Musings at Altitude

In looking forward to 2010, today I’m thinking about keys to success (though clearly applicable to me, probably applicable to lots of folks):

— Communicate clearly…the older I get the more I pontificate…time to tighten up the message and communicate it clearly

— Focus intensely…I suffer with a problem of getting on to the next thing before the current thing is done…need to focus intensely through completion this coming year

— Involve broadly…instead of narrowing down those involved in any particular issue, this next year I’ll need to involve more broadly and coordinate more aggressively

— Spew passion…we’ll still have some big challenges and tough times in 2010 and folks need to see optimism and excitement for what’s yet to come

— Accept criticism…not my strong point, but the only way to continue to grow and evolve based on the needs of my team and the organization

— Pray relentlessly…too much clear evidence of God’s work not to acknowledge His presence and yield to Him “to set my paths straight”

— Share success…in the words of a good friend and business leader, “you don’t lead alone”…as a leader, you bear the blame for errors and share the praise for success

— Seek counsel…listen to trusted advisors and accept the fact that I’m nowhere near as smart as I think I am

— Peer forward…keep my eyes on the horizon even while carefully watching each step that I take

— Listen aggressively…so many good ideas coming from all levels of the organization…time to make sure all those voices are heard

— Reward abundantly…lots of great things going on and each person doing a great thing needs to feel appreciated and be rewarded for doing those great things

— Relax appropriately…I can only burn so hard for so long…it’s critical to relax with the same zest that I work

— Smile profusely…regardless of the challenges, or the problems, or the stress, every single day there is an awful lot to smile about

2010 ought to be an awesome year!