Lead with Principles

I've always been very fortunate to have one or two mentors; formal and informal throughout my career. Two, in particular, had a profound impact on me nearly twenty years ago. We'll call them "the two Mike's" because that is their first names. One of the Mikes was my CIO and the other was his boss. They had worked together previously and both were very successful, very accomplished; previously holding jobs as CIOs, CEOs, and COOs.

You could say that the two Mikes co-mentored me informally. This consisted mostly of giving me real-time feedback after meetings, in-office lunches, time behind the wheel driving to off-site meetings together or 1:1 time. Whatever the format, it was a great time in my life that I think back on very fondly.

The two Mike's taught me, above all, that people have to know where you stand and what you stand for, if they're going to consider following you as a leader. They also taught me about having an image, the power of transparency, leader insecurities, and standing-up for your people.

One of the simplest ways to let people know where you stand is to share your guiding principles - these are the values that you follow when leading and managing others.

Those of you who have worked with me over the years, know that I will often distribute a document while I'm onboarding that very simply lays out my guiding principles. The list has evolved in small ways, but has stayed relatively the same over the last decade.

As an homage to the two Mikes and to let you know a little bit more about me, I've decided to share my list below.

My Guiding Principles

1. Respect & Dignity - Treat everyone with respect and dignity at all-times. Active listening, understanding diverse perspectives, and fostering a supportive environment ensures individuals feel valued and empowered.

2. Authority - Build your own authority rather than relying on others’ influence. Understand and respect the limits of your authority, including any constraints. Discuss these boundaries with your manager to make confident, informed decisions. Avoid dropping names to get something done.

3. Constructive Criticism & Healthy Contention - In conflict situations, listen to understand others’ intentions and seek common ground. Strive for win-win solutions while maintaining effective, caring relationships. Embrace challenges as opportunities for growth and consensus.

4. Trust - Trust is built incrementally but can be lost instantly. Do what you say you will do, admit mistakes promptly, and correct them. Trust fosters speed, reduces costs, and improves predictability.

5. Eliminate "Swirl" - Avoid prolonged discussions without actionable outcomes. Swirl and problem admiration stalls progress. Leaders must facilitate meetings toward conclusions and eliminate inefficiencies. Land the plane.

6. Money and Finances - Treat the company’s resources as if they were your own. Ensure expenditures align with value-driven outcomes, and measure benefits. If the company's money is treated like funny-money or doesn't seem real, people lack perspective. Also, don't be hero at budget-time. Be a hero at execution-time.

7. Relationships - Building and rebuilding relationships requires authenticity and effort. Start with trust and maintain it. Repairing strained relationships involves understanding shared goals, letting past issues go, and reestablishing trust – one small step at a time. Work across the aisle to consider your peers, not just yourself for how you're impacted in a decision.

8. Integrity - Operate with integrity by being predictable, consistent, and honest. Avoid compromising your principles, even during challenging transitions. Others observe and respect your integrity. People should not get hurt when you're doing your job.

9. Teamwork - True teamwork thrives on humility, acknowledging individual weaknesses, and celebrating others’ strengths. Real teamwork promotes collective ideas, shares success, and trusts team members to perform. Use inclusive language like "we" and "us."? Be extra responsive to your peers.

10. Substantiated Decisions - Make decisions based on facts rather than anecdotes. In a constantly changing environment, substantiate decisions with evidence. Build a strong case and allow others to challenge it, ensuring sound outcomes.

11. United Front - When a group decision is made, it stands unless formally revisited. Undermining decisions through inaction, politics, or alliances erodes trust.

12. Vacation & Time Off - Respect colleagues’ time off. Barring true emergencies, avoid disrupting their time away. ?Effective planning, back-ups, and contingencies avoids PTO disruption.

13. Stay in Your Lane - If performance concerns arise within someone’s role, escalate the issue rather than assuming their responsibilities. Respect role boundaries to maintain focus and accountability.

14. Lead with Empathy and Respect - Create an environment where everyone feels respected and valued. Listen actively, seek to understand, and approach interactions with empathy to foster collaboration and inclusivity.

15. Balance Strategy with Execution - Be a visionary and a doer. Align strategic planning with broader goals while leading by example in execution. Ensure smooth transitions from planning to action and uphold commitments to excellence.

Do you have guiding principles for leading and managing?

Have one you'd like to share?

Do you have specific phrases that have guided you?