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…
Seven-time Super Bowl Champion, Tom Brady, knows that boosting competence boosts confidence ... and confidence is fuel for high achievers. Brady's competence at his position gave Tampa Bay the confidence it needed to elevate from mediocre to championship status. Building your competence is like cleaning your house. If you stop cleaning, dust collects. The need to clean never…
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 failure! The same greeting, the same…
Life is a game of inches - the six inches between your ears. You must get your mind right before you get your team right. Leadership is an inside job. It starts with your personal leadership which is the awareness and intentional use of your thoughts, words and actions to get the best from yourself…
A good plan might get you into the game, but sticking with it catapults you into the winner's circle. Based on 21 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 on…
Every successful business must plan and execute. How effectively you perform these vital activities determines whether you will survive or thrive. In other words, plan and execute or become extinct. In fact, senior executives predict that "very effective" strategy execution would improve operating profits by an average of 30 percent over two years. So, how…
Truism: no trend goes on forever. This truism prevents complacency during good times and instills hope during tough times. I originally wrote the the attached report 2001 to address how to lead in an economic downturn, then I revised it in 2008. Well, 2020 seems to be singing the same song to leaders. There are…
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…
Think of the last time you went to the circus. Remember the lion tamer? Every courageous lion tamer uses three tools to control his fierce companions prowling around the cage: a whip, a stool, and a handful of tasty snacks. Which of these tools is most valuable to the tamer? When the lion tamer…
As you plan for 2020, consider this quote from Stuart Scott. "Don’t downgrade your dream just to fit your reality. Upgrade your conviction to match your destiny.”
