Process improvement programs are like teaching people how to fish. Strategy maps and scorecards teach people where to fish.

There are three main areas of focus: vision, priorities and alignment. It is critical to articulate a clear vision - how do we add value based on what key competences? Some leaders fail to be clear enough or fail to update the vision based on changes in their industry and in the world.

Process improvement programs are like teaching people how to fish. Strategy maps and scorecards teach people where to fish.

Every person I meet is struggling with how to understand themselves and reach their full potential. No one has it fully figured out. It is a life long struggle - -there isn't a precise destination or arrival.

There is usually a clock in our heads regarding decisions we make and the course of our lives. Sometimes this clock is helpful in that it get us to move rather than put off key actions. Other times, it creates us false sense of urgency that can cause us to overreact, lost patience and make poor decisions. In raising this issue in my book, I want people to be aware of the clock in their heads and question whether that clock is helping or hindering the quality of each particular decision.

A mere 7% of employees today fully understand their company's business strategies and what's expected of them in order to help achieve company goals.

There are multiple ways to solve a problem and add value. There are seldom right answers. So, you've got to use your abilities to diagnose a situation and use your best judgment on what to do and how to do it. You WILL make mistakes - when you do, admit them and go back and try to fix them. I don't know is often the right answer.