Listening to Jeff Gau, CEO of Marco discuss his company’s growth, he made a statement that stuck with me: “We don’t do anything today that we did back then.  We’ve had to become comfortable being uncomfortable”.  Jeff made other important and memorable points.

You have to give up control to get control.  Understand yourself, play to your strengths hire to augment your weaknesses and delegate well.

Good mentors make for good career paths.  Mentors are not just top-down; everyone needs to be mentor-able.

You have to have psychological hardiness.  Be tough and make bold moves.  Don’t allow yourself to get rattled.  Be steady.

Don’t be a credit taker.  Recognize people publicly and go further with notes and gifts.  Speak well of people behind their backs.

Talking about it doesn’t get it done.  Execution is the hard part.  Put cost in front of revenue and hold people accountable.

Fail forward faster.  Failure is part of business leadership.  Failure is part of innovation.  Jeff said, “You’re going to screw up – just don’t do it all the time.”

Stay contemporary.  Pay attention and listen to 20-year olds.  Look around corners and be active in peer groups and in your industry associations.  Keep your saw sharp.

Present a performance driven attitude.  Keep score – record keepers are record breakers.  Set big targets and attain them.

If you’re not making money, it’s hard to do good things.

Educate your people for better results.

Remember what you’re trying to accomplish and stay focused.  Stay uncomfortable, it means you’re moving forward and exploring new territory.
The road is easier together,
Linda