Browsing Posts in Leadership
The most successful people powered their achievements with strong motivation and the ability to persist despite previous failures. Motivation is the fire that fuels success. It is also the result of a strong burning desire that directs a person’s actions and thoughts and helps create situations that move towards accomplishing a specific goal.
Motivation must come from within, and not from an outside source. For example, if you decide to go on a diet because your spouse wants you to, that is poor motivation, and you will probably not do well at it. It is only when you truly desire to control your habits and behaviors that you will achieve self-discipline. Motivation brings about true change.
One way to increase motivation is through pressure, or having someone hold you accountable. Tell your friends, co-workers and family about your commitment to change something in your life. They will hold you accountable of whether you are taking the right action to get you to your goal.
Motivation works hand in hand with self-discipline and organization. Lack in these areas can lead to a greater number of failures, which can impact your motivation. One way to alleviate this is to structure your day and organize yourself, so that you are implementing the action plans that will get you to your goal.
As you work towards making a positive change in your life, you will eventually experience failure. The only way to defeat failure is through persistence and perseverance. The most common reason people give up on achieving their goals is because they encountered failure once or twice, and they become afraid to try again. Winston Churchill once said, “Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm.” Before you even begin, you must plan to deal with failure. Be ready to persevere. Vow to never give up, no matter what, no matter how long it takes!
Having self-discipline is powerful to help you accomplish anything you desire. With self-discipline, you can control your emotions, actions, thoughts, words and personal direction. Some people seem to be naturally self-controlled and some seem to have no self-control at all. Others seem to constantly struggle with self-discipline.
Discipline is learning to say “no” to our primitive uncontrolled cravings and selfish destructive desires. We learn to develop this discipline when you can distinguish the difference between what is actually needed and what is really necessary.
It is more difficult today, than in any other time in history, to exert self-discipline because of our ability to get almost anything we want with a push of a button or swipe of a credit card. We are also constantly bombarded with advertising that enhances our cravings for things.
An important step to gaining self-control is to identify the areas where we are out of control. Work on self-denial in the areas you want to change. Deny your self a certain pleasure each day. Then begin to start small with little victories each day, like eating one less snack or watching one less television show.
Developing new routines is a key to self discipline. People who have routines tend to be more disciplined and accomplish more. If you are one of those people who have trouble with routines, try adding just one at a time. Keep it simple. Work on the things that are most important first. Evaluate yourself regularly to see how you are doing. Reward yourself for keeping at it. Once it becomes a habit, it is much easier to maintain.
Of course, routines can be done to excess, so remember to give yourself a little healthy leeway in case the unexpected comes up.
We all know how easy it is to follow what everyone else is doing. It takes a strong person to live the kind of life they want, based on his or her own ideals. This type of person shows strength simply by choosing to remain on a path regardless of counter forces and what everyone else is saying.
The fear of these counter forces keeps most of us away from our natural desire to live the kind of life we choose. This fear causes people to not take action rather than face the possibility of failure.
Although we tend to restrict ourselves, we admire those who have the tenacity to face up to these forces in order to live the way they choose. We also admire the character of those who go the extra step of being a living example of their beliefs.
We offer our highest admiration to those who take action and those who demonstrate character. We recognize that it is not only amazing to have knowledge, but it is incredible to veer from the norm and act in a way as to be a living example of one’s beliefs.
Rather than placing these individuals on a pedestal, we should learn to model our lives after their examples. Thomas Edison is one such example – a person who took massive action and held on to his belief that he can invent the world’s first light bulb, regardless of the criticism and ridicule he encountered.
Edison also made a point to clearly demonstrate his determination through an open door policy with the media. He gave the rest of the world a clear picture of his character character.
Edison and his team showed their persistence and determination often throughout the years, especially with the invention of the light bulb. Edison and his team could have given up after a couple attempts, yet they persevered even after several thousand attempts.
Edison could not be discouraged. He rationalized that since he had only found thousands of ways it could not be done, he could only be closer to the right answer. Edison and his team showed character. Their determination pushed aside the counter forces and their diligence was rewarded after thousands of attempts.
Determination such as this should be ours since it is the very substance that promotes action. This, of course, is easier said than done. Recognizing that action is spurred by determination may be a key to a new way of living.
If we believe in something, then the beliefs of others, particularly those who speak of impossibilities, should be ignored. Since we all are able to rationalize that error and potential failure are part of human nature, we should not be afraid of it. We should look at it, like Edison did, as a stepping stone towards getting to our goals.
We should strive to make character our own. This empowering thought is fuel to drive us to success. We have the power to be the best we can be by acting on our dreams. We can learn what we need along the way.
There are many books, articles and training on the topics related to “What is leadership?” and “How to develop a leader?” In this article, I will focus on two other questions that might be on the minds of people like yourself who are looking to enhance your leadership development.
Why does better leadership make a difference? and
How does better leadership achieve those differences?
Leadership is a highly unique form of human behavior that requires an integration of character, knowledge and experience. So what can you really do when you unlock your human leadership potential? Well, the possibilities are endless, and you can make a significant impact on improving and serving humanity.
Your journey to unleashing your leadership potential begins with a great understanding of self. Discover your personality traits and how they relate to leadership. When we know ourselves, we can maximize our positive traits, and become aware of our weaker areas, which help us to achieve our leadership potential.
Once you understand and know yourself, the next step would be honing your communication skills. Communication is not just limited to public speaking. This includes your writing style and your body language. Your ability to communicate effectively enhances your ability to improve interpersonal relationships. Another important skill is to learning how to learn, or becoming coachable. Examine different teaching methods and learning styles to identify how you and those you may lead learn best. This skill will greatly enhance your ability to make decisions and give clear instructions.
An exceptional leader is one that recognizes the value of harnessing the skills and abilities of team members and leads them towards peak performance.
A leader is not a title, and leadership is not something you are born into. Leadership is something you develop.
This is what Dr. Ken Blanchard, in his book “The Heart of A Leader” had to say about good leaders; “If you want to know why your people are not performing well, step up to the mirror and take a peek.”
The importance of immediate, massive, daily action has been written about many times already but it is so important to emphasize this topic every now and again. The examples in this article come from the world of business but they could also apply to any other area in life.
Marketing is the life blood of any business or organization, but sometimes businessmen will wait until they have written the perfect advertisement or sales message before sending out even one ad. They also spend weeks making sure their website is beautifully designed with all the latest refinements.
Meanwhile, good sales and prospects are passing them by. Their product may even be out of date before they are happy with the advertisements. By the time they have everything perfect and ready to go, they may run out of capital and be forced to close down their business. One of the best lessons I learned was not to worry about creating a perfect website. Just get one up.
Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire Mayor of New York, credits his success to getting going without spending too much time planning:
“We act from day one; others plan how to plan – for months.”
Here’s a motto of an average businessman and marketer by the name of Jack, who one of my mentors told me about. His motto was: “Doin’ it, Doin’it, Doin’it” i.e do something, anything every day towards achieving your marketing goals.”
He kept plugging away each day with his marketing, even when the format of his sales brochures and forms did not look very good. He would not wait for the format to be improved. He believed in ‘Doin’ it’ even if he was not quite ready to do it.
This philosophy and behavior made him a multi millionaire and a leader. Even though what he said was not profound and could at times be downright stupid, his action oriented words and behavior led many to trust him and to follow his suggestions.
He knew that to get a desired outcome, he had to actually DO something to get there.
Jack knew that if his audience would just do something – anything – every day toward their goals, they, too, would get there. He didn’t wait until he had enough money to start his business or until his advertising materials were perfect or until he had a stockpile of products to sell. He started with what he had and did something every day to achieve his goal.
You can’t dream or wish your way into riches, although this can help. You have to actually do something about it. What is worse than a sales ad? No sales ad. Don’t wait until you have a great website or enough money to start your business.
Get going now and do something every day towards achieving your goal. You may still have doubts and fears, but by doing something every day you will make progress and your confidence and power will increase.
Some people want to master a piece of software before they use it. The chances are that they will never use it!
The quickest way to learn how a software tool works is to start using it on a daily basis. We will make mistakes, of course, but we will also make progress in understanding the software.
If possible, find a mentor who can hold your hand while you try something new. However, mentors are not always easily available so trust yourself to have a go on your own and see what happens.
You will probably amaze yourself at what you can achieve on your own especially if you don’t give up at the first signs of trouble.
Preparation, thinking and planning are worth doing, but there comes a time when the most important thing is to actually start taking action even if this means you are running risks. Try it and see what happens.
Start “Doing it!”
Who would forget the ever-famous line of Peter Parker’s grandfather, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Society often expects Spiderman, a comic book, TV, and movie superhero, to be responsible for saving his town, or even the world, in some instances, from evil because he has super powers.
From all the episodes he appeared in, he never let us down. With the power he possesses, he makes sure to be responsible in using it for the good of the people around him.
Leadership is not at all different from being superheroes. Yes, you may not have super powers like Superman and Spiderman, but you have the authority to lead other people towards success. This is so much greater and stronger since it is a power that can be used by real people in this real world.
Hence, being a leader requires great sense of responsibility, the second quality a successful leader should attain.
The power to lead your people towards aiming your vision comes with responsibilities like making sure they are on the right direction, being aware of each and everyone’s tasks and mistakes, and putting them back on the right track when they get lost.
Who said it is easy to be a leader? Well, it is no. It comes with tons of responsibilities. True leaders are willing to accept them all.
There are instances where sometimes it makes us feel better to blame somebody or something else when something goes wrong in a task. However, good leaders should not be doing this.
A leader should take full responsibility of a task – not just before he accepts to take it, but also after it has been accomplished. As much as he is responsible for his team’s success, he should also be responsible for any failure. He represents the whole team so whatever happens to it, he is the one responsible.
Making excuses and blaming something or someone else for failed jobs is not a quality of a good leader. What he should do, instead, is to accept the fact that something went wrong with the organization, even if it is not his fault. It is normal to make mistakes. In fact, mistakes are opportunities to learn something better. As a leader, he must ensure that the team members learn from these mistakes and that these errors will not be repeated next time.
You may not have full control over other people and are not expected to have full control over their actions, but you have full control of your own reactions. Knowing what to do over unexpected and unpredictable situations will make you responsible, hence giving you the feeling of power.
Flexibility is often cited as one of the most important traits of every successful entrepreneur and leader. It is the ability to adapt your behavior to treat others the way they want to be treated. If you want to become more flexible in your way of interacting with others, cultivate the following 5 positive traits.
Confidence – It means having belief in yourself and trusting your own judgement and resourcefulness. Having confidence in specific situations would flow from your ability to meet life’s challenges. A person who exhibits confidence appreciates a sincere compliment, and is able to handle criticism. Confidence is something that gets built up over time, and this stems from your history of both large and small victories and accomplishments. This helps you handle yourself well in any situation. It’s easy to get someone’s attention with confidence. However, it’s hard to be flexible when you’re fearful or easily intimidated.
Tolerance – A person is tolerant when he is open to accepting opinions and practices different from his own, while an intolerant person doesn’t get attention from a diverse audience. Tolerance is developed from an early age, and this is one of the greatest gifts a parent can give to a child. Holding negative attitudes towards certain people prevents flexibility. With tolerance, however, people who may initially disagree will start to listen to one another and open dialogue. This opens up creativity and coming up with solutions to problems.
Empathy – A person with empathy will feel the pain or joy in the other person. Some people may confuse it with sympathy, which means acknowledging the feelings of someone else. Sympathy results in kindness and pity. Empathy, however, is a term for a deeper feeling, where you can put yourself in someone else’s shoes. You can’t feel the pain or joy of another person until you are able to feel the same thing in yourself. Do you acknowledge your own pain? Can you feel your own joy? Real empathy lies in simply finding the same place within yourself that the other person is experiencing. The willingness to be flexible can be easy when you can put yourself in someone else’s shoes.
Being positive – This allows you to maintain a state of positive expectations about people and situations, including a positive state of energy in your thoughts and emotional patterns. The attitudes we hold shape our experience and come from deep within you. This is built on having a positive life philosophy, knowing your strengths, and surrounding yourself with other positive people. This gives you a sense of purpose and can get you through the tough times. Avoid people who tend towards negative traits, as they often drain you. By maintaining positive energy, you will develop the other three traits of empathy, tolerance, and confidence, and people will start being drawn to you.
Respect for others – We’ve all heard the golden rule of “do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.” Treat people the way they want and need to be treated. Having a respect for others is not only a moral imperative, but also necessary for survival. It’s easy to become flexible when you respect others.
In my previous article, I discussed the importance of dreaming big dreams. It gives you the power to overcome fear and procrastination and achieve anything you want. If you have big dreams, how do you make them real? The next step is to set goals, which are the building blocks of your dreams. The way to properly set goals is to use the S.M.A.R.T. formula, which is an acronym that stands for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time certain.
I’ll explain these components in more detail shortly, but first I’d like to discuss the different types of goals you can set for yourself. Bob Proctor talks about the ABC goals. He says that most people choose A level goals, which are those goals you are comfortable with because you’ve achieved them before. For example, if a person has lost 5 pounds, his next goal would be to lose 5 pounds. They’re not the type of goals that will get you to where you want to be. The B level goals are those you have never achieved, but not too far beyond what you’ve done before. Maybe your goal is to lose 15 pounds, but in your previous goal, you lost 10 pounds. These goals will stretch you, but not that much. The C level goals are those that really take your breath away. They’re so big that they frighten you, but are big enough to take you through obstacles and reward you for what you want. These are the types of goals you should aim for if you want to get closer to your dreams.
When creating your C level goals, make sure to follow the S.M.A.R.T. formula as follows:
Specific – It’s not enough to say that your goal is to “make more money” or “lose weight”. You need to be more specific, such as “I want to increase my yearly income by 15%” or “I want to lose 10 pounds”. People struggle with goal setting because they have not been specific enough. If you don’t have a target or something to aim for, you’re going to be all over the place with no focus. When you have clarity of your goals, you stand a much better chance of achieving them.
Measurable – If it’s not measurable, then it’s not a goal. If you’re watching a sporting event and there is no scoreboard, how would you know which team would win? The same holds true with a goal – without something to measure it by, how can you chart your progress and evaluate it? You won’t know if you met it or exceeded it.
Attainable – This is a tricky one because limiting thoughts might start to kick in. Don’t look at a goal from a belief standpoint, but rather from a commitment standpoint. Can you reach the goal based on the commitment you can give to it? For example, if you want to run a marathon, and have never ran a marathon before, can you dedicate the time and effort to train for one? Don’t say to yourself that this is not attainable, but rather can you invest the time to commit?
Realistic – This is another tricky one just like attainable. Does your goal violate certain physical laws? For example, do you want to go from dead broke to earning $100K within one month, if you’ve never done it before or made the necessary preparations? This is probably not realistic, but once you have more experience, it’s probably realistic to say that you can earn $100K in one month.
Time certain – Most people don’t put deadlines on their goals. If you want to lose 50 pounds, when do you want to lose it by? A dream is nothing more without a deadline on it. If you didn’t meet your deadline, don’t get discouraged. Simply extend the deadline, but you must keep taking action and not give up. Don’t ever procrastinate.
You must follow a certain process if you want to set and achieve your goals. When you are going on a road trip, you plan carefully how to get from A to B and follow that process. Goal achieving is similar, and if you follow a certain process, you will get to your goals in an effective manner.
There are five steps in the process of achieving your goals:
1) Reflection and evaluation
2) Dreaming big dreams
3) Create smart goals for your big dreams
4) Implement, take accountability and follow-up
5) Wash, rinse and repeat the 4 previous steps until you get to your goal.
In this article, I will discuss the first step of the process, and continue with the other 4 in follow-up articles. First, take a reality check and evaluate where you are in life at the moment. How are you doing in the different aspects of your life, such as physically, mentally, financially, relationships, leisure, spiritually, and career? Is there a particular area where you feel you are lacking or don’t feel happy? This is a critical first step. If you miss this step, then you can’t go through the goal setting and achieving process to get to where you want.
Once you’ve evaluated an area where you want to make an improvement, identify the past and present limiting factors in your life. These include your limiting thoughts, words and people in your life. An example of a limiting thought can include, “I’m not smart enough to do this.” If you kept thinking these thoughts throughout your life, you probably missed out on a number of opportunities. In other words, these negative thoughts can keep you from pursuing what you really want to do. In essence, thoughts create feelings, which create your behaviors. Your behaviors influence your actions, which produce your results. If you have limiting thoughts, it’s going to keep you doing what you want to do and getting the results you want.
Another limitation can be the people with whom you are associated. They can be your friends, teachers, and family members. They tell you things such as, “You’re crazy! You can’t do that.” Take a close look and see how people may have formed your limiting beliefs. For example, you might have had a school teacher who told you often that you’re not smart enough. Make sure you identify the people who have played a role in limiting your beliefs.
Once you have identified the limiting factors, reprogram yourself for success. Reduce or eliminate the time you spend with limiting people. If you have friends who are always critical of you and don’t encourage you, limit the amount of time you spend with them. This may sound harsh, but if you really want to achieve your goals, you must take action and decide how much time you will spend with them. What’s more important to you? Being liked and accepted by negative people? Or reaching your dreams? The next step is to associate yourself with like minded people. You want to be around people who believe in the impossible and want to go somewhere in their lives. Join organizations with like minded people, such as a business group or a toastmasters club in your local area.
Finally, monitor your thoughts. If you are thinking negative or self-doubt thoughts, eliminate them. Everything comes from thought, which eventually leads to your results. Read books on success, listen to audio programs and attend personal development seminars. I will continue with the rest of the steps in future articles, so stay tuned.
About Me
I'm an Internet Entrepreneur and Small Business Consultant living in Las Vegas, NV. I'm currently working on projects involving affiliate and network marketing, personal branding, and consulting in the Green / Clean Energy sector. I enjoy mentoring people in Attraction Marketing by helping them develop their leadership skills through personal development.
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