Source: NA Operations Leadership Institute

Each Leadership Principle is defined in three ways – Proficient, Over-Utilized and Under-Utilized. You may use these as you build
your own development plan, provide feedback to others, and develop others.

CUSTOMER OBSESSION

Under Utilized Proficient Over Utilized

They focus on internal
operations, do not consider
customer needs in decision
making.
They do not put the
customer experience first.
Leaders start with the customer and work backwards. They They make too many exceptions
work vigorously to earn and keep customer trust. Although to process based on individual
leaders pay attention to competitors, they obsess over customer demand.
customers.
They bypass necessary policies
Leaders relentlessly advocate for the customer in meetings and procedures to meet
and decision-making. They are dedicated to meeting and customer demand.
exceeding customer expectations.

They seek customer feedback and use it to make

improvements.

OWNERSHIP

Under Utilized Proficient Over Utilized

They have a “not my job” attitude
toward some tasks. Are just
trading their time for money.
When they see a task that needs
to be done or an improvement
that could be made, they assume
someone else will take care of it.
Leaders are owners. They think long term and don’t They are so personally invested
sacrifice long-term values for short-term results. in their work that they rob
opportunities for development
They act on behalf of the entire company, beyond just from others, everything becomes
their own team. They never say “that’s not my job”. their responsibility.
Leaders plead passionately for their positions and They may not function well as
champion ideas they believe will benefit the business. team players.
Leaders have a long-term, vested interest in the
success of the Company.

INVENT AND SIMPLIFY

Under Utilized Proficient Over Utilized

They are not a good judge of customer Leaders expect and require innovation and They may prematurely reject the
needs. invention from their teams and always find old in favor of the new.
ways to simplify.
They are stuck in their comfort zone. They They unnecessarily reinvent the
don’t push beyond the first available They are externally aware, look for new wheel instead of improving
solution and don’t experiment. ideas from everywhere, and are not limited someone else’s innovation.
by “not invented here”.
They block innovation of team; shoot They invent, but don’t simplify;
down ideas before they’ve had a chance to As they do new things, they accept that may make things more complex than
develop. be misunderstood for long periods of time. they need to be.

They prioritize short-term gains over long- Leaders are aware of and build upon the They work in a vacuum—without
term innovation. They practice problem solutions and best practices established by involvement or input from key
management instead of true problem others. They are fearless in removing non- participants.
solving. value-added steps in a process.
ARE RIGHT, A LOT

Under Utilized Proficient Over Utilized

They have difficulty making
decisions for fear of being
wrong.
They don’t do their
homework- gathering facts
and data.
Leaders are right a lot. They have strong business Think they are right a lot.
judgment and good instincts.
They are so overly confident that
They seek diverse perspectives and work to disconfirm their they miss out on other points of
beliefs. view.
They use direct observation, facts and data in decision
making.

Are willing to admit when they are not right or don’t know
so they can learn.

LEARN AND BE CURIOUS

Under Utilized Proficient Over Utilized

They don’t seek greater understanding
of the business. They feel comfortable,
knowledgeable and capable in their
current position; ignore details.
They stick to processes as they are, do
not ask questions to deepen
understanding; instill fear as a way to
avoid mistakes from happening.
They don’t demonstrate a passion for
learning or wider knowledge. They
don’t pursue personal or professional
development.
Leaders are never done learning and always
seek to improve themselves.
They are curious about new possibilities and
act to explore them.
Leaders are voracious learners and
continuously push themselves to find time to
explore and grow their skills.
Curiosity drives their ability to seek solutions
– asking not only “Why does it work that
way?” but also “What other ways could we
get this to work?” and “I wonder what would
happen if…”.
Leaders challenge assumptions for the sake of
expanding knowledge.
They always seeking new
information without implementing
or putting the learning into action.
They throw out process and
planning already tried and starts
from scratch.
They make excuses for mistakes
instead of seeking to understand
the ‘whys’ and examining how do to
it better next time.
They don’t know when pursuit of
knowledge is conflicting with the
needs of the business; spend too
much time on one problem.
HIRE AND DEVELOP THE BEST
Under Utilized
They don’t dig deep in interviews.
They won’t hold out for the best
candidate.
They rely on biases, experience “like
mine” or “just knowing.”
Are frequently wrong in predicting
what will be successful.
Are unaware of the developmental
needs of the team.
They fail to give frequent, honest,
developmental feedback. People on
their team are not developed to full
potential.
They refer everyone they know.
Rarely contribute valuable interview
feedback. Get too creative with
interview questions asking questions
that are not directly job related. They
don’t adhere to the interview
practices of Making Great Hiring
Decisions. They think new hires
should just “figure it out.”
INSIST ON THE HIGHEST STANDARDS
Under Utilized
They set easily achievable standards;
create a false confidence and sense of
success.
They don’t challenge the work or
ideas of others to ensure highest
quality.
They give in too easily; accept less
than what was agreed upon.
They set a low bar for performance
just so that goals are always met.
Proficient Over Utilized
Leaders raise the performance bar with every hire They are unable to look past
and promotion. initial impressions of a
candidate.
They recognize exceptional talent, and willingly move
them throughout the organization. They over-rely on a
candidate’s affiliation with a
Leaders develop leaders and take seriously their role company or school as a
in coaching others. predictor of success.
We work on behalf of our people to invent They become personally
mechanisms for development like Career Choice. invested in the development
of a person, losing
They are not afraid to hire people smarter than they perspective on true potential.
are.
They promote internal people
They develop team members through challenging who are not raising the bar.
goals and assignments.
Asks questions in interviews
Leaders give frequent, honest, developmental that are too tough, no one
feedback through regular one-on-ones. would be able to answer.
People want to join their team.
They raise the bar by hiring better and better people.
Refer great people. Consistently contribute relevant
feedback on candidates. Ask the tough questions.
Are objective. Assist in orientation and assimilation
of new employees.
Proficient Over Utilized
Leaders have relentlessly high standards - many They set unreasonably high
people may think these standards are standards without providing the
unreasonably high. support to achieve. Are
perfectionists and overly critical.
Leaders are continually raising the bar and drive
their teams to deliver high quality products, They disregard the
services and processes. developmental level of the
person when setting goals.
Leaders ensure that defects do not get sent
down the line and that problems are fixed so
they stay fixed.
THINK BIG
Under Utilized
They are narrow-minded; overly
tactical, not strategic; avoid risks.
They rely on “tried and true”
solutions for new issues and problem;
resistant to new ideas.
Respond to new ideas with reasons
why it won’t work instead of thinking
of ways to make things work.
BIAS FOR ACTION
Under Utilized
They are slow to decide or act on
opportunity; They
procrastinate/hesitate; freeze on
issues.
They may be perfectionist; may
lack confidence.
They wait to be told what to do.
They waste time pursuing lower
priorities. May be bored,
unmotivated or burned out.
They overthink decisions.
Communications fizzle, responses
are sluggish, work is delayed, and
keep others waiting.
FRUGALITY
Under Utilized
Are at a loss when challenged to
solve problems without adding
resources.
Can’t see possibilities. Lack
resourcefulness.
Proficient
Thinking small is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Leaders create and communicate a bold
direction that inspires results.
They think differently and look around
corners for ways to serve customers.
Leaders champion visionary ideas. They
creatively address issues and problems.
Proficient
Speed matters in business. Many decisions and
actions are reversible and do not need extensive
study. They value calculated risk taking.
Leaders work long, hard and smart.
They exercise strong business judgment and good
instincts that inform their decisions.
They make every minute count and seize
opportunities.
Leaders are tenacious, intense and have a sense of
urgency around getting it done.
Proficient
Accomplish more with less. Constraints breed
resourcefulness, self-sufficiency and invention
There are no extra points for growing headcount,
budget size or fixed expense.
We try not to spend money on things that don’t
matter to customers.
Frugality breeds resourcefulness, self-sufficiency
and invention.
Leaders know that money and technology aren’t
always the best solution and encourage their teams
to find simple, effective solutions.
Over Utilized
They may get stuck in the idea-
generating process and fail to act.
They don’t follow through.
They waste time on an idea they
love and fail to recognize that it is
impractical or only marginally
productive.
Over Utilized
They jump to conclusions or take
actions before considering facts
and data; impulsive; impatient;
They decide or act quickly to
avoid necessary debate.
They don’t consider others’ input.
They push solutions before
understanding root causes.
They practice problem
management, not true problem
solving.
They spend too much time in a
reactionary mode, fighting fires.
Over Utilized
They believe that it is never
appropriate to spend money.
They Fail to invest or spend when
they should.
EARN TRUST
Under Utilized
They have a hidden agenda; give
preferential treatment; lack
confidentiality.
They don’t follow through on
promises. Keep information from
people who should know.
DIVE DEEP
Under Utilized
They focus too much on high-level
ideas, aren’t familiar with the
necessary details of processes.
They try to solve problems before
really understanding them; don’t go
and see.
They over-rely on facts or data, but
don’t use both.
Proficient Over Utilized
Leaders listen attentively, speak candidly, and May be so overly open and
treat others respectfully. honest that they are perceived as
too direct.
They are vocally self-critical, even when doing so
is awkward or embarrassing. May focus too much on pleasing
others.
Leaders do not believe their or their team’s body
odor smells of perfume. They benchmark
themselves and their teams against the best.
Leaders are sincerely open-minded and are
willing to examine their strongest convictions
with humility.
They are direct, honest and real; they are less
concerned about their image than the success of
their team.
Leaders can be trusted with sensitive or
confidential information. Do what they say they
are going to do. Assume the best of others. Up-
front and respectful in their interactions with
others.
Proficient Over Utilized
Leaders operate at all levels, stay connected to They may be so connected to the
the details, audit frequently, and are skeptical tactical details that they miss the
when metrics and anecdote differ. big picture.
No task is beneath them. Leaders drive root- They spend too much time on
cause analysis to uncover core issues through analysis that never leads to
direct observation, facts and data. action.
.
HAVE BACKBONE; DISAGREE AND COMMIT

Under Utilized Proficient Over Utilized

They don’t get behind unpopular
messages. Use poor judgment.
They bend easily despite own best
instincts; aren’t comfortable speaking
up; shy away from debate.
Leaders are obligated to respectfully challenge They may be over-contentious or
decisions when they disagree. argumentative; bully others in
debating an issue.
Even when doing so is uncomfortable or
exhausting. Leaders have conviction and are
tenacious.

They are silent or agree with decisions
in the meeting and then complain or
question the decision outside the
meeting.
They do not compromise for the sake of social
cohesion.
Once a decision is determined, they commit
wholly. They are willing to champion an
unpopular or difficult message.

DELIVER RESULTS

Under Utilized Proficient Over Utilized

Inconsistent on achieving goals.
They manage workload poorly.
They just get by with minimum
required effort.
Leaders focus on the key inputs for their business
and deliver them with the right quality and in a
timely fashion.
Despite setbacks, they rise to the occasion and
never settle. Get the important things done.
They focus on achieving results at
any cost; may show a lack of
concern for teams, processes, or
ethics.
They don’t share successes.

They make excuses, accepts
excuses.
Create a “try hard” culture,
instead of results driven culture.
Gloss over shortcomings to
protect feelings.
Creates false confidence and
sense of success in their team.
Leaders are resourceful and build things that work.
They consistently exceed goals.
Keep their teams focused and motivated in order to
deliver the right results.
Kick rocks out of the way; help to clear a path for
success, enabling people to achieve more than they
thought possible.
Get the important things done. Are resourceful.
Maintain effective pace and produce conclusive,
measurable results within time commitments.
They overly emphasize results,
leaving bodies in their wake.
They try to get everything done,
without regard for importance or
necessity.
They work at an unsustainable
pace, expects others to do the
same. Build for the sake of building.