Recent Articles from Laurence Valant
Best of CoBiz: Only good managers get to manage
Editor’s Note: This is an excerpt from business performance improvement expert Larry Valant’s book, Stop Breaking These Rules! 100 Hard-Hitting Truths for Business Integrity and Performance. Only good managers get to manage. In most organizations good managers are rare. The percentage of really good managers (if all the managers in all the companies in America […]
Best of CoBiz: Same old way, bad old way
Most managers don't know what their key people are up to. This lack of understanding results from a failure by the manager to regularly and clearly communicate what is expected, what is to be delivered, by when it should be delivered, and what success looks like. My often used phrase, "clear unamb...
Best of CoBiz: Job of the CEO — Build value
Companies that are led and managed in a superior fashion consistently outperform their competition. Good leadership and management are generally poorly understood by those who lead and manage, but more tragically, they are poorly understood by those who hire, i.e., the boards of directors. Poor se...
Best of CoBiz: A top-notch leadership model
Editor’s note: Here is another valuable excerpt from the new success book by national business consultant Laurence B. Valant and partner Gayle W. Hustad, “Lead and Manage! The definitive guide for getting the results you want.” I am often asked to speak at various business functions, and following one particular luncheon presentation, I was contacted […]
Best of CoBiz: Under-promise and over-deliver
When asked to do something, we too easily reply, "Yes, I think so." When in fact a little thought would make it clear we are over-promising and therefore will not be able to deliver as promised. And to be sure, the person who made the initial, often unreasonable request will forget that the reques...
Best of Cobiz: Make plans — then make plan
Editor’s Note: This is an excerpt from business performance improvement expert Larry Valant’s book, Stop Breaking These Rules! 100 Hard-Hitting Truths for Business Integrity and Performance. The job of the CEO is to grow shareholder value. Most CEOs know that their job is growing shareholder value. Since growing shareholder value means growing company value, the […]
Best of CoBiz: A great leader has a vision…
The good news for those who are not natural leaders, but are in positions of leadership, is you can learn skills critical to successful leadership. The most important of these skills can be summarized in one phrase: develop a clear, quantified vision of what you plan to achieve and communicate it...
Best of CoBiz: Nobody likes performance review surprises
Editor’s Note: This is an excerpt from business performance improvement expert Larry Valant’s book, Stop Breaking These Rules! 100 Hard-Hitting Truths for Business Integrity and Performance. True and honest feedback plays a huge role in performance and growth. Performance reviews must provide true and honest feedback. If they do so, they become the foundation for […]
Best of CoBiz: The best leaders never self-promote
Editor’s Note: This is an excerpt from business performance improvement expert Larry Valant’s book, “Stop Breaking These Rules! 100 Hard-Hitting Truths for Business Integrity and Performance.” Selfishness and ego driven decisions don’t exist with the best leaders. Many in leadership positions are driven by their own selfish requirements. These egocentric individuals f[...]
Best of CoBiz: Do the hardest thing first
Adopt the mindset, “I will deliver… every time!” Delivering what is expected, every time, is the major ingredient of success that results from an unyielding determination that is absolutely within our control to achieve. We have the power to put in place this mindset that will determine: How I see myself How everyone […]
Best of CoBiz: Pay people what they’re worth!
Editor’s note: Here is another valuable excerpt from the new success book by national business consultant Laurence B. Valant and partner Gayle W. Hustad, “Lead and Manage! The definitive guide for getting the results you want.” Valant resides in Castle Rock. The primary objective of the leader is to grow the value of the enterprise […]
Best of CoBiz: Effective leaders make plan
(Editor’s note: Here is another valuable excerpt from the new success book by national business consultant Laurence B. Valant and partner Gayle W. Hustad, “Lead and Manage! The definitive guide for getting the results you want.”) Don had never used residual income as a measure of core performance or as a means of compensating executives. […]