TOP LEADERS MAINTAIN HIGH EXPECTATIONS AND SELF DISCIPLINE

 

 Leadership comes more from who you are inside than from what you do on the outside. Leaders maintain high expectations, character, and self discipline.
Men and women who possess the kind of charisma that arouses the enthusiastic support of others are invariably men and women with high values and principles. They are extremely realistic and honest with themselves and others. They have very clear ideals, and they continually aspire to live up to the highest that is in them. They speak well of people, and they guard their conversation, knowing that everything that they say is being remembered and recorded. They are aware that everything they do is contributing to the formation of their perception by others. Everything about their character is adding to or detracting from their level of personal power.

Leaders have High Expectations

When you think of the most important men and women of any time, you think of men and women who aspired to greatness and who had high values for themselves and high expectations of others. When you make the decision to act consistent with the highest principles that you know, you begin to enhance your personal power. You begin to become the kind of person others admire and respect and want to emulate. You begin to attract into your life the help and support and encouragement of the kind of people you admire. You activate the law of attraction in the very best way.

Self Discipline

The second quality of leadership is self discipline, or self-mastery. Men and women of quality are highly self-controlled. They have a tremendous sense of inner calm and outer resolve. They are well-organized, and they demonstrate willpower and determination in everything they do.
The very act of being well-organized, of having clear objectives and of having set clear priorities on your activities before beginning, gives you a sense of discipline and control. It causes people to respect and admire you. When you then exert your self discipline by persisting in the face of difficulties, your influence on others increases.

Personal Power

Men and women who achieve leadership positions, who display what others refer to as personal power, are invariably those who possess indomitable willpower and the ability to persist in a good cause until success is achieved. The more you persist when the going gets rough, the more self discipline and resolve you develop, and the more influence you tend to have.
Now, here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.
First, clarify your values and beliefs for yourself. Decide exactly what it is that you stand for, and what you will not stand for. Be definite about who you are and refuse to compromise.
Second, resolve in advance to discipline yourself to do what you say you will do, when you say you will do it, whether you feel like it or not. Force yourself to persist until you succeed.

IMMEDIATE EMPLOYMENT! APPLY NOW!

A growing breakfast kitchen in Ikeja area of Lagos State, requires the service of the following experienced and dedicated personnel:

(1) CLIENT RELATIONSHIP MANAGER: (Male*B.Sc/HND*Min of 5years Work Exp, preferably in a quick service restaurant)

(2) QUALITY CONTROL & SUPERVISOR:
... (Female*B.Sc/HND in related field*Min of 3 years working Experience).

(3) ACCOUNTANT:
(Male*OND*Min of 2years Experience*knowledge of accounting software will be an added advantage)

(4) MARKETING EXECUTIVE:
(Female*OND*Min of 1year Marketing Exp).

(5) SALES & CLIENT SERVICE EXECUTIVE:
(Female*SSCE*Min of 1year Marketing Exp).

Interested & Qualified applicants should forward their recent CV to:

recruitment@kineticng.com

Using their Name/Sex/Position applying for/Years of Experience/Location/Mobile Number AS SUBJECT OF THE EMAIL.

Please, NOTE THAT any application that doesn't align with the above format of CV submission will not be attended to.

Shortlisted and Qualified Applicants will be invited for INTERVIEW shortly.

Note that people staying within or around IKEJA will be favourably considered. (being a BreakFast Kitchen, our clients' staff resume very early).

10 GREATEST ENEMIES OF GREATNESS

  

Greatness remains a birthright for every living human being. Your greatness is guaranteed and without question or negotiation. The capacity to dream is built in and grafted to everyone at the point of conception. This function is enabled more as you arrive on earth and become aware of what could be, possibilities and opportunities as well as potential obstacles that you face in the process called growth and experience. However, your ability to dream and guarantee of greatness is has equally opposing forces which seek to either delay, derail, destroy and mutilate your progress towards destiny. To know the disease is half the cure just as identifying an enemy is half the victory in the battle front. In this article I explore common enemies or dream killers that I have face faced as I have dreamt and worked on my vision. I have overcome some and yet still face more enemies. The goal is to empower you to identify your own enemies and have a strategy on how to bring them down so that your greatness can be well positioned to take place.

Common Dream Killers

1. Bad Personal Experiences and Testimonies that Others Tell You About
Usually when you have had a bad experience with a dream or vision you are likely going to remember the bad parts as you try to work on another dream. You need to break past the force of history and consider that a new page is opening. Fear of the past can grip you desire to do big things. Do not be moved by how others experienced their walk. We may have similar dreams but how I choose to walk and implement mine will bring the differences in results. What others say should not hold you back. I like the old Chinese proverb that says "Let those who say it cannot be done give way to the one who is doing it".

2. Bad Advice / Counsel / Wrong Associations
Sometimes it is too soon to tell other people about your vision or dream. That may scuttle the incubation process and cause a premature delivery. Counsel is important but no one understands the intricacies of your dream like you do. When counsel is given it is proper not to implement all you hear but carefully assess the counsel a write the advice points down.

3. No documentation
There are many dreams that have died while the dreamer continues to live all because there was no documentation. When you document, you have a constant reminder of something that is pending. When you die before your dream comes to pass, leave others copies of the ideas you had been working on. Your children will be able to enjoy the fruits of your dream as they implement it. If there is no blue print, plan or guideline to follow, your dream may well fade into the horizon of history on your departure. I would rather have this said about me "Well, he did not only leave money and assets but he left a dream which his family and children will enjoy". If you leave money, your name drowns soon after it has been shared.

4. Chatter Box Syndrome - Advertising Chickens When You are Holding on to Eggs
Timing sometimes is important when it comes to who you can tell of your dream. Many dreams have been mutilated because of premature publicity. You never know the reaction of those you are sharing your dream with. Maybe they will become envious, they will discourage you and point you to how impossible it is. Before you open your mouth to tell the world about your dream, consider the side effects. Most importantly be allergic to discouraging voice. The moment you conform to every voice that comes is the moment you realize that you will be more confused.

5. Inconsistency and Lack of Integrity
Your dream requires consistency through and through as well as a large degree of integrity. Consistently affirming and building the vision, consistently putting wheels to the vision so that there is continual motion, consistently putting building blocks, values and scope etc. Integrity is being an individual whose word is their bond, who calls a spade a spade. Lack of integrity will see potential funders of your dream shunning your vision.

6. Impatience
This is when you sometimes say "I want it to happen here and now". From vision conception to manifestation there is work, gestation, continual feeding and shaping of the vision. Speeding is an offense in driving and is more disastrous in the dream process. Let the vision run its full course. Some visions come to fruition in a shorter time than others. When you get into the habit of thinking the "quick return" visions are better than long term ones then you will always hop from vision to vision "hoping" for a quick returns.

7. Ignorance & Wrong Mental Focus - Lack of the Right Information can Kill Your Vision
Invest time in research and development (R&D). Living in assumption mode is dangerous. You need to take time to gather the relevant information that builds your capacity. Your mental focus plays a key role in making sure you are always building and not destroying your aspirations. What your mind conceives, if you believe it, you can easily bring it to reality. Your mental focus affects your conviction position.

8. Chasing Many Birds at Once - A Clear Sign of Indecision
Firing random shots is a waste of bullets. You must target at the bird you want to catch and go for it. A lion roars to scatter a herd of buffalo so that it can focus on the one and get it. Once it is focused on the one it is able to gather all its energy to chase and kill its prey with ease. It is good to diversify but wait until the first vision is running on its own lest you lose both visions at their infancy. It is quite overwhelming to get 3 visions off the ground at once. Some get stressed by this and they quit totally.

9. Indiscipline and Wrong Motives
Indiscipline is not doing what you plan and say you will do. Indiscipline in money matters comes when you borrow for consumption but not for investment or production. Some dreams suffer at the mercy of the motives of the dreamer. If you dream is merely about making money, then once the money does not come in time, you take off and start a new dream. If you dream is rooted on helping others, rooted on making this world a better place, then you will not be easily shaken. You will hang in there no matter what forces come against you.

10 Pride and Greed
These are cousins whose existence goes against the greatness you desire. Pride looks down on others. It does not seek to raise anyone up for greatness as that becomes increased "competition". Pride seeks limelight all the time. It wants the microphone, to be heard and to be seen. Greed on the other hand is biting more than you can chew. It is never satisfied with anything. It wants more than is allocated.

Note that "Lack of Funding" has not qualified as a major threat to your dreams. Why is it so? If you are passionate enough about your dream and work towards eliminating the enemies above, funding will follow your vision. You will not convince anyone about your dream if you impatient, greedy, ignorant - all that I addressed above.

YOUR SUMMER OF SUCCESS

I am a huge believer in short-term goals. Long-term goals
are useful, but it's the short-term projects and summer
campaigns that make all the difference in life.
Your competitors will take the summer off. Your employees
will take vacations and you'll need to cover for them, and
you will want to do some of your own fishing or attend some
ball games, or take the kids camping. These are good
things! But—and it's a huge but!—the coming few weeks can
make all the difference to your bottom line at the end of
the year.
While the world is enjoying the "lazy, hazy, crazy days of
summer" you want to set new sales goals, and achieve them!
While everyone else is relaxing in the long days of summer
(or the cold days of winter for our subscribers "down
under"), you want to be laying the foundation for a
magnificent year!
This weekend, while you're playing and having fun, take
time to jot a few notes, check the calendar and the budget,
and design the second half of your year.
This summer, get a jump on the competition. Get a jump on
your future! This summer, be busy. It's during the long
days of summer when our harvest is growing, that our
fortune is created. Use the summer well. Be busy about
important things and when fall comes and everyone else is
picking up where they left off in May, you'll be far ahead
of the game.

TOP 10 TIPS TO PROSPERITY

Experiencing a life of effortless prosperity, total financial freedom and outstanding success is available to everyone - even YOU - but you have to know the secrets! Here are 10 from the International Bestseller How to Be Wildly Wealthy FAST - make them a part of your daily experience and you'll begin to see more money, riches, wealth and abundance in your life than ever through possible!

1. Create a Millionaire Mindset
You will create more of whatever you focus on consistently. If you desire to become Wealthy and Abundant - you must THINK like the Wealthy and dream Abundant thoughts. Once you have conditioned your mind to focus on Riches, Abundance and Prosperity MORE than poverty, lack and limitation - that's when MORE Money will begin to flow into your life!

2. Know what your Money is doing
If you haven't mastered this one, you could seriously be strangling your flow of Abundance. If you spend recklessly, don't pay bills on time, have no idea what money comes in and what goes out, on a subconscious level you could actually be repelling Wealth. You may be pushing it out of your experience because deep inside, you realize you wouldn't know how to handle more money even if you had it. You will be amazed at how you 'magically' tap into MORE Prosperity when you become a master at managing your Money!

3. Constantly see the money already in the Bank
Visualizing the Riches you desire in your life will accelerate the money into your experience at lightning speed. See yourself in your mind's eye already using the things you bought with your mountains of money, living in the house you built with your wildly wonderful wealth, driving the car you purchased with your cash. Enjoy this one -- add those delicious feelings of love, satisfaction and gratitude at the same time as you see your picture of wealth for even faster results.

4. Be consistently grateful for your Abundant Riches
Gratitude is one of the most powerful, yet underestimated prosperity tricks you can use. The more you are grateful for -- the more will be given to you for you to be grateful for. This is a challenging concept if you are currently experiencing financial or personal hardship -- but it's well worth it. At the end of each day, write down at least 5 things you are grateful for -- anything at all -- the sunshine on the water, the birds singing in the trees, a cuddle from your children, the fact that the day is over and it's time for bed (when I first began studying prosperity I had to use that one on a number of occasions!). Do this consistently for the next 60 days and be amazed at the abundance that begins to flow into your life.

5. Do something that makes you feel Rich
Whether you can afford to do this on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, just make sure that you consistently do something that you KNOW rich people do! Have a massage, buy fresh flowers, go to a day spa, hire a Porsche, go to a restaurant and don't even look at the prices, have someone come in and clean your house, take your best friends out to lunch. Or do something that is FREE -- pick a bunch of flowers, take a picnic to the beach at sunset, go for a drive in an expensive estate and imagine which house you now own. Whatever it is for you -- just DO it! The more you practice this feeling rich, the faster it becomes a part of you. Just a quick note -- do NOT go into debt to practice this one, make sure you spend only what you have in cash.

6. Create a space for your Prosperity
This one is EASY! The Universe abhors a vacuum. Create a space for your prosperity and it will be filled. Get rid of the clutter in your life -- the books you don't read, the paperwork in your drawers, the old clothes that don't fit, the boxes of junk in the garage. When you clean out the old, you make room for the new -- so start creating that space for abundance today.

7. Laugh and have fun
I'm serious! One of the most important things you can do on a daily basis to move easily and effortlessly into the flow of prosperity is laugh. Having fun moves your energy into a place of attraction -- use this time wisely to attract to you the prosperity you desire. When you are playing with your children, watching a funny movie, spending time with your friends, laughing loudly at a joke -- just for a few seconds while you're in that fabulously funny space, imagine yourself as a multi-millionaire, feel the feelings you would feel knowing that you now have more money than you could ever spend, and feel SO GOOD about it.

8. Celebrate your Wealth
Do something grand or do it small, but celebrate today! Have a Prosperity party and invite your friends around complete with tuxedoes, ball gowns and waiters. Everyone (even the not so rich) must pretend for the evening that they have over $50,000,000 net worth and chat about which jet they are taking on their next overseas jaunt, what luxury car they are driving or the spending sprees they are planning. If that's out of your price (and comfort) range -- gather a group of friends and sing 'Money, Money, Money' at the top of your lungs as you dance around the house. Maybe you'd prefer to sprinkle 100-dollar bills and rose petals over your bed and roll around joyously with your lover. And make it a habit to shout thank you to the Universe every single time more prosperity flows your way -- whether that's finding 1c on the street, an unexpected $100 in the mail or a $10,000 windfall -- celebrate it all!

9. Share your good fortune
Tithing is an age-old secret that Millionaires have known about forever! Plus, they didn't wait until they were rich to begin tithing, they did it before, during and after they accumulated their wealth. Universal Law states that the more you give of something, the more you receive. If you want more smiles, give more smiles, if you want more love, give more love -- if you want more money give more money. Generally tithing means to give 10% of all you make back to the person, place or institution who feeds you spiritually or empowers you to be your best. Having said that -- don't get too hung up on where the money goes, just GIVE! Whenever you do give money to others, bless it and expect it's ten fold return back to you -- you will be amazed at the abundance that pours into your life.

10. Prosperity is more than just masses of money, outrageous riches and Avalanches of Abundance
Prosperity and Abundance are worthless if you don't have your health, loved ones in your life and something to do each day that makes your heart sing. On the other hand, if you're continually struggling financially, it certainly takes the shine off all other areas of your life. Why not have it all? It really IS possible. How would you feel if you could spend each day with friends that inspire and uplift you? Only work because you love what you do. Be able to spend your time doing what you choose and when you choose and continue to experience greater and greater levels of abundance, wealth and prosperity year after year.

When you continually and persistently create a Millionaire Mindset, manage your money wisely, visualize yourself as wealthy, are grateful for the richness already in your life, feel abundant, clean up your clutter, laugh, celebrate and share your wealth - you will unleash such a flow of prosperity in your life - you will finally believe you CAN Create Outrageous Riches, Plentiful Prosperity, Wildly Wonderful Wealth, Fabulous Financial Freedom and Mountains of Money NOW!

NEUTRALIZING YOUR TWO MAJOR FEARS

Did you know that the fear of failure is the single greatest obstacle to success in adult life? Taken to its extreme, we become totally pre-occupied with not making a mistake, with seeking approval for security above all other considerations. The experience of the fear of failure is in the words of "I can't", "I can't." We feel it in the front of the body, starting at the solar plexus and moving up to the rapid beating of the heart, rapid breathing and a tight throat. We also experience this fear in the bladder and in the irresistible need to run to the bathroom.

The Fear of Rejection Holds You Back

The second major fear that interferes with performance and inhibits expression, is the fear of rejection. We learn this when our parents make their love conditional upon our behavior. If we do what pleases them, they give us love and approval. If we do something they don't like, they withdraw their love and approval-which we interpret as rejection.

The Roots of Type A Behavior

As adults, people raised with conditional love become preoccupied with the opinions of others. Many men develop Type A behavior which is characterized by hostility, suspicion and an obsession with performance to some undetermined high standard. This is expressed in the attitude of "I have to, I have to," and is associated with the feeling that "I have to work harder and accomplish more in order to please the boss" who has become a surrogate parent.

The Most Common Trap

More than 99 percent of adults experience both these fears of failure and rejection. They are caught in the trap of feeling, "I can't, but "I have to," "I have to," but "I can't."

The Key to Peak Performance

The antidote to these fears is the development of courage, character and self-esteem. The opposite of fear is actually love, self-love and self-respect. Acting with courage in a fearful situation is simply a technique that boosts our regard for ourselves to such a degree that our fears subside and lose their ability to effect our behavior and our decisions.

Action Exercises

Here are two things you can do to increase your self-esteem and self-confidence and overcome your fears.

First, realize and accept that you can do anything you put your mind to. Repeat the words, "I can do it! I can do it!" whenever you feel afraid for any reason.

Second, continually think of yourself as a valuable and important person and remember that temporary failure is the way you learn how to succeed.

FINDING THE TRUE MEANING OF WORK LIFE BALANCE IN MODERN TIMES

Our daily lives are jam-packed with activities, appointments, and other responsibilities, all of which can create stress and anxiety, which may lead to family stress and conflict. Modern day families are prone to stress because family members, specifically parents, are required to work hard to provide for the needs of the family. Children, on the other hand, are exposed to various activities -- friends, homework, videogames, Facebook -- that take them away from their time with the family and may introduce additional stress in their lives as well. Work life balance is both a method and a goal to help families maximize quality time together.

The Myth of Work Life Balance

The term work life balance suggests that people give equal time and attention to all aspects of their lives. However, this is unrealistic because the demands of work and family simply aren't in balance. If your boss tells you that something is due by a certain deadline, or your child gets sick and needs to go to the doctor, those activities become a priority and balance goes out the window. The unexpected demands or unpredictable nature of modern life require a certain amount of flexibility as well as realism. You can't always plan for the unexpected, and sometimes you just have to drop everything to complete a project. These demands lead many parents, and even children, to feel stressed out because they feel they just can't do it all in balance.

The sad part about this is that the ideal of work life balance is not possible, if by this you mean a perfectly predictable life that is equally balanced between work and family responsibilities. This means that parents will often spend more time at the office than in the house with family while the children will often spend more time in school, with friends, and other activities, away from the family. Further, family members cannot expect to spend equal time between work and family life. Trying to achieve that kind of balance is almost impossible nowadays.
Understanding Life Satisfaction

Fortunately, family members can still strive to achieve work life satisfaction in lieu of work life balance. Work life satisfaction requires a focus on meaningful activities that yield a sense of satisfaction for work (or recreation) well done, rather than a perfect balance of time among several activities. Work life satisfaction does not dwell on the quantity of hours spent with each aspect of a person's life; instead, work life satisfaction helps a person focus on achieving quality time with the family or at work; making your time count for something important. Finally, a focus on work life satisfaction helps a person find ways to reduce stress and anxiety by focusing on outcomes rather than mere time.

Three Aspects of Work Life Satisfaction

Work life balance is the end result of a series of satisfying work life experiences. The essential components of this balance include attention to:
• Time management
• Clarity of values
• Communication

Time management focuses on allocating the limited time in a day to activities that are most important. Clarity of values helps each person be clear about what is most important to them, while communication is important to let each family member know what each person needs. Attention to these aspects will help families achieve the elusive goal of work life balance by maximizing instances of work life satisfaction.       

CLOSING THE SALE: BIG MISTAKES WHY YOUR CUSTOMER BUY FROM SOMEONE ELSE

Closing the sale can be one of the trickiest parts of the selling process if you make a few mistakes. Unfortunately, this is the part at which most entrepreneurs fail miserably. Most small business owners have an expertise in their own industry, but they often don't have a lot of first-hand experience in how to close the sale.

Below are some of the most common mistakes that entrepreneurs make in the follow up process that keep them from closing the sale. Avoid them to increase your closing ratio dramatically and turn more leads into sales.

Mistake #1: Thinking that All of Your Leads are Ready to Buy Right Now

Remember that just because people who search you out have a challenge or a problem, doesn't mean that they will be ready to buy right now. However, if you keep in touch with them, avoid pressuring them to buy, and continue to educate them, they will often come to you when they are ready to buy.

You or your sales team will want to provide information for potential clients that help them solve their problems, build a relationship with these potential clients, and follow up until they are able to make a buying decision. It is a process, and in every step of the process, the trust level between you and your potential client should grow.

Granted, though, if you are getting thousands of leads every month, it will be impossible to follow up in detail with every single lead. You will need some type of automated follow up system so that no one falls through the cracks.

Mistake #2: Giving Up on Leads

Most professional salespeople give up on prospects before they turn into business. Most entrepreneurs have an even lower closing ratio, but if you change the way that you follow up with your potential clients, you can turn things around very quickly.

When an initial lead comes in -- for instance, someone comes onto a website and requests information via a form on the website -- most small business people will do one of these things.

Most entrepreneurs will email the prospect with tons of sales literature and follow up via email a dozen times or so, then quit trying with a "that's not a real prospect after all" mentality.

Others might make a phone call and leave a voicemail and just wait for the person to call back.

Others will call and leave a voicemail and wait. Then call back and leave another voicemail. Then call back and leave another voicemail. And when the client doesn't call back, they quit trying.

A very few will send out an expensive sales kit to the client via FedEx and wait a week or two to call them again hoping that the sales kit closes the deal.

Any of those techniques will work every once in a while, but none of them will close a high percentage of deals for you.

A better process is to create different tiers of potential leads.

The first tier might be what I call email address leads. These are people who got free information from you and gave you their email address in return. If all you have is their email address, then you only have one way to follow up with them. So create an email follow up system in your CRM that combines education (information that they need) with offers to buy stuff from you. You might want to start with something small and build on it. If you are using a CRM system with an automatic email follow up, your follow up is turn-key.

The second tier might be website form leads. This is where someone comes onto your website and fills out a form requesting information or a call back from you. These are much higher quality leads, so they deserve a phone call. They are more likely to close more quickly, so be persistent in getting them on the phone. Don't just leave a voicemail and wait. Based on your conversation with them, you can determine whether you want to create more follow up calls with the person or just divert them over to your email follow up system.

Your highest tier might be call-in leads. Typically, when people call you, they want immediate results, so they will close much more quickly. Spend more time with these folks and follow up with them one-on-one for a longer period of time. Don't quit on these leads.

Whatever system you decide to use, DON'T QUIT! They requested information from you for a reason. You can help them.

Mistake #3: Giving a Sales Pitch

Don't deliver prospects a standardized sales pitch. Instead, find out why they requested information from you. Once they tell you their problem, oddly enough, they will assume that you can solve the problem.

Here are a few phrases that will be gold for you:

* Do you mind if I ask you a few questions so that I have a better idea of what we should be talking about?
* So why are you interested in (fill in the blank with whatever product or service you sell)?
* Has something happened recently that has moved this up on your priority list?

Those should help you get started on the right foot with your new prospect. The more that they talk, the more they will want to buy from you. Fight the urge to jump in when you see an opportunity to sell to them.

Example:

Business Owner: "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions so that I have a better idea of what we should be talking about?"

Prospect: "I guess so..."

Business Owner: "So why are you interested in getting some advertising specialties made for your company?"

Prospect: "Well, the company that we bought pens from last time increased their charge and then messed up our website on the pens. We had to send them back, and we didn't have any for our big tradeshow."

Business Owner: "Well let me tell why that won't be a problem with our company..."

Arrggghh... That is a BIG mistake. Your prospect is now venting to you about how bad your competitor is. Don't cut her off. Encourage her to tell you more instead. Try something like...

Business Owner: "Gosh, that sounds terrible. What do you think that cost you?"

After she vents a little more, ask another question like, "Is there anything else about your current vendor that you'd like to improve?" etc. etc.

Continue asking questions until you feel like you have a few challenges that she has experienced that you think that you can fix for her.

So if you really want to close the sale and not push those leads away, realize that many of the people who contact you are not necessarily buyers now, but will become buyers in the future if you build a relationship with them. Keep following up with your leads and get an email follow-up program to help you turn those leads into sales. And finally, don't come rushing in with a sales pitch. Instead ask questions of your prospect that gets the person to tell you what the real problem is, then offer a solution. Do these three things and you'll close the sale more often.   

STEPS TOWARD A LEADERSHIP BREAKTHROUGH

I believe that a leader faces many hurdles, however he or she
becomes stronger and more accurate at every leap. Begin the
process by practicing the following five steps.
1. Personal Growth. Leadership, just as life, is a journey. You must continue to
learn in order to lead. Each day I try to learn something, file
something and teach something. I learn from reading books,
listening to tapes or meeting with other leaders. I file the
best quotes and stories that I find, which improves my work as an
author and speaker. I also learn a great deal from teaching. My
audience lets me know if I am connecting and helping them with
the lessons I give.
 As a leader, you need to develop your own personal growth plan.
Include resources and experiences that will help you grow
professionally as well as personally. The desire to grow is the
first important step toward a leadership breakthrough.
 2. Responsibility.One of the differences between a leader and a follower is the
willingness to accept responsibility. A leader takes on the
challenge and takes responsibility for the outcome. John D.
Rockefeller, Jr. said, "I believe that every right implies a
responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every
possession, a duty."
As a leader, you must become more concerned with your
responsibility than your rights. People who take responsibility
get the job done, go the extra mile, are driven by excellence,
and produce regardless of the situation.
3. Connection.
As a leader, your relationships with your team members will
determine the effectiveness of the team. Before you will be able
to rally the efforts of your followers, you need to find out
where they are, move toward them, and connect with them.
Remember: you can connect with people and lead them only if you
value them.
Here are some ways to connect:

1) make getting to know your
people a priority;

2) look for things that you and your team
members have in common such as hobbies, experiences, interests;
3) respect differences in opinions or personalities;

4) find out
what motivates your people; and

5) include your team in the
leadership process by asking for their ideas and suggestions.
4. Resolve.
Truly effective leaders must know their priorities and be able to
concentrate their time and energy on meeting goals. A leader who
knows his or her priorities but lacks concentration knows what to
do but never gets it done. A leader who has concentration but no
priorities has excellence without progress.
I have found that I am most productive and successful when I
concentrate 70 percent of my time and energy on my strengths, 25
percent on new things, and 5 percent on areas of weakness. Learn
what you do well that brings the greatest results and make it
your priority, and dedicate the balance of your time to growth.
5. Positive Attitude.
When you are leading a group of people, your attitude is
extremely important. Because attitudes are contagious, your team
will recognize your attitude and adapt to the example you set.
If you appear irritated about the challenges your team faces,
then your team members will to become irritated too.
Your progress and the chance for success will be hindered if your
attitude isn't right. It is impossible for us to tailor our
situations to fit our lives, but it is possible to tailor our
attitudes to fit our situation.
Tailoring your attitude may take a lot of work. Start by
surrounding yourself with positive pictures, sayings and people.
Read motivational books. Then try to achieve a goal every day.
Your attitude will become more positive as you learn and sense
that you are making progress.
Leadership develops from the inside out. Achieving a
breakthrough works the same way. You have the choice to become a
more effective leader this year. It may mean letting go
of the past and moving forward with a new focus, but you'll be
glad you started moving in a new direction as you see the
benefits of reaching your leadership potential.

YOUR KEY RESULTS

I had a particularly important conversation with a client
this week. He has built a wonderful business that is
approaching $2 million in annual sales, and he realized
that while he works hard every day, he is unclear what his
most important results or outcomes need to be.
Should he focus on sales or leadership? Is he supposed to
be the visionary, or is his most important job to track the
numbers and keep everything under control?
Every task has one or two key outcomes and it is absolutely
vital that you know what they are.
In sales, your key outcome is almost certainly the dollar
volume of sales you make during each reporting period. But
to make that number, you have to know what the key factors
are!
Over time, do you get more and better results from making
cold calls or from servicing past clients? Are you more
productive when you attend networking functions, or when
you spend time with your biggest customer? Does advertising
work, or are your sales built through long-lasting
relationships?
The answer will vary by industry, by company, and according
to your own skills, personality and interests, but it is
absolutely essential that you KNOW what your key results
are, and the BEST way to achieve them.
Keep records, talk with colleagues, read, listen to audio
programs and take classes, and most important of all, take
time to analyze what works best for you!

HOW TO APPROACH OUTSOURCING & QUICK, PROFESSIONAL WEBSITES

PROBLEM

I use a webmaster for my websites. It takes time to get things uploaded quickly. I notice that you get everything up and going so quickly, and it looks good. How do you maintain your websites?

SOLUTION

Great question. There are two important things to consider:

1. How you approach outsourcing
2. How you can get things up and going quickly with a professional look

HOW YOU APPROACH OUTSOURCING

I want to appreciate the source of my comments here. Insights come from the award-winning GeniusCourse.net (The #1 genius course on the Internet). These ideas set the context for one way to approach outsourcing.

I follow the 4 "D's" of decision-making when choosing to "delegate" something like web design to an outside source.

1. Drop it
2. Delegate (outsource) to genius's
3. Do it
4. Develop my skill at it

I choose to "drop" (#1) or "delegate/outsource" (#2) a task in one of my incompetent, competent or excellent zones:

--INCOMPETENT Zone - These are tasks others can do better than you. These are activities you're no good at or that you don't enjoy. My examples: Plumbing, keeping plants alive, sewing. We persist in doing "incompetent" activities because we are unconsciously addicted to "suffering" and "frustration".

--COMPETENT Zone - These are tasks that others can do just as well and that you do well, but they aren't ultimately satisfying. My examples: Shopping, landscaping, washing the car, reading out loud. We persist in doing things that we're competent at because we are unconsciously addicted to sleepwalking, going through the motions, and maintaining the status quo.

--EXCELLENT Zone - These are tasks that you can do better than just about anyone else and that you consistently get positive feedback about your work. You do them extremely well, but they are NOT ultimately satisfying. Grant writing, managing accounts, and keeping people on task are some of my examples. We persist in doing what we're excellent at because we are unconsciously addicted to glory, approval, comfort, and doing well but playing safe.

Here are 2 tips:

Tip #1 - "Drop" or "delegate/outsource" tasks in your incompetent, competent or excellent zones. When you consider delegating/outsourcing, I recommend that you ONLY delegate to people who are in their genius zone (see below). Avoid the urge to cut corners or settle for less (i.e., people in their competence or excellence, perhaps even incompetence).

Tip #2 - "Do" (#3) the task yourself or "develop your skill" (#4) ONLY if the activity IS your expertise OR leads to the full expression of your creative genius.
So, what is your expertise, your genius?

--GENIUS Zone - Your "genius" is your unique talents. It is when doing the task, work doesn't seem like work. It is super easy. It brings you the most joy and aliveness. You produce the highest ratio of abundance per time spent. It's what you can't wait to wake up in the morning to do.

This leads me to how I chose to "develop my skill" in web design rather than "delegate/outsource" it. As I mentioned, I "develop my skill at it" if it allows me to express my creative genius more fully and organically.

It just so happens that I can create and complete high-quality products and services very fast. I like to move quickly on ideas. I hate waiting. I also see little value in paying lots of money to someone else to modify things as often as I like.

What I've discovered over the past 11 years are "basic tools" needed to get things up and running quickly with a professional look. There is a learning curve. The next section will make that learning curve smaller and easier.

HOW TO GET THINGS UP AND GOING QUICKLY WITH A PROFESSIONAL LOOK
Eleven years ago, I chose FrontPage as my web design software. I know that there are other design programs like Dream-Weaver and iWeb that are visually more powerful. Plus, more software and templates are being developed all the time.

Ask yourself, "What do I want in web design software?"

What I want most in web design software is something I can "copy and paste" easily, upload directly, integrate well with other MicroSoft products, learn quickly and update quickly. I like to know that features (like FrontPage extensions) are supported by the host service I use.

Currently, I am also using (as a novice) WordPress for web design of blogs. I only started learning it several months. I must admit that I am still barely "competent" with it. I see the value in using it and teaching it to my clients for them to develop their own content for books, newsletters, and other products through blogging. I think my blogs look professional. I imagine in 12 months, my blogging and the look will be light years ahead of where it is right now.

Back to basic web sites. FrontPage serves my needs and feeds my creative genius. Here are 3 top lessons I've learned regarding web design:

1. Market only one product or service per webpage. Then, drive traffic to that site.

2. Find templates for web pages, such as survey forms, order forms, sales pages, thank you pages, etc. Look at other comparable websites to yours. See what they do that you like, that you can adapt to your site. Reuse the templates (pretty much "copy and paste") for additional products, services and web pages.

3. Learn "just the basics" to be able to design the layout of a webpage that has a professional look, including fonts, color scheme, spacing, graphics (again, "just the basics" will do), and a little HTML code.

Here are 5 strategies I invite you to test for yourself in designing your web pages:

1. Focus on "conversion" rates (i.e., how many people "click on" and "sign up" or "buy" something) rather than just static "giving information."

2. Give away something of tremendous value to people who visit your site(s). Continually check in with your visitors and subscribers to find out what they want and need. Design products and services around the problems, needs and opportunities of those who visit your site(s).

3. Use free E-Books, videos, audios, etc. to build trust and let people get to know you digitally. Most people my age (almost 40+) are not used to surfing and shopping line. This is rapidly changing. So, while you sell your products and services, teach our generation how to be wise Internet consumers and hopefully Internet producers.

4. Upsell "high end" products and services like classes and programs that generate more money than books, CD's and other "low end" products. In the grant and fundraising industry, we have a saying that "It's sometimes just as easy to write and get a $1 million grant as it is a $100 one."

5. Focus on "keywords," market research and salescopy (i.e., benefit-driven URL's and titles, headings and sub-headings; short, power words; etc.) for each website right upfront. Don't cut corners here. Most web designers are usually weak in these and other "branding" skills. They may be great at the technical aspect of making sites look beautiful with bells and whistles, like animation and super graphics. However, few are trained in "conversion" and "branding" strategies that lead to direct sales.

CONSULTING VERSUS SELLING

One particular self-image possessed by high-achieving salespeople is that they see themselves as consultants rather than as salespersons. Do you view yourself as a consultant?

High-achieving salespeople see themselves as problem solvers with their products or services rather than as vendors looking for someone who will trade them money for what they have to offer.

Approach Them As Clients

They do not approach their customers with hat in hand, hoping for a sale. They approach their "clients" with the attitude that they are consultants calling on the prospect to help him or her solve a problem or achieve a goal.

Ask Questions and Listen Carefully

Seeing themselves as consultants, they ask questions carefully and listen intently. They focus all of their energies on understanding the customer’s situation so that they can make intelligent recommendations based on what the customer really wants and needs.

Become An Expert in Your Field

As consultants, they recognize that they must be experts, authorities in their field. They know their products and services from one end to the other. They invest many hours familiarizing themselves with every single detail of what they sell, and of what their competitors sell as well. They know the strengths and weaknesses, the advantages and shortcomings, the features and benefits of what they are offering. They have excellent product knowledge which their customers can sense and which gives both themselves and their customers greater confidence throughout the sales conversation.

Differentiate Yourself from Your Competitors

Top salespeople, positioning themselves as consultants, see themselves as resources for their clients. They see themselves and carry themselves as advisors, mentors and friends. They become emotionally involved in their transactions and they are generally concerned that their product or service be the ideal solution to the real needs of the prospects they are dealing with. They differentiate themselves from their competitors by being more concerned with helping their prospects than with selling their products or services. Their customers often feel that they care more about them than they care about making a sale. And it's true.

Action Exercises

Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.

First, see yourself as a problem-solver rather than as a salesperson. Take sufficient time to understand the prospect’s real need before you start selling.

Second, think of ways to tailor your product or service to your customer’s needs so that he sees what you sell as the ideal solution for him.

FUNDAMENTALS FOR A SUMMER OF SUCCESS

It's time to get back to work! The past few tips have
talked about maintaining a positive attitude, staying
focused, and being grateful. We live in a troubled world,
and strong skills for choosing your attitude, deciding
where to focus and staying motivated are essential. Without
self-discipline and strong habits, you will inevitably be
distracted by the media or the momentary pull of current
events.
We all fall into that trap once in a while, but as much as
possible, you want to be in charge of your own life. You
want to choose your moods, your energy level, your focus,
your goals, and your outcomes. Just as you decide what to
eat, you are in charge of choosing your priorities--and it
is up to you to stay focused on them. You are in charge of
what you think about most of the day, so think about a
great life and how to make it happen!
So let's talk about the basics, one more time. The basics
never go out of style and they never get old. As one of my
mentors, Jim Rohn, used to say, "there are no new
fundamentals!" High achievers, the winners in life, follow
certain patterns. They know the habits of success, and they
refer back to them over and over again, for a lifetime of
happy outcomes.
1.  Know your Top Values. What's important to you? Are you
clear about these things and do they inform your choices
throughout the day, every day? Values, and the achievement
of them, are the building blocks of happiness and
satisfaction. We've all heard of folks who become wealthy
or famous, powerful or whatever, but end up unhappy. These
are the folks who, at the height of their success, bemoan,
"Is that all there is? I thought it would be better than
this." That, my friends, is one of my definitions of
failure.
Most people have a pretty short list of Top Values. They
might include making money, but they probably also include
things like a loving family, spirituality, integrity,
community service, creativity, wellness, philanthropy, and
so forth. Know your Top Values and make them part of your
work-week, and your day.
2.  Powerful Self-Direction. This is my preferred term for
"goals." Where are you going and what are you doing with
your life? How do you measure success? What has meaning and
purpose, satisfaction and a sense of destiny for you? Take
charge of your life and every single day, move in the
direction you want to go.
3.  A Clear Strategy and a Plan for Achievement. Knowing
what you want is good, but knowing you want to visit Paris
won't necessarily get you there. A plane ticket, a
passport, some savings and vacation time can make all the
difference! What are the action steps, the ingredients and
skills you need for success? Be clear and tackle them, one
step at a time. A great life requires a feasible, practical
plan of action and hard, daily work! Have a checklist and
work it, day by day.
4.  Constant, Never-ending Learning. This is one of my Top
Values but I'll be daring and suggest it's an essential
component of true success. Where are you a beginner, an
amateur, a novice? Where are you stretched and feeling a
bit clumsy or self-conscious? These are the places where
you have the most potential for rapid growth! Value these
things, invest time and effort in them. Somehow, in ways I
don't quite understand, a certain type of clumsiness or
admitted ignorance, matched with passionate curiosity, is
a key to extraordinary growth. Keep learning!
You may have other additions, but at a minimum, I suggest
that a great life is built with clear Values, clear Goals,
clear Strategies, and an eagerness for Constant Learning.
These, I believe, are at least some of the fundamentals for
extraordinary success. This summer, work hard, stay
focused, and make this your "Best Year Ever!"

THE BEST OF TIMES AND THE WORST OF TIMES

I love the classic line from Charles Dickens, "It was the 
best of times, it was the worst of times." Truly, these are 
the best (and the worst) of times. The Good News is that 
you get to choose!
Watching television indicates these are clearly the worst 
of times. Economic stagnation threatens our homes, our 
jobs, our retirement, and Europe. Our health is threatened 
by a new flu from China, just when our system is adapting 
to "Obamacare."  There are reports that nerve gas has been 
used in Syria, there's Iran and North Korea to ponder, and 
we all know about the bombings in Boston. "They" say global 
warming is going to drown us all--unless an asteroid strikes 
and blows us up first. And perhaps worst of all, the FAA 
has furloughed air traffic controllers, so our flights are 
even later than usual. Folks, things are really, really 
bad!
Or not. My tomatoes (and my crab grass) are coming up right 
on schedule, there's food in my pantry, my truck is full of 
gas, my neighbours and my clients still seem to like me, and 
Mary hasn't left me (yet). My dog is at my feet, the sun is 
shining and robins are singing in the trees. I just enjoyed 
a great cigar and a good book. Surely, this must be the 
best of times????
Who’s to decide?
Here’s the nugget: YOU DO!
This week I read one of Dean Koontz' recent books, Odd 
Hours. Koontz is a prolific writer with a delightfully 
twisted perspective and his hero, a guy named Odd Thomas 
(who sees dead people), avoids "contemporary TV, 
contemporary politics, contemporary art: all too frantic, 
fevered, and frivolous, or else angry, bitter." Apparently, 
when your job as a short-order cook is frequently 
interrupted by the spirits of dead people needing help, 
life is complicated enough without watching the news. 
While Koontz' whimsical perspective is fun, it contains 
much truth. If a fry cook's life is too complex to tolerate 
the news, how about yours (and mine)? 
I've been struck, and troubled, by what President Carter 
once called a spirit of "malaise." I can't speak for the 
nation, much less the world, but I can report that I've had 
too many conversations with folks who are worried, anxious, 
distracted and fearful. Even my spam has turned negative! 
Instead of telling me I've inherited millions from an 
unknown relative, now I get warnings about the flu or 
promising help with my debts! When spam turns negative, I 
know the world is going to hell in a hand-basket.
Don't you believe it! I once heard the Dalai Lama say that 
the basic desire of all human beings is to "be happy." We 
long for peace, contentment, satisfaction, love and 
happiness, and the truth is, it's all around us.
In many of his programs and presentations, Tony Robbins 
talks about people who say the one thing they want is peace 
of mind, even while they live hectic lives that leave no 
room for a peaceful moment, much less peace of mind. He 
points out that peace of mind is available any time we want 
it. Soak in a hot-tub, take a walk, read some poetry, 
meditate or pray. Peace of mind is available, but not while 
watching the news or arguing with the kids.
I suggest that happiness largely results from an attitude 
of gratitude. These truly are the best of times if we 
choose to make them so. Most IMPACT readers are healthy. We 
are educated. We have friends, and opportunity is all 
around us. We are, by any reasonable standard, wealthy. We 
can travel, or read the best books ever written. We can 
start businesses, learn new languages or other skills. We 
can change our minds, and our lives. 
This week, as an experiment, turn off the news and have a 
conversation. Instead of television, turn on Mozart, 
Beethoven, or Streisand. Worry less, laugh more, and take a 
nap! Leave work early and invite a friend to dinner, play 
catch with your kids or walk the dog. Give thanks for the 
roof over your head and a soft bed at night. Pass out some 
balloons at the local hospital. I think you'll find your 
life is richer and much better. You may even find yourself 
being happy and feeling good!