In the classic book, Jack: Straight from the Gut, Jack Welch outlines six rules for successful leaders:

1. Control your destiny or something else will.
2. Face reality as it is, not as it was or as you wish it was.
3. Be candid with everyone.
4. Don’t manage, lead.
5. Change before you have to.
6. If you don’t have a competitive advantage, don’t compete.

As I read these, I realized five of his six rules for successful leadership were about facing reality.

Here is another list of six rules that will help you define reality for your team, business, and personal leadership:

1. What is the reality of our situation? List positive and negatives.
2. Break each one down to better understand it. Who can own it?
3. Can it be turned around or should we let it go? List which can be solved or unsolvable.
4. What are the best possible solutions? Establish a one-sentence game plan/solution.
5. Are you committed to positive change? Do you need to enlist help?
6. Do we have 100% buy-in from key leaders? Reset your “must-have” goals that define your success.

Finally, it takes courage to define reality. Sometimes we have to admit when we are weak, ask for honest feedback from others, and invite “fresh eyes” to check us out and ask us raw questions. Two tools that I offer are a Leaders 360° Listening Tour and an Organizational 360° Listening Tour. On both listening tours, I gather fresh insight, actionable intel, and collectively put together a customized, personalized leadership development plan, plus a success plan for teams and organizations. Interested in learning more? Contact us here!

Let’s Define Reality for a Strong and Successful Future!
Steve