clear about the company's DNA

When a leader displays transparency, team members know exactly how they're doing and where they stand with performance. The leader is also willing to solicit feedback and give employees a voice on decisions. [Chip] Bergh's top employees have benefited from this approach, as they have helped shape Levi's company culture. He tells The Times:

When I first got here, I interviewed the top 60 people in the company, and I sent them questions in advance, including, What are the three things you think we have to change? What are the three things that we have to keep? What do you most want me to do? What are you most afraid I might do?

I had an hour scheduled for each of them, and by the end, I was really clear about the company's DNA, and the values that were really important to everyone who works here.

Marcel Schwantes

How Can You Tell Someone Has True Leadership Skills? Look for This 1 Rare Sign. Inc. 6/15/2017

be radically transparent

When people ask me, "What's the secret to great communication?" my usual response baffles some, because it can seem so counterintuitive: "Be radically transparent."

Radical transparency does not mean telling someone to his face in front of his peers that his polka-dotted tie is ugly. It's having the emotional courage to stand up to someone or something when you feel violated, to speak from a deep place tugging at your heart, or to cut through healthy conflict now to avoid unhealthy conflict later.

Marcel Schwantes

How Can You Tell Someone Has True Leadership Skills? Look for This 1 Rare Sign. Inc. 6/15/2017

never give up

Mike Tyson said, “Everyone has a strategy until they get punched in the nose.” I know we can get better. Leadership is a deep journey into yourself. How fast can you learn? How much can you change? What do you want to give? What will you put up with?

Jeff Immelt

"'Keep a lot of thoughts to yourself,' and other wisdom from Jeff Immelt on his last day as CEO of GE" Business Insider. 8/10/2017

facts and context

Keep perception and reality in sync. This is not about candor; that is the easy part. Facts without context isn’t truth. Sometimes people want to “unload everything on their mind” and call it candor. They feel better, everyone else feels worse. Always be transparent, but bring solutions. Remember that facts are a path to progress, not a way to pass judgment. Truth telling requires facts and context.

Jeff Immelt

"'Keep a lot of thoughts to yourself,' and other wisdom from Jeff Immelt on his last day as CEO of GE" Business Insider. 8/10/2017

gratitude - a daily practice

Turning gratitude into a daily practice isn’t on the radar of enough of today’s business leaders, despite the immeasurable professional and personal benefits. But, according to Psychology Today, gratitude opens the door to more relationships. I’ve discovered that relationship-building is a big factor in success, and so make a habit of helping others, as a way to network and forge more personal connections.

Gratitude also improves your overall psychological mindset. This can be crucial for entrepreneurs and business leaders who all too often suffer from depression and chronic stress in silence. Entrepreneurship and growing a business is not for the faint of heart, and we could all use more gratitude to help us remember why we were optimistic enough to jump into this arena in the first place.

Then, what I personally love about gratitude is how it anchors you to the present to fully embrace and benefit from each experience. It's like that new business inspiration that popped into your head when you were paying close attention to a speaker at a conference. It helps you gain a foothold on the work-life balance we all need in our lives.

Sujan Patel

"4 Leadership Lessons You Won't Learn in Business School" Entrepreneur. 7/17/2017