Law of solid ground

Trust is *the most important* thing!
Trust is the glue that holds an organization together.
Trust is the foundation of leadership.
Trust is like change: every good decision is change into the pocket, every bad decision is change out of the pocket
Treat trust as your most precious asset

To build trust exemplify:
- competence (learning is ok),
- connection(takes time),
- character(every slip is fatal!)

Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without strategy.

Character => Trust => Leadership. Character makes trust possible. Trust makes leadership possible.

Character communicates:
- consistency, you can't get much done in life if you only work on the days you feel good
- potential, no man can climb out beyond the limitations of his own character
- respect, without character within, there can be no respect without

Build trust by achieving results, always with integrity and in a manner that shows a real personal regard for people with whom you work.

Earn respect by making sound decisions, by admitting mistakes, and by puttings what's best for your followers and the organization ahead of your personal agenda

Don't lie, look out for number one, take the easy road, pass the hot potato, ignore followers, take the credit, pass on blame.

Warning signs: unrest, rumbling, relationship eroding.

If you lack trust, is it due to competence, connection, and/or character?

Measures of trust:
- how open are your followers with you:
* do they share positive as well as negative opinions
* do they give good news as easily as bad news
* do they let you know what is happening in their are of responsibility
- how much responsibility do you receive from colleagues and bosses

To develop character:
- integrity: make commitments and keep them,
- authenticity: be yourself with everybody
- discipline: do the right thing everyday regardless of how you feel

A DEFINITION OF CHARACTER:
- Making decisions based on what is best for the company versus personal gain
- Stating opinions honestly
- Delivering on commitments
- Taking a stand on tough issues
- Being approachable and asking for feedback
- Treating everyone the same
- Trusting and working collaboratively with others
- Being emotionally resilient in changing situations

THREE BEHAVIOURS THAT DEMONSTRATE CHARACTER:
- Break through negativity. It’s easier to question, dissect and disregard. Great leaders express excitement about the future and confidence in the ability of others
- Learn together. Typical leaders analyze decisions without the feedback from those most affected by the issue at hand. Inclusive decision-making shows consideration and respect for others, results in better decisions and stronger commitment, and more successful outcomes.
- Challenge the status quo. Get out from behind the desk. Leadership requires situational awareness and the courage to articulate what others are thinking. Get real by hanging out with your staff and peers and asking questions.

law of priorities

Activity is not necessarily accomplishment.

Prioritizing requires you to continually think ahead.

The 1st responsibility of a leader is to define reality. For a leader, everything is on the table.

Pareto principle: focus on the top 20% of activities that give you 80% of the return
- if you have 10 employees, focus 80% on best 2
- if you have 10 todo items, the 2 most important ones will give you 80% return on your time

3R's

Requirement: What must I do that nobody can or should do for me? If it's not necessary, don't do it. If it's necessary but I don't need to do it personally, delegate.



Return: Focus your time on your areas of strength. Leader stays out of comfort zone, but in strength zone. If somebody else can do something at least 80% as well as yourself, delegate. If you have responsbility somebody else could do (or potentially do) at least 80% as well then train that person to handle it.

Reward:Do the things you love. They give you energy and passion in life.

Summary and notes on law of empowerment

Antithesis of empowering leader: undermining other leaders and looking over shoulders of own people

Only secure leaders are able to give power to others without feeling threatened

"The best executive is the one who has the sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and the self restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it."

To keep others down, you have to go down with them. You lose the power to lift others up.

When a leader can't or won't empower others, he creates barriers followers cannot overcome.

3 reasons for failing to empower others:
- job security. Paradox = The only way to make yourself indispensable is to make yourself dispensable.
- resistance to change. "It is the nature of man as he grows older to protest against change, particularly change fo the better". Effective leaders are change agents (for improvement)
- lack of self-worth. "You can't lead a cavalry charge if you think you look funny on a horse".



The greatest things happen only when you give others credit.

The window and the mirror (from "Good to Great"). When things go well, a good leader (level 5) looks out the window to see the environment and people responsible, when things go bad, he looks in the mirror. (A bad leader vice versa)

To empower people, believe in them. If you belive in others, they will believe in themselves.

Enlarging others make you larger.