It’s The Little Details
Every moment of every day, we encounter innumerable “little details.” Some of these little details matter…a lot!!! We all have been in a bathroom where the toilet paper roll was empty when it was desperately needed. Ahhhh…the little details…
Yet it’s too easy for us to get swept up in the grand scheme of things and forget to pay attention to the small stuff…the little details. Today’s society is always pushing us to look ahead, forget the little details and focus on “the big picture.”
But somehow we need to learn how to pay attention to these little details because when put in perspective, they build up over the years and eventually come to define us.
Our attention to detail in the little things defines our success in the big things
No two businesses and industries are alike, but successful leadership principles are largely universal. In order to have our businesses reach their full potential, we must be intentional about learning and implementing what successful business owners and leaders are doing. By implementing a carefully designed leadership development program today, you will insure that the next generation of leaders will be prepared to lead, and you will create a culture that attracts quality customers, vendors, suppliers, and employees!!!!
After 20+ years of working with some of the most incredible businesses and organizations, here are 6 specific strategies for massive leadership success that remain consistent among the highest performing businesses and companies!
1) BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND!!!
Before you start your day, make sure your business has a laser sharp, crystal clear vision, goals and objectives. This seems like a no-brainer, however way too many companies blow right past this critical first step.
Seriously…As business leaders, we cannot ignore the most basic of questions: What do we value? What do we believe in? What do we as a business stand for? What positive behaviors do we want to recognize and reward?
There aren’t specific answers to these questions that applies to everyone. Objectives for a small 3-5 person startup are different than those of a 30 year old company with 200 employees going through a period of transition. We have to define the destination in S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely) terms using the correct perspectives, before we start putting together the map on how to get there.
2) KEEP IT STUPIDLY SIMPLE!!!!
I have to remind myself of this all the time… Leadership Development MUST REMAIN simple, direct, focused and on-track. Here are three practices that immediately help individuals, teams and organizations hit their leadership development goals and objectives.
A) BE AWARE: Leadership Development and Growth needs to be an ongoing process in which there is company wide awareness of the goals, objectives, challenges, opportunities, etc
B) BE INTENTIONAL: Successful Leadership Development programs requires that we must purposefully do the right things at the right time in the right order for the right reasons.
C) BE ACCOUNTABLE: A successful and sustainable Leadership Development program requires us us to have an ongoing high level of internal and external accountability.
3) L.ISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN
Hearing is simply the act of perceiving sound by the ear. If you are not hearing-impaired, hearing simply happens.
Listening, however, is something you consciously choose to do.
Listening requires concentration so that your brain processes meaning from words and sentences.Leaders must be able to listen and understand, as well as communicate.
Quality Leadership has ongoing dialog as one of it’s core components! There is a major difference between communicating and telling. When you truly have open dialog, there is tremendous opportunity for clarity and improvement. Learning to listen is more than just hearing. It’s actually about putting effort in to comprehend the value and respond accordingly.
A good Leader uses our 2 ears and 1 mouth in the correct ratio !!!
PS…Swear to yourself TODAY that you will permanently remove “we have always done it that way” phrase from your vocabulary. It’s the number one hindrance to effectively listening and one of the top 3 things that will kill a business ridiculously fast!!!
4) IT’S ALWAYS ABOUT THE PEOPLE YOU LEAD
People are ALWAYS your greatest resource!!! Clients, customers, vendors and employees are all tremendously important to your ongoing success! Putting employees through Leadership Development workshops, seminars and conferences can help re-motivate them, boost morale, and create new opportunities that have the potential to stimulate creativity. Find ways to strengthen the level of trust you have with everyone involved in your enterprise.
Build, build, build, build your people. And then build some more!!!
Here is a quick test. Rate yourself in the following areas on a scale of 1 – 10. BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF…How do you score? These are all areas within your control AND are highly critical areas of development for every leader. Even the slightest improvement will have a significant impact immediately!!!
- Be Considerate.
- Be Transparent.
- Be Fair.
- Be Constructive.
- Be Realistic.
- Be Decisive.
- Be Consistent.
- Be Fun
- BE NICE!!!!
5) WE ATTRACT WHO WE ARE, NOT WHAT WE WANT!
It all starts at the top!!! Company culture, attitude, values, standards and ethics all come from the top down!!!!!!!
A passionate and compassionate leader can energize an entire company just as a dispassionate, self-absorbed leader can destroy one. Set an example of cooperation, fairness, trust and openness. Focus on solutions and positivity instead of blame and backstabbing.
I promise you this. You can spend a bazillion dollars on external consultants and “leadership gurus”, and it will always, always, always come back to the owner’s and business leaders approach If you’re motivated, equipped and happy in your role, then others will follow your lead. If you come in with a bad attitude, don’t expect any different from your employees.
A quality Leadership Development program will help the owners and leaders to make sure they shape their role, and their company, to make them fulfilled and excited. A quality leadership development program will help you to grow yourself, grow your team, and grow your organization!!!
6) MAXIMUM OF 3 MINUTES OF WHINE TIME PER MONTH!
Generally speaking…No complaining. Not from you. Not from your team. Don’t allow it as it will mess up your team faster than anything!!! A divisive, grumbling spirit will DESTROY morale and severely limit results.
A good Leader will focus on motivating, equipping and transforming behaviors, over time. Here is one of my personal secrets I have used successfully with large and small organizations. When someone does start to whine, I set a timer. For real. I allow 3 minutes (like an egg).
You can whine and gripe and complain for 3 minutes and then it’s DONE!!!!! FOREVER!!!! After the timer is up, WE MOVE ON and we focus on finding a SOLUTION!!!!
If you have people who do nothing but complain, a good Leadership Development Program will help to identify them, motivate them, and if necessary, GET RID OF THEM!!!! There are over 7 billion people on this planet and I GUARANTEE there will be someone who has the expertise and wisdom you need who isn’t a whiner.
A quality Leadership Development program is no longer an option in today’s market…it’s a requirement!!!! If you TRULY WANT to drive your business to the highest levels possible, and see even more success, then it’s time to start paying attention to the little details!
I know what it takes to be the best of the best! I would love the opportunity to chat with you about how you can improve your leadership strategies with an effective leadership development program.
Until next time…Here’s to your MASSIVE SUCCESS!!!