Using Your Leverage

There’s ONE lever that has the greatest potential to help us fulfill our business mission - more than any other lever…..

What do you think it is?

Answer: How we manage and lead.

Whoa - that’s heavy to think about. Some days it feels like the rock of Gibraltar on our shoulders.

As Managers….

• We have a huge responsibility.


• We have a huge opportunity.


• There is a privilege that comes with being a manager.

Why I’m Concerned

• Based on feedback from many people over the years, our management and leadership capabilities represent a weakness.


• We have promoted many great folks with little to no management experience.


• We have not offered much in the way of management and leadership development.


• We have not consistently communicated our expectations of management and/or measured and rewarded them for taking the time to manage and lead.

What we can do about this

• Establish, communicate and be measured based on powerful standards for managers (or “What management and leadership should look like”). We know we need to be role models of these standards - we are accountable.


• Help all managers develop the skills needed to manage based on these standards. (Also, we will consider these standards before promoting people to management positions)


• Focus our management development efforts toward helping managers develop any skills they need to manage based on these standards.

Here’s what I believe

• Managers who manage based on these standards will help make history and will be rewarded.


• Managers who do not manage based on these standards will not get optimal results.


• We all have the opportunity to be great.

Standards For Managers

What are your standards for managers? I will share my list tomorrow....