Tony Dieste: president & founder Dieste Harmel & Partners - My Style

Latino Leaders: The National Magazine of the Successful American Latino, Feb-March, 2003

One of the most influential Hispanics in the United States, Tony Dieste has turned marketing paradigms on their head to cater to the burgeoning Hispanic market. At the helm of Dieste Harmel & Partners, the maverick marketer has received numerous awards for his creativity and is a recognized leader in Hispanic marketing and promotion. Dieste tells us how he keeps enthusiasm levels high in the office and galvanizes the creativity and productivity needed to be one step ahead of other agencies.

Managing your people

Motivation: Stick / carrot

Delegation: Maximizing staff potential / loss of control

Office relationships: Friendship / strictly business

Promotion: Qualifications / hands-on experience

Staff evaluation: Multi-dimensional / bottomline

Problem employee: Second chance / dismiss

Express yourself

Talking to people: Telephone / email

Discussion: One-on-one / group meeting

Ideas: Memo / word of mouth

Which comes first? : Good news / bad news

Leading the way

Personal leadership style: Modest / flamboyant

Formal / informal

Values / verve

Conflict management: Confrontational / non-confrontational

Decision-making: Autocratic / democratic

Problem solving: Single solution / comprehensive strategy

The buck stops here

Mission statement: Tough / achievable

Corporate change: Fight the system / work within it

Planning focus: Long term / short term

Handling failure: Brush off / reflect on

Insights

Creative thinking: Office / down time

Sealing the deal: Boardroom / golf course

My style

PC / Mac

Belts / braces

Ballpoint / fountain pen