The Extreme Leader's On-Line, Interactive Handbook

This is your chance to work with the essential questions of Extreme Leadership. Visit this section as often as you can -- once a day, if possible. Answer the questions for yourself and, if you'd like, post your responses on-line. Feel free to comment on others' entries and ask questions of others in the Extreme Leadership world. There is a "post comment" link after each section--please use it to answer the questions, share your thoughts and help each other. I'll be in there, too. My hope is that these questions will become a part of your day-to-day thought process, and not something you have to remind yourself to do or think about.

Here's, ultimately, how to apply the work that you do here:

1. Persist. View it every day.
2. Reflect. Answer the questions quietly, to yourself and for yourself.
3. Project. Answer the questions out loud, for your team, your colleagues, your customers, your boss. (That should create an OS!M or two.)
4. Inquire. Ask others at work (or where ever) what they think, what they'd add to or subtract from what you've said. How would they answer?
5. Converse. Talk it over; talk it through. Make this give-and-take part of your normal, everyday dialogue.

Posted by steve

Cultivate Love

Love:
a feeling of strong attachment induced by that which delights or commands admiration; preeminent kindness or devotion to another.

Love is good business.
Love is your retention strategy.
Love is your customer strategy.

So, how do you get them to love you? Simple, really . . .

Go first...

or don't bother calling yourself, 'leader.' Let alone extreme.

"Why do I love this business, this company?"

"Why do I love this project, this idea, this system, this procedure, this policy?"

"Why do I love my customers?"

"Why do I love my colleagues?"

Then answer this question not with words, but through your actions:

"How will I show that love in the way I work with, serve, and lead the people around me?"

Posted by steve | Comments (8)

Generate Energy

Energy:

1. Internal or inherent power; capacity of acting, operating, or producing an effect.
2. Strength of expression; force of utterance; power to impress the mind and arouse the feelings; life; spirit
— American Heritage, Webster's

The Extreme Leader is a generator, a powerful force for action, for progress, and an enthusiastic believer in people and in their capacity to do the awesome.

Make a list of your personal energizers and encourage others to do the same.

1. What effects do my actions have on the energy of the people around me?
2. What is our work really all about?
3. What is our "higher purpose"?
4. What are our noble principles and values?
5. What goals can I set for my team and my company today that will tap into all of our talents, skills, hopes and aspirations?
6. What are we doing that keeps us from fulfilling our and our customers' goals and dreams?
7. What should we change in order to make this a more interesting, exciting, scintillating, awesome and energetic place to work?

Posted by steve | Comments (1)

Inspire Audacity

Audacity:
A bold and blatant disregard for normal constraints.

Make a list in response to these questions:

• What are the "normal constraints" that seem to be holding you back?
• Which of those constraints have you imposed upon yourself?
• Which of those constraints are products of the small-mindedness of others? Of your company's culture or history?
• Now, for the all the right reasons, disregard that list!

And then ask (and answer) the following question:

• How are we going to change the world?

And/or:

• How are we going to change the world of our company, employees, customers, marketplace and industry?
• Every "normal constraint" in the proverbial book will tell you that this question is too audacious, that it's unrealistic and a waste of time.
• Boldly and blatantly disregard that book.

Posted by steve | Comments (2)

Provide Proof

Proof:

1. The evidence or argument that compels the mind to accept an assertion as true.
2. Any effort, process, or operation designed to establish or discover a fact or truth; an act of testing; a test; a trial.

Are you really an Extreme Leader?

• Prove it. Prove it to others. Prove it to yourself.
  Prove to others that you're proving it to yourself.
• What have I done today that shows my commitment to my colleagues and customers?
• How have I changed the World/world — even a little bit — today?
• What measurable, tangible evidence can I provide?
• What will I do tomorrow to demonstrate the power of my convictions?
• What are the OS!Ms in my past that resulted in my being where I am today? What lessons did I learn in those OS!Ms that I should continue to apply?
• What potential leadership opportunity is coming up at work or at home that I can turn into my next OS!M? How will I do it?
• I'll know my Extreme Leadership endeavors are succeeding when my employees say and do the following …
• When my customers say and do the following …

Ask Others:

• What do I need to do to improve as an Extreme Leader? Where am I screwing up? How can I get better?
• Don't give up until you get their answers.
• Until you've proven that you mean it.

Posted by steve | Comments (5)