It's every businessperson's nightmare: his or her company is failing, dysfunctional, stuck in neutral, and/or is disappointing overall, from the finances to the customer feedback.

Put bluntly—but candidly—the company sucks.

That's the bad news. The good news is that it doesn't have to be that way.

Every business can rebound from its lows, regain its momentum, thrill its customers, and be the source of pride and profits its owners and shareholders seek. This U-turn must begin with you, the owner or senior manager, declaring war on yourself. You must face the fact that the malaise the business suffers from is ultimately your responsibility and your doing, and even more important,that it will not be rectified unless you take the lead. Face the hard truth. Take the difficult actions. Demonstrate determination, creativity and resolve.