Daily Inspiration 10-7-11

Leadership Week

"The way you would encourage a one-year old

to walk is the same way you need to encourage

your people to succeed, to achieve, and to win."

-- Jeffrey Gitomer

Jeffrey Gitomer is one of my favorite business book authors because he is so down to earth, and even sometime in your face making common sense rule in sales, management and leadership. This quote is from his latest book, The Little Book of Leadership, which I gave out to my team and highly recommend, along with all of his other books.

This quote comes from Chapter 12, titled, Next Step Leadership, and right after this quote in the book, he states, "Got a mission? Or just a mission statement?" What follows I've talked about many times, and find full agreement with. He says, "Is your mission statement really a mission? Or is it a bunch of marketing, mumbo-jumbo BS about how you're gonna dominate the world, exceed expectations, and build shareholder value? Pardon me while I vomit." My sentiments exactly.

I've been involved in three companies creating and producing a company mission statement and I refuse to go through that crazy process again. It's a joke. Not one of these companies has lived up to their mission statement, nor do they even remember it probably. It was something that was initially all the rage, and is not worth the ink and paper it was written on. At the first company, I was so excited and idealistically enthused about this venture, and at the third, so tired of the BS.

I love how Jeffrey, said, "Got a mission?" That's the ticket right there. Develop a mission and get your team involved, and forget about the committee-molded written statements. Act immediately and with conviction! Follow through! Adjust course and resume! Keep on keeping on! Where a mission statement is just that--a statement, the mission is an activity, a striving toward, a growing model, and can be an encouraging spirit.

I find the best way to lead is to impart the vision as effectively as I can and then encourage, encourage, encourage. This is probably because that is how I best respond to leadership.

It's Not Important What We Are Going To Do, It Is All Important What We Actually Do.

Spread Some Joy Today--Be willing to share yourself and your thoughts with others and let go of the fear of being rejected. It is in the risk that the reward is available.