It's been on my to-do list for months (at least!) but it's finally moving from to-do to done. That's right -- the 1st issue of Highlighting High Performance is ready for delivery.

Please, hold the applause.

Those of you who only read my feed haven't seen the sidebar item about my newsletter, so here's what I'm talking about -

Highlighting High Performance is the monthly email newletter for anyone who wants to excel.

Each issue features a variety of tools, tips and techniques designed to help you achieve high performance in whatever you do.

I'll be hitting the send button on December 1st, so you still have time to sign up to receive the inaugural issue. And I'll even make it easy for you to sign up while it's still fresh on your mind -

The leadership and team building principles used in the military are not that much different from those used in the civilian world. For example, I was recently re-reading a list of tips for non-commissioned officers (NCOs) and a number of them struck me as applicable to leaders in organizations of all types. All I had to do was replace the military-specific references (soldiers, NCO's) with more universal terms (team members, leaders) and I was struck by how the tips were descriptive of successful leaders in all walks of life.

Here, then, are five ways to know if you're doing it right:

• If you are doing it right, you constantly question whether you have done your best.
• If you are doing it right, your soldiers trust you unquestioningly.
• If you are doing it right, soldiers--to include soldiers from other teams, squads, platoons, etc.--see you out for counsel and advice.
• If you are doing it right, other NCOs seek you out for the same.
• If you are doing it right, you spend part of your limited free time finding answers to prolems that do not yet exist.

So what do you think--are you doing it right?

(The original article, Are You Doing it Right by Staff Sergeant Alan J. Marinoff, first appeared in NCO Update Volume 9 Number 3, May/June 2000, published by The Association of the United States Army)

The Truth About You, the latest offering from author Marcus Buckingham, is chock-full of cheesy self-help jargon (I hate cheesy self-help jargon). The book also includes a number of self-awareness exercises (I don't do self-awareness exercises). As if that weren't enough it has more than its fair share of what I refer to as "Thank you, Captain Obvious" statements (I really dislike those types of statements). And to top it off, I was asked to watch an accompanying DVD before reading the book (I have enough trouble carving out time to read without also having to watch a video).

So why did I love this book?

It's quite simple, actually. Despite it's faults, The Truth About You ultimately forced me to rethink a number of what I had always believed to be basic truths. Truths about what it means to succeed and what it takes to succeed. Truths about the most effective methods for personal growth and fulfillment. Truths about strengths and weaknesses. It will have the same effect on anyone who has come to accept any of the following as inherently true:

• Always treat people as you would like to be treated
• There is no "I" in team
• You should work on your weaknesses
• Push yourself beyond your comfort zone
• Your greatest strength is your greatest weakness

By the time I had finished this relatively short book I understood not only that those statements are wrong but also (and more importantly) why they are wrong. And that is the ultimate value of this book. Any book that forces me to examine my beliefs and causes me to change some or all of those beliefs has earned a place on my bookshelf.

And it deserves a place on yours as well.

Setting goals is one thing. Achieving them is quite another. Too often we allow procrastination, conflicting priorities or fear of the unknown become a barrier to reaching a worthwhile goal.

One way to overcome this problem is to enlist the aid of an accountability partner. While it's common to hire an accountability partner such as a personal trainer or a life coach a "free" accountability partnership can be just as effective.

You should keep the following factors in mind when forming an accountability partnership:

• Choose wisely. Your partner must be as goal-oriented as you are.
• Commit to meeting regularly. Once a week is ideal in most cases, and while in-person meetings are preferable meeting by phone or virtually on the internet will also work.
• Focus on specific, time-limited goals. Attempting to work without a time frame can cause you to lose focus and interest.
• Follow an agenda. Your meetings must focus on what each of you did (or didn't) do towards reaching your goals and what your plans are for the following week.
• Demand accountability. Brutal honesty is a must. Each of you must be willing to respond with a firm kick to the rear if your partner is procrastinating or using other delaying tactics.
• Celebrate Success. Provide positive feedback as your partner makes positive progress towards reaching his or her goal.

An accountability partner should be a central figure on your personal team. An accountability partnership will make a profound difference as you strive to reach your goals. Plus, it will give you the opportunity to make the same profound difference in your partner's journey to success.

You win and your partner wins. What's not to like about that?

A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

On Veterans Day, we pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of the men and women who in defense of our freedom have bravely worn the uniform of the United States.

From the fields and forests of war-torn Europe to the jungles of Southeast Asia, from the deserts of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan, brave patriots have protected our Nation's ideals, rescued millions from tyranny, and helped spread freedom around the globe. America's veterans answered the call when asked to protect our Nation from some of the most brutal and ruthless tyrants, terrorists, and militaries the world has ever known. They stood tall in the face of grave danger and enabled our Nation to become the greatest force for freedom in human history. Members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard have answered a high calling to serve and have helped secure America at every turn.

Our country is forever indebted to our veterans for their quiet courage and exemplary service. We also remember and honor those who laid down their lives in freedom's defense. These brave men and women made the ultimate sacrifice for our benefit. On Veterans Day, we remember these heroes for their valor, their loyalty, and their dedication. Their selfless sacrifices continue to inspire us today as we work to advance peace and extend freedom around the world.

With respect for and in recognition of the contributions our service members have made to the cause of peace and freedom around the world, the Congress has provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) that November 11 of each year shall be set aside as a legal public holiday to honor America's veterans.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim November 11, 2008, as Veterans Day and urge all Americans to observe November 9 through November 15, 2008, as National Veterans Awareness Week. I encourage all Americans to recognize the bravery and sacrifice of our veterans through ceremonies and prayers. I call upon Federal, State, and local officials to display the flag of the United States and to support and participate in patriotic activities in their communities. I invite civic and fraternal organizations, places of worship, schools, businesses, unions, and the media to support this national observance with commemorative expressions and programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

GEORGE W. BUSH

Bob Sutton's latest post ties in nicely with my previous post regarding good leaders and great leaders. In it, he highlights 2 indicators that you may be a bad boss (as first put forth by Leigh Buchanan). Of the 2, I was especially struck by this one:

Employees do not volunteer for the boss’s pet projects. It could be because the idea is bad, and they are afraid to say that. Or the idea may be good, but they are petrified of what will happen if they let the boss down. Or since it is the boss’s pet project, he will probably work on it as well. “Which means more time spent ...gulp ...with you.”

How many teams have you been a member of that suffered from that very issue? And the more important question - are you the person that causes that reaction? If your answer to the second question is yes it is well past time that you work on your "plays well with others" skills.

Leadership and team building are, before anything else, about relationships. If you can't build and maintain positive relationships with those you work with you will ultimately fail as a leader and your team will fail as well. That's not to say that you have a BFF* relationship with your teammates. But at a minimum you do have to develop a trusting and professional relationship that will allow you to work together on a regular basis.

Good bosses know and practice this simple fact. Bad bosses, not so much.

* For those of you who have managed to avoid the affliction known as text messaging, BFF = Best Friend Forever