There is always a lot of talk during the baseball season about the Triple Crown, a measure of success in baseball, which takes into account batting average, home runs, and runs batted in. Should there also be Triple Crown as a measure of success for leaders?

If so, these might be the three measures:

Number one. Are you making money?

Sounds like a no-brainer, doesn't it? But quite a number of people in business are so concerned with their particular function in the business that they lose sight of whether they're making money or not.

Jake was responsible for delivering an integrated technical solution to the customer. He was dedicated and hard-working, he did whatever it took to make sure the solution met the client's needs, including agreeing to additional work that was not within the original contract and resulted in cost overruns that wiped out all the profit.

Deanna was responsible for selling the firm's latest new solution. She wanted to make sure that she met her sales numbers and established a foothold in the market segment, so she made two mistakes in order to win the work. She promised an overly-ambitious delivery date and reduced the price, resulting in a late delivery and frustration on the part of the customer and a lower revenue figure that didn't cover costs.

Some people in business are not all business-like in terms of ensuring that the firm makes money. Are you one of them?

Number two. Are you delivering quality services and products?

Sometimes, leaders lose sight of the impact their decisions have on the clients. For example:

Charlie was responsible for product engineering. A brilliant graduate of one of the country's most prestigious technical universities, he was focused on staying on the bleeding edge of technology. Unfortunately, his obsession with the latest and greatest resulted in delays in production and the inclusion of features and functions that clients didn't want and weren't willing to pay for.

Jacqueline was the new HR Director, responsible for upgrading and professionalizing that support function. She had a lot of ideas and the money to work on them. The problem came when her numerous initiatives took people off-line for long periods of time and the benefits to them were not evident or sufficiently important. The distraction and frustration that resulted made it difficult for those responsible for getting their jobs done to focus on client service.

To what extent are your actions and decisions getting in the way of, instead of supporting, outstanding customer service?

Number three. Are you making the business a better place to work?

Danny was concerned about making his numbers and getting the work done. He spent little, if any, time on developing the people beneath him. They worked hard. But they also left with far greater frequency than elsewhere in the firm because they felt stuck; they weren't given opportunities to advance or to broaden their skills sets. Danny ultimately was stuck, too, because he hadn't nurtured a successor.

Tamara did her job well, but she didn't lift her sights beyond her desk to see what processes or resources or relationships could be improved. By failing to look for ways to help the business improve, she became known as a good worker, but not as someone with the vision and initiative that was needed at higher levels in the firm, thus curtailing her options for advancement.

Are you so focused on the trees (the day-to-day work) that you overlook the forest, the larger picture of where your organization needs to improve?

Leaders can be triple-threats, they can and should be able to make money, provide outstanding service, and make the organization better.

What should you be doing now to become a stronger Triple Crown candidate?

John Wooden, the legendary UCLA basketball coach, advises leaders to use the bench, indicating that the threat of being removed from the game is a powerful tool. "Don't be afraid to use appropriate discipline."

Perhaps, as Wooden suggests, it's better to pull the star and put the bench player on the court. It can motivate both of them.

How often have you let star performers off the hook, even when their performance falters? What might be the most appropriate discipline for you to use with them? Are your bench players ready for prime time?

Earlier this month, we celebrated Independence Day, when our founding fathers threw off the constraints of British rule. Leaders in business are often faced with similar decisions.

There are times when organizations find themselves shackled with long-standing practices, customs, traditions, and habits. The constraints of the past get in the way of managing the present and building for the future.

Which legacies are restraining your company's performance? What might you do now to unfetter your business from them?

email: archie@archietinelli.com archie@archietinelli.com