Proving that it is possible to have fun, live your values, and still make blockbuster profits, GUTS! will be must-reading for anyone who hungers to make their organization more competitive, to find creative ways to add more value to their customers, and to inspire their people to execute with a sense of urgency and deliver extraordinary results. “Our hope is that this book will help you become more gutsy, too—more engaged, more considerate, more courageous, and most important, a better leader,” write the Freibergs. “You may just blow the doors off business as usual in your corner of the world. All it takes is guts.”

HOW GUTSY LEADERS BLOW THE DOORS OFF BUSINESS-AS-USUAL

GUTSY LEADERS BRAND THEIR CULTURES
Companies with branded cultures are places where people both want to work and choose to stay. Crafting a culture begins with people, so start by creating a workplace that takes great care of its employees, not just its customers. Your employees, culture, products, and services are the brand; your people are the ambassadors of the culture. They are a business’s most visible and powerful sales and public-relations tools, much more so than any new branding advertising campaign, logo, or slogan.

GUTSY LEADERS CREATE A SENSE OF OWNERSHIP
Gutsy leaders know that employees must feel a personal stake in the enterprise’s success before they can be expected to step up to the plate. But if you want your people to think and act like owners of the business, you have to do more than just offer profit sharing, provide stock options, and share financial information. You must educate them—by demystifying the language of business, explaining what the numbers mean, and teaching how that information can be applied. After all, how can we expect people to think for themselves and work to build a strong, profitable enterprise if they have no idea what goes into creating the bottom line? How can we make them responsible if they don’t know how their actions affect the business?

GUTSY LEADERS HIRE PEOPLE WHO DON’T SUCK
Gutsy leaders understand the importance of hiring people who don’t suck energy out of their organization and of developing leaders who are magnets for world-class talent. But finding talented people is only the first step. They have to be ready and able to do what you need doing, and they have to be the right fit for your organization. Have you defined what it takes to be a great employee in your company? Make hiring a strategic initiative. Identify people who already work for you who fit that description. Then ask their customers, employees, peers, and managers what makes them so effective and easy to do business with. And remember to trust your gut! If you don’t feel a particular person would “fit” well in your culture, trust your instincts and do not compromise.

GUTSY LEADERS LEAD WITH LOVE
Inherent in the human condition is the need to be loved, to be cared for, so why would we think that need evaporates when we enter the workplace? In fact, it doesn’t make sense to expect your employees to function effectively in an environment that doesn’t acknowledge their psychological and emotional needs. Employees working at companies that care about them are far more than satisfied—they are engaged, loyal, and fully committed to the organization with their minds and hearts. Such organizations are much more likely to attract and retain world-class talent, and their employees are far more likely to perform at higher levels of commitment and productivity, which helps create loyal customers and increase profitability. Great leaders have the guts to love—to acknowledge compassion for and care of others as a valuable business asset.

GUTSY LEADERS MAKE BUSINESS HEROIC
Studies that ask employees to rank their priorities at work show that meaningful work outranks compensation. What happens when an organization’s leader gives his or her people a heroic cause—a way to believe that their work contributes to a better world? For one, people may feel more content or relaxed. They become fully engaged mentally, physically, spiritually. And their zeal, of course, translates into financial reward for their companies. Almost by definition, a company with a heroic cause attracts purpose driven, heroic people whose dedication translates into impressive profits. Gutsy leaders who strive to motivate others make time to help people see how their work is connected to something bigger.

GUTSY LEADERS INSPIRE FUN
Far too many managers believe that fun and business aren’t compatible. And they pay a price both professionally and personally. When we visit somber, uptight organizations that discourage fun, we consistently find low morale and productivity. More important, once customers experience the stifling environment, they tend to take their business elsewhere. Fun sets you apart from the crowd and gives you an identity that makes your competitors seem boring. It attracts customers, fosters trust, levels hierarchy, reduces conflict and burnout, and stimulates creativity. Gutsy leaders recognize that fun pays; they see it as a core business strategy that doesn’t interfere with seriousness.