Power Score
Geoff Smart, Randy Street and Alan Foster
11 min
4 Key Points
4.1 RateWhat's inside?
Discover the key to successful leadership through a simple formula that measures your team's strength, focus, and alignment.
You'll learn
1. What's the secret sauce of leadership? Priorities, people, and relationships.2. How to zero in on what really matters.3. Tips for putting the right folks in the right spots on your team.4. Building bonds and chatting effectively: your guide to better relationships.5. Checking your leadership game with the Power Score.6. Boost your leadership skills and pump up your Power Score.Key points
01Use the power score to be a better boss
Imagine having a magic number that could tell you how well your team or organization is doing. A number that could give you a snapshot of your team's health and potential. That's what the Power Score is all about. The higher the score, the better your team is likely to perform. On the flip side, a lower score could point out areas that need a bit of work. So, how do you get this magic number? It all starts with a Power Conversation. This is a heart-to-heart chat with your team about how things are going. The first question to ask is, "Are we running at full power?" The answers you get will give you a glimpse into how your team sees the organization's performance. The Power Score itself is calculated from three key factors: Priorities (P), Who (W), and Relationships (R). Each of these is rated on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best possible score. - Priorities (P): This is all about whether your team thinks the organization is focusing on the right things. Are the goals clear, relevant, and achievable? - Who (W): This is about the people in your organization. Does your team think that the right people are in the right roles? - Relationships (R): This is about how well everyone gets along. Are there strong, positive relationships that encourage teamwork and respect? Everyone on the team rates these three factors, and then the individual scores are multiplied together to get the Power Score (P x W x R = Power Score). The highest possible score is 1,000 (10 x 10 x 10), which would mean your organization is running at full power. But let's be real, a perfect score is pretty much impossible. A more realistic goal is a score of 729 or above, which means your team is operating at full power. A score between 500 and 700 means your team is doing well, but there's still room for improvement. Once you've got your Power Score, it's time to talk about it. Discussing the ratings for each factor is a key part of the Power Conversation. It helps your team figure out where improvements can be made and how to boost the Power Score. In a nutshell, the Power Score is a handy tool for checking how effective your leadership is. By having a Power Conversation and calculating your Power Score, you can get a clear picture of your team's performance and find ways to make it even better. This process can help you achieve full power, leading to greater success for your team or organization.
02Focus on what really matters to get stuff done
The idea of setting priorities is a key part of being a leader. Leaders who don't set clear priorities often don't reach their goals. Why? Because without a clear focus, their energy is all over the place, leading to average results. Think of your energy like a beam of light. Without a clear focus, the light is spread out, lighting up a big area but not very brightly. But when you focus that light into a laser beam, it's powerful enough to cut through steel. In the same way, when you focus your energy on a clear set of priorities, you can achieve amazing things. Here's a simple way to check your priorities: rate them from 1 to 10 based on three questions: 1. Do our priorities match our mission? 2. Are our priorities the right ones? 3. Do our team understand our priorities? A priority that scores a perfect 10 is one that matches your mission, is the right one to focus on, and is clearly understood by your team. Let's look closer at these three points. First, your priorities need to be connected to your mission, the reason why your organization exists. This connection is important because it reminds your team of the good your work does in the world, motivating them to work towards these priorities. Second, your priorities need to be the right ones. This means they should be a short list of tasks or goals that, when achieved, will lead you towards your bigger objectives. For example, if you're a tech company, your priorities might be developing new products, improving customer service, or expanding into new markets. These priorities should be based on a careful analysis of your customers, competitors, and market trends. Finally, your priorities need to be clear to your team. This is where many leaders stumble, as they often have too many priorities, leading to confusion and a lack of focus. It's important to remember that prioritizing involves making tough decisions, which can be hard for many leaders. Saying yes to one thing often means saying no to another, and this can lead to disagreements within the team. However, effective leaders understand that making these tough decisions is necessary for the success of the organization. In conclusion, setting clear, correct, and mission-aligned priorities is a key part of effective leadership. By focusing your energy on a clear set of priorities, you can achieve amazing results and lead your organization towards success.
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03Get the right people in the right jobs for a winning team
04Good relationships are good for business
About Geoff Smart, Randy Street and Alan Foster
Geoff Smart and Randy Street are co-founders of ghSMART, a leadership consulting firm. They co-authored "Who: The A Method for Hiring". Alan Foster, a former McKinsey partner, is an expert in business strategy and leadership. They combined their expertise to write "Power Score: Your Formula for Leadership Success".
