NOW! Fail or Thrive Excerpts for Busy Leaders

By Ronald D. Sears

NOW! Fail or Thrive provides you with solutions you need now by distilling the core principles of business, time honored virtues, personal development and delivering them quickly and concisely.

Pushed for time in your daily schedule? NOW! Fail or Thrive has the answers. Learn principles that make the difference...
• Selected excerpts from some the best in the business world
• Capture stimulating concepts quickly
• Renewed possibilities to consider
• Engaging famous quotations to ponder
• Read most topics in less than five minutes

Broken into seven parts:
1. Accountability
2. Communication
3. Effectiveness
4. Employees
5. Leadership & Management
6. Thinking & Problem Solving
7. Time Honored Virtues & Personal Development

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ronald D. Sears
• Release date: Jan 9, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005276645

Ronald D. Sears

Ronald Sears has over 30 years’ experience in numerous leadership and academic roles. He holds a master’s degree in Leadership & Organizational Studies. His diverse background includes newspaper publishing, adjunct university instructor, academic dean, school director, Stephen minster, and church trustee.

Book preview

Part 1

Accountability

Accountability is the glue that ties commitment to the result.

Bob Proctor

Dependability

Ability is important in our quest for success, but dependability is critical.

Zig Ziglar

Notable Quotes

If your actions don’t live up to your words, you have nothing to say.

DaShanne Stokes

Dependability is more important than talent. Dependability is a talent, and it is a talent all can have. It makes no difference how much ability we possess if we are not responsible and dependable.

Floy L. Bennett

8 Ways to Become the Most Reliable Person in the Room By Lee Colan

1. Manage Commitments. Ask yourself if a commitment is a high priority for you. Focus on timelines (when work gets done) versus deadlines (when work is due). Know when to say no.

2. Proactively Communicate. If you make a promise that you can't meet because of truly terrible and unforeseen circumstances, let the person know as soon as possible.

3. Start and Finish. The best way to finish strong is to start strong. Keeping your word or simply doing the right thing is rarely convenient, so reliable people let their actions rise above their excuses.

4. Excel Daily. Implement daily disciplines to sharpen your focus, and strive for everyday excellence. Excellence does not equal perfection (which can be a barrier to reliability).

5. Be Truthful. Be full of truth-tell the full truth. Does everything you use to communicate tell the full truth? If not, you are a source of unreliable information.

6. Respect Time, Yours and Others'. If you tell someone you can meet at a certain time, you have made a promise. Being on time shows others that you are a person of your word.

7. Value Your Values. Your values should dictate your behavior, not your circumstances or fleeting feelings. Being a reliable person not only means doing what you say, it also means doing what is right, regardless of what you have committed to.

8. Use Your BEST Team. Ensure they offer the energy, truth, and positive perspective you need to orchestrate your actions. Your BEST team can help you: Hone your self-awareness. Depend on your team to give you truthful, constructive feedback to keep your beliefs based in reality. Affirm that your actions are aligned with your values. By giving you a chance to help them. As the proverb says, In teaching others, we teach ourselves. Rehearse challenging situations before you go live.

The Oz Principle by by Roger Connors, Tom Smith, Craig Hickman --Getting Results through Accountability

Above The Line, Below the Line. A thin line separates failure and success, greatness and mediocrity.

Above The Line, you'll find the Steps to Accountability which include in chronological order: See It, Own It, Solve It, and Do It. The first step, See It, means acknowledging the problem; to Own It is to assume responsibility for the problem and the results; Solve It means to formulate solutions to remedy the situation; and, as a culminating step, Do It commands the practical application of the solutions identified.

Below The Line is where the self-professed victims play. The Blame Game. Here, crippling attitudes such as Wait and See, Confusion/Tell Me What To Do, It's Not My Job, Ignore/Deny, Finger Pointing, and Cover Your Tail are rampant. Though majority of the people found in this dimension are weak in accountability, this does not mean that very accountable individuals are exempt from falling Below The Line.

Additional Reading

Accountability: The Key to Driving a High-Performance Culture by Greg Bustin

The Oz Principle: Getting Results Through Individual and Organizational Accountability By Roger Connors, Tom Smith, and Craig Hickman

Point of Reflection

A man who lacks reliability is utterly useless.

Confucius

Encourage Employee Accountability

"Accountability is a key concept in moving an organization forward, especially in a challenging business climate."

Cindy Tucker

Defining Accountability--Webster’s Dictionary defines accountability as the quality or state of being accountable; an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility for one’s actions.

7 Ways to Improve Employee Accountability in the Workplace by Bob Cote

1. Set expectations during on-boarding

2. Provide performance feedback early and often

3. Establish a culture of empowerment and trust

4. Make consequences and rewards clear

5. Get casual—as a leader it’s your job to know your employees show interest in them.

6. Communication is key

7. Establish collective values and objectives

6 Elements of a Good Job Description by Debbie Zmorenski

1. Task functions and responsibilities. Clearly delineate all job functions and responsibilities as they relate to the performance of the employees duties.

2. Performance standards. Indicate productivity and quality standards required for the individual to be successful in his or her new role.

3. Job-related skills. List the level of skill, knowledge, experience and capability demanded by the job.

4. Scope and limits of authority. Outline the areas of responsibility assigned to each person.

5. Management expectations. It is impossible to get results unless you spell them out.

6. Relationships. Clarify the reporting structure for each department or division, stating to whom the employee reports or who reports to the employee, if applicable. Also, if team or group projects are required, give an example.

Why lack of employee accountability is a real problem

Research shows that there is a real problem in the American workplace when it comes to employee accountability. A recent survey of business leaders illuminated this:

• 25% of the leaders surveyed felt that 10% to 20% of their workers avoid accountability

• 21% of these managers felt that 30 to 50% of their employees were unaccountable to anyone

According to Partners In Leadership, a lack of accountability in the workplace leads to:

• Low team morale

• Unclear priorities across the team

• Employees become less engaged

• The team or individual is not meeting goals

• Low levels of trust

• High turnover

Additional Reading

Keeping Employees Accountable for Results: Quick Tips for Busy Managers by Brian Miller

How Did That Happen? Holding People Accountable for Results the Positive, Principled Way by Roger Connors, and Tom Smith

Points of Reflection

Holding employees accountable is where most leaders fail

Unknown

Individual Accountability

He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.

Benjamin Franklin

Key Points

• Make it clearly understood with employees that individual accountability is vital and is expected. An attitude of accountability is at the core of any effort to improve activities and maximize results.

• As leader of your department you must lead by example by demonstrating individual accountability with your words and actions. Leaders influence people—instill in them the principle of going the extra mile in performing their assigned duties.

• The book The OZ Principe states it very clearly for achieving results—See It, Own It, Solve It and Do it.

• From W. Steven Brown, book Thirteen Fatal Errors Managers Make . . . And How You Can Avoid Them.

o We fail to develop people—by not providing training and proper models to follow.

• Nike famous ad slogan Just Do It there is no excuses, no wiggle room.

Use Brian Cole Miller six SIMPLE steps:

1. S = Set expectations

2. I = Invite comment

3. M = Measure progress

4. P = Provide feedback

5. L = Link to consequences

6. E = Evaluate effectiveness

Take: PRIDE in everything you do:

P = Personal

R = Responsibility

I = In

D= Daily

E = Effort

Suggested Reading

The Oz Principle: Getting Results Through Individual and Organizational Accountability by Roger Connors, Tom Smith, and Craig Hickman.

The 85% Solution: How Personal Accountability Guarantees Success -- No Nonsense, No Excuses by Linda Galindo, Versera Performance Consulting

Points of reflection

No individual can achieve worthy goals without accepting accountability for his or her own actions.

Dan Miller

A man's worth is no greater than his ambitions.

Marcus Aureliu

The Accountability Ladder

A culture of ‘accountability’ is the most important element in ‘making things happen.

Yapp

The Accountability Ladder describes the hierarchy of consequences if someone achieves or doesn’t achieve an outcome. It’s intended to be illustrative, not comprehensive, and it provides benchmarks for the impact of different actions.

Eight Basic Rungs by Martin Zwilling

1. No accountability, person totally unaware of failures. These are business people, whether they are employees, managers, or entrepreneurs, who don’t have a clue about what is required or the devastation they leave behind. Usually, these people think they are doing a great job, and are totally oblivious to their unhappy customers or cash drain.

2. Use blame and complain in lieu of accepting accountability. Some business people always play the victim, finding someone or some natural force as the cause for all their failures. An example of this would be finger pointing at unfair managers, blaming economic downturns, and irrational customer expectations for missed commitments.

3. People deliver excuses rather than results. It’s easy for an entrepreneur or an employee to convince themselves that they would have been successful if they had more time, received more funding, or had the proper training to do the job. Usually, the real culprit is procrastination, lack of focus, or low productivity and lack of metrics.

4. Wait and hope for a miracle. Entrepreneurs with the mantra if we build it, they will come, and executives who don’t communicate their expectations, fall into this category. Employees can’t be accountable if they don’t know what is expected of them. Entrepreneurs won’t be successful if they have a passion, but no plan and no target.

5. Accountability starts by acknowledging reality. Business people at this level recognize the magnitude of the workload and the specific tasks required for success. Smart entrepreneurs know they must deliver a quality product, develop a winning business model, and attract real customers. All that’s left is to commit and deliver.

6. The next step is to accept ownership and responsibility. Moving forward into the business realities requires courage, commitment, and determination to succeed. If the motivation is not strong enough, it’s easy for people to fall back down the ladder and cover their lack of ownership with excuses, blame, and complaints.

7. Apply known solutions to predictable tasks and challenges. Most good employees and executives perform at this level of accountability. They admit to owning the situation and pride themselves on their professional abilities. Yet, when the totally unexpected happens, they may be quick unload the problem up the line, or fall off the ladder.

8. Accept total accountability and make it happen. These are the cherished entrepreneurs who succeed despite tough odds, and the employees who come up with new approaches to delight your customers, achieve breakthrough goals, and develop innovative new products for markets you never imagined.

Additional Reading

Accountability: The Key to Driving a High-Performance Culture by Greg Bustin

Point of Reflection

You are accountable for your actions, your decisions, your life; no one else is, but you.

Catherine Pulsifer

Part 2

Communication

To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.

Tony Robbins

Active Listening

The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them.

Ralph Nichols

By John M. Grohol, Psy.D.

The studies on average say we spend 70-80% of our waking hours in some form of communication. Of that time, we spend about 9 percent writing, 16 percent reading, 30 percent speaking, and 45 percent listening.

Key Points

Restating

To show you are listening, repeat every so often what you think the person said — not by parroting, but by paraphrasing what you heard in your own words. For example, Let’s see if I’m clear about this. . .

Summarizing

Bring together the facts and pieces of the problem to check understanding — for example, So it sounds to me as if . . . Or, Is that it?

Minimal Encouragers

Use brief, positive prompts to keep the conversation going and show you are listening — for example, umm-hmmm, Oh? I understand, Then? And?

Reflecting

Instead of just repeating, reflect the speaker’s words in terms of feelings — for example, This seems really important to you. . .

Giving Feedback

Let the person know what your initial thoughts are on the situation. Share pertinent information, observations, insights, and experiences. Then listen carefully to confirm.

Emotion Labeling

Putting feelings into words will often help a person to see things more objectively. To help the person begin, use door openers — for example, I’m sensing that you’re feeling frustrated . . . worried . . . anxious. . .

Probing

Ask questions to draw the person out and get deeper and more meaningful information for example, What do you think would happen if you . . .?

Validation

Acknowledge the individual’s problems, issues, and feelings. Listen openly and with empathy, and respond in an interested way — for example, I appreciate your willingness to talk about such a difficult issue. . .

Effective Pause

Deliberately pause at key points for emphasis. This will tell the person you are saying something that is very important to them.

Silence

Allow for comfortable silences to slow down the exchange. Give a person time to think as well as talk. Silence can also be very helpful in diffusing an unproductive interaction.

I messages

By using I in your statements, you focus on the problem not the person. An I-message lets the person know what you feel and why — for example, I know you have a lot to say, but I need to. . .

Redirecting

If someone is showing signs of being overly aggressive, agitated, or angry, this is the time to shift the discussion to another topic.

Consequences

Part of the feedback may involve talking about the possible consequences of inaction. Take your cues from what the person is saying — for example, What happened the last time you stopped taking the medicine your doctor prescribed?

7 Communication Blockers By John M. Grohol, Psy.D.

These roadblocks to communication can stop communication dead in its tracks:

1. Why questions. They tend to make people defensive.

2. Quick reassurance, saying things like, Don’t worry about that.

3. Advising — I think the best thing for you is to move to assisted living.

4. Digging for information and forcing someone to talk about something they would rather not.

5. Patronizing — You poor thing, I know just how you feel.

6. Preaching — You should. . . Or, You shouldn’t. . .

7. Interrupting — Shows you aren’t interested in what someone is saying.

5 Simple Conversation Courtesies

1. Excuse me…

2. Pardon me….

3. One moment please…

4. Let’s talk about solutions.

5. May I suggest something?

Source: National Aging Information & Referral Support Center

Stephen R. Covey writes in his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is so relevant to effective communication Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.

Leigh Espy uses the AFFORD method

The acronym AFFORD can help you remember the elements to listening full. If you want to ensure you’re truly listening fully when someone is speaking to you – especially if the conversation is important or with someone you care about – keep the following components in mind.

Attention. Give the speaker your full attention when you speak with them. Turn your body toward them. Look at them and even look them in the eye. Don’t multitask, but rather be fully present with them. And let them know you’re listening by giving active motions or indications, such as nodding your head, saying yes or making appropriate facial expressions.

Focus on their message. Focus on what they speaker is saying. Don’t think about your argument, what you’re going to say next, or your grocery list.

Feelings behind the message. If you’re conversing about a sensitive topic that involves conveying feelings, listen for what those feelings are. Identify how the speaker feels about the topic they’re sharing with you.

Observe body language. Check to see if the body language backs up what the speaker is saying.