SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF

“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together."  --  Vincent Van Gogh An ancient proverb instructs, "He who is faithful in the little things, to him will be given more."  Or, as Albert Einstein paraphrased, "Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted in important matters." John Wooden, college basketball's legendary head coach with the most winning record in all sports history advises: "Don't look for the big, quick improvement.  Seek the small improvement one day at a time.  That's the only way it happens -- and when it happens it lasts." The Bottom Line: Leaders understand the importance of "little things" and seek small, incremental gains that add up to lasting greatness.

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ROPED TOGETHER

“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision....It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results." -- Andrew Carnegie Erik Weihenmayer is the only blind man in history to reach the summit of Mount Everest.  Reflecting on that experience Erik writes, "In an environment riddled with pitfalls, roping up with good people is the best chance we have....You know if you fall, someone will stop you.  If someone else falls, you stop them; it's just automatic.  People might have different responsibilities, different goals, even motives, but you link together behind one vision.  The scope and power of that kind of team is unstoppable." The Bottom Line: Leaders build teams that are "roped together" and working toward a common vision to attain uncommon results.

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KNOWING WHAT COUNTS

“Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." -- Albert Einstein Peter Drucker observes, "Few executives yet know how to ask: what information do I need to do my job?  When do I need it?  In what form?  And from whom should I be getting it?" Billionaire Paul Allen, who co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates writes: "For me, goals and daily metrics are the key to keeping me focused.  If I don't have access to the right stats, every day, it is so easy for me to move on mentally to the next thing.  But if I have quick access to key metrics every day, my creativity stays within certain bounds -- my ideas all center on how to achieve our goals." The Bottom Line: Leaders identify and track success measures and consistently focus on achieving specific goals.

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GENEROUS GIVING

“To do more for the world than the world does for you -- that is success." Henry Ford In this season of giving, we should take note of Winston Churchill's admonition: "We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give."  Ken Blanchard, author of The One Minute Manager advises, "The best minute you spend is the one you invest in people." The Bottom Line: Leaders are generous givers and know the most valuable gift they can give is themselves.

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SUCCESS FROM FAILURE

“I've often felt there might be more to be gained by studying business failures than business successes." -- Warren Buffett Steve Jobs, who Fortune just named top CEO of the last decade, has described how "fortunate" he was to experience three traumatic set backs which all contributed to his stellar success -- dropping out of college, his public firing from Apple (which he founded) in the 1980's, and his struggle with cancer. Soichiro Honda, founder of Honda Motor Co, writes, "To me success can only be achieved through repeated failure and introspection.  In fact, success represents the one percent of your work that results from the ninety-nine percent that is called failure." The Bottom Line: Leaders don't 'waste failure' -- they learn from it, rise above it and try again.

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SERVANT LEADERSHIP

“Leaders we admire do not place themselves at the center; they place others there.  They do not seek the attention of people; they give it to others." -- James Kouzes and Barry Posner Leadership gurus Kouzes and Posner add, "They (leaders) do not focus on satisfying their own aims and desires; they look for ways to respond to the needs and interests of others.  Being a servant may not be what many leaders had in mind when they chose to take the responsibility of their organization, but serving others is the most glorious and rewarding of all leadership tasks." Author Max de Pree writes, "The first responsibility of the leader is to define reality, the last is to say 'Thank you', and in between the leader is a servant." The Bottom Line: Leaders understand that as they strategically serve their people, their people will accept their leadership and empower them to lead.

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THE BEST LEADERS

“Self-praise is for losers.  Be a winner.  Stand for something.  Always have class, and be humble." -- John Madden Jim Collins writes in his new book, How the Mighty Fall: "The best leaders we've studied had a peculiar genius for seeing themselves as not all that important, recognizing the need to build an executive team and to craft a culture based on core values that do not depend upon a single heroic leader." For some of us, it is time to resign from our assumed role of 'Chancellor of the Universe.'  Norman Vincent Peale put it this way: "Drop the idea that you are Atlas carrying the world on your shoulders.  The world would go on even without you.  Don't take yourself so seriously." The Bottom Line: Leaders are humble -- more concerned about building the team than exalting self.

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LEADING INTO DANGER

“Today is your day!  Your mountain is waiting.  So...get on your way!" -- Dr. Seuss Harvard leadership guru John Kotter writes, "Great leadership does not mean running away from reality.  Sometimes the hard truths might just demoralize the company, but at other times sharing difficulties can inspire people to take action that will make the situation better." Sir Ernest Shackelton ran an advertisement in "The London Times" in 1907 looking for people to accompany him on an expedition to the South Pole which read, "WANTED: People to undertake hazardous journey; small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful, honor and recognition in case of success."  No one expected that Shackelton would get takers, but he was swamped with replies. The Bottom Line: Leaders know how to filter challenges, at times sheltering people from those truths but at other times using the cold hard facts to inspire commitment.

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MANAGING EXPECTATIONS

“Never try to impress a woman, because if you do she'll expect you to keep up the standard for the rest of your life."  --  W.C. Fields Mr. Fields may have overstated his point; but, he hits on a big idea that Ken Blanchard unpacks in Raving Fans: "Exceeding expectations is important but it's even more important to consistently meet expectations.  Meet first.  Exceed second.  It should be tattooed on the inside eyelids of every manager.  The worst thing you can do is meet expectations one time, fall short another, and exceed now and then."  Mr. Blanchard explains the way to ensure consistency is to have systems and a training program to inculcate these systems into the organization.  The Bottom Line: Leaders strive for consistency in meeting customer expectations and achieve this with well conceived systems and training.

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THINK 'TEAM'

“The people who are doing the work are the moving force behind the Macintosh."  --  Steve Jobs According to Jack Welch, "Leaders establish trust by giving credit where credit is due.  They never score off their own people by stealing an idea and claiming it as their own." Peter Drucker writes, "The leaders who work most effectively never say 'I.'  And that's not because they have trained themselves not to say 'I.'  They don't think 'I.'  They think 'we'; they think 'team.'  They understand their job to be to make the team function.  They accept responsibility and don't sidestep it, but 'we' gets the credit.  This is what creates trust, what enables you to get the task done." The Bottom Line: Leaders give credit to their team, knowing that will build trust and motivate their people to even greater accomplishments.

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THINK AND RETHINK

“A bookstore is one of the only pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking."  --  Jerry Seinfeld Henry Ford believed, "Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it."  Martin Luther King agreed saying, "Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking.  There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions.  Nothing pains some people more than having to think." This resistance to thinking is a major reason why many organizations go out of effectiveness.  Bill Gates understands this writing, "The complacent company is a dead company.  Success today requires the agility and drive to constantly rethink, reinvigorate, react, and reinvent." The Bottom Line: Leaders do the hard work of thinking, realizing the constant need to rethink and reinvent to survive and stay out front.

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WAR FOOTING

"The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity.  The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."  --  Winston Churchill Vice Admiral James Stockdale was a prisoner of war in Vietnam for seven years.  When asked by author, Jim Collins, how he survived, he described balancing hope and realism.  Collins summarizes the concept that has become known as "The Stockdale Paradox": Retain absolute faith that you can and will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties AND confront the most brutal facts of your current reality whatever they may be.  Stockdale said that the optimists didn't survive capture because they told themselves that release was right around the corner and they died of a broken heart. The Bottom Line: Leaders get on a war footing, tempering optimism with the brutal reality of their situation.

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CRITIC vs COACH

“Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." -- Benjamin Franklin Author Dave DeWitt writes about leaders who are critics vs coaches.  A critic thinks about exposing problems, a coach thinks about attending to problems.  A critic tries to impress people, a coach tries to impact people.  A critic is issue-oriented, a coach is people-oriented.  A critic sees problem people as a hassle, a coach sees problem people as a challenge.  A critic makes problems a wall between himself and others, a coach makes problems a wall to climb with others from the same side. The Bottom Line: Leaders are people-oriented and work alongside others as a problem solver and a change agent.

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MAXIMIZING POTENTIAL

"Give me a stock clerk with a goal and I'll give you a man who will make history.  Give me a man with no goals and I'll give you a stock clerk." -- J.C. Penney Greek philosopher Plato underscored the importance of goal setting when he said, "The beginning is the most important part of any work." Master sales trainer Zig Ziglar believes, "Unless you have definite, precise, clearly set goals, you are not going to realize the maximum potential that lies within you."  He adds, "When you set goals, something inside of you starts saying, "Let's go, let's go," and ceilings start to move up."  The Bottom Line:  Leaders use the discipline of effective goal setting to get focused, motivate themselves and maximize their potential.

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R&R

“For fast-acting relief, try slowing down."  --  Lily Tomlin Fifteenth Century inventor/genius, Leonardo Da Vinci advised, "Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer.  Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance."  American Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin was another advocate of 'R&R' writing, "He that can take rest is greater than he that can take cities." The Bottom Line:  Leaders take time away to rest, knowing they will return refreshed and more capable to deal with the challenges at hand.

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COURAGE AND RISK

“The man who goes furthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare."  --  Dale Carnegie Herb Kelleher, Southwest Airlines Founder and former CEO and Chairman, built a company consistently named among the top five "Most Admired Corporations in America" in Fortune magazine's annual poll.  Fortune has also called him "Perhaps the best CEO in America." Reflecting on the start-up, Mr. Kelleher writes, "Everybody in Texas would tell me they thought I was nuts trying to start Southwest Airlines.  There probably weren't 10 people in the state who would have given a plug nickel for our chances of making a dollar.  So sometimes, you need a little courage, just to buck popular opinion." The Bottom Line: Leaders have courage to take risk that at times defies 'conventional wisdom'.

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THE CONFLICT ENGINE

“Conflict lies at the core of innovation." -- Emanuel R. Piore Harvard leadership guru Ronald Heifetz writes, "Successful leaders manage conflict; they don't shy away from it or suppress it but see it as an engine of creativity and innovation.  Some of the most creative ideas come out of people in conflict remaining in conversation with one another rather than flying into their own corners or staking out entrenched positions." The Bottom Line: Leaders do not avoid conflict -- they embrace it as a potential catalyst for new ideas and innovation.

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THE KEY TO SUCCESS

“Victory belongs to the most persevering." -- Napolean Bonaparte American industrialist John D. Rockefeller Sr., often regarded as the richest person in history observed, "I do not think that there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance.  It overcomes almost everything, even nature." Walt Disney writes, "All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me....You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you." The Bottom Line: Leaders understand the value of adversity and see it as an opportunity to persevere, learn and grow in character.

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MONEY FOLLOWS VISION

“Capital isn't scarce; vision is." -- Sam Walton Google co-founder Larry Page articulates a clear and compelling vision for his company: "Basically, our goal is to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful." An effective vision simply communicates a desirable future that is a stretch but is also achievable.  Michael Phelps went to Beijing with a vision of attaining something never done before -- winning eight gold medals in the Olympics. The Bottom Line: Leaders invest the time required to develop a clear and compelling vision of the future.

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HIGH PERFORMANCE TEAMS

"Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships." --  Michael Jordan Casey Stengel, the only person to manage a baseball team to five consecutive World Series championships explained, "It's easy to get good players.  Getting them to play together, that's the hard part." Team building gurus Jon Katzenbach and Douglas Smith have identified the critical factor in the team formation process: "Within teams, there is nothing more important than each team member's commitment to a common purpose and set of related performance goals for which the group holds itself jointly accountable." The Bottom Line: Leaders achieve extraordinary results by strategically building high performance teams.

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LEADERS CREATE LEADERS

“Leaders don't create followers; they create more leaders." -- Tom Peters Howard Schultz, Starbucks founder and CEO explains, "You can't keep your finger on the pulse of all the issues you'll face; no one person can do everything. You need the self-esteem to hire people who are smarter than you and give them the autonomy to manage their own areas. Surround yourself with great people and get out of the way; don't try to micromanage things as you did early on." The E-Myth author Michael Gerber writes, "If they don't fail outright, most businesses fail to fully achieve their potential.  That's because the person who owns the business doesn't truly know how to build a company that works without him or her...which is the key." The Bottom Line: Leaders multiply their leadership capacity by empowering other highly skilled people to lead in their area of expertise.

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PASSION AND PERFORMANCE

“When I started out, I'd drive 100 miles to do my act for free." -- Jim Carrey On his founding of Ebay, Pierre Omidyar comments, "I was just pursuing what I enjoyed doing.  I mean, I was pursuing my passion.  If you're passionate about something and you work hard, then I think you will be successful." Good to Great author, Jim Collins writes, "The kind of commitment I find among the best performers across virtually every field is a single-minded passion for what they do, an unwavering desire for excellence in the way they think and the way they work." The Bottom Line: Leaders pursue their passion and combine it with hard work to become top performers.

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PRIORITY 1 -- INTEGRITY

“Honor is better than honors."  --  Abraham Lincoln After surveying thousands of people around the world, authors James Kouzes and Barry Posner identified those characteristics most desired by people in a leader.  In virtually every survey, honesty or integrity was identified more frequently than any other trait. Warren Buffet, now the wealthiest man in the world with an estimated net worth of $62 billion, places very high priority on integrity.  He says, "I look for three things in hiring people.  The first is personal integrity, the second is intelligence, and the third is a high energy level.  But, if you don't have the first, the other two will kill you." The Bottom Line: Leaders give their word and keep it and place a high value on the integrity of those people around them.

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UNLEASHING CREATIVITY

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower." Stephen Jobs According to the innovative founder of Sony, Akio Morita, "The key factor in industry is creativity." To access greater creativity, consider the counsel of the most renowned artists.  Michelangelo, on the creation of 'David' said, "The idea is locked up inside.  All you have to do is remove the excess stone."  Vincent Van Gogh observed, "If you hear a voice within you say, 'You cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced."  Pablo Picasso declared, "I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it." The Bottom Line: Leaders unleash creativity by searching out new ideas, facing fears and attempting the impossible.

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QUALITY OBSESSION

“I consider a bad bottle of Heineken to be a personal insult to me."  --  Freddy Heineken, founder of Dutch beer giant A key to creating a strong brand is an obsession with delivering a quality product.  Milton Hershey, founder of Hershey Chocolate said, "Give them quality.  That's the best kind of advertising in the world." Howard Schultz, founder and CEO of Starbucks writes, "The taste of our coffee has created such a quality experience that we've been able to convince people over the last 20 years that it's still a very good value even though it's more expensive than traditional coffee you can find at a diner." The Bottom Line: Leaders consistently deliver a quality product knowing that higher quality creates higher value which in turn influences sales.

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SHARED GOALS

“We're all working together; that's the secret." -- Sam Walton Research shows a strong correlation between a company's financial performance and an effective goal setting process.  Companies that more closely align their goals across the organization enjoy much higher levels of financial success. Duke basketball's "Coach K" (12-time National Coach of the Year) writes, "Goals are important in leadership.  They should be realistic, they should be attainable, and they should be shared among all members of the team.  Some people use the term "common" goals.  But I prefer the word "shared" because it's uncommon to have shared goals." The Bottom Line: Leaders use effective, shared goal setting practices to propel forward their team and organization.

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CUSTOMERS FIRST

“We see our customers as invited guests to a party, and we are the hosts.  It's our job every day to make every important aspect of the customer experience a little bit better."  --  Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com founder Entrepreneurs Chad Hurley and Steve Chen, founders of YouTube, built the business on a breakthrough observation about their customers: "What our users want to watch is themselves.  They don't want to watch professionally produced content." Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer, writes: "Unless we're in touch with our customers, our model of the world can diverge from reality.  There's no substitute for innovation, of course, but innovation is no substitute for being in touch, either." The Bottom Line: Leaders put their customers first, take time to understand their customers' needs and design their products accordingly.

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LISTEN UP!

“If there is any great secret in life, it lies in the ability to put yourself in the other person's place and to see things from his point of view - as well as your own." --  Henry Ford Stephen Covey writes, "The single most important principle in interpersonal relations is, seek first to understand, then to be understood."  He explains that most people fail at this discipline because they do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply. Craig Newmark, founder of the popular website Craigslist, has had great success with this principle.  Speaking about his website, Craig admits, "There's no genius behind it.  It's persistence and listening to people." The Bottom Line: Leaders listen with the intention to understand and this results in greater effectiveness with people and in business.

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IRON SHARPENS IRON

"The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him." -- Machiavelli David Ogilvy, once known as "the creative king of the advertising world" wrote, If you ever find a man who is better than you are -- hire him. If necessary, pay him more than you pay yourself. Look for people who will aim for the remarkable, who will not settle for the routine." Warren Buffet understands the principle that 'iron sharpens iron' and advises, "It's better to hang out with people better than you...pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours and you'll drift in that direction." The Bottom Line: Leaders surround themselves with intelligent, talented people who help keep them on the cutting edge.

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TRUST AND PROSPERITY

“Transcendent values like trust and integrity literally translate into revenue, profits and prosperity." -- Patricia Aburdene, Megatrends 2010 Columbia Business School Professor John Whitney claims, "Mistrust doubles the cost of doing business."  On the other hand, when trust increases, everything moves faster thus saving time and money.  The value of building trust exceeds the financial benefits.  Business authors Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner conclude, "Trust is the most significant predictor of individuals' satisfaction within their organization." The Bottom Line: Leaders place a high value on building trust and reap the financial and relational benefits.

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99% PERSPIRATION

"If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful after all." -- Michaelangelo It's been said, the only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary. Inventor and businessman, Thomas Edison, who frequently worked more than forty hours straight wrote, "Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration." Tiger Woods, on track to become the greatest golfer of all time commented, "I've busted my butt on the range for hours on end and made changes to get to this point where I'm able to compete at the highest level in major championships." The Bottom Line: Leaders combine their talents with old-fashioned hard work to excel in their profession.

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LEADERSHIP VS MANAGEMENT

"Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall." -- Stephen R. Covey Leadership guru, Warren Bennis, offers an insightful differentiation between leadership and management: "The leader innovates; the manager administrates. The leader focuses on people; the manager focuses on systems and structure. The leader inspires; the manager controls. The leader sees the long-term; the manager sees the short-term. The leader asks what and why? The manager asks how and when?" The Bottom Line: Leadership and management require opposing skill sets and organizations need both to flourish.

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BREVITY

“I'm sorry I didn't have time to write you a short letter, so I wrote you a long one."  --  Abraham Lincoln Visionworks agrees with the high value President Lincoln placed on well thought out, concise communication.  "Insight for Leaders" was conceived in this spirit of brevity and has now been read by leaders around the world for over two years.  The response has been so positive that an archive file has been created where you can access all back issues and others can register for a free subscription (click on www.visionworksconsulting.com/about.cfm).

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THE GENIUS OF QUESTIONS

"The important thing is not to stop questioning." -- Albert Einstein Legendary strategist Peter Drucker once shared the secret to his consulting genius saying, "My greatest strength as a consultant is to be ignorant and ask a few questions." Jim Collins writes, "Leading from good to great means having the humility to grasp the fact that you do not yet understand enough to have the answers and then to ask the questions that will lead to the best possible insights." The Bottom Line: Leaders humbly ask questions that provide them the critical insights needed to lead.

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CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT

"To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often." -- Winston Churchill According to Tom Peters in his #1 best seller, In Search of Excellence, "Excellent firms don't believe in excellence -- only in constant improvement and constant change." Even when change is in our best interest our inclination is to resist. The reality of change is that we must reform our habits, reshape our values, alter our relationships, or adopt new responsibilities. For most people, that is too much work -- for those in search of excellence, it is a requirement. The Bottom Line: Leaders challenge the status quo and embrace change with the goal of constant improvement and excellence.

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GROWING OTHERS

“Before you become a leader success is all about growing yourself.  Once you become a leader success is all about growing others."  -- Jack Welch Two American business icons agree on the importance of growing others.  Ray Kroc said, "The more I help others to succeed, the more I succeed."  Sam Walton: "Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel.  If people believe in themselves, it's amazing what they can accomplish." Robert Woodruff, the primary builder of the Coca-Cola global soft drink empire for six decades in the 20th century was know for a plaque on his desk that read, "There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn't mind who gets the credit." The Bottom Line: Leaders intentionally grow their people and readily share credit for success with others.

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SELECTION

“You succeed or fail as a leader depending on the quality of the people you are able to attract and retain."  --  Larry Bossidy Jim Collins writes in Good to Great, “No company can grow revenues consistently faster than its ability to get enough of the right people to implement that growth and still become a great company.”    We all want the right people in the right seats on the bus; but, what do you look for when hiring?  General Colin Powell explains, “You can train a bright, willing novice in the fundamentals of your business fairly readily, but it’s a lot harder to train someone to have integrity, judgment, energy, balance and the drive to get things done.”   The Bottom Line:   Leaders know that people are vital to their success and the critical qualities to identify in the selection process.

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THE WILL TO PREPARE

"The will to win is important but the will to prepare is vital."-- Joe Patterno A football team would not think of taking the field without first reviewing their game plan. Yet people and organizations routinely “hit the field” with no goals or plan.    Preparation becomes even more essential when coordinating multiple people.  Walt Disney understood this and disclosed, "Of all the things I've done, the most vital is coordinating the people who work with me and aiming their views at a certain goal."   The Bottom Line: Leaders prepare their teams by clarifying plans and targeting well-defined, shared goals.

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ACTION!!!

“Success seems to be connected with action.  Successful people keep moving.  They make mistakes, but they don't quit."  --  Conrad Hilton, Hilton Hotels Atari founder Nolan Bushnell said, "Everyone who's ever taken a shower has an idea. It's the person who gets out of the shower, dries off and does something about it who makes a difference."   Andrew Carnegie was this type of man -- he was known for building one of the most powerful corporations in history, and then later in life, giving away most of his riches to others.  Reflecting on life, Mr. Carnegie wrote: “As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say.  I just watch what they do.”   The Bottom Line: Leaders are action oriented, knowing that ideas and talk without action are meaningless.

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LEADERSHIP AND CHARACTER

“Leadership is a combination of strategy and character.  If you must be without one, be without strategy."  --  General Norman Schwarkopf   Webster defines character as, “Qualities of honesty, courage and integrity.”  Character is revealed behind closed doors when no one is watching -- it's the real you.  That’s why President Teddy Roosevelt said, “Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor in the life of an individual and of nations alike.”    Leadership guru, Professor Warren Bennis writes, “Successful leadership is not about being tough or soft, assertive or sensitive.  It is about having a particular set of attributes which all leaders, male or female, seem to share.  And chief among these attributes is character.”   The Bottom Line: Leaders know that character is the all important quality that will make or break them and the people around them.

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STRATEGOS

"Good strategy involves the clear-headed thinking about the intersection of three critical ideas: what makes money, what we are good at and what we stand for." -- Jim Collins, Good to Great Jim Collins explains that as you discover these three critical ideas, it will bring an elegant simplicity to your thinking that brings clarity out of complexity and facilitates excellent decision making. These are some of the many benefits of good strategy. The word "strategy" derives from the Greek word strategos, which refers to a military commander leading his men forward in a planned and coordinated way. Strategos conjures up the image of a general in the war room surrounded by his top officers, looking at the battlefield and mapping out their plan for victory. The Bottom Line: Leaders take the time to discover good strategy knowing it is critical to advancing their organization at the correct pace toward a meaningful vision with an integrated plan.

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PERSEVERANCE

“Get a good idea and stay with it.  Dog it, and work it until it's done and done right."  --  Walt Disney A Yale management professor returned Fred Smith’s paper in which he proposed a reliable overnight delivery system commenting, “The concept is interesting and well-informed, but in order to earn better than a ‘C’, the idea must be feasible.”  Despite this discouraging feedback, Fred doggedly pursued his business concept -- today known as FedEx. People are surprised to hear Albert Einstein’s confession: “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”  Even geniuses have to persevere.   The Bottom Line: Leaders find good ideas and persevere in their labor to overcome obstacles and realize their vision.

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STRATEGIC LEARNING

“Learning is not compulsory...neither is survival." -- Dr. Edward Deming CEO Jack Welch put a high premium on learning in his tenure at GE, observing, “An organization’s ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage.”    Ironically, some of your most strategic learning can be found with the people you least want to engage -- your unsatisfied customers. According to Bill Gates, “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.”    The Bottom Line:  Leaders develop learning cultures, addressing the hard issues and then taking action to create greater advantage.

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DREAM OR VISION?

“Vision without action is merely a dream.  Action without vision just passes the time.  Vision with action can change the world."  -- Joel Barker Action differentiates a dream from a vision.  Stephen Case, co-founder of AOL, understood this saying, “A vision without the ability to execute it is a hallucination.”  Jack Welch writes, “Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.”    For those who struggle with “the vision thing”, take heart.  Speaking of Wal-Mart, Sam Walton admitted, “I had no vision of what I would start.”  While Sam may not have foreseen the fullness of what he would create, you can be sure he had just enough vision and excelled in execution -- and he changed the world.   The Bottom Line: Leaders understand that vision must be accompanied by execution and invent the future by emphasizing both.

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INNOVATE OR DECLINE

“An established company which, in an age demanding innovation, is not able to innovate, is doomed to decline and extinction." -- Peter Drucker Creative genius Walt Disney agreed with Mr. Drucker saying, “I’ve always maintained that you just can’t coast.  If you do, you go backwards.  It’s just a slow way of liquidating.”   The human tendency is to coast and get comfortable – a position from which we feel more safe and in control.  Even the most brilliant can resist innovation.  In 1981, Bill Gates declared, “640K ought to be enough for anybody.”  If Mr. Gates had held to this conviction, Microsoft would be long gone.    The Bottom Line:  Leaders understand they must be engaged in a never ending process of constant innovation and improvement.

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THE ART OF DELEGATING

“No person will make a business great who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit."  --  Andrew Carnegie Management guru Peter Drucker wrote, "Delegation requires clear assignment of a specific task, clear definition of the expected results and a deadline.  Above all it requires that the subordinate to whom it is delegated keep the boss fully informed.  It is the subordinate's job to alert the boss immediately to any possible 'surprise'." Common pitfalls: 1.) Abidicating responsbility.  Successful business founder/CEO Robert Half wrote, "Delegating works provided the one delegating works too."  2.) Interferance.  President Ronald Reagan said, "Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don't interfere." The Bottom Line: Leaders exponentially multiply their impact by delegating authority, staying fully informed but not intefering.

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EAGLE EYE

“Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand.  The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus." -- Alexander Graham Bell Focus is critical to success – we see this principle in nature, war and business. Once an eagle has spotted its prey, it does not take its eyes off the creature until it strikes.   Neither Alexander the Great nor Julius Caesar could have conquered the then known world if he had neglected to concentrate forces.  Nike’s then CEO, Philip Knight, declared, “We wanted Nike to be the world's best sports and fitness company. Once you say that, you have a focus. You don't end up making wing tips.”   Legendary Coach Vincent Lombardi said, “Success demands singleness of purpose.”  Coach Lombardi knew how to bring his coaches and players into alignment behind a single game plan with a pure focus.    The Bottom Line:  Leaders work to bring alignment to their people and an unrelenting focus on their mission.

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GOALS VS WISHES

“The discipline of writing something down is the first step toward making it happen." -- Lee Iacocca A Harvard study done years ago among the most extraordinarily successful found they shared one simple practice: they wrote their goals down on paper.    Goals that are not written down are just wishes.  When goals are written down, the goal setter establishes commitment and a framework for measurement, accountability and learning.  Master sales trainer Zig Ziglar writes, “A goal properly set is halfway reached.”   The Bottom Line:  Leaders commit their goals in writing and frequently refer to them to help propel them toward their vision.

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INSTANT VACATION

“I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out my nose." -- Woody Allen In this pressure packed, fast paced world of constant change and uncertainty, we need to remember not to be so serious.  President Lincoln said, “With this fearful strain that is on me night and day, if I did not laugh I should die.”    The classic Christmas carol extols, “T’is the season to be jolly!”  We would all be wise to adopt a cheerful attitude more often.  Comedian Milton Berle quipped, “Laughter is an instant vacation.”  Golfing legend Ben Hogan put it this way, “As you walk down the fairway of life you must smell the roses, for you only get to play one round.”   The Bottom Line:  Leaders understand the timeless proverb, “A cheerful heart is good medicine.”

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THE MARKETING EDGE

“In real estate it's 'location, location, location'.  In marketing it's 'differentiate, differentiate, differentiate'." -- Roberto Goizeuta The key to marketing is differentiation.  Your customer must perceive your product/service as different, better and more special.    Effective differentiation is achieved by understanding your customer.  Astute customer insights establish the foundation of an excellent marketing strategy and are best discovered “in the trenches” where your customer works and lives.  Positioning expert Al Ries explains, “Strategy should evolve out of the mud of the marketplace, not in the antiseptic environment of an ivory tower.”   The Bottom Line: Leaders understand the world of their customer and use that knowledge to strategically differentiate their product/service.

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FALLING FORWARD

“Failure is success if we learn from it."  -- Malcolm Forbes People excel by trying, failing, learning, trying again and succeeding.  Leaders create a culture of active learning where risk is a part of the training regiment.  Thomas Watson, the founder of IBM, was such a leader saying, “If you want to succeed, double your failure rate.”  Jack Welch writes, “I’ve learned that mistakes can often be as good a teacher as success.”   Duke University’s remarkably successful basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski (“Coach K”)  writes, “Not every failure or loss is devastating.  It is part of the building process.  Sometimes a loss can be a win.”   The Bottom Line:  Leaders are not threatened by temporary losses but see them as future gains.

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KEEP IT SIMPLE

“People must have self-confidence to be clear, precise, to be sure that every person in the organization understands what the business is trying to achieve....Clear, tough-minded people are the most simple." -- Jack Welch “The Economist” recently observed that the rate at which mankind makes life complicated seems ever to accelerate – and this is a bad thing.  To help reverse this trend, they have suggested a new rule: “Henceforth, genius will be measured not by how fancy, big or powerful somebody makes something, but by how simple.” Some proven geniuses are in agreement. Albert Einstein said, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.”  Leonardo da Vinci wrote, "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication" and Walt Whitman, "Simplicity is the glory of expression."   The Bottom Line: Leaders insist on keeping things simple so that others can easily understand and effectively engage in the work.

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THE BRUTAL FACTS

“The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality." -- Max Dupree,  The Art of Leadership Today more than ever, we are bombarded with more information than we can reasonably process.  The leader cuts through this overload to discover the key facts of the current situation – providing others with a reliable contextual interpretation and direction.   In this quest to define reality, the leader courageously pursues the truth, knowing that clear, fact-based communication takes extra work but is the doorway to creativity and consensus.  Jim Collins writes, that organizations that become 'great' exercise "the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of their current reality, whatever they might be.”     The Bottom Line: Leaders pursue reality and truth knowing it is the key to their biggest insights and breakthroughs.

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ACHIEVING GREATNESS

“Good is the enemy of great.  And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great." -- Jim Collins, Good to Great When Tiger Woods changed his golf swing in 2003, most people criticized because he did not win a major in 2003 or 2004, failing to dominate the game as before.  With yesterday’s five shot win at the British Open, on top of his victory this year at the Masters, he is once again dominating the sport.  Tiger’s “good” golf swing was the enemy of his “great” swing.    As Tiger has demonstrated, what you are doing well may be the barrier to your next breakthrough.  For example, if you are a "good" leader, you may be blocking the greater growth of your organization by not empowering others to lead with you.  Mario Andretti said it this way, "If things seem under control, you are just not going fast enough."   The Bottom Line:  Leaders have the vision and courage to let go of the good in pursuit of what is truly great.

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INDISPENSABLE PLANNING

"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe." -- Abraham Lincoln Leaders take time to sharpen the axe before they start swinging at the trees. They prepare and plan before they go into action. They also understand that planning is of no value unless it results in action. Or as Peter Drucker put it, "Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work." Dwight Eisenhower said, "Plans are useless but planning indispensable." The planning process is critical to success -- it is where the preparation for the battle takes place. Likewise, a business that does not take time to plan is daily going into battle unprepared and setting itself up for chaos and defeat. The Bottom Line: Leaders invest time in planning and they work their plans.

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LEADERS VS NONLEADERS

“To lead you must be a doer.  The way to quickly spot a nonleader is to watch for "should"....The real leader never uses the word "should".  His or her response to a good suggestion is "Let's do it."  Jack Trout (author) Leaders get things done -- they execute.  Veteran consultant, Dr. Ram Charan writes, "Execution is the great unaddressed issue in the business world today.  Its absence is the single biggest obstacle to success." An action orientation is a distinguishing mark of a leader.  But action itself does not ensure success.  An action orientation can also be the mark of a nonleader if the action is not aligned with a vision of where you are going.  Vision with action can change the world. The Bottom Line: Leaders translate big thoughts into concrete action steps -- and they execute.

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SIMPLE PROBLEM SOLVING

"Your idea needs to be original only in its adaptation to the problem you are currently working on." -- Thomas Edison The simplest way to solve a problem is to borrow an existing idea. Military designers borrowed Picasso's art to create better camouflage patterns and tanks. After working with owner-entrepreneurs for 40 years, management consultant guru Peter Drucker said, "The myth is that an owner-entrepreneur can depend on a flash of genius." The ones who depend on the flash of genius will also go out like one. King Solomon, recognizedby many as the wisest man to ever live wrote, "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." The Bottom Line: Leaders solve problems by borrowing and adapting proven solutions.

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THE POWER OF VISION

“There is no more powerful engine driving an organization toward excellence and long range success than an attractive, worthwhile and achievable vision of the future widely held.” -- Burt Nanus, Professor of Management at the University of Southern California Vision is a destination toward which your organization should aim, a future that is better, more successful, or more desirable than the present. Vision is a “life or death” proposition. If you’ve got the right vision for your organization, you’ve got a powerful engine that will drive you and your people into the future. If you don’t, you are at best limping along; or, you may be in the process of dying. Professor Nanus contends that the right vision “is an idea so energizing that it in effect jump-starts the future by calling forth the skills, talents, and resources to make it happen.” At Visionworks, when we help a client “jump-start the future” with a compelling vision, there is an energy and unity that grips the organization and propels it forward. The Bottom Line: Leaders create the future by unleashing the power of vision.

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