A to Z of Leadership

A - Accessibility

Don't just sit there in your glass box. Find out what is
really going on by getting out there to talk to everyone at every level.

B - Brains, not heads

Fifty per cent of the brains of the world are female and
brains have no colour. It is not about being politically
correct, it is about getting the very best person for the job.

C - Culture

Culture is the way a company gets things done. If it is
working, why change it?

D - Detail

Never miss a thing. If you do, your customer won't.

E - Energy

Leading is a 24 hour a day, seven day a week job. Get in
shape.

F - Failure

Get rid of the blame culture. If you punish failure colleagues will never have the courage to be creative either.

G - Goals

Know what you want to achieve and how you are going to
get there. Then tell everyone.

H - Honesty

Never lie and never bullsh*t. Not even to get yourself out of
trouble. You will get rumbled.

I - Instinct

Trust your first instinct. You were probably right.

J - Judgement

Good judgement is based on good evidence. Invest your time in getting the whole picture.

K - Kings

Never forget, the customer is king. Without them, you do not have a business.

L - Listening

Clear communication means listening as well as talking. A good leader will listen more than he or she speaks.

M - Mission

Make it count. A mission is a guiding set of principles which should stand the test of time and never change.

N - News

Tell it how it is, even if it is bad news. You will earn respect.

O - Opportunities

Opportunities never come along at just the right time, but when you see one, take it.

P - Popularity

Forget it. Leadership is not a popularity contest.

Q - Questions

Ask them all the time - feedback is vital.

R - Recruitment

Hire to your weaknesses - let someone else watch your blind side.

S - Strategy

Strategy is the easy bit. The tough part is execution.

T - Team

No one can succeed on their own.

U - Unity

To unite a team, everyone must share the same goals and values.

V - Vision

Champion your vision. Tell everyone who will listen, all day, every day.

W - Winning

Winning is addictive

X - Extra

Leading is not a 9-5 job. You have to go that extra mile every single day.

Y - Yours Truly

The buck stops here. You will know when you look in the mirror whether you have done the right thing.

Z - Zoo

If you go to the zoo, always take something to feed the animals, even if the signs say do not feed the animals. It wasn't the animals that put them signs up. (With thanks to Forrest Gump).