It’s not “integrity,” it’s “always do the right thing.
Unless you give motivated people something to believe in, something bigger than their job to work toward, they will motivate themselves to find a new job and you’ll be stuck with whoever’s left.
Manipulative techniques have become such a mainstay in American business today that it has become virtually impossible for some to kick the habit. Like any addiction, the drive is not to get sober, but to find the next fix faster and more frequently. And as good as the short-term highs may feel, they have a deleterious impact on the long-term health of an organization.
Many companies have star employees and star salesmen and so on, but few have a culture that produces great people as a rule and not an exception.
It is important to celebrate our victories, but we cannot linger on them. For the Infinite Game is still going and there is still much work to be done.
In weak cultures, people find safety in the rules. This is why we get bureaucrats. They believe a strict adherence to the rules provides them with job security. And in the process, they do damage to the trust inside and outside the organization. In strong cultures, people find safety in relationships. Strong relationships are the foundation of high-performing teams. And all high-performing teams start with trust.
Before we can stand out, we must first get clear on what we stand for.
Leadership is the ability to rally people not for a single event, but for years.
Happiness comes from what we do. Fulfillment comes from why we do it.
My favorite definition of love is giving someone the power to destroy us and trusting they won’t use it.
A Just Cause must be: For something – affirmative and optimistic Inclusive – open to all those who would like to contribute Service oriented – for the primary benefit of others Resilient – able to endure political, technological and cultural change Idealistic – big, bold and ultimately unachievable.
Empathy would be injected into the company and trust would be the new standard. Preferring to see everyone as human instead of as a factory worker or office employee, Chapman made other changes so that everyone would be treated the same way.
But only companies that act like commodities are the ones who wake up every day with the challenge of how to differentiate.
She’s a great leader because she understands that earning the trust of an organization doesn’t come from setting out to impress everyone, it comes from setting out to serve those who serve her.
In short, professional competence is not enough to be a good leader; good leaders must truly care about those entrusted to their care.
Trust must be continuously and actively cultivated.
When the person who personifies the WHY departs without clearly articulating WHY the company was founded in the first place, they leave no clear cause for their successor to lead.
There are leaders and there are those who lead. Leaders hold a position of power or influence. Those who lead inspire us. Whether individuals or organizations, we follow those who lead not because we have to, but because we want to. We follow those who lead not for them, but for ourselves. This is a book for those who want to inspire others and for those who want to find someone to inspire them.
There are many ways to motivate people to do things, but loyalty comes from the ability to inspire people. Only when the WHY is clear and when people believe what you believe can a true loyal relationship develop.
Bottom line is when we focus on our strengths and lean in to the strengths of others, we can make the impossible possible.