Success Advice
Mediocre or Master? The Levels of Preparation That Define Success
For leaders, preparation can make the difference between occasional success and sustained excellence

Why Preparation Sets You Apart
There’s a well-known saying about casinos: “The house always wins.” While this isn’t strictly true for every bet, it’s undeniable that casinos set up their odds to ensure consistent profits over time. Preparation works in a similar way. When you position yourself to win consistently, you’ll triumph more often than not, and those victories compound over time.
For leaders, preparation can make the difference between occasional success and sustained excellence. Even if you lose individual battles, consistent preparation ensures long-term wins. Yet, many struggle with preparation due to misunderstandings about the mindset required or a lack of commitment to the process.
The Five Levels of Preparation
Through years of coaching college basketball and observing life in general, I’ve identified five levels of preparation. These categories describe the approaches people take and their outcomes. Take a moment to reflect on your current level as you read through them.
1. Casual: Winging It
Casual preparation is the epitome of “winging it.” It often manifests in areas you dread addressing—tasks at work, personal health, or relationships. Neglecting these aspects ultimately impacts your overall performance. Without intentional planning, key areas of your life suffer, leading to inconsistency and underachievement.
2. Cursory: Just Scraping By
Cursory preparation is slightly better but still superficial. Think back to school days when you scribbled answers on the bus just to avoid embarrassment. This approach avoids immediate trouble but risks exposing you to bigger problems. Shallow preparation makes you vulnerable to being called out for lack of depth and effort.
3. Compliant: Checking the Box
At this level, you meet expectations but do nothing more. It’s the “check the box” mentality driven by external pressure rather than internal motivation. While compliant preparation may suffice for average outcomes, it will never lead to exceptional success. Those stuck here often feel they “don’t have enough time” for thorough preparation, perpetuating mediocrity.
4. Committed: Proactive and Purposeful
Committed preparation involves taking full responsibility and approaching tasks with integrity and substance. Success isn’t guaranteed, but failures become learning opportunities rather than setbacks. Leaders at this level have an internal drive to excel and gain confidence in high-pressure situations. They experience what it means to operate in a world of excellence.
5. Constant: The Relentless Pursuit of Mastery
The highest level of preparation requires time and guidance. You can’t instantly will yourself into mastery. It’s a process of learning from others and consistently refining your approach. For me, working with Coach Mickie DeMoss at Kentucky was transformative. Her relentless pursuit of depth in preparation taught me to look beyond the surface and anticipate every possible scenario. This type of preparation is a skill honed over time.
Learning the Art of Preparation
Preparation is not an innate talent but a learned skill, with nuances that vary by profession. Whether in sales, marketing, coaching, or executive leadership, you must commit to identifying and addressing the specific areas where you need to go deeper.
If you recognize that you’re operating at a lower level, take action to advance. As you climb the preparation ladder, your confidence will grow, your mistakes will decrease, and your wins will start to accumulate. Over time, you’ll be on the path to sustained success.
Success Advice
What Every New CEO Must Do in Their First 100 Days (or Risk Failure)
Your first 100 days as CEO could define your entire legacy, here’s how to make every move count

When Tim Cook took over from Steve Jobs at Apple, the world watched with bated breath. Jobs wasn’t just a CEO; he was a visionary, an icon, and a legend of innovative leadership. (more…)
Entrepreneurs
The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025
Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”
While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.
Why This Gap Exists
Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.
What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.
Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap
Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.
1. Practice Mutual Empathy
Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.
2. Maintain Professional Boundaries
Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.
3. Follow the Golden Rule
Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.
4. Avoid Micromanagement
Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.
5. Empower Employees to Grow
Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.
6. Communicate in All Directions
Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.
7. Overcome Insecurities
Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.
8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship
True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.
9. Eliminate Favoritism
Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.
10. Recognize Efforts Promptly
Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.
11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews
When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.
12. Provide Leadership Development
Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.
13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles
Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.
The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role
Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:
-
Build diverse talent pipelines
-
Embrace flexible work models
-
Design compelling career paths
-
Simplify HR processes
-
Redefine the value HR brings
The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.
Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff
When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.
Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.
Entrepreneurs
What Makes an Entrepreneurial Leader? Traits of the World’s Best Innovators
Inside the mindset of entrepreneurial leaders who transform risk, passion, and vision into world-changing results.

When you think of Richard Branson (Virgin Group), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple), Rupert Murdoch (News Corporation), and Ted Turner (CNN), one thing becomes clear: they are not just entrepreneurs, they are entrepreneurial leaders. (more…)
Entrepreneurs
Building a Business Empire: Lessons from the World’s Boldest Entrepreneurs
Learn essential lessons, success strategies, and mindset shifts every aspiring entrepreneur needs to overcome challenges and build a thriving business.

Back in July 2017, I attended a business seminar on entrepreneurship in India. With my appetite for learning and meeting new people, I wanted to explore the latest developments in the entrepreneurial world. (more…)
-
Personal Development4 weeks ago
Discipline Creates Freedom: Why Systems Make Success Sustainable
-
Change Your Mindset3 weeks ago
Why Ideas Are More Valuable Than Resources for Entrepreneurial Success
-
Entrepreneurs3 weeks ago
Building a Business Empire: Lessons from the World’s Boldest Entrepreneurs
-
Health & Fitness2 weeks ago
The Surprising Link Between Exercise and Higher Income
-
Entrepreneurs2 weeks ago
What Makes an Entrepreneurial Leader? Traits of the World’s Best Innovators
-
Entrepreneurs1 week ago
The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025
-
Change Your Mindset6 days ago
7 Goal-Setting Mistakes That Are Secretly Sabotaging Your Success
-
Success Advice3 days ago
What Every New CEO Must Do in Their First 100 Days (or Risk Failure)