What’s your growth plan?

Leadership expert John Maxwell has a question:
“Have you a written personal growth plan?”
It is a challenging question.
I don’t have one but he has me thinking about it.

My list of life goals isn’t quite enough.
A plan for how to achieve them is needed.
At least a plan for the major goals.

John says the first law of growth is intentionality.
What is it we intend to accomplish?

John’s father paid him to read good books.
His father would not pay him for his chores.
Reading good books were what you did for you.
Chores were what you did for the family.

“I won’t pay you to take out the garbage,” he said.
“I’m not training you to be a garbage man.”

John’s father’s intentions were clear.
He was teaching John to make good choices.
“The choice you make,” John says, “makes you.”

If you choose to be a leader, you must prepare.
Leadership is a life-long series of lessons.
Want a free sampler of my new leadership book?
Email me for “What It Costs to Be the Boss”.

How to beat the competition

Truett Cathy’s executives were nervous.
Boston Market was moving into their territory.
This appeared to be a threat to Chick-fil-A.
Chick-fil-A is a major fast food franchise player.
Their restaurants are licenses to make money.

Cathy’s execs wanted to expand rapidly.
That was the only way to hold off Boston Market.
Chick-fil-A dominance would discourage their rival.

Cathy said no, that’s not the way we’ll do it.
We’re going to improve everything first.
Food. Service. Marketing. Customer experience.
As we get better, customers will want us to expand.
Quality comes first, then quantity.

That’s the kind of thinking that spells success.
That’s one of the strategies all of us can practice.
To expand, be the best in our markets.

That takes real leadership on our part.
Leaders have vision. They see what others miss.
Cathy saw what needed to be done.
His team failed to see it.
He probably saved them from a disaster.

The best plans in the world aren’t enough.
We have to have vision. To see what others miss.
Then we influence them to do with is right.
What’s right for customers - and our companies.

My new study guide will help you develop leaders.
It will help you and them develop vision.
“What’s It Cost to Be the Boss” can change lives.
For a free sampling of the guide, email me.
You’ll get it by email overnight.

Imagine this

All the research supports visualization.
It works for high level professional athletes.
It propelled the Chicago Bulls to NBA titles.
Their coach Phil Jackson took it to Los Angeles.
There his Lakers won more NBA titles.
Experiments with visualization had similar results.
If you can imagine it, you’ll find a way to do it.
So why aren’t more of us using visualization?

Many of us use visualization every day.
We do it because it has measurable results.
Try these seven easy steps.

1. Find a quiet place at home or work.
2. Shut off the phones and close the door.
3. Close your eyes and think of one major goal.
4. Picture what it will look like when it’s achieved.
5. Imagine going through the steps to get there.
6. Make these mental pictures as vivid as possible.
7. Feel the impact of achieving the goal.

Step #5 is possibly the hardest.
We have to imagine all the steps necessary.
We have to think of who will help us get there.
We have to visualize the resources we will need.
We have to think how much time each step will take.
Don’t get bogged down in too much detail.
We’ll write the plan later.
That’s when we can think this through.

The most important step is to ask yourself:
How does that feel? Does it motivate you?
As you’re reading this, pause for a moment.
Close your eyes and do all seven steps.
These steps will take you to peak performance.

Want a free peek at my new peak performance book?
“What It Costs to Be the Boss” may change your life.
Just email me at this address.
Please send mailing address and phone number.
I’ll send you a three-chapter sampler from the book.

Who’s your competition?

How much thought have you given to:

1. Your client turnover?
Is it higher than 20% a year?
15% move, die or switch to a competitor.
Is your turnover higher than this?
Start looking for what’s driving them away.
Or . . . worse . . . who’s luring them away.
2. Your client retention strategies?
Do you have a retention plan?
Do your colleagues know what it is?
Do you discuss it briefly at staff meetings?

Many businesses fail for one simple reason:
They don’t see through skeptical client eyes.
They are too close to their businesses.

Our clients are not fools.
They have a strong sense of smell.
They want us to be the best.
They want us to succeed.
Yet they measure us gainst everyone else.
Is their barber or hairdresser friendlier than we are?
Does their dentist take better care of their needs?
Who delivers greater value?
Who gives them more memorable experiences?

Our competition isn’t only those who do what we do.
Our competition is anyone who pleases our prospects.

Our clients’ reasons for leaving us are endless.
Pay attention to every single detail you can control.
That is real leadership in your business.
Take care of them and they will take care of you.
Want a free peek at my new peak performance book?
“What It Costs to Be the Boss” may change your life.
Just email me at this address.
Please send mailing address and phone number.
I’ll send you a three-chapter sampler from the book.

Where do you belong?

My years in Corporate America felt empty. Management battled with the unions. Competition was often intense.
Not much socializing nor team spirit.
Turnover was high.
There was an occasional Christmas party. But it was rarely attended by the suits.
They usually had their own Christmas party.
Suits, like the Cabots, only mixed with suits.

It's different working in family-owned businesses.
We feel respected, appreciated, even loved.
We have a feeling of being part of something bigger.
It’s the foundation of all religions.
The foundation for civic and social clubs.
The foundation of successful organizations.
At our little family-owned businesses:
• We often get together for a cook-out.
• We make lasagna, spaghetti or chili for lunch.
• We do 99% of our planning together.
• We wind down together at 4:30 each Friday.
Beer, Cokes, wine, popcorn, small talk.

We work to create a sense of belonging.
We have low turnover. People help each other.
Our sales people even trade accounts.
If you get nowhere with one, someone else may.

Competition is aimed at our competition.
We don’t compete with each other.

Make sure your teammates feel that way.
You can’t put a price tag on high morale.
It‘s the secret to peak performance.

Want a free peek at my new peak performance book?
"What It Costs to Be the Boss" may change your life.
Just email me at this address.
Please send mailing address and phone number.
I’ll send you a four-chapter sampler from the book.