EchelonFront

Sit down with your team or others you are communicating with. Ask them to walk you through the plan in their own words. If it’s not clear, own it, and then simplify, so your team can execute.

You can make excuses, or you can make things happen. You can’t do both.

Leadership is about simple, clear, and concise communication. Simplicity is what allows your team to execute when it matters most.

Don’t assume people understand. In fact, you should assume they don’t. To ensure effective communication, have someone on your team give you a “read back”—summarize what you communicated to them.

Complexity is the enemy. It introduces friction and confusion, and keeps your team from being able to execute effectively. When a plan is simple, everybody on the team understands and can execute.

As leaders, we are responsible for making sure our team understands the plan. If they don’t understand, don’t get frustrated with them. Look at yourself and how you can simplify your communication.

When you take ownership of your work performance, you set an example for others and build trust and respect up and down the chain of command.

You do not have to be a part of someone's inner circle in order to build a good relationship with them.

Go into a conversation with someone looking for how you are wrong and they are right. Keep your ego in check to see things from their perspective.

When conflict arises, take a step back and detach your emotions from the situation. Then, you will be able to gain perspective on what is really happening.

Alignment doesn't happen by accident. It is not your team's responsibility to seek it. It is your obligation, as a leader, to ensure it.

A clear mission and clear priorities will lead to effective execution.

The stronger your relationships are with those on your team, the more successful you will be.

Own what’s yours. Control what you can. Move forward with discipline, clarity, and strength.

Leadership begins where excuses end. Adversity is unavoidable, but leaders arise by taking ownership even when it’s hard, it hurts, or feels unfair.

You can’t fix everything overnight. But you can own something today. Your attitude. Your effort. Your tone. Start small—and let ownership grow from there.

If you want trust, you must show trust. To be heard, you must first listen. Respect others if you want respect in return. Influence comes when you are open to being influenced by others. And if you want others to care about you, demonstrate genuine care for them.

Strong relationships are the foundation of effective leadership, whether up, down, or across the chain of command. To strengthen these relationships, focus on: trust, listen, respect, influence, and care.

Good leaders don’t wait for someone else to step in. They step forward by looking for ways to take ownership of the problem. They let go of what they can’t control and fully accept the one thing they must: their leadership.

Good leaders look for problems preemptively and take initiative, rather than letting these brew into bigger problems. Leaders must hold their team together and direct them towards the mission even when everything seems to be falling apart.