Long gone are the days when the 'boss' knows all. Innovation is necessary in all aspects of the business: product development, service, sales, finance, marketing, promotion. No one person can possibly be an expert in all these areas. Find smart people with a passion for what they do. And then let them do it!

Any high-performing team has a mix of skills, experience, and personality. Enjoy the differences. Laugh at eccentricities. Laugh at yourself. There's a reason some people like sales and others develop operating systems. Having a football team made up entirely of 350-pound guys who can't run would not be successful. Why would you expect an organization of people all from the same Ivy League school to be successful?

Open, honest, timely communication with employees, managers and peers is crucial to performing at a high level. Treat people with respect at all times. Treat problems or differences on an objective level. Never make issues personal.

George Custer is not a hero of mine. Taking his men into a box canyon surrounded by the enemy without a Plan B is not good leadership. It is rare to anticipate every move a competitor may make or accurately predict every crisis. Contingency planning and succession planning are the responsibility of leadership.

George Patton is often quoted as saying, "A good plan violently executed today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow." I've always believed in doing things with a passion. And then keeping your eyes open for opportunities to exploit. I tend to like Nike's approach: Just Do It!

This was a saying my father taught me. He was a career submariner. I spent most of my Naval career trying to find submarines. Most of the time it was futile. Be the hunter.

Create a set of values, not a set of mission statements. Measure performance against those values and publish them. Make certain that your employees understand these values, why they are important, and why they make your team different and better.

When Alice asked the Cheshire Cat which road she should take, the cat asked her, "Where are you going?"
"I don't know," Alice replied.
"Well then," said the cat, "any road will take you there!"

Devising a strategy that creates a clear position in the mind of your customer is crucial. The strategy must be understood and be meaningful to every employee or they cannot help you implement it in their daily work. Strategy also is important because it will tell you what NOT to do!