I love getting my hair cut. If that sounds like a stretch, let me tell you why. It is mainly because I am so impressed with the family run business where I go to get my hair cut. (Although I am also glad to have hair to be cut.) I go to:
Licatese and Sons on Market Street, York, PA.
Here is why I love this place.
They are a great family. It is obvious they enjoy one another, that they work well together and that family is the "glue" that makes this a profitable business.
They barber shop is well designed. Spacious, clean, comfortable, bright, airy.
Remember the old Cheers show with the tag line, "Where everybody knows your name..."? EVERY customer that walks in to the barber shop - is greeted by name, by at least two of the family. And when EVERY customer departs - the same. They have thousands of customers... ! Remarkable!
The way they treat their customers, it feels like a great big extended (and happy) family. Lots of friendly banter, joking around, laughing. Daniel Goleman would say this is "resonant leadership."
Oh yes - and they do a great job of cutting hair.
I started having the father - Steve, (who is younger than I am) cut my hair back in the 1970s. He did that until I moved up to New York in 1996. When I returned in 2003, I went back to Steve (now at his new location and running his own business. He had no openings, but he introduced me to one of his sons - Charlie. Charlie has been cutting my hair ever since.
This is great leadership that provides a great customer service and builds a legion of loyal fans. My father-in-law goes there, my nephew (when in the area) goes there, my son goes there, and of course I go there.
A wonderful example of leadership at the local level.
May the "tribe" of well-run, local, family businesses increase greatly in the years to come.
Brian K. Rice Leadership ConneXtions International www.lci.typepad.com
