More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
Read between
October 24 - November 12, 2019
Make your people feel they can speak freely, no matter what they want to say.
When leaders and managers behave as though they are above their people, when they announce decisions after little or no consultation, when they make it clear that their orders aren’t to be questioned, then conditions are ripe for disaster.
FREE YOUR CREW FROM TOP-DOWN-ITIS.
NURTURE THE FREEDOM TO FAIL.
Empower your people, and at the same time give them guidelines within which they are allowed to roam.
All managers should nurture the freedom to fail.
INNOVATION KNOWS NO RANK.
Every leader needs big ears and zero tolerance for stereotypes.
Strive to offer high quality at low cost in versatile areas such that customers fight to place their orders.
CHALLENGE YOUR CREW BEYOND ITS REACH.
BET ON THE PEOPLE WHO THINK FOR THEMSELVES.
This captain doesn’t want parrots—he wants people who think for themselves.
TAKE A CHANCE ON A PROMISING SAILOR.
It is gratifying to know you have had a positive impact on people’s lives, and then see them go on to greater things.
IF A RULE DOESN’T MAKE SENSE, BREAK IT.
IF A RULE DOES MAKE SENSE, BREAK IT CAREFULLY.
all too often, SOP is a sop—it distracts people from what’s really important.
Innovation and progress are achieved only by those who venture beyond standard operating procedure. You have to think imaginatively, but realistically, about what may lie ahead, and prepare to meet it. You have to look for new ways to handle old tasks and fresh approaches to new problems.
KEEP YOUR PRIORITIES IN FOCUS.
apply the successes and mistakes of others to our own situation and learn from them. If you prepare for the most challenging scenarios, chances are good that you will be much better prepared for the unforeseen.
STAY AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION.
A little forward planning can give you an eno...
This highlight has been truncated due to consecutive passage length restrictions.
PUSH THE ENVELOPE FOR INNOVATION.
I realized, firsthand, the power of information. Those that have it prosper. Those that don’t, wither.
VOLUNTEERING BENEFITS EVERYONE.
government programs do a lot of good and help a lot of people, but only local communities really understand the nuances of their challenges. One-size-fits-all programs tend to fit none. I think business has to pick up some of the slack. It is good for morale, good for your reputation, and good for your soul. Companies are right there in the community, and they can target their efforts to where they’re most needed.
Now most of the people who run nuclear power plants have advanced degrees in physics and math and other tough subjects. It struck me that the plant should partner with the local school district, so that when they need a substitute teacher, a plant employee could take a day off and pitch in. A company could easily set up a program to give people a day or two a year to volunteer as substitutes. It would be a win/win situation for everyone: good for the school district and good for the company, and it would do wonders for the employees to get away from the routine of work, go back to school, and
...more
GO FOR THE OBVIOUS. IT’S PROBABLY A WINNER.
Sometimes a solution is so simple and so apparent that we ignore it. We think it isn’t innovative or cool or complex enough, or that others have considered and discarded it.
Sometimes people are myopic. They get into a set pattern, and they can’t envision the potential benefits they could glean from various situations.
DON’T WORK HARDER. WORK SMARTER.
when you see a bad trend developing, you need to yell and holler until people pay attention to it.
DON’T FIGHT STUPIDITY. USE IT.
There is no downside to having employees who know how every division of an organization functions. The challenge is finding incentives to motivate them to want to do so.
LEADERSHIP, AS I HAVE SAID, IS MOSTLY THE ART OF doing simple things very well. However, we sometimes make it far tougher than it needs to be.
and I will show you a lousy manager. Praise
LITTLE THINGS MAKE BIG SUCCESSES.
Each month my ship’s office gave me a birthday list of my sailors’ spouses. I would write, say, “Dear Marie” at the top and sign it “Love, Mike.” Every card included my P.S. saying, “Your husband or wife is doing a great job,” even if he or she were not. I knew the cards worked because sailors often came by to express their appreciation. It was my way of bringing their families into our orbit.
they hit a performance ceiling because they didn’t create a supportive climate that encouraged sailors to reach beyond their own expectations.
positive, personal reinforcement is the essence of effective leadership.
TRUST PEOPLE. THEY USUALLY PROVE YOU’RE RIGHT.
NEWBIES ARE IMPORTANT. TREAT THEM WELL.
BE THE RISING TIDE THAT LIFTS ALL BOATS.
BUILD UP YOUR BOSSES.
EXPECT THE BEST FROM YOUR CREW. YOU WILL GET IT.
BUILD A STRONG, DEEP BENCH.
COUNSEL CONTINUOUSLY—AND HONESTLY.
FORGET DIVERSITY. TRAIN FOR UNITY.
run the dangerous risk of groupthink, and no one has the creativity to come up with new ideas. The goal is not to create a group of clones, culturally engineered to mimic one
I’m a big believer in getting resentments and grumbling out in the open, where they can do a lot less damage.
