In the past few weeks, we were reviewing the leverage points for leaders at work. We emphasised the need to lead the process and set standards for the right goals and to lead the design process to create the appropriate metrics. There is one more leverage point which needs to be analysed. That is to maintain a winner’s mind-set.
Execution is about just one thing: results. And for any team, the only acceptable result should be winning. This is obvious, self-evident and logical, you might say. Any team member would say: “of course, we are here to win. Our goal is always to win.” But you would be amazed how many talented, well-led teams, most of them with clear and reasonable goals, set out to do just that, and then, invisible to the outside observer, veer away. They have failed to gain victories that should have been easily within their grasp.
They lost not because they didn’t want to win but because, over the course of the execution of their strategy, winning mind-set almost lost its superior importance. Instead they accept failure with a calm and resigned sense of inevitability, accompanied by very “justified” explanations about how it really wasn’t their fault.
The story is straight forward. Things usually start quite well. A monthly or quarterly set of goals are decided and for a period of time are on track. Numbers are good and reports are forthright accounts of how it is all going. The “ops” reviews are fun to watch. Then, as time goes on, challenges to progress arise. There are no clear answers or remedies, and the mischief begins. Yet there is no obvious signs that the danger of defeat will come. But there is that moment, and everyone can feel it, when the commitment or the project enters the risk zone.
It is at this junction when egos get shaky. And, it is that moment the leaders must recognise the signs of the impending crisis and immediately intervene with actions t hat t hat remedy or reverse the situation. This is the moment when great leaders step in and take full control of the situation. It is where the leader’s winner’s mind-set comes into full play.
Four rules
Fundamental to any business success is a winner’s mind-set, a prevailing mental attitude held by the leader, with conviction, identifying himself or herself as a winner. A leader with a winner’s mind-set has a non-negotiable goal of success. This is important because research has shown that his attitudes, underlying beliefs, thoughts, and words actually affect what he experiences as reality!
“Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve.” - Mary KayAsh
There are four rules for a leader’s winner’s wind-set.
Rule 1: Always seek selfimprovement, since your success is a reflection of you. Work on your weaknesses through personal growth, and you will be amazed by the improving business results, which will soon appear.
Rule 2: Always seek to stretch your comfort zone. Growth happens when you’re willing to risk facing the unfamiliar or uncomfortable!
Rule 3: The faster the implementation, the quicker the results.
Rule 4: A leader’s winner’s mindset requires an ongoing training program - keep working at it.
Essential steps
There are eight essential steps and techniques to achieve the winner’s mind-set
1. Non-negotiable goal
A leader with a winner’s business mind-set has one important nonnegotiable goal held with 100 percent conviction: Success is t he only choice! Therefore he takes every appropriate action necessary to reach this non-negotiable goal! Nothing and no one will divert his focus on this target!
Draw a picture representing your vision of the business’ successful future, in details and colour. For example, your projected goals for numbers of customers, sales, or income per month. Divide those numerical targets into by number of months and weeks.
Make a list of prioritized, necessary actions or tasks. This list will be adjusted as you progress. Consider this list as a primary source when creating and prioritizing your daily schedule. A list of necessary actions or tasks works great for many leaders because it’s an easy tool for delegating the tasks! For some leaders, lists don’t work! They need a less structured or more fluid approach. Just remember to keep an eye on your drawing and take actions every day toward creating the future pictured in the drawing. It may or may not take more time, but what is important is that you create the future in your vision and reach your goal.
2. Focus
A winner’s mind-set requires a focused mind. Successful leaders are not chasing more than one rabbit at a time. They prioritize or rank their goals. They evaluate the results of their actions and strategies, and course-correct frequently. They keep an eye on the progress toward each goal and plan new actions to be more efficient. Their work is to re-evaluate and course-correct.
The best way to stay focused is t o track results frequently with your cash flow statement, and be strategic by planning every action. Actions should be i ncluded i n t he business activities only if t hey bring expected results that contribute to business growth as envisioned.To stay focused, use planning versus numbers strategy. Thus a well-designed bookkeeping system is an i nvaluable foundation for tracking, interpreting, and using the business financial data for measuring progress toward your goals.
3. Leverage time
A winner’s business mind-set presumes an ongoing search for ways to leverage his time. A successful leader understands he cannot do everything by himself and must delegate to leverage his time via other sources: followers, superiors, partner-leaders, outsourcing. Actually, a leader entrepreneur should be the dispatcher or delegator of the tasks. Most of the time, young leaders take a while to reach that level of delegation. Just remember, the sooner you start to delegate tasks, the better!
How should a leader leverage his time?
- First, it is really important to systematize all daily tasks.
- If you are new to the business, you may not have adequate time and resources to train or hire followers, so you may have to be satisfied with the existing team of your division. The key is to make them responsible for one specific task and encourage them to take initiative in the process. You may be surprised how creative they can be, if they are interested. Often the hardest part is to find the selfmotivated followers!
There are many outsourcing possibilities.When recruiting new team members, you want to find a “Better than you”! Your team members should, as much as possible, be better than you in the discipline or task for which you are hiring them! This is consistent with one other goal for a successful leader: surround himself with a team of great, selfmotivated, devoted followers.
