with the NCAA Basketball Tournament just around the corner, it brings back great memories.
For me, the books by legendary Coach John Wooden have had a profound influence in my life and career. I had many great honors in my lengthy career. Some honors were through achievement, and some were in meeting the people and seeing the many places my career has taken me but meeting Coach Wooden ranks as one of the best. I originally went to college to be a High School History teacher and a baseball coach, so I have always had a passion for coaching and a belief that great leaders were great coaches and teachers. For me, being a leader allowed me to pursue my coaching and teaching passion in a different venue.
Chances are good that someday you will meet someone famous. Maybe it is a sports figure or an actor or actress you have enjoyed, but the thrill of meeting a legendary coach whom I admired and often quoted was a dream come true.
Coach Wooden was both gracious and hospitable as we met and spoke in his home. I count this as one of the incredible moments in my career, and it brought the books to life. After this meeting and conversation, Coach Wooden was an integral part my leadership world.
Coach Wooden has been called one of the most respected coaches in the history of sports and the most successful coach in men’s college basketball history. Under his leadership, the Bruins achieved many accomplishments, including a record 10 NCAA men’s basketball championship titles. Many believe the records set under Coach Wooden’s leadership are unbreakable. He was also well known for his inspirational theories.
At our meeting, during the interview, and in all the future readings, Coach Wooden helped shape my professional life and values.
THE CORNERSTONES OF SUCCESS
Coach Wooden identified two cornerstones that laid the foundation for his “Pyramid of Success”—industriousness and enthusiasm. Industriousness, as Wooden defined it, is more than just showing up and going through the motions. It is work, hard work. It is the ability to not only work hard but to continue to improve. On the other end of the structure is enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is the heart behind the hard work. I learned and added my distinctive touch over time that “Hard work without enthusiasm is just that—hard work.” Enthusiasm is the ability to reach your full potential, to prepare and perform at your highest level. It is contagious, It brushes off on those you work with, those you work for, and the ones you lead. Coach Wooden and I were fortunate to coach, teach, and mentor some excellent individuals who went onto highly successful careers, Coach Wooden in the basketball arena and I in the business arena.
In my view the significant difference was the honesty of purpose in the people I managed, worked with, and mentored. It pertains to your motivation, to the pursuit of your goals and dreams. No name in lights or sneaker contracts for the working person. The reality is you are going to have to work at whatever it is you hope to achieve in your life. But it is how you face it and the journey you take that speaks to your character. Your true character is defined by your honesty of purpose. Your purpose is sacred and authentic. Honesty is what is at the core of your moral character. It is being trustworthy, loyal, fair, sincere, and true, even when it is difficult to be. It is not only how you create your values, but also how you add value to the lives of others.
To see the entire interview from that special day in Coach Wooden’s home, visit
https://www.3sixtymanagementservices.com/category/leadership-training.
BOOK:
Rocky’s book about leadership, Tighten The Lug Nuts: The Principles Of Balanced Leadership recently achieved number 1 bestseller status in both Business Management and Business Leadership. During March Madness, Rocky will donate $1 for every copy sold to the Jimmy V Foundation.
In ‘Tighten the Lug Nuts’, Romanella uses his forty-plus years of experience at UPS, and his CEO and Director roles, to explore the ways a true leader can lead any organization and its people to new levels of success.
If you read only one business book this year, this is the book you should read.
Rocky’s approach to leadership is unique and highly effective. He believes that great leaders challenge their people not to stop at the first right answer. ‘Tighten The Lug Nuts’ is a book about leadership that help readers move past that first right answer. It is full of detailed examples that are organized in an educational and entertaining way to form a framework of real-world concepts. The deceptively simple concepts, with powerful “How To Messages“ can be utilized by anyone who holds a leadership position – even parents, educators, and others. Whether you are a seasoned professional or a first-time manager, Tighten The Lug Nut is not only motivational, but also a call to action for those who have yet to make a mark in their field.
The book can also help position an organization for hyper growth coming out of the pandemic, Key concepts detailed in the book will prepare leaders and their teams to hit the ground running as they rapidly refocus and rebuild. Tighten The Lug Nuts is loaded from cover to cover with practical information that can help leaders become more effective, more productive, and more successful. It is not just another “book about leadership.”
Tighten The Lug Nuts is available at online book retailers. More information is available at his website at https://www.3sixtymanagementservices.com and at https://www.tightenthelugnuts.com.
PODCAST:
Rocky also recently announced a number of new podcasts for The Leadership Library Podcast. The pilot episode was released December 2nd, 2021 with future releases scheduled for every Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
All of us are leaders in some way – parents, educators, athletes, special interest groups large and small, sales teams – the list is endless. Regardless of the role we play, Romanella’s concepts, developed under the heading of Balanced Leadership, can be applied to improve effectiveness, efficiency, and results.
Morning coffee is one of the joys of life for many of us. When you add your Cup of Joe to your visit to the Leadership Library podcast, your morning coffee will add an educational, entertaining dose of leadership octane to your day. Recent topics include:
Know Your Customer
Performance of a Successful Team
Significant Events
Strategic Vision
The Big 8
Many more topics are available, and more are on the table for the future. The new podcast is now available at www.tightenthelugnuts.com, or visit https://www.buzzsprout.com/1484407. The podcast is also available at Apple Podcasts. More on leadership, building a legacy and many other topics are also available at Romanella’s website at http://www.3SixtyManagementServices.com.
Rocky Romanella has built an entire library of cutting-edge resources, available at his website, to help position ourselves to come out of the pandemic stronger, leaner, faster and to get a jump-start on the Rapid Rebuild process. Those resources include:
LIVE AND VIRTUAL KEYNOTES AND TRAINING – SUPPORT FOR WEEKLY MEETINGS AND CALLS
Rocky has been doing virtual conferences and training sessions with a keen eye on POST COVID and the Rapid Rebuild of our businesses. He can build a program, live or virtual, for any organization. Topics can include any or all of the 23 Leadership Competencies, concepts from the book, Tighten The Lug Nuts: The Principles Of Balanced Leadership, or any topic that might be appropriate.
THE LIST – 23 LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES
Every item on the list will play a vital role during the Rapid Rebuild of our economy, our businesses and our lives. Any or all of them will be appropriate for virtual meetings, talks or presentations.
PODCASTS LIBRARY
Over 108 podcasts that take a deep dive into Leadership topics. These can be searched by topic, show name or Leadership Competency.
VIDEO LIBRARY
The video library includes training videos, Balanced Leadership videos, Keynote Speaking videos, Tighten The Lug Nuts videos, interviews videos, Coach’s Corner videos and much more.
More on leadership skills, virtual keynotes, training sessions, virtual meetings and conferencing calls, training workshops, strategy sessions and general information on the relaunch of the economy is available at Romanella’s website.
MEETING CALLS
As a special incentive for those who are ready for a Rapid Rebuild, Rocky will be offering meeting calls at no charge for those who purchase 20 or more copies of his 5-star rated book on leadership, ‘Tighten The Lug Nuts’. Contact Rocky for details at [email protected], and or 610-322-0720 to schedule your session.
With over 4 decades of “boots on the ground” leadership experience, Rocky Romanella is one of the best keynote motivational speakers in the country and internationally. He has spoken in large and small venues all over the US including cities such as Atlanta, San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix, NYC, Dallas, Chicago, Miami, Houston, LA, Charlotte, and many others. Internationally, he has presented keynotes in Toronto, Mexico City, Milan, London, and Krakow. He is known for creating excitement through his energy, passion, and knowledge, while employing his talents and experience to motivate, inspire and entertain audiences, regardless of size.
Romanella has garnered praise for his ability to connect to a wide range of audiences with his storytelling ability and innate charisma. Richard Snowden, President of Raven House International said, “An engaging speaker and facilitator, Rocky leads business executives to break-through results through break-through thinking.” Conrad Swanson, Sr. VP Agency Development of Arpin Van Lines Inc. stated, “Rocky inspired many to look inward and improve the way they operate their businesses and lead their team members.”
A winner of the UPS Chairman’s Award for Excellence, Romanella has created a legacy of motivating teams to achieve their best. He pulls in audiences with real life stories from an illustrious career spanning nearly 40 years at one of the most recognized and admired brands in the world. Rocky brings leadership expertise in supply chain, logistics and transportation, retail, sales and operational excellence strategy, telecommunications engineering/construction management and installation. Having led many company sales efforts, rapidly building brands, restructuring events, and developing a culture needed to integrate past acquisitions, he inspires audiences to create a unified company with one vision.
Rocky Romanella is available for keynote speaking engagements and media interviews. He can be contacted using the information below or by email at [email protected]. Full information on 3SIXTY Management Services, more information on keynote speaking and ‘Tighten The Lug Nuts’ is available at the company website at https://www.3sixtymanagementservices.com.
About Rocky Romanella:
Rocky is the Founder and CEO of 3SIXTY Management Services, LLC, a management consulting firm specializing in Executive Speaking, Leadership Development and Consulting Services. He also serves on the board of Goodman Networks, a leading provider of end-to- end network infrastructure, field and professional services to the wireless telecommunications and satellite television industries.
Rocky is an experienced CEO who led one of the largest rebranding initiatives in franchising history – The UPS Store, revolutionizing the $9 billion retail shipping and business services market.
While leading The UPS Store, the network increased retail unit, same-store sales by 5.8%, outpacing the National Retail Federation results of 4.6% during a recession.
Rocky steered UPS’s entry into the health care industry and created the mantra, “It’s a patient, not a package.®”
He also led the integration of more than 20 acquisitions to improve financial performance, capabilities, and global network footprint.
Through his executive roles and leadership advisory services, Rocky delivers results by developing and implementing his Balanced Leadership Model across enterprise operations. This includes a laser focus on customer needs, employee empowerment and the demands of shareholders.
Rocky has the rare ability to see a clear vision of the changing business landscape, the passion to develop strategies, tactics, and metrics to drive desired results.
Contact:
Rocky Romanella
https://www.3sixtymanagementservices.com
[email protected]
