Reader:

Three leadership actions that balance consistent standards with individual excellence.

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Morning Minute 11.10.26

Are You Managing Talent—or Limiting It? Three leadership actions that balance consistent standards with individual excellence.

In 1997, I was recruited to manage a struggling auto dealership in North Carolina.

I discovered a group of people with little direction, limited teamwork, and no standout performers.

We established clear objectives, introduced structured individual and team training, while developing processes emphasizing teamwork, customer service, and accountability.

The result? An ordinary group of individuals became an above-average performing team.

Three years later, I encountered a different challenge at a dealership in South Carolina.

This dealership had several talented individuals who weren't achieving their potential.

We established clear objectives, introduced structured individual and team training, and developed processes emphasizing teamwork, customer service, and accountability.

Over three years, annual net profit increased from $200K in year #1, to $1.7M in year #3.

Same leadership principles. Different processes. Dramatically different results.

Consider another example.

At Auburn University, Coach Pat Dye recognized Bo Jackson's extraordinary abilities as a running back. In Jackson's senior year, Dye shifted from the wishbone offense to the I-formation, creating more opportunities to utilize Jackson's talents.

Jackson went on to win the 1985 Heisman Trophy.​

The lesson?

Effective leaders don't lower standards to accommodate talent. They adapt processes to maximize talent.
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Here are three actions that will help you develop a winning team.

1. Recognize Individual Abilities.

Discover each person's strengths, skills, motivations, and potential. Don't assume everyone needs the same direction, training, or incentives.

2. Establish Common Standards.

Create processes that ensure consistent customer service, professionalism, accountability, and teamwork. Everyone, including your highest performers, must meet those standards.

3. Adapt Processes Utilizing Team Member Talent to Maximize Performance.

Provide developing team members with the structure, coaching, and encouragement they need.

Give top performers the freedom to innovate, improve productivity, and earn greater rewards.

Remember this:

​Too little process creates confusion. Too much process can suppress innovation.

As a leader, your challenge is knowing when to provide more structure—and when to provide more freedom.

Ask yourself these 2 introspective questions:

1. Are my processes helping people become more productive—or preventing talented people from achieving more?

2. Am I developing a team that simply follows instructions—or one that continually discovers better ways to succeed?

Great leaders don’t just manage the talent they inherit.

They develop people, adapt processes, and create opportunities for everyone to win.

Keep Learning. Keep Leading.

Information without transformation is wasted energy!

That is today’s Morning Minute.

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Today's message was prompted by a conversation between myself and others recently. Leadership requires that we recognize when to install standards which apply to all, and when to manage talent in order to aid in productivity and encourage innovation.

Both are important. Standards describe minimum requirements to be on the team. These include punctuality, appearance, productivity, etc. There are those who have greater talent. These are the people that create greater productivity, new and better products and services, and more alignment between processes.

How well you balance standards while utilizing your team's talents will determine your level of success!

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Here are some recent Morning Minutes you may have missed with actionable ideas, useful instruction, and step-by-step methods to help you, your family, and/or your team to be more, do more, and achieve more.

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​"Six Habits That Build Successful Lives!" Discover the 6 personal disciplines that build character, strengthen relationships, and create lasting success. Learn how that lasting success isn't built by what we acquire. It is built by who we become. Take the 6 week challenge to become a happier, healthier, and more productive professional...

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​"What Happens When Enthusiasm Meets Reality?" Enthusiasm gets you started. How you respond to setback, mistakes, and defeats will determine your success. Discover 3 examples of how that enthusiasm gets you started. And, how that discipline, competence, and resilience can lead to your success when reality crushes your enthusiasm.

​"What Are We Failing to Notice?" Discover the three ways awareness helps you avoid danger, discover opportunities, and understand others. Learn from these 3 real anecdotes why we need to pay attention to avoid danger, be alert to new opportunities created by changing conditions and new products, and gain from changing how we listen, how we react, and how we create more opportunities.

​"What Does Your Team Need From You?" Discover the 6 functions that develop people, improve performance, and create winning teams. Learn how that your function as a coach, a teacher, a teacher, an instigator, a disciplinarian, and organizer, and a mentor are critical to building a world-class team. Take the challenge to improve your leadership skills as you continue to develop your team!

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(published by the Bonorato Creative Group. LLC; all rights reserved)