The sooner you get clear about this, the sooner you’ll get to …

“Do What You Can Control.”
“Control What You Can Do.”

We all know we’re supposed to get up one time more than we fall.

Never quit.

Never … never … never … never … never give up.

You’ve heard it all before … but are you sure you’re not a quitter?

What does it mean to quit?

Quitting doesn’t always mean stopping or ending what you’re doing. It could also mean “settling” for a less ambitious goal or a less favorable outcome.

Are you dead certain that your current objective is unattainable and your decision is perfectly rational? Or, is it possible … subconsciously perhaps … that you adjusted your goal simply to make it more achievable?

If you’ve ever knowingly reduced your annual goals so would qualify for your bonus, you know what I mean.

Michelangelo said it best:

“The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.”

I’m not a quitting. I’m just making a course correction.

If you have … we’ll say it kindly … reduced your expectations … you can take some comfort in the decades-old GE byline I frequently summon myself …

“Progress Is Our Most Important Product”.

Does that mean quitting … is acceptable … or is it okay to simply call it progress?

You’ll have to decide for yourself … but be mindful that every time you reduce the scope of your goals, it may be a sound decision … or you may be quitting on yourself.

When you consider this simple but insightful quotation, pay close attention to how it applies to your business.

We often say, whatever gets measured, gets done _ or words to that effect.

Everything you can count may not be worth counting

We can count pennies. But it takes a lot of them to amount to much.

We can count pencils in the supply room but their value is insignificant, say, when compared to counting computers.

Can you count Attitude or Culture?

A positive Attitude is a common denominator in great employees … and an engaging Culture rousts your senses and forms the foundation of a powerful, motivated, can-do-anything team.

Neither of these characteristics is easy to measure … they aren’t easily counted but they count for a lot.

Focus only on what matters

Take Albert’s advice to heart … and whether you can count it or not, focus only on what really matters.

In the simplest of terms?

Don’t major in the minors … whether you can count them or not!

As we know, there is no “I” in TEAM, although some have pointed out you can find a “ME” in TEAM, but I’m counting that as cheating. 😉

For the 6th consecutive year, on Friday, May 10, 2019, we’re hosting Leadercast LIVE and this year, you’ll get a chance to see Leadership Champion, Patrick Lencioni.

If you care at all about Leadership Development, you’ve probably come across him. When you visit our Leadercast LIVE page, you’ll find a Sample Speaking Video for Patrick.

This year the theme is Leading Healthy Teams.

Join us on Friday, May 10th and you’ll hear Patrick and the other speakers in this year’s lineup address the topic of Leading Healthy Teams and what you can do to build a strong, resilient and invaluable leadership team in your organization.

I hope I see you there.

The ongoing college admission bribery scandal reminds us that Fame is an addictive substance that can make us stupid.

Its stepchildren are Conceit and Deceit who sit on our shoulder, urging us to hold in contempt the values of integrity and decency we embraced before the narcotic took the wheel.

Beware of that flame, my friends.

I decided to reignite the power of feedback because providing it … in a candid, thoughtful and direct manner … is something that many leaders avoid like the plague.

It’s not that you’re unwilling to give positive feedback or to applaud people’s performance or complement their success.

It’s that you know that’s not all of it.

You also need to tell the individual about his/her shortcomings, obstacles and challenges. Those issues are more difficult to share … and in direct proportion to how likely that individual is to fail.

What you may miss, however, is that most employees want direct feedback. They want to get better … they want to succeed … they want to grow and develop in their roles and advance in their careers.

They can take it if you can give it.

No, they won’t be happy at that moment … but most of the time they will reflect upon it, find the truth in it and seek to overcome that challenge.

You’ll truly serve them if you are honest, forthright and authentic when you’re serving the breakfast of champions.

These days, It’s axiomatic that you’re overrun with a tsunami of inputs … that stinkin’ email, social media, work demands from above and below, family needs … and the list goes on.

One result is that you may have acquired the attention span of a mosquito. You don’t “have time” (read “take time”) to study anything in real detail.

You find yourself increasingly looking for the “Cliff Notes” answer wherever you can find it.

That may be why even simple problems seem intractable.

Work hard to regain your focus. Stick with it. You’re much more likely to solve REAL problems that way.

Didn’t Mom or Dad say something like, “fall down twice, get up three times?

Haven’t we also learned (the hard way) … and most science has confirmed … that pain is more motivating than pleasure?

The lesson is simple but when we’re under the greatest stress and duress, it’s good to be reminded.

DON’T QUIT!