Leadership

I was in a conversation recently with someone who is looking for a job and wishing they had a sign from God to give them a clear understanding of their purpose so they could find a career that fits it. I believe many people would love to receive a similar sign.

If you are waiting for that sign, start moving forward. By taking action, you are moving one step closer to gaining the clarity you desire. If you want to find the perfect job or career, start experimenting in various industries or organizations. Experimentation will help you discover what you like and what you don’t. Learn from failures and set-backs along the way. They will redirect you toward your purpose.

Studies have shown for years that employees are dissatisfied and disengaged in their jobs. Lack of purpose and clarity is a big reason why. When you do not feel like you are accomplishing what you are called to do, you will lack motivation and be less engaged. You will put in your time, but will not be very effective. When you are focused on your purpose, you will work with much greater passion and enthusiasm.

As the saying goes, “it’s not easy to steer a parked car.” When you are taking action, you can make directional changes much easier. If you are in “park” and waiting for a divine sign, nothing feels like it’s working for you.

Today, if you feel stuck or frustrated with where you are in life, start moving forward by taking action in an area that you think could be good for you. As you get going, you will pick up momentum. Also, pay attention to how you can find purpose in the job or situation the you are currently in. This will help your motivation and effectiveness.

Be Intentionally Great today!

If you would like help discovering your purpose and developing a plan to move forward, please contact me to discuss how coaching can be of value to you.

The older I become, the more value I see in deeply connecting with people. Connecting matters in all aspects of our lives.

• Do you want a promotion in your job? Work on connecting with customers and your co-workers.
• Do you want to lead your team better? Work on building greater personal connections with them.
• Do you want to make more sales? Work on connecting with your current and prospective customers/clients.
• Do you want to make a greater impact as a teacher? Work on connecting with your students.
• Do you want a better relationship with your spouse and/or kids? Make deeper connections a priority.

How do you become a better connector?

• Find common ground with people.
• Put others’ needs ahead of your own interests and desires.
• Slow down and interact more intentionally with people.
• Be more concerned about the other person in your conversations – speak to people regarding what matters most to them, not what you want to communicate
• Listen twice as much as you speak
• Be curious about others – ask more questions and talk at people less

This is not an exhaustive list, but these guidelines will help you become a much better connector. John C. Maxwell wrote an incredible book called “Everyone Communicates, Few Connect.” If you or your team would be interested in a mastermind group study of this book, please contact me to set something up. You can reach me at [email protected] or 770.715.8280.

Be Intentionally Great this week and become a better connector!

Many people want to have or do more in life, but very few realize they have to become more to achieve those things.

A leader once tried to persuade an employee to be dishonest in their dealings with customers as a way to avoid answering difficult questions about why they were not receiving the service they had signed up for. The employee boldly challenged the leader that if that was the kind of environment that the leader wanted to foster then they would resign effective immediately. After some self-reflection, the leader came back to the employee and thanked them for making him think about his life. The leader said that he often told people that he was “honest to a fault”, but that maybe he wasn’t operating in an honest manner professionally. This new awareness caused the leader to reflect and grow. It is very likely that the leader will become a better version of himself and have more success in his career.

If you want more success, you need to become the person who can achieve that success. One of my favorite stories from Darren Hardy (www.darrendaily.com) is that he wrote 40 pages of notes describing the woman he wanted to marry. He was challenged by his mentor, Jim Rohn, to become the man that his dream woman would want to marry. Darren realized he had to become more in order to attract the wife that he described so vividly on paper.

What is the “more” that you want in life?

Are you becoming the person that will attract that?

I am passionate about personal growth and development. I have been mentored by a few key people who have urged me to be an avid reader so I could grow and be more successful. Most people spend too much time on social media or watching television to invest in their growth. Don’t let that be you!

What can you sacrifice for one hour each day to read or listen to personal growth books?

How can you reorder your life to become a person who values growth?

Do you really, really want what you say you want? If so, are you willing to give up some current things in your schedule to become a person who achieves greater success?

You have so much untapped potential. Don’t waste it by settling for mediocrity. Make it your goal to become better each day. Strive to be better in your faith, family, job, friendships, hobbies, etc. As you make it a priority to grow, you will begin to dream more and develop a greater vision for your life. This will spur you on to grow so you can achieve that vision.

I’m not saying that you have a bad life today. I am asking “Is this the life you want for the rest of your life?” If it is not, then it’s time to grow and become the person who can achieve your greater vision.

Be Intentionally Great today!

***I help people discover their purpose and equip them grow to the next level. If you would like to experience how personal coaching can help you move forward faster in your life, please contact me for a complimentary coaching session at [email protected]

Change is difficult for most people. The irony is that most of us want to progress in our personal and professional lives, but run from the change that is required to do so.

If you desire progress, you must learn to embrace change. Change brings unsettling feelings of anxiety, doubt and fear. Change can also feel like an adrenaline rush when things are going your way. The reality is that to advance in our lives, change must happen. The phrase “we’ve always done it that way” has stifled many individuals and organizations for generations. Hanging on to the status quo of what has been comfortable will hinder you from the growth and progress you want to achieve.

We cannot experience progress while resisting change. To reach your dreams and goals, you will have to fight through the negative feelings that hinder most people from moving forward.

Growth Activity:

1. Write down your goals and/or dreams
2. Write down the actions that are required to accomplish them
3. Make note of the actions that cause you the most angst
4. Make a plan to tackle those actions one by one (this will help you build momentum)
5. Make note of how you feel after you accomplish each action item
6. Journal about the feeling(s) of accomplishment and relief you feel after overcoming the feared actions (this will give you confidence to tackle the next actions that you are struggling with)

Doing something for the first time almost always creates unsettling feelings. Keep in mind you have accomplished many “firsts” in your life that have led to great outcomes. If you can keep this perspective when you are facing necessary changes you will be able to push through and achieve the breakthroughs that you desire.

Be Intentionally Great today!

Do you ever get frustrated with the results you’re seeing in your life? Do you ever feel “stuck?” When was the last time you wrote out your priorities and compared them to the daily activities of your life?

Many people are dissatisfied with their lives, but are not taking time to reflect on what is causing the dissatisfaction. It is easy to get caught up in the grind of daily living and forget to reflect on what matters most. When we determine our priorities and evaluate our days based on them, we can see where we are out of alignment, which leads to frustration.

This week, spend some quality time writing out what you value most.

• Who are the people that you want to spend the most time with?
• What are your most important goals?
• What hopes and dreams do you have?

Next, look at your calendar. How much time are you giving the people and things you value most? What is getting in the way? This exercise will highlight what needs to be pruned in your life and maybe your work. You can do this same exercise for your business. Many activities that keep us busy in our work actually take us away from what generates the most success.

A key to living life BIG – Being Intentionally Great – is knowing your priorities and making sure you are taking the best actions to accomplish them. This requires intentionality and dedication. Make clarifying your priorities your #1 priority this week.

Be Intentionally Great today!

I attended a powerful workshop last week that challenged me to think about what I want in life, but also forced me to list what was stopping me from achieving my goals. Afterwards, I was reflecting a bit. One item has been my worry about not having the highest quality of videos to share with people.

I’m not a technical guy. I know enough about computers and technology to do decent work, but when I’ve looked at the work of some of my mentors I knew I didn’t have the resources to produce what they are producing. And it stopped me from starting…

Have you ever been there? Have you ever been paralyzed because you didn’t have everything figured out? Have you ever felt inadequate to get going? Maybe it was writing, speaking, art, a sport or something completely different. Maybe you’ve thought you had to be good before you can start producing something.

This jumped out at me when I was listening to a mentor’s podcast. I had listened to his most recent podcasts, which are REALLY well done. I went back and listened to a few of his first ones and they were very mediocre. But he decided to start and has improved the quality along the way. The crazy thing is that his early content was just as helpful as his latest. It is just better produced. The value is still great!

I share this today because I want you to realize that you need to start before you’re “good” or you’ll never start. If you wait until you have it “perfect”, you’ll never get started. I’ve heard it said that “anything worth doing is worth doing poorly.” While you probably don’t want to do anything poorly, you have to start somewhere and improve along the way.

Whatever it is that you’ve been postponing, do it in the next 72 hours regardless of the quality. Start before you’re good and one day you’ll realize that you’re actually good! You can do this. I believe in you. It’s time to believe in yourself and get started.

Be Intentionally Great today!

We live in an era of self-absorption. We do not often see examples of people investing in others around them. In order to gain influence with people and make a significant impact on their lives, you must take the focus off of yourself and begin investing in others. One way to do that is to enlarge them. You need to help them grow and become a better version of themselves. You need to water and fertilize what is already in their DNA.

Most people do not recognize their potential without others pointing it out. For some reason, we mostly downplay ourselves, but we often magnify what others can be and do. Because of this, you can gain great influence with people by identifying the potential you see in them and by helping them take steps to turn that potential into reality.

This process is mentoring. It is committing your time and energy to invest in someone that you see potential in. This may be a family member, a coworker, a friend, etc. Spend some time considering the people around you. Who do you believe has the potential to do greater things in their lives than they are currently experiencing? The people that come to your mind are prospects for your mentorship.

In Becoming a Person of Influence, John C. Maxwell and Jim Dornan share three key things you do for people when you invest in them:

1. You raise their level of living
2. You increase their potential for success
3. You increase their capacity for growth

Each of these contribute to a better life. Each lift people up and make a significant impact in their lives. You can do this for people! You can enlarge people and become a person of influence in their lives. But you can’t do this if your focus is solely on yourself. In order to enlarge others, you must become others-centered. Mentoring cannot effectively be done by a self-centered person.

If you desire to gain greater influence in the lives of those around you, become an enlarger. Look for potential in people and invest in them to help them reach that potential. People need you to do this for them because they often don’t see their true value.

Be Intentionally Great today!

As a certified member of The John Maxwell Team, I would be honored to assist you in your personal growth and that of your team or organization. If I can be of service to you, please contact me for a free 30-minute consultation at [email protected].

“It doesn’t matter whether your business is creating computer software, selling books, serving food in a  restaurant, building houses, or designing airplanes. The key to success is understanding people.” – John C. Maxwell and Jim Dornan

One of the greatest challenges in leadership and gaining influence with people is that we are all unique. We cannot have a “cookie-cutter” approach to working with people. We have to customize our approach with each individual. This makes for quite a challenge.

I saw this principal in play through my oldest son’s soccer team last season. His coach was able to turn a B-level team into an undefeated team in their regular seasons and they won four out of seven tournaments. I watched closely all season to see how this was happening. I recognized at one point that he was customizing his coaching based on his players’ strengths rather than trying to force them all into one style of playing. By doing so, he took a team of moderately talented players and turned them into an almost unstoppable TEAM. The team was far stronger than the sum of its parts. I give credit to the coach for his coaching approach.

To help people achieve their potential, you need to look at who they are as individuals. You need to understand what makes them laugh, sing, and cry. You need to understand how to help them maximize their strengths and delegate their weaknesses. You have to PAY ATTENTION to people in order to understand them! As leaders and managers, it’s easy to be so task-oriented that you lose sight of the people involved in the tasks. If you truly want to gain influence with people and grow to be a stronger leader, you must learn to understand people better!

John Maxwell and Jim Dornan give us four great questions to ask about people in Becoming a Person of Influence:

• Where did they come from?
• Where do they want to go?
• What is their need now?
• How can I help?

If you can answer these questions about the people around you, you will be able to gain incredible influence in their lives. You will be able to help them achieve things they never thought possible. When they realize you care enough about them to understand them, people will begin to follow you at new levels. To be a person of influence, make it a priority to understand people.

Be Intentionally Great today!

“You can make more friends in two weeks by becoming a good listener than you can in two years trying to get other people interested in you.” – Dale Carnegie

How would you rate yourself at listening to others?

If you’re like most people, you find it much easier to talk than to listen. Listening requires a lot of energy and self-control. It requires us to put other people first. It demands that we engage with people on a level that doesn’t feel natural. It’s work!

The great thing about listening, though, is that it gives you greater influence in their lives. People are not used to being deeply listened to. Even when we’re not talking, we’re often thinking about what to say next rather than listening to what is being said.

In Becoming a Person of Influence, John Maxwell and Jim Dornan suggest the following nine things to become a better listener. Evaluate yourself on each one and choose two or three to intentionally work on.

1. Look at the speaker.
2. Don’t interrupt.
3. Focus on understanding.
4. Determine the need at the moment.
5. Check your emotions.
6. Suspend your judgment.
7. Sum up at major intervals.
8. Ask questions to clarify.
9. Always make listening your priority.

While listening isn’t natural to many of us, it is a learnable skill. Being a better listener will gain you greater influence with people. I encourage you to make the effort to listen to understand, not just to hear. You might be amazed at how you can help people when you hear their deepest needs. Listen for what is not being said, as well as, what is.

You can do this! You can become a better listener, but you must be intentional about it.

Be intentionally Great today!

If you want to become a better leader, I would love to serve as your coach or train your team. If you would like to discuss how this would work, please contact me at [email protected] or 770-715-8280.

“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation, and go to the grave with the song still in them.” – Henry D. Thoreau

“Faith in people is an essential quality of an influencer when working with others, yet it’s a scarce commodity today.” – John C. Maxwell

The antidote to the problem written by Thoreau is found in Maxwell’s quote. Many people have hopes, dreams, and desires that go unrealized because they don’t have people in their lives encouraging them to step outside their comfort zones and go for it. If you desire to grow in influence, you must have faith in people. You have to believe in them and let them know it. Sometimes you have to let them borrow YOUR faith in them because they don’t have any of their own!

In John Maxwell’s book, Becoming a Person of Influence, he writes the following acronym for the word BELIEVE. Following this guide will help you demonstrate faith in people.

• B – Believe in them before they succeed
• E – Emphasize their strengths
• L – List their past successes
• I – Instill confidence when they fail
• E – Experience some wins together
• V – Visualize their future success
• E – Expect a new level of living

When you believe in people, you fill their mental and emotional tanks. You give them a vision (maybe for the first time) of what their lives could look like. You give them hope.

Napoleon Bonaparte said “Leaders are dealers in hope.”

• Are you dealing hope to those you lead?
• Are you raising the lid of those around you by giving them vision for what they could become?

If you want to grow in influence, begin having faith in people. Show them and tell them that you believe in them. Point out their strengths. Help them get some quick wins. Walk alongside them as they step outside their comfort zones to try something new that they wouldn’t do on their own.

“Bravery feels like fear, but it looks like courage.” – Ashley Wilhite

Who can you help to be brave today? Who can you begin to have faith in?

Be Intentionally Great today!

My mission is to help people discover their purpose and equip them to achieve it. If you need help discovering your own purpose or how to achieve it, I would love to be your coach! If your team needs training to go to the next level, I would love to assist you. Please contact me at [email protected] or 770.715.8280 and let’s get going on the pathway to greater results!