It's All About Who You Hire, How They Lead...and Other Essential Advice from a Self-Made Leader

CHAPTER 8

Factbooks: Key to Personal Discipline

I’VE ALWAYS APPROACHED BUSINESS THE WAY A CLASSICAL MUSICIAN READS A SHEET OF MUSIC. What counts is how well and how passionately you execute the notes as written, not how you improvise them. Whether you play the violin in a symphony or lead a for-profit or nonprofit organization, great execution requires discipline and focus. You cannot achieve flawless execution without a painstaking devotion to the details. It is not easy to keep track of all the things necessary to achieve such flawless execution.

That’s why every manager I work with has a factbook. It’s a three-ring binder that breaks down a manager’s tasks into small, manageable steps. Such a factbook keeps you on top of the details and assures ...