Chapter 4 - Don't Waste Your Water On Smoke

Question 1

What are two qualities every leader wants to see in his people?

Answer 1

1. Single-minded focus on the mission.
2. Intense sense of personal responsibility

Question 2

What keeps you focused on where the company wants to go?

Answer 2

Your organization’s mission.

Question 3

The mission enables you to do what?

Answer 3

Get the right things done.

Question 4

What are the two features of every organization

Answer 4

Mission and values

Question 5

What enables you to set standards and encourage behavior that will make your organization more effective?

Answer 5

Your company’s values.

Question 6

What should your organization’s mission articulate?

Answer 6

Your company’s reason for being.

Question 7

How do successful leaders make things happen?

Answer 7

By defining their organization’s mission and then using it to unify and focus their peoples efforts.

Question 8

What is the real reason organizations exist?

Answer 8

To provide their customers with value.

Question 9

Customers don’t buy a product or a service they buy what?

Answer 9

A utility.

Question 10

How can an organization fully grasp their mission?

Answer 10

Only by figuring out exactly who their customer is and what they want.

Question 11

Organizations that define themselves by what they do as opposed to what the customer values.

Answer 11

Inside Out perspective.

Question 12

The drift from an outside in to an inside out viewpoint.

Answer 12

Mission creep.

Question 13

How can you use your organization’s mission to become a better leader?

Answer 13

Start by bringing that mission to life.

Question 14

By translating the mission into a set of specific goals what do we do? (2)

Answer 14

Make the mission coherent for our people.
Make it something that can actually be accomplished.

Question 15

How can your goals help you discover new ways to deliver value to your clients?

Answer 15

If your goals are well chosen and relate to your mission.

Question 16

Once you understand your organization’s mission you can…

Answer 16

Use it to guide your people.

Question 17

What governs what people perceive as acceptable behavior?

Answer 17

An organization’s values.

Question 18

How can an insightful leader accomplish great things?

Answer 18

Carefully defining and modeling a set of values that support the company’s mission.

Question 19

Values can create habits and attitudes that contribute to higher performance only if what?

Answer 19

They are enthusiastically supported and acted upon by the organization’s leaders.

Question 20

What destroys a leader’s authority and credibility?

Answer 20

Responding to an ethical crisis by issuing a new set of corporate values that usually have nothing to do with the organization’s real values.

Question 21

What is the only way to stay on top of what your organizations value is?

Answer 21

By staying as close to the customers as possible.

Question 22

How can you see for yourself whether your organization’s values are inspiring productive behavior?

Answer 22

By spending time with your people.

Question 23

What is the test of an organization’s long-term success?

Answer 23

How quickly it recognizes and responds to change.

Question 24

When does our picture of reality suffer?

Answer 24

When we limit our exposure to information or when information itself is scarce.

Question 25

The first commitment is as much a commitment to gathering information as it is a commitment to what?

Answer 25

Facing the facts.

Question 26

At the very least you need to understand your organization’s what?

Answer 26

Mission and values.

Question 27

Where does your mission flow from?

Answer 27

The value you offer your customers.

Question 28

How are you able to help your people focus on a common goal?

Answer 28

By making your organization’s mission come to life.

Question 29

If you really want to understand your mission you need to do what?

Answer 29

Understand the people you serve.