Learn from history

We can learn a lot from businesses that failed.  You must.  You won’t live long enough to learn it all yourself.

We can learn a lot from businesses that succeeded.  You must.  You won’t live long enough to figure it all out yourself.

How are you learning?  How often?

Problem thinking

You’re not likely to solve a problem with the same thinking that created it.  Since you, as the leader of the organization, are likely the root cause of your problems (which you’d see if you went back upstream far enough) then you’re going to have to be open to some new ideas from other people and other places.

Is it “not invented here (by me),” or are you open?

"Voluntary Relationships"

Do your employees work at your place because they WANT to, and not just because they need the money?

Do your customers do business with you because they WANT to, and not just because they need what you have?

Do your friends come around because they WANT to?

Does your mate stay because they WANT to?

Your best thinking got you here

And if you don’t like it, you’re gonna have to do some better thinking – right?

The Healthy Leader’s Paradox

We try so hard to make it work.  And the harder we try, the more devastated we get when it doesn’t work.  And this emotional state makes it more difficult for us to turn it around.

Instead, I say to myself – “I don’t mind what happens.”  It’s not the same as resignation.  Instead, it’s understanding that bad results are feedback so you can learn and make further adjustments.  It’s also recognizing that what’s happened is already over by the time you find out – even if it was two seconds ago – and you can’t go back and change it so there is little point in sacrificing the health of your body and mind to mourn it.

Care deeply as you do; work hard as you do; and “don’t mind what happens.”

"Not Satisfied"

“It’s not that I’m dissatisfied, it’s just that I’m not satisfied.”

When you become satisfied, it’s time to get out of the way and let someone else lead the team.

Are you satisfied?

Gratitude in business

Give thanks for the employees and customers and suppliers you have.

When we are grateful for what we have, we attract more of it.

Things take as long as you expect

How long do you think it will take to solve the problem you are facing?

You’re probably right.

It’s not that hard

Choose your business and model wisely.  Get enough prospects to consider you, sell enough of them, and deliver efficiently.  Make it work for your employees and your customers.

What’s the problem?

…so fix it.

Overlook the bad

We love talent.  We need great people.  We want discipline, skill and responsibility.  We want things to go smoothly.

But if we or any of our managers expect that everyone will fit a mold and have model conduct, with no “personal issues or quirks,” we’ll have strife, friction, turf wars, unfriendly internal competition, and high turnover.  Then we’ll hire the next person for the seat and repeat the agony with a new set of imperfections.

Acceptance of people – with their strengths and weaknesses – and designing jobs that work for the people we have is part of the job requirements for any great leader or manager.

People are screwed up – love ’em!