"Do what you do so well that they will want
to see it againand bring their friends."
- Walt Disney
What is your organization striving to achieve?
- Big Profits?
- Big Growth?
- Big Stock Price?
- Big Accolades/Recognition?
- Some other Big Result?
All of the above?
Okay, just so we are clear - all of the above goals/outcomes are NOT bad things to experience.

What's holding your team back from experiencing "breakout performance"?
It may be those Old beliefs and Personal Insecurities. (aka: conceptual barriers)
Conceptual barriers are the barriers that are right behind the eyes, DEEP within the brain. "Beliefs" which were planted at a very young age and re-enforced over a long period of time - which is why they are so hard to "dislodge".

"You do not merely want to be considered just the best of the best. You want to be considered the only one who does what you do." - Jerry Garcia
What is the leadership zone?
For purposes of this article, think of "The Zone" as an emotion you feel when you are at your very best.
For example, think back to a time when everything seemed to be going just right, just the way you had intended - or perhaps even better than you had intended.

At your next staff meeting consider leading your team through the following discussion.
This lesson is focused on getting people to think in terms of effective leadership. When helping a co-worker, or a customer, employees must understand their role as a leader. The exercise goes like this:
Introduction of the Exercise: (feel free to create your own similar story to support the exercise)

"The miracle power that elevates the few is to be found in their industry, application, and perseverance, under the promptings of a brave determined spirit." - Mark Twain

"The only way to enjoy anything in this life, is to earn it first."
-Ginger Rodgers
One bad apple can spoil the bunch! As a leader, we cannot allow "bad apples" to interrupt our efforts toward achieving our goals.
Leaders can quickly lose credibility with their team when we fail to immediately address issues that get in the way of the teams' mission.
So how do we best address an issue with an employee that we perceive to be a "bad apple"?

Years ago, when I was new in management circles, a veteran administrator decided to share his self-described secret of success. He said: You have to be careful, Bill. I*ve learned not to compliment my people. Makes them too self-assured, and they get lax in their work habits. Better to keep them guessing.

Many solopreneurs work in a team environment either with their client's staff, or with subcontractors. Having spent over 20 years in a teaming environment before becoming a solopreneur 13 years ago, I know that during the course of any highly functioning team effort, the leadership and followership roles flow back and forth between the members.

Although world business is undergoing historic changes, the prevailing view of what constitutes business leadership is stuck in the past. Generally, business leaders view leadership as an order-giving process. The word "leadership" itself comes from old Norse root meaning "to make go." Many leaders believe that they must "make" people go by ordering them to do things.