Lead clearly and prepare as if for WAR !

One definition of WAR I like is from Dick Marcinko's "Leadership Secrets of the Rogue Warrior" - it is We Are Ready.

I totally agree with Dick when he says it is easy is to make things complex, to be obtuse, to be vague about your company so nobody bothers to challenge you. As in war, business has no place for egotism, infighting, complacency or fear. Although some may say these things are human nature - when faced with a kill or be killed situation - well trained commandos instinctively rise above human nature in order to survive - they don't even think about their weaknesses, they focus on their strengths and on saving their butts. You need to approach your goals with confidence and simplicity - to let the troops know where you stand - no hiding behind walls of obscurity. As the sticker on my Harley helmet says "lead, follow or get out of the way!" Lead from the front.

We in the software industry have faced some of the most difficult issues we have ever faced over the last several years. And there are more challenges ahead…. but you need to make one thing clear to your TEAM if you are going to succeed. You need to convince them that you are not just "committed" to winning in some abstract sense ---- but that you have the will to succeed and therefore you will indeed win.... Then you need to combine that with the right strategy and the execution competence to succeed!

You need to let people know what you stand for as a company - it is not a time to survey and react to what's popular - it's time to get on with your Vision, mission and goals. Factions in the market will challenge your stand - but if you find yourself drawing fire… create, innovate, improvise, make sure you have created an advantage, change the game, move the goal post, get proactive and raise your head and fire back with a vengeance.

Preparation ( competitive analysis, sales training and reviews, executive verification meetings, pre-call scenario roll playing, product training, demo prep. with the prospective client, "stress" testing your people before throwing them to the lions, pre-proposal reviews, legal and accounting reviews, selection team polling, approval process verification, objection preemption, etc......... ) is an absolutely vital element of leadership (quotes such as "the more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in combat"..... and the Nietzsche quote paraphrased: "that which does not kill me, makes me stronger" get the point across.) The real thing should be easier than the drill if the drilling is done right.

Find people who are "compulsively self-reliant",( people who have backups to the backup plan), to go into battle with. Those who don't know better, might call these people insecure or neurotic but I call them prepared professionals. When you are prepared, you not only control the present, you learn to be agile and to adapt to the future. Let's face it though, it is not normal to like preparation and training... but it is necessary for success. Your people are not the companies greatest asset... your prepared people who achieve results are the companies greatest asset. They know that Murhpy lurks behind every corner – and that the only defense is to stay on your toes and to be ready for anything.