Table of Contents
Foreword Michael Bungay Stanier xiii
Introduction xv
1 Make Health and Fitness Your Top Priority 1
1 Disciplined Eating Habits and a Clear Personal Philosophy About Food 3
2 Daily Activity and Energy Awareness 4
3 Weight Management 6
4 Goals and Metrics 6
5 Hydration and Supplementation 7
6 Cross-Training and Recovery Strategies 9
7 Sleep 10
8 Diagnostics 12
9 Support Mechanisms and Equipment 15
10 Social Support 15
2 Craft a Life Plan 19
11 Goal Alignment with Partner 20
12 Financial Plan 21
13 Career Goal 23
14 Mentors and Coaches 24
15 Retirement Lifestyle Vision 25
16 Social Service/Contribution 26
17 Legacy/Significance 27
18 Residence/Geography 28
19 Perfect Days 29
20 Will and Bequests 30
3 Invest in Relationships 33
21 Primary Relationship 34
22 Children 36
23 Extended Family 37
24 Neighbors 38
25 Community 39
26 Competitors 40
27 Peers 40
28 Direct Reports 42
29 Friends 43
30 Board of Directors 43
4 Be a Real Leader 47
31 Leadership Philosophy 48
32 Performance Review and 360 Degree Feedback 50
33 Values and Walking the Talk 52
34 Core Competencies 53
35 "Soft" Skills 54
36 Performance and Conduct Expectations 56
37 Innovation and Creativity 57
38 Synthesis 59
39 Personal Presentation and Communication Skills 60
40 Personal Story 62
5 Put the Business Basics in Place 65
41 Vision 65
42 Mission 68
43 Strategic Plan 69
44 Five-Year Targets and Goals 70
45 One-Year Operating Plan 71
46 Talent Review and Succession Plan 72
47 Measures of Success 74
48 Crisis Management Plan 75
49 Corporate Social Responsibility Plan 76
50 Technology Plan 76
6 Take Charge of Your Career 79
51 Career Plan 80
52 Personal/Professional Goal Alignment 80
53 Passion for the Business 81
54 Resumé 83
55 Salary and Market Value 84
56 Recruiter Connections 85
57 Lessons from Adversity 86
58 "Elevator Speech" 87
59 Skills Inventory 88
60 Role Models 89
7 Build a Valuable Network 91
61 Tools 92
62 Alumni Association 95
63 Professional Groups 96
64 Lunches/Casual Meetings 97
65 Introductions and Recommendations 98
66 Responsiveness to Requests 99
67 Requests for Information or Resources 99
68 Maintenance 100
69 Club Memberships 101
70 Network Management 102
8 Be a Lifelong Learner 105
71 Daily News 106
72 Reading 107
73 Target Topics 108
74 Current Business Climate 109
75 Openness to New Ideas 110
76 Development Plan 111
77 Continuing Education 112
78 Complementary Skill Sets 113
79 Expert Resources 113
80 Mastermind Group 114
9 Have Some Fun! 117
81 Hobbies 118
82 Social Activities 121
83 Romance 122
84 Travel 123
85 Laughter and Play 124
86 Affection 124
87 Brain Fitness 126
88 Openness to New Experiences 127
89 Spontaneity 127
90 Positivity 128
10 Pause and Reflect 131
91 Regular Practice 132
92 Gratitude 133
93 Daily Planning 134
94 Weekly Planning 135
95 Monthly or Quarterly Planning 136
96 Yearly Planning 137
97 Personal History Documentation 138
98 Goal Setting 139
99 Connected Conversation 140
100 Intuition 141
Afterword 145
Appendix: The Complete Executive Assessment 147
Bibliography 165
