I don’t know about you, but I am captivated, when I experience excellence.
In two areas in particular: in craftsmanship and in management.
My neighbour is a violin builder. He has some weird and wonderful tools, some very intricate.
But, there is more to his excellent craftsmanship than just the tools.
It is how he applies the tools and how he makes choices in the process.
His choices are determined by his knowledge of the quality of the wood, its density and how hydrated it is. He also has a well-developed and sensitive hearing. Further, he understands exactly what it takes to shape the body of the violin to capture the vibrations from the strings to produce pure and rich tones.
All things that you can study, but not learn from a book. Skills you can acquire, but not truly excel in, except with applied and consistent passion, through attention to detail and not least through practice, practice and practice. Along the way you develop a certain style – unique to you.
Through practice, you gain experience.
This takes time and there are no shortcuts towards true professional managerial excellence.
In business and corporations, results matter. The faster the better.
So do you then have the time to practice – to hone your professional managerial excellence?
35 years ago, Peters and Waterman wrote “In Search of Excellence” seeking to identify the characteristics of great leaders and great companies, focusing on excellence as the foundation for sustainable leadership.
The book identified 8 themes which can be boiled down to “Customers – People – The Action in between”. When you take the time to excel in those areas, you stand a good chance of being a great manager and running a successful business.
Since then, the challenges of leadership and management have changed, as any business now operates in a world of exponentially accelerating change and in increased complexity.
Yet Peters has remained focused on his commitment to excellence in his recent book “The Excellence Dividend”. He offers new and inspirational insights into the recipe for excellence “Customers – People – and the Action in between”.
“Can you compare building a top-class violin, perhaps even a new Stradivarius, with managing a team or leading a business?” I hear you ask.
In my opinion, the answer is “Yes, you can. And excellent managers also develop their own individual style of management excellence.”
Whether you are a shareholder, a customer or an employee, you know, you have found management and business excellence, when it looks pleasing, sounds sublime, feels superb, and makes the world a better place, too – in addition to generating a surplus.
You have chosen the right place.
The right place: – an organisation or a company with great management, teams, processes and products.
Or – you may be listening to an exceptionally well-crafted violin, an instrument in the hands of world-class musician, playing a beautiful piece of music.
How do you ensure that your individual managerial excellence is music to the ears of your team?