Introduction xxv
Part I: The Principles for Going All-In 2
Month 1: Mission, Vision, and Accountability 3
#1: Invest Daily in Becoming a Great Leader 5
#2: Own the Vision 5
#3: Be Clear About Your Vision 6
#4: You Work for Your Team 7
#5: Be the Leader Employees Want to Work for 7
#6: Make Them Better 8
#7: Everyone Wins When You Give Your Help Selflessly 8
#8: Find the Triangle Balance 9
#9: Always Showcase AARI 9
#10: Unleash Your Tenacity 10
#11: Dont Sit Around Waiting 11
#12: Free Yourself from the Need for Respect 11
#13: Know Your Upside and Downside 12
#14: Hold Team Masterminds 12
#15: Make the Call and Roll 13
#16: Celebrate the Wins of Your Team Every Day 14
#17: Teach the Team Gratitude 15
#18: Become a Visionary Leader 15
#19: Leadership Is a Privilege 16
#20: Great Leadership Spreads Like Wildfire 17
#21: Develop the Leaders of the Future 17
#22: Help Your People Set Goals 18
#23: We Are a Team 18
#24: Ditch the Blame Game 19
#25: To Be the Best Team Leader, Be Flexible 19
#26: Make Your People Feel Important 20
#27: Unlock Your Employees Passion 20
#28: Life Partners Need to Be Bought Into the Mission 21
#29: The Only Constant in Life Is Change 21
#30: Teach Your Team the Principles of Winning 22
#31: Everyone Is a Leader 23
Month 2: Building the Foundation for Great Hiring and Onboarding 25
#1: Become Great at Recruiting and Hiring 27
#2: Hire the People Today That You Will Need in the Future 27
#3: APT: Always Prospect Talent 28
#4: Create a Repeatable Hiring Process 28
#5: Find the Rock Stars with Behavior- Based Interviews 29
#6: Hire for the Three Is 30
#7: Hire for This Key Trait 31
#8: Hire People with Abilities You Cant Teach 31
#9: Develop a Business Case for Hires 32
#10: Always Stay on the Hunt for Talent 33
#11: Stop Recruiting Junior Hires 33
#12: Hire with the Aim of Leveling Up 34
#13: Look for a Culture Add 34
#14: Develop Department Transition Plans Fast 35
#15: The First 30 to 90 Days Are Indicative of the Next Five Years 35
#16: Do Weekly Onboard Check-Ins for an Employees First Month 36
#17: Develop an Onboarding Schedule That Lets New Employees Showcase Their Talents ASAP 37
#18: Hold Regular One-on-Ones and Let Your Employee Lead the Conversation 38
#19: Build a New-Hire Orientation Template 39
#20: Teach Fast 40
#21: Invest in Training and Technology for the Team 41
#22: Buy Yourself Leverage 41
#23: Start a Mentorship Program 42
#24: Teach New Team Members to Study Top Employees 42
#25: When Onboarding, Share the Top 20% Data 43
#26: Deliver Positive Feedback for Improvement 44
#27: Hold Effective One-on-One Meetings: Skip Level Template 45
#28: Make Your One-on-One Meetings Cross-Functional 46
#29: Dont Take Employee Churn Too Personally 47
#30: Hire Higher 47
#31: Dont Forget the Number-One Reason People Join Startups 48
Month 3: Developing a High-Performance Culture 49
#1: The Teams Success Is Your Success 51
#2: Build an Amazing Culture 51
#3: Learn the Four Keys to a Balanced Work Culture 52
#4: Bring Out the Creative Genius in Your Team 52
#5: Help Spread Rock-Star Qualities 53
#6: Teach Your Team to Go the Extra Mile 54
#7: Do the Hard Things 54
#8: The Sum Is Greater Than the Parts 55
#9: Training Never Stops 55
#10: Study Your Game Film 55
#11: Figure Out the One Thing 56
#12: Add Insane Value 57
#13: Adopt a Bias Toward Action 57
#14: Your Next Victory Requires a Single Step 58
#15: Always Ask Why? 58
#16: Measure Your Success by How Many People Thank You for Theirs 59
#17: Create a Scalable, Repeatable, and Predictable Playbook for Your Team 59
#18: Become an Expert in Your Field 60
#19: Seniority Doesnt Mean Anything 61
#20: Be Obsessed with Maximizing the Performance of Your Team 61
#21: Survey Your Team on Your Management 62
#22: Boost Productivity by Eliminating Bottlenecks 63
#23: Reward Employees for Their Ideas to Improve 64
#24: Place People Where They Are a Perfect Fit 64
#25: Give Your People Freedom and Creative Space 65
#26: Be Your Teams Biggest Cheerleader 66
#27: Give All the Credit When You Win, Take All the Blame When You Lose 66
#28: Help Your Team Make Friends at Work 67
#29: No Matter the Job, Acknowledge How Hard Your People Work 67
#30: Positive Reinforcement Trumps Negative Reinforcement 68
#31: Create a Culture of Continuous Learning and Development 68
Part II: The Strategies for Building High-Performing Teams 70
Month 4: KPIs, Goal Setting, and Decision-Making 71
#1: Find Your Daily Dose of Inspiration in Your Why 73
#2: Evaluate Your Judgment 74
#3: Leaders Are Readers 74
#4: Train Your Team to Be the Best Players 75
#5: Show Integrity 24/7 (Even When No One Is Watching) 76
#6: Getting Things Wrong Is an Integral Part of Getting Things Right 77
#7: Favor Results Over Time 77
#8: Dont Sweat the Small Stuff 78
#9: Create Key Performance Indicators 78
#10: Identify Your Teams Goals 79
#11: Set AQMD Goals 79
#12: Tackle the Big Picture with Quarterly Reviews 81
#13: Coach Your Team to Provide Weekly Updates 82
#14: There Are Only Two Outcomes to a Decision 83
#15: Use Team Recommendations to Make the Right Decisions 84
#16: Recommit to Your Decisions Daily 84
#17: Multitasking Is Doing More but Getting Less 85
#18: Good Is the Enemy of Great 86
#19: Avoid Drama 86
#20: Review Your Data Daily 87
#21: New Data = New Decisions 87
#22: Make Work Fun 88
#23: Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 88
#24: Teach Your Team to Speak Up 89
#25: Let Your Team Do the Problem- Solving 90
#26: Trust Your People and Empower Them to Make an Impact 91
#27: Dont Strip Your People of Their Decision-Making Powers 91
#28: Speed to Decision Is a Competitive Advantage for Your Team 92
#29: Great Leaders Do Whatever It Takes to Improve the Performance of Their Team Members 92
#30: Success Leaves Secrets 93
Month 5: Prioritizing Tasks, Diagnosing Issues, and Taking Action 95
#1: Its Either a Hell Yes or a Hell No 97
#2: Share the Companys Priorities with Your Team 97
#3: Map Out the Best Path for Your Destination Point 98
#4: Every First Week of the Month, Clean Up Your Pipeline 99
#5: Direction > Speed 100
#6: Teach Your Team to Do the Things They Need to Do 100
#7: Make Your Team a Meritocracy 101
#8: Know the Four Key Pillars for the Business Unit 102
#9: Prioritize Tasks and Projects 102
#10: Break Down Large, Hairy Objectives into Small, Doable Tasks 104
#11: Work the Deals That Are Likely to Close First 105
#12: Create a Game Plan the Night Before 106
#13: Constantly Coach 107
#14: Host Effective Team Meetings with Everyone 108
#15: No Meeting Should Last Longer Than 30 Minutes 109
#16: Ask Better Questions 109
#17: Learn Fast and Fail Fast 110
#18: Make Sure Your Reps Take Responsibility for Training 111
#19: Get Great Trainers and Support Them 111
#20: Get Paid or Pay for It 112
#21: Coach Your Team on Specific Tasks 112
#22: Work Where You Can Have the Biggest Impact 112
#23: Big Goals Require Big Resources 113
#24: Give Your Team a Head Start 113
#25: Cut Timelines for Projects in Half 114
#26: Work Hard on the Right Things vs. the Wrong Things 115
#27: Find the Balance Between Helping Others and Maintaining Your Goals 115
#28: Squeeze the Urgency with Your Team 116
#29: Look to New Employees for Fresh Ideas 117
#30: Teach Your Team the Value of Hard Work 118
Month 6: Thriving in Adversity with Resilience, Discipline, and a Growth Mindset 119
#1: Sustain a Positive Mindset (Every. Single. Day.) 121
#2: Do WIT: Whatever It Takes 122
#3: The Riches Are in the Consistent Work Niches 122
#4: Improve by 1% Every Day 123
#5: Growth Comes from Challenges 124
#6: Grit Has Nothing to Do with Winning 125
#7: SDB: Show, Do, Be 125
#8: Know Your Worth 126
#9: No One Knows What They Are Doing at First 126
#10: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work 127
#11: Teach Your Team That Its You vs. You 127
#12: Make Room for Risks 128
#13: As Your Team Changes, Encourage Your People to Be Proactive and Pick Up the Slack 129
#14: Dont Hate, Imitate! 129
#15: Teach the Importance of Curiosity 130
#16: Make Big Issues Seem Small 130
#17: Shoot Your Shot 131
#18: Teach Tenacity 131
#19: Become the Pressure Magnet 132
#20: Teach Coachability 132
#21: Embrace Your Vulnerabilities 133
#22: Ask for In- Person Feedback 133
#23: Never Say I Cant Do It 134
#24: Divide and Conquer Big Projects 134
#25: Turn Mistakes Into Learning Lessons 135
#26: Spend Time on Problems vs. Solutions 136
#27: What Do You Need to Do Today? 136
#28: Success Is Uncomfortable 137
#29: Bet on Hard Work, Not Luck 137
#30: Enjoy the Journey 138
Part III: The Keys to Unlocking Your Teams Potential 140
Month 7: The Art of Communication, Transparency, and Active Listening 141
#1: Active Listening Is All-In Leadership 143
#2: Be Transparent 143
#3: Make Your Expectations Crystal Clear 144
#4: Master the Art of Communication 145
#5: Communicate Using Clarity, Purpose, and Trust 146
#6: Become Obsessed with People and How They Think 146
#7: Losing Top Talent Has a Price 147
#8: People Want to Feel Seen and Understood 148
#9: Listen to Your Employees Problems 148
#10: Make Sure Everyone Is Heard at Meetings 149
#11: Dont Overshare 150
#12: Dont Be a One-Upper: Support the Success and Wins of Your Team 151
#13: Whats on Your Mind? 152
#14: Do Not Glorify Burnout 152
#15: Give Your People the Benefit of the Doubt 153
#16: Be Your Biggest Critic 154
#17: Turn Your Why into a Passion Statement 154
#18: Open Feedback 155
#19: Empires Are Destroyed from Within 155
#20: Create a No Excuses Policy 156
#21: Expect the Best from Your People 100% of the Time 157
#22: Dont Be Afraid to Have Difficult Conversations 158
#23: Develop PIPs 159
#24: Deal with Consistent Underperformance 160
#25: Kill Bad Behaviors ASAP 161
#26: Change Your Perspective on Trading Team Members 161
#27: If You Have Trouble Finding the Right Team Members, the Problem May Be You 162
#28: Be Part of the Solution, Not the Problem 162
#29: During Stressful Times, Release the Pressure 163
#30: Get Ready to Overcome Resistance When Youre Making Waves 164
Month 8: Empowerment, Trust, and Autonomy 165
#1: Weve All Been Unqualified at One Point 167
#2: Create a Bigger Purpose 168
#3: Teach Your Team the True Meaning of Happiness 168
#4: Crush All Your Goals with This Framework 169
#5: Ask for Input 169
#6: Make It Safe to Reach Out for Help 170
#7: Always Ask 170
#8: There Are Two Things People Want More Than Money and Power 171
#9: Host Daily Standups 171
#10: The Data Doesnt Lie 172
#11: Ditch Internal Politics 172
#12: Teach Failure 173
#13: Unblock the Blockers 173
#14: See Things Through to the End 174
#15: Bring Them in to Get Buy- In 175
#16: Get Your People Pumped About Your Ideas 176
#17: Turn Your Words Into Actions and Build Trust with Your Employees 176
#18: Autonomy to Create and Innovate 177
#19: The 40-Hour Work Week Is a Myth 178
#20: Leadership Is Hard 179
#21: Sweat More in Practice, Bleed Less in War 179
#22: Becoming Better Is Greater Than Becoming the Best 179
#23: The World Never Wants to ChangeDo It Anyway 180
#24: Take a Circular Approach to Teaching 180
#25: Learn from Good and Bad Experiences 181
#26: Positivity Is Possibility 182
#27: Ditch the Criticism and Stick to Potential Opportunities for Improvement 182
#28: Always Stay Teachable 183
#29: Either Youre Moving Forward or Youre Moving Backward 184
#30: Today the Team Is the Best Its Ever Been and the Worst It Will Ever Be 184
Month 9: Leading Through Change, Uncertainty, and Tough Times 185
#1: Change Your Outlook on Failure 187
#2: Embrace Challenges 187
#3: Embrace the Pain 188
#4: You Can Always Improve 188
#5: Stop Playing the Short Game 189
#6: Theres Strength in Change 189
#7: Growth Comes from Discomfort 190
#8: All Employees Fall Into These Two Categories 190
#9: Manage Mediocre Effort Well 191
#10: Mindset Saves the Sinking Ship 191
#11: Pay Attention to the Subtext 191
#12: Find Out Your Teams Weak Spots 192
#13: Step Outside Your Comfort Zone 192
#14: Theres No Room for Drama 193
#15: Stop Micromanaging 194
#16: You Can Disagree, Just Do It with Respect 194
#17: Dont Be Mean- Spirited or Disrespectful (Seriously) 195
#18: Tough Times Build Character 196
#19: Rise Up 196
#20: Ask Yourself These Questions Before You Make a Huge Change 196
#21: Make Decisions When Youre on Top 197
#22: Your Teams Ideas Have the Potential to Change the World 198
#23: Get in the Trenches with Your Team 199
#24: Ask More Questions 200
#25: Study Feedback Patterns 200
#26: Lead with Empathy When Challenges Arise 201
#27: This Gets in the Way of Taking Responsibility 201
#28: Teach the Definition of Failure 202
#29: Help Your Team Get Unstuck 202
#30: Remind Your People How Unstoppable They Are 203
#31: Have Relentless Optimism 203
Part IV: The Secrets to Developing the Next Generation of Leaders 206
Month 10: The Human Element, Emotional Intelligence, and Soft Skills 207
#1: Recognize the Difference Between Bad Bosses and All-In Leaders 209
#2: Embrace the Greatest Change When You Become a Leader 209
#3: To Hone Your Intuition, You Have to Focus on Your Strengths 210
#4: Never Call Me Your Boss 211
#5: Stay True to Yourself 211
#6: Ask Open- Ended Questions 212
#7: Never Be Satisfied with the Status Quo 212
#8: Find Out Your Employees Communication Style 213
#9: Stop Worrying About Whos Right 213
#10: Show Compassion Through Action 214
#11: Dont Be a Know-It-All 214
#12: Its Time for Leaders to Give a Damn 215
#13: Make Intuition and Data Your Ultimate Drivers 216
#14: Unlock Your Employees Natural Talents 216
#15: Teach Your Team Mental Health Resilience 217
#16: Remember, Your Employees Could Be Anywhere Else 217
#17: Encourage a WorkLife Balance 218
#18: People Dont Choose a Job, They Choose a Boss 219
#19: Treat Your People Like Family, Not Quotas 220
#20: Look to Shared Experiences to Build Relationships 220
#21: Stand Up, Stand Out 221
#22: Put Yourself in Your Boss Shoes 222
#23: Im Just Being Honest Doesnt Give You a License to Be a Jerk 222
#24: Embrace What Sets You Apart 223
#25: Be Fully Present at Meetings 223
#26: Always Exude High Emotional Intelligence 224
#27: Never Make Your Employees Feel Dumb 224
#28: When You Care Less About Your People, Your People Become Careless 225
#29: Do What You Say and Say What You Do 225
#30: Let Someone Know Youre Proud of Them 226
Month 11: Leading Diverse Teams and Fostering Continuous Learning 227
#1: Dont Let Differences Keep You from Gold 229
#2: Learn to Lead 230
#3: Recognize When Youre at the Top of Your Leadership Game 230
#4: Your Reputation Is Everything 231
#5: Share Your Number-One Goal as a Leader 231
#6: Go Above and Beyond 232
#7: Always Have Five Minutes for Your Team 232
#8: Figure Out What Your Team Needs and How You Can Help 233
#9: Customize Your One- on- Ones 233
#10: Get Your People Sold on the Product and the Company 234
#11: Invest Your Resources to Maximize Employees Success 235
#12: Nip Your Insecurities in the Bud 236
#13: Overcome Imposter Syndrome 236
#14: Dont Be Too Hard on Yourself 237
#15: You Are Limitless 237
#16: Live with an Abundance Mindset 238
#17: Build Your Own Leadership Tribe 239
#18: You Can Always Learn Something New to Do Better 239
#19: Break the Rules 240
#20: Learn When to Best Use Your Time 240
#21: Never Be an Entitled Leader 241
#22: Strength vs. Weakness 241
#23: Make It Their Idea Rather Than Yours 242
#24: Help Your People Feel Safe 242
#25: Pay More Attention to What People Do, Not What They Say 243
#26: If You Bring Value to Your Team, You Will Be Valued 243
#27: Dont Expect Your Team to Work Harder Than You 244
#28: Teach Your Team to Invest in Their Own Self-Development 244
#29: Surround Yourself with the Greatest Talent 245
#30: Become the Leader You Wished You Had 245
#31: Invest in Yourself Continuously 246
Month 12: Developing Future Leaders, Coaching, and Succession Planning 247
#1: Every Employee Is a Diamond in the Rough 249
#2: Get Your Team to Invest in Their Success 249
#3: Lead with Purpose Rather Than Desire 250
#4: Coach Your Managers to Become Great Leaders 251
#5: Break Free from Micromanagement 251
#6: Use These Three Key Factors to Spot a Potential Leader 252
#7: Get Obsessed with Becoming a World-Class Coach 253
#8: Run Coaching Sessions That Leave Employees Empowered 254
#9: Make the Most of Your Top Talent Before They Go Somewhere Else 255
#10: Even If You Outsource Training, Executing Coaching Is Your Job 255
#11: Use Data to Prioritize Coaching 256
#12: Increase Your Coaching Time 256
#13: Train Your Team to Be the CEO of Their Business 257
#14: Unlock Your Employees Greatest Motivators 258
#15: Motivate Your People to Want to Work With Passion 259
#16: Give Feedback Right Away 259
#17: Make Your Monthly Review an Opportunity for Reflection and Strategy 260
#18: Conduct Annual Reviews That Fuel Growth 261
#19: Focus on High Potentials 262
#20: Create Promotion Ladders for Every Position 263
#21: Teach Employees How to Get Ahead 264
#22: Take on the Role Before You Actually Have the Position 264
#23: Dont Wait to Promote 265
#24: Be Intentional with Your Compliments 265
#25: Anytime Someone Gets Promoted, Personally Call Them to Congratulate Them 266
#26: Ask the Team, What Did You Learn Today? 267
#27: Get a Progress Partner 267
#28: You Are Never Too Important 268
#29: You Are in Control 269
#30: Speak Success Into Existence 269
Conclusion 271
About the Author 275
Index 277
