High Performance Leadership

Have you ever shared a problem that is so sensitive you just want to keep it to yourself? I have. Sometimes I have been weak when it comes to talking about problems. I get all quiet. I practice my secret power of invisibility and simply disappear. Well, no, but in the past sometimes I have acted as if that was a possibility. Anything to avoid talking about a troubling problem - especially an interpersonal one. Maybe some problems should be kept to yourself. But in my experience, they are much harder to solve that way -- and if they involve another person, virtually impossible to solve alone. Unwillingness to discuss a problem is pure cowardice. Grab the courage. Muster up the nerve. Talk about it. That's the first step into solving it, so make that step. -- doug smith

How's your sense of urgency? When I worked for Whole Foods, it was considered a very big deal to constantly display a sense of urgency. If you were walking from one place to another, you moved with a sense of purpose. If you were working on a task, you gave it your all. Every moment was spent finding ways to do things faster, ever faster. That's tough to sustain over the course of a full day and yet, like a muscle you can develop the ability to operate with a perceived sense of urgency. Breathe, yes. Relax, sometimes. But when it is all on the line -- with a customer or with your team -- how's your sense of urgency? High performance leaders are both calm and urgent. Calm at their center and urgent about achieving their goals. -- doug smith

How often do you get feedback on your performance as a leader? We're all busy. We all have things to tend to. Yet, if we are leading people, how do we know that we are leading with hearts of service and helpfulness? How do we know that our own agendas are not displacing our true mission? We all make mistakes. We all have weak spots. We need someone to let us know when we go off the track and when we miss the mark. Even people of noble character have weak spots in their values. That's why we need feedback and coaching. -- doug smith