The first step finds your highest level of energy for the end result. Why?… discovers your individual and organizational motivation and passion for involvement and commitment. Why do you show up every day? Why are you committed to striving for higher revenue? Why is excellence important to you and your customers? Why do your customers buy from you? Do they trust you? Do you strive to be authentic so that they know you well enough to say yes? Are you reliable? Is your product or service reliable? Why does it fill their need?

The second step designs the highest possible future state. What? … describes the current state and discovers your visionary future state that inspires. What do you want to accomplish? What do your customers want that you could provide? What do you understand of your customer’s future needs? What innovations would take the entire market you are in another direction and gain share? What goals give you the future you envision? What will you do today to reach your goals for this week, month, year, decade?

The third part discovers the process for accomplishment. How? … Defines the best methods, initiatives, timelines, and metrics for producing and measuring the future you have just envisioned. How will you accomplish your goals? How would you measure the outcomes? How will you build more capability into your company? If you were to plan to double the size of your revenue every year, how would you do things differently? (Not is it possible, but how would you do it?)

The fourth step enlists leaders and aligns energy with action and accomplishment. Who? … discovers your committed champions and teams for each required initiative, to instigate, inspire, guide, and check for timely action and completion. If not you who? Who will you bring into your company to be excellent with you? Who is the list of perfect character traits to fit with and grow your company? What skills will they need to know? Will they be smart, happy, ambitious, honest? How will you know before you say yes? This is where you commit to yourself to strive daily.

The fifth and final part of this journey determines Timing, check points and end points. When? …discovers your timing for intermediate progress reviews and for each initiative’s final completion. And finally the When of your future state renewal review and post analysis of the defined end results. Do you now have the future state What you envisioned and does it fulfill the Why yet? Is it time to renew your vision? This is the place where you commit to yourself to learn daily to be a little more excellent. Is there more I can accomplish and learn?

I have had periods with long drives and being auditory listened to these books repeatedly for insight and inspiration. After a few reviews I found a question that bothered me. Jim Collins’ advice to all companies was to focus on their core competencies and market and not wander. However, he also said that GE was excellent in several industries. How could that be? Their main “hedge hog strategy” was developing excellent leaders. My understanding then is that leadership capability makes the difference between a “good” company and a great company with great results.

All the other methods Jim and his team discovered in the study of these rare organizations were designed and driven by each company’s leadership. This was good and supported my passion for working with good executives.

The difference between a good company and a Great company are the methods and leadership of the executives. I looked at what it would take for an executive to become great and realized that the methods I had evolved over the first decade of my coaching did that. These methods help executives become exceptional. As a result they guide their companies and organizations to greatness. The process is outlined below in the questions we will engage in answering. If you are interested in the learning about the process call and set up a conversation.

What are your ambitions?

What are your goals?

What do you tolerate?

What are your values?

When do you allow yourself to give up your values?

Do your accomplishments always rate a 10?

Do you understand why?

Do you understand being human deeply enough to recognize the state of those around you and the impact on your strategic goals?

Do you inspire?

Do you want more?

Are you ready to be exceptional?

Call or email us today for a free intake coaching session and take the first step.