Ever feel a little down after receiving negative feedback? Don’t. Top performers, regardless of occupation, use negative feedback in two ways. As inspiration for why to improve, and information for how to improve. They don’t let their egos get bruised. That would only hurt their future performance.

Think you’ve got it tough? Consider this:

“How would you like a job where every time you make a mistake, a big red light goes on and 18,000 people boo?”

                                                                        Jacques Plante, Hall of Fame goalie

Your thoughts?

Michael

It’s almost criminal and it happens far too often. A lot of people invest a lot of time and effort to improve a performance measure. Change gets implemented, the needle gets moved … then attention shifts elsewhere and performance reverts back to how it was before.

Institute, don’t just implement. Implementing means getting it done … once. Instituting means making it permanent.

To institute what you’ve implemented: 1) document the changes as processes or policies, 2) ensure ongoing communications and training so the changed processes or policies remain top-of-mind, 3) establish mechanisms to monitor ongoing performance and to trigger alarms if performance falls below an acceptable standard, and 4) identify who is ultimately responsible for the performance measure and who is responsible for holding that person accountable.

Don’t squander those hard-won gains. Institute.

Your thoughts?

Michael

Each of us fails. That’s life. But there is a big difference between failing successfully and compounding your failures with your response to failure.

1) Don’t Sugar-Coat It
The more you try to rationalize / justify / minimize a failure the less likely you are to learn from it. And the more likely you are to repeat it.

2) Take Ownership
A failure doesn’t define who you are. But your response to failure does. Take responsibility. Not just for what you can control but for what you can influence.

3) Make a Conscious Choice
Will you let failure push you into quitting? Or will you use it as a catalyst to intensify your commitment to succeed?

4) Be an Analyst
Get to the root causes. Which of your traits, decisions or actions contributed to the failure? What other factors? How?

5) Take Action
What will you do differently? Target the specific traits, decisions and actions you commit to changing.

You’re not finished failing. That’s OK. Just make sure you fail successfully.

Your thoughts?

Michael

Few things in an organization inspire as much cynicism as a hollow Values Statement. Words on the wall mocked by behaviors within the walls.

Values are revealed in what you do, not what you say. So is there value in stating them? If something is truly a value do you need to state it? Is it you expect to shape or reinforce people’s values by doing so? How would you know if you were successful? If you could know, shouldn’t that be a filter when you hire people?

Some leaders believe deeply in formalizing and communicating their organization’s values. Many others don’t worry about crafting values statements; their concern is aligning what they say with what they actually do.

Focus first on the behaviors that reflect the desired values for your organization. Then decide If there’s value in documenting those values. In any event, just make sure you stay true to one value – consistency.

Your thoughts?

Michael

Tony Hsieh, founder of the legendary online retailer Zappos, doesn’t want his people to transact business. He wants them to create a personal emotional connection.

Gianluca Isaia, third-generation CEO of the namesake Neapolitan firm that makes fine handcrafted, men’s clothing, says, “We don’t try to sell a product, we sell an emotional experience.”

What is the fundamental truth that Hsieh and Isaia have tapped into? That the heart of business is to elicit a positive emotional response from those whom you touch. It’s how you make them feel, not just about you and your offerings, but, ultimately, about themselves.

How passionate are you about what you do? About creating passionate customers? About igniting the passion of those around you to create those customers?

It starts with you. Are you connected to the heart of business?

Your thoughts?

Michael

As a leader you cannot be effective if you’re not seen to be consistent. And who is the judge and jury? Your people of course.

John Maxwell has authored dozens of books on leadership and if there’s one thing he’s certain of it’s this: ‘A sure way to lose followers fast is to say one thing and do another – you won’t believe how quickly they abandon you. All the slick talk in the world won’t disguise that disconnect.’

Keith McFarland wrote a great book, ‘The Breakthrough Company’, about how successful mid-size companies become successful large companies. Interestingly, he noted that those companies don’t spend a lot of time ‘drafting values statements and fretting about corporate culture.’ Instead, they focus on ‘aligning what they say with what they actually do.’ In a word: consistency.

People are bloodhounds for inconsistency. Continually ask yourself, and your people, what your organization can do to better align its practices, processes, policies and products for success.

Consistency, consistency, consistency.

Your thoughts?

Michael

Do you ever fantasize about getting 100% caught up, being fully on top of things, having everything under control? Me too.

Then consider some advice from former Formula 1 World Champion, Indy 500 winner, Daytona 500 winner and racing legend Mario Andretti:

“If everything seems under control, you’re just not going fast enough.”

Oh. This is how it’s supposed to feel.

Your thoughts?

Michael

If you want to become a better leader then strive to become a better coach.

What do great coaches do?

1. FOCUS – They regularly communicate goals, why they’re important, and where the organization is on the path to achieve them. They clearly convey what is required of individuals to meet those goals.
2. EQUIP – They provide the necessary skills, resources and authority for their people to succeed in helping the organization succeed.
3. INFORM – They provide meaningful feedback about past performance and helpful guidance so their people can improve.
4. FOLLOW-UP – They recognize and celebrate progress and success. They hold accountable people who continually fail to meet expectations.
5. CONNECT – They role model and cultivate an atmosphere of respect, trust and caring.

Great coaches continually work to create the right environment to get the best from the talent they have. Isn’t that what all leaders should do?

Your thoughts?

Michael

He didn’t want to do it. But he knew he needed to. Being the best ever didn’t matter. He had to change.

Roger Federer, the greatest men’s tennis player of all-time, recently made the decision to change from a racket with a 90-square-inch head to one with a 98-square-inch head. After years of playing with a racket that netted him 17 Grand Slam singles titles, 257 Grand Slam match victories, and 302 weeks as world #1 – all records – Federer made the move to try to remain in the top echelons of his sport.

He understood the case for change. Both of his main rivals – Nadal and Djokovic – use rackets with 100-square-inch heads which gives them a larger sweet spot, more power and more spin. And Pete Sampras, second to Federer on the all-time Grand Slam list with 14 titles, admitted in 2010 that he regretted being close-minded towards the latter part of his career and not changing from an 85-square-inch racket head.

Still, there’s no guarantee that by changing Federer will continue to be a top player. Yet it’s almost certain that by not changing, he won’t.

Your thoughts?

Michael

You’re like an elite athlete. You may not pursue the Olympic ideals of citius, altius, fortius, but you’re an elite performer in your field.

Elite athletes exercise their bodies by running and lifting weights. You exercise your mind by consuming content and engaging people. They fuel their bodies with well-planned nutritional regimens. You fuel your mind with …

Uh-oh.

For optimal performance your mind needs the right fuel every bit as much as your body needs the right fuel. Are you fueling yourself like an elite performer?

While I won’t get into nutritional specifics – and there is a mountain of information available – here are three guidelines that help me get the right fuel:

1.  Make Everything You Eat and Drink a Conscious Choice

• None of us makes good choices all the time but we‚Äôre more likely to make good choices when we‚Äôre conscious of them

2.  Decide Before You Desire

• Once the desire for food or fluids kicks in it‚Äôs harder to make good choices; better to plan ahead what you‚Äôre going to eat and drink, when and where

3.  Always Be Packing

• When we‚Äôre low on fuel we grab for whatever fuel is available, good or bad; I‚Äôd rather avoid the bad stuff than resist it so I take a selection of teas and food bars with me everywhere

You’re an elite performer. Your input helps determine your output. Why leave your performance to chance?

Your thoughts?

Michael