Top Articles From 2023 on Effective Retail Leader
I enjoy looking back each year to see how many people viewed and read the different articles across the growing number that have been published now. I honestly cannot say I imagined that when I started Effective Retail Leader more than six years ago that I would have more than 300 articles shared and available for retail leaders to reference as needed. Likewise, I am surprised at how often I go back to my own writing for ideas and advice. So, looking back across the years to see the ones that have been most read over the past year is humbling and rewarding at the same time. I love the diversity of the different articles, there is not one subject or specific topic that stands out. This year’s list includes articles written from different years, on leadership specific subjects, on customer experience, lessons from other companies, and tips for using technology more productively.
How these articles rank each year is also an interesting learning from both what is important, but also how Google search works. Subject patterns emerge, but then as an article gains more view, it begins to create the flywheel effect of being more visible to others searching for the same subject. Some of these articles have been at the top of the list for a few years, while others really came into their own this past year.
The cool thing about this year's list, you could set aside about twenty or thirty minutes to read all of these, and come away with a diverse view on several things that impact leading a team. Plus, you can learn about some technology tools that will make you more productive as well.
1. How Chick-fil-A Creates an Outstanding Customer Experience
“My pleasure” gets a lot of coverage from different places and perspectives. Chick-fil-a certainly captures attention in many ways, but it is still nearly impossible to argue with the consistency of food quality and service across their stores. That is a tremendous statement in a fast food industry that is not well known for both. Even in a post-COVID world, CFA continues to flourish and maintain high standards everywhere. They seem to be able to buck the trends of hiring shortages, manage wage considerations effectively, and still keep a growing loyal following. They are not the cheapest fast food, and never were, and didn’t try to be. The service, though, is what allows them to continue to focus on what is most important to their customers.
2. What is Situational Leadership
This is a great topic for every leader. There is a reason this is a perennial favorite of readers. This is a topic that also requires some follow up and more coverage on in the coming year.
3. The Ritz-Carlton Approach to Customer Service: How Can You Apply Those Principles to Your Business?
This article has really taken off this year. Most weeks it is the top performer and demonstrates the importance of customer experience and learning from arguably the best in the world at it. I researched this several years back for another project at work, and it continues to fascinate me today. Ritz-Carlton continues to push forward and hold themselves to a high standard, even in a world that many look to cut corners and put expense savings ahead of experience.
4. The Risks and Downsides of Empathy as a Leader
Empathy is a great topic as well. One that you continue to hear about, but remains misunderstood for so many. I love that this particular article is the standout in the series because it dives into what many people fear about being empathetic. There can be risks of taking things too far or finding yourself in more challenging situations if you don’t fully understand how to lead with empathy, versus saying it's important.
5. Tech Tip — Notability — A Great Application for Taking Notes on the Go
Notability has continued to evolve over the years and remains a leading productivity tool for iPad and iPhone users. While I have chosen to use GoodNotes as my handwritten notetaker of choice, this is still an excellent tool and one that I will be sharing some updates on later this year and comparing the two. The fact that this article continues to be a top ten article well after it was written shows the popularity of the app and the topic.
6. Why is Influence Important as a Leader?
Influence is a topic that continues to be highly requested and mentioned as something people are eager to learn more about. The funny thing is, most people likely do a lot more of it (influencing) than they realize. Occupying the number six and eight spots shows the eagerness on the topic.
7. A Full Look at Store Visits and How You Can Positively Impact Your Store Before and After
It is fun to see this article as well as number nine on this list. I love that two articles about preparing and leading through store visits as well as building an action plan made this list. Those are so core to being a successful leader, yet they are often overlooked and underappreciated. These are two topics I will plan to write more about in the year ahead.
8. 4 Types of Influence Leaders Use to Make a Difference
The second of the two articles on influence has been a top article for a few years now. It is an interesting topic for sure, and one that will be revisited this coming year. With two spots in the top ten and a couple of other articles on the topic in the top twenty-five, the desire to learn more remains high.
9. Writing an Effective Action Plan to Deliver Results for Your Store
See the note above from number seven. This one is special on its own because I truly believe that action planning is under-utilized and misunderstood. It is often considered a task and a way to ‘get off a list’. When, in reality, you should have an action plan for anything that is critical in your store or district that you want to make better. Action plans don’t have to be fancy or lengthy, just written in a way that defines what you intend to accomplish and some next steps you aim to take to get there. It can be that simple.
10. Tech Tip – Apple’s New Freeform App
Apple has continued to develop this application since I first wrote this article. It will be worth a revisit this year, both in how I use it and sharing some further insights and updates.
As we begin a brand new year, the canvas is clear for selecting topics and ideas. I love having this past insight to help guide what matters most to you the readers. I plan to dive deeper into several topics and continue to share series of articles on important topics like influence, empathy, and self-care. There are a host of applications that have been updated over the past few years that lead themselves to updates, as well as some others that look interesting and warrant further investigation. Again, a big thank you to all of you for continuing to visit the site, read the articles, and work towards being the leader you know you can be, and one others choose to follow. Cheers to a growth oriented year ahead.
What was your favorite Effective Retail Leader article from last year?
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