Leading In Fast Time: Real Results in Real Time

The LIFT® Institute: Real Results In Real Time


Jim Cathcart, one of the nation’s preeminent authorities on leadership effectiveness, and Leland Russell, a recognized innovator in fast-cycle strategic action, today announced the formation of The LIFT® Institute. The Institute has a singular focus: helping leaders achieve real results in real time.

Based on their extensive research and hands-on experience in working with hundreds of leaders in large and mid-size organizations, Cathcart and Russell have concluded that execution is the number one challenge facing leaders today. “Getting things done is the greatest concern in every organization. Unfortunately, this is where most organizations fall short,” says Cathcart.

Russell explains, “Many leaders are frustrated with the lack of results their organi¬zations deliver. They tell us that their problem is not clarity about what to do, but rather how to make it happen. They desperately want to improve execution speed and effectiveness, but they often don't know where to start.”

“Everyone seems to be studying ‘leadership’ and the subject certainly has no shortage of accumulated knowledge,” adds Cathcart. “Yet, when you review the available literature, you find that the leader’s role in driving results is generally not addressed. There is a knowledge gap. That’s why we are founding The LIFT® Institute—to help leaders meet their execution challenges with a proven path to success.

The LIFT® proven path was first introduced in the highly-acclaimed book, Winning In FastTime, which translated lessons learned from one of the most successful campaigns in military history—the Desert Storm air campaign—to the fast-changing world of 21st century business.

The execution approach described in this book has been enthusiastically endorsed by top executives from leading organizations, including McDonald’s, Texas Instruments and Motorola, as well as best-selling authors, such as Alvin Toffler and Marshall Goldsmith, and even senior military leaders, including General Norman Schwarzkopf and General Mike Dugan, former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force.

Over the past five years, leaders of large cap, mid-cap, and startup companies in high-tech, finance, health care, and many other industries have successfully applied the lessons of Winning In FastTime to meet a wide variety of execution challenges. As a result, a comprehensive base of Best Practices for leading fast-cycle execution (“Leading In FastTime”) has emerged. This knowledge base is now available through The LIFT® Institute’s presentations and executive development programs.

Some of examples of the LIFT® Best Practices knowledge base include:
• Collective IQ – How to tap a diverse group’s experience and insight to improve plans and build commitment for fast, aligned execution.
• Good Enough Plans – How to create and adjust ‘good enough’ plans in real-time with the recognition that no plan survives its contact with reality.
• High-Velocity, Parallel Actions – How to orchestrate a critical mass of the right actions quickly and concurrently for maximum systemic impact.
• Collaborating Online – How to ensure better cross-functional alignment and decision-making with fewer time-consuming face-to-face meetings.
• Real Time Accountability – How to measure and report actions and results so that everyone constantly knows where everything stands.
• After Action Reviews – How to drive results-oriented learning during execution to improve organizational and personal performance.

Cathcart and Russell believe that every leader at every level needs to master the art of execution because “execution is the only thing that produces results. And, in the final analysis, results are the only thing that really counts.”

The LIFT® Proven Path for Rapid Results is a major source of their enthusiasm. “We all know about the time-value of money,” says Russell. “It’s almost always worth more now than later. So what about the time-value of results? What are the benefits of better, faster results? The benefits can be enormous.”

Cathcart also points to the personal value: “Results are the ultimate measure of a leader’s effectiveness. Leaders who are not getting real results in real time should consider exploring what we have to offer at The LIFT® Institute. You may be capable of much more than you are currently achieving. Let’s see how much better you could be.”
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*For more information contact: jim@cathcart.com 1-805-777-3477

**JIM CATHCART is one of the nation’s leading professional speakers and a best selling
author of thirteen books, including The Acorn Principle and Relationship Selling.
www.cathcart.com

***LELAND RUSSELL is a recognized innovator in large-scale change, online collaboration and fast-cycle strategy execution and co-author of Winning in FastTime.
www.geogroup.com

A Comforting Thought for Boomers Approaching 60 (like me)

Here’s a comforting thought.

Turning 60 or 50 or 40 or 97 1/2...

In looking back on your life, take stock of all you have been able to achieve. When you add it up, there is a lot to be proud of.
Notice the obstacles you overcame and the goals you reached. Forget the ones you missed, just look at how much you have done!
Now, consider that all of that was done without any of the knowledge, skills, wisdom and experience that you possess today.
You were a newbie, just starting out in life and you had to find the way to get to the top of whatever you were climbing.
Sure you had more energy and maybe more drive to prove yourself, but you weren’t yet capable of pulling it off. You had to learn as you grew. And growth should continue as long as life does.

Now you are entering your Masters Category. You have wisdom, experience, perspective, connections, patience and resources that you never had before. What you can do starting from here is awesome compared to what you used to be ready for.

Stop to think about what matters to you. What lights your fires and what ticks you off? Think about what you would change in the world, if you could. Well, maybe you can!
Spend some serious time thinking about your dreams, concerns, values and interests. Now go and structure the next phase of your life around these things and bring all of your substantial resources to bear.
You are amazingly capable. So go and do some good, have some fun and enjoy the journey.
In the Spirit of Growth,
Jim Cathcart

Happy and Prosperous 2006

Here is a link to one of my recent articles for the new year.
Its title is

15 Ways To Grow Your Business This Year

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http://www.cathcart.com/art_grow_business.html

(Cut and paste this link into your browser if the link isn't active on this page.)

Another article you might like is on my personal website, its title is

11 Ways To Expand Your Life This Year

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Here is the link: http://www.cathcart.com/art_expand_life.html

Have a great year. Let me know if I can be a resource to you this year.
Jim