Leadership Lessons from the Cherokee Nation

"If you want to be successful, it is this simple. Know what you are doing, love what you are doing. And believe in what you are doing." -- Will RogersWhen Chad Smith became Principal Chief, the Cherokee Nation was a chaotic and dysfunctional entity. By the end of his tenure, 12 years later, the Nation had grown its assets from $150 million to $1.2 billion, increased business profits 2,000 percent, created 6,000 jobs, and dramatically advanced its education, language, and cultural...
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"If you want to be successful, it is this simple. Know what you are doing, love what you are doing. And believe in what you are doing." -- Will RogersWhen Chad Smith became Principal Chief, the Cherokee Nation was a chaotic and dysfunctional entity. By the end of his tenure, 12 years later, the Nation had grown its assets from $150 million to $1.2 billion, increased business profits 2,000 percent, created 6,000 jobs, and dramatically advanced its education, language, and cultural preservation programs.How could one team influence such vast positive change?The Cherokee Nation's dramatic transformation was the result of Smith's principle-based leadership approach and his unique "Point A to Point B model"--the simple but profound idea that the more you focus on the final goal, the more you will accomplish . . . and the more you will learn along the way. In other words, "look at the end rather than getting caught up in tanglefoot."In Leadership Lessons from the Cherokee Nation, Smi