Tag: leadership

Fake it till you make it

September 25, 2026

This is one of those sayings I don’t agree with. Another is, “It is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.” I don’t like people who are not what they try to make me believe they are. Salesmen who do not know the products or services they sell. People who say they are Christians and have no idea what the fruit of the Spirit is are examples of this.

I believe that we should all admit our weaknesses and let the words, “I don’t know,” be my mantra. If you don’t know what a mantra is, it is a saying you keep repeating to remind yourself of something. I have made this statement to many and then followed it with, “but, let me check for an answer for you.”

This worked well in business for over forty years. Every job I had meant I needed to learn new things. I was offered a purchasing job, and the owner of the company asked if I knew anything about it. My response was no, and within six months he considered me one of his best purchasing agents.

When I started in a pet store, I saw a rack of books for sale. These ranged from simple books about the different animals to volumes on how to diagnose and treat illnesses. After three months, I was promoted from a salesman to a store manager and within a year I became the assistant livestock manager at the wholesale distributor owned by the same man.

My second purchasing job started a twenty-five-year career with the company. I moved straight from that job to office manager and was over all the inside sales staff without ever having the job. I trained myself and had more product knowledge than some hired to sales before me. How’d that happen? I read the catalogues.

When I left there, I returned to purchasing as a buyer and a few months later became the supervisor in the department. I completed my career as purchasing manager for another manufacturer. I am now doing what I have done as a hobby my entire life.

I publish my own writing, edited by me, based on what the Lord is telling me to create. Did you know that there is a parable told by Jesus about three men who are given different amounts of money? The king is leaving them with money to invest for him while he is away. When he returned, the one who was given an amount called five talents had doubled the amount. 

A talent was a year’s salary for these men. They were given five, two, and one year’s pay to invest. If your boss gave you this kind of money, would you know how to invest it for them? I don’t think I could double it like the first two did. The third man buried his.

We, teachers and preachers, use the term talent to encourage our listeners to use abilities that we have been given rather than wasting them. For more on this, read my column The One Talent Man. I consider that younger me only knew how to write. When I was called to ministry, I had added an ability to speak before groups. I’ve just shown a few other ways that Jesus has allowed me to grow. Don’t fake it, just make it.

©Copyright 2026 by Charles Kensinger

The better idea

September 1, 2026

Companies worldwide are looking for better ways to do things. Many innovations come about every year. Some work and some do not. The management problem is deciding which ideas to implement and which to let die without further consideration. As a leader, there are many factors that we consider before moving on to the proposed improvement.

Today we will look at one of the reasons new concepts are discarded without due thought. The source of the innovative idea is often the deciding factor for many of us. If it came from a knowledgeable employee with many years of experience or from a superior who can terminate us, this thought is considered. The one that got away is probably from a new hire, temporary employee, intern, or other low-level worker.

Some of the freshest and best ideas are proposed by those whose minds are not clouded with all the things that take up the time of upper management. Some companies have programs to reward employees or even customers with their ideas.

I took a product proposal to a purchasing agent when I was in outside sales. As I explained this new product and asked where it might be used, I was told to wait a few minutes for the maintenance foreman. When he arrived, I explained this item and saw a light spark in his eyes. We discussed prices and the various places it could be utilized.

He had an application, and he had been looking for a product that would solve a particular problem. I showed the P.A. a new item that he thought was what they were looking for. This is just one example of me making a sale because I had what the customer needed. Unlike advertising for most commodities, I did not have to create a need or desire.

To me, that was the best way to make sales. I never pushed products or services onto a client. My technique was to explain the benefits of items and ask if the product was something that could be of use to them.

My new district manager did not believe this was the best sales procedure. He thought I should push for a close on anything that we had available. I was able to turn our branch’s profit margin around in six months after three years of being in the red. When I saw that this new boss and I would not be able to agree, I found another position after twenty-five years with that company.

My new boss at the next company appreciated my ideas enough that I received a promotion after just three months on the job. I felt that this was my dream job. Sometimes the better idea that you need may be changing positions or companies to continue growth in your career.

©Copyright 2026 by Charles Kensinger

Management

May 15, 2026

Some are leaders, and others are followers. We have heard this all our lives. If it is true. Which are you? That should depend on the situation you are in. At times, even the best leader should step back and allow others to take the reins.

Managers are leaders. The best allows others to lead when they show talents and abilities. I have often trained employees who eventually became department supervisors or managers. My management experience began with my first job while still in high school.

Does that seem unusual to you? I’ve gotten to know many leads, supervisors, and managers over the years who have started in the ranks and worked their way up in companies. You know that old saying, “The cream always rises to the top.”

The most important upper managers that you know of have most likely started at lower levels. What is the President of the United States? He is the chief executive. That means he is the top manager. He has lower management that works for him. Each Cabinet member also manages their staff as well.

Think about the people that you have voted for during the last few decades. Most of the candidates were governors, senators, and congressmen who began at lower levels of state government or even as assistants to others who worked in these offices.

The problems any business has can also crop up in government. Managers who try to bully their way through, around, or over employees seem to exist everywhere. I’ve noticed commercials on local TV for an attorney who is asking women to call her if their bosses are acting inappropriately

These are the worst cases of bad management, but there are a lot of poor managers out there in the business world. I would rather take some time to tell you what I learned from some of my best managers. Mr. Costello owned Dog N Suds on North Glenstone in the 1970s, and he taught me to treat everyone the way I wanted to be treated. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

Tom hired me as a salesman and promoted me to a store manager in three months. He then recommended me to be the assistant livestock manager at the wholesale company owned by the man who owned the pet stores. He and the livestock manager, John, then recommended me for my first purchasing position.

Gary hired me as a buyer and made me his purchasing supervisor with the intention of my taking his position when he moved from purchasing to another spot in the company. I learned from some of the best, and I have trained some of the best. Accept help and pass it on.

©Copyright 2026 by Charles Kensinger

A Positronic Christmas

December 16, 2024

For almost five years I was with Positronic Industries.  Starting as a buyer, before the first anniversary a promotion to purchasing supervisor came through. One of my favorite things about that job was the feeling of the company being a family. Not all the employees felt that way, though.

One of my favorite things was the annual Christmas party. A Hawaiian luau, a western theme, and Silver Dollar City were some of the themes and venues that we were invited to with one special person in our lives. Many of my friends from that time are no longer there.

The reason that I enjoyed working for them was the people that I worked with and for. I would have liked to have retired from that position, but the crash of 2008 meant that many of us were laid off during 2009 and following. I have learned much from that experience.

One thing is not to take anything for granted. I continued my career with two other companies after that time. I retired as a purchasing manager. My ministry continued with each of these companies. Now I hope I can share some other things I’ve learned over my fifty years in business.

Managers and supervisors often believe that their job is to tell those that report to them what they need to do. A better way is to work with the team that you lead and utilize everyone’s talents and expertise to be better at what you are tasked to do. My experience has been that ideas and concepts flow from each employee in varied ways.

I worked for one boss that seemed to be constantly in fear that others would be deemed more suitable for their position. Instead of openly utilizing each person and their abilities, they dismissed valid ideas and changes in procedures. After a few weeks these same concepts were introduced as the manager’s brainchild. By this technic, they claimed these as their own.

I’ve seen this method utilized in church and community situations as well. I believe a lack of self-esteem is at the heart of this behavior. Refusing to give credit where it is due causes some to stop sharing their thoughts. Why contribute when someone else accepts the rewards?

Criticism for the sake of attacking others is one more common occurrence. I’ve seen this from employees to management and in the converse. If we do not feel that we are respected and appreciated, we may attack someone that we see as a threat to us. This does not promote a unified front.

Have you been on the receiving end of this type of abuse? Recognizing why it is taking place can contribute to eliminating this problem. It does not usually help to accuse the offender of this practice. I have left positions on more than one occasion when the owner or manager displayed objectional behaviors or a lack of confidence in me.

I’ve mentioned many negatives and would like to leave you with the qualities of the three best bosses I have had in my life. The owner at Dog ‘N Suds, my first job, recognized the value of each of his employees. If someone had difficulties with certain tasks, they were aided in those areas. He also recognized those who simply did not try to learn, and they were allowed to find other employment.

Tom saw something in me during our interview that made him offer me a sales position in an industry that I had no experience with. After a few months, he promoted me to a store manager, recommended me for a job under another manager, and for my first purchasing position. He saw what I could be and supported my growth.

I accepted another job for a man that I openly told his boss that I would be working to move into his role. I was honest and thought later that my words were ill chosen. I have always looked for improvement in myself and others. When I join a company or organization, I endeavor to work in any capacity that I can.

I enjoy a challenge and rarely shirk added responsibilities. Gary recognized this and trained me to take his place when he had an opportunity to advance. My retiring from the workforce as a purchasing manager was a direct result of his tutelage.

Hard work, dedication to expanding your horizons, and helping others advance is what a supervisor, manager, or owner should do. I could give you more personal examples of others that have exhibited these qualities to me over the years. Take a few moments and think of others that showed you qualities that you have gained in your life.

Christmas is a time of sharing and remembrance. People have made you who you are. Some by their positive actions, while others impacted us to be different from them. I hope that I am one of the former and not the latter. Merry Christmas to you all.

©Copyright 2024 by Charles Kensinger