David McCullough, biographer of John Adams, Teddy Roosevelt and Harry Truman was asked recently about the qualities that made these presidents along with George Washington and Abraham Lincoln truly great. He listed four:

I once worked for a boss who, following a discussion about whether or not someone had the skill to do the job or the ability to learn it quickly, would ask the questions "Does she have a fire in the belly to do the job and how does she demonstrate it?" He was sending a message - people will tell you they want the job but their actions don't follow their words. "Show me, don't tell me", was his mantra.

One of my favorite Monty Python skits is "What have the Romans ever done for us?" Watch it here.

If your company's Vision isn't shared by all you won't have everyone engaged in making it a reality. It's only a vision if everyone sees the light. In other words it's shared by all.

In other words, are you "sticking together"? I learned the power of being cohesive during a recent 100 mile cycling event ... the Sub5 Century Ride click to benefit the Paul Ruby Foundation for Parkinson's Research click. Cyclists competed in teams of 16 riders, working together as a group to ride 100 miles in under 5 hours. For you non-cycling enthusiasts, it is much easier to ride faster and farther as a group than as an individual.