Great football teams don’t play great basketball. They’re great at football because they focus on football. They live for football, think and talk about football, play football. Football is the cement that binds the team together. They might play basketball, but it’s not the game that they’re connected to. It’s…
150. Who don’t you like?
We all have blind spots. The trouble with blind spots is you don’t know you have them. You don’t know what you don’t know. There’s a clue you can use however. A hack that strong leaders make a habit. The trick is simply to be aware of what, and who…
149. Why Connect?
There are lots of things we do without personally interacting with other humans. Digital technology allows us to be less connected. Not just human interaction but physical connection with things we use or rely on. Where does your drinking water come from? Who fixes your plumbing? How was your phone…
148. Are you in a Routine?
Delaying immediate gratification is what differentiates adults from children. It also separates strong leaders from weak. Routines and repetition are vital for effective leadership. All the goal setting, action, communication, measuring and sweat in the world count for nothing if not repeated. You don’t teach your subconscious mind anything by…
147. How do you treat Distractions?
I once worked in a team that set new priorities every week. Our leader regularly used their weekends to come up with fresh ideas and send out detailed directions, often followed by high energy discussions on Monday morning. Those same directions would often be swamped by new ones the following…
146. Where’s the Mess?
It can be tempting to walk around something that’s not working. Especially if it’s not your something. A broken chair, a dirty bathroom, an argument between colleagues, a project thats late. The funny thing is that a single event, say a waiter drops a plate of food in a restaurant,…
145. Why get organized?
Discipline is boring. That’s exactly why it’s useful. If you only want stimulation and excitement, you won’t get much done. We all have to do boring and repetitive things to stay alive and to prosper. In the end we do the interesting things better because we spend time on the…
144. Is Ego a Problem?
The problem with being accountable is that you might have to accept that you were wrong. Your ego might have to take a hit. Some leaders have a problem with the truth, or accepting they might be the cause of some problems – because their egos are too sensitive. Their…
143. Are you Accountable?
Strong leaders know accountability is a superpower. Not just holding their teams accountable- but focusing first on themselves. Not as a weapon but as a burden they carry. All the time. The impact of accountability is felt most when it’s erratic. Weak leaders pick and choose what they’re accountable for.…
142. Is Balance your Strength?
In the rush and nervous haste of life, we mostly don’t have time to stop and think about what we see. We just react. We look for simple answers, even to complex problems. But simple isn’t always best. Strong leaders don’t follow formulae, they seek balance when it matters. On…