Stop Talking About it, and Start Doing

July 22, 2015 by

If we took all the time in our lives that we thought about doing something, and planned on doing something, and compressed that together, I bet we’d have years of inaction that prevented us from achieving many things. I have been involved in many projects where team members wait until the last week of the quarter to start on their part and then they don’t get it done. I have consulted and coached with individuals that knew what they had to do, but every excuse in the world prevented them from acting. I have seen business owners spend thousands of dollars on training, and then they do absolutely nothing with that training to help their company.

The last year I have had some stresses that have taken a lot of my energy. Wait… hold on… do you see what I just did? I just made an excuse. Sure I had a tough time, but I could have moved an inch, instead of not moving at all. I can’t blame my inaction on anyone but myself. The same goes for you. Don’t be one who says they’ll do something and doesn’t follow through. Create a plan and act. Even if your action is small, you’ll be closer and closer to your objective.

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High Standards Pave the Way

October 7, 2014 by

Standards-Pave-Way-Culture-EngineIs your team’s work environment engaging and inspiring or dull and frustrating?

An engaging and inspiring environment is usually active and noisy. People are moving around, talking and working together to solve problems and deliver solutions. Team members are pleasant and happy.

A dull and frustrating environment is usually passive and quiet. Team members work independently, not cooperatively. Interactions between team members are often tense and short. Noise may come from unhappy people arguing.

Your work environment may fall somewhere between these two extremes. Do you pay attention to the your workplace culture?

If you’re like most leaders, probably not. Leaders typically pay more attention to products and services than they do to their team (or department or company) culture. Yet culture drives everything that happens in their organization – and yours – good or bad.

Culture by default isn’t a reliable way to craft workplace inspiration. Culture by design is.

Leaders must pay equal attention to performance and values. Both are required to create a productive, safe, and inspiring work environment for everyone.

Great (and effective and inspiring) bosses are intentional about their team’s culture.

They set high standards of performance as well as high standards for values – team citizenship – to ensure a healthy workplace.

They specify desired performance expectations in observable, tangible, and measurable terms. With clear performance standards communicated and agreed to, great bosses are able to hold people accountable for those performance standards.

They also specify desired values standards – in the form of observable, tangible, and measurable behaviors. With clear values standards communicated and agreed to – and modeled by leaders – great bosses are able to hold people accountable for demonstrating those behaviors in every interaction.

Creating and managing to behaviorally defined values is a proven avenue to an engaging and inspiring work environment. Yet most leaders have never been asked to manage values and behaviors before! Leaders are more experienced and more comfortable with managing performance expectations. They’re much less experienced managing values expectations.

What leaders need is a step-by-step guide to creating and managing to values standards. I present exactly this approach in my new book, The Culture Engine.

Would your team or department benefit from high performance standards and high values expectations? Learn more about creating an organizational constitution and managing to one in my new book, The Culture Engine. Get your free sample chapter at http://thecultureengine.com.

Please leave your comments and questions in the comments section.

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64 Things Every Leader Should Promise NOT To Do

July 29, 2014 by

Leadership-Behaviors-Todd-NielsenLast week I shared an article called 64 Things Every Leader Should Promise.  That came from a project I was working on earlier this year in which I wanted to document all the promises that I believe a leader should make to the people he or she leads. Once I finished that list I realized it was not good enough. So I started another list that explained 64 things that I refused to do as a leader. While many of the items are similar to the promise list, many of these were just pet peeves that annoyed me. We all know the importance of “to do” lists and “will not do” lists, this is kind of like that.

So here is my “NOT GONNA DO IT” list, I hope you enjoy the list and it gives you a lot to think about:

  1. I will not belittle or speak condescending to staff.
  2. I will not curtail communication, thus leaving staff unclear about direction.
  3. I will not disempower my staff so they cannot succeed on their own.
  4. I will not overly analyze every decision and thus halt the execution process.
  5. I will not restrain from admitting when I have made a mistake.
  6. I will not forget to recognize staff for the achievements they have made.
  7. I will not ignore my staff and retreat into an office.
  8. I will not refuse to provide executive-level sponsorship for management initiatives.
  9. I will not forget to give managers the proper authority to perform their jobs.
  10. I will not sit idly by if staff does not have the resources or tools to complete their objectives.
  11. I will not yell at anyone.
  12. I will not be inconsiderate.
  13. I will not forget common occasions that are important to people.
  14. I will not use threats with staff to get them to perform their job.
  15. I will not make my staff feel guilty, if they do not do something extra (stay late, work the weekend, etc…).
  16. I will not use fear tactics to “motivate” staff.
  17. I will not play favorites with staff.
  18. I will not do things that are self-serving.
  19. I will not find myself lacking the competence that is critical to the organizations success.
  20. I will not lie to my staff.
  21. I will not make an “example” of staff members in front of others.
  22. I will not disregard the health and welfare of staff over the success of the company.
  23. I will not keep necessary training from staff that will prevent them from having greater success.
  24. I will not create an atmosphere where the staff does not have opportunities to progress and grow.
  25. I will not be callous and moody.
  26. I will not be unforgiving of staff mistakes, even after improvement and correction.
  27. I will not avoid face to face communication, by always using email and other impersonal communication methods.
  28. I will not practice analysis paralysis that inhibits progress from taking place.
  29. I will not ignore needed changes.
  30. I will not refuse to solicit feedback from staff.
  31. I will not fail to plan for the success of the organization.
  32. I will not fail to set a clear vision for the people and departments I have stewardships over.
  33. I will not be a poor example of execution and accountability, yet expect those behaviors from others.
  34. I will not interject myself into staff’s duties by doing things under their responsibility, without consulting with them.
  35. I will not fail to provide organized structure within the departments and staff I lead.
  36. I will have the confidence to take educated risks that could help the company reach its goals.
  37. I will not be a poor example of time management.
  38. I will not display deceitfulness or passive aggressive behavior.
  39. I will not try to please everyone, all the time. It’s just impossible.
  40. I will not fail to follow-up with staff.
  41. I will not lack the courage to lead.
  42. I will never encourage, practice, or listen to gossip.
  43. I will never exercise unethical business practices.
  44. I will not micromanage my staff.
  45. I will not fail to set aside time to properly plan for success.
  46. I will not fail to set aside time to reflect on problems, solutions, and progress being made.
  47. I will not act in a way that makes others feel like I am unable to take criticism.
  48. I will not fail to act and improve on received criticism or feedback.
  49. I will not fail to teach my staff about leadership, teamwork, time management, positive conflict, and other things to make them good leaders.
  50. I will not be egotistical or prideful.
  51. I will not ignore signs (signs of organizational problems, moral problems, etc…).
  52. I will not be disrespectful to staff.
  53. I will not fail to lead from the heart and take emotions into account.
  54. I will not diminish my ability to improve by not consistently learning and receiving coaching from others.
  55. I will not conduct ineffective meetings.
  56. I will not hoard my connections from staff that could help them have greater success with the proper introductions.
  57. I will not promote an environment that accepts the status-quo.
  58. I will not fail to promote an atmosphere of learning.
  59. I will not fail to create an environment of fun.
  60. I will not fail to support my staff and set them up for success.
  61. I will not manage by command and control.
  62. I will not emphasize anecdotal information over true data.
  63. I will not expect staff to just, “Figure it out.”
  64. I will not fail to manage and serve the most important aspect of an organization, the people!

Well there it is. What do you think? Is there anything that you would add? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

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64 Promises That Every Leader Should Make

July 22, 2014 by

Leadership-Promises-Todd-NielsenI have come to believe that as leaders we need to make promises to ourselves and to those we lead. Earlier this year as I was working on a project, I thought to myself, “What are the promises I make as a leader?” I have always had ideals and ways of doing things, but I had never written them out as promises and made them official. I thought about this for quite some time and after a while I came up with this list of 64 promises that leaders should make.

I believe it is fairly encompassing; although probably not a complete list, nor is it in order of importance, per se. You might ask where “64” came from, that’s just where I ended.  This list may not be perfectly suited to you, if not start your own list, and see where you end up.

I hope you enjoy this and it gives you a lot to think about. Here it goes:

  1. I promise to serve others.
  2. I promise to manage issues head-on.
  3. I promise to be a great teacher.
  4. I promise to hold effective meetings.
  5. I promise to find and create efficiencies.
  6. I promise to have and help others have an innovation mindset.
  7. I promise to be crystal clear about expectations.
  8. I promise to provide consistent coaching and feedback.
  9. I promise to never stop asking questions.
  10. I promise to build teamwork and leadership acumen among everyone under my stewardship.
  11. I promise to never stop learning.
  12. I promise to commit myself to excellence.
  13. I promise to be ethical and honest.
  14. I promise to inspire others.
  15. I promise to listen.
  16. I promise to acknowledge and celebrate successes.
  17. I promise to create some fun.
  18. I promise to be transparent and self-aware.
  19. I promise to own-up to my responsibilities and failures.
  20. I promise that I will make mistakes; but I will own up to them, and learn from them.
  21. I promise to lead by example.
  22. I promise to learn what really motivates the individuals under my stewardship.
  23. I promise to make culture, a priority.
  24. I promise to not offload responsibility
  25. I promise to delegate effectively.
  26. I promise to build trust.
  27. I promise to be authentic and vulnerable.
  28. I promise to plan for success.
  29. I promise to manage my time effectively and teach that skill to others.
  30. I promise to tell good stories to illustrate and inspire.
  31. I promise to really care for the people under my stewardship.
  32. I promise to defend the company’s values.
  33. I promise to always speak well of company leadership.
  34. I promise to anticipate problems and find solutions.
  35. I promise to find efficiency through better processes development.
  36. I promise to be organized.
  37. I promise to be detail oriented.
  38. I promise to communicate the company vision, goals, and key messages.
  39. I promise to be realistic about deliverables.
  40. I promise to support and push those under my stewardship to achieve more.
  41. I promise to manage the consequences of poor performance.
  42. I promise to be humble.
  43. I promise to not only lead, but also to follow.
  44. I promise to give credit to those that have done good things.
  45. I promise to simplify the complicated.
  46. I promise to be personable and approachable.
  47. I promise to say no when appropriate in order to not create burdens.
  48. I promise to say yes most of the time and then empower and lead my teams to create success.
  49. I promise to grow others.
  50. I promise to build cohesiveness among cross-functional teams.
  51. I promise to communicate, communicate, and communicate some more.
  52. I promise to be a change agent to displace inefficiencies.
  53. I promise to encourage creativity.
  54. I promise to be passionate about what we are doing.
  55. I promise to have a positive attitude.
  56. I promise to take everything in stride.
  57. I promise to try new things.
  58. I promise to reward results.
  59. I promise to create “structures” that create confidence.
  60. I promise to create career paths and opportunities for those under my stewardship.
  61. I promise to “take one for the team” if that is what it takes.
  62. I promise to get my hands dirty.
  63. I promise to be goal oriented.
  64. I promise to keep my promises.

Well there it is. What do you think? Is there anything that you would add? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

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Being a Leader Doesn’t Protect You from Addictions

April 29, 2014 by

Leadership-Management-AddictionsNews stories often portray how people in high-level executive positions, such as CEOs, make fateful decisions to drink and drive. These executives find out quickly that even though they are in a powerful position and know influential people, that it doesn’t protect them from alcoholism or other addictions

Take the recent Fox Sports news story about the DUI arrest of Indianapolis Colts owner, Jim Irsay. The billionaire who was instrumental in building the Colts into an AFC powerhouse was arrested after he failed roadside sobriety tests. There are others in the c-suite crowd that are guilty of similar behavior.

Leaders are Wired for Addictions

Leaders have to make great decisions as part of their job, so, why do they make such bad decisions in their personal lives? Some research suggests that the way their brains are wired, predisposes them to addiction.

According to recent research, one of the reasons why leaders can become addicts is that many of them have more psychopathic and sociopathic tendencies. It’s these traits that propel these individuals into stardom, and also increases their likelihood of alcoholism.

The Pressures of Leadership

Many executives are prone to alcoholism because of job pressures. Along with pressure; obsession, a strong drive to achieve greatness, a strong desire to increase wealth and provide for their families, along with dedication – are all traits of many executives that can increase the pressure they feel. Getting a handle on the problems of pressure, before they become an even greater obstruction to your career and family, can help guide you through all the personal demons you face and can also give you alternative ways to deal with the problems that may arise, and are associated with the job.

Because of pressures, it can be easy for business executives to rely on alternative methods to stay awake, come up with fresh ideas, and maintain a high energy level. Unfortunately, the consequences of substance and alcohol abuse can become too much and lead to hazardous behaviors.

Serious Outcomes of Alcohol and Substance Abuse

There are serious consequences for those in a high management positions who abuse drugs and alcohol. Lack of concentration, slurred speech, inability to meet deadlines, and missed appointments are minor problems associated with the abuse. If you travel and entertain customers, you could also be at risk for a DUI. In addition to losing a driver’s license and facing fines and higher insurance premiums because of the conviction, you could also be at risk for jail time. If convicted, you could also lose your place of employment, because of your lack of responsibility and professionalism.

Getting a Handle on Addiction Problems

While drug and alcohol abuse can be a problem for some, it can be especially troublesome for executives in high-level positions. Quick decision-making skills, being a team leader, and taking charge of large sums of money are some of the many responsibilities of an executive. A leader can get a handle on their problems by seeking immediate treatment through a rehab program, where they’ll be taught to find root of the problem through behavioral therapy, detoxification, and counseling.  A beneficial program will also teach the executive about finding substitute solutions when things become too much to handle.

For those looking to achieve greatness, you can find alternative methods to prevent getting into an high pressure and abusive situations. Learning how to delegate job responsibilities, committing to the right balance of family and work life, and enlisting the help of an executive coach are all resolutions that can help keep you on the right path to enjoying your business success.

Please share your thoughts about leadership addictions in the comments section. 

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The Greatest Lesson My Parents Taught Me

January 8, 2014 by

leadership-working-hard-work-Todd-NielsenWhen I was 14 my Boy Scout leader took us rock climbing for one of our monthly camping trips. I had a blast. I fell in love, head over heels, for rock climbing. In school I would close my eyes and think about being off on some far away cliff face. When I went to bed I would imagine myself climbing through difficult maneuvers and hope for a climbing dream. I would train and exercise for the soul purpose of climbing; making sure that I did not gain too much muscle mass, but instead gained strength and stamina.

I would climb often in my teenage years, and several years later I began working at the climbing gym that I trained at. It was awesome teaching kids how to climb, to just be surrounded my climbing. I always had other jobs through most of my high school years, so anything related to climbing really was not work to me.

When I graduated from high school, I went on a month long climbing trip with two friends. We traveled all over the western United States and climbed. When I returned, life “began.” I started working full-time at the climbing gym as assistant manager. I also took on a full-time graveyard shift as a janitor at a shopping mall. Two full-time jobs, phew! I would work from 9 pm to 6 am as a janitor at the shopping mall. This was before the days of machines that cleaned the floors. We would mop the entire mall every night, take out trash and cardboard for recycling, clean bathrooms and everything else in the mall.

Then I would get in the car at just after 6 am and drive about 40 to 60 minutes to the climbing gym. I would change cloths, open up the gym, get things ready, manage the other employees when the owner was not there, and teach classes all throughout the day. I would also climb a lot, setting new routes for patrons of the gym. After about 9 months at the gym I decided to organize the largest indoor climbing competition that had ever been held in the state of Texas. The owner did not think I could pull it off, but it turned out to be a massive success.

So then I would leave around 4 pm and drive 40 to 60 minutes home. I would then eat dinner, sleep for about 4 hours and do it again. It was a crazy year; but I guess we do those kinds of things when we are young. I would often wake up around 6 pm, and freak out thinking that it was 6 am and I had slept through my shift at the mall. When I had days off I would usually drive 3 hours south to Austin, TX and go climbing for a few days. I remember many times getting home from a 2 day climbing trip at 8 pm, hurrying to get my clothes on and get to work to do it all over again.

I was paid more at the mall, but I worked at the climbing gym because I loved it and I was willing to pay the price to stay close to it.

At the end of that year I prepared to leave on a 2 year church mission. This was a huge sacrifice, but one I wanted to do. I was assigned to go to Argentina and spend two years helping, serving, and teaching others.

I do not have a lot of memories of things my parents said to me in my childhood, but while I was at the airport awaiting my flight to Argentina, my father said something to me that I have never forgotten. It summed up the core of what my parents had taught me, day-in and day-out for the 19 years prior. The words he said to me really were not that profound, but taken in perspective of what I just explained about working hard to stay in climbing, it was very profound. He said to me, “Todd, I hope you work as hard on your mission as you did on climbing.”

He could have not said anything more important to me at that time. I did work hard on my mission and do not have any regrets. My parents taught me that nothing in life is free. They taught me that if you want something, you work to get it. They did not teach this through words. I do not recall ever having a discussion about work. They taught me this through their sacrifices and their example of always working for us. My father was a hard worker and my mother was a hard worker. They put others before themselves for as long as I can remember.

If someone were to ask me, what it means to be a “Nielsen,” I would tell them that it means hard work. It is through that hard work that we have success and accomplishment. Orel Hershiser said, “I’m proof that great things can happen to ordinary people if they work hard and never give up.”

Hard work does not always mean long hours. Hard work means you give 100% of what you have to give to a task. Andrew Carnegie stated, “The average person puts only 25% of his energy into his work. The world takes off its hat to those who put in more than 50% of their capacity, and stands on its head for those few and far between souls who devote 100%.”

Earlier this week I shared some thoughts and quotes about hard work. It is a trait that we all need to persevere in encompassing. We have to focus our energy to make our lives and this world a better place.

When it’s time to work, work.  When you’re away, take care of other things.”  ~ Warrick Dunn

2013 was a tough year to me. I am not going to say it was my best, although it probably was. I failed so much because I worked so hard and tried to accomplish so many things. There were times I kicked-back, and there were times I was frustrated and angry about my progress. There were times I really wanted to give up, but I kept working…

I hope that in 2014, we can put ourselves in overdrive, focus our energy, and work our tails off together to make great things happen.

What is the greatest lesson your parents ever taught you? Please share your thoughts in the comment section.

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Thermostats and Thermometers – Effective Leadership Changes the Climate

September 23, 2013 by

Thermostats-and-Thermometers-Effective-Leadership-Change-the-Climate-Todd-NielsenOften paraphrased as “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” Mohandas Gandhi actually wrote:“We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.” (Vol. 13, Ch. 153, page 241)

Put another way, we might say that leadership is concerned not with being a thermometer, but with being a thermostat. Our primary interest is not just reporting the temperature – but in exerting influence and encouragement in order to change the temperature.

Just as a thermostat must have an accurate thermometer, a leader must be able to honestly assess the current state of the organization in order to make corrections to the environment. However like a thermostat, a leader must also outline the steps necessary to change the climate of the organization toward the preferred future.

As leaders, it’s important that our own attitudes, actions, and words are consistent with this preferred vision of the future. Even though the preferred future is not yet reality, we must live as though it is coming true day by day. As we do this, team members begin to catch the vision, and it not only guides our future – but the present as well. Rarely does this happen all at once, and the wise leader learns to celebrate each baby step toward the goal.

Consequently, change within an organization begins at the top. A leader must not only see the current state of the organization, but have the vision to see the desired future. With that vision in mind, the leader executes the steps necessary to change the culture, and begins to communicate expectations to the team members.

A leader must not only see the current state of the organization, but have the vision to see the desired future. ~ Tweet this!

Instead of merely mirroring the status quo, or getting caught up in the negative aspects of the environment, wise leaders take to heart those words of Gandhi, that by changing oneself – we thereby change the attitudes of the world around us.

What are some of the ways you have seen a leader move from being a thermometer to being a thermostat? What are some of the steps you take toward changing the culture of your organization?

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Personal Leadership: It’s All About the People, Stupid!

February 7, 2013 by

Personal-LeadershipIt’s been reported that Henry Ford once said, “Why is it that I always get the whole person, when what I really want is a pair of hands?” While Ford may have only wanted to hire sets of hands to run his assembly lines, the only way to do that was to hire the people attached to those hands: people with complex baggage, personalities, and expectations.

One of the important elements of personal leadership is to lead the people within your team. After all, if there are no people to lead, then there is no leader! I have worked with lots of leaders that absolutely HATE dealing with people. Many leaders just want to tell their people the goal, and then expect them to just go out and create amazing success without any guidance, coaching, managing, or …leading.

Part of being a great leader is to master the art of valuing the people you work with, while at the same time holding them accountable for the results. By creating a culture where people are valued, we can be more effective in achieving desired results. In other words, people are not just means to an end, but must be valued for their contributions and perspectives. This does not mean they need to be coddled or sheltered.

Personal leadership is all about relationships with those you lead. Simply learning the names of one’s team-members is not sufficient to building a strong team of committed workers, although it s start.  By learning their values, skills and dreams, you learn how they see themselves within the organizational structure.  Instead of simply evaluating their work, seek opportunities for them to provide feedback on the organization.  Take care to listen, and see if you can incorporate their ideas.

As you demonstrate that you value the contributions of your team-members, you will find that they are more likely to think outside of the box.  They may see things you may have missed, and you may discover a wealth of skills and abilities you have previously missed.  As morale improves, so will productivity and results. Creating a culture of creativity and excellence will require you to view people as ends, not simply as means to an end.

What ways have you found to lead the entire person, instead of just hiring a pair of hands?  What are some of the complexities of leading people with their personalities, perspectives, and personal baggage?  Please leave a comment below to continue the conversation.

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Do You Suck at Setting Goals? Stop Sucking on this Key Principle of Effective Leadership

January 25, 2013 by

Targets-Goals-LeadershipThe story has been told of the young man who took his archery set out in the field behind the barn. After carefully taking aim and launching his quiver full of arrows at the barn wall, he walked up to the barn, took a can of red paint, and painted targets around each arrow. Celebrating his excellent marksmanship, he entered a local competition and was soundly defeated, unable to hit any of the targets.

Leaders often find themselves in crisis management, reacting to the situations around them (i.e. Firefighting). Often this is because of a lack of clearly communicated goals and objectives. If we as leaders do our job first and then paint targets second, it’s bound to look as though we succeeded (even if we didn’t accomplish anything of value). If we properly paint our targets first, we will have a much better chance at achieving  our goals.

Effective Leadership Understands the Value of Goals

A key component of effective leadership is to identify and communicate the key goals and objectives of the organization.  Here are some tips for setting goals:

  • Mission Driven: Goals should clearly fit into the overall mission and purpose of the organization.  Team members need to understand how their responsibilities fit into the larger picture.
  • Measurable: Goals should be specific and quantifiable.  Nebulous goals leave employees uncertain of their success and always hoping that they are on track with your expectations.
  • Attainable: It is OK to reach for the stars, but if it is impossible to reach, we’ll achieve nothing more than to maintain the status-quo.  However, you want to make sure that your team members know that the goals are attainable, and that you will support them in accomplishing the goal.
  • Controllable: The best goals are the ones in which we control the outcome.  Instead of setting a goal to grow your customer base by 10 new clients; set the goal to contact 40 potential clients,  make 30 presentations, send 30 care-packages, etc… By setting the right small steps, you can practically guarantee the success of a higher goal, i.e. closing 10 clients. Completing the goal is entirely within the realm of your control, as it doesn’t rely on the potential customer’s response.

Communicate your goals often, and be sure to support your team members and celebrate their successes (no matter how small).  Incorporate team members in the creation of these goals, so that they have ownership in the process. You might consider reading up on SMART Goals as well.

Continuing The Conversation on Developing Effective Leadership Through Goals

The Ultimate Personal Annual Success Plan for achieving your goals is meant to help individuals create greater success in 2013 and it really is an awesome format for defining, tracking and achieving greater success. Get it before the price goes-up. For organizations please check out my workshops and consulting.

Have you successfully changed the culture of your organization through effective goal setting?  Have you ever fired first and painted targets second? Please share your thoughts below.

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Climbing Out of Hell …& Into The Fire

October 18, 2012 by

Climbing-Out-of-Hell The last month or two of my life has felt like I have been climbing out of hell. I won’t go into all the gritty details, but needless to say there were many hard days, sleepless nights, and stressful moments. We all have those times in our life. They are times I think that prepare us to move into a new future.

The Hell

For those that are regular readers of my site, you will notice that the site has changed. My “hell” had a small part to do with this big change. I had two web design companies completely drop the ball over the last 4 months. I was beyond frustrated.

I had a discussion with my performance partner about a month ago, and he was relating to me a problem that he had, that he kept putting off, and scheduling , and rescheduling, and thinking about, etc… Finally when he did the task, he realized that he spent massively more time worrying about the task and rescheduling it over and over, than the few minutes it took to actually do the task.

At that moment I knew, what I had to do, but I really was not looking forward to it. I just finally accepted the fact that if I wanted this done fast, I was going to need to do it myself. Many years ago I created websites, so I knew how to build a website, but I did not know the ins-and-outs of programming and customizing a wordpress theme.   So for a week and half all I did was work on customizing the website. It was painful to complete amidst the other struggles I had, but I got it done.

I hope you like it and will explore the pages, as just about every page has changed from the old site.

The Fire

As the website work and some of my other problems passed, I was/am faced with a firestorm in the near future. On my desk are two publishing agreements that are awaiting my signature. The books:

  1. It’s All About Execution: Transform Your Organization by Creating a Culture of ‘Getting Things Done.’
  2. #Execution: 140 Ways to Transform Your Organization by Creating a Culture of Execution.

As you can clearly see, these books are about execution, and more specifically about creating a culture of “getting things done.” The first book takes the reader through the journey of a struggling outdoor equipment manufacturer, that uses the power of execution to revitalize their organization and get off the “ledges” that are holding them back from greater success. I have implemented this methodology at companies and have seen huge miracles happen as a result of it.

The second book is a collection of 140 bite-sized pieces of wisdom on execution that are each – 140 characters or less. This is an easy to read book that will help reinforce the concepts that I teach on execution.

Kevin Eikenberry, a leadership expert, speaker, and author of several leadership books, said this about my book, “There are many good books about organizational vision, goal setting and execution. None are any better than this one. It is the most clear, practical, and immediately useful book on this subject. If you want to revitalize yourself, your team, or your company, read this book.”

Mark Miller, the author of three leadership books says, “Todd has created what so many businesses need – a blueprint to build a strong and vibrant organization.”

I am super excited. Everyone who has ever launched a book or participated in a book launch knows that launches are crazy and chaotic. But there is more, because I want to help you and a lot of other people too. I have organized what I am calling the Uber-Magnificent 2.5 Book Launch, which is going to be an epic book launch for both books. In the launch I will be recruiting people like you, who I am calling “Uber-Masters” and “Uber-Apprentices” to help spread the word of the book launch; and in return for the help, I will be giving away HUGE rewards. I am truly turning the book launch world outward, instead of inward.

Here are a few things you should know and do:

  1. Read more about the Uber-Magnificent 2.5 Book Launch, and sign-up to be an Uber-Master, or an Uber-Apprentice, or choose an A-La-Cart option (You’ve Gotta Read the Rewards before you say no). Also if you want to receive a free speech or workshop on execution at your organization; you can see how on the Uber-Magnificent 2.5 Book Launch pages.
  2. Share the Uber-Magnificent 2.5 Book Launch with others that might be interested in helping. This is great for speakers, authors, bloggers, business owners, event planners, and other social media savvy persons that want to get great exposure during the book launch and earn some valuable rewards.

Lastly, remember always, that your hell might just preparing you for a future that is bigger and brighter. Tweet This!

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