Thank you to the 1,400 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 questions!
I hope reading
helps you in your leadership.
Cheers,
Jonno White
7 Questions with Tony Gutierrez
7 Questions with Tony Gutierrez
Name: Tony Gutierrez
Current title: Co-Founder / COO
Current organisation: Global Protection Gateway
A Proud father & highly competent and Entrepreneurial Sales & Marketing professional with a proven background in Lead generation, Direct Sales, Personal Development, Hi-Level Negotiation, Relationship building, Account Management, Direct Sales & Marketing.
A Certified Master NLP Practitioner trained by Dr Richard Bandler. who is a goal driven problem solver who creates opportunities that often don't exist. A people person and expert communicator, Multi-lingual to international business standards.
For the last year Tony has been 100% Focused on the PPE market. Running the day to day sales operation for Global Protection Gateway and currently setting the trend on how things are done ethically in a dark marketplace. Tony has clear and uninterrupted vision of becoming market leader and a one stop shop for PPE supplies globally.
1. What have you found most challenging as a leader of a small or medium enterprise?
Certainly for me, the thing i find most challenging is finding enough time to spend with my team. This has a lot to do with the current market place we work in. I simply do not have enough hours in the day!
2. How did you become a leader of an SME? Can you please briefly tell the story?
I have actually been a leader for as long as i can remember having owned or been a partner in various businesses etc. But a good story to tell would probably the most recent as its the most relevant.
Before the COVID19 Pandemic struck and if i go back just the right amount of time, life was very sweet, i was making plans for the future. A new idea, a new business, a new life, this plan started to deteriorate very quickly and it happened. Covid 19 Pandemic was here bringing the world to its knees including my plans...
I reconnected with an old friend and now my business partner and we decided to create a company that would do some good in a time of need and crisis, so we entered into the world of PPE Procurement and Distribution.
We quickly established ourselves as major players by creating a team of world class professionals with over 30 years’ experience in global trade, procurement and distribution. Each one of our team has the highest personal and professional standards.
We have come together in mankind’s greatest hour of need, using robust networks established over decades of professional business development and networking we have created a gateway to a safer world!
3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?
I Don't ! ... Not because i don't want too, or think i shouldn't do, its just because right now i am working 16 plus ours a day and its impossible to plan much when you work flat out these hours. i literally went to bed at 5.30 this morning and i was up at 8 working and have only stopped to answer these questions...
Ok its not true that i have no structure, we have implemented a top tier CRM system and have the benefit of having a very talented CTO on board so i guess the CRM with its zoom and calendar capabilities and being able to have everything on my laptop, phone iPad and Mac gives me all the structure i need
4. What's the most recent significant leadership lesson you've learned?
The most significant lesson i learnt from one of my leaders in life was to find out what people are good and get them working doing exactly that. Its up to us as Leaders to inspire our people to think creatively and to want to be the best!
Its easy to have a boss but a leaders is the one who will make them shot for the stars and reach their goals !
A true leader brings out the best in people.
5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?
Well in the spirit of 7 questions. i would have to say Stephen R. Covey’s book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People!
Its more than a book for me it became a Manual of habits which have made me who i am.
Ill give and example of one of the habits, if you want to know the rest, i suggest buying the book!
Habit 1: Be Proactive
Achieve extraordinary results by consistently executing their R & I (resourcefulness and initiative) to break through barriers.
Habit 2: Begin With the End in Mind
Habit 3: Put First Things First
Habit 4: Think Win-Win
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
Habit 6: SynergizeHabit
7: Sharpen the Saw
6. How do you build leadership capacity in an SME?
I like to get people to realise that their dreams are achievable and they really can reach their goals and a good way to to that is in a team. Together we are always stronger!
I like them to feel they are onboard a Super Spaceship we have built together and we are all on a journey together each playing a crucial role on the ship.
The dreams are what we are aiming for but i like them to see just how beautiful the journey can be too, and not to miss the moment.
7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a leader of an SME so far?
There are so many stories i love to tell, and also believe the best story is yet to come, but for the sake of this interview I think i has to be the story of when my partner and i realised we had to make a drastic decision and change in direction of our company.
This change meant we would lose our identity and brand we had spent months building, our entire product range, some staff, marketing, and so much more all for the chance to do things our way.
We made the call that afternoon, and had a zoom to inform the staff what we were about to do and ill never forget the overwhelming sense of loyalty and love we received on that zoom, which motivated us to go full steam ahead. i will never forget than moment. My partner and I worked literally overnight all night and built a new brand a new website, new contracts, admin, IT emails everything we had even secured a product line so our staff could hit the ground working the next day.
I remember sending a message on the Friday at the end of the first week. It was a very very proud moment