“Well Done is Greater than Well Said”

I have been a leader of individuals for more than 20 years…At 25 years old, I was given my first managerial job…and I was not good at it.  I was an ineffective general manager of both individual contributors and other managers.  I was unable to effectively communicate because I felt managing others was all about my interests and not about the people working for me.  I did not set clear goals, did not invest time in other’s interests or development, and did not act with a sense of humility, integrity, or accountability.  I look back on those years and realize how much I needed to learn…and how important it was to transition from being a manager to being a leader.

I am starting this blog to routinely share my thoughts around leadership, both professionally and personally.  The one thing I have learned throughout the years is that leadership is a skill which needs to be constantly developed.  If you ask 10 people to discuss a leadership scenario, you will get 10 differing opinions and examples on how to handle. While some may handle situations “better” than others, we can all learn from sharing ideas and best practices and hopefully improve as leaders, whether we are leading teams of 5 or 500.  I am constantly learning from the people I interact with on a daily basis and growing as a leader in my organization and in my personal life.

My team has been rallying around the motto “Well Done is Greater than Well Said”.  My dad used to say that “actions speak louder than words” and I feel that there is no truer statement than this.  I hope the actionable items shared in updates to come will result in more effective leadership in your daily lives.

Well Done > Well Said

-Jimmy