DISCOVER YOUR PLACE

I realize that everybody has a place to occupy. The difference is just the time of our manifestation. Because your time has not come does not mean that your time will not come. All is required of you is to keep at it. Your time will come.

I will like to share this story that a friend shared with me. It is an illustration between the fern and the bamboo seeds. When God planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, he took very good care of them. He gave them light, water and other things for growth. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But He did not quit on the bamboo.

In the second year the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But God did not quit on the bamboo. In third and fourth year, there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But God would not quit.

“Then in the fifth year, a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant..But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.

Then the question is, why this long? That is the question most of us asked and as a reason a lot of us give up and think that things are not working for me. Let us consider the Bamboo seed again. It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots madde it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. God would not give any of His creations a challenge it could not handle.

In is what you are on the inside that determines how you will become on the outside. God is working on you to make you what you ought to be. God will not give up on you so don’t give up on yourself. God said that, “did you know that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots”. “I did not quit on the bamboo, I will never quit on you.”

Don’t compare yourself to others.” He said. “The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern yet they both make the forest beautiful. Your time will come.

NUGGETS

Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you’ll help them to become what they are capable of becoming.

BEING AN EXTRAORDINARY LEADER THROUGH TOUGH AND CHALLENGING TIMES

Tough and challenging times will surely come. That is a given. The question is what kind of leadership we will demonstrate during those time. Those who are weak leaders will see lasting damage done, if not see the organization fall apart completely. With Extraordinary Leaders at the helm, however, an organization can actually become stronger and thrive in spite of the tough and challenging times. That should be our goal so here are some idea on how to be an Extraordinary Leader in tough and challenging times!

1. Keep Your Eye on the Big Picture. When things get tough, everybody’s temptation is to become acutely focused on the problem. The Extraordinary Leader, however, will keep his or her eye on the big picture. This doesn’t mean that we don’t address the problem. In fact, we have to address the problem. But what separates a leader from a follower is that the leader doesn’t get caught up in the problem. The leader sees the big picture and keeps moving toward the vision. The further they take their followers toward the vision, the further away from the problem they get.

2. Don't Get Caught in the War or the Friendly Fire. When it gets tough even the most loyal team members can be tempted to start shooting and, unfortunately, they sometimes shoot each other! Rather than focusing on the enemy on the outside, they begin to question each other and find many faults with one another that they normally would not have seen. The Extraordinary Leader is the one who can keep from being drug into the fray. They keep their eye on the big picture and act rationally and objectively. They understand that people are heated and are saying things they don’t really mean. The people are firing because they are angry or scared. The Extraordinary Leader understands this and rises above it. This way, they take fewer arrows and they set the example for their followers.

3. Be First to Sacrifice. When it gets tough, like when there has to be cuts in salaries etc, the leader should do just that - lead. They need to not only be the one who is rewarded the greatest when all is well, but they need to be the first to sacrifice. The Extraordinary leader says, “I know many of you are concerned with the salary cuts. I am too. In the long run we will be healthy again but for the mean time, this is necessary. Understanding this, I want you to know that I am taking a 20% pay reduction myself. I want you to know that we are in this together.” The Extraordinary Leader is the first to sacrifice and will be rewarded with the loyalty of his or her followers.

4. Remain Calm. Panic is one of the basest of human emotions and no one is immune to it. The Extraordinary Leader, however, takes time out regularly to think the issues through so they can remain calm. They remind themselves that all is not lost and there will be another day. They remind themselves that being calm will enable them to make the best decisions - for themselves and for their followers. Panic only leads to disaster, while calm leads to victory.

5. Motivate. In tough and challenging times, people are naturally down. They tend to be pessimistic. They can’t see how it is all going to work out. Thus, they have a hard time getting going. The Extraordinary Leader knows this and will focus in on being the optimistic motivator. He or she will come to the office knowing that for the time being, the mood of the group will be carried and buoyed by them and their attitude. Above all else, they seek to show how the end result will be good - and with this they motivate their followers to continue on, braving the current storms, and on to their shared destiny.

6. Create Small Wins. One of the ways to motivate is to create small wins. The Extraordinary Leader knows that in tough times his or her people think that all is lost. They wonder if they can win. So the Extraordinary Leader creates opportunities for the team to win, even if they are small. They set smaller, more achievable goals and remind and reward the team members when they hit those goals. With each small win, the leader is building the esteem and attitude of his followers, digging them out of their self-created hole of fear.

7. Keep a Sense of Humor. Look, hardly anything in life can’t be laughed at. The Extraordinary Leader knows that even if the whole company goes down the drain, we still go home to our families and live a life of love with them. The Extraordinary Leader keeps perspective and knows that we humans act irrationally when we get scared and fail, and sometimes that is humorous. Don’t ever laugh at someone’s expense in this situation, because that will be perceived at cold and heartless, regardless of what you meant by it, but do keep the ability to laugh at yourself and the situations that present themselves. By doing this you will keep yourself and your team in an attitude that will eventually beat the tough times.

4 SECRETS OF CONSISTENT WINNERS

Why are some people winners time after time,
while others work just as hard but never seem to "put it all
together?"
I believe the answer falls into two basic categories, one
that makes a small contribution, and a second that makes
(essentially) ALL the difference.
The first category, which accounts for very little of the
difference, is talent. Whether you call it talent or genius
or aptitude, it's clear that inherent abilities do play a
(small) role. It's important to know our strengths and use
them to our advantage.
If I want to play basketball, being tall and quick does
help. Chuck Yeager is said to have had extraordinary eye-
sight, and as a test pilot that must have made a difference.
For an engineer, a gift for numbers and math will obviously
make things easier.
There was a conversation with a man who
studied under Albert Einstein at Princeton almost 60 years
ago and he noted that Einstein was NOT a particularly gifted
mathematician! He struggled to balance his checkbook, but he
had a remarkable imagination and the ability to immerse
himself in a problem until he found the answer. THAT made
all the difference.
In my study of top performers, the difference that really
matters time after time is that winners have a SYSTEM. Most
people tackle problems in a haphazard way and they get
haphazard results. Winners don't do that!
Here's a simple four-step process that consistent winners
use over and over again:
1. First, they get very (VERY!) clear about exactly what
they want. They picture their desired outcome in precise
detail. They never set out to make "more" money. Instead,
they set out to "make $25,000 this month." Some people refer
to this as visualization, while others call it an
affirmation. All I know is that winners know what they want
and they picture it in detail, all day long, every day, in
advance until it becomes their reality.
2. Second, winners use precise "cognitive systems." That
means they have clear strategies, they think rationally and
continuously about the problem and their desired solution.
They do careful research and ask experts for help. They
invest in education, skills, tools and resources to put the
odds in their favor. They are passionate and can be
emotional, but when it comes to winning, they are calm,
cool, and collected. They are good, clear thinkers.
3. Third, winners use what I call Personal Eco-Systems™ to
improve their chances for success. There's a reason Thomas
Edison practically lived in his lab. There's a reason Martha
Stewart is so elegant, even in her garden. There's a reason
writers surround themselves with books and hang out with
other writers. Winning athletes watch films, they study (and
memorize) the stats of their heroes. Surround yourself with
an environment that makes it hard to fail!
4. Fourth, winners work harder than losers. You may not
like this part, but winners work very, very hard. They
practice. They study. They sacrifice and make hard choices.
They are the first ones to work in the morning and the last
ones to leave at night. Based on their visualizations, their
carefully-thought-out strategies, and supported by the
environment they've created, they take massive ACTION.
The truth is that while talent and genius are helpful, the
winners in life simply have better systems. They study
winners. As Tony Robbins says, "success leaves clues" and
winners use strategies that have worked for other people.
They surround themselves with a rich environment that
inspires them, and they work very hard.

Meet my coach or contact him at:

www.philiphumbert.com or email: Coach@philiphumbert.com.

HOW TO MAKE MORE SALES

I've written a great deal about the difference between
marketing, which is letting people know what you can do, and
making sales, which is about closing the deal. In general, I
think most small businesses make more mistakes in marketing
than they do in sales because they either don't market
enough, or they try such a wide variety of "strategies" that
they and their potential customers end up confused and
frustrated.
But, assuming you've done a good job of letting people know
who you are and what you do, here's a simple process for the
closing sale:
1. People buy solutions, not products or services. Your
prospects want something that makes their lives easier,
richer or more satisfying. In general, no one buys laundry
detergent; we buy stuff to get our clothes clean.
2. We buy from people (or companies) we know. Given a
choice, I'll generally do business with someone I know
rather than with a stranger. A few goods and services are so
price-sensitive that I'll try an "off brand" at least once,
but generally I'll go with the familiar over the unfamiliar.
(This emphasizes the importance of marketing or "pre-
selling.")
3. We buy from people we like. Would you buy a car from
someone you don't like? Would you do business in an office
that makes you uncomfortable? Neither will your customers.
4. We buy from people we trust. This is THE key. In the
end, I must believe that the product or service will perform
as promised and I must trust that the seller will deliver,
every time.
When it comes to selling, here's the formula: Your customers
buy Solutions from people they Know and Like and Trust. They
will pay a substantial premium for the peace of mind that
comes from doing business with confidence. Make it easy for
your customers to feel good about doing business with you.

Quotes of the Week
“Opportunities are usually disguised by hard work, so most
people don’t recognize them.” -- Ann Landers
"To follow, without halt, one aim: That's the secret of
success." -- Anna Pavlova
"Begin somewhere; you cannot build a reputation on what you
intend to do." -- Liz Smith
“Winning is not a sometime thing. You don't win once in a
while, you don't do things right once in a while, you do
them right all the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately,
so is losing.” -- Vince Lombardi