Lee Colan > Quotes

“Saying “No” also applies to the day-to-day decisions you make as a leader. For example, if you spend two hours in a meeting that does not help your team achieve its One Thing, you pay an opportunity cost by spending time on tasks that do not support your focus. If you find yourself saying, “That was a waste of time,” “Boy, that didn’t add any value” or “Why was I attending that meeting?” - these may be signs that you need to say “No.”
― Lee Colan, Sticking to It: The Art of Adherence

“The results of building Adherence can be compared to the results of planting a bamboo seed. When the seed is planted and nurtured, it can take up to two years for a sprout to break through the earth. But once it does, it can grow over 100 feet in two weeks! This accurately describes the journey and benefits of building Adherence”
― Lee Colan, Sticking to It: The Art of Adherence

“High-achieving leaders keep their teams accountable for measurable objectives and for hitting milestones along the way. To do this, they work with their team members to write SMART goals: Specific What will be accomplished? With whom? Measurable How will we know the goal has been achieved? How will we measure it? (Quality, quantity, cost, timeliness?) Attainable Can the goal be accomplished? Does the person responsible have control over the outcome? Relevant How does this goal support our team’s One Thing? What is the relative priority of this goal? Time-framed When does this goal need to be completed? When are the checkpoints?”
― Lee Colan, Sticking to It: The Art of Adherence

“A mediocre strategy with strong Adherence will produce better results than a brilliant strategy with minimal Adherence.”
― Lee Colan, Sticking to It: The Art of Adherence

“When planning your team’s activities, create a “Stop Doing List” in addition to all of the new work you must perform to execute your plan. Identify those activities, tasks, reports, meetings and projects that do not directly support your One Thing. Interestingly, your “Stop Doing List” often has a bigger impact on your team’s ability to focus than the list of “To Do’s.” Saying “Yes” to one thing always means saying “No” to something else. Your time, energy and money are precious resources - if you spend them in one area, they are not available to be spent in another area. Communicating this message deep into your team enables employees to say “No” to non-value-added tasks and stay focused on executing your plan.”
― Lee Colan, Sticking to It: The Art of Adherence

“the greatest challenge for today’s leaders is not the lack of well thought-out strategies, but the lack of disciplined execution of those strategies. The game is won not by creating new strategies, but by sticking to your current strategy - it is called Adherence.”
― Lee Colan, Sticking to It: The Art of Adherence

“Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe”
― Lee Colan, Sticking to It: The Art of Adherence

“You must be personally reliable before you can coach your team to generate reliable results.”
― Lee Colan

“Success does not depend upon the brilliance of your plan, but upon the consistency of your actions.”
― Lee Colan, Sticking to It: The Art of Adherence

“Do not be tempted to think, like many leaders, that you can keep piling on the initiatives and still maintain your team’s focus. You may find yourself in the middle of the “Ship is Adrift” syndrome (Adherence Enemy #1). Instead, consider automating, streamlining or outsourcing areas that are not core to your team’s operation.”
― Lee Colan, Sticking to It: The Art of Adherence

“If the 80/20 Principle exists in your organization, then the most profitable 20% of your business is 16 times more profitable than the remaining 80%. The same logic applies to your customers, products, regions and employees. The question is, “How do you decrease complexity?” The answer is to focus on your vital few (the 20%). Do not only rely on your instincts to identify your 20% — use data to determine the truth about your team’s performance. Look at your processes, systems, customers, services and people to find the 20% that drive the majority of your productivity, activity, waste, conflict or down time.”
― Lee Colan, Sticking to It: The Art of Adherence

“To execute consistently, communicate your One Thing to every person on your team.”
― Lee Colan, Sticking to It: The Art of Adherence

“same holds true for high-achieving individuals. They do not do anything mysterious to achieve their results. They do not follow the newest fad or trend. They execute the basics, day in and day out, whether it is how they exercise, eat, learn, invest or work. The critical difference is their ability to adhere to a plan, any plan — that is what sets them apart.”
― Lee Colan, Sticking to It: The Art of Adherence

“Your greatest challenge is not creating a new plan. Your greatest challenge is adhering to your current plan. Spend more time on Adherence and less time creating a new plan.”
― Lee Colan, Sticking to It: The Art of Adherence

“Competence represents anything that improves your team’s ability to perform, including processes, systems and structures.”
― Lee Colan, Sticking to It: The Art of Adherence

“High-achieving leaders hone their focus. They know what is most important to their teams and do not let other priorities get in the way. They know when to say “No” to projects and tasks that might diffuse their focus, because they understand their time and energy are limited resources. They cut through a world of complexity to keep things simple - they know simplicity produces teams that are efficient, fast and focused.”
― Lee Colan, Sticking to It: The Art of Adherence

“Systems create positive habits for your team.”
― Lee Colan, Sticking to It: The Art of Adherence

“there are three components of Adherence: Focus, Competence and Passion.”
― Lee Colan, Sticking to It: The Art of Adherence

“The characteristics that are unique to the Top Ten Most Admired Companies and separate them from their industry peers are: 1. Roles are clearly defined for executives, managers and employees. 2. Business needs and visions are communicated deep into the organization. 3. Performance measurement is continuous and aligned with the strategy. 4. Leaders are held accountable - both personally and for their teams.”
― Lee Colan, Sticking to It: The Art of Adherence

“The conviction to make tough decisions is a key differentiator of teams who adhere to their plans. These decisions are not perceived as sacrifices or compromises for those who are focused and passionate.”
― Lee Colan, Sticking to It: The Art of Adherence

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” - Aristotle”
― Lee Colan, Sticking to It: The Art of Adherence