I like lists. They keep me organized; they keep me focused. I operate best with lists. From my years writing on this blog, I know my readers like lists, too. Two of the most viewed topics on my blog have been my 12 Rules for Success and my father’s Guideposts to Management. My father gave me a list of guideposts to management when I became Vice President in 1964. I later adapted that list into my own rules for success. No one accidentally becomes a good leader. It takes dedication and discipline. My father knew—and I knew—that a brief list would help bring priorities into focus… keeping me grounded on the most important elements of being a good leader. This list has served me well and I hope you’ll find them useful in your career.
- Challenge your team to do better and do it often.
- Take good care of your associates, and they'll take good care of your customers, and they'll come back.
- Celebrate your peoples' success, not your own.
- Know what you're good at and keep improving.
- Do it and do it now. Err on the side of taking action. This is one of my favorite rules for success. There is such a thing as “analysis by paralysis” … don’t get weighed down by indecision. Go with your gut.
- Communicate by listening to your customers, associates and competitors.
- See and be seen. Get out of your office, walk the talk, make yourself visible and accessible.
- Success is always in the details.
- It's more important to hire people with the right qualities than with specific experience.
- Customer needs may vary, but their bias for quality never does.
- Always hire people who are smarter than you are.
- View every problem as an opportunity to grow.
With so many distractions and demands in our world today, I think we all can appreciate a good list… brief points we can tuck away to use when the time is right. I’d love to know what your favorite rule is in the list above? What are the rules you abide by to be a good leader? I’m Bill Marriott and thanks for helping me keep Marriott on the move.
