Work 'on' your business, not just 'in' it.

Doing more with less is a reality many of us face these days - budget cuts, resource issues - there are lots of reasons why we all have to work harder. But if you find yourself working 12 hour days because you don't think anyone else can do the job quite as well as you - you might have a problem delegating!

As a business owner, I'm realizing by the day how critical it is to delegate. I need to spend my time work 'on' the business ... not just 'in' it. At least once a week I have to take a step back; to focus on the company direction, strategy on where we're going, and goals on how we'll get there. I have to trust that people who work with me have the skills to support the goals - while create and develpop our business.

If you're finding it difficult to keep up at work - keep in mind that you can't possibly do everything by yourself!

Delegation could be your key to success - and your companies!

Leadership in Haiti: Haitians on Small Steps

I’m sure, like me, many of you have been listening daily to interviews with the many tragic victims of Haiti. Just yesterday I was listening to a gentleman who had lost his leg, his home, his son, and his livelihood. How could things get any worse? His greatest fear as he hobbled along with his new crutches was that after years of having a successful living in construction – he would now have to depend on other people to survive.

How absolutely terrifying. In a land where tens of thousands are trying to survive as we speak – to be in a position where you have to depend on others. Yet, he could still laugh in this interview while he mentioned his philosophy of ‘one day at a time’ – get through this day, tomorrow will be another. A philosophy I’ve heard from many Haitians while sharing with the world their personal tragedy.

It never fails – one small step at a time – seems to be the global strategy for dealing with any kind of hardship – or personal challenge. Focus on the ‘here and now’ when looking ahead is just way too overwhelming. That way hopefully when you look forward again – all those small steps will have taken you to a peak.

Lead like a Superbowl Coach - Quick and Dirty checklists

Quick and Dirty checklists

So who do you think is going to win – the Saints or the Colts? I can’t imagine the amount of preparation the coaches and players are going through right now for Superbowl XLIV!

Like every thing else – football is now high-tech and unbelievably complex. Coaches have to prepare for 100’s of different plays and make decisions in split seconds. Decisions -- that could win or lose the game.

So how do they do it? With a cheat sheet – a color coded reference card that covers off every play in the book and what actions they might take.

The funny thing is – I’ve used the same checklists and reference cards for all of my ‘mission critical’ projects –the projects might change, but what I have to do keep the team focused on the mission – stays the same.

If you’re working in a fast-paced company where things have to happen at warp speed consider the cheat sheet! Here’s how it can help you:
1. Quick reference cards help quick decision making - by providing a simple outline of next steps and actions to keep in mind
2. Quick decision-making reduces chaos and confusion – and who wants that?

Why re-invent the wheel. Next time you’re faced with a mission-critical job -- consider the power of the good old ‘cheat sheet’. After all, it works for the super bowl coaches!

So, who do you think will win this Sunday?

Leading on Demand: Get good at Execution

Execution. A common business buzzword – but some studies indicate 70% of leadership failure -- is because of BAD EXECUTION. In simple terms that means: being indecisive, missing on commitments -- not making things happen.
[point] With ‘Year End’ approaching chances are you’re finding yourself in the ‘execution hot seat’…to get orders out the door…and get revenue in!

Why not stand out in the crowd! -- Get good at execution. It could just be one of your most powerful career moves and it comes down to some simple principles.
Here are 2 Quick tips to help you and your team execute with success:

• Get everyone on the same page – when things move fast, goals change quickly; Keep your team informed and communicate!

• Keep it simple. Execution plans do not have to be complex – Simple task lists identifying actions, milestones, and timings is often all it takes.

Seize your leadership potential and … Get good at executing.

10 tips to get ready for the leap!

Are you striving to be the consummate business leader or are you already part of a big business success story? Or maybe you are far more intrigued with the ‘serial entrepreneur’ way of life – you love the sense of freedom, risk and excitement that goes with the territory of running a start-up and establishing your vision as a ‘must have’ product or service. Wherever you sit, you need to find out what fuels you.

I myself sit somewhere in the middle – I call myself the ‘closet entrepreneur’. I worked for big business, but I always managed to attract the more risky ventures within those organizations where rules had not yet been established, teams didn’t exist and the slate was pretty clean. In these companies I found myself heading down the unknown path of starting up a new team or organization in one of our new market regions. I am fuelled by adventure.

Consequently my love for adventure (and flying) led to a stint in the air force, some war zone experience and a tremendous amount of personal growth. This led to even more adventure - a leap of faith into big business and fast-paced fun travelling the world, marketing and product launches with Oprah and the NFL. Now I’ve taken the ultimate leap of faith – still making my own choices, running my own show, but this time running my own company.

Whatever fuels your fire, wherever you strive to go…big business…your own business… humanitarian mission…keep in mind one key principle to help you live your adventure and do incredible things.

You get to choose.

You are the boss of you.

Ask yourself often; “is this what I really need to be doing right now?”

Remember. You are the CEO.

“Whatever,” you say. “It’s not so easy. My job, my skills and my dreams are so far apart I can’t see how they could ever come together!”

Here are 10 tips to help you get the ‘mindset’ to start believing that you can spend your career doing what fuels you and start having some fun. Here’s how:

1. SEIZE EVERY OPPORTUNITY so you can maximize your potential – this is the decade of leadership opportunity for entrepreneurs, humanitarians, business leaders and visionaries. “What the hell am I doing here?” is a question you should be asking yourself – frequently.

2. GET GOOD AT EXECUTION. Learn how to ‘make it happen’ and remember “quick, dirty and sometimes flawed” is all it might take.

3. PUSH YOUR ENVELOPE and know how to re-invent yourself and your team. Stepping into the unknown is a critical skill for staying two steps ahead in these fast-paced times!

4. COMBINE FORCES - get a 2 I/C. There is no question; the sum is greater than the parts. If you are looking at scaling your business and expanding in your marketplace the ‘second in command’ or ‘co-leader’ is the way to go.

5. GET COMFORTABLE WITH BEING UNCOMFORTABLE. Being an entrepreneur is all about anticipating change, preparation, planning and readiness.

6. BE ACCOUNTABLE – the buck stops with you. When you really want to make a difference, you will have to lead from the front and that will take guts. Own the risk, share success and then you can make the difference.

7. IT MIGHT BE MISSION CRITICAL -- but it’s not mission impossible! It doesn’t matter what business you are in, things are moving fast. Know what strategies and tools you can use to thrive in the hot seat. Feel the need for speed.

8. REMEMBER PASSION = POTENTIAL. Energize your team, create a freethinking environment and spark that creativity!

9. CONNECT THE FRONT LINES and the BIG PICTURE. Communication at many different levels is critical to your success. Practice the ‘2 up 1 down’ strategy to keep your team and mission well connected.

10. LINK YOUR TEAM TO THE MISSION. When things are moving at warp speed take the time to provide clarity of the mission and everyone’s roles in supporting that mission. It’s fundamental to team cohesiveness.

New Years Resolutions in Leadership

New Year’s resolution #1…Break new ground!
I got a call the other day from a gentleman in NY wondering how he could get a copy of my book – asap! He had made a new years resolution to jump start his career – and decided my book would help him do just that! So I asked him where he wanted to start first and he replied ‘New year -- new beginnings”…I want to try something different – break new ground.

Great goal for 2010!... Because I think if you start to feel really qualified at what you’re doing – then you’re not stepping out of your ‘comfort zone’ enough. If you’ve made a decision to shift gears in 2010 – here are some quick survival tips to help you break new ground:

1. First - Don’t be afraid to ask for direction! When you try new things or test new skills, you are going to need guidance from people who have been down the path before…make sure you ask for it!
2. Next - Enjoy the ‘rookie’ phase while it lasts – You usually get some immunity when you try new things – so make sure you get those inevitable mistakes out of the way fast!

Once you start challenging your limits and stepping into new territory – you’ll start experiencing some great benefits too. Growth, experience, learning, living – your world will change…and hey that’s what it’s all about.



New Year’s resolution #2…Stay Connected to your front lines!
A little while ago I was in New York City visiting a friend of mine. During my stay he took me down to the Virgin Records Megastore in Union Square to grab some ‘chill’ or ‘lounge’ music that I was having a hard time finding here in Canada – we walked into this 5 story massive maze of millions of CDs, DVDs and every kind of music accessory you could imagine! Well, I must have looked overwhelmed because one of the sales clerks came up to me with a big grin on his face to see if he could point me in the right direction. An hour later I left the mega-store armed with -- not with one -- but 6 other ‘chill’ CD’s – as luck would have it, it seems I had run into the sales clerk who just happened to be a ‘chill music’ expert. As it happens, this sales clerk wasn’t a sales clerk at all – he was a music producer who had in fact been responsible for getting the group aqua [you might remember the song ‘Barbie girl’] – to North America!

He used this part-time job to keep connected to the front lines of his business – intelligence gathering on what people were buying, at what price point etc -- to help drive his business strategy.

Who is your customer? What are you doing to keep connected to the front lines, to keep your team’s finger on the pulse? Adopting this simple leadership strategy might just set you and your team up for some real success in 2010!