Peter Drucker was called, by BusinessWeek, "the most enduring management thinker of our time." In a Harvard Business Review article "What Makes an Effective Executive?" Drucker said that as different as effective leaders may be, they all follow 8 practices:

1. Focus on opportunities rather than problems.

2. Run productive meetings.

3. Think "we" rather than "I."

4. Take responsibility for decisions.

5. Develop action plans.

6. Ask "What needs to be done?"

7. Ask "What is right for the enterprise?"

8. Take responsibility for communicating - listen first.

Rate yourself in each category from 1 to 10. See any areas for improvements?t

~ Adapted with permission from original source: Elaine Gagne, Engaging Change

Recently our client, a healthcare corporation employing full-time and part-time employees at a single facility in Southwestern Michigan, had this to say about their leadership development experience working with Five Star Performance:

• "I now have an awareness of how to communicate with people and their personalities and stuff like that."
• "There now is self-reflection and growth."
• "We've learned how to communicate in a more positive manner with each other."
• "I have gained an internal perspective of how a business runs effectively and the tools with which to get there."
• "I think one positive thing the meetings have done for our staff is: It's teaching us to communicate with each other; even if we feel uncomfortable or don't want to."

Well said. Well done! Well, isn't it about time YOU called Five Star Performance, and start building the next generation of leaders in your organization?