| Excellent leadership is defined by excellent | | | | future. Am I a failure, a poor leader who is |
| thinking. Words and acts of excellence are | | | | maxed out and on the way out? Or am I a |
| preceded by thoughts of excellence. | | | | great leader in the making who is learning |
| | | | some tough lessons that will help ensure |
| Our minds are magnets. What we focus on is | | | | success on the next project when my true |
| what we get. Our thoughts and beliefs have | | | | colors will really show? |
| that much power. Think about it! We receive | | | | |
| what we believe about leadership. This works | | | | Ed Zander chose his view when he took over as |
| just as powerfully with negative thoughts as | | | | CEO of Motorola. His first order of business |
| it does with positive thoughts. | | | | was to turn around the $37 billion |
| | | | communications giant. To recover its |
| You might be asking, "How can I be positive | | | | excellence and its leadership in one of the |
| all the time when negative situations are a | | | | fastest-moving markets on the world's |
| reality. They just show up in everyday life?" | | | | business horizon. |
| | | | |
| Yes, bad things do happen and they sometimes | | | | What did this process require? A "nothing |
| "just show up." Any leader would be hard | | | | but excellence" level of commitment. |
| pressed to remember a week when no curve | | | | |
| balls were thrown. However, it is our | | | | "One of my challenges at Motorola is to get |
| interpretation that makes a situation | | | | this thing moving a heck of a lot faster than |
| negative. A surprise event or a challenging | | | | it is today," Zander explained. |
| moment doesn't drag us down. The way we | | | | |
| think about what happens determines the | | | | Just a few years prior to Zander's |
| ultimate outcome. | | | | appointment as CEO, red ink was gushing from |
| | | | every corporate pore and Motorola was headed |
| Like it or not, our thoughts and | | | | for life support. Known for inventing the |
| interpretations of people and events directly | | | | cell phone and a string of other major |
| influence our beliefs, and ultimately, our | | | | innovations in its 75-year history, Motorola |
| leadership actions. Henry Ford once said, | | | | had been struggling under the burden of older |
| "Whether you think you can or cannot, you're | | | | technology. |
| right." In other words, what we think is | | | | |
| what we get. | | | | Zander felt pressure to "clean house" upon |
| | | | his arrival. He heard, "You gotta come in |
| Hannah Teeter understands this. While most | | | | and fire everyone and get your own team. It |
| girls were playing with dolls or getting | | | | is easier if you bring in people you know." |
| ready for their high school proms, Hannah, | | | | Instead, his defining moment came when he |
| Olympic gold medalist in the half-pipe | | | | decided to expect excellence from the |
| snowboarding event, was trying to keep up | | | | existing leadership team. With only a few |
| with her four older brothers. She learned | | | | exceptions, he kept the same team and |
| whatever they were willing to teach her about | | | | instilled a commitment to excellence in them |
| snowboarding, and they urged her to "push | | | | and throughout the organization. Zander took |
| higher" and "go big." | | | | the more difficult and longer path to change, |
| | | | but building sustained, team commitment is |
| After standing atop the highest step on the | | | | like that . There's no shortcut or easy |
| medalists' podium in Torino, Italy, Hanna was | | | | path. |
| interviewed by a television commentator. He | | | | |
| asked Hannah, "To what do you attribute your | | | | Even in the face of downsizing 60,000 of |
| gold medal performance at the young age of | | | | Motorola's 150,000 employees, Zander stayed |
| 19?" | | | | focused on the excellence that could be. His |
| | | | next move was to jumpstart new technology and |
| "My 'secret sauce,'" she said, "is my | | | | innovation that led to the company's rebirth: |
| brothers, having great parents and being able | | | | the launch of the ultra cool and ultra thin |
| to stay positive about anything and | | | | Razr cell phone. This was followed by its |
| everything that's come my way. Keeping a | | | | first iTunes-compatible cell phone: the Rokr. |
| positive outlook is definitely key to success | | | | |
| on a snowboard or in any competition." | | | | Bottom line: Within two years of Zander's |
| | | | arrival, Motorola's revenues were up 28 |
| Hannah is right. | | | | percent and its financials had made the jump |
| | | | from red ink to black. |
| An attitude of excellence is the secret sauce | | | | |
| for today's successful leader. Excellent | | | | Deep commitment to excellence never rests. |
| leaders mentally reframe situations to help | | | | So Zander isn't taking any time-outs any time |
| their teams view challenges in a positive | | | | soon. He says he still has a couple of years |
| light - they take a new picture. Facts are | | | | of hard work ahead of him before the turn |
| facts, but the view we take is our choice. | | | | around is complete and he takes Motorola to |
| | | | the next level. In the meantime, he's giving |
| Our experiences are much less important than | | | | it his best and expecting the same from his |
| how we choose to think about them. Our | | | | team. |
| interpretations of experiences either limit | | | | |
| or enable our future success. Here's an | | | | At any moment during daily leadership, we can |
| example: a mission-critical project you are | | | | fall victim to our own thinking. Self-doubt |
| leading has "promotion" written all over it, | | | | and fear are the enemies of leadership |
| but it bombs. It's over budget, past its | | | | excellence. Our commitments define us and |
| deadline - the works. How we choose to | | | | our teams depend on us. The choice is ours. |
| interpret those facts is how we shape our | | | | Think excellence always! |