On April 24, I had the honor of speaking on "Six Secrets to Motivate your Team" at the Project Management Institute (PMI) Mile Hi Symposium in Denver, Colorado, attended by 1700 people.  Jim Collins, author of "Good to Great," was the keynote speaker.  I took copious notes on many topics, but one particular question and answer caught my attention.

Through 25 years of research, Jim Collins has discovered that having the right people in the right seats is the true differentiator between good and great companies (see last month's tips about hiring and promoting "A" players).

However, Project Managers often do not get to choose their team members, so someone in the audience asked Jim, "What if you are stuck with the people on the bus?"  Jim gave three options:

1. Choose their seats to match their competencies with levels of responsibility.
2. Create such a high performance environment that low performers will self-eject from the bus because they know they can't measure up.
3.  Utilize people that aren't on your team, if you can, to fill in the gaps (ask for favors).

Jim said, "Greatness is a consequence of conscious choice and discipline."  To that end, he provided us with Twelve Questions to discuss with our teams.  And left us with a bonus question that I believe we should all ask ourselves:  "How will I change the lives of others?" 

Leaders must know that every action they take is observed by others and has an impact.  If you're interested in improving your leadership skills to achieve greatness, watch the video below, attend our May events, and contact us for more information.