Monday Morning Leadership by David Cottrell 8 Mentoring Sessions You Can't Afford to Miss
What's it about?
Monday Morning Leadership (2002) is a practical guide to real-world leadership challenges, offering clear advice and actionable solutions for becoming a more effective leader. Through a series of focused conversations, it delivers direct, no-nonsense guidance on managing people, setting priorities, and leading with integrity.
You’ve probably seen it – or lived it. A team leader buried in work, juggling endless meetings, under pressure to hit targets, stuck in survival mode. The harder folks push, the worse things seem to get. Morale dips, performance stalls, and personal life suffers. It’s not for lack of effort – it’s the absence of direction, clarity, and support.
Any manager can find themselves in this situation, whether they’re newly promoted or a seasoned professional. But there’s a way to break this cycle of stress, frustration, and reduced productivity – a way to regain control.
This isn’t about grand strategy or abstract theory. It’s about the real stuff: hiring the right people, making better use of your time, upholding standards, and coaching your team in ways that actually make a difference. By focusing on what works in the real world, where pressures are constant and the margin for error is slim, you and your team can shift from merely surviving to thriving.
In this lesson, we’ll explore a handful of powerful ideas that you can immediately put into practice with your own team. If you’ve ever felt like you’re working too hard for too little impact, then this lesson is for you.
When a leader feels pulled in every direction, it’s often because they haven’t clearly defined what matters most. That’s what Jeff – a manager at a Fortune 500 company – was experiencing. With fifteen direct reports, two open positions, and a boss demanding constant updates, he was reacting to chaos instead of setting a clear direction. Tasks were getting done, but not done well. The team was busy, but not effective.
In other words, the real issue wasn’t workload – it was a lack of focus.
Leadership begins with clarity. Every team needs to understand their core priorities – that’s the “main thing” they should be focusing on. Without this knowledge, people drift. They fill gaps, fight fires, and chase tasks that feel urgent but don’t actually move the needle. A leader’s job is to define the main thing, and protect the team’s time and energy so that its attention is on what really matters.
In Jeff’s case, he assumed everyone knew what they were supposed to be doing. But his mentor challenged this assumption. If results were slipping and people were overwhelmed, then clarity was missing. If you suspect this is happening in your team, a practical first step is to ask every team member, “What’s the main thing?” If their answers vary, then you haven’t communicated the team’s priorities well enough. Alignment doesn’t happen automatically: it takes intentional, repeated conversations.
The main thing is more than a slogan. It needs to be actionable. In high-functioning teams, it usually comes down to three things: equipping employees with the tools and support they need, delivering value to customers, and achieving results that keep the business healthy. When every task is filtered through these priorities, teams become focused.
Alignment isn’t just downward though – it also goes upward. Jeff was frustrated with his boss for being too focused on data and not supportive enough. But effective leaders don’t wait for someone else to change – they take responsibility. If the relationship with your boss isn’t working, manage it. Ask what they need from you. Share what you need from them. Understand their priorities and explain yours. That’s how trust and support are built.
Clarity, alignment, and ownership: those are the foundations of effective leadership. Without them, even the most capable team will veer off-course. With them, the main thing stays the main thing, and progress becomes possible.
When teams underperform, it’s tempting for managers to blame external factors: workload, pay, or the broader company culture. But more often than not, the real issue lies closer to home. Leadership starts with ownership, and it includes three key responsibilities: hiring strong people, coaching them to improve, and holding everyone to consistent standards. When those responsibilities are neglected, even the best team members will burn out and walk away.
That’s the insight Jeff came to after speaking directly with two high-performing employees who’d recently left his team. They hadn’t quit the company – they’d quit their manager. And what they shared boiled down to this: their needs weren’t being met. They felt overworked, underappreciated, and frustrated by the lack of accountability around them. Poor performers weren’t being addressed, and top performers were being loaded with extra work to compensate.
Leaders create culture through the standards they tolerate. If poor performance goes unchecked, that becomes the minimum acceptable level, quietly lowering the bar for everyone. Instead of rewarding excellence, teams start to normalize mediocrity. Good employees notice. When they realize their efforts are being used to cover for others, their motivation drops. In time, they either disengage or leave.
But there’s a clear way forward. First, assess your team honestly. Identify your superstars – the ones who consistently deliver, go above expectations, and support others. Then look at your middle stars – those with solid potential or past performance who may need direction or reengagement. Finally, recognize your falling stars – the ones doing the bare minimum or dragging everyone else down. If they’re still on the team, their performance is being allowed. That’s a leadership decision.
Next, align recognition, workload, and coaching efforts with those categories. Superstars should be developed and rewarded. Middle stars need clear goals and regular feedback to rise. Falling stars must be coached – and if they don’t improve, they need to be moved on. This isn’t about punishment; it’s about fairness and standards. Keeping low performers means you’re asking your best people to carry extra weight.
Leaders must also escape what’s known as “management land” – the place where surface-level fixes, unclear expectations, and politics replace real leadership. In that space, feedback is vague, truths go unspoken, and decisions are driven by appearances, not outcomes. Getting out of that mindset means reconnecting with the team, listening actively, and acting on what you learn.
The bottom line? Great teams don’t happen by accident. They’re built by leaders who define standards, develop people, and don’t let low performance go unchecked.
One of the most important decisions a leader makes is who to invite onto their team. Hiring isn’t just about filling a gap – it’s about shaping the future performance, culture, and stability of the entire group. Getting it right matters. And getting it wrong can derail everything.
Jeff learned this after a challenging week. He’d just let go of a high-performing team member who’d broken the team’s code of conduct. That decision, while painful, reinforced a core truth: leadership is about making choices that protect long-term integrity, not short-term convenience. With three open roles to fill, Jeff was eager to move quickly. But his mentor challenged him to slow down and hire tough.
Hiring tough means raising the bar – not just for candidates, but for the process. It starts by treating open roles as opportunities, not problems. Every hire shapes your team. So it should be a privilege to earn a place on that team. The temptation to move fast is strong, especially when a vacancy is draining your time and energy. But rushing often leads to poor fits, and poor fits lead to poor performance, disengagement, and more management problems down the line.
The key mindset shift is this: don’t just hire people – hire the right people. The right people bring energy, accountability, and alignment. The wrong people create friction, waste time, and can cause good team members to leave. One bad hire can do more damage than any external competitor.
To avoid that situation, preparation is essential. Leaders need to walk into interviews with clear expectations, prepared questions, and a structured plan. Never improvise. Always know exactly what qualities you’re looking for, and design your questions to uncover them.
Jeff was encouraged to follow the Three Rules of Three: interview at least three qualified candidates for each role, interview each one at least three times, and get feedback from at least three evaluators. This approach widens perspective and reduces bias. It also slows the process down enough to allow better decisions. Emotions can cloud judgment, especially when roles have been unfilled for a while. That’s why it helps to involve others – HR, top performers, or even cross-functional peers. They can spot red flags or strengths you might miss.
The final rule is simple but non-negotiable: never lower your standards. If a candidate doesn’t meet the bar, keep looking. Settling just to fill a seat will cost more in the long run. Time spent hiring tough today leads to fewer headaches tomorrow.
Every leader reaches a point where there just doesn’t seem to be enough time. Too many tasks, too many interruptions, and too many meetings pile up while the most important work gets pushed aside. Jeff faced this same challenge. Even though he was making progress on hiring and team clarity, he felt like his time kept slipping away.
That’s when he learned a critical leadership lesson: your time is your responsibility.
Time management isn’t about finding a magical extra hour in the day. It’s about making better decisions with the hours you already have. Most people can’t work more – they’re already maxed out. But they can work smarter. That means identifying small time drains and fixing them before they pile up.
It starts with clarity. Leaders need to know where their time is going. Tracking your time for just two weeks can reveal where you’re spending energy on low-value tasks or being pulled off-course. From there, decisions become easier. Cut or speed up what doesn’t matter. Invest more in what does.
Three areas typically offer the biggest return: prioritizing, handling interruptions, and managing meetings. In prioritization, the 80/20 rule applies. Most results come from a small percentage of your efforts. Leaders must know which activities deliver the biggest payoff – and protect time for those. That means touching paper or digital tasks only once. Make a decision to either act, file, or discard – then don’t reshuffle.
Planning is another game-changer. Even ten focused minutes of planning beats an hour of distracted effort. Clean desks and organized systems aren’t just nice to have – they reduce wasted energy and mental clutter. Interruptions are another hidden time thief. Track who’s interrupting you and why. Then adjust. Stand during unplanned conversations to keep them brief and ask your team directly what you do that wastes their time – their answers might surprise you.
Meetings are where time either adds value or disappears. The average professional loses over 200 hours a year to unproductive meetings. Fix this by only holding meetings with a clear purpose, starting and ending on time, and covering critical items first. Never reward lateness by repeating content. And don’t fall into the trap of having meetings just because they’re on the calendar.
Leaders must choose: either let time slip away or take ownership of it. Doing less isn’t always an option – so the only real choice is to work smarter. Small changes can create big results. Time won’t stretch, but it will respond to better decisions.
Strong leadership isn’t just about direction, decisions, or discipline. It’s about motivation – the kind that lasts beyond paychecks or performance reviews. Every person in a team shows up each day with an invisible bucket. That bucket holds their energy, drive, and commitment. And it’s the leader’s job to keep it full.
Jeff learned this when he started shifting from management mechanics to meaningful leadership. Hiring the right people and tightening his time management were important steps. But real progress came when he began focusing on how his actions affected the motivation of his team. People don’t just need structure – they need recognition, communication, and a clear sense of purpose.
Every leader has a dipper. When they’re inconsistent, unclear, or dismissive, they take from others’ buckets. That drains trust, confidence, and morale. But when leaders give clear direction, recognize effort, and show care, they fill buckets. A team with full buckets will outperform one running on empty every time.
There are four essential ways leaders can fill motivation buckets.
First, clarify the main thing. People need to know exactly what matters. Without clear priorities, confusion takes over, and motivation leaks away. Jeff had already worked with his team to define its main goals. But reinforcing goals in daily decisions and team conversations is what keeps the buckets full.
Second, give frequent and specific feedback. Annual performance reviews won’t cut it. Feedback needs to be timely, sincere, and tied to what matters to the team member. Vague praise doesn’t help. Specific recognition – given when it counts – makes a real difference.
Third, show that you care. Genuine interest builds connection. Small actions – like sending a thank-you note, making coffee, or asking about a team member’s family – show that people are valued not just for what they do, but for who they are. Leaders who consistently recognize contributions, celebrate progress, and listen well keep buckets full.
Finally, share the team’s score. Everyone wants to be part of a winning team. Keep your team updated on how its members are performing. Celebrate wins together and be honest about setbacks. When people know how their work contributes to the team’s goals, they stay engaged.
The takeaway is simple yet powerful: your team’s performance is a reflection of its members’ motivation, and their motivation is a reflection of your leadership. Fill buckets, reduce dips, and your team will rise to meet each challenge. The more you invest in people’s energy, the more they’ll invest in the work.
The main takeaway of this lesson to Monday Morning Leadership by David Cottrell is that effective leadership starts with clarity, accountability, and ownership. Strong leaders hire with intention, coach consistently, and maintain high standards. Motivation grows when people feel recognized, supported, and aligned with a clear purpose. Time must be managed with focus and discipline. Integrity matters more than convenience. Leaders earn trust through consistent action, not empty gestures. Teams thrive when leaders fill buckets, not drain them. Progress begins when excuses end and responsibility starts.
Monday Morning Leadership (2002) is a practical guide to real-world leadership challenges, offering clear advice and actionable solutions for becoming a more effective leader. Through a series of focused conversations, it delivers direct, no-nonsense guidance on managing people, setting priorities, and leading with integrity.
You’ve probably seen it – or lived it. A team leader buried in work, juggling endless meetings, under pressure to hit targets, stuck in survival mode. The harder folks push, the worse things seem to get. Morale dips, performance stalls, and personal life suffers. It’s not for lack of effort – it’s the absence of direction, clarity, and support.
Any manager can find themselves in this situation, whether they’re newly promoted or a seasoned professional. But there’s a way to break this cycle of stress, frustration, and reduced productivity – a way to regain control.
This isn’t about grand strategy or abstract theory. It’s about the real stuff: hiring the right people, making better use of your time, upholding standards, and coaching your team in ways that actually make a difference. By focusing on what works in the real world, where pressures are constant and the margin for error is slim, you and your team can shift from merely surviving to thriving.
In this lesson, we’ll explore a handful of powerful ideas that you can immediately put into practice with your own team. If you’ve ever felt like you’re working too hard for too little impact, then this lesson is for you.
When a leader feels pulled in every direction, it’s often because they haven’t clearly defined what matters most. That’s what Jeff – a manager at a Fortune 500 company – was experiencing. With fifteen direct reports, two open positions, and a boss demanding constant updates, he was reacting to chaos instead of setting a clear direction. Tasks were getting done, but not done well. The team was busy, but not effective.
In other words, the real issue wasn’t workload – it was a lack of focus.
Leadership begins with clarity. Every team needs to understand their core priorities – that’s the “main thing” they should be focusing on. Without this knowledge, people drift. They fill gaps, fight fires, and chase tasks that feel urgent but don’t actually move the needle. A leader’s job is to define the main thing, and protect the team’s time and energy so that its attention is on what really matters.
In Jeff’s case, he assumed everyone knew what they were supposed to be doing. But his mentor challenged this assumption. If results were slipping and people were overwhelmed, then clarity was missing. If you suspect this is happening in your team, a practical first step is to ask every team member, “What’s the main thing?” If their answers vary, then you haven’t communicated the team’s priorities well enough. Alignment doesn’t happen automatically: it takes intentional, repeated conversations.
The main thing is more than a slogan. It needs to be actionable. In high-functioning teams, it usually comes down to three things: equipping employees with the tools and support they need, delivering value to customers, and achieving results that keep the business healthy. When every task is filtered through these priorities, teams become focused.
Alignment isn’t just downward though – it also goes upward. Jeff was frustrated with his boss for being too focused on data and not supportive enough. But effective leaders don’t wait for someone else to change – they take responsibility. If the relationship with your boss isn’t working, manage it. Ask what they need from you. Share what you need from them. Understand their priorities and explain yours. That’s how trust and support are built.
Clarity, alignment, and ownership: those are the foundations of effective leadership. Without them, even the most capable team will veer off-course. With them, the main thing stays the main thing, and progress becomes possible.
When teams underperform, it’s tempting for managers to blame external factors: workload, pay, or the broader company culture. But more often than not, the real issue lies closer to home. Leadership starts with ownership, and it includes three key responsibilities: hiring strong people, coaching them to improve, and holding everyone to consistent standards. When those responsibilities are neglected, even the best team members will burn out and walk away.
That’s the insight Jeff came to after speaking directly with two high-performing employees who’d recently left his team. They hadn’t quit the company – they’d quit their manager. And what they shared boiled down to this: their needs weren’t being met. They felt overworked, underappreciated, and frustrated by the lack of accountability around them. Poor performers weren’t being addressed, and top performers were being loaded with extra work to compensate.
Leaders create culture through the standards they tolerate. If poor performance goes unchecked, that becomes the minimum acceptable level, quietly lowering the bar for everyone. Instead of rewarding excellence, teams start to normalize mediocrity. Good employees notice. When they realize their efforts are being used to cover for others, their motivation drops. In time, they either disengage or leave.
But there’s a clear way forward. First, assess your team honestly. Identify your superstars – the ones who consistently deliver, go above expectations, and support others. Then look at your middle stars – those with solid potential or past performance who may need direction or reengagement. Finally, recognize your falling stars – the ones doing the bare minimum or dragging everyone else down. If they’re still on the team, their performance is being allowed. That’s a leadership decision.
Next, align recognition, workload, and coaching efforts with those categories. Superstars should be developed and rewarded. Middle stars need clear goals and regular feedback to rise. Falling stars must be coached – and if they don’t improve, they need to be moved on. This isn’t about punishment; it’s about fairness and standards. Keeping low performers means you’re asking your best people to carry extra weight.
Leaders must also escape what’s known as “management land” – the place where surface-level fixes, unclear expectations, and politics replace real leadership. In that space, feedback is vague, truths go unspoken, and decisions are driven by appearances, not outcomes. Getting out of that mindset means reconnecting with the team, listening actively, and acting on what you learn.
The bottom line? Great teams don’t happen by accident. They’re built by leaders who define standards, develop people, and don’t let low performance go unchecked.
One of the most important decisions a leader makes is who to invite onto their team. Hiring isn’t just about filling a gap – it’s about shaping the future performance, culture, and stability of the entire group. Getting it right matters. And getting it wrong can derail everything.
Jeff learned this after a challenging week. He’d just let go of a high-performing team member who’d broken the team’s code of conduct. That decision, while painful, reinforced a core truth: leadership is about making choices that protect long-term integrity, not short-term convenience. With three open roles to fill, Jeff was eager to move quickly. But his mentor challenged him to slow down and hire tough.
Hiring tough means raising the bar – not just for candidates, but for the process. It starts by treating open roles as opportunities, not problems. Every hire shapes your team. So it should be a privilege to earn a place on that team. The temptation to move fast is strong, especially when a vacancy is draining your time and energy. But rushing often leads to poor fits, and poor fits lead to poor performance, disengagement, and more management problems down the line.
The key mindset shift is this: don’t just hire people – hire the right people. The right people bring energy, accountability, and alignment. The wrong people create friction, waste time, and can cause good team members to leave. One bad hire can do more damage than any external competitor.
To avoid that situation, preparation is essential. Leaders need to walk into interviews with clear expectations, prepared questions, and a structured plan. Never improvise. Always know exactly what qualities you’re looking for, and design your questions to uncover them.
Jeff was encouraged to follow the Three Rules of Three: interview at least three qualified candidates for each role, interview each one at least three times, and get feedback from at least three evaluators. This approach widens perspective and reduces bias. It also slows the process down enough to allow better decisions. Emotions can cloud judgment, especially when roles have been unfilled for a while. That’s why it helps to involve others – HR, top performers, or even cross-functional peers. They can spot red flags or strengths you might miss.
The final rule is simple but non-negotiable: never lower your standards. If a candidate doesn’t meet the bar, keep looking. Settling just to fill a seat will cost more in the long run. Time spent hiring tough today leads to fewer headaches tomorrow.
Every leader reaches a point where there just doesn’t seem to be enough time. Too many tasks, too many interruptions, and too many meetings pile up while the most important work gets pushed aside. Jeff faced this same challenge. Even though he was making progress on hiring and team clarity, he felt like his time kept slipping away.
That’s when he learned a critical leadership lesson: your time is your responsibility.
Time management isn’t about finding a magical extra hour in the day. It’s about making better decisions with the hours you already have. Most people can’t work more – they’re already maxed out. But they can work smarter. That means identifying small time drains and fixing them before they pile up.
It starts with clarity. Leaders need to know where their time is going. Tracking your time for just two weeks can reveal where you’re spending energy on low-value tasks or being pulled off-course. From there, decisions become easier. Cut or speed up what doesn’t matter. Invest more in what does.
Three areas typically offer the biggest return: prioritizing, handling interruptions, and managing meetings. In prioritization, the 80/20 rule applies. Most results come from a small percentage of your efforts. Leaders must know which activities deliver the biggest payoff – and protect time for those. That means touching paper or digital tasks only once. Make a decision to either act, file, or discard – then don’t reshuffle.
Planning is another game-changer. Even ten focused minutes of planning beats an hour of distracted effort. Clean desks and organized systems aren’t just nice to have – they reduce wasted energy and mental clutter. Interruptions are another hidden time thief. Track who’s interrupting you and why. Then adjust. Stand during unplanned conversations to keep them brief and ask your team directly what you do that wastes their time – their answers might surprise you.
Meetings are where time either adds value or disappears. The average professional loses over 200 hours a year to unproductive meetings. Fix this by only holding meetings with a clear purpose, starting and ending on time, and covering critical items first. Never reward lateness by repeating content. And don’t fall into the trap of having meetings just because they’re on the calendar.
Leaders must choose: either let time slip away or take ownership of it. Doing less isn’t always an option – so the only real choice is to work smarter. Small changes can create big results. Time won’t stretch, but it will respond to better decisions.
Strong leadership isn’t just about direction, decisions, or discipline. It’s about motivation – the kind that lasts beyond paychecks or performance reviews. Every person in a team shows up each day with an invisible bucket. That bucket holds their energy, drive, and commitment. And it’s the leader’s job to keep it full.
Jeff learned this when he started shifting from management mechanics to meaningful leadership. Hiring the right people and tightening his time management were important steps. But real progress came when he began focusing on how his actions affected the motivation of his team. People don’t just need structure – they need recognition, communication, and a clear sense of purpose.
Every leader has a dipper. When they’re inconsistent, unclear, or dismissive, they take from others’ buckets. That drains trust, confidence, and morale. But when leaders give clear direction, recognize effort, and show care, they fill buckets. A team with full buckets will outperform one running on empty every time.
There are four essential ways leaders can fill motivation buckets.
First, clarify the main thing. People need to know exactly what matters. Without clear priorities, confusion takes over, and motivation leaks away. Jeff had already worked with his team to define its main goals. But reinforcing goals in daily decisions and team conversations is what keeps the buckets full.
Second, give frequent and specific feedback. Annual performance reviews won’t cut it. Feedback needs to be timely, sincere, and tied to what matters to the team member. Vague praise doesn’t help. Specific recognition – given when it counts – makes a real difference.
Third, show that you care. Genuine interest builds connection. Small actions – like sending a thank-you note, making coffee, or asking about a team member’s family – show that people are valued not just for what they do, but for who they are. Leaders who consistently recognize contributions, celebrate progress, and listen well keep buckets full.
Finally, share the team’s score. Everyone wants to be part of a winning team. Keep your team updated on how its members are performing. Celebrate wins together and be honest about setbacks. When people know how their work contributes to the team’s goals, they stay engaged.
The takeaway is simple yet powerful: your team’s performance is a reflection of its members’ motivation, and their motivation is a reflection of your leadership. Fill buckets, reduce dips, and your team will rise to meet each challenge. The more you invest in people’s energy, the more they’ll invest in the work.
The main takeaway of this lesson to Monday Morning Leadership by David Cottrell is that effective leadership starts with clarity, accountability, and ownership. Strong leaders hire with intention, coach consistently, and maintain high standards. Motivation grows when people feel recognized, supported, and aligned with a clear purpose. Time must be managed with focus and discipline. Integrity matters more than convenience. Leaders earn trust through consistent action, not empty gestures. Teams thrive when leaders fill buckets, not drain them. Progress begins when excuses end and responsibility starts.
Comments
Post a Comment