John Sikkema, Executive Chairman of HalfTime Australia

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 5 KEYS TO TRANSFORM YOUR

BUSINESS AND LIFE

FOR BUSINESS OWNERSAND EXECUTIVES, THELINE BETWEENPERSONAL AND BUSINESSLIFE IS INEVITABLYBLURRED John Sikkema

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About John Sikkema

John is the Chairman of Halftime Australia, a values-based executive coaching organisation addressing the growing hunger and need amongst Australian business leaders and owners to pursue more than success.

John Sikkema is a business entrepreneur, author and thought leader, who is passionate about motivating leaders and organisations to discover their purpose and achieve their dreams and vision.

At 49, as CEO and largest shareholder of the financial planning group Garrisons (now called Genesys) and Funds Management company - Synergy Capital Management, John successfully sold the business to a Packer backed listed company Challenger for $40 million. He had transformed the small company he started in Tasmania into a successful franchise business with 65 offices across Australia. Yet, it was his personal transformation that remains his most satisfying and rewarding achievement.

Have the wrong people in key roles results in competing

agendas and a clash of values. Address this problem

immediately. Team players need 100% commitment to your

vision- the sooner you move the wrong people on, the

quicker you can surround yourself with Executive Team

members who will commit to, and contribute to a common,

unifying vision. Look for leaders with complimentary skills.

Few of us are blessed with the skills necessary to build a

successful business. As soon as I identified such a leader,

my business really took off.

GET YOUR

FOUNDATION

RIGHT AND BE

CLEAR ON THE

DESTINATION

1

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BE PREPARED TO

TAKE ON A

LEADERSHIP

POSITION

The greatest move you can ever make is to

step up and be "the leader." Find a mentor to

encourage and challenge you. Some of my best

mentors I've never actually met. They were

visionary leaders who shared their most

important business lessons in books on

business and leadership. 

2

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Get this right and people will want to work for you, and notleave. A colleague noticed I had a paternal attitude towardsstaff. It's true, I do treat staff like family. Many companieshowever develop values that sound meaningful, evendisplaying them in full view of customers. This is adangerous practice. Customers should be experiencingthese values rather than reading them. The most powerfulvalue I've adopted is servant leadership. The people at thetop must be prepared to serve their staff and clients. 

MAKE CULTURE ,

VALUES AND

INTEGRITY A

PRIORITY

3

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WHEN A SERVANTLEADERSHIP CULTUREIS DEVELOPED, STAFFWILL FOLLOW.   John Sikkema 

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RECOGNISE

THAT PEOPLE

ARE YOUR

BIGGEST ASSET

OR LIABILITY

4

One of the best investments is sitting down with staff for a brainstorming session. I ask them a key question- where could they add the most value going forward? Invariably, this has resulted in more passionate, loyal staff who have then achieved way beyond the original brief for my business.

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Feeling appreciated for the work they have done

Being included

Taking into account their personal situation

By applying these three simple priorities, it showed I

genuinely valued and appreciated my staff. In return

they responded by going the extra mile. 

Research indicates that the threehighest priorities for staff were:

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The final key is the most important. Many high achieverswill align their life's purpose to their careers and businessesby default. I did. The consequences can be disastrous. Myown personal brick wall resulted in debilitating migraines.My personal relationships were at breaking point. I was aworkaholic, often absent, and the recession hit my businesshard. Suddenly we were losing $30K a month. Throughsoul-searching, I had a profound spiritual experience thatprompted me to cease pursuing my own success.

ALIGN YOUR

BUSINESS TO

YOUR LIFE

PURPOSE

5

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WITH CLARITY, IDISCOVERED MY LIFE'SPURPOSE; FOCUSSINGON "HELPING OTHERSTO SUCCEED". John Sikkema

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Australia

I was no longer focussed on my business success, money or status. 

Whilst I looked the same on

the outside, in the inside I

was very different. 

I had a new 'chip' in my head. I cut my hours back from 80 hours a week to 50, and started investing in my family. I changed from a controlling management style, to a style of delegation and empowerment. My creativity and energy returned. 

Within months, we franchised four existing offices, established our own funds management company, and set a much larger vision; to create franchises across Australia's eastern seaboard. This culminated in a Packer-backed, ASX listed company buying ours. At that defining moment, my business became the fuel, enabling me to pursue a higher calling and focus on my legacy.  

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What about yours?

Ever since, my

business interests

are firmly aligned

to my life purpose.

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