In the recent business book entitled "Jesus CEO," author Laurie Beth Jones presents Jesus not as a religious messiah but rather as an executive leader. The book is a kind of how-to manual for succeeding as corporate officers. It got me wondering what if a modern-day executive received a Divine Memo? It would probably be a guide that combines spiritual and professional advice, and it might read like the following:1. Thou shalt listen twice as much as thou shalt speaketh.You have two ears and one mouth--so listen twice as much as you speak. Good judgment comes from careful listening. Sometimes the greatest successes come not from generating new ideas, but rather from applying a great idea borrowed from somewhere else.2. Thou shalt slay thy dragons.When you solve business problems, make sure that you solve them permanently. Temporarily fixing a problem is akin to chasing a dragon away or merely hurting it, and a wounded dragon can come back to wreak havoc another day. Slay your dragon once and for all, and then move on to the next one.3. Thou shalt thinketh, "What can go wrong?"Winning in business often means taking nothing for granted. In order to be successful, assume that things will go wrong unless you prevent them from doing otherwise. Eliminate what can go wrong, and things will start going right.4. Thou shalt knoweth that authority comes first to those who seize it.It you want more, then do more. Authority comes quickly to those who take responsibility and assume ownership. If you want a job, then do it.5. Thou shalt remember the 30-second rule, and make it thine own.You have 30 seconds to get your point across to a busy executive. This rule is the same whether it's a memo, a chart, or a conversation. If you can't say it in 30 seconds, then it's probably not simple enough to pass this test.6. Thou shalt prepare thy homework.No meeting should be held if participants have not done their homework in advance. Poor preparation wastes time; if you're not ready, then it's better to reschedule the meeting.7. Thou shalt rely on thy gut.A hunch is your creativity trying to tell you something. Your first gut instinct often proves to be right. Learn to recognize it and to act on it.8. Thou shalt admit thy mistakes.Since we all make mistakes, only a fool doesn't admit them. Learn how to say, "I made a mistake." It's only after you've learned how to admit your mistakes that you'll learn how to correct them.9. Thou shalt walketh from Point A to Point B.When you start working on a new project, first assess where you are (Point A) and then where you are going (Point B). In order to finish the project, focus on how to get from Point A to Point B.10. Thou shalt remember that it will take 20 percent longer to do it right.Whenever setting a deadline, remember that it usually takes 20 percent more time to do it right. Tasks almost always take longer than you think they will, and having extra time in the schedule will help when you encounter these unknown challenges along the way.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------About the SubmitterThis piece was originally submitted by Keith Herrmann, Director of Finance, Exide ElectronicsEdited: June 28, 2008 06:20PM
Comments