WILMINGTON, NC, March 24, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Strategic planning is a core component of any business strategy. A multitude of factors, all equally important, enter into this equation and many of us are quite good at putting together solid business plans. Strategic thinking on the other hand is a different skill altogether, requiring the ability to envision future trends and possibilities. Top motivational speaker Rocky Romanella recently published an article titled, "Are You A 'What If' Visionary" in which he discussed the importance of this visionary approach and how this builds a bridge to the future. In that article he stated in part:

Over the past 9 months I have had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with some incredible people and companies. Businesses of all sizes, that have great people, wonderful technology and energy and enthusiasm for growth.

Many of these companies are in traditional businesses. All possess two things in common, they all have core values that are traditional and a vision that is exciting and new! I will call them the "WHAT IF VISIONARIES."

They are the people who believe that someone is going to be the best at what they do, why not us? They are the architects of their own destinies and believe you should never allow anyone to affect you more than you can affect yourself.

I have had the opportunity to partner with them on strategies, create training workshops and deliver keynotes where we inspired each other.

It caused me to examine some of the paradigms, wise tales, and urban legends I grew up with. Here are two that I think the "what If visionaries" would not accept!

The first is one we have all heard and probably used. Does this sound familiar?

The devil you know is better than the devil you don't know.

While this may work with Wall Street investors who like consistency in expectations, it can be harmful in many ways as a leader. Let us look at it from a few perspectives.

1. People: you may stick too long with a person who needs a change of job or scenery. It may be time for a new position but because they are the person you know, no change is made, you stick with the status quo, the safe bet. The real casualty is the value you place on variety of thought and the encouragement of a wide range of viewpoints among team members to avoid group thinking. It hinders your ability to create more impactful solutions and opportunities for advancement.

2. Business: sticking with the devil you know does not allow you to identify and successfully generate new products, markets, and geographic growth opportunities. It stifles you from continually searching for ways to add value and to position the organization for future success.

3. You will always stop at the first answer. The "What if Visionaries" look past the first right answer to create breakthrough, first to market answers!

Another one is:

It is not the plan that is important, it is the planning.

1. If you focus on the planning process (the activity of planning) only and not the desired outcome and how to accomplish the desired outcomes, along with the key metrics, this leads to an organization with a poor plan and poor results but with some great planning meetings.

2. It brings into question the business acumen of the leader. Do they understand and have experience in all functional areas of their business? Do they understand finance as the language of business and use it to effectively monitor and improve business performance and do they know how to utilize a Balanced Business Scorecard to augment financial planning?

3. They should be credible with the investor community and all other stakeholders as they are building the plan. Finally, they need to become an expert in all aspects of business planning and lead the management team in highly effective planning protocols.

Working with the "what if visionaries" is motivating, empowering and creates great energy and enthusiasm inside an organization. The change in thinking for them is questions like:

• What if we viewed our people as our greatest asset?
• What if we aspired to have the best, the brightest, most informed, and best people in our industry?
• What if our processes created our quality results?
• What if we are a technology company that happens to make "X" product or "Y" services?
• Are we the sum of many little things done well?
• What does good look like?

The list can go on and on. But for me one thing is clear, the "What If Visionaries" are the next generation of business leaders who will be the Architects Of Their Own Destiny!

These are the people I want to work with, consult with, train with, strategize with and speak with, because they see things differently and challenge themselves not to stop at the first right answer.

"What if Visionaries" embrace and understand that leadership is about building a bridge to the future. Success will be measured by the degree to which you give your people the opportunity to help build that bridge by communicating and educating each one of them on the vision and strategy.

The full text of the piece is available at Romanella's website at https://3sixtymanagementservices.com in the newsletters section.

Romanella's bestselling book on Balanced Leadership, Tighten The Lugs Nuts, took First Place in the Business genre in The Authors Show® 2024 Book Cover contest. Results of the contest can be viewed at https://wnbnetworkwest.com/index.php/book-cover-contest-2024-vote?page=1.

Rocky offers a number of resources on his website that offer powerful ideas for leaders at any level - business managers, educators or small group leaders:

FORBES CONTRIBUTIONS:

Rocky is an official member of Forbes Business Council and a contributor on many different topics. A full list of his Forbes articles is available at https://www.3sixtymanagementservices.com/forbes-business-council/.

PODCAST:

Rocky hosts The Leadership Library Podcast, now in its 8h season. New shows are posted every Tuesday and Thursday morning at https://tightenthelugnuts.com/.

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. Past show topics include:

The Feeling Of Trust That Comes From Hope (over 7.5 K views)
Soft Skills For Great Results (over 3.1K views)
Balanced Leadership
Goal Setting
Integrity
Leaving a Legacy
Personal Values
Performance of a Successful Team
Strategic Vision
Operational Excellence
Strategic Process
Are You A Job Skill Developer
Leadership Roles and Responsibilities
SWOT Analysis
Training and Development

with many more topics available and more on the upcoming schedule.

The podcast is now available at https://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 https://3SixtyManagementServices.com.

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.

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 Nuts' 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://3sixtymanagementservices.com and at https://tightenthelugnuts.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 rockyromanella@gmail.com, 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 rockyromanella@gmail.com. Full information on 3SIXTY Management Services, more information on keynote speaking and 'Tighten The Lug Nuts' is available at the company website at https://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.

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