12 Steps to Excellence
How to Build a Great Team
by
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Introduction Far better it is to dare mighty things to win glorious triumphs even though checkered with failure than to take rank with those poor souls who neither suffer much nor accomplish much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat. —Theodore Roosevelt We all want to be a part of something special—to feel swept away in an adventure that transcends us—to feel like we matter to the world around us in some significant way. It was the spring of 1975, and I had been selected to play the part of Jesus in our high school production of the Broadway musical Godspell. Our director, Mr. Grady, had a true love for drama and an exceptional ability to get kids to perform at their best. He worked us hard every day after school and built a passion in us to be the best we could be. He required persistent discipline from us as we learned our lines, worked on the dance steps, and stumbled through the scenes. He had to start from scratch with many of us, including me. After all, we were just high school kids, not seasoned actors. The unique talents and capabilities of the kids in the play, shaped by Mr. Grady’s talented and unique style of leadership and encouragement, combined to create one of those remarkable adventures that transcended each of us. As it was happening, I felt I was a part of something really special. Following the opening night of the play, every performance was sold out with standing-room-only crowds. The public responded so positively that we extended its run a full week and took the show on the road for another month. Godspell was an experience of excellence in my early life. It made a difference in the lives of those it touched, both in the production itself and in the audiences for whom we played. It left a mark on my heart and in my life that I’ll never forget. To this day, it’s still one of the most positive memorable experiences I’ve had in my sixty-plus years. Since that spring of 1975, I’ve had many other excellent experiences. Those are the times of my life I remember most. They stand out. They made a difference to me—and others—and gave me a tremendous, wonderful sense of accomplishment about doing something that really mattered. Throughout my career, I’ve invested countless hours with many people, teams, and organizations in dozens of different industries, researching the concepts of excellence and practicing how to build it. I’ve also pursued the keys of excellence as they apply to my marriage, family, and life. You could say I’ve become an excellentologist, one who studies excellence and then puts it into practice. As my journey progressed, I wondered if there was a framework for excellence that, if followed, would yield the greatest opportunity for success. Is there a process we can apply that really works? • How can we create an environment that leads to excellence? • What needs to happen to enable every individual in an organization or team to perform at his or her best? • Are there principles we can follow that will produce excellence every time? As I searched for excellence in theory, I also searched for it in practice. I studied some of the great organizations that exist today, including Disney, Ritz-Carlton, Southwest Airlines, and Toyota. I searched for examples of excellence in their cultures, respecting what they had accomplished and learning from their experiences. The answers to these questions are the focus of this book. My objective is to provide you with a framework for building excellence that you can apply to your own team and organization. The twelve steps are not just a way to get great results in your business endeavors. They’re much more than that. They will help you create an experience of excellence you will always remember and cherish. Your effort will make a difference in your life and in the lives of others. You’ll get excellent results, you’ll produce higher-quality products and services, you’ll deliver better service to your customers, you’ll create positive, memorable experiences for everyone involved, you’ll grow, and you’ll earn financial rewards. You’ll also realize that life is more than results, profits, or personal gain. You will discover that it’s an opportunity to matter in the world around you, to have a lasting impact on those you serve, and to leave a legacy of hope and encouragement for others to follow. Excellence creates a life of significance—a life that matters. It’s a noble and worthy pursuit. I hope you’ll make the commitment right now to begin anew in your pursuit of excellence in everything you do, whether personal or professional. If you do, I guarantee that you, and all those around you, will never be the same again. And if you so desire, you too can become an excellentologist.
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About the Book
"Nobody understands the science of excellence like David Crouch." - Stephen M.R. Covey Creating excellence is an applied science. Drawing upon the experience of successful teams and their leaders, "12 Steps to Excellence" captures the essence of team excellence in an easy-to-execute method anyone can employ. Building a great team is a discipline that can be learned. How do you talk about the work you do? What’s the main thing your team is trying to accomplish? What do you value so strongly that you’re not willing to compromise along the way? How do customers define your quality and how do you measure it? Are you and everyone on your team building strong customer relationships? Are you impressing your customer so much that they will voluntarily and passionately talk positively to others about you? Is everyone on your team fully engaged in the work? Are you making positive forward progress? Do you have a viable strategic plan? Are you tapping into the Pareto Principle of Leadership Excellence? Can you measure all of these things? In his warm and eloquent style, David shows us step-by-step how to build a great team and organization. He gives us the framework, language, and process so that we not only have knowledge and understanding of the steps required, we also have the tools to achieve it.
About the Author
C. David Crouch is a perpetual student of excellence who serves as a consultant and teacher to leaders in the corporate and social sectors. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and a master’s degree in organizational development from Western Carolina University. He is also the author of The Excellent Experience: A Blueprint for Organizational, Team, and Individual Success. He and his wife, Debbie, have five children and six grandchildren and live in Charlotte, North Carolina.