19 Steps to a Victim-Free Company

“At my Lead Without a Title presentations for The FORTUNE 500 like Starbucks, Nike, FedEx, GE and Oracle as well as for the fast-growth mid-sized companies I work with, one of the things people find most valuable is my Victimhood Versus Leadership Matrix”.

Just imagine a company (or a community) where everyone has learned how to shift from victimhood into outright leadership of themselves, their performance and their results?

Essentially, I teach our beloved clients that each day at work–with our teammates, customers and suppliers–we really only have one choice in every engagement: we can behave like poor little victims (giving away our power to be innovative, excellent and awesome)…

OR…

…We can step up and demonstrate some real leadership (which is not about a title but about delivering impressive outcomes).

If you like the idea of the people you work with becoming leaders within their roles (and the CEO of their job responsibilities), then please study, debate and share the following “19 Victim Versus Leader Distinctions“:

#1. Victims talk about people. Leaders talk about ideas.

#2. Victims procrastinate around their goals. Leaders execute on them.

#3. Victims enjoy watching things (like TV and video games). Leaders like making things.

#4. Victims are distracted. Leaders are concentrated.

#5. Victims abhor change. Leaders Adore change.

#6. Victims read what everyone reads. Leaders read what few do.

#7. Victims associate with other victims. Leaders spend most of their time with superstars (and thereby dramatically elevate their productivity and success).

#8. Victims are stuck in the past. Leaders are inspired by the future.

#9. Victims resist hard projects. Leaders seek them out (knowing it refines their chops).

#10. Victims work at mediocrity. Leaders view work as an opportunity to pursue Mastery.

#11. Victims give most of their time to leisure. Leaders spend a ton of time on their learning.

#12. Victims tear people down (because it makes them feel better). Leaders lift others up.

#13. Victims are rude. Leaders are polite.

#14. Victims practise negativity. Leaders are unreasonably positive.

#15. Victims can’t wait to retire. Leaders are afraid to retire (why retire when you’re having so much fun building something important, growing more leaders and producing value for the world?).

#16. Victims waste time. Leaders exploit time.

#17. Victims achieve things for the applause. Leaders achieve them for the fulfillment.

#18. Victims sleep late. Leaders rise early.

#19. Victims view work as a means to pay the bills. Leaders view work as a way to change the world.

My great wish is that these ideas inspire you to Lead Without a Title, lift your teammates to their next level of wow and grow a great company.