"Raise the standards for talent and you can expect to see major performance indicators go up. We're not saying that talent is the only driver of performance. But it is a key factor and one of the few that leaders can directly control." - Brad Smart, author of 'Topgrading'

People challenges impact your happiness and can be either a source of energy or an emotional drain. People issues can include conflicts with a partner, a customer with too large a piece of your business, a supplier delaying your success, a key employee or two that's disrupting the rest of the organization's effectiveness, or challenges at home. Or you might simply lack enough employees to serve your customers, though I caution executives to avoid tossing employees at problems.

Until you settle these relationship issues, they'll continue to consume a tremendous amount of emotional energy, making it difficult to focus on the other three main decisions. Focus on getting the right people doing the right things with clear accountabilities and metrics.

Is it fun to be part of your business for you, your employees and stakeholders? Attract the right people; people who share your Core Values and have a track record of delivering results. Identify your "A Players" and let them know they are valued as such. This is your leadership priority.

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