PRESIDENT’S VIEW
Control Your Own Destiny in 2023 BY ROBERT ANDERS
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Robert Anders is GAWDA’s 2023 President as well as President and CEO of Holston Gases. He can be reached at 865-573-1917 as well as robert.anders@ holstongases.com
6 • First Quarter 2023
s we head into 2023, we are bombarded daily with economic forecasts ranging from slow growth to financial Armageddon. We have “experts” drowning us with statistics and metrics that the average business person really doesn’t understand – I know that my eyes gloss over after the first few graphs. Most of the time, they are esoteric, confusing, and overly broad. More importantly, no national statistic or metric can accurately reflect what YOUR financial future looks like – that outcome depends primarily on you and your actions. Post-COVID, the majority of GAWDA members that I have talked to have been performing very well financially, in spite of the constant drumbeat of negativity coming from the “experts.” Most everyone commented that they could actually expand if they could get more people, supplies, and services – yet the rising tide didn’t float all boats. I talked to companies in our industry that were struggling and were looking for an exit strategy. Why were some companies – in the same geographic area – booming, while others struggling financially? Did the challenges of the post-COVID era (inflation, supply chain struggles, worker shortages) just affect these unfortunate folks or was it their decisions over time that determined their situation? We have more than 350 GAWDA member companies that have been in business for over 25 years representing all sizes and geographic segments of our industry. During that time, we
have had four “official” recessions and several economic slowdowns. When the rest of the country was losing their “financial minds” how did they weather the storm and come out stronger on the other side? They adjusted as needed but never changed the focus they had on THEIR customers and THEIR employees. They kept it LOCAL. What if we have a slowdown or even a full blown recession in 2023? Does that necessarily mean that you are headed for hard times? I am reminded of Warren Buffets’ quote, “Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked.” Are you naked, wearing a speedo, or do you have on one of those bathing suits from the early 1900’s that has belts and suspenders? How you handle economic adversity is based more on your culture, discipline, and focus than the outside headwinds you face. Leadership is needed more now than ever. You need to be the calm, confident voice that your people hear, not the talking heads that have no skin in YOUR game. The top performing companies adapt to the ever-changing business landscape without forfeiting their culture or deviating from their long-term financial goals. Stay focused on YOUR PEOPLE, YOUR CUSTOMERS, and YOUR LOCAL MARKET and you will be able to navigate whatever business environment you are faced with. Finally, don’t allow the financial prognosticators to overly influence your decision making process – listen to their advice but control your own destiny day by day.
