TOP PERFORMANCE

How To Develop Excellence In Yourself And Others

By Zig Ziglar; Revell; 2005

How do you become a Top relationships and About the Author/s:

Performer? If you are a communication.
manager or leader, and you A talented
want to become more read the summary
author and
e f f e c t i v e , “ To p speaker, Zig
Ziglar has an
Performance” by Zig Ziglar appeal that
is for you. It shows how to transcends
maximize your leadership barriers of
abilities and management age, culture
a n d
skills.
occupation. Since 1970, he
has traveled over five million
It offers dynamic principles miles across the world
that are applicable for delivering powerful life
business as well as family improvement messages,
cultivating the energy of
life, on managing people change. He has shared the
effectively, overcoming and platform with such
correcting poor distinguished Americans as
management practices, Presidents Ford, Reagan and
Bush, General Norman
developing a healthy self- Schwarzkopf, Secretary of
image, and improving State Colin Powell...
people's energies,
for author info

Inside This Book Summary:

Ÿ The Big Idea Ÿ Build Trust And Honesty
Ÿ How To Be A Top Performer Ÿ The Importance of Communication
Ÿ Building A Foundation Ÿ Three A's For Excellence
Ÿ Choosing To Be A Top Performer Ÿ Formula for Top Performance
Ÿ Causing Others To Want Your Leadership Management
Ÿ Look For The Good ŸSix Action Steps for
Ÿ Expect The Best Performance-Oriented Managers
Ÿ Develop A healthy Self-Image ŸThe Ten Double-Win Rules That
Lead To Top Team Performance

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I. How To Be A Top Performer The choices you make today will determine
what you will be, do, and have tomorrow. To be
The foundation for developing yourself and
a Top Performer, you must make the proper
others is wrapped up in this principle: you can
choices. To be effective in making proper
have everything in life you want if you will just
choices, you must understand the difference
help enough other people get what they want.
between reacting and responding.
Management is getting things done through
Responding is positive and reacting is
people. And great managers from all fields
negative. For example, if you're doctor tells you
know that when they put people first, their
that your body is reacting to a drug she has
effectiveness and efficiency improve.
prescribed, that's bad news and means you'll
need to change what you're taking. But if she
says your body is responding to the medicine,
then it's good for you.
II. Building A Foundation As individuals, managers, and leaders, we can
Your foundation determines how successful
choose to react or respond to negative events
you will be. Character, integrity, values, and
or situations. You're response, or reaction, to
trust are the four cornerstones of a good
the negative reveals what's inside you.
foundation for management style, leadership
style, and lifestyle.
This is important to remember when dealing
with conflicts or people who are rude,
Values, motives, confidence, and philosophy of
obnoxious, vicious or simply wrong. Most
life have a direct bearing on your self-image,
often, people deal with you in a mean or hostile
and self-image is associated with life happiness
way not because they want to hurt you, but
and satisfaction, personal well-being, and
because they are hurting. Every obnoxious act
marital satisfaction.
is a cry for help.

III. Choosing To Be A Top Performer

Our success in life is determined by the choices
we make. You can't change your past, but your
IV. Causing Others To Want Your Leadership
Management goes beyond leadership.
future is a clean slate and can be shaped by
Management is that special kind of leadership
your choices.
in which the goals of the organization must be
combined with the goals of the individual for the
good of both. Excellent managers of people
cause others to want them to channel energies
About the Book: for the maximum benefit of both.

You won't be an effective leader or manager

unless you gain the willing cooperation of
others. Cooperation is not getting others to do
Author: Zig Ziglar what you want, but getting others to want to do
Publisher: Revell what you want.
Date of Publication: 2005
ISBN: 971-511-891-7 You get true cooperation by being a dynamic,
Number of Pages: 231 pages organized, sensitive, effective, and strong-
willed leader.

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 BusinessSummaries.com

ŸDynamic flexibility in your style of individual. This means not accepting mediocre
leadership to steer your team through good performance, and telling people so. Encourage
and bad times the person but make it clear that you demand and
ŸOrganized careful planning and expect better.
presentation of projects and ideas
ŸSensitive consideration for other Criticism or negative feedback should be:
people's feelings and ideas ŸGiven in private
Ÿ Effective capacity to learn and grow, and ŸBe about specific, observable behavior
look at things from others' perspectives ŸImmediate
Ÿ Strong-willed Being fair but firm, and true ŸForward-looking or problem-solving in
to the vision and mission of the nature, meaning given with a view to doing
organization better
ŸBe two-way, meaning you should be ready to
To cause others to want your leadership, you listen to the other person
must be an expert in people skills. This includes ŸInclude a schedule for a follow-up session
being someone people can look up to, but at ŸInclude praise for the person's abilities
the same time, not look down on others.
Second, you need to bring the team together
and work for a common goal or cause.

Third, face up to your strengths and VI. Expect The Best

weaknesses. Fourth, find and develop the To be an effective individual, leader and manager,
talented individuals in your team. And finally, you need to send the message that you expect the
always have a sense of humor; a positive best from the people you work with. This means
attitude cheers others and can make them doing the following:
work better. Ÿ Give positive feedback
ŸCreate regular learning and growth
opportunities
Ÿ Provide activities and information that prove
V. Look For The Good people's efforts are meaningful, productive
Experts in Top Performance learn to look for the and appreciated
good in each person they manage. One wise ŸGenerate desirable and rewarding
man said that the greatest good we can do for consequences for others. Identify
others is not to share our riches with them but to measurable targets for performance and
reveal theirs to them. corresponding rewards or incentives.

The best managers make finding the good in

others a priority. For good performers, your
praise and positive reinforcement should be
immediate, even made publicly so that others
know it. If you find it hard or awkward at giving VII. Develop A healthy Self-Image
verbal feedback, try using the formula, “I like… You also need to develop a healthy self-image as
because..,” and practice structuring your well as loyalty to yourself. Your self-image will play
compliments this way. Team members are a major role in how high you go in your company,
more willing to work with a boss who is because it plays a major role in your ability to
generous and fair with compliments. develop leaders who will follow you on the ladder
of success.
This also means that in giving criticism, you
must always criticize the performance, not the Loyalty to yourself means looking for the evidence

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that supports why you should believe in you. Dr. Performers also possess a lot of this another
Laura Schlesinger says the best way to feel good quality: courtesy. These people are as
good about yourself is to do things you are proud pleasant to the office clerk and switchboard
of. operator as they are with the president of the
company.
Feeling good about yourself not arrogant but
good means you will be able to develop people There will always be a certain amount of
who will have the same feelings about discussion and conflict about who does what.
themselves. You can also feel good about One of the best opportunities for teaching trust
yourself if you are taking care of yourself
physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Teach yourself how to be more enthusiastic

about life, how to graciously deal with other About the Author/s:
people, and how to encourage others. When A talented author and speaker, Zig
you develop a pleasing personality by being a Ziglar has an appeal that
little friendlier and outgoing, it can be transcends barriers of age, culture
enormously helpful to your socially, and occupation. Since 1970, he
professionally, and for that matter, spiritually. has traveled over five million miles
across the world delivering
powerful life improvement
You can improve your own self-image and that of messages, cultivating the energy
your group by encouraging everybody to of change.
become a student in Automobile University.
He has shared the platform with such distinguished
Guard against time thieves. Make a plan and do Americans as Presidents Ford, Reagan and Bush,
General Norman Schwarzkopf, Secretary of State
what you must to follow through. Avoid idle Colin Powell, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, Paul
chatter, because idle chatter means two people Harvey, Dr. Robert Schuller, plus numerous U.S.
are stealing company time. This improvement congressmen and governors. A well-known
and increase in productivity saves money. authority on complete and balanced success, Zig
Ziglar has been recognized three times in the
Congressional Record of the United States - for his
Finally, get involved in continuing education,
work with youth in the drug war, and for his
seminars, books and tapes. Your thirst for dedication to America and the free enterprise
knowledge and understanding must never system.
cease. You don't need to know everything, or
memorize everything. Just determine that you Zig Ziglar's corporation is built upon the same
will continue to grow and learn as a manager philosophy he expounds to his audiences - hard
work, common sense, fairness, commitment and
and leader, and you will greatly improve your integrity. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Ziglar
self-image. offers public seminars, customized educational
programs, workshops and keynote speakers - all
focused on personal and professional
development. Profoundly affecting the lives of
people, Zig Ziglar has a client list that includes
thousands of small and mid-sized businesses,
VIII. Build Trust And Honesty Fortune 500 Companies, U.S. Government
In managing people, trust and honesty are agencies, churches, schools and non-profit
commodities you can take to the marketplace associations.
and cash in at any time. Top Performers in
management learn to create trust in others by For more information, visit: http://www.ziglar.com
complete honesty in all dealings. Top

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and honesty is in the area of responsibility, or People don't care how much you know until they
doing what needs to be done. Top performers know how much you care…about them.
do what they are supposed to do, and are also
more willing to do the extras.

Build loyalty to the company. Support your X. Three A's For Excellence
organization or go to work for an organization There is a common thread of excellence among
you can support. This also means not talking Top Performers. And it can be summed up in three
about internal problems or negative issues in As: attitude, aggressiveness, and appearance.
your company with someone outside the
organization. The best way is to bring the Attitude means you should see excellence as
problem to a person who has the authority to mindset. You must believe. Aggressiveness
handle the situation. means that the search for excellence is a top-to-
bottom aggressive process. And finally, whether
you like it or not, the business world responds to
appearance, the way you look, dress and carry
yourself.
IX. The Importance of Communication
Communication is important, and
miscommunication, poor communication, or no
communication can create incredible XI. Formula for Top Performance
problems.
Management
To be effective communicators, you should To have a top performance management, keep in
always be clear, crisp and to the point. You can mind the following:
become a more effective communicator by 1. Show hones and sincere appreciation at
becoming aware of what is called the twelve every opportunity make the other person feel
vital skill areas of communication. These areas important.
are 2. Don't criticize, condemn, or complain.
Ÿ appearance 3. Make your cause bigger than your ego.
Ÿ posture 4. Work for progress, not perfection.
Ÿ gestures 5. Be solution-conscious, not problem-
Ÿ eye contact oriented.
Ÿ facial expressions 6. Invest time in the activity that brings the
Ÿ voice highest return on investment according to the
Ÿ padding priority list of responsibilities effort alone
Ÿ involvement doesn't count; results are the reasons for
Ÿ handling of questions activity.
Ÿ humor 7. Fulfilling responsibility is a good reason
Ÿ introducing others for work; discipline is the method.
Ÿ visual aids 8. Recognize and accept your own
weaknesses.
To become more effective in these areas, get 9. Make checklists and constantly refer to
involved in communication training that them.
teaches both sides of the communication 10. Always show the people in your life the
process speaking and listening. humility of gratitude.

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XII. Six Action Steps for Performance- palatable if you “discover” them ourselves.
Oriented Managers People who truly care about others lead
them down the “discovery path.”
Here are some action steps for managers: 5. “What you are speaks so loudly I can't
1. Give regular, specific, and observable hear what you say”. Remember to model the
behavior feedback on performance behavior and attitude you want the other
2. Respect the lines of communication person to have.
and authority. 6. Give assignments that allow you to
3. Make timely decisions express faith and confidence that the other
4. Be accessible. person can successfully perform in the task
5. Encourage creative ideas. assigned.
6. Provide personal support. 7. Always make requests; never give
orders.
8. Develop your ability to use the narrative
story and the meaningful analogy these are
powerful teaching tools.
XIII. The Ten Double-Win Rules That Lead 9. Always be respectful of others. Show
your respect by being on time for meetings
To Top Team Performance or letting others know why you must be late.
When dealing with others keep in mind the 10. Return phone calls, emails, and letters
following: immediately there is no excuse for not doing
1. Remember that a smile is the most so.
powerful social tool we have at our
disposal.
2. Listening is the most neglected skill in
business (or home) today. The person who
listens controls the final outcome of the
discussion. Encourage others to talk, and
then consciously remove any barriers to
your good listening skills.
3. Talk in terms of the other person's
interests. You will find “uniqueness” in
every individual you meet. Others are
interesting when discovered; check out the
other person's point of view.
4. Ask questions you already know the
answer to and you will get to see the other
person's perspective. Most ideas are more

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