Great Leaders Must Be Time Managers

I was brought up often being reminded of the adage, "Both the rich man and the poor man each have twenty four hours in their day. The difference between them is often how they use that time." One of the challenges of leadership is always managing time, or at least finding a way to manage one's time to get those things that need to be done, done in an effective manner. Charles Bruxton wrote, "Thought will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it." In my over three decades of working closely with many hundreds of leaders, I witnessed the equivalent of years, perhaps decades of time squandered by these individuals. Because of these observations, I dedicate an entire unit of my leadership training programs to time management (and exactly what it means, and what to do to handle it better).

1. Not enough leaders put their plans down in writing (or in the equivalent digital form). Many seem to have the attitude that to do so is a waste of their precious time, and they often feel pressed for time already. I could not disagree more! The planning stage for a new leader is perhaps the most crucial. By clearly identifying one's agenda, he can then formulate a plan, that includes prioritizing, delegating, time lines, goals, backup or contingency plans, and then clearly articulating and communicating those ideas in a transparent, motivating matter. The time management process and planning is to effective and meaningful leadership, what a properly formulated and utilized budget is to an organization's fiscal well- being.

2. How does one make time? By using the planning process to eliminate unnecessary redundancies, and creating priorities, visions, and goals for one's tenure in office. A leader must look at his organization as a whole, analyzing both its strength and weaknesses, and come up with a plan to build on the strengths, while minimizing and reducing the weaknesses. I have observed many begin their term as a leader in a gung- ho, positive, energetic matter, only to eventually become burned out, often predominantly because he has not used his time in an efficient and effective matter. Effective leaders realize they cannot do everything themselves, and must depend on others, but they must be careful to only delegate things to individuals they can count on to get the needed work done (otherwise the delegating ends up being counter- productive and a time waster). The first thing a wise leader does after his initial review of the needs of the organization, is to create a list of priorities, and emphasize top priorities himself.

3. A leader must also know his personal strengths and weaknesses, and put his most concerted personal effort and time into areas where he can do the most good. Simultaneously, he must formulate an inner circle of trusted and capable advisers and assistants that have their own areas of expertise. By doing this, a leader can balance his time most efficiently.

Time can either be a leader's friend or enemy. The greatest and most effective leaders invariably are those that manage and balance time the most effectively, and use it as their friend.

Richard Brody,with over 30 years consultative sales,marketing,training,managerial, and operations experience,has trained sales and marketing people in numerous industries, given hundreds of seminars, appeared as a company spokesperson on over 200 radio and television programs, and regularly blogs on real estate, politics, economics, management, leadership, negotiations, conferences and conventions, etc. He has negotiated, arranged and/ or organized hundreds of conferences and conventions. He's a Senior Consultant with RGB Consultation Services, an Ecobroker, a Licensed Buyers Agent (LBA) and Licensed Salesperson in NYS, in real estate.
Richard has owned businesses, been a Chief Operating Officer, a Chief Executive Officer, and a Director of Development, as well as a consultant. He has a Consulting Website ( http://tinyurl.com/rgbcons ), and his company PLAN2LEAD, LLC's site ( http://www.plan2lead.net/ ), and can be followed on Twitter


Original article

Powerful Leadership - 5 Crucial Skills Required to Become a Great Leader!

Powerful leadership requires a commitment to developing key personal skills and abilities. Great leaders must have a driving desire to make things happen. If you want to be the head and not the tail, then you must fine tune key leadership skills in order to become effective so that others will want to follow.

Some people are born with natural talents that lend themselves to becoming a great leader. But despite the fact that you may have been born with some of these talents, it still takes continual enthusiasm, drive, and experience for true development as a leader to occur.

5 Crucial Skills Needed to Become a Great Leader

1. Vision

Leaders need to know the vision of their group or organization. They must have a clear sense of purpose. Knowing the organization's goals and objectives, how the organization works, and being able to communicate the vision to others, helps put everyone on the same page.

Leaders need to help others catch a personal vision of the big picture, so that everyone is moving in the same direction on the road to success.

2. Encouragement

Leadership is not about using harassment or fear as a driving force to get others to take action. Great leaders encourage others to accomplish the goals of the group. Encouragement is contagious and it benefits everyone when it is flowing freely.

3. Trust

Trustworthiness is vital to great leadership. Your followers must have trust and confidence in you. And if they do, they will go to great lengths for you and the group.

Strong relationships, trustworthiness, and high ethics build trust and confidence. Leaders that deal with people in a positive way, lay a foundation of strength for the group. Stronger relationships equal a stronger measure of trust and confidence in the capabilities of the leader.

4. Communication

Communication is crucial skill of a leader. You must be able to clearly communicate the goals and objectives that you are all about to undertake as an organization. A leader's vision and plan must be clearly communicated to others in order to keep everyone on the same page.

5. Judgment

Great leaders have great judgment. If you want to grow as a leader, you must continue to improve and develop your judgment and decision making skills.

Leaders need to make wise decisions in a variety of situations. Your followers will come to rely on your judgment. Good, wise decision making is crucial to the success of a leader and the organization.

Keep in mind: In life we all eventually find ourselves in a leadership role, in some shape or form, big or small. And the Lord wants to see His children become strong leaders and He gives them instructions and tells them how they can be.

"And the LORD shall make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath; if that you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God to observe and to do them." -- Deuteronomy 28:13

Conclusion: Leaders lead. Leaders have followers and you're not much of a leader if no one is following. Being a great leader is about constantly growing, developing, and setting an example, because you are a reflection of what your followers must be. Develop these five crucial skills and demonstrate powerful leadership.

May you develop your skills to grow into a powerful, effective leader and experience much growing prosperity!

And now, get a Free life changing "How to Attract Prosperity" download. Plus enjoy Christian and Self-Improvement Resources along with Motivational Videos and a Meditation Podcast.

Check this out: http://www.growingprosperity.com/.

B.K. Smith seeks to provide resources to help you prosper in all areas of life - including your spirit, soul, body, finances, and relationships.


Original article

4 Warning Signs That You Are Losing The Plot As A Leader Or Manager

Achieving long term success as a leader or manager is not as easy as it looks. While most can achieve short term results, the truly exceptional leaders and managers can do it consistently. That's not to say they never get anything wrong but, when they do, they put the learning to good use and get even better.

It is easy to fall into the trap of believing that everything is going really well. At the same time, there are probably some early warning signs that you could be losing the plot.

Warning Sign 1: You Are Losing A Lot Of Good People

Employees are the life blood of most businesses and the reality is it is your people assets, rather than the plant and machinery, that really make the difference. Good people who deliver great results will always be in demand, irrelevant of the market or economic conditions. If you start to see a spike in the number of people leaving, particularly your best people, waken up and find out the underlying reasons.

Warning 2: People Are Not Engaged

More and more organisations seem to be finding it a bigger challenge to get the level of employee engagement to the level they would like. Yet it is often simple things like seeking out ideas, listening to employees and taking action on the ideas that they are putting forward that make a huge difference to the levels of engagement. If people are not engaging, step back and consider whether it is down to the way you and the senior team are interacting, or not interacting, with employees.

Warning 3: Turf Wars Are Developing

When the chips are down, people will often go to extreme lengths to protect their position or the interests of their function or team. When this happens, it is easy for people to start to put the interests of the organisation a lot further down the pecking order than their own, or their functions', interests. When these battles start to emerge it is rarely good news for the organisation as a whole.

Warning 4: Customers Are Voting With Their Feet

Customer or client retention is hugely important in these tougher times. If you are noticing that you are losing a lot of clients or that complaints are increasing, it can be a sign that all is not well. The key is to discover what the underlying problems are and tackle them as quickly as you can.

The Bottom Line: There are a whole range of indicators that things are not going as well as they could. Being alert to them is key to adapting and continuing to be successful as a leader and manager.

To become an even better leader I invite you to sign up for my free audio e-course Leadership Success at http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk/leaders-main.html

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements works with accountants, health professionals, teams and organisations to develop their management and leadership capability. With 25 years business experience in a range of sectors, he understands first hand the real challenges of managing and leading in the demanding business world.
http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk/leaders-main.html


Original article

Why Smart Executives Make Dumb Decisions

When I help senior leaders with their strategy creation efforts, I'll review past strategies and then the results, financial and otherwise, that those strategies produced. I'm frequently amazed when I see that smart, capable executives have developed and implemented strategies that should have been obvious losers from the get-go. Here's an example: Company A, a financial services powerhouse, acquired a mutual fund company - a business that they had not been in previously. The deal team and CEO together believed that mutual funds would round-out their product portfolio, enabling them to cross-sell, improve customer retention and, as a result, increase revenue and drive down acquisition costs. While I'm grossly oversimplifying this example, on the surface, it made sense.

Here's what didn't make sense: Post-acquisition, the inquisition began. The acquiring company began summarily firing executives from the acquired company, believing that because they (the acquiring company) were bigger and more profitable, they could and would run the acquired company better than the executives they inherited were running it. Keep in mind that the acquiring company had no experience in the mutual fund business. A couple of years later, they folded their tent in the business because they ran the acquired business into the ground. How did this happen? How did really smart and capable people conclude that this course of action would work?

Read on!

The emerging fields of behavioral finance and economics help explain why smart people make dumb decisions. These two disciplines use social, cognitive and emotional factors to understand the economic decisions of individuals and institutions performing economic functions, including consumers, borrowers and investors, and their effects on market prices, returns, and resource allocation. They integrate the insights of psychology, economics and finance. In turn, these disciplines have spawned an even newer field - behavioral strategy - which helps decision-makers anticipate and either avoid or ameliorate the impact of their own inclinations or impulses when making strategic decisions. Traditional economists disdain and/or dismiss the emerging fields of Behavioral Economics and Finance because in their world, the economy operates without the messiness of human interaction.

In reality, we all make decisions based upon fancy as much as fact. Whether in business or government, leaders frequently succumb to the following:

Hubris. We're the best. We're the smartest. We're the Masters of the Universe, but, of course, we're humble. For some reason, smart and capable executives often believe that they are infallible. The truth: We all achieve success because of our strengths and in spite of our weaknesses.

Excessive optimism. I do believe that optimism is good. There is a difference between optimism and Pollyannaism, however. (I once had a CFO working for me that I called "Dr. No." One time during a meeting break, No pulled me aside and asked, "You wanna know how I got so pessimistic... by financing optimists!"). I have sat through many meetings with executive teams that started with a rational debate of issues and concluded with "group think." Somehow, legitimate challenges often get underestimated because executives want to take a specific action or complement of actions to achieve a pre-determined end.

Confirmation bias. That's the screening out of data that doesn't support a predetermined conclusion. Recently, I observed an executive team meeting conducted to assess the wisdom of entering a new market. During the PowerPoint presentation by the Division President to the CEO, CFO and General Counsel, I noticed that several relevant and potentially game-changing points that should have been included were not. When I asked the Division President after the meeting why that was the case, he responded: "Our CEO really wants to do this. I didn't want him to confuse my countervailing argument with resistance to the initiative."

I see this kind of behavior frequently among executives and companies of every size in every industry.

Availability of data. That's a reliance on information that's easily accessible to make a decision. The relentless pursuit of the truth frequently requires deep digging for data and thorough analysis. Hard, but necessary.

Overconfidence. While "excessive optimism" may explain front-end blunders in decision-making, overconfidence explains why many executives assume that they can overcome negative circumstances by (pick one or more): Our people are great - they can do it; the current prevailing economic winds will not continue to blow and if they do, we can handle them; the aggressive, predatory competitive environment will certainly abate but if not, we've successfully dealt with it before, etc.

Confusing intuition, beliefs, feelings and facts. 2 + 2 = 4; everything else is subjective. We all impose our perspectives, informed by our experiences, on any situation. The BEST executives are able and inclined to differentiate among facts, intuition, beliefs and feelings when making decisions. I'm not implying that only facts matter; I am implying that facts are facts and those other things are not facts.

Faulty or short memories. The best among us learn from experience. It's called wisdom. As I've said many times, while wisdom is developed from experience, it is not the automatic by-product of experience. Here's the formula: Wisdom = experience x reflection x relentless honesty x accountability (accepting consequences with no blame, no finger-pointing, no excuses, no whining, no escape-hatch) x behavioral change. Each of these elements is necessary, but alone, each is insufficient; it takes them all.

Deference to "experts." A lot of executives who retain strategy consultants defer to the recommendations of said consultants without significant challenge. Many consultants play to the preconceptions of executives, intentionally or not. Frequently, the result is not pretty!

Under-appreciation of the power of their voices. An executive's voice carries heft. When a CEO asks a question and implies a right answer, he shouldn't be surprised when he gets answers that comport with his own opinion. A "nudge" from a CEO during a meeting often results in a lack of challenge, an absence of debate, and a preponderance of "group think" that mirrors the CEO's own thinking.

When executives review this list of decision flaws, most recognize each as an affliction that affects other people, but certainly not them. Maybe the biggest decision-making flaw plaguing executives is this one: The failure to acknowledge their own decision-making fallibility and making sure that they create cultures of aggressive inquiry. "Smart" does not mean "insightful." "Smart" does not automatically imply the inclination to confront and challenge. "Smart" may be necessary, but it's insufficient.

Copyright 2011 Rand Golletz. All rights reserved.

Rand Golletz is the managing partner of Rand Golletz Performance Systems, a leadership development, executive coaching and consulting firm that works with senior corporate leaders and business owners on a wide range of issues, including interpersonal effectiveness, brand-building, sales management, strategy creation and implementation. For more information and to sign up for Rand's free newsletter, The Real Deal, visit http://www.randgolletz.com/.


Original article

Hey Leaders, "Life Is A Balancing Act!"

Do you have some amazingly energetic, hard working, loyal employees who work long hours and never complain? Do any of your staff members handle additional roles in the community, on non-profit boards, or with service clubs in addition to juggling work and family duties? Do you have some folks working for you who never want to take holidays and even when they do, they continue working from the beach or airplane while their families are forced to amuse themselves without the presence of their breadwinners for hours at a time?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, trouble might be just around the corner!

Every person on earth needs a reasonable and suitable work/life balance. While they might impress you with their industriousness and loyalty and your firm might be reveling in the fruits of their labors, they are probably working toward an eventual, total meltdown.

Every person has a different level of stress that they can comfortably absorb or disregard before they hit an emotional wall.
Some people love their work so much that they do not even consider it work. Those are the people who are constantly smiling while they do their jobs.
Others simply press the outer edges of their emotional control because of insecurity or fear. They are afraid they might let someone down or fail altogether.
Some employees just look stressed-out, weary, or frustrated at all times. These people are on the edge and close to a complete collapse.

You might think that those folks who energetically ply their trade with smiles all day long because they love what they do, don't need or want down-time or an actual holiday. You might think those hard workers who apply themselves with dedication to everything they do are well adjusted and simply more capable than the average human being. You might think that the weary, frustrated people are just lazy or ill suited to their work. In each of these cases the bottom line is that all of these people needs reasonable work/life balance and time off to get their minds, and more importantly, their emotions off of their work.

It is up to managers, supervisors and leaders of all kinds to recognize the symptoms of poor work/life balance and find ways to deal with them.

Leaders must always keep track of over-work situations and must never make any employee feel bad or negligent for taking their fair share of time off. Not only will they be doing their employees a favor by assisting them with this chronic, twenty-first century problem but also in many cases, they will be saving themselves and their companies a lot of lost time and lost revenue.

Even those happy, smiling people who love their work and never seem to tire out need time off.

They might be energized by their work, but their total dedication to their jobs is often damaging to the health of their family and personal lives. Without a happy, healthy life away from work, human beings become unfilled and ultimately, unhappy or depressed. Sometimes the pressures placed on them by their neglected families and friends might be more than their psyche's can handle. If you ignore a happy, hard-worker you might suddenly be faced with an unexpected sick leave, performance dip, or even a resignation from them. The toll taken by total dedication to work has proven to be the undoing of many a potential superstar employee.

Companies of all types and sizes should insist that employees at all levels work reasonable hours and that everyone take the holidays they are allotted each year.

If employees want to work additional hours on a special project, they should be granted additional time off at a more convenient juncture. If they are doing community work that enhances the image of their employer in the community, they should be allowed time during working hours to do it. If they are on holidays, they should be prevented from taking work home with them or from communicating work-related information back to their place of work.

Time off should be considered as important as "time on" in order to assure that employees are happy and healthy well into the future.

If you haven't spent some time reviewing the down time of your employees and you want to keep them on staff and working to peak performance, you should do so now. Have a staff meeting specifically to discuss the human need for time away from work. Emphasize the fact that there is very little honor in diligence that goes so far beyond the norm that it becomes hazardous to future performance. Let everyone know that it is not only the right, but also the responsibility of every employee to take the time off that they are provided. Tell them there will be no extra credit for time-off-not-taken. Most importantly, let all of your employees know that you care about their emotional and physical health.

Good work/life balance is a predictor of longevity and good future performance.

Help your employees to stay emotionally fit by assisting them in finding and retaining the balance they deserve.

All the Best!

Wayne Kehl

Wayne is an author, lecturer and business coach in British Columbia Canada. You can find out more about Wayne and his company at http://www.waynekehl.com/ or http://www.dlionline.ca/


Original article

Small Business Leadership Tip: Are You As Smart As A GOOSE?

As you're running your business on a day-to-day basis (yes including all the dirty work, meetings, client calls, hassles, heartaches and headaches) do you ever stop and wonder if there's an easier way? Does the thought occur to you - as it has to me oh so many times - that this whole work and business thing should simply NOT be this hard.

Finally, has it occurred to you to ask the key question, "How can I make it easier on my team - my customers - and myself?"

Animals can teach humans so much if we simply observe. Take a flock of geese for example.

The small business smarts of geese:

1. They fly in a V-Shape formation for a reason. It reduces wind resistance by 67%.

2. They all honk for the leader but they are always changing out the leader so that the leader can rest & they honk just as loudly for the next leader in line.

3. When one of the geese gets shot down, another goose will stay with him until he dies or until he is able to fly and rejoin the group.

Ponder these questions about the small business leadership lessons of geese:

1. In our workplace, do we work to reduce resistance within our team and "fly in formation" -- or do we create unnecessary resistance with our colleagues and customers?

2. Are you a "honker" - an encourager, team advocate and a builder of people?

3. Are you taking steps to ensure everyone on your team is ready to excel in leadership roles as needed?

4. When one of your team members is having a bad day or is "shot down," do you help them until they can "fly again"?

Remember, when it comes to being a leader you should always value the opinions of your team and followers. All successful leaders put in hard work and long hours more so than everybody else because they have a greater calling i.e. a responsibility to make sure everyone is on the right path and working towards goal achievement. Individual goals take a backseat in relevance with the goals of the team because it is only through teamwork i.e. cooperation and co-ordination can organizational goals be achieved. A leader never slacks off. Leaders never make excuses not to do a work or for not having to fulfill an objective. Leaders take full responsibility of whatever they direct their teams to do and however they plan to carry out tasks for goal achievement.

Apply these small business smarts of geese to help you achieve your leadership goals in your business.

Marvin is a left-handed, right-brained, intense, fun-loving, full blooded Cajun Man. He was an insurance agent for 18 years in St. Bernard Parish, a town of 70,000 people. All 27,000 homes were damaged in Hurricane Katrina. His life would never be the same and he's all the better for it. Marvin focuses NOT on Surviving the STORM, but learning how to DANCE in the rain. http://www.marvinleblanc.com/


Original article

Drug Lords Are Cool: Knowledge From Pablo Escobar

Sometimes wisdom comes from the most unlikely of sources.

Sometimes it comes not from the best role model or the most perfect person.

Sometimes, in fact, it comes from a cold, hardened, criminal; from someone who's responsible for the deaths of countless people; who made his name and fortune trading in products that everyday ruin and take the lives of so many.

Sometimes, a drug lord like Pablo Escobar, can say something insightful and meaningful.

I'm often reminded of something in particular he once said. And it goes as follows:

"There are two hundred million idiots, manipulated by a million intelligent men."

In many ways, it was the story of his life - the idea that the weak are always more numerous than the strong, and that the strong will always control the weak.

It's how a single man can rise to the top of a multi-billion dollar drug trafficking industry. It's how a poor man from Colombia can become one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the world. It's how he can keep that power in a business where no man is a friend through fear and coercion, violence and bribery.

The strong feed on the weak.

They take advantage of them. They use and abuse them to get what they want, how they want it. They exploit what kindness they find and make of it what they will - for their own gain, for their own illicit reasons.

Pablo Escobar was surely a master at this.

But though it's likely none of us knows a Pablo Escobar, it is likely that we know the feeling of which he speaks.

Because if you are coming from a place of weakness in life - from a past filled with sadness or pain or depression, and a life of being shy, and forgotten, and hopeless - it's likely we were once one of those 200 million men of which he spoke.

It was us taken advantage of.

It was us used and abused and picked on.

It was us who perpetually felt inadequate, weak, helpless.

Such is the reality of life - that one must inevitably dominate another, even if only in the most subtle of ways, in any given interaction.

As we improve our lives and our selves, we must be conscious of where it is we fall in this spectrum. We must be aware that our actions come from a place of strength, rather than weakness, from a desire to fulfill our own desires, rather than those of whoever might pressure or coerce us.

Adam Alvarado is the founder of, and principal contributor to, The Last Broken Home, a personal development blog dedicated to the journey from teenage depression to self esteem.

Central to the site is the idea that all people all people, regardless of parental participation and quality, are raised in an environment that in some way proves an obstacle to their full and complete emotional and mental maturity; that the tendency for anxiety and depression, indecision and stagnation found in most adults is best explained through the learned behaviors of their youth, and therefore best addressed there in others.

READ MORE about Pablo Escobar quotes


Original article

Leadership Development and Learning Programs

As skills go, leadership is one of the most useful and the most sought after there is. The ability to command people with your voice, to get people to perform to their best, and to inspire a team is something that can be highly empowering and liberating, and that at the same time will help you to improve the work of your company. This makes you a valuable asset to any organization and any team, and it means that you are more able to thrive in the working environments you are in. If you want to see your career propelled forward then the best thing to improve your is your leadership and management abilities.

For one of the best ways to do this consider leadership development and learning programs. These are programs designed to teach you to be a better leader who is more respected and more effective. While you might think that leadership to some extent is something you are born with, there are most definitely more skills you can adopt and more ways of thinking about leadership that can greatly improve your performance.

If you do leadership development and learning programs then you will find that your abilities sky rocket and by investing in yourself this way you can get the best possible returns. Here we will look at some leadership concepts that can help you.

Say Why: One important thing to do when trying to motivate people to work is to tell them 'why'. This not only gives people a reason for what they are doing, but it also gives them that crucial bit of extra information that allows them to adapt to the situation without continually coming back to you for more guidance which is time consuming and inefficient.

Give Praise: Positive feedback is very important to keep your team motivated and it's important to make sure your staff get the praise they feel they deserve. Even if something isn't right, you need to give praise in order to ensure that their effort is recognized, so you will learn how to ask people to try again while making it still sound like a compliment rather than a put down.

Manage Teams: Knowing how to manage a team is very important in an office. Think small elite teams of 3-8 which will minimize communication overhead and provide the right amount of people to get some ideas bouncing around.

Use Incentives: There are two forms of power in the work place - compulsion and influence. Compulsion is essentially using threats and commands, whereas influence is more the use of incentives. It is far better for morale to use incentives and this will make an employee achieve the same thing but without the sense of frustration and upset that comes with compulsion and that might cause them to leave the organization at the first opportunity.

Lead by Example: Good leadership means leading by example and hypocrisy is a quick way to make people turn against you. Never ask someone to do something you would not, and make sure to be seen to be doing as much work as everyone else.

There are a number of Learning Programs available to attend to help expand your knowledge in a variety of different areas. One area of interest is in Leadership Development. This can help you and your business grow.


Original article

Personal Leadership In Action

Whats your breaking point? Here is personal leadership in action. A young stay at home mother one day asks her husband for 10 bucks. The husband asks what for? Silently Ann (The young mother) was disgusted. She promised herself before that day ended that she would never ask for money again from her hubby.

She immediately started to study opportunity. She put in the hours, she did the classes. This woman has no formal education but something changed in her when she was asked to explain herself to her husband for a measly 10 bucks. Ultimately the reason she asked that day was for her child and it was her child who became the reason why she embarked on her new journey. That was all of 20 years ago when Ann was 20 living in New York State.

Now 20 years on Ann lives in New York city and funnily enough is with the same man. There is also a lesson to learned here and the lesson is forgiveness. Ann would never be the person she is today unless her hubby reacted like that on that faithful day. Ann now is a managing director of a multi-national company based out of New York. She earns a 7 figure salary and she has kept her promise. Since that faithful day she has never had to ask her hubby for money once again. What a remarkable story. Ann now holds a business degree as well as a Masters in Business (MBA).

Here is what you can learn from Ann's story. No matter where you are in your life right now, there is always time to change. A man in his eighties told me last year that he had been very successful in business up to now but his best is yet to come. Your best is also yet to come but you must make a ruthless decision. I say ruthless because decision comes from the Latin work "to cut" or to "cut off". When you cut off something, you are without something for life. It is permanent.

It is the same with a decision. When one really makes a decision, there is no way back. Decide now, what do you want and if you know what it is, go after it with the vigor and strength you know you possess, something similar to Ann. A wise man once said "Nothing can stop a person who will stake their very existence for their purpose" which basically means I will achieve this or die.

So my question to you is "are you ready to find out who you really are? "

Jack Foley Is An Extremely Successful Online Investing Mentor In the Home Based Business Niche. Download His Free Gift Here At His Website Residual-Income-Home-Based-Business.


Original article

A Leader Must Take That First Step

In over three decades of working intimately with over a thousand leaders, in a variety of situations, circumstances, demographics, and types of organizations, I have often heard someone in a leadership position saying that they wish to accomplish something, or get something done, but don't know how, or where to start. Quintilian wrote, "While we deliberate about beginning, it is already too late to begin." I have repeatedly stated during my many hundreds of leadership seminars that a leader just has to force himself to start, and begin the process. It is far better to begin, and have to begin again, than to never start the process. No project, achievement, or idea has ever been achieved or implemented until someone in leadership steps up and becomes a real leader, and gets started in some direction towards that goal.

1. Many leaders suffer from a syndrome I have come to refer to as terminal excusitis. They seem to feel that avoiding failure is far better than achieving successful and worthwhile goals, and often spend far more time and effort developing ways to avoid taking action so as to avoid blame or responsibility, than developing a plan and taking timely action. I have come to believe that there is probably no greater fault or "sin" committed by someone in leadership than to avoid taking timely action. While there is never any assurance that the initial course of action is the best and/ or most viable one, evaluations of leadership models and actual case studies consistently indicate that far more damage is caused to most organizations by avoiding action (procrastination) than by making any mistake.

2. These steps do not have to be major ones, either. They can be the leadership equivalent of baby steps. But taking any step generates awareness, enthusiasm and momentum, as well as makes it obvious that the organization is making efforts to maximize the experience and value of belonging and being involved. All steps can be modified, tweaked and amended, and true leaders understand that an essential part of any action plan is to first get started, and then continuously evaluate and make necessary modifications. Part of the planning process should involve alternatives to be taken after the first step in the process is begun.

The reality is that you can never get anything done unless you start. Making mistakes are a part of the process. Great leaders have always learned from adversity, and become better as a result of what they learn from their mistakes. As long as there is a mission, a vision and a goal, and the process is begun, the momentum for achievement becomes the preamble to a greater reality.

Richard Brody,with over 30 years consultative sales,marketing,training,managerial, and operations experience,has trained sales and marketing people in numerous industries, given hundreds of seminars, appeared as a company spokesperson on over 200 radio and television programs, and regularly blogs on real estate, politics, economics, management, leadership, negotiations, conferences and conventions, etc. He has negotiated, arranged and/ or organized hundreds of conferences and conventions. He's a Senior Consultant with RGB Consultation Services, an Ecobroker, a Licensed Buyers Agent (LBA) and Licensed Salesperson in NYS, in real estate.
Richard has owned businesses, been a Chief Operating Officer, a Chief Executive Officer, and a Director of Development, as well as a consultant. He has a Consulting Website ( http://tinyurl.com/rgbcons ), and his company PLAN2LEAD, LLC's site ( http://www.plan2lead.net/ ), and can be followed on Twitter


Original article

Leaders Who Don't Take Timely Action Do Harm

In my over three decades of involvement in leadership, as a leader, non profit executive, corporate executive, leadership and management trainer and consultant, I have discovered that one of the most harmful and dangerous things someone in a leadership position can do, is to procrastinate, when timely action is called for. Marcus Arelius said, "A wrong- doer is often one who has left something undone, not always someone who has done something." Because so many unqualified and insufficiently trained individuals ascend to leadership, there are always numerous errors, both of commission and omission. While errors of commission are often easy to identify, it is often the errors of omission that create a far more glaring and dangerous set of ramifications.

1. Many of these under- qualified individuals seem to prefer to avoid decisions, so as to avoid any type of responsibility. They seem to feel that if they procrastinate long enough, the challenge becomes that of someone else, instead of theirs. Unfortunately, many things begin as obstacles, and then become challenges. When delayed long enough, they often become treated as problems. When the delay is that long, it is often accompanied by numerous ramifications, mostly negative. In organizations, nearly every obstacle is relatively simple to overcome if a leader addresses it on a timely basis, and develops a strategy and an action plan in a sensible, well thought out manner. In order to do this, a leader must be able to fact find, ask questions, consider alternatives (and the various ramifications), develop contingency/ back up plans, etc., that are in line with the vital vision and mission of the organization. When action is avoided, or even delayed, additional obstacles often create an even greater urgency, and the process, at the very least, becomes abbreviated and less thorough. When valuable planning time is wasted, the time can never be recovered, and in almost all cases, additional circumstances tend to further complicate the situation.

2. I have often wondered why the word, procrastination, begins with a pro. There is nothing professional about procrastination, and effective leadership has always been dependent on timely, well considered and thought out action being instituted. Great leaders have always turned these obstacles/ adversities into challenges to overcome, and then made the most of these opportunities to make needed changes (or tweaks) that energizes and revitalizes, as well as refocuses the organization.

I hope that someday organizations will all come to learn what the most effective and viable ones have already learned and demonstrated. They must understand that nothing good in the long run ever comes from procrastination, and while a process must be well considered and examined, great leaders always make sure that issues are addressed in a timely manner. Organizations need to continuously evolve to remain viable, and only when leaders are completely trained and qualified can this process be performed.

Richard Brody,with over 30 years consultative sales,marketing,training,managerial, and operations experience,has trained sales and marketing people in numerous industries, given hundreds of seminars, appeared as a company spokesperson on over 200 radio and television programs, and regularly blogs on real estate, politics, economics, management, leadership, negotiations, conferences and conventions, etc. He has negotiated, arranged and/ or organized hundreds of conferences and conventions. He's a Senior Consultant with RGB Consultation Services, an Ecobroker, a Licensed Buyers Agent (LBA) and Licensed Salesperson in NYS, in real estate.
Richard has owned businesses, been a Chief Operating Officer, a Chief Executive Officer, and a Director of Development, as well as a consultant. He has a Consulting Website ( http://tinyurl.com/rgbcons ), and his company PLAN2LEAD, LLC's site ( http://www.plan2lead.net/ ), and can be followed on Twitter


Original article

Making Your Message Stick: 7 Tips for Trainers and Teachers

You're standing there, behind the podium, because you have an expertise to share.

But can you make your audience learn, especially the ones in the back row? You know the ones, tipping back on their chairs, with their arms folded and eyes half-shut.

That is the challenge for anyone who is a teacher or trainer.

Adult learning is about adjusting your teaching methods and reaching precisely this group, says Karen Stentz Huebner, who aims to "help people learn by means other than talking at them or showing them," through her consulting company.

What this requires, according to Huebner, is interaction, a dialogue that keeps students actively engaged in the learning process: "Not just hands-on, but minds-on," she said. It's not enough to know the subject matter. Effective adult learning is about making it relevant and helping the students find its meaning.

Huebner offered her insights during a teleconference held by the Verbal Judo Institute. She was the featured guest panelist in an exclusive discussion as part of the members-only Verbal Judo website.

Throughout her career, Huebner has specialized in teaching disenfranchised students, first in the military, the public school system, the business community and ultimately within the field of law enforcement. Huebner recommends Verbal Judo as a communication tool for the teaching within all of these environments.

Here are 7 of Huebner's tips to be a successful trainer:

Disregard how you were taught. Whether it was lecture or death by PowerPoint, the old school methods of teaching and learning are ineffective. "The content was shoved at you and you had to regurgitate it. It put people on the spot, and they immediately went into survival mode." It's easy to fall into this trap because of its well-worn path. Don't do it to your students.

Start in their comfort zone, then move out. Adults in particular are more willing to ask questions, make mistakes and rise up to challenges if they are in an environment that is not demeaning or threatening. Ask yourself: Wouldn't you be more willing to rise to challenges, even ones outside your comfort zone, if you weren't afraid to fail?

Understand your strengths. If you're already a good trainer, don't just chalk it up to having a "knack." If you can't articulate the qualities that make you successful, you aren't going to be effective. While you may be unconsciously competent, others will find it difficult to replicate your success.

Build a community of learners. The old-time tactics of starting impossibly tough as a means of weeding out the group or threatening with one-fail-all-fail ultimatums is counterproductive. "You're not creating a team, you're creating a pack of wolves," Huebner said.

Train as you would in real life: "Officers are taught to never question verbal commands, then have to deal with people in a world where 'no' is the norm," said Dr. George Thompson, founder of the Verbal Judo Institute. Also, as students make gains in their training, it is crucial to recognize these improvements. "If we recognize the baby steps, it gives them the power to go further, not just as a class but as a career," said Verbal Judo Trainer Bob "Coach" Lindsey.

Use memory aids. Just as physical repetition builds muscle memory, Huebner says tools such as repetition and the use of acronyms can build "mind memory."

Your goal is ultimately to empower students: First give them the tools then challenge them to succeed. "They do need to be put into difficult physical and verbal situations, Huebner said.

"However, don't throw them in until they've had the opportunity to learn and practice these skills. You don't throw them into the deep end of the pool and tell them, 'Swim, sucker.'"

"Students do want to excel," said Lindsey, who teaches students including police recruits to corrections professionals. "But for the adult learner, when exposed to any intellectual stimulus, has to find out first and foremost why is this being presented and why should this be important to me."

For the past two years, Kathy has worked closely with Vistelar partners to both deliver information, and to tailor the information appropriately to each target audience.

This has meant everything from developing academic course ware to setting up social media outlets. It's meant becoming a certified Verbal Judo trainer and applying that knowledge in various capacities. Kathy plays a critical role in translating the professional concepts of Verbal Judo to make them relevant to families, children and the public in general. For more information on Vistelar Training and what they offer, visit http://vistelar.com/.


Original article

Ten Ways to Increasing Your Leadership Skills

Back in my Marine Corps days we were taught that if you wanted to lead, then set the example for others. One of the main criteria of a good leader is to help develop other leaders. And that includes teaching them how to be a leader.

Leadership is not a role or a title. A true leader makes the decisions that others don't want to make or is simply willing to step up when necessary in a given situation. They understand it's about the mission and not about themselves. Leaders will come in all sizes and shapes. There is not one size fits all. While there are those that still believe that leaders are born. I'm here to tell you that is simply not true. Leaders can be developed and taught certain skills.

For those of you that are already leaders or wanting to increase your skills as one, then here are my top ten ways to do just that.

1. Do public speaking. Not only will public speaking increase your awareness to others, it'll also increase your confidence as a leader. You can take a course, such as one run by a Dale Carnegie Associate or simply join a local Toastmasters International club in your area. Both of these are great in developing one's public speaking skills.

2. Learn verbal communication skills. This is where being able to effectively communicate to another person and influence them. Unlike public speaking, this is communication where listening is more important than talking. Dr. Tony Alessandra talks about understanding others through his Platinum Rule. "Do unto others as they would like be done unto." It's the same as Dale Carnegie described in his book, How to Win Friends and Influence People.

3. Learn how to write more effectively. Just like verbal communication, writing effectively is a key to delivering your message. The most effective writers are the ones that keep it simple & tight, use analogies and don't use industry lingo.

4. Make more decisions, whether right or wrong. This important for growth. In fact, the more mistakes you make, the more you'll grow. You simply learn how to make adjustments so you don't do the same ones again. Never fear making a mistake.

5. Become a reader and learner. It's been said that leaders are readers. If you think you know it all, then you'll never learn to lead. Leaders are never satisfied with they are at. They look to progress and improve. It's constant. Once you stop growing, then you'll stop being a leader.

6. Associate with leaders in various industries and areas of life. It could be a religious leader, a political leader, a business leader, or any other kind of leader. You'll learn from each one. And that's important. You might even want to create a mastermind with some.

7. Learn to appreciate more. Leaders have a way of appreciating where they are, but are never satisfied. That's one of the reasons true leaders continue to grow. Also, learn to appreciate those you lead and show them that you do.

8. Learn to look at the big picture (strategic thinking) and the small things (tactical thinking). See how each fits with each other. Create your own personal mission statement. That way you'll learn to see how a mission statement for your organization can be better created. Remember, you have to take in consideration others. Additionally, learn to look at the details. This will be important so you'll be able to develop tactics necessary to accomplish the mission.

9. Learn to delegate. The skill of delegation is important to the development of leaders in others as well as focusing on your strengths and letting others take over where you are weak at. Knowing yourself is very important in this aspect of leadership. Be honest in this area.

10. Self-care is important. Leaders must be healthy and fit in order to best lead. Also, this sets the example of others to follow. By doing this, you'll start to really care about yourself as a leader and what that represents.

I wish you the best as you work to develop the skill necessary to make you an effective leader.

Check out Optimal Life Seminars today! Just go to optimallifeseminars.com for learning and more... Watch for upcoming events and seminars...

Bob Choat works as a Peak Performance Coach & Trainer and is focused on people in every industry reach a higher level in their lives.

Call 818-620-2494 for coaching/training

bobchoat.com


Original article

Small Changes Can Make Big Impacts

I'm a fan of the show "Dancing with Stars", not so much to watch the stars, but to see the feedback every week that allows the participants to actually get better - even become fairly decent dancers within a period of weeks. The feedback to help them progress is generally targeted, specific practice ideas to improve the overall performance every week. The expected criticism is welcomed to be better performers. The few stars that feel insulted, or take to blaming the judges are examples of those that didn't improve. If our businesses were comfortable with the same process and perspectives for giving and applying feedback on a regular basis, wouldn't our business results look different!

Intellectually, we all understand the power of feedback, but in my experience with companies, the formal process of providing feedback is one masked in secrecy (on-line 360 "checklists" intended to protect anonymity at all costs to insure honesty). How does a process like that help to build a feedback rich environment where leaders can openly and honestly help each other get better in specific areas in need of performance improvement?

I am encouraged with a company I am assisting, in their wish to share the results of their reports with their peers, the top leader, and the participants who provided feedback through the interviews. They are committing to supporting each other as they begin to make some behavioral shifts, and are willing to 'call each other out' in situations where they slip back. All this within a year of major change for them, including sizable staff reductions within a difficult operating environment.

So what does this mean to those of you who are interested in creating a "feedback rich" operating environment? How can you begin to build a culture that acknowledges and accepts feedback, recognizing that everyone can get better at something?

QUESTIONS TO EXPLORE

- If you conduct 360 feedback processes, are they customized to the fewest behaviors that are most important to your organization's success?

- If someone in your organization offered to give you unsolicited feedback, how would you respond?

- Do you ask others for feedback on how you're doing?

ACTION TO TRY

One approach to initiating a powerful feedback process doesn't even have to go with a 360 event. Executive coach Marshall Goldsmith has created a very simple, easy to carry out, process called FeedForward. The concept is just what the title indicates - a focus on getting better for the future.

The idea is to pick a behavior, that if improved, would create a positive difference in your life. You ask several co-workers or peers for some suggestions on how to improve that behavior for the future. Listen attentively to the suggestions and take notes, without any judgment or comments. Simply thank the participants for their suggestions.

By following up on the suggestions you receive, you show your commitment to grow and your co-workers and peers develop an increased wish to support you and further share their ideas and thoughts. Try it...it works!

Terri Hughes is the owner/principal of Terri Hughes, LLC, a leadership development & executive coaching business. She has been in the business of guiding change and developing leaders for over 25 years, primarily in the corporate space as vice president & director of leadership development and organizational change in a large retail corporation. She is a successful personal and leadership coach, and is a master facilitator.

Terri's recent clients include leaders and teams in manufacturing, technology, retail, health care, government, small business and higher education industries. She works with individuals and teams in a variety of situational change arenas including: leadership behavioral shifts, new role transitions, career changes, organizational and life changes.

Visit her website http://www.terrihughes.com/ for details, free resources and to schedule a complimentary consultation to discuss your needs.


Original article

Leadership: Are You Building a Cathedral?

As you may be aware, I have recently given up my old day job to concentrate on my website full time. It is something I have been working toward for the past seven years. However, yesterday, I was back at my old place of work running a time management workshop for the company. It is something I had offered to do before I left.

During the workshop, we were talking about the subject of leadership and the fact that you don't need to have the job title of 'leader' or 'manager' in order to be able to exercise leadership. What you do need however, is a vision. A difficulty for many people is that, if they do not have the formal title, they will often not see their role in that light i.e. they do not think it is their job to come up with a view of how things could be done differently or better at their place of work.

But if we have the will, the ability to lead is within us all. As I often point out, you can be an effective person in an ineffective organisation. You need to have vision and it needs to fit in with the corporate vision and, if you do have people who report to you, you also need to get them to see how what they are doing fits in with the corporate vision - all of that is exercising leadership.

When people have complete clarity over how their own roles are contributing to the corporate mission and when they understand that, although they may be a tiny cog in the organisation, nevertheless they play an important part without which the organisation would flounder, then you are on the road to significant improvement. When people, additionally, actually care about the mission then it is amazing what can be accomplished.

It reminds me of a little story I once heard regarding someone visiting a stone quarry. When he asked a couple of the stone masons what they were doing, one mason replied, "I am cutting stone blocks." But a second mason replied, "I am helping Sir Christopher Wren to build a cathedral." What a difference; and that is a wonderful illustration of what is meant by the above.

So do remember that these two things are very important for managers and leaders. If that is your role, then make sure you address these specific points. People need:
A mission that they care actually aboutClarity over how their role impacts the mission

If you do not have the formal title of 'manager' or 'leader', remember that you can still influence people around you and you can still influence the organisation. In order to do so, you must first believe that you can. Quite simply, people who don't believe they can make a difference usually don't even try, so having that belief is very important if you are to impact the organisation.

Whatever you do, give it your best. Have a vision even if it is just for your own role. Think about how you can do things better and commit yourself to improving the situation you find yourself in. You will get promoted or you will attract a better job, because, quite simply, the universe has a habit of rewarding the people that do this.

If you enjoyed this article, you will also enjoy The Inspiration Blog

Will Edwards is Founder of http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/


Original article

Leaders Need Integrity And Self Confidence

Effective leadership only comes about when a properly trained and qualified individual also possesses both personal integrity and self confidence. While both integrity and self confidence are essential, the mere possession of one of these characteristics without the other, minimizes the effectiveness of the impact, and thus the results.

1. William James wrote, "There is but one cause of human failure. And that is a man's lack of faith in his true self." Individuals who fail to possess this faith can never be really effective leaders. They will never be able to trust their decisions fully, and thus, regardless of how well trained and otherwise qualified they may be, they will fear taking decisive stands, and leading others. Without self- confidence, individuals offer defer to others, and thus do not lead. True leadership is about leading others to follow one's vision, and this vision can only be viable when a leader has an underlying driving force that propels him to do everything in his power, and to use everything he can, to motivate others to understand the vision, and why it is so essential and vital. How can one truly lead others if he is uncertain himself? Please understand that self- confidence is far different from conceit. It is rather a feeling that a leader has examined everything thoroughly, gathers the necessary information, effectively listens and communicates, gains knowledge and true expertise, and then has the confidence to be brave enough to dare to express an opinion or stand up for something, even if it might be unpopular.

2. H. L. Mencken wrote, "Conscience is the inner voice that warns us somebody may be looking." A leader needs to possess absolute integrity, rather than convenient integrity. One only possesses true integrity when he consistently does what his conscience tells him is the right thing, and he must follow that direction at all times. In my over three decades of intimate involvement with over a thousand leaders, I have come to the conclusion that there are some telling signs of whether someone has integrity. The first "tell" is to observe what the individual does when he doesn't realize others that others are observing. Next, listen for a consistent message, regardless of the audience being addressed. Next, be certain that the individual always assumes final responsibility, and doesn't play the blame game. However, perhaps the most telling sign is to correlate one's words or rhetoric with his actions, to assure that they are consistent. There are far too many in leadership positions who merely do what's convenient and easiest, seeking credit without potential blame, and responsibility only when there are positive results.

Beware of anyone in leadership who uses revisionist history when describing his previous positions, actions, or thought processes. Beware of a leader who refers to everyone as his friend!

Richard Brody,with over 30 years consultative sales,marketing,training,managerial, and operations experience,has trained sales and marketing people in numerous industries, given hundreds of seminars, appeared as a company spokesperson on over 200 radio and television programs, and regularly blogs on real estate, politics, economics, management, leadership, negotiations, conferences and conventions, etc. He has negotiated, arranged and/ or organized hundreds of conferences and conventions. He's a Senior Consultant with RGB Consultation Services, an Ecobroker, a Licensed Buyers Agent (LBA) and Licensed Salesperson in NYS, in real estate.
Richard has owned businesses, been a Chief Operating Officer, a Chief Executive Officer, and a Director of Development, as well as a consultant. He has a Consulting Website ( http://tinyurl.com/rgbcons ), and his company PLAN2LEAD, LLC's site ( http://www.plan2lead.net/ ), and can be followed on Twitter


Original article

Leadership Skill - Initiating a Call to Action - 4 Items You Must Address

Russell Simmons is undoubtedly an African American leader and businessman to be admired, but I was a bit confused and concerned after listening to an interview he gave on the Tom Joyner Morning Show. Roland Martin, Tom Joyner and Sybil Wilkes all asked Mr. Simmons the same question "What is the objective of Occupy Wall Street?" On each occasion, Mr. Simmons failed to give a direct response accessible to listeners. Instead he repeated what seemed to be scripted rhetoric along the lines of "We need to get the money out of Washington." I assume the purpose of the interview was to inform people about the sit-ins as well as a call to action. Unfortunately, neither purpose was achieved. Below are four items leaders need to include in their call to action to ensure followers understand what needs to be done and why they should commit themselves to the action.

Leadership Skill - Call to action

If a leader wants people/followers/employees to do something the leader must present a coherent, understandable message describing what people need to do and how people will benefit.

To initiate a call to action be sure to:

1. Speak in terms that every person, at every level of the organization (or in this case movement) can understand. Leave out jargon, business terms and political speak. Using everyday language also supports an atmosphere of camaraderie.

2. Be honest about the objectives, likely challenges and desired outcomes of the endeavor. Be specific about ways people can/will/should participate.

3. When possible and feasible get feedback/input/ideas from people about the endeavor. Including them in the process creates investment and increases the likelihood of action.

4. Reiterate how people will benefit from taking up the call to action. Include immediate benefits to bolster motivation for swift action and long-term benefits to help sustain action.

As the winter months bring cold, wet, difficult conditions the Occupy Wall Street movement may find its way indoors. Don't let a change of venue or other obstacles cloud your call for action. Use venue changes, opposing views or competing movements as an opportunity to restate your call for action. Realign or redesign your call for action so that followers maintain their understanding of the original goal in the context of change.

Leadership Skill Summary- Be clear and concise about what you what people to do, why you want them to do it and how they will benefit.

Tonia M. Richardson, DM, LPC, is the principal coach at Lotus Solutions: A Coaching Enterprise. Visit http://www.lotussolutionscoach.com/About-the-Coach.html to learn about the services available and to request a free 30 minute phone consultation.

© Tonia M. Richardson. The author grants reprint permission to opt-in publications and websites so long as the copyright and by-line are included intact and the article is not used in spam. A courtesy copy of your publication is appreciated.


Original article

Principles From Andrew's Life Could Be a Benefit to Everyone No Matter Where We Work and Serve!

As has been happening in so many nations in the Western world, there have been marches and demonstrations and protests following some very tight and stringent financial limitations and restrictions. This is definitely a time when we need reliable leaders and sound solid positive leadership.

Did anything strange strike you as reports came in last Wednesday of disruption, delays, and inconvenience?

It was what is called, St Andrew's Day.

Had the lessons from Andrew's life been taken seriously, the events taking place might have produced positive experiences. Why?

Andrew was always bringing people to Jesus Christ and seeking to introduce people to Jesus.

He brought a little boy with his packed lunch to Jesus, and Jesus took his piece and fed five thousand men, plus women and children.

In Jerusalem, Andrew introduced some Greeks to Jesus.

He was very much a businessman working in partnership with brother Peter, and alongside his close fishing friends James and John.

It appeared to be a normal working day, until Jesus appeared on the scene by the lakeside, but as soon as Jesus called Andrew, he, along with the others who were called, arose and followed Jesus Christ right away.

Andrew heard John the Baptist speak about Jesus, holding Jesus in such high regard. What we say about Jesus can influence others in all kinds of ways.

Andrew was given power over unclean spirits as well as an ability to heal, and he was one of the disciples who quizzed Jesus about the signs surrounding the end of this age. This encouraged Jesus to describe in great detail what it will be like as His coming again draws near.

When Jesus poured out the Holy Spirit in the Temple, at Pentecost, Andrew was present along with all the other disciples.

He was a follower first and then a leader but his example from the very beginning gives us the finest and highest leadership principles, no matter what walk of life we are in and no matter where we work and serve.

Serving is not a word we hear much about these days, and in some places it is not a very popular concept.

Who kept his eyes open to see what was happening in order to describe the scene later to Luke?

If only all these aspects were underlined and emphasised at each St Andrew's gathering.

How different it all could have been if man had followed Andrew who followed Jesus.

Sandy Shaw

Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children's Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu. He broadcasts regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary at http://www.studylight.org/ entitled "Word from Scotland" on various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper column. His M.A. and B.D. degrees are from The University of Edinburgh, and he continues to run and exercise regularly to maintain a level of physical fitness.


Original article

Attention! Le Monstre Aux Yeux Verts!

Since my last post I have relocated myself and family to the South of France. If you are anything like me - what Myers Briggs calls a 'sensing personality', you might picture the South of France as a warm and relaxing place where one may sit under the shade of an olive tree sipping red wine, sampling fine cheeses and pastries; spending eternal summer days musing about philosophical aspects of your life. The thought creates images of a sunshine-filled, indulgently stress-free existence.

You may begin to wonder what your own life would be like in this type of environment. How fantastic it would be to have a life like that! To live out your days without a care in the world with nothing on your hands except time and butter from your croissant. Quality time that is so precious in your ordinary, everyday world. No rush hour traffic, no boring meetings and no need to ever scrape ice of your car in the morning. Idyllic isn't it?

Now be honest. Are you feeling a little jealous yet?

Jealousy can be a deep-seated and destructive behavioural characteristic.

We all have the capacity to be jealous and I imagine we have all realised our own jealous nature at some point in our lives. But of course, there is a huge difference from being occasionally jealous of something or someone as opposed to having jealousy rule the majority of your life.

Many people believe that jealousy is directly linked with other emotions such as love and hatred. Whereas I believe that jealousy is a marker of self-worth. And it's because of our own esteem needs in Maslow's hierarchy, which are of course, perceptions of self-worth; that we see jealous behaviours in the workplace.

American writer Charley Reece (whose own views I would not normally associate with) wrote that:

'If malice or envy were tangible and had a shape, it would be the shape of a boomerang.'

I think that this is an excellent analogy - despite my general dislike of Reece.

Those consumed by jealousy can never truly be happy and at peace with themselves. As their skewed perceptions of what others 'possess' serve as reminders of what a poor hand they have been dealt and of what they have possibly missed out on in their earlier life.

I am sympathetic to jealous people, to a point; but most can improve their own sense of worth if they really want to.

What the jealous refuse to accept on a subconscious level is the truth of the matter.

Life in the South of France has so far been great - but not without pain I can assure you. And I too long for days where I may sit under a tree (when it eventually does stop raining!) and catch up on all of the books I have collected over the years. We are surrounded by people who speak a different language and where the stores close for two to three hours of the day - usually just when you really need to buy something. And surprisingly and somewhat worst of all..

Croissants are really expensive!

Wishing you all the very best in all that you do,

Keith


Original article

Leadership Coaching: The Natural Leader

What Are Natural Leaders?

It´s one or the other- being a leader or being a follower. Natural leadership qualities spring from the nature of a leader. On the other hand, if a person is contented with merely complying and submitting, being delegated to than leading, then that is the nature of a follower. What drives natural leadership abilities?

Leadership comes from the core, basically. That is, a person´s emotional needs drive them to be a leader. People who want to stand out, lead and be apart from the mediocre often has the need to be right, be better than others, be recognized and be acknowledged. They want to hold authority and power. There are different kinds of leaders, nonetheless. Some leaders are inclined to succumb to greed, vanity, arrogance and impatience. Leadership is power and authority over people, that´s why it is most sought after by the ambitious. Leadership does take guts and courage.

Leadership Core Values And Courage

But what about true leaders? What makes true leaders? True leaders are leaders at heart. They are connected to their own source of power and ability. Leadership is not what it is if it does not aim to achieve goals. To attain goals, a leader must have the courage. There is the need to win. Several elements comprise leadership courage. To be a courageous leader, one should have motivation and determination.

True leadership is courageous because it believes in its core values. Some leaders are driven to exert their power and subdue because of their fears and false beliefs about authority and responsibility, but this is not true leadership.

Leadership is beset by random circumstances, and true leadership is defined by its ability to respond. Despite the conflict and the surrounding dramas, a true leader responds with focus and composure. A true leader knows his or her true power, and it gives them courage. Leaders do have fears, but true leadership does not get overwhelmed by their reservations. Instead, they see the bigger picture and remain committed to the goal. They lead their own lives exemplary in the same way that they lead people effectively.

True Leaders Are Gifted

It takes a certain gift to be a leader, and this makes them distinct from followers. True leaders are by nature, intuitive. They know their authority, vision and life path. They are confident of their choices. True leaders feel their own power and identity. They are in touch with their inspiration and empowerment. They see their mission, creativity, reality and ability. A true leader knows that his or her journey is going to be different. More than following a path, a leader has to discover and seek paths. There are unknown perils to brave, that´s why it takes real courage to respond to the call of leadership.

Do you want to learn more about Business Succession? Download our brand new Organizational Culture guide Business Succession

As leadership coaches Jodi and Mike help organizations in business succession with a focus balancing economics with organizational culture http://lighthouse-leadership.com/


Original article

Boundary Setting

The next step in this process, in terms of overcoming co-dependant relationships in life is to set clear boundaries or boundary setting. The main problem with this type of relationship is that boundaries have been crossed. Before proceeding I want to briefly explain what a boundary cross actually is?

A boundary is a standard of behaviour that you expect from other people. For example, to be treated with respect. Or for other people to respect your privacy or personal space. So if you have a really good friend and tell them a personal secret, you don't want them telling your secret to the whole world. If they do, then this would constitute a boundary cross. It can extend to people placing unrealistic demands on you. Expecting you to do things, in the name of friendship that may be unethical or inappropriate.

Boundary crossing (unfortunately) is part and parcel with co-dependent relationships. For example, your mother may over disclose to you about different aspects of her life, that she probably should be talking with her husband, friends or psychologist about. This is a boundary cross. Essentially this is how co-dependent relationships work. Because boundary crossing occurs regularly and the other person doesn't do anything about it. I would like you to think about your relationships, to see what you do when a boundary is crossed? Think hard about your individual relationships with your mum and father and family in general.

Personal Story
Another quick note about myself. When I was growing up - my mother probably over disclosed to me about different things that were going on in her life. Asking for my advice and what she should do. Really I was not the right person to be having these discussions with. From a very early age this established the co-dependent relationship that we had for a very long time. I was the "emotional support giver" and she was the "emotional support receiver". Instead of having a mother/ child relationship, which was what I required, we had a "best friend" relationship, which in the long-run was not what any of us required.

Just remember that a co-dependent relationship is between 2 people. One plays the role of the "needer". This is the person who discloses to the other person and who requires the emotional support. The other person plays the role of the "need to be needed". Both roles are required for a co-dependent relationship to occur.


Original article

Strong Leaders Are Decision Makers

If you are not comfortable with, or do not like being the one making decisions, or are simply ill- prepared or lack the necessary confidence to do so, then you should not be a leader. In fact, as I have been telling over a thousand people in the last thirty plus years, while many ascend to positions of leadership, only those with decision making abilities and self- confidence are ever true and effective leaders. President Harry S. Truman had his famous sign, "The Buck Stops Here," which summed up the need for someone to have the final responsibility. Elbert Hubbard wrote, "It does not take much strength to do things, but it requires great strength to decide what to so."

1. One cannot be considered a leader if he does not openly and directly both take stands, and communicate his point of view, and the reasoning behind his actions. This must never be based wholly or in part on whether it is a popular position, but rather on what needs to be, and should be done. Many untrained people in leadership positions falsely believe taking the actions themselves is the difficult part, but in reality, it is making the decision to take the action that is more difficult. That initial decision, if arrived at in a systematic way, based on knowledge, expertise and evaluation, is the more relevant and far reaching action. Until, and unless someone takes this first step, no action can be commenced. When decisions are arrived at correctly, they lead seamlessly to a viable action plan to achieve the necessary goals. It is the planning that, for most of us, is both the most time consuming, and the most difficult.

2. Why is there so much difficulty for so many people, to make decisions in an effective manner? Perhaps it is their lack of training or their inability or unwillingness to commit to the necessary learning. Perhaps it is, in some cases, an attitude, of knowing better, and deciding to try to reinvent the wheel. Or perhaps it is their fear of failure, the action of inaction where the ever- dangerous self- doubt and lack of confidence take over (Should they not realize that it is often exactly this fear of failure that assures that they will not be successful). In some cases, it appears to be a need to be loved or liked by others, and they strive more for short- lived popularity than for achievement.

There should be a caviat given whenever anyone decides to pursue leadership positions that says, "Great leaders are decision makers." In my experience, I believe that quite often the reason we don't have better leaders is that they don't understand decision making and its many ramifications.

Richard Brody,with over 30 years consultative sales,marketing,training,managerial, and operations experience,has trained sales and marketing people in numerous industries, given hundreds of seminars, appeared as a company spokesperson on over 200 radio and television programs, and regularly blogs on real estate, politics, economics, management, leadership, negotiations, conferences and conventions, etc. He has negotiated, arranged and/ or organized hundreds of conferences and conventions. He's a Senior Consultant with RGB Consultation Services, an Ecobroker, a Licensed Buyers Agent (LBA) and Licensed Salesperson in NYS, in real estate.
Richard has owned businesses, been a Chief Operating Officer, a Chief Executive Officer, and a Director of Development, as well as a consultant. He has a Consulting Website ( http://tinyurl.com/rgbcons ), and his company PLAN2LEAD, LLC's site ( http://www.plan2lead.net/ ), and can be followed on Twitter


Original article