​As a leader in your organization, you're constantly making tough decisions and rallying people to work together toward a common vision. In this session, Mark Nussbaum, Chief Operating Officer at Signature Consultants, will discuss how employees' and leaders' beliefs affect their consumption of information and ultimately their choices. Mark will also discuss how beliefs form and evolve and why you, as a leader, must choose wisely in order to move your organization forward. Finally, Mark will present a case study on Signature's unique culture and how the role of belief played an integral role in shaping the company's vision.

1. Perception and Reality: A Study in How
Leadership Beliefs Impact Decision Making and
Enterprise Performance
Mark Nussbaum, Chief Operating Officer & Chief Legal Officer
Signature Consultants, LLC
mnussbaum@sigconsult.com

2. • IT staffing
• Revenue in excess of $320,000,000
• 20+ cities
• Organically-grown values/beliefs-based
Signature

3. Beliefs
• The state of mind in which a person thinks
something to be the case. Not a fact.
• Perception filter of information
• Choice/conscious living

4. The Cave
• Uneducated is as if you are chained to the wall
– People will mistake appearance for reality
• Beliefs are changeable
• Expose, experience, educate
• Pursue knowledge with courage and persistence to
get a closer understanding of reality
• See the data (DaBa)

5. Examples at Signature
• Belief 1: Hire experienced and enculturate
– Data showed a misalignment
– Belief became outmoded
– Chose new belief
• Hire and train
• Collect new data
– 25% annual growth size shift
• Belief 2: Relationships matter
– Data showed a misalignment
– Behaviors NOT in accordance with belief
– Pushed desired behavior
• Watch new data
• Glassdoor
• BPTW

6. Culture
• Collective belief system
– Core values
– BHAG
– Brand

7. Beliefs Matter
(Recap)
• Beliefs matter / they are perception filters
• Beliefs are a choice
• Beliefs evolve (learning)
• Company culture – collective belief system
• Choose carefully