Stephen Lynch blog

The Stagecoach Metaphor: Are your managers like coach horses pulling you forward or draft oxen requiring constant pushing?

Winners know when to quit. Define your Kill Criteria in advance so you are not tempted to second guess yourself later.

It is your job as CEO to make strategic decisions, but strive to get directional alignment from your senior leaders before the strategy session.

Deadlines are not suggestions. A due date is a commitment. By all means get it done sooner, but due dates are ‘commits’, not ‘hopes’.

A good result doesn’t mean a good decision. A lucky win isn’t a good process. Focus on repeatable, scalable processes for enduring success.

Avoid the charade of management theater. Renegotiate metrics every quarter, confront below-standard performance, and assign remedial action.

It should take no longer than 15 minutes to write the report, and take no longer than 5 minutes to read everyone’s reports.

As a manager, it’s better to be respected than to be liked. Achieving results and winning the game leads to a happier team over the long term

If you constantly “dip down” to do the functional work of your people, you are operating at the wrong level as a manager

I needed to learn how to be a better listener. The secret I found lies in one word. “Curiosity.”