Hugh Culver is the founder of “getSOS,” a social media promotion service for bloggers and BOSS speaker training school. We sat down with Hugh to hear his advice about leadership, public speaking, and productivity.

You’ve amassed a diverse collection of life experiences

Tell us about your accomplishments and how they’ve helped you in your current occupation

I was fortunate enough at a young age to help grow some businesses to success and to finally sell them. Dealing with suppliers, major assets purchased (one year I purchased two airplanes) and staff taught me the fundamentals of leadership I still rely on today. Entering into new business niches was both exciting and rewarding. Once I got the taste for fast growth in a business, I’ve been restless to find it again and again.

What are some of the most common mistakes that today’s public speakers make?

Public speakers and seminar leaders have to be quick on their feet, enthusiastic, and creative. Unfortunately, those are not the skills we need for day-to-day business building. The biggest mistake is not making goals that include non-speaking revenues.

Finish this sentence: “If there was one tip I could give you on how to make your speech memorable, it would be…”

To connect with your audience by sharing how you have been in their shoes and found a way to do what they struggle with better.

Everyone wants to improve their productivity, but do many people approach this challenge the wrong way?

Productivity is all about doing the right stuff at the right time. To boost productivity, most people need to work fewer hours but in a more concentrated effort. This means batching emails, putting meetings on one day, staying off the internet, and working from mini-goals.

How can a leader leverage social media to achieve his or her goals?

Most leaders can benefit from having an online platform beyond a LinkedIn profile. This could be for future job searches or launching their memoirs.

Inevitably, leaders are going to deal with conflict. What are some strategies to handle conflict effectively?

Conflict is a good thing for strengthening a relationship. The best approach is to reposition the “conflict” in terms of the behavior (not your judgement of the person) that didn’t meet your expectations. That behavior should be the only thing discussed in the meeting.

You point out that great leaders aren’t born, but instead learn the necessary skills to lead others

What are some of the most important traits of a business leader?

I would include: forgiveness, resilience, non-judgemental listening, and a sense of humor (because it’s all going to fall apart one day).

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