High Performance Leadership

Who do we lie to the most? Ourselves.  The answer is so easy that every time I ask a group of people at a workshop or webinar it's the first thing they say. We lie to ourselves the most.  "I'm not good enough...fast enough...young enough...good-looking enough...smart enough..." Nonsense. You are enough. We are enough.  So, why lie to ourselves? We're so good at it that we really do fool ourselves, sometimes into immobility. That's not fun. Tell the truth. Start with yourself. Stop lying to yourself first. Once you see how much better that is, it will be much easier to stop lying to anyone else. -- doug smith

We are sometimes only one question away from absolute clarity. What question do you need today? -- Doug Smith

What's the difference between a mission and a vision? You'll get different answers to that question. Here's what I think. Your mission is your practice call to action. It's what you are paid to do. It's how you keep your customers happy. Your vision is bigger. Your vision is largely aspirational, meaning you are not there yet but you aspire to be there. It's something to work toward. It guides your strategy, your goals, your actions. As you get closer to actualizing your vision -- when you become KNOWN for doing that -- it's time to evolve. Evolve your vision so that you can elevate your game. Raise the bar, so you can go far. Your vision evolves. When has it shifted the most for you and where is it now headed? Keep growing -- it's our best choice. -- Doug Smith

Sometimes I get confused. What should I be working on RIGHT NOW? In many of the workshops that I lead, participants struggle with setting priorities. To achieve our goals, we must know our priorities, work those priorities, and somehow -- SOMEHOW -- make peace with those tasks that are NOT our priorities and left undone. It doesn't make everyone happy. That's not our job. Our job is to figure out our goals, work THEM, and achieve the goals that matter. Easier said than done, certainly, but no reason to surrender. Here's what I tell myself: figure out your goals -- then work your butt off. -- Doug Smith

If you haven't memorized your most important goal, how important is it? Memorize your goal. Tell people about it. Work it. -- Doug Smith

You can't fake authenticity. -- Doug Smith