The Truth Your Team Already Knows About You

4 Thoughts to Reflect On

1. Your culture is what you tolerate.
   Not what you post on the wall or shout at team meetings.

2. A-players want clarity.
   They thrive when expectations are simple, direct, and enforced.

3. Deadweight drains profit.
   Every person who coasts adds pressure to the ones who carry the load.

4. Standards build trust.
   When people know that excellence is the norm, the right ones rise fast.

4 Lessons I Have Learned

1. If you protect the wrong people, you lose the right ones.
   Top talent will not stay loyal to a company that rewards mediocrity.

2. Leadership is not being liked.
   It is making decisions that protect the mission, even when uncomfortable.

3. Your team follows your example.
   If you avoid tough conversations, they will avoid tough work.

4. High standards simplify hiring.
   The best people want structure, truth, and accountability.

4 Challenges for You This Week

1. Identify one person you have been protecting for too long.
   Write down the real cost of keeping them.

2. Clarify expectations for every key role.
   One clear paragraph per role. No fluff.

3. Have one hard conversation you have been avoiding.
   Your business depends on it.

4. Get around stronger standards.
   If your circle is not forcing you to level up, join the DM Alliance and put yourself in a room where excellence is normal.

Quote of the Week

“People do not leave companies. They leave managers.” - Simon Sinek

Standards are not harsh.
They are a promise.
A promise that everyone in the room matters, and excellence is the minimum.

Hold the line.