Rudy On Leadership

ORGANIZE AROUND A PURPOSE:

• Leadership is more important than systems or strategies or philosophy.
• The first question is always, "What's the mission?" Ask yourself what you'd like to achieve -- not day-to-day, but your overarching goal. Then assess and analyze your resources.

CHART IT, UNDERSTAND IT:

• Charts allow for accountability.
• Organizational charts are not simply maps of how things work. When used correctly, they're creative problem-solvers.
• You've got to impose a structure to bring order to what could easily become chaos.

BRIBE ONLY THOSE WHO WILL STAY BRIBED:

• In any leadership role, one must deal with all types of people.
• Obviously, as often as possible, one should confine dealings to people one trusts completely.
• Sometimes a leader has no alternative but to deal with someone untrustworthy. The only option is to lock up every detail in the clearest possible language, ensuring it's all written, and that there are witnesses.
• You've got to know when you're dealing with somebody who won't stay bribed so you can collect your end of the bargain up front.
• There are some people who should be completely avoided. It's counterproductive to deal with them, and will just drag you down.
• There are many times in which leaders think they have to deal with someone who doesn't meet their standards, when the reality is that they can't just say no.

[Make no mistake, the author does not literally mean "bribe." If you read the book, you will learn that what he is referring to is that when you make business arrangements with someone, you should make every attempt to work with individuals who will live up to their end of the bargain -- people who will keep their word.] --JOE

Joe