Costco, Newark, and NC On Leadership

Before getting on my flight to Madrid, I picked up U.S. News & World Report. It’s not my typical in-flight reading, but the topic caught my attention: America’s Best Leaders 2009. Here were a few of the highlights from the issue:

• Jim Sinegal, CEO of Costco, shared his view on employee engagement:
  • “We try to give a message of quality in everything we do, and we think that that starts with the people. It doesn’t do much good to have a quality image, whether it’s with the facility or whether it’s with the merchandise, if you don’t have real quality people taking care of your customers.”
• Corey Booker, Mayor of Newark, shared advice that he follows:
  • “My mom used to say that who you are speaks so loudly that I can’t hear what you say.” Also look at a previous post with this quote from Booker: “Life is about focus. What you focus on, you become. If you focus on nothing, you become nothing.
• Roy Williams, head coach of North Carolina, listed his three guiding leadership principles:
  • “(1) Everyone on the team must focus on the same goal. It’s my job to effectively communicate those goals to the team; (2) Emphasize those goals every day; and (3) Understand that although everyone has a common goal, individuals also have goals, needs, and dreams that must be cared for.”

The bottom line: These are great leadership lessons to follow.