Complexity creates a maze between you and success. Simplicity creates a clear line of sight. Thinking in 3's is a technique we have been using for years. It is a powerful way to simplify organizational thinking. As a byproduct, it forces prioritization and focus, and the resulting clarity trickles down the organization. For example, we routinely…
Many of today’s leadership practices are rooted in historical military testing, application, and refinement. But what can business leaders gain from current-day military leadership practices—specifically from the U.S. Navy—that have been honed for years? It turns out a lot! Thanks to his lifelong friend, retired Bob Ernst, U.S. Navy Commander, Lee had the privilege of…
The Adherence equation has been field-tested for over 20 years and is featured in three of our books, including the best-seller Sticking to It. Here are a few of our quotes from those books to inspire you to stick to it. Sharpen Focus The most important decision in life is to decide what is most important. Complexity…
A good plan might get you into the game, but sticking with it catapults you into the winner's circle. Based on more than 20 years of field research with the highest-achieving leaders, here are the habits they stick with: Keep it simple.Think in threes to simplify strategies, metrics, messages, and actions. Apply the 80/20 principle to focus…
The fifth growth factor in the healthy growth process is excellent execution. This particular growth factor is near and dear to our hearts since we have written three books on this topic and have worked with leading organizations to help them execute with excellence. A good plan gets you into the race, but adherence to…
I proposed to Julie during our first trip to Paris, 38 years ago. The following day we walked up 430 feet to the hilltop of Montmartre, known for its beautiful vistas and abundance of street artists. We lingered amongst the local artists, many of them portrait artists, and all of them aggressive salespeople. We buckled…
Researchers who study high achievers now consider passion to be the "missing link." It is the intangible component that explains why some people and teams are better able to stick to their plans and achieve greater levels of success—success like Pierre Omidyar has achieved. After earning his degree in computer science, Pierre Omidyar joined a…
A few years back, we took a family vacation to Greece, which ended in Santorini. It’s a dreamy place where the water is blue, the buildings are white, and the sun is beaming. As with many things in life, we know the right thing to do, but we fail to do it. In this case, I…
As I reflected on the life of our family dog, Sparky, I was struck by his gold standard of reliability. Before Sparky went to doggy heaven, he greeted me at home every time I walked in the door for 14 years. To put that into perspective, that’s 20,000+ times without fail! The same greeting, the same…
Very few tasks are performed completely in isolation for today's leader. Leaders harness diverse resources and collaborate across functions. In fact, our favorite definition of teamwork is "connected independence." The success of most organizations is directly proportionate to their leaders' ability to inspire excellent teamwork. High-performing teams consciously apply the Team Effectiveness and Alignment Model (T.E.A.M.). As…
