Management versus Leadership… Why all the confusion?

After studying dozens of articles highlighting the difference between management and leadership, listening to dozens of business people debate the topic and after spending hours in deep thought on the subject––I’m left with one important question:

What the hell IS the difference?

Seems like I’m back where I started, right? Not so much.

To keep it simple, let’s look at the generally accepted distinction between a leader and a manager, succinctly expressed by Warren Bennis:

“The manager focuses on systems and structure; the leader focuses on people.”

Many people believe that a manager is more of a process person; someone who executes the directive and articulate with functional aspects of the operation. The manager is not necessarily innovative or involved in crafting the vision of the organization, but rather in making sure the vision is made real.

If you accept that definition, then the leader is someone who provides the vision and inspires the creativity and innovation that drives the organization forward. The leader focuses on developing talent and manages the interpersonal and emotional aspects of the organization.

Wait a minute––the word “manages” snuck in there!

The new age approach is a bit less constrained. A manager benefits by developing leadership skills, and a leader in today’s complex environment needs to have some knowledge of each of the technical and functional operations of the business.

In my life as a martial artist, I spent a lot of time thinking about one of our most ancient symbols––a symbol that represents nothing less than the fundamental operation of the universe itself. That’s right, the entire workings of the universe reduced to one simple and iconic symbol:

This symbol and the idea it represents helps us understand the conflict between the leader and the manager too. This is the Taiji symbol. It’s parts, the famous “yin” and “yang” represent a dynamic interplay of forces, which is how we experience life and the universe.

Neither side is dominant, though either could be more apparent, tangible, apparent or important at any moment. However, life as we know it doesn’t function without both. In the natural course of things, dominance is a temporary condition, and there is always a tendency toward relative and dynamic balance.

I could spend a lot of time talking about how this all works, but lets stick to the subject.

“Leader” and “manager” are not necessarily distinct or separate entities.

Think of manager and leader more as roles than as defining characteristics. The two should be able to co-exist in the same person––and that person is well served by developing skill in both roles.

From WJS.com:

“…in the new economy, where value comes increasingly from the knowledge of people, and where workers are no longer undifferentiated cogs in an industrial machine, management and leadership are not easily separated. People look to their managers, not just to assign them a task, but to define for them a purpose. And managers must organize workers, not just to maximize efficiency, but to nurture skills, develop talent and inspire results.”

Let’s take a look at the Taiji symbol again from a business perspective:

You can apply this philosophy a number of ways…

You can see the two roles in the individual––and as a leader, especially in yourself. You work to maintain a relative dynamic balance between your role as a leader––centered on the people you serve, and your role as a manager––paying attention to the functional operation.

In this just remember one important fact––you don’t lead process, you lead people!

In your role as leader, it’s important to understand that you can’t treat people like machines.

Each individual in your organization can apply this principle, right down to the front lines, regardless of management responsibility or position of authority. You may not want to move the lifer on the loading dock to a management position––and he may be perfectly happy where he is. However, better that person understands and accepts at least some rudimentary management functions, at least as they apply to his specific function. And the organization is greatly strengthened when leadership is cultivated in everyone, from the C-suite to the front lines.

You can also apply this concept to your organization as a whole, or any of its departments.

It’s safe to assume that any particular person might be better suited to management rather than leadership––and of course vice versa. In this case, it’s important to maintain a relative dynamic balance between high performers in both areas.

If you have a highly effective manager that just doesn’t get the people side of things, you can balance that manager with effective leaders. Don’t give up on developing that person’s leadership skills, just acknowledge that there may be limitations that need to be addressed.

Likewise, highly effective leader may be limited in technical aspects of the operation. The larger, more complex or more technological the organization, the more likely this is. Compliment that leader with a team of skilled managers and technicians.

Do this and you empower each person to perform at their highest level in harmony with their greatest strengths and talents.

Note carefully my repeated use of the word “dynamic.” Balance is not a static condition. A relative state of balance is only maintained through constant adjustment. Sometimes situations need to be managed––at other times, leadership is called for. Become skilled at reading the situation and the environment and apply each role accordingly.

There is one more great question that is often debated in business leadership circles:

“Management or leadership––which is more IMPORTANT?”

I am firm in my answer and opinion––leadership.

Managers who are poor leaders can function productively under effective leadership. Poor managers without effective leadership just don’t last very long.

The leader and manager can effectively co-exist in the same body and in the in the same organization. The key is constant development of both management and leadership talents and skills.

Take one last look at the Taiji symbol. Look at it for about a minute or so and you’ll notice that it looks as if it’s moving. That’s by design.

When it comes to developing your leadership and management skills––keep moving. Never stop.

“Perfection is not a destination––it’s a never ending process.”

Consistent, effective leadership is no accident––it takes practice

Consistent, effective leadership is no accident. It’s the result of dedicated practice, evaluation, learning, growth and development.

An important part of any dedicated practice regimen is continual reinforcement. Or as I say in every workshop:

“Validation is just as important as education.”

This is especially true for experienced leaders at the highest positions. The importance of continual reinforcement and validation extends to all levels––so why do I emphasize it as a priority for veteran leaders?

To be blunt, it’s because sometimes you forget about it!

I know you’re busy and you’ve got lots of people to worry about, but it’s important to take care of yourself too. You’re not the best leader you can be if you’re not at your best.

First I want to be perfectly clear about what I mean when I say “validation.” When you already know or possess the traits and skills that make you an effective leader, the best way to maintain those traits and skills is to practice. This means exposing yourself to constant reminders of the traits, values and strategies that enable you to lead effectively.

When I conduct a workshop with genuine leaders, I’m usually not challenging their credentials, their quality or their conduct. These people are not usually looking for some new leadership method or some secret technique that guarantees performance.

Top leaders do my workshops because we’re singing in harmony––that is they know they need to keep their swords sharp.

Reinforcement and validation of best practices is the most effective way to maintain and encourage effective performance, support of core values and ethical behavior. Don’t just take my word for it––let’s check the science.

Ethisphere.com reported on some interesting research by noted Duke behavioral economist Dan Ariely:

In one of these experiments, a finding that could offer a suggestion for those charged with creating and maintaining an ethical culture emerged. When a simple moral reminder was added to the exercise – when a group of students was asked to recall the Ten Commandments prior to completing the exercise – no cheating was observed despite the fact that no one in the group was able to recall all ten.

“This result was very intriguing,” said Ariely. “It seemed that merely trying to recall moral standards was enough to improve moral behavior.”

Not only moral behavior. In 30 years of training martial artists, I learned that the most powerful technique for improving any type of performance was to remind students of expectations, then reinforce and validate positive action and results.

That doesn’t mean I didn’t correct and even, I have to admit, sometimes berate my students––all in good nature of course! I also found, however, that there were several things I could do as a leader to improve the performance of my students and reduce the need for correction:

#1 Identify specific expectations and express them clearly.

#2 Remind them of these expectations regularly and often.

#3 Validate all improvement, progress and good performance.

I don’t expect top leaders to learn anything new in my workshops. I’m not teaching anything new! What’s so new about the importance of a leader as a teacher and mentor? About the power of expressing yourself skillfully, openly and honestly? Are courage, compassion and wisdom new leadership traits?

No––genuine leaders understand that no matter how much experience we have, we all need to work on the basics. We all need reminders and we all need to pay attention to the fundamentals. I’m honored when they find my workshops and books validating for their leadership style and practice.

Aspiring leaders will often discover new ideas. That’s great too––but it’s not enough to learn leadership strategies and techniques. It’s critical to put those concepts into practice––and to practice them with commitment throughout your career.

It’s simply human nature––we sometimes prioritize functional tasks above personal and professional development. It’s easy to get caught up in the urgency of preparing a budget or responding to a critical change in the market.

That’s when we forget the basics––that an effective leader you must continually polish communication skills, be empathetic and accessible to the people you serve, to study and assimilate leadership techniques and maybe even most important, to continually improve yourself as a professional and as a person.

Bruce Lee famously said:

“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”

If you want to improve and maintain a high standard of excellence for the leaders you develop––and to improve and maintain the highest standard for yourself and your top leaders––practice.

That means reinforce, always––the basics.

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It’s time to reinforce the strength and quality of your culture––of your leaders––at all levels.

Don’t worry, it’s always time!

Book Jim for a half for full day workshop, or on an ongoing basis to help your people become better leaders––and to help your leaders become better people.

Or––start by giving everyone on your team access to Jim’s powerful leadership strategies and techniques through his books. Volume discounts of up to 70% on books, bundled packages and self-study programs! Discounts available on orders as few as 10 units!

CLICK HERE FOR FULL DETAILS or call 800-786-8502

A leader shares the wealth

Dan Price, the CEO of Gravity Payments, shook up a lot of leaders when he announced that he would slash his 7 figure salary to just $70,000––and distribute the difference with his employees. According to the NY Times:

“Mr. Price surprised his 120-person staff by announcing that he planned over the next three years to raise the salary of even the lowest-paid clerk, customer service representative and salesman to a minimum of $70,000.”

Bold move? Publicity stunt? Calculated strategy?

There is a sound strategic basis for his move––and a healthy measure of compassionate leadership.

First of all, Price is acknowledging the people who helped him through his toughest times …

Dan Price came close to closing up shop himself in 2008 when the recession sent two of his biggest clients into bankruptcy, eliminating 20 percent of his revenue in the space of two weeks. He said the firm managed to struggle through without layoffs or raising prices. His staff, most of them young, stuck with him.

At the same time, he obviously sees the strategic wisdom of rewarding the people who made his business what it is today. On FOX Business News Price said:

I do think over the long term there is an upside. Actually what I think though, is the fact that we’re a values-based business and we make decisions based on what is right, has gotten us to where we are today and I think that will get us to where we’re going to be in 10, 20––30 years from where we are now.

Compassion is about understanding the people you serve as a leader.

Price listened to the people on the front lines …

From his friends, he heard stories of how tough it was to make ends meet even on salaries that were still well-above the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour … “They were walking me through the math of making 40 grand a year,” he said, then describing a surprise rent increase or nagging credit card debt. (NY Times)

He listened––and what he heard is that his people were having trouble making ends meet––the same people that helped him create a profitable company.

One of the key leadership strategies from THE SENSEI LEADER is: “Lead by sharing––not accumulating.”

Studies continually show that financial incentives like bonuses are less motivating than a sense of purpose, autonomy and trust. Don’t use that data to justify behaving like a Scrooge.

Money may not be the most important incentive, but it is still important. The flip side is how demotivating it is when the team pitches in to drive profits and the owner scoops up all the chips.

So yes … when efforts yield profits, share the wealth!

That’s exactly what Price is doing here––and it’s right.

Money is a motivator only to a point, and Price researched that point. Again from the Times:

The happiness research behind Mr. Price’s announcement on Monday came from Angus Deaton and Daniel Kahneman, a Nobel Prize-winning psychologist. They found that what they called emotional well-being — defined as “the emotional quality of an individual’s everyday experience, the frequency and intensity of experiences of joy, stress, sadness, anger, and affection that make one’s life pleasant or unpleasant” — rises with income, but only to a point. And that point turns out to be about $75,000 a year.

In THE SENSEI LEADER I wrote, “Money is a poor incentive only once a person’s basic material expectations are met. Until and unless a person feels he’s treated fairly, money matters—a lot.”

While it’s difficult to motivate people with money alone, it is certainly important to recognize the power of fairness in influencing productivity. That’s why the “wage gap” is getting so much attention. Continuing from THE SENSEI LEADER:

There is nothing more discouraging and de-motivating than to work hard to help the company produce a windfall only to see leadership reward themselves with bonuses while the people at the front lines are cut out of the bounty.

I’m rooting for Dan Price and his company. After hearing him talk, I’m convinced his is a sincere gesture of compassionate leadership.

A final thought from my book:

“… it’s simple; don’t over-complicate it. When the people who work for you help increase your wealth––share it.”

I believe that’s what Price is doing. Give the man a Black Belt!

Your ROI in leadership character

Part of the ongoing struggle to convince companies to invest in developing and preserving the character of their leaders is the difficulty in measuring ROI.

Thank you Fred Keil of KRW International for quantifying the value of good character in leadership. Thank you HBR for sharing his findings:

Character is a subjective trait that might seem to defy quantification. To measure it, KRW cofounder Fred Kiel and his colleagues began by sifting through the anthropologist Donald Brown’s classic inventory of about 500 behaviors and characteristics that are recognized and displayed in all human societies. Drawing on that list, they identified four moral principles—integrity, responsibility, forgiveness, and compassion—as universal. Then they sent anonymous surveys to employees at 84 U.S. companies and nonprofits, asking, among other things, how consistently their CEOs and management teams embodied the four principles.

Note the traits they identified as the most important:

• Integrity
• Responsibility
• Forgiveness
• Compassion

In THE SENSEI LEADER I organize them a little differently, but these characteristics are at the very core of what it takes to be a courageous and compassionate leader––and that makes you an effective leader.

I’ve been preaching the importance of these characteristics for some time now, and people are responding. It’s no accident that my message of character centered leadership resonates more with good organizations––organizations that already see the value in continual development of these core philosophical competencies.

I can’t fix rotten characters––neither can you.

I do, however, believe that most people can learn, assimilate, develop and expand these characteristics––but only if they’re willing.

If they’re not willing––they should be fired.

Again, the struggle I’ve always had is proving the tangible monetary value. I’m not a process guy. I’m not a numbers cruncher. My expertise is in helping people become better people.

So what, exactly, is that worth?

When it comes to leadership, Kiel demonstrates that it’s worth a lot!

The researchers found that CEOs whose employees gave them high marks for character had an average return on assets of 9.35% over a two-year period. That’s nearly five times as much as what those with low character ratings had; their ROA averaged only 1.93%.

The HBR article notes that Kiel and his team were not expecting those impressive results. I don’t think most people would have. It doesn’t surprise me at all.

We’ve known for some time what type of leader attracts and retains loyal and engaged followers. Loyal and engaged followers are the most productive employees and effective managers.

This does not happen by accident.

It starts with leadership by example. Then you’ve got to provide opportunities for your people to cultivate, practice and articulate these characteristics. This means training and continual perfection of best practices and techniques––in the mindset and character of your leaders.

I found this part of the article particularly telling:

Do leaders who need to work on their character know it? In most cases, no—they’re pretty deluded. When asked to rate themselves on the four moral principles, the self-focused CEOs gave themselves much higher marks than their employees did. (The CEOs who got high ratings from employees actually gave themselves slightly lower scores—a sign of their humility and further evidence of strong character.) Fortunately, Kiel points out, leaders can increase their self-awareness through objective feedback from the people they live and work with. But they have to be receptive to that feedback, and those with the biggest character deficiencies tend to be in denial.

Humility––authentic humility, that is, is a powerful indicator of character and one of the most important traits for an effective leader. In THE SENSEI LEADER I wrote:

Humility is a quiet expression of reserve. You might not know with certainty that you’re going to win the fight, but you damn sure know you deserve to be in the ring.

Tempered by humility, your confidence is independent of the desired or expected outcome.

Humility is the quality that keeps your mind and heart open to input from other people, even from the people who work for you.

This is just one example of how character translates to tangible value for your organization.

This is the type of confidence that makes a leader attractive—whether that leader is in a position of authority or command, or standing shoulder to shoulder with you in the trenches.

This is the type of confidence that will make you an effective person and an effective leader at any level, whether you want to work in command and control or on the front lines.

And as we’ve seen from Kiel’s research, that emphasis on character can translate into a 5 fold return.

That’s a great investment!

Read the full HBR article here …

The metrics of training compassionate leaders

It’s difficult to measure the direct effect of teaching your leaders to be more compassionate—yet that which is not measured, seldom gets done.

From McKinsey Quarterly:

Half of those who responded to a McKinsey survey last year told us that they see organizational capability building as one of their top strategic priorities, but many said their companies could do better. When we asked respondents about their companies’ biggest challenge with training programs, we found that the lack of effective metrics appeared to be a growing concern.

The constant tug-of-war between soft and hard skills training makes the problem even more difficult.

If you see a need to improve process in a technical area like sales protocols or time management, that’s likely to be viewed as a higher priority than teaching your managers to be more empathetic.

It shouldn’t be.

The problem is not one of higher or lower value—both skills are critical to the success of your company; the problem is one of metrics. It’s easier to measure the return of hard skills training, especially in the short-term. Soft skills require a different, more qualitative and long-term assessment to understand their true value.

In one day I can come to your organization and teach your leaders how to be more compassionate. We’ll also talk about how to be more courageous and wise at the same time—but I wouldn’t expect to see a spike in sales or productivity at the end of your next quarter as a result.

You can measure the qualitative effects rather quickly. A few weeks after the workshop:

• Do people feel their supervisors are giving them the attention they need?
• Are managers more open to feedback?
• Are managers responsive to employee concerns?
• Are managers listening?
• Is there clear follow-up on promises?

Should all of this produce results on your profit and loss statement?

Well, yes—eventually.

Over the long haul you might see better employee retention. You might see a decline in lost or wasted time. You could experience a decline in employee complaints and an increase in overall levels of engagement.

Of course to really see the direct ROI for your training expenditure, you’ll still need to connect the dots with some kind of cause and result qualitative analysis. Or—you trust the overwhelming mass of data that says creating a more compassionate workplace produces all these benefits.

If you see a decline in production after soft-skills training—that may be a problem. That doesn’t necessarily mean you wasted your money, it may mean we stirred the hornet’s nest and simply made people aware that they’re working in an untenable environment.

Or—it could mean your leadership team is rotten to the core!

It’s no secret that people are not staying as long as they used to. It’s also no secret that people are disengaged in staggering percentages. Some experts have had a hard-time correlating those facts with a slight uptick in production—I haven’t.

Production is rising because of automation and technology. But how long can we sustain that curve and more important—how much more productive could we be if we improve retention and engagement?

That’s why investment in soft-skills training for your leaders is crucial. Companies that make this investment create a significant competitive advantage.

I can teach your leaders to be more compassionate, courageous and wise in one day. That one day will produce returns for years.

In personal and professional Mastery, the leader must lead by example

Another preview of THE SENSEI LEADER…

Jim Yong Kim, president of the World Bank said:

“No matter how good you think you are as a leader, my goodness, the people around you will have all kinds of ideas for how you can get better. So for me, the most fundamental thing about leadership is to have the humility to continue to get feedback and to try to get better – because your job is to try to help everybody else get better.”

For this dynamic to work successfully everyone, including those at the top, must be committed to continual self-improvement.

It may seem I’m obsessed to a degree with “self” improvement. Some people challenge me on that point. They’ll say that too much emphasis on self-improvement is, well, selfish.

I say that self-improvement is the least selfish thing you can do for others. As you improve yourself, you become more valuable to others. You become a greater resource to your team, your organization and your community.

When everyone in an organization is committed to self-improvement- to personal and professional mastery, then the entire organization becomes stronger, better- more productive, innovative and progressive.

At the risk of beating the dead horse even more, even a small improvement in each individual produces an exponential return.

I remember a story I once heard about a basketball coach who was trying to improve a struggling team. One of his first observations is that they were, as a team, lousy free-throw shooters.

Many coaches in this case would focus either on the top shooters and try to get more production there, or would commit a large effort to improving the weakest shooters. Instead, this coach set a goal. Every player would improve just one percent.

Together, the gains of just one percent far exceeded what could reasonably be expected by trying to extract bigger gains from just a few players.

It worked!

With each player contributing something, the overall performance of the team skyrocketed.

When each individual commits to the concept of personal mastery and continual self-improvement, the team and the organization become much more powerful.

If you want to lead and inspire others, start with you. This is one area where leadership it’s essential to provide an example from the top down.

SPECIAL POST: Grow A Pair…I visit with bestselling author & speaker Larry Winget

I join my dear friend and mentor, best selling author and The Pitbull of Personal Development, Larry Winget on his Grow A Pair TV show!

As you can see, we’re having a great time- and you will too as we talk about discipline, perseverance and how to be a genuine leader…

Click here to learn more about Larry and his newest book, Grow A Pair.

The real difference between a leader and a manager

Here’s an excerpt from THE SENSEI LEADER – Save 20% –– order here!

“One reason corporate and governmental bureaucracies stagnate is the assumption by line executives that given their rank and authority, they can lead without being leaders. They cannot. They can be given subordinates, but they cannot be given a following. “A following must be earned.” ~John W. Gardner

The Sensei must earn the authority vested in him by his students…

There are plenty of talented martial artists that make lousy teachers. I believe you’ll find the same problem everywhere leadership is important- especially in business and politics. There is an epidemic of people infecting positions of authority who may have outstanding domain knowledge or even a record of high performance in other positions, but still make lousy leaders. This leads us to the tired debate over leadership versus management. Managerial skills are by nature more technical and functionary. Those skills are very useful in managing process.

Leadership skills are those that make you more effective in your relationships with- people.

Management always refers to a position of authority- a title. That title or position is almost always conferred by superiors or advisors and may or may not involve input from subordinates. You can claim authority simply by acquiring a title and convincing others that you know more than they do. You can dictate a strict culture full of perfunctory rituals that reinforce your authority, status and position. You can attain a position of authority by being a jerk! You can increase authority through political maneuvering, lying and cheating. Leadership, on the other hand, is always dependent on acknowledgement from subordinates and peers. No followers- no leader! Authority is always limited by the willingness of the people under you to share their talents and abilities.

A manager may have the authority to dictate the performance of certain tasks, it takes a genuine leader to inspire the best performance in others.

Leadership is sharing: Share the Power

Here’s another excerpt from Jim’s newest book, The Sensei Leader, on track for release in March!

Your own power- your effectiveness as a leader, only expands through sharing.

“…power is an ‘expandable pie,’ not a fixed sum; effective leaders give power to others as a means of increasing their own power. Effective leaders do not see power as something that is competed for but rather as something that can be distributed to followers without detracting from their own power.” ~Shelley A. Kirkpatrick and Edwin A. Locke from The Leader’s Companion by J. Thomas Wren

There is nothing more inspiring to your followers than your willingness to help them become more powerful.

Once again, power is your ability or capacity to act or perform effectively. The source of all human power resides in body, mind and spirit. You’d think this would be common sense- you’ve got to take care of yourself in body, mind and spirit if you want to be happy and successful or to perform to your full potential.

To  share the power, you’ve got to share the source. You’ve got to provide the support and resources for people to develop in body, mind and spirit.

So why do so many leaders ignore one or more of these areas in their own daily lives and in the lives of the people who serve their organizations, especially mind and spirit?

I’ll tell you why- it’s because it’s difficult to measure an exact return on investment in these areas. What can’t be measured doesn’t get done, right?

The problem is, the negative impact you get when you don’t invest in these areas is not just measurable, it’s frightening. The cost of not sharing the power- of not developing people in these source areas, shows up in diminished performance, disengagement, health care expenses and lost time. Losses are in the billions every year.

Support the body…

Healthy people are more productive. They use less sick time. Invest in proactive health initiatives and you reduce health insurance costs and claims.

Support the mind…

Support your people emotionally and invest in personal development. People who are supported emotionally are again more productive. They are more engaged and far less likely to waste time. They’re also far more creative and better equipped to solve problems and deal with adversity.

Support the spirit…

This is where you share vision, meaning and purpose. You want more engaged people? Give them a clear purpose and share a meaningful vision that works for both the individual and the organization. This is how you increase the spiritual capital that you see as dedication and loyalty.

If you want to lead a powerful organization, you’ve got to share the power. You do this by developing people- in body, mind and spirit.

SPECIAL GUEST POST: 8 Leadership Lessons from a Marine Corps Drill Instructor

Special Guest Post today by Earl Breon, Jr.- lead author and founder of The Layman Leadership blog…

Those gravelly voiced, spit projecting, smokey bear hat wearing men and women who made your life hell for so many weeks were actually sages in disguise and I bet you never realized it. I know I didn’t until many years later when a buddy and I were talking about some of the stuff our Drill Instructors would say. Now, I went to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island (where real Marines are made) and he went to MCRD San Diego (Hollywood Marines) but our DIs had a lot of the same wisdom to share. Here are the eight that are actually safe for public cons:umption.

The only bad mistake is one you make twice!

This is one of the first phrases out of my Senior Drill Instructors mouth upon receiving to the new platoon. Make no mistake, he demanded perfection in every little detail but when you messed up you had better learn from it. You will always make mistakes.

The person who wins is the one that makes mistakes, learns and adapts his strategy.

Dark green, light green, we are all green!

Many people don’t consider the military a bastion of diversity, but it really is. Heck, one of my boot-camp friends was a Muslim. I’ll never forget when I had to stay back with him so he could roll out his rug and pray. It was so foreign to me at the time but it is one of the reasons I make sure people throw in the word “extremist” when talking about Muslim terrorists.

Race, religion, or economic background don’t matter, we are all green! Feel free to pick your own color or logo for your organization. Just be unified.

Yes, Sir? No, Sir? Say something!

Communicate, communicate, communicate! There seemed to be no greater offense than not communicating. If you were asked a question and didn’t answer, and answer quickly, this was the phrase that followed rather quickly. It was usually said much more, hmmm, colorfully than this.

Communicate, and when you are communicated with then be sure to respond.

Know our history and know your future!

Marine Corps history was a huge focus during boot-camp. That’s right; it wasn’t all running and learning to kill. They taught us history and other topics, as well. Granted, they were all military oriented. But, history was by far the most important.

When you understand what those before you have endured it frames your perspective on your current situation. When you know that approximately 520 Marines and Sailors repelled an entire Japanese fleet for 15 days (Wake Island) then a jammed copy machine doesn’t seem like such a big deal.

Act like you have a sense of purpose!

This phrase came out anytime somebody looked lazy or lost. There is no room for lazy and lost in highly successful organizations. You must believe you have a sense of purpose and contribute.

If you don’t have a sense of purpose right now then act like you do and one will show itself pretty quickly.

When one of you fails, all of you fail!

Teams do not thrive on individual success. Sure, there may be one or two with more talent than others but teams fail or succeed together. There is no way around it. Even when you think of somebody like Lebron James in Cleveland, yes, he carries the team but without the four other men on the court he could not beat five men.

A chain really is only as strong as its weakest link. Build each link to be as strong as possible.

Sunday to Sunday and chow to chow. That is how you make it through anything!

Take life in smaller more manageable sections. Yes, plan big and plan long term but don’t miss a turn because you are focused on the finish line. It is easy to get distracted by final results and miss crucial opportunities along the way.

Break life and life goals down into smaller, more manageable steps and stay flexible enough to incorporate new opportunities along the way.

Stay motivated!

Proper motivation is extremely important. It is, many times, the difference between opportunity being taken or being allowed to pass you by. It is also a key difference between success and failure.

Stay motivated and focused and achieve things you never thought possible.

About Earl Breon, Jr…

“I am passionate about leadership. From my first job as a kid, to the United States Marine Corps and through a career as a federal servant I have seen first hand the magic of great leadership as well as the tragedy of poor leadership. These hard learned life lessons are what inspired me to start blogging on the topic and help others become better leaders. My goal is to change the world by spreading leadership fundamentals in order to inspire a growth of leadership skills across all sectors. Pure and simple, the only way any problem gets solved is through effective leadership. I want to help solve problems.”

Learn more about Earl here…