THE SECRET TO SELF-CONFIDENCE

Everyone struggles with their self-confidence at some point – it's a natural part of our personal development. For some of us, it's just a temporary phase during those awkward teen years; for others, it's a life-long challenge. Self-confidence seems to be such a slippery thing to hold on to, as it can be heavily impacted by our environment, our experiences, and the feedback we receive from others. If only there was a self-confidence vitamin we could take every morning...
Fortunately, there is a simple system to gaining and maintaining your self-confidence, and you can add it into your daily self-care routine, right along with those other vitamins! Are you ready for the secret to self-confidence? It is having greater self-awareness – being aware of how you think, feel and act – and it has four important components:

1. Know Yourself
2. Understand Yourself
3. Accept Yourself
4. Love Yourself

Know Yourself
The first step in creating greater self-awareness is to know yourself. Do you pay attention to your thoughts, feelings and actions? This is absolutely essential, because you can't change what you don't notice.
As you move through your day, listen to your thoughts. Are they mostly positive and productive, or do you have a lot of self-criticism or other mental chatter running through your head? You may even want to carry a small notebook around with you to record your most commonly recurring thoughts.
Our feelings are highly accurate barometers of how well we are taking care of ourselves. Feelings can be triggered by our thoughts, our experiences, and our interactions with others. Notice your moods throughout the day (again, you may want to record this in your notebook), so you can get a clear picture of your emotional ups and downs – and, most importantly, what caused them.
Finally, take a good look at your actions. Do your actions support your goals, or do you find yourself distracted with trivial activities or procrastinating getting the important things done? Consider using your handy notebook to make a list of absolutely everything you do during one 24-hour period (and how much time you spend doing it). You may be amazed at how much time and energy is lost in optional or non-essential activities.
Understand Yourself
The second step in creating greater self-awareness is to understand yourself. When you take the time to notice and know your thoughts, feelings and actions, you will begin to see patterns of beliefs and behaviors. Once you recognize these patterns, it is important to explore how they were created and how they may be limiting and restricting you, rather than supporting you.
Review your list of your most common negative thoughts, and see if you can remember when they first began to appear. Perhaps you can remember a specific event in your childhood that created this thought pattern, or perhaps a particular set of thoughts sound just like your mother or father... Understanding the origin of your thought patterns and beliefs can be a powerful first step to realizing that they are not serving you and figuring out what you need to do to break free from their spell.
The only way to understand your feelings is to allow yourself to feel them – without judging, stuffing or denying them. When you feel a strong emotion, remind yourself that it is okay to feel this way. Then ask yourself what is underneath the emotion. Perhaps your feelings are trying to draw your attention to an unmet need or some unresolved pain from the past. Discovering why you feel a particular emotion helps you to understand yourself and ultimately take better care of yourself.
You may want to review your 24-hour activity list, paying extra attention to those activities that could be considered an unproductive use of your time, energy and focus. What excuses, explanations or justifications did you tell yourself to make it “okay” to choose these activities over something else? What kind of motivation, support or resources would have made a difference in helping you make healthier or more productive choices? Understanding how and why you select which actions you take throughout your day will help you to remain more conscious (and conscientious) about your activities.
Accept Yourself
The third step in creating greater self-awareness is to accept yourself. As you gain a greater understanding of your thoughts, feelings and actions, it becomes easier to lessen your self-judgments and become more self-compassionate. Accept yourself for who and how you are in the moment, know that you don't have to be perfect, and maintain a steady momentum of personal development to bring you even closer to your ideal you.
It can be challenging to quiet negative mental chatter and focus your thoughts in more healthy directions. Don't beat yourself up when you get into a mental funk – that's just creating more criticism and judgment! Instead, take a deep breath and redirect your attention to more constructive thoughts. Since your brain can only hold one thought at a time, you may want to create a list of affirmations or positive statements to say out loud or silently to yourself to replace any negativity.
Give yourself permission to notice and feel your feelings, and be gentle with yourself when you feel vulnerable. Notice if you need support in expressing and releasing your emotions and find a healthy way to get that support, whether it is with friends and family, your spiritual community, counseling, or another resource.
Choose your actions wisely. Seek a balance between productive activities that will bring you closer to your goals, and recreational activities that will nurture and energize you. Reward yourself when you do something spectacular or achieve a big goal, and forgive yourself if you have a frustrating or unproductive day.
Love Yourself
The fourth step in creating greater self-awareness is to love yourself. When you choose to accept yourself, rather than judge yourself, it's easier to notice your good qualities and celebrate your successes. You'll grow to like the person you are, and then one day you'll wake up and realize that you're in love with your life and yourself!
Your thoughts will be loving and supportive, and you will have a much more positive outlook. Your emotions will flow freely, and you will feel comfortable expressing your wants and needs. Your actions will be in alignment with your goals and dreams, and you will feel empowered to live your life to the fullest.
When you know yourself, understand yourself, accept yourself, and love yourself, you will naturally be more self-confident. Incorporate these four steps into your daily routine, and you will be amazed at how much better you feel about yourself and the world around you!

WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?

Every successful business leader has a clear answer to this
vital question:  Why are you building this company? Who
does it serve and what's your greater purpose? Answering
these questions costs you very little, and it can pay huge
dividends.
For some entrepreneurs, the primary purpose is simply to
create a business that can be sold. They have a talent for
seeing a need and designing systems to meet the need while
making a profit, and they love starting new businesses.
Once the company is established, they often sell it and may
repeat the process again and again through the years. 
Most business owners, however, have some other purpose in
mind, and it is often deeply personal. Some want to build a
company they can pass on to their children. Others want to
see how large and profitable they can make it, and they
dream of a vast enterprise with thousands of employees.
Still others, want a business that expresses their values
or contributes to society in some way.
In my experience, I am struck that it
does not seem to matter what the reason actually is. What
matters is the ability to keep it in sight at all times.
Knowing your personal vision, your purpose or mission, the
"reason we do this," is absolutely critical.
The solution is simple:  Keep your eyes on the prize! Step
back, gain perspective, renew your commitment. Remember WHY
you are doing this! If you are clear enough about the
"why," you'll figure out the "how".
Often, a management retreat or conference, perhaps an in-
service or training can make all the difference. People
need time and space to think "outside the box." They need
permission to speak their secret thoughts and formulate
their dreams. But out of the process, often management and
the entire enterprise gain clarity, purpose and
productivity. I recommend it!

THE KEY INGREDIENT FOR SUCCESS

At one time or another, all of us have wondered about the
"secret" to success. We've all seen some young person get
the big promotion, or someone with less talent or less
education end up as the star of the show. At those times,
it's natural to wonder if there isn't some mysterious
"secret" that we've over-looked.
Well, there isn't.
One of my heroes, Jim Rohn, said, "Success is the natural
result of practicing the basics and following the
Fundamentals." He would usually go on to list perhaps three
or four common-sense principles for success. He'd remind us
to set clear goals and measurable outcomes, and to focus on
them. He'd talk about the simple act of "showing up"--
keeping our promises, being on time, under-promising and
over-delivering. But mostly, he'd remind us of the value of
hard work.
Hard work has never had much going for it. Few people enjoy
working hard, especially when there are alternatives like
quitting early, working slower, or hiring someone else to
do the messy parts. Even simple procrastination seems to be
more popular than working hard and persevering to the end.
But the fact remains that work is the necessary ingredient
to make things better.
As I recall my college physics from long ago, work was
defined as using energy to affect objects. There always had
to be some kinetic energy, and that energy had to impact a
real object. In order for "work" to occur, heat had to make
water boil or someone had to use their energy to stack a
pile of boxes. Energy plus movement equaled work.
That may be technically incomplete (I'll let the scientists
supply what my memory lacks), but it captures the essence
of transforming our lives.
We have to get up, get dressed, and get something done. We
have to pick up the phone and call someone. We have to make
a sale, pound a nail, design a circuit, write some code or
in some other way create value. In that sense, work is both
the necessary ingredient to improve our lives, and it is
something of a miracle.
To celebrate Labor Day in September, I often use the
ancient story that says God created the world in six days,
and rested on the seventh day. I note that the story lists
many things God created, from the "heavens and the earth,"
to the animals and finally, humans. But then, in
commemoration of Labor Day, I note that God left the final
details to us. He gave us the honor of completing creation
by inventing and building all the stuff around us. Our
homes and offices, our computers and telephones were not
directly created by God. They were invented and
manufactured through human effort.
And the inventors and builders tend to get rich!
We are coming up on the end of January. The first month of
2015 is almost gone. The year is about 8% over. So here's
the question: Are you 8% of the way to reaching your goals
for the year?
Most of us have things we want to achieve this year. For
some, they are very specific and detailed. Some of us have
flow-charts, budgets, and written schematics for every step
of the way. For others, the goal is a vague sense of
direction or desire. But human beings want stuff, and most
of us want life to get better. We want better health, more
money, better relationships. We want travel or adventure,
education, fame or power.
Whatever you desire, you'll have to work to make it happen.
Yes, luck and happenstance will play a role, but as many
have noted, "hope is not a strategy." You are unlikely to
"stumble" into wealth, fame or happiness. When people
stumble, they usually land on their knees. Often with their
face on the pavement. I recommend a strategy with a better
likelihood of success.
I recommend focused, disciplined, organized work.
Get up early. Make a plan. Organize the steps, the tools,
and the resources you'll need. Budget your time and energy.
Then get to work. A client in Australia recently gave me a
wonderful new phrase. She has lots of important work to
complete in the next couple of weeks and she wrote that her
motto is, "Head down, tail up." I hadn't heard that before,
but it made me laugh and it reminded me to get to work.
Head down, tail up. Achieve your goals. Create the life you
want.

MR. RESILIENT: 5 MONEY LESSONS WE CAN LEARN FROM DONALD TRUMP

Donald Trump sits not only at the helm of the trump organization but is one of the world's most successful entrepreneurs. Sure, this wealthy business man may be a bit polarizing, but he’s overcome financial adversity time and time again. This iconic and immensely wealthy individual can teach us treasured lessons about life in general and money in particular. Go ahead, read and absorb the information below – your financial IQ will increase exponentially.
1. Money Matters Require You to Think Beyond Ordinary Limits
Donald has repeatedly stated that, as long as an individual is thinking, it is paramount that he or she thinks big. Thinking outside the confines of average considerations opens one's eyes to new opportunities. This, by extension, implies that your spending will be more productive than in ordinary occasions when expenditure tends to give nothing in exchange for taking your money.
Trump advises that one plans only for big things in life, since there is always a room for success for people who dare to think big. You will also realize that spending is targeted, and your money gives you satisfaction and attracts the desired success.
2. Money Requires Present Focus
Money sense comes from learning from past encounters and planning for the future. However, success will be realized by exclusively being focused on the present. As they allege; the past is dead and buried. Therefore, your money will work for you if your focus is pegged to the lessons from the past. Since the future is yet to come, it is not recommended that your money is focused on uncertainties.
Your money will only be beneficial if your present dealing and use of cash is maximal. This will prevent your present and future endeavors being replicated into your past misfortunes. All your money and resources should be directed to making current ventures as productive as possible.
3. Success Is Never Guaranteed
You may instill discipline in your spending, your focus on venture may be unmatched, but failure is often inevitable. According to Mr. Trump, sometimes it is in losing a fight that one discovers the way to winning a war.
There are times when losses will hit, despite having planned and made the best use of your money. Therefore, be a cautious spender, but never be apprehensive about failing. Remember, charting a course to success is never stress-free, and there are numerous hills of failure along the way.
4. Moderation Is Not Always a Guarantee for Success
Donald Trump's lifestyle is far from a moderate one. He is, in fact, known for the phrase that, if you can't go big, simply go home. This does however give you a green light to becoming a thoughtless spendthrift. It merely implies that there's no need to spend life in depravity. Spend your money wisely; use it to make your life comfortable.
5. Watch Your Spot
Donald Trump has, on various occasions, showed that life is, to a great magnitude, all about luck. Your money should be placed on every opportunity that comes your way. It may look like too much of a risk with your hard earned money, but remember that accomplishment beckons to those who dare to take risks.
Look for promising ventures and place your money in them. While it’s wise to perform your due diligence while investigating opportunities, sometimes you just have to trust your gut instinct. Let your money bring you happiness; be wise with it. Have fun and enjoy your money.

CAN'T LIFE BE BETTER THAN THIS?

In Henry Thoreau's book, "Walden," for
the first time and even then I was haunted by his complaint
that "Most men live lives of quiet desperation." While he's
famous for that quote, most people don't know the chapter
it comes from.
He has a long essay on the pain he sees in most people's
lives. He isn't talking about the illness or trauma that
can strike any of us, but the fact that so many good
people, doing the best they can, are stuck in a sort of
limbo where they aren't terribly miserable, but they aren't
very happy, either. He talks about people working all month
to pay the bills, with nothing to show for it. He talks
about people doing work that doesn't suit them, or with
lifestyles that are bereft of beauty, humor, art or joy.
He talks about people "settling" for less than life could
be.
He talks about people who are bored, always looking for
some temporary pleasure to distract or humor them. He talks
about people who are so busy with the mundane and ordinary
tasks of life that they have no time or energy or passion
to explore the unlimited potential of being fully human and
fully alive. And he says this is a kind of "desperation."
This week, our culture's distraction with the violence in
Europe made me think about these things again. Too often,
we fall prey to the media's desire to dazzle us with the
bizarre that we forget to make the most of our own lives,
here and now.
It is true, of course, that we are all fascinated by the
unusual and the extraordinary. Of course we are! There's no
shame or problem with that, so long as it is only a
temporary distraction from our primary focus of living a
great life.
We live in a time when anything that happens, anywhere on
earth, comes into our homes and shows up on our phones, in
"real time." Used appropriately, our access to instant
communication is a wonderful thing! No one can deny that.
But for some of us, the daily news plus our daily routine
prevent us from expressing the highest and best that is in
us. We worry about the economy or politics or  the threats
war, and these things, along with our ordinary daily
rituals, become a substitute for living according to our
highest ideals.
Don't let that happen to you!
Every single day, we are faced with the choice of how we
will live. We can worry about the news, or we can build the
life we want. We can expend enormous energy on big,
exciting problems "out there" (about which we can do
little) or we can address the challenges of living the life
we choose. It's up to each of us how we use our time and
talents, every day.
Day by day, we can build memories with our children, or we
can focus on tragedy. We can read the best books ever
written, or we can watch more television. We can build our
businesses and develop our skills, or we can fret about the
economy. We can move and dance and make our own music, or
we download more iTunes.
Throughout history, most people have been hard pressed to
do more than survive, but that is not us! We have the best
education and richest resources in history! We can enjoy
fine wine for a few dollars a glass. We can enjoy great
music, or great conversation, or listen to the smartest
people on earth, often in person, and anytime via
recordings. The world is our oyster! And yet, too often, we
let it pass us by.
This week, determine that you will live your own life, in
your own way, to the very best of your ability. Be as
eccentric and unique and joyful as you truly are! Do one
new thing, or do at least one thing differently. Spend one
hour exploring the highest and best that is in you. I think
you'll like the results.

CLONING FOR PROFITS

One of the key distinctions between creating your own job
and building a business, is the ability to have other
people work for you. This isn't about necessarily about
"cloning" yourself, exactly, but about building a team to
serve your customers and help you make money.
Most professionals run their practice as a small business
for tax and accounting reasons, but in fact they have a job
they created for themselves.  They may enjoy not working
for a corporation, but they still have to show up and do
their work every day in order to get paid. If they take a
week off, the income stops.
Fortunately, more and more professionals are training
others to do much of what they used to do themselves.
Attorneys use legal assistants, and physicians and dentists
use more (and more highly trained) assistants all the time.
The most successful sales professional I've coached is a
real estate agent with a personal staff of 4 people who
work for her, not for her broker/employer. In many cases,
her staff can close sales even if she is on vacation, so
her commissions continue even when she's at the beach!
Successful business people learn to delegate. They hire
experts who can strengthen and diversify the office. They
understand that training and leading a team will always be
more profitable than doing it by yourself.

THE ART OF DELEGATING

The saying goes that Management is doing things right, and Leadership is doing the right things. It sounds good on the surface – leaving the details up to the Managers while the Leaders lead. Or play golf.
But how can you be an effective Leader if you’re not aware of the logistics involved in your enterprise?
At some point – either on the way up in your career, or during on-going operations – you’ll need to understand the nuts and bolts of your project.
This essential makes the atmosphere ripe for getting a little too involved with logistics, leading to that dreaded syndrome known as “meddling.”
I know it’s not a pretty thought, but if folks are whispering about you as you walk by, it may be time to reassess and loosen your grip on your team.
Just as in that epic game involving 18 holes and a rambling lawn, business works best when you’re loose. It’s important to know when to loosen your grip and allow others to assume some responsibility. (Ask me how I know.)
Yes, as a matter of fact, loosening-up does include maintaining a sense of humor.
Loosening up will not only free up your time, it will help build the team rapport that’s so essential to your smooth-running operations. Once you get into the flow, you’ll be able to adapt your delegation style as the situation requires.
And the more you delegate, the easier it becomes. Actually, it can be downright addicting – leaving you more time to work on your golf swing.

Beware of the Sand Trap

Before you get too happy with the delegation idea, there is a caveat. When you give too much responsibility too soon, your team members can lose confidence in themselves, especially if they fall short of completing the tasks they’re given.
This means delegating big jobs should be a gradual process. The amount of responsibility you allocate as a Leader should increase only as your people grow in confidence and ability.
Here are some guidelines to help you bring your delegating skills up to par:
1. Climate: Think of your attitude about delegation within your team. Where do you fit in as a Leader? Keep in mind:

• The culture within your team
• Your Leadership style
• Your own competence and confidence
• Your physical location in relation to your staff
• Your attitude about your staff’s delegation

2. Style: Consider the details of your current method of delegation practices. Are you using the most appropriate method you have available, considering your unique circumstances? If not, think about your alternatives, including the following factors:

• Your team’s expertise and experience: Could they do with more guidance and supervision? Or should you be giving them more freedom to use their judgment and perform as they see fit?
• Your team’s professional development: Are you doing enough to help them perform their jobs more effectively? Could you provide them with additional training that might broaden their skills or allow them to perform more effectively?
• Letting go: Are you delegating enough to make efficient use of your own time? Do you sometimes find yourself holding onto tasks others could do? Letting go could free you up to spend time on strategy and other tasks that you alone are qualified to do.

3. Hone Your Strategy: Take time to write down some of your thoughts. Make a note of your delegation style, then note any ideas about what a more appropriate style could be.

• What can you do to improve your delegation style?
• What do you need in order to change?
• What can you do to prepare your staff for that change?

4. Inner Game: Now spend some time analyzing what you have written. Write down three key action points which you will try to carry out in practice over the course of the next few months.
When delegating tasks, try to match tasks to the skills and potential of team members. Spend a few minutes thinking about their skills and areas where they might have a desire to develop, expressed or implied. These talents can be incorporated into your final action plan.
5. Approach: Be mindful of making team members’ jobs interesting and delegating logically.
Create an action plan to cover the aspects of delegation you’ve identified. The framework will differ depending on the number of tasks there are and how they’re allocated to your team.
Both you and your team members need to come together to share expectations for the project. Ultimately, you want to run a happy shop. Comparing your expectations will show where you are in agreement and where you need to come closer together.

Keep the Long Range In View

Before acting on your plan with your team, make the effort to agree on a deadline for completion of the tasks and a date and time for a review session.
This session will give you a chance to revisit the points you agreed on and ensure that everything is on track. If you meet before the deadline, you’ll have a chance to answer any questions or address any problems that arise in the course of the project.
When you and your team do meet the deadline, make sure you take some time to celebrate… say, at the 19th hole. In fact, setting up your next team golf outing could be the very first task you delegate!

A BASIC, POWERFUL BUSINESS PLAN

As long-time readers know, I am a believer in the value of
planning. I am convinced that any plan is better than no
plan, and that most small businesses do not spend enough
time deciding where they want to go, or grow.
Sometimes, I am told folks "don't know how" to write a
business plan! And, from a technical perspective, that
might be true. But these same people know how to plan a
vacation, a celebration or a party. You can do this!
Begin your planning by reviewing last year. Start with what
you earned, and how many customers you served. Look for
patterns and ask questions. The data may be in your
accounting program, in your files, or in your appointment
book, but you do have what you need to begin planning for
the new year. Use that data!
Next, dream a little. How much money would you like to make
in 2015? How much do you want to work? Considering your
clients base--do you want more of the same, or do you want
to make some changes? Simply decide what you want for the
coming year.
Then, the part that terrifies most of us. Decide how you
will make it happen. Do you need to raise your fees, do
more marketing, or learn new skills? Do you need to hire an
assistant, or up-grade your equipment? Do you need a coach
to mentor you?
Planning is a three-part exercise. Start with what you
have, choose some targets for the year ahead, and devise a
plan to make it happen. Yes, you'll make mistakes, and of
course nothing will go exactly as you planned. That's
called life. It is NOT an excuse to avoid planning.
A plan will focus your time and energy. Any plan, even
notes on a scrap of paper, will give you a sense of
direction. Before the new year gets away from you, write a
plan! A year from now, you'll be glad you did.

CREATING THE LIFE OF YOUR DREAMS

What does a GREAT life mean to you? That is one of the most
important questions an adult can ask and answer.
Too many of us wander through life and never ask ourselves
the hard questions. We fantasize that a great life is
having money or fame or raising a family, perhaps driving a
new car or having a house in the Hamptons, but we never
rigorously decide exactly how we want to live our lives.
What, exactly, would make your life fantastic in every
possible way?
We all know that a great life does not happen by accident.
A great life is not inherited and it does not come with a
diploma, a promotion, getting married (or divorced), having
kids or retiring early. A great life is never automatic and
it never comes pre-packaged with the "goodies" of life.
Sure, lots of money, a penthouse apartment, political power
or winning the Nobel Prize are wonderful things. I
encourage you to aspire to any (and all!) of them.
But none of them will guarantee you a great life.
It seems that a GREAT life has a grand purpose, a central
theme and a unifying vision. A great life is a lifestyle
that is chosen "on purpose" and is lived in service of
something greater than itself. A great life is invested,
not merely spent.
Second, it seems to me that a GREAT life makes a
contribution. A great life uses its talents and abilities
to change at least one small corner of the world for the
better. A great life stands up, speaks out, and gets things
done. A GREAT life makes a difference and leaves the world
a better place.
Third, it seems to me that a GREAT life leaves a path for
others to follow. It is good to DO great things; it's even
BETTER to do great things and teach others to follow your
lead. A GREAT life leaves a legacy. A GREAT life inspires
the next generation to go further, reach farther, dream
bigger and achieve more.
I am convinced that every one of us has the ability and the
right to live a GREAT life. Greatness is not reserved for
the lucky few, for the rich or the powerful, for the
artistic or for any small category of people. A GREAT life
is the birthright of every human being, whether we exercise
our greatness in designing tall buildings or by teaching
our children to stand tall.
Greatness is our birthright, whether we express our
uniqueness in business or government, in art or music, in
parenting, or in any of the thousands of "small" ways that
we often over-look, but which are absolutely essential.
Most people remember a special teacher, and many of us had
an uncle who taught us to whistle or a grandmother who
taught us to read. Perhaps there was a neighbor who taught
us to fish, who gave us our first job, or encouraged us
when things were hard.
We all have the opportunity, and the challenge, to make a
difference and to be  GREAT. Each of us is invited to live
a life of substance and distinction, a life that changes
the world for those we touch.
I love the story of the "star thrower", about a man walking
on a beach after a storm, throwing starfish back into the
ocean so they wouldn't die on the shore.  Someone
criticized him for wasting his time, noting there were
millions of starfish, that he couldn't possibly throw them
all back, and the few he saved wouldn't make any real
difference. The man silently bent over, threw a starfish
into the surf and replied, "It made a difference for that
one."
Set it as your minimum standard to live a GREAT life, and
to make a difference. Someday, we will all look back and
assess our lives, and when that time comes, we want to look
back and smile, knowing we did it well. Set that as your
standard, and go for it!

WHAT IS A LEADER? DEFINING LEADERSHIP QUALITIES FOR SUCCESS

What does it take to be a Transformational Leader?
You know what I’m talking about – that one in a million, riveting presence. I’m talking about the kind of person who enters the room and the very air around them scintillates with excitement.
Heads turn.
People are drawn in as if by some gravitational force, and this leader doesn’t need to lift a finger – just smile, nod, and say hello – and it’s clear to everyone in the room who’s got control of the situation.
So what is that?
Is it natural born charisma? Is it a refinement honed in finishing school? Do they pass it around in certain zip codes along with the gold-plated pacifier and the silver baby rattle?
Is it won in a knock-down, drag-out fight in some back alley, as unspoken as an illicit game of craps?
Does it dwell in a natural spring, deep within the craggy peaks of a distant mountain range, guarded by monks in saffron robes? How do you get to be a leader?

Leadership and Its Necessities

Some would say that in order to be a great leader, a person first has to be a great follower. But there’s evidence to suggest that some of the world’s greatest leaders have been terrible followers, at least in some respects, from their earliest childhood. So leadership is not dependent on social influence.
Some would say that leadership requires mental refinement, a world-class education, and wholesome, discerning social influences from an early age – the right neighborhood, the right friends, the right mentors.
The saying goes, if you have nine broke friends, odds are you’re the tenth. Yet again, we find that some of the greatest leaders the world has ever known have come from the most humble environments imaginable. So leadership is not dependent on education.
Some would say that inspired leadership comes from the clarity of mind that can only be the result of peak physical conditioning – that without freedom from the distraction of ill health, true greatness is elusive. But that’s not really the case either.
In fact, sometimes overcoming fearsome pain serves to sharpen the resolve.
Leadership is a choice, and being a good leader is a skill that anyone can learn. It takes the right model, the right kind of analysis, and above all, it takes action.
When you strengthen your commitment to service, you can more effectively communicate your values and vision – whether it’s to an audience of one or a million and one.
When you apply yourself and get clear on the goal, you’ll understand clearly when it’s necessary to make sacrifices and when to stand your ground.

Transformational Leadership Defined

Transformational Leadership can be defined as the amalgam of vision, influence, and strength. This isn’t the total picture of great leadership, but it’s a place to start. First, let’s define these terms.

VISION:

Vision involves seeing the big picture. Now, a lot of people think this means looking toward the future, having an idea of what it looks like, and driving toward it with laser-like focus.
I say vision also involves a clear perception of the past as well – a knowledge of history and how it impacts the present. Having vision means understanding the lay of the land, what things look like today to clearly map the best route to that future destination.

INFLUENCE:

Influence is a tricky one. It means clearly communicating your desires and intent in such a way that others agree with your assessment about the action you believe is required. Now, this is not to be confused with manipulation, yet all too often it is. In fact, there are courses widely available in the marketplace today that teach mental manipulation in the guise of sales and leadership tactics.
But unless you connect with the hearts and minds of those you’d like to influence, any psychological manipulation is going to wear off. Trust is earned, not coaxed. That’s the kind of influence we’re talking about here, and it’s more closely aligned with evangelism. It’s also more potent than any temporary persuasion tactics could hope to be. Influence needs rapport.

STRENGTH:

Strength comes into play during the times you least suspect you’ll need it. As a leader, inner strength is something you must loan not only to those who would follow you, but to yourself as well. It comes from, not mere interest, but from a conviction deep in your soul that the road you’re on is the right path. In fact, it’s the only path.
What will help to build this strength as a leader is being clear on what some people call your Why – your reason, your goal, your motivation. What’s driving you? Make it clear and tangible. Make it concrete. Make it real. Believe it.
Vision… influence… strength: these are the bedrock qualities of a Transformational Leader. When you have these, what comes after seems inevitable.

HOW TO PREVENT Q1 HANGOVER

The Q1 sales hangover: Just like a real hangover, it results from having “overdone” it just a bit—in this instance, during Q4. As sales professionals approached year-end, call volumes and emails increased. Some of this was due to prospects looking to use up their budget before year-end, but the majority of it was due to salespeople looking to make up an increasingly obvious shortfall in their numbers.
As December 31st inched closer and closer, desperation increased. The salesperson offered discounts and incentives to get customers to close now—offers he would never have made earlier in the year when he still had hope. He knows this behavior is self-defeating. Consistently offering discounts late in the year only encourages customers to wait. It becomes a vicious cycle that can’t seem to be broken.
There is still time to overcome the Q1 hangover in 2015 before you enter the vicious cycle again—it’s not too late to improve behaviors to ensure that the rest of Q1 will be better. As with a real hangover, your commitment to improving your behaviors is never stronger than when you're feeling the pain.

Everything in moderation

The key to avoiding the Q1 hangover is to spread everything out as evenly as possible.
The sales professional needs to understand the behaviors and activities that lead to success and then use that knowledge all year long. By having piled everything into Q4, he almost certainly resorted to cutting corners, such as offering discounts, working on low-probability opportunities, etc., as he became more desperate.
 The Q1 hangover cycle can be broken. As you work on opportunities throughout the year, ask yourself the following questions:

• Have you clearly defined the customer commitments needed to move the opportunity down the funnel?
• Are you working only on those opportunities that deserve your attention, or are you shortchanging your best prospects by working with less-committed customers?
• Are there critical phases in the process where you need to act with greater urgency?
• Do you need to collaborate more with your selling team?

Sales professionals need to ask themselves these hard questions even if their management team does not. By the end of this quarter, you may find yourself with a brighter outlook and a much clearer head.

PLANNING FOR SUCCESS IN 2015

The holidays have come and gone, and we've started a brand
new year! Most of us have a list of Resolutions, goals,
projects or dreams for the coming year. Some use a rigorous
goal-setting process, while others are more casual, but
almost everyone knows where they want to go and what they
hope to achieve in 2015.
What's less common is having a plan to actually "get
there."
We've all heard the old joke that "the best laid plans of
mice and men go oft astray," or the more cynical version
that "the road to hell is paved with good intentions." At
the start of the year, we all have great intentions! We
want this to be a wonderful year. We're going to get in
shape, make more money, spend time with loved ones, travel
and invest wisely. Who doesn't want to "be, have, and do"
more and better than last year?" We all have GREAT
intentions!
But we know how often the future tends to repeat the past.
Year after year, too many of us continue down familiar
paths and life stays about the same. The problem is not
with hard work--sometimes I think we work too hard and
sacrifice too much in our quest for success. And the
problem isn't with talent or education or desire. We've got
that!
The problem is that most people work from an inadequate
plan.
After more than 25 years of experience, I am
convinced that most people do not understand the importance
of a thorough, detailed plan. They have a dream or goal,
they have a general sense of how to get there, and they
think they are ready for success. Unfortunately, they are
wrong.
In building a new home, no one jumps from an architect's
sketch to hiring contractors and giving them only a vague
set of plans. NO! To build a home requires many separate
sets of blueprints. There are blueprints for the
excavation, more for the framing contractor, and another
set for the electrical systems. The plumber wants a set,
and so do the heating people.
And yet, how many of us attempt to achieve our goals with
only a simple list of "steps?" Don't do that to yourself!
If you are serious about your goals for 2015, invest a
couple hours (or more) and consider the following:
1.  DEFINE precisely how you'll measure success. "What gets
measured, gets done." When you can describe your goal to a
child in a few words ("We're going to Disneyland for your
birthday."), you're getting close. Keep it simple. Be
specific.
2.  LIST the steps. What are the incremental actions
required to achieve your goal? What problems will you face
and how will you solve them? Create a written list of as
many steps, actions and benchmarks as you can.
3.  SEQUENCE the steps. Few people can run before they
walk, so be clear about what comes first, what comes
second, and so forth. To achieve your goals, it's critical
to do things in the correct order, first things first.
4.  CALENDAR your steps. What has to be completed this
month? What must be done by March? How will you know if
you're on schedule in August? Write it down!
Life teaches us that the most complex problems can be
solved if we follow directions. My favorite example is
cooking. Give me a kitchen of wonderful ingredients, pots,
pans and utensils and (most of the time) I'll only succeed
in making a mess. But add one more thing--a recipe--and
suddenly I can cook!
Your success is something like that. You've got your goals
and resolutions. Now, use a detailed plan (a good "recipe")
to make sure you achieve them in 2015.