Well, here’s your final MMWU for 2012. It’s hard to believe that I’ve written five years of MMWUs – that’s a grand total of 260 fast-read strategies to help you stay in the No-Compromise Leadership zone. It is an honor and privilege to know that over 9,000 leaders from around the world start their week off with a little kick in the butt from me.
To keep you from dragging the wrong stuff from 2012 into a brand new year, I went back into the MMWU archives and pulled ten topics that touched the right leadership nerve with readers. Read them. Digest them. Use them. Make each and every resolution stick.
Here are your ten leadership resolutions for 2013:
- Stop tolerating the intolerable: When you tolerate the intolerable, it becomes your “normal.” There’s funky stuff going on in your company that needs to go away – and it’s your job to get rid of it.
- It’s always about the dream: Your team may respect and be loyal to you, but it’s your dream that inspires them. It’s always about the dream – the vision of your company. If your company’s vision isn’t burning bright, it’s time to buff it up and make it shine again.
- Beware of the Entrepreneurial Curse: The entrepreneurial curse is not about being “burned out” as much as it is about feelings of being stuck and lost in your own company. Reread resolution number two. It’s time to go no compromise. Give Strategies a call. We’ll show you how.
- Where’s that fire in your gut? I’m referring to that deepest level of passion that pushes you to fight for what you believe in, to achieve your wildest dreams – to captivate the imagination and spirit of those around you.
- Success at the Factor of TEN: A leader must want to succeed ten times more than those they lead. No compromise.
- Get rid of the Elephant: Those elephants hanging around your company living room aren’t your pets – they’re obstacles to growth. Bloated payroll costs, excessive debt, the superstar employee that could care less about your company and team – get rid of the elephant.
- Average is easy – Extraordinary isn’t: Are you leading your company on the relentless pursuit of average? I think not. But how much of how you lead and how your company performs minimize its potential?
- Keep your chaos to yourself: Chaotic companies are led by chaotic leaders. Leaders always need to be the first to change because that’s where chaos begins. No compromise.
- Don’t collect monkeys: Problems are monkeys. People need to own their problems and fix them. No compromise.
- Going No Compromise means living it: No-Compromise Leadership is about doing what’s best and right for the company, its employees and its customers. It is about clarity, purpose and mutual respect. It is about taking ownership in what goes right and wrong in the company. Most of all, it means, “If it needs to be done – get it done.”
Thank you for allowing me into your world every week. My only wish is to make a difference.
Happy New Year from all of us at Strategies.
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Please share your thoughts with me about today’s Monday Morning Wake-Up. Click above to comment.
Pass this e-mail on to your business colleagues, managers and friends. They’ll appreciate it.
Thanks so much for the lifeline! Happy New Year to all at Strategies. Great way to start our week!!!!
Well said!!! Thank you for letting me see the light and going with my gut instink. Getting rid of the intolerable and the elephant was what I needed to hear.
Best wishes to a great year ahead for everyone. Happy New Year here I come!!
Thank you for always reminding us the better qualities of leading. I appreciate you. Thanks!!!
Thank you for another GREAT MMWU. Our entire leadership team reads them and it helps us start the week on the same/right path. Happy New Year, Neal and Strategies!
Hi,
Your articles are great and enjoyable to read!
One more little thing. The correct idiom is “couldn’t care less” as in you care the very least you possibly can. If one could care less then they are caring to some degree with room to be more apathetic.
Looking forward to what I can bring in 2013. Seriously considering a coach.
Aloha and Hau’oli Makahiki Hou,
Sue
Hi Sue,
Nice to know that you are out there reading my MMWU.
I’m happy to talk about coaching and what it would like for you. Just let me know when you’d like to schedule a call.
Happy New Year!
Neil
How can we make sure our leaders and our team takes these things to heart this year? The leaders can’t be fully held responsible for everyone’s actions, right?! How can we approach our leaders with our concerns?
I can write a list a page long of things in my eyes that are being ignored, handled poorly, and money being spent needlessly in our company, but no matter what I say I appear to have no influence. I try to be supportive: bring attention to the ‘elephants’ while trying to teach the elephants how to ‘behave better’, handle issues with staff and clients, handling retail, software issues, bank deposits, etc. You know, things that can be easily handled by someone other than management to lighten their load, but I fear I have the Entrepreneurial Curse at this point. I am feeling very discouraged as all of my efforts, work, and ideas seem to be getting us nowhere or are ignored completely. I also have noticed non-team trends lately like keeping secrets about issues between members of management, and obvious favoritism being displayed by management. The inconsistencies of company policies, customer service, and management handling or caring about issues are outstanding too. I feel like we are breaking down and I am one of the few employees who cares, or is even noticing it!
To be honest with you, I don’t even know our company goal or vision! I don’t think we even have one. I would like to approach my leaders about these issues, but even when I approach them with little things I am met with resistance or criticism, and the issues are usually not handled or changed. Perhaps I am too concerned with getting my feelings hurt with personal criticism, although I try 95% of the time to be the best I can be. How can I word, or how should I approach them, with my concerns so that they will take them (and me) seriously? I don’t want our team and our company to fall back where it was two years ago!
Hi Mary,
I feel your pain. I frequently receive comments likes yours seeking guidance on how to approach leaders about their “Leadership.” When handled with respect and concern for the wellbeing of the company, you have a chance of being heard. That’s all you’re asking for — to be heard. Too often, leaders are oblivious that their actions, inactions, inconsistencies and other behaviors are negatively impacting their companies.
I would ask for a private meeting to have open dialog on issues that you believe are taking the company in the wrong direction. Just ask to be heard — that your concerns are real and causing you to question your role in the company.
The key here is that status quo is unacceptable…and missed opportunities for growth are slipping past the company.
If you want, I would be happy to do a conference after with you and the leaders to see help move the process forward.
You can reach me at my office at 800.417.4848 x206, or by email, neil@strategies.com