The 11 R’s: A Leadership Operating System That Actually Works

By Arnie Strebe | Arnie’s Corner

If you’ve been in leadership long enough, you’ve heard the buzzwords:

“alignment,” “synergy,” “execution,” “disruption.”

Some stick. Most fade. Few actually help you lead real people toward real results.

Over decades—from coaching athletics to sitting in the C-suite—I've built and battle-tested a framework I call:

🧭 The 11 R’s

My personal Leadership Standard Operating Procedures. Not theory. Not fluff. These are earned lessons—built on failure, refined by progress, and sharpened by real-world results.

When used together, they create a rhythm. A system. A compass.

This is your overview. We'll dive deep into each “R” in future blogs. But today? Let’s lay the track.

🔹 R1: Results — The Non-Negotiable

If you’re not producing results, you’re not leading.

• Cast vision.

• Set clear goals.

• Execute relentlessly.

• Measure what matters.

• Adjust when needed.

Results don’t just build performance. They build trust.

🔹 R2: Reality — Lead with the Lights On

You can’t improve what you refuse to see.

• Assess your current situation honestly.

• Seek truth, not comfort.

• Kill the illusion before it kills your momentum.

Great leaders deal in clarity, not delusion.

🔹 R3: Resources — Max Out What You’ve Got

Stop saying “we just need more.”

• Audit what’s already in your hands: talent, time, relationships, tools.

• Reallocate before you escalate.

Leadership is stewardship—of attention, not just assets.

🔹 R4: Rules — Know Them. Break Them (Sometimes).

Every org has two sets of rules:✔ Written (policies, SOPs)✔ Unwritten (culture, politics, power)

Great leaders read both. Brave leaders rewrite what’s outdated.

Respect the game. But don’t be afraid to change it.

🔹 R5: Roles & Responsibilities — Chaos Hates Clarity

If everyone owns it, then no one does.

• Define who does what—and why.

• Reinforce ownership.

• Eliminate overlap and ambiguity.

Accountability isn’t harsh. It’s liberating.

🔹 R6: Respectful Relationships — Trust Is the Real Currency

People don’t follow titles.They follow trust.

• Listen actively.

• Give feedback with care and courage.

• Set boundaries with kindness.

Great relationships aren’t a luxury—they’re leadership infrastructure.

🔹 R7: Risk-Taking — Courage on a Clock

No growth without risk. No leadership without discomfort.

• Take action before you're “ready.”

• Know the difference between smart risk and reckless leap.

• Model boldness with brains.

Fortune favors the strategically brave.

🔹 R8: Relentless Resolve — Grind Is the Secret Sauce

This isn’t about hustle culture. It’s about staying in it when it’s hard, boring, or unclear.

• Show up, even when you don't want to.

• Get comfortable with discomfort.

• Outlast the easy quitters.

Grit wins. Flash fades.

🔹 R9: Recovery — Burnout Helps No One

You’re not a machine. You’re a system that needs fuel, rest, and renewal.

• Sleep. Reflect. Move. Breathe.

• Protect white space in your calendar.

• Don’t just pause. Recover with purpose.

Leaders who last lead longer and better.

🔹 R10: Recognition — Fuel Your People or Lose Them

Want discretionary effort? Say thank you. Mean it.

• Make it specific, timely, public.

• Recognize effort and outcomes.

• Build a culture where praise isn’t scarce.

The cheapest high-performance tool? Recognition.

🔹 R11: Reflective Thinking — Make Space to Think

Busy leaders react. Effective leaders reflect.

• What worked?

• What didn’t?

• What surprised you?

• What did you learn?

Your best decisions are waiting on the other side of a quiet moment.

🧱 The System in Motion

These aren’t boxes to check. They’re muscles to train.

Some days you’ll lean on Risk. Others, on Recovery. Most days, on Results and Resolve.

But together? The 11 R’s help you build a system of repeatable, human-centered, performance-driving leadership.

🎯 So, What Now?

You don’t need to master all 11 R’s overnight. But here’s your starting line:

👉 Ask yourself:

Which “R” am I strong in? Which one am I avoiding? Where can I apply just one R this week—on purpose?

Over the next 11 posts, I’ll break each of these down:

• Real stories.

• Tangible tools.

• Questions to sharpen your game.

• Challenges to push you further.

Because leadership isn’t about being perfect. It’s about moving from Zero to Something—every day.

Let’s go.

— Arnie