Cover: The Effective Hiring Manager, by Mark Horstman

Praise for
The Busy Leader's Handbook

“When deciding which companies to invest in, we definitely take a long, hard look at the executive leadership team. However, it goes much deeper than that. How they develop their middle-management team is also crucial to the long-term success of a company. Sometimes, this transfer of knowledge is where companies struggle. This book is not only a great playbook for CEOs, but it would be a very effective tool for creating a strong leadership framework throughout their entire organization. It's a simple, easy read, filled with tactics that could create a strong leadership foundation in any company.”

—Charles Dieveney
Managing Director
Juggernaut Capital Partners

“Quint is one of the most dynamic leaders on the planet. His new book covers all the bases on how to truly lead in a hyper-efficient world. It is an easy read that offers practical and actionable advice on how to handle almost any situation as a leader. This handbook is one that I will continue to reference and read over and over again in reflection of how I am performing as a leader. It is a book every leader should read, then go share it with their team!

“We brought Quint Studer to Springfield, Ohio, recently to help teach our leaders how to dream bigger. He humbly met with various stakeholder groups, pouring out many of the valuable nuggets shared in his new book. We are forever changed by those visits and thankful for his willingness to share with the world the tools that are now helping us build a vibrant community.”

—Michael McDorman
President and CEO
The Chamber of Greater Springfield, Ohio

“Quint has hit the bulls-eye for today's busy leader! A treasure trove of fundamentals and best practices, this book goes way beyond ‘ideas' and ‘motivation' and delivers the ‘how-to' that is so critical to every leader. This book will be a permanent resident in my briefcase for years to come.”

—Brad Phelps
Owner
State Farm Insurance Agency, Pensacola, Florida

“I have had the privilege of working with Quint in various capacities over the past 25 years and can personally attest that the evidence-based practices outlined in this book can and do lead to astonishing performance improvements! Quint has helped me lead not one, not two, but THREE remarkable health system transformations. First, he served as my COO when I was president and CEO at Holy Cross Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. Next, he acted as a friend and advisor supporting my efforts to lead a major system turnaround during my tenure as president and CEO at Rochester General Health System in Rochester, New York. And today, he serves as a board trustee guiding the transformation work I am again leading as president and CEO at TriHealth in Cincinnati, Ohio.

“The common denominator for success in all three cases was the consistent introduction, adoption, and hardwiring of leadership, employee engagement, and organizational development practices—all underpinned by a foundation of mission, vision, and values—as outlined in this handbook. Without fail, all three organizations experienced remarkable performance improvements across key metrics, including People/Culture, Customer Experience, Quality/Safety, Growth, and Finance. And in every case, these improvements led to national recognition for being a top industry performer, and a model and benchmark for getting healthcare right.

The Busy Leader's Handbook is a must-read for any leader who's short on time, but long on commitment and desire to develop great teams and organizations that are built to excel.”

—Mark C. Clement
President and CEO
TriHealth

“Congrats to Quint Studer for giving it to us straight. The Busy Leader's Handbook is a ‘must read' for anyone with aspirations to lead people and ultimately an organization.

“I loved Quint's plea for leaders to be more self-aware, to check the ego at the door, and to lead with humility. Over the years, I've seen many talented individuals sidelined by ego and/or their inability to listen.

“Successful leaders will also choose to follow Quint's blueprint for recognizing superior work while also connecting people with purpose—thus creating a positive workplace culture. Simply put, it's ALWAYS about the relationships. No matter if you are dealing with Baby Boomer, a Millennial, or someone from Gen Z—relationships will always pay.

“Lastly, I thoroughly enjoyed Quint's vision for investing in the development of structure, process, and people. A successful leader is an individual disciplined enough to set a vision and expectations while also understanding that people make the ultimate difference. It's pretty simple—great people can make great leaders.

“Again, I applaud Quint Studer for sharing his vast insights and leadership experiences. The Busy Leader's Handbook is a valuable tool on so many fronts.”

—Dave St. Peter
President and CEO
Minnesota Twins

“Quint has now done for communities and business what he did for the healthcare community. He's identified simple, high-impact foundational leadership behaviors that, when done correctly, pack a big punch. And he doesn't just tell you the what, he also tells you the how, as the book is filled with tactics to take any leader to the next level. I believe in developing a strong leadership team and empowering them to make decisions. It can be tricky to create a team that moves in unison. A tool like The Busy Leader's Handbook is a great resource for training and making sure everyone is on the same page.”

—Javier Hernandez-Lichtl
CEO and Chief Academic Officer
West Kendall Baptist Hospital, Baptist Health South Florida

“My life's work is to help every woman become the best version of herself. A huge part of that is focusing on the ‘big picture' like passion and courage and finding your voice, but you also need a firm grasp of the practical side of leadership. That's what helps you connect with others in a meaningful way—and that's what The Busy Leader's Handbook provides. It's a practical toolkit that can help all women, including the vital group of Millennials I focus on, maximize their potential and power. I want to commend Quint's efforts and impactful work on this book, as with all his previous books. I love that he is driven to help each of us become the best we can be.”

—Tiffany Pham
Founder and CEO
Mogul

“Because a few years ago I wrote a book about leadership, mentoring, and the basic laws of success, people frequently ask me about the best path to becoming a successful leader. My favorite new answer is, ‘Hang around Quint Studer, and listen.' Fortunately for everyone in the pursuit of a successful leadership career or personal life, you don't have to go find Quint. He has found you.

“In his new book, The Busy Leader's Handbook, Quint shares a wealth of real-time, practical action steps for engaged leaders looking for answers, emerging leaders looking for an edge, and rising high achievers who want a head start. Quint addresses each of the three areas that are so very critical to a leader's success: self-leadership and self-development, employee leadership to maximize employee performance, and organizational leadership for building, driving, and sustaining a successful organization.

“The Busy Leader's Handbook is a reference goldmine for leaders at all levels, filled with actionable ‘how-to' advice, ready to use right now and throughout a rising career.

“I wish Quint had written this book when I was 30. It would have accelerated my leadership curve dramatically and saved me a lot of scars.”

—Bert Thornton
Former President and COO
Vice Chairman Emeritus
Waffle House, Inc.

“I have read a lot of leadership books over the years and this one might be my favorite. It is a simple, easy, practical read. Quint Studer has taken complex topics and broken them down in a way that makes them feel doable. (This is Quint's gift!) I also think he did a smart thing by not making this a cover-to-cover narrative—if you're struggling in a certain area you can just go to the table of contents and then flip to the needed chapter. Whether you are new to leadership or need a gentle reminder of what ‘right' looks like, this is a must-read handbook for everyone in your organization.”

—Ben Bates
Chairman, Coldwell Banker Ben Bates, Inc.
Chairman, Bates Hewett & Floyd Insurance Agency
Partner, Beck Chevrolet Buick GMC Dealership, Palatka, Florida

“For 15 years, my private practice as a psychotherapist concentrated on helping people work toward healthier relationships, so I naturally read The Busy Leader's Handbook from that perspective. Quint Studer speaks to the heart of the person, and Quint obviously understands that the best leaders are good at forging authentic connections and building relationships. Since we live in an age when these are vital business skills—they're key to creating cultures of innovation, collaboration, and engagement—this book is a must-read for anyone who leads or wants to lead. The bonus is it just might spur you on to become a better human being who doesn't shy away from all that it takes to enjoy those authentic relationships.”

—Connie Bookman, LCSW
Founder and CEO
Pathways for Change

“The Busy Leader's Handbook is a practical, easy-to-follow ‘how-to' guide for bringing out the best in yourself, your team, and your organization—and best of all, it works! The wisdom and proven techniques shared by Quint Studer in this book have been honed over nearly three decades of experience helping leaders and organizations achieve major cultural and organizational transformations.

“I'm a big believer in providing training and development for all my employees. At World of Beer, everyone we hire gets 40 hours of training before they set foot on the floor. We immerse everyone in our mission, vision, values, and our leadership philosophy. When I read Quint's book my first thought was ‘Wow, I wish I could have gotten my hands on this when we were starting out!' I loved the simple, straightforward, practical advice. This is a blueprint for any company wanting to build a strong culture where everyone sings from the same choir book and strives to get better and better. It's a compass that ensures everyone, top to bottom, gets consistent messages about the principles of great leadership. Finally, any young entrepreneur would love Quint's insights on managing things that get in your way that you don't even know to look for—by holding up the mirror, by being humble, by staying coachable so you can adapt and adjust. My favorite part? I know Quint personally and he truly walks the walk. Highly recommended!”

—Scott Zepp
Co-Founder
World of Beer Franchising, Inc.

“My company grew from 4 employees to over 70 very quickly. Multiple layers of management sprung up between me and my frontline employees, almost overnight. Making sure everyone was living the culture wasn't easy. The Busy Leader's Handbook is the perfect field guide for companies going through such rapid growth. It helps you put the right structures in place—structures that help you stay focused on excellence while preserving the relationships that keep people inspired and motivated. (Walking this tightrope can be a huge challenge.) Readers will unearth lots of golden nuggets they'll want to pick up and put into practice at every stage of the journey.”

—Harold Griffin, Jr.
Director of Business Development
ITL Solutions

“Before I was a small business owner, I worked in HR, so I have always been extremely interested in anything that had to do with employees. I've spent my whole career studying culture and how to create a place where great employees want to be. This book nails it! It teaches you how to create an environment where employees feel valued and cared for! It also helps you develop the kind of leaders that inspire employees to do their best and that is the absolute key to any company's success. If you can hardwire these behaviors in your organization, keeping talent in a tight labor market won't be a problem. What a great book and training tool! I wish I had written it!”

—Sondra Eoff
CEO
Odessa Pumps

“When you need to build a solid culture, middle managers hold the keys to the kingdom. We have 200 employees in seven different offices so we see this truth in action every day. Studer's book is a gold mine for this group. It's the perfect vehicle for knowledge transfer on every aspect of leadership. I appreciate that it's short and readable, almost like a streamlined encyclopedia that lets busy managers skip right to the topic they need. Like any service company, hiring the right people is huge for us and I know The Busy Leader's Handbook will help. I look forward to using it to select and retain talent, onboard new employees, and promote consistency in every corner of our culture.”

—Drew Adams
COO
Engineered Cooling Services

“This book is a must read for everyone, especially ‘Busy Leaders.' As an owner of a growing company, I encounter big and small challenges daily, and this book addressed all of them. It felt as if it had been written for me and was meant for me to read in this very moment. I also thought of every manager I work with and how the steps shared in the book are exactly what they need. Plus, the content is great and can be broken down into training segments, webinars, or seminars. The Busy Leader's Handbook is a business staple with tips the reader can immediately implement. Finally, I appreciate Quint's insight and how easy he makes it to apply the concepts in business. He's been a guiding light to me and our company through all the books that he's written, the seminars that he's done, and his leadership in general.”

—Kristine Rushing, CIC, CPIA
COO, Risk Consultant, Beck Partners

“As a president of a Minority Chamber of Commerce, I see the Busy Leader's Handbook as a road map that all leaders of diverse employees should follow. Each chapter will guide leaders at ALL levels to better themselves, leverage the unique traits of their team members, and build an environment where everyone is treated fairly. Leaders often feel they can't block off long periods of time to read books, but this one is quick and easy. In fact, I could read it on my phone because it is so concise. The short chapters and repetition of key points allow leaders to quickly access the information that they need to turn today's challenges into tomorrow's opportunities. Finally, I loved Quint's emphasis on being vulnerable: it's refreshing to see a leader focus on admitting mistakes, apologizing when you are wrong, and slowing down when needed to produce desired outcomes.”

—Brian Wyer
President and CEO
Gulf Coast Minority Chamber of Commerce

“This is a phenomenal resource not just for leaders and business owners, but for any person seeking ways in which to better understand how to live and interact well with others. Quint has such a talent for filtering through mountains of research and information and to deftly help us apply those important lessons in our daily lives. He delivers another well-written, straight-to-the-point guidebook for those in the field.

“As professionals are wont to do, I find myself guilty of working in the business more than on it. Just in the time it took me to read this book, I was faced with issues related to how to best conduct an employee review (there is a chapter on that), how to break down an ‘us versus them' culture (there is a chapter on that), and why I tend to avoid conflict (there is a chapter on that). For a practitioner working in the business, this is a quick and fast resource for addressing the important issues of the business.

—Andrew Foxworth
Partner
Foxworth, Shepard & Bruhl, P.A.

“Reading Quint's new book, The Busy Leader's Handbook, was very enlightening and refreshing as I have had the unique honor of working with Quint in many different aspects. Not only is Quint training our leadership team in these exact attributes, he and his team are also working with our City Council in guiding them on the right strategic path, along with getting more civic engagement for our city.

“It is easy to get complacent as a leader when things are going well, but dealing with conflict and negativity isn't easy. This book provides great ideas and insight on making sure leaders stay focused and on the right track. A lot of the issues addressed in the book are issues the city is currently dealing with: change, employee engagement, performance reviews, and employee development and training. I will be able to take the ideas from this book and implement them to make the city of Fort Walton Beach a better place to live, work, and play, and I will be able to ensure I stay on the right track in growing as a leader along with my leadership team and all employees.

“Employees are the heartbeat of any organization. It is imperative that leaders nurture that relationship and develop employees as future leaders while making sure all employees and customers know the ‘why' and the ‘what.'

“This is a must-read for any leader, future leader, employee, boss, etc., as the ideas addressed in this book apply to everyone in an organization.”

—Michael D. Beedie, P.E.
City Manager
City of Fort Walton Beach

THE
Busy
LEADER'S
HANDBOOK

HOW TO LEAD PEOPLE
AND PLACES
THAT THRIVE


QUINT STUDER

Wiley Logo





To all those people who each and every day strive to
help others become the very best they can be. Never
underestimate the difference you make.

How to Approach This Book

Thank you for reading The Busy Leader’s Handbook. It’s meant to be a quick and easy resource for leaders at all levels. Knowing how overloaded and overwhelmed leaders can be, we purposely kept chapters short and to the point. Each one features high-impact, granular, “how to” tactics that leaders can start using right away. These tactics work. I’ve seen them get outstanding results over and over throughout my career.

This book has three sections. Section 1 delves into some key leader skills and behaviors. Together, these chapters capture the mind-set, attitude, and capabilities the best leaders tend to possess. We put them first because they are the foundation for everything else. We all need to become the best leaders we can be before we’ll be able to bring out the best in others.

Section 2 is about optimizing employee performance. It explores what exceptional leaders do (and don’t do) to create a positive, productive, engaging workplace culture and inspire people to consistently put forth their best efforts. Great leaders create environments in which people grow, thrive, and find a powerful sense of meaning. They lead teams in a way that creates results far greater than the sum of the individual efforts. A leader who masters these practices will set up their people to truly shine.

Finally, Section 3 addresses strategic and foundational topics. These chapters focus on the structure, processes, and groundwork that need to be in place if you’re to build a successful organization. Why do we cover these last? Simply because without the efforts of leaders and employees there would be no company to run!

While it would be terrific if people read cover to cover, it’s not necessary. This is a reference book and chapters are designed to be self-contained. Feel free to read the topic (or topics) you need help with in the moment and save the rest for another day. (Also, don’t be surprised if you notice some crossover. Leadership is organic and its components interconnected: topics don’t fall neatly into categories!)

Whether you’re a new leader or a more seasoned one, I hope you will benefit from this book. Feel free to share it with other leaders and managers inside your company. The more people who embrace the proven principles of great leadership, the stronger your business will be.

I wish you and those you lead much success and fulfillment on your journeys. Leadership is a noble calling and if this book can play a small role in helping you do it better, I will be so grateful.

Quint Studer

“Wait . . . Didn’t I Read This in Another Chapter?”

It would be great if you read this book straight through from beginning to end! But we know leaders are busy (it says so right in the title!) and don’t always do it that way. That’s why The Busy Leader’s Handbook is written the way it is. It’s set up so you can jump right to whichever chapter you need in the moment. As a result, cover-to-cover readers may find that certain tactics are repeated in more than one place.

What’s more, actions that strengthen one leader’s skill or behavior quite often strengthen others as well. It just works out that way. It’s a good thing that so many tactics function organically to improve your leadership in several different areas: they give you more bang for your leadership buck!

Thank you for reading this book. We wish you all the best on your journey to becoming the best leader you can be.

I
The Leader in You:

Key Skills and Behaviors

These chapters are all about the mind-set, attitude, and capabilities the best leaders possess. We all need to become the best leaders we can be before we can bring out the best in others. When we master these skills and behaviors, we lay the groundwork for a thriving organization.

1
Strive to Be Self-Aware and Coachable

Recently in a conversation with a venture capitalist, we were talking about the qualities he looks for when he is thinking about buying a company. I suspected that he would focus on things like profitability and growth potential. But to my surprise he put self-awareness and coachability in leaders at the top of the list.

I’ve met and worked with hundreds of leaders over the years—in hospitals, on baseball fields, in government offices, and in hotels, stores, and restaurants—and have seen what self-awareness and coachability look like in action. Organizations that encourage and nurture these two qualities in their leaders (actually, in all employees) tend to be strong, innovative, and profitable.

This should come as no surprise. Today’s business environment requires us to adapt quickly and relentlessly. That means leaders must not only be great at what they do, they also have to be great learners. “They must know what they don’t know”—and be willing to work hard to learn it.

Self-awareness means knowing what you’re good at and what you’re not. It means you don’t hide your flaws or cover up your mistakes. You don’t pretend to know it all. It means you practice humility and embrace learning. Not only do transparency and vulnerability help people like and trust you, they set the right example for other leaders and employees. When everyone is willing to take risks, learn from mistakes, and seek out opportunities to learn and grow, organizations thrive.

Coachability just means you’re open to feedback. You don’t get bent out of shape by constructive criticism. You’re actually grateful for it because you want to improve and grow, personally and professionally. You want to be a better leader, spouse, partner, parent, or friend (and you know that growth impacts all of these roles).

Self-awareness and coachability are connected. Each one leads naturally to the other. When we know what we need to improve on, we’re more likely to seek the help of others who can coach us. Once we seek that help we become even more self-aware. It’s a cycle that builds on itself. The hardest part is getting started, but it gets easier.

When these two qualities become part of your company’s culture, you’re on your way to becoming an unstoppable organization. It’s easier to engage and motivate employees. High performers will be drawn to you (and will be more likely to stick around). Productivity will soar.

All of this can start with one leader. By improving your own performance and setting an example for others by working to become more self-aware and coachable, you will inspire others to do the same. In fact, if you want to help others improve, this is not optional. Here is a story to illustrate what I mean:

Years ago, I was working in an alcoholism and drug addiction treatment center. I met the daughter of one of our patients, a single mom with her child’s father out of their lives. This daughter was struggling in many ways, even blaming herself for her mother’s drinking. I happened to know a guidance counselor at this daughter’s high school who had shared with me several months earlier that she herself had grown up in an alcoholic home. I thought the guidance counselor would be a perfect person to talk to the patient’s daughter.

When I called her and asked, the guidance counselor paused. She apologized, saying she could not talk to this girl because she (the guidance counselor) had not yet even addressed her own issues. For close to 30 years, this story has stuck with me. It’s hard to take another person further than you take yourself.

Here are a few tips for becoming more self-aware and coachable:

Becoming self-aware and coachable doesn’t mean striving for perfection. None of us will ever be perfect. It does mean identifying the worst flaws that hold us back and sincerely working to repair them. It means knowing which tasks to delegate, and when to seek the advice of experts. It means realizing more each day just how much we don’t know.

This is a journey that we’ll never finish. Our main job as a leader is to make sure that we’re always headed in the right direction on the path.

2
Invite Feedback from Others and Don’t Take It Personally; Instead, Take Ownership

Don’t take anything personally.” This is the second of the Four Agreements—from the book The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz—that I try hard to live by. Ruiz writes that we should not take what happens around us personally because the actions of others have nothing to do with you, but rather are about them.

Although I do believe this, I also believe it does not mean we shouldn’t listen to and learn from others. I recall a time when a CEO said to me that one of the senior executives had taken the low employee satisfaction results in their area personally and that she advised him not to do so. My response was they should take the results personally for those areas they lead. This appears confusing when considered alongside Ruiz’s words.

In thinking about this paradox, I have some thoughts and suggestions:

How can we interpret results or feedback in such a way that we don’t take it personally but that we learn and grow from it? Our first thought must be that the sender of the message is not trying to be hurtful but helpful. As discussed in Chapter 1, the two most vital characteristics in personal growth are self-awareness and coachability. Feedback that creates self-awareness is meant to be helpful. Having an outside perspective is valuable; remember, an artist can draw someone else better than they can draw themselves.

When we take something personally in the way that Ruiz writes about it, it can lead to unhealthy emotions, such as anger and resentment. These emotions can lead to actions that prevent one from performing a self-inventory and create situations that are unhealthy for everyone. Yes, it may feel good for a brief moment to vent, gossip, and get revenge, but rarely do these responses lead to a productive outcome.

I tend to divide people’s reactions into two categories: taking it personally or taking ownership of it. The two are similar in some ways but create vastly different actions. The senior executive needs to take ownership of the poor results. What isn’t helpful is blaming yourself, or beating yourself up without improving, or being upset to the point that it delays or prevents you from taking positive steps forward.

Here are a few suggestions to help you move past taking feedback personally.

  1. Do a self-assessment. Is the feedback accurate? If not, is some of it right? If possible, try to find an objective measurement. Be honest with yourself. The goal is progress, not perfection.
  2. If you’re not sure the feedback is accurate, find someone you trust and ask them to provide a second opinion. This can be a mentor, close colleague, friend, or family member.
  3. Consider where the person is coming from, their motivation, and their emotional state. Senders can have issues. An angry person may lash out, a jealous person may say negative things, etc. Take in what fits and leave the rest behind. Sadly, people can be very mean-spirited and attempt to be hurtful. By being self-aware, with the help of others, this becomes easier and easier. However, it sure is difficult at times.

  1. Be kind to yourself. We are all human beings. Of course, when we read or hear something about ourselves or others we care about, we will be hurt. This is normal, but try to put it in perspective and look at it as an opportunity to practice forgiveness, self-care, and hopefully the pursuit of personal growth. Don’t beat yourself up or take unhealthy actions that might make the situation worse.

Make sure you’re allowing people to give you feedback. I often find that leaders do not receive helpful feedback because of how they’ve handled it in the past. If we have reacted with silent hurt or anger, people will be reluctant to provide it again. Let the person know you will appreciate their feedback and can handle it.

Great leaders create cultures that encourage people to give feedback. Adam Grant, a Harvard professor who wrote the fantastic book The Originals, identified some organizations and leaders who are very successful. A common theme I noticed was that these high-performing companies had a top leader who was not only open to feedback (even when they were not in agreement), but also installed systems and behavior that created a culture where all feedback was rewarded.

This is not easy to do. Even when a leader says, “I want your feedback,” many reports, due to past bad experiences, are reluctant to provide it. Some people were raised not to challenge someone in front of others and not to challenge someone in a higher position at all. In other cases, a report might say what a leader wants to hear in hopes of getting rewarded.

Creating a feedback-welcoming environment requires a leader willing to deflate their ego and be a good student. Here are a few simple tips that may help:

Becoming a leader who can accept feedback graciously and learn and grow from it is easier said than done. However, for you to be the best leader you can be—and for your organization to be the best it can be—it’s critical.

Taking Ownership: Eliminating Excuses

Being open to feedback is only half the battle. What matters more is what you do once a problem is pointed out to you. When we hear or discover things that we could have done better, often our first instinct is to get defensive and explain away the problem or rationalize why we made that decision. We often blame external circumstances or things outside of our control. All of this shifts responsibility away from us.

We often say things like, How was I supposed to know? There’s nothing I could have done. I was overwhelmed with other stuff. I would have, but . . . Or, and most importantly, look out for It’s not my fault.

These are all pretty common responses. Try to avoid these phrases (and others that shift responsibility). They aren’t productive, they don’t solve the problem, and they can actually be damaging in the long run. This reaction makes you seem unreliable. If you are constantly making excuses for not meeting deadlines or delivering results, it makes people feel like they can’t count on you, and that hurts your credibility and career long term. It makes good people avoid working with you, as they will avoid putting themselves in a position where their success depends on you. It keeps you from fixing the real problems. When you don’t see it as your fault, you probably won’t make any changes, so the problem will likely happen again.

Adopt a zero-tolerance policy for excuse making for yourself and don’t allow it from others. This means committing to yourself, your leaders, and everyone in the organization that you will do what it takes to get better, and take ownership of creating better outcomes in the future. This is just another way of saying that you are dedicated to doing your best work at all times, and you are focused on maximizing your impact.

When you approach your work with this mind-set, you are more likely to think creatively about how you might solve a problem or find an innovative work-around instead of waiting on someone or something else to make the difference. When you seek to avoid making excuses, you naturally start to think about how you can do your job better. You start to anticipate future problems, and take responsibility for outcomes. All of this will help you and your organization be more successful.

Committing to “No Excuses” doesn’t mean you have to be perfect. Mistakes will happen from time to time, and are sometimes unavoidable. The difference is that you don’t fall back on excuse making or avoid holding yourself accountable for improving. Instead, you actively think ahead and anticipate problems and avoid them if you can. When mistakes do happen, you take responsibility and commit to finding a way to make sure they don’t happen again in the future.

When you feel yourself starting to get defensive or make an excuse, take a second to ask yourself, Should I have seen this coming? Is there any way I could have acted differently to keep this from happening, even if no one told me to do so? If the answer is yes, you have to own the mistake and commit to doing better moving forward.