If you're familiar with the “head slap” made famous by NCIS character Leroy Jethro Gibbs, you know that this non-injurious action is usually meant as a reminder when a team member violates one of the Gibbs rules. Gibbs's rules originated from his first wife, Shannon Gibbs when she told him at their first meeting that “Everyone needs a code they can live by.”

I have my own rules as well. I call them the Tabaka No-Fail Rules for Leadership Excellence. The Rules are born out of my personal and professional growth experiences and that of my clients. So much of the angst (and failure) that leaders experience is due to poor choices and a lack of clarity around values and vision. Much of their loss and regret could be prevented if business owners would carve out the time to identify their values, vision, and company culture.

So here, my friends, are my Rules. Live and lead by them, and the successful, influential trailblazer in you will take you far in life and business.

1. Take responsibility; never, ever place blame elsewhere.
2. If you want to control your future, let go of the control.
3. Learn to be a strong communicator. No, this does not mean sending a lot of text messages.
4. Listen, don't judge.
5. Don't make excuses; when it comes to being a respectable leader, there are none.
6. Never forget that your team, not your product, not your bank account, is your number-one asset.
7. Give your team the tools and freedom to be extraordinary. There is no better investment.
8. If you promise to do something, do it–and do it well.
9. Let your ego know that it's really smart to surround yourself with people who know more than you do.
10. To work with a coach or mentor is a sign of a successful mindset, not a weakness.
11. Consciously build an intentional culture and powerful company culture. Otherwise, it will build itself…and you will not like the results!
12. If you consistently work through the night, you're doing something wrong.
13. Employee meetings are not a disruption, waste of time, or inconvenience. If you feel that way, it only means you don’t know how to run them.
14. Never enter into a 50-50 partnership.
15. Do not launch a product without doing market research that goes well beyond family and friends.
16. Before you even think about stepping into a leadership role, define and understand your values. Otherwise, you have no road map to lead yourself or others to success.
17. You are only as successful as you believe you are. Mindset is everything.
18. Don't think your idea is excellent because you believe in it and have worked hard for it. It's only great if your customers believe in it too.
19. Honesty is a code to live by; choose your words carefully.
20. If you think it's time to quit, it probably is.
21. Make friends with your numbers, even if you don't like them very much.
22. Don't jump into a partnership because you're excited. Partner because you have a great idea, the combined skills to make it happen, and a viable plan in place. Then see a business lawyer.
23. Always stay in check on social media. Yes, even on your personal accounts.
24. Don't take advice from people who haven't been there, done it, and succeeded.
25. Only borrow money from friends and family who are willing to lose every penny of it and not hold it against you.
26. Build your personal brand even if you think you don't matter to your customers–because you do.
27. Don't wear your overwhelming schedule as a badge of honor. Be proud when you can get everything done and have plenty of time to enjoy life.
28. It's only a failure if you beat yourself up for it instead of learning from it.
29. You have to believe in yourself before anyone else will.
30. It's alright to have self-doubt. It's not alright to let it consume you.
31. Experiencing fear is natural and normal. Allowing it to keep you from your dreams is just sad.
32. Don't make the mistake of believing you can be a full-time parent and achieve your business success on the timeline of a single person.
33. Stop saying there's never enough time; there is if you stop doing the things that a real entrepreneur doesn't do.
34. Know your strengths, and don't dwell on your weaknesses. Just hire someone to fill in the gaps.
35. If you believe you can't afford to do something to the betterment of your business, then you can't—and never will.
36. When stress is getting the best of you, focus on helping someone else.
37. The customer may always be right, but they are not your ideal customer if they cost you more than they pay you.
38. There is nothing in the world worth missing your kid's birthday for.
39. Only make friends with your employees if you can put on the boss hat and not feel guilty or uncomfortable in it.
40. If you can't trust your employees, it's for one of two reasons: You are too controlling or don't know how to hire right.
41. Ask interview questions that will tell you if your candidate is a good culture fit. Most skills can be taught. Personality, not so much.
42. Take care of you first and you'll have the energy and clear-headedness to take good care of your company.
43. Meditation isn't just for hippies anymore.
44. Never forget the healing power of laughter.
45. If you hold on to poor performers, you are the one who needs improvement.
46. Don't exhaust yourself grabbing at nickels and dimes. Know where the real profit comes from.
47. Always give back.
48. If you're in it just for the money, you'll never know true success.
49. Without a vision, you can't get there. But remember, your vision matures as you do.
50. Angel investors aren't really angels.
51. Don't shut off your emotions. They aren't in the way; they are there to help pave the way.

The post 51 Rules for Leadership Excellence appeared first on Marla Tabaka.

“But Marla,” you might say, “Isn't it a bit self-centered and a waste of time to celebrate the small stuff? Anyone can do these things.”

Nope, none of that is true.

If you work hard, never pausing to acknowledge the completion of your goals and other small wins, you are missing out on an opportunity to increase your productivity, mood, and energy levels. Let me make my point:

Which of these two entrepreneurs is more likely to succeed?

1. The entrepreneur who takes time out of the day to reflect, appreciate, and share his or her achievements.
2. The entrepreneur who dismisses small wins because, after all, the little stuff completes only a portion piece of the big picture–there's so much more to do.

You guessed it: number one, the latter will burnout. Entrepreneurs who don't celebrate themselves and their achievements tend to get depressed and negativity becomes omnipresent. Productive actions are overridden by meaningless time-suckers as they lose focus. Acknowledgment of your achievements helps to keep the focus and momentum. And, it will help you to feel good about yourself.

High-performance entrepreneurs don’t wait for milestone achievements to celebrate.

Think about the parent whose young child takes his first steps. Does the parent hold off on joyfully acknowledging him until he has walked his first mile? No, because one small step is a milestone. The family claps, laughs, encourages him, and tells everyone the exciting news. This reinforces the child's commitment to walking and lets him know that he's achieved something notable. It inspires and motivates him to do it again, even though it's likely that he's going to fall down quite a bit.

The acknowledgment of small accomplishments motivates and inspires us, and it also relieves stress. As big breakthroughs happen, they merit a celebration that is commensurate to their significance, but how often do these breakthroughs come along? It takes many small wins to add up to a milestone. If you neglect to acknowledge your productivity at all levels it may have a negative impact on your energy, attitude, and productivity, therefore your business.

Celebration and acknowledgment change your physiology.

Try this experiment:

Spend ten seconds thinking about all of the hard work you have to do. Feel the pressure mounting. Now notice your posture, is it strong and upright or slumped? Take note of how your body feels. Do you feel stressed out? How productive can you possibly be under these conditions?

Now, spend ten seconds mentally reviewing the things that you achieved over the past week, or month. Mindfully highlight the tasks that are off your plate and acknowledge how good it feels now that they're done. Give yourself a pat on the back. Now how do you feel? You're more likely to charge into your next steps with a good attitude and higher energy.

When we focus on the good stuff it sparks the reward circuitry of our brains. This causes a chain reaction as the brain releases chemicals that stimulate feelings of pride, excitement, and happiness. It makes us want to dig deeper into our next achievement.

Celebrations come in all shapes and sizes.

You complete a small project and it feels nice to finally have it done, but there's another project that needs your attention. Who has time to celebrate?

A celebration of achievement doesn't necessarily mean a party or treating yourself to a day off. Here are a few ways to acknowledge and appreciate your amazingness.

How to celebrate your small wins and productivity.

• At the end of your day spend five to ten minutes reviewing everything you've completed from your list. Most likely, many of the things you've done weren't even on your list so add them and flag them as complete. A visual of your accomplishments is very rewarding and will lend to a greater appreciation of your achievements.
• Tell someone who understands the significance of small steps. Positive auditory feedback, along with a few verbal pats on the back, gives us a mini rush that helps buoy our motivation, therefore increasing productivity.
• Let your mind wander to future images of your success. Painting this uplifting image will help your subconscious mind communicate your desires to the brain. This is important since a well-informed brain opens your eyes to opportunities and ideas that help get you what you want.
• Acknowledge your wins by doing something a little different. I have a theory that we all need to put a little vacation in each and every day. This stimulates the brain's reward center, helps us to celebrate our freedom as an entrepreneur, and energizes us.
• Express gratitude for your achievements. Gratitude has a strong impact on your mind and body.
• Thank those who contributed to your wins and spend a bit of time to think about the skills, commitment, and endurance it takes to achieve your goals.

You really do rock, ya know? Now, close your eyes, put a smile on your face, and count your blessings!

The post Productivity Increases When Entrepreneurs Celebrate Small Wins appeared first on Marla Tabaka.