Be a Good Buggar…

I received a lot of interesting feedback about my last newsletter, Don't Be a Dickhead. It was about being an effective leader by being a good buggar and not saying or doing what dickheads do. The model I presented doesn't give a lot of wiggle room, and it’s very easy for leaders to find themselves in the Dickhead Zone.

Here it is again in case you missed it:

We're all human and even if you're being a good bugger 99% of the time, 1% of the time you're going to be a dickhead. The trick to being a good bugger and a great leader is to realise when you are being a dickhead and shift yourself out of the Dickhead Zone as quickly as possible.

So, here's a quick three-step process to get out of the Dickhead Zone:

1. Own it: Admit to yourself that you were being a dickhead.

2. Own up: Say, "Sorry, I was a dickhead" to the people you were a dickhead to.

3. Follow through: Don't say/do that same dickhead thing to them or anyone else again, ever.

Ta da! You are now a good buggar!

Now, sometimes it's hard to be aware of when you're being a dickhead in the moment, so here's a quick tip: If you come across more than three dickheads in one day, chances are that you're the dickhead.

Mark Windust is an influential Thought Leader in the areas of Sales Strategy, Sales Leadership and Sales Performance. Since launching his consulting practice in 2007, Mark has worked with 1000's of business leaders, salespeople and entrepreneurs’ to help them transform their sales results.