Great People Decisions

After recently celebrating the talent of many of my team, I am convinced that the secret to a great company is it’s people.

As a sports follower I often watch the off-season moves of general managers of sports franchises. As a strategist I try to think about how their moves will impact the future of their teams. As a fan I can question key moves, but history will ultimately tell us if their moves spawned an aggressive team atmosphere that was productive and successful.

A good leader ought always to focus on the management of talent within their organization. Times like these prove no different. It is crucial to build and grow a leadership infrastructure that is powerful and works in amazing velocity.

Here are a few ways I have tried to build a solid infrastructure.

1. Build on Values - You must lead with more than personal opinion. Values keep everyone in line and motivated - including the leader.

2. Hire for Chemistry - It is easy to hire brains. Finding chemistry is much more difficult, but much more effective than knowledge without relevance.

3. Focus on a Cause - We have a vision bigger than ourselves. It motivates me. We dream of influence and of global impact. That keeps us excited in change and working towards innovation.

4. Build Relationships - There is nothing stronger than lifelong relationships. I encourage it in every position. I am working hard to remain transparent with our team and stretch us all to focus on relationships over transactions.

Long-term growth takes years. You need an infrastructure to get there. Yet, it always starts with great people decisions.

Posted on November 13, 2008 in Business Growth