From Good to Great

First of all, I would like to apologize to my followers. I took a new job as Managing Broker of the Franklin/Cool Springs Crye-Leike office right after my last post and haven't taken the time to write since. My attempt at practicing my writing skills has taken a backseat to my attempt to help a wonderful group of agents become more productive and more appreciated. Although sometimes I feel like I'm failing in both areas, I'll never give up. So please don't give up on me

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Without an MBA from Harvard (or any other school), my basic strength as a manager is my deeply held belief that my purpose on the planet is to teach and motivate others to do their best. However, one thing I know for sure -- successful organizations are successful because of the "people on the bus" and all the manager has to do is get the right people on that bus. If you have read Jim Collins book Good to Great, you know exactly what I mean. Jim found that the good-to-great leaders he studied did not first set a new direction and strategy. They instead, first got the right people on the bus (and the wrong people off the bus) and then figured out where to drive it. The leaders said, "I don't really know where we should take this bus. But I know this much: If we get the right people on the bus, the right people in the right seats, and the wrong people off the bus, then we'll figure out together how to take it someplace great."

I completely agree with Jim Collins leaders. However, it isn't that easy to make sure you have the right people "on the bus." Finding myself lucky enough to follow a great leader into this job, I just had to make sure that in the future everyone who is allowed to join our journey on this bus is a good fit for the organization. And there were some who didn't fit on the bus and had to leave. The toughest job of a manager is making sure that those who want to hop on that bus will be a good fit. And, when you make a mistake and let someone on that bus, you stop and let them exit. Tough choices to make, and it's always difficult to tell someone they aren't a good fit.

Following is a description of the people who are on my bus, and are very successful. In interviewing and in making sure I retain the successful members of the team and only select the best to join the team in the future, I look for these characteristics.

1) Enthusiasm and energy

2) Desire to make a positive difference in every situation

3) Love of the job and the people they work with

4) Discipline and focus

5) A desire to prove their worth to the team

6) Ability to confront brutal facts (like a tough market or client) and never give up

7) Survival instincts

8) Competitive spirit combined with a desire to improve and help others improve

9) Gratitude to those in their life who help them along the way

10)Ability and desire to accept change, use the latest technology and ideas

Not all of our team is in the picture above, but you can see most of them. Look at their faces and you can see how well they fit on our bus. I'm so proud to have an opportunity to work with such professionals. And, I hope I can help them find what they need to be successful on our journey together. I know we're having a great time trying to help each other reach our goals.