What enables leaders to be great?
What enables great leaders to better manage stress,
create sound work-life balance and
more fully enjoy their career and their lives?
Which personality trait is most important to inspire others to act?
Which style of leadership will enable you to be most successful?
Join me in January for the 1st session of the Think BIG! Book Club. We will answer these questions in our discussions about our first featured book, Energy Leadership by Bruce D Schneider.
 The Think BIG! Book Club is an ongoing study of various business and key issue books that enables the participant to more effectively meet current needs and gain expertise in areas of interest. The registration cost of $49 for this first session includes a minimum of 3 -60 minute review calls with other club members; the book "Energy Leadership"; plus study questions, key forms and other related materials to make the learning experience vital and also fun.
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There is a well-know African Parable called, “The Race At Sunrise.” It reads as follows:
“Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows that it must run faster than the fastest lion, or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. it knows that it must outrun the slowest gazelle, or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle; when the sun comes up, you had better be running.” A fitting bit of advice for all of us.
We are all given the same 24-hour period and 7-day week. Our success comes in how we are able to utilize our physical and mental strengths to make the most of that time period. Too often we limit our potential because we fall prey to the “I Can’t Syndrome.” You know the process:
“I can’t because I am not smart enough.”
“I can’t because I am too old.”
“I can’t because I don’t have the money.”
“I can’t because I am afraid.”
“I can’t because no one would ever allow me to speak to them.”
“I can’t because…”
The list can become limitless and quite demoralizing to our confidence. Therefore, when you wake up and look out your window, instead of saying something like, “Good morning God!”, you in turn awaken, look out your window and cry out, "Good God its morning!” When that view becomes your waking charge, you will not achieve what you need to gain the edge in your business and personal life. In reality, you have not awakened “hungry” for the day; but instead, you have awakened literally “limp” for the day, mentally and physically.
How can you then awaken hungry to seize the day, overcome the challenges you most likely will face and enjoy the benefits of your work and determination? Here are 5 simple ways:
1. Be clear on what you must achieve daily. Clearly define the 3 key actions you MUST accomplish each day. You may have 12 things to do, but only 3 really key actions. Decide what they are and without failure, get them done each and every day. This accomplishment will insure that you are keeping the main focus in the forefront and you are moving closer to your goals.
2. Work when it is time to work and play when it is time to play. Often too many of us get confused about work and play time. It is not the same. When it is time to work, give it a “Super Bowl” effort. When it is time to play, give it a “Super Bowl “ effort. Just be sure that the two efforts do not run concurrently. It has been said that there is a time and place for everything. That is true. Keep your times in proper perspective and you will achieve more.
3. Visualize yourself, “Why not me?” In your minds-eye, you must see yourself in possession of a desired outcome. Your mind believes what it sees and hears. Therefore, present it with clear pictures of achievement, satisfaction and positive relationships. The longer you present these pictures for your minds-eye to see and believe, the stronger the realization that it is achievable will be firmly entrenched in your being. In the pure sense, you must see and sense it in order to totally believe it.
4. Focus on solutions, not on the problems. Too often problems hit us squarely in the face. When that occurs, it is easy to back away and complain. Complaining does not take very much mental or physical energy. it is thinking and creating that demands effort. The tough part of this equation comes in redirecting your mind to pause to allow the problem to be recognized and then to begin the task of developing solutions that either minimize the problem or eliminate it completely. Keeping efforts on seeking solutions builds confidence as you produce results. When confidence is grown, it is no longer “I can’t,” but, “Can’t I.”
5. Keep learning. Success comes often from trial and error. You must have the mindset and unconditional belief that even with a setback, a failure, you are actually learning what does not work. The greater your learning experience, the greater your opportunity to build affirmation that you can achieve success with the right approach. Just like Thomas Edison’s quest of the light bulb, 9,999 setbacks simply prepares you for the 10,000 effort which succeeds. Confidence comes from knowledge. The greater the knowledge, the greater the level of confidence you can potentially develop. When you are in control of that outcome, you are positioned for greater outcomes.
Achievement comes after hard work, not before. You must know without doubt your strengths and shortfalls before you can be a real achiever. “Can't” must be forever taken from your usable vocabulary. It is imperative to awaken each morning hungry for what is possible while deflecting the arrows of mental shortfall that often are coming toward you. You were made to achieve not to falter. Believe in what’s possible and enjoy the freedom of achievement that can be yours. As the sun rises, “…you had better be running.”
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