When I am facilitating a class for executive leadership I will ask my executives a series of rapid-fire questions:
*How many of you are concerned that the level of stress in your lives is so great this it seriously threatening your health?
*How many of you have no time for yourselves?
*How any of you are too exhausted to truly enjoy your families when you are with them?
*how any of you are feeling frustration, fear, and even anger about your job~ and your future?
Almost without exception, every person in the room raises his/her hand in response to each question I pose!!!
Then I ask...
*How many of you sleep 8 hrs a night? (No hands)
*How any of you sleep 6 hrs? (A few hands go up)
And, most execs raise their hands at 5 hrs/night! FIVE hours!!!
Wow!!! And, now I will also add that 60% of execs making over $100K believe they will be forced out of their jobs in the next year! Can you say STRESS???
The stresses at the office are not the only stressors execs have...most have children, a spouse, or even more challenging...they are a single parent. These challenges add immeasurably to the level of everyday stress.
The solution to the long hours, frequent travel, and endless pressure to perform is to find ways to cut the sources of stress in your life, right? Wrong! The trick is understanding how to turn it to your advantage. Do you have a plan to help you meet professional challenges? Do you know how to get 'revved up" by stress instead of fatigued by and anxious from it? If not, you might want to get a plan in place soon...
If you need help call us, we can help you attain a better balance between your personal and professional life and achieve new levels of physical, mental, and emotional flexibility.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Before you take a leadership role...
Before people take on leadership roles, they should do an honest assessment and ask 2 questions of themselves:
1. What is the purpose of my leadership? If you answer power, prestige, power, and money you risk losing your purpose and feeling fulfilled! There is nothing wrong with external gratification as long as they are combined with a deeper desire to serve something greater than yourself.
2. What motivates me to lead?
Unfortunately, when you want a leadership role to gain power over others...you look to others for satisfaction and acknowledgment of your status.
If you are having a difficult time staying grounded...look at your external gratification and take an assessment. Have you lost the ability to lead for your own inner satisfaction? Are you looking for supporter to tell you what you want to hear? or Are you honestly trying to make a difference in the world...
1. What is the purpose of my leadership? If you answer power, prestige, power, and money you risk losing your purpose and feeling fulfilled! There is nothing wrong with external gratification as long as they are combined with a deeper desire to serve something greater than yourself.
2. What motivates me to lead?
Unfortunately, when you want a leadership role to gain power over others...you look to others for satisfaction and acknowledgment of your status.
If you are having a difficult time staying grounded...look at your external gratification and take an assessment. Have you lost the ability to lead for your own inner satisfaction? Are you looking for supporter to tell you what you want to hear? or Are you honestly trying to make a difference in the world...
Monday, July 19, 2010
Leadership and your supportive relationships..
The Most Important Person to Your Leadership...who is it?
Your support team starts with having at least one person in your life with whom you can be completely vulnerable and open, warts and all, and still be loved unconditionally. Often that person is the only one who can tell you the honest truth.
Most leaders have their closest relationships with their spouses, although some develop these bonds with other family members, a close friend, or a trusted mentor. When leaders feel unconditionally loved by another person, they are more likely to accept themselves for who they really are.
What could be better than an environment of trust where people feel strong, know who they are, and know they can contribute?
How are you doing with the relationships in your life? Are you spending enough time? Are you building a trusting environment in all areas of your life? Who is your support person...support team?
The world will shape you if you let it.
To have a sense of yourself as you live,
you must make conscious choices.
by John Donahoe, President ebay
Your support team starts with having at least one person in your life with whom you can be completely vulnerable and open, warts and all, and still be loved unconditionally. Often that person is the only one who can tell you the honest truth.
Most leaders have their closest relationships with their spouses, although some develop these bonds with other family members, a close friend, or a trusted mentor. When leaders feel unconditionally loved by another person, they are more likely to accept themselves for who they really are.
What could be better than an environment of trust where people feel strong, know who they are, and know they can contribute?
How are you doing with the relationships in your life? Are you spending enough time? Are you building a trusting environment in all areas of your life? Who is your support person...support team?
The world will shape you if you let it.
To have a sense of yourself as you live,
you must make conscious choices.
by John Donahoe, President ebay
Mental model of star performers...
A mental model is the cognitive map within your mind that guides your behavior. It is similar to a map you use when setting out on a road trip to a new destination. That map guides you in making decisions regarding both our destination and the path to take to reach it. A mental model also influences how you approach your work. It will influence the questions you ask, the goals you agree to support, and solutions you recommend for getting there. When working from a learning framework, your focus is to identify and address capability needs.
If you asked your CEO which of the following s/he values most in an employee,what do you believe would be the response?
1. Employees who knew more, had greater skills and competencies, and scored higher on relevant tests
2. Employees who were busy all the time.
3.Employees who consistently produced outstanding results that supported corporate goals and initiatives.
My experience, indicates that across industries and levels..the dominant choice is 3.
Within every role in an organization, there are individuals who routinely and consistently produce greater results than do their peers. They are called "exemplary performers". They may or may not be the brightest people on the team. They may or may not have the longest tenure. They may or may not have a degree from a prestigious university.
So, then what is the difference that differentiates the stars from standard performers? How do your stars produce outstanding, measurable, and consistent business results? How do you keep your stars performing at top levels?
And, more importantly...how do you keep yourself as a "star" performer?
If you asked your CEO which of the following s/he values most in an employee,what do you believe would be the response?
1. Employees who knew more, had greater skills and competencies, and scored higher on relevant tests
2. Employees who were busy all the time.
3.Employees who consistently produced outstanding results that supported corporate goals and initiatives.
My experience, indicates that across industries and levels..the dominant choice is 3.
Within every role in an organization, there are individuals who routinely and consistently produce greater results than do their peers. They are called "exemplary performers". They may or may not be the brightest people on the team. They may or may not have the longest tenure. They may or may not have a degree from a prestigious university.
So, then what is the difference that differentiates the stars from standard performers? How do your stars produce outstanding, measurable, and consistent business results? How do you keep your stars performing at top levels?
And, more importantly...how do you keep yourself as a "star" performer?
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Engage and enjoy this activity to figure out what you should be doing...
Get to a quiet spot and give these questions your full attention. It will help guide you, step by step, to arrive at the answers to some of your most important questions in your life:
1. What do I want to do?
2. Why do I want to do it?
3. What is the most significant adversity or obstacle I will face as I attempt to do it?
4. What strengths do I have, and which strengths do I need to forge to make it happen?
5. How will I feel when I accomplish this?
Did you just read this activity or did you actually do it? Change begins with action... if you really want to change, you must have a starting place...
1. What do I want to do?
2. Why do I want to do it?
3. What is the most significant adversity or obstacle I will face as I attempt to do it?
4. What strengths do I have, and which strengths do I need to forge to make it happen?
5. How will I feel when I accomplish this?
Did you just read this activity or did you actually do it? Change begins with action... if you really want to change, you must have a starting place...
What's the difference between skills, talents, and strengths?
Do you use these terms interchangeably? Perhaps you think they are the same thing. Let's take a peek at what they mean...
Skills defines are those things you're relatively good at, whether innate or learned.
Talents defined are skills that you have a natural ability to do well. They still may have to be refined and developed further, buy you have a natural ability to do them with relative ease.
So, to confuse matters what about the definition of strengths...this is where we see the real difference. Strengths are deeper skills. They are more overarching and sometimes less specific than skills are to a given task. Our dictionary defines strength as "an extremely valuable or useful ability, asset or quality."
Strengths might encompass several skills!!! Notice...strengths are not minor abilities, but assets of tremendous value. Skills are a subset of strengths.
For example, asking good, probing questions to learn what a customer needs is a skill. Using the answers to those questions to shape customer-centered solutions is a strength.
Strengths make you stronger for all of your future endeavors.
I tell my clients/leaders to tap into their strengths when they take a 360. Why? Because that's where they are going to get the most impact. It's an interesting process as most people focus on the weakness aspect of their 360. It's a mistake. Always focus on your strengths to drive forward your career, your life, and your innate potential.
Become who you are meant to be!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGODurRfVv4
What are you doing to hone in on your strengths?
Skills defines are those things you're relatively good at, whether innate or learned.
Talents defined are skills that you have a natural ability to do well. They still may have to be refined and developed further, buy you have a natural ability to do them with relative ease.
So, to confuse matters what about the definition of strengths...this is where we see the real difference. Strengths are deeper skills. They are more overarching and sometimes less specific than skills are to a given task. Our dictionary defines strength as "an extremely valuable or useful ability, asset or quality."
Strengths might encompass several skills!!! Notice...strengths are not minor abilities, but assets of tremendous value. Skills are a subset of strengths.
For example, asking good, probing questions to learn what a customer needs is a skill. Using the answers to those questions to shape customer-centered solutions is a strength.
Strengths make you stronger for all of your future endeavors.
I tell my clients/leaders to tap into their strengths when they take a 360. Why? Because that's where they are going to get the most impact. It's an interesting process as most people focus on the weakness aspect of their 360. It's a mistake. Always focus on your strengths to drive forward your career, your life, and your innate potential.
Become who you are meant to be!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGODurRfVv4
What are you doing to hone in on your strengths?
Are you all work and no play? How's that working for you?
Are you all work and no play? How's that working for you?
Have you watched the movie, The Shining? It seems if you’re all work and no play you’re not only dull but apparently you’ll also end up completely crazy. Ok, so maybe you won’t end up running through an abandoned hotel with an ax, but focusing ALL your passion and energy on work will eventually start to significantly affect your outside life, family and relationships.
We all want to succeed in our business ventures, but at the same time it is important to remember we must keep up the delicate balance between work and the other aspects of our life. Here are 10 tips from top CEOs on how they successfully manage to maintain a great life/work balance…
http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/03/improving-work-life-balance.html
How do you maintain a successful life/work balance?
Have you watched the movie, The Shining? It seems if you’re all work and no play you’re not only dull but apparently you’ll also end up completely crazy. Ok, so maybe you won’t end up running through an abandoned hotel with an ax, but focusing ALL your passion and energy on work will eventually start to significantly affect your outside life, family and relationships.
We all want to succeed in our business ventures, but at the same time it is important to remember we must keep up the delicate balance between work and the other aspects of our life. Here are 10 tips from top CEOs on how they successfully manage to maintain a great life/work balance…
http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/03/improving-work-life-balance.html
How do you maintain a successful life/work balance?
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Let's make changes right now...
As an American society we have bought into the "Change takes years"... it might, but it doesn't have to. Change starts as soon as you begin to change your actions.
Write down 4 actions that you need to take right now. No more procrastination...it starts NOW!!! Take our paper and pencil and start writing...
Then as you write down the 4 actions you need to take...ask why haven't I taken action on these goals in the past?
Now...if you achieve these goals...how is it going to feel? If you become a super star at work, what will happen? A raise, a promotion, acknowledgment from the boss, the CEO...?
Is it worth making changes? You decide! If it is...take action now!!! ;)
Write down 4 actions that you need to take right now. No more procrastination...it starts NOW!!! Take our paper and pencil and start writing...
Then as you write down the 4 actions you need to take...ask why haven't I taken action on these goals in the past?
Now...if you achieve these goals...how is it going to feel? If you become a super star at work, what will happen? A raise, a promotion, acknowledgment from the boss, the CEO...?
Is it worth making changes? You decide! If it is...take action now!!! ;)
What don't you want or need in your life...
Are you busy working on your goals and priorities? Feels good doesn't it?
One thing that most people forget to do, is figure out what they no longer want or need in their life. We allow a lot of mental emotional, and psychological clutter to get in our thoughts and it blocks our energy flow!
Are you spending time with people you no longer want to be friends with? Perhaps you have outgrown the relationship or it doesn't quite fit with the person you are becoming?
Are you in a job you don't like...get a new one!
Are you saying "yes" to everyone who asks you to do a favor? It's great if you have time to do it, not so great if it is overwhelming your life! Even if you want to do these things for others...if it takes all your time, you need to prioritize.
Are you engaging in boring conversations, gossip, and talk that takes away your fun and energy?
Are you angry with people over something they did or didn't do? Are you focused on that anger and letting it consume you? Is it time to get rid of it and allow the energy to flow again?
Sit down and make a list of all the things that are clogging up the energy flow...and commit to getting rid of them!
What's stopping you from allowing the energy to flow by getting rid of things blocking you from your potential! Unleash your possibilities...get the energy flow to be able to start your process!
One thing that most people forget to do, is figure out what they no longer want or need in their life. We allow a lot of mental emotional, and psychological clutter to get in our thoughts and it blocks our energy flow!
Are you spending time with people you no longer want to be friends with? Perhaps you have outgrown the relationship or it doesn't quite fit with the person you are becoming?
Are you in a job you don't like...get a new one!
Are you saying "yes" to everyone who asks you to do a favor? It's great if you have time to do it, not so great if it is overwhelming your life! Even if you want to do these things for others...if it takes all your time, you need to prioritize.
Are you engaging in boring conversations, gossip, and talk that takes away your fun and energy?
Are you angry with people over something they did or didn't do? Are you focused on that anger and letting it consume you? Is it time to get rid of it and allow the energy to flow again?
Sit down and make a list of all the things that are clogging up the energy flow...and commit to getting rid of them!
What's stopping you from allowing the energy to flow by getting rid of things blocking you from your potential! Unleash your possibilities...get the energy flow to be able to start your process!
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Are U, too, fed up with cancer? LET'S HELP! It's FREE, all you have to do is click. No info to submit-just click daily! http://is.gd/b0xlf
Friday, July 2, 2010
Free Audiobook at Audible.com and Free eBook Download from Barnes & Noble
Free Audiobook at Audible.com and Free eBook Download from Barnes & Noble
You might be interested in: free offer
* Free Audiobook at Audible.com and Free eBook Download from Barnes & Noble
This blog post is a little "extra" quickie. I came across some really great FREE offers that I just know you'll enjoy! There are actually two completely free offers up for grabs.
First up, Audible.com is offering quite a nice selection of downloadable free audio books.
I am sure many of the readers would be interested in a free Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill (unabridged version) audiobook! If you don't have that one yet, it is pretty much a must-have in the realm of self improvement and personal development. Definitely pick that up if you never listened to it or read it yet.
You've got to hurry for this audible.com download offer though, because it expires July 2nd!
Free Audible.com Audio Books
Furthermore, Barnes and Noble has some free pdf e-books for download as well! They are from their All-American B&N Classics line of books, so nothing directly in the personal development arena. But reading good literature is a keystone in expanding one's mind. Definitely have a look around there. It's free too!
Free Barnes and Noble PDF e-Books
About these free downloads
None of these are affiliate links or offers or anything remotely shady. I just happened to come across these tonight and wanted to share them with you asap. Especially the free Think and Grow Rich audio book!
You might be interested in: free offer
* Free Audiobook at Audible.com and Free eBook Download from Barnes & Noble
You might be interested in: free offer
* Free Audiobook at Audible.com and Free eBook Download from Barnes & Noble
This blog post is a little "extra" quickie. I came across some really great FREE offers that I just know you'll enjoy! There are actually two completely free offers up for grabs.
First up, Audible.com is offering quite a nice selection of downloadable free audio books.
I am sure many of the readers would be interested in a free Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill (unabridged version) audiobook! If you don't have that one yet, it is pretty much a must-have in the realm of self improvement and personal development. Definitely pick that up if you never listened to it or read it yet.
You've got to hurry for this audible.com download offer though, because it expires July 2nd!
Free Audible.com Audio Books
Furthermore, Barnes and Noble has some free pdf e-books for download as well! They are from their All-American B&N Classics line of books, so nothing directly in the personal development arena. But reading good literature is a keystone in expanding one's mind. Definitely have a look around there. It's free too!
Free Barnes and Noble PDF e-Books
About these free downloads
None of these are affiliate links or offers or anything remotely shady. I just happened to come across these tonight and wanted to share them with you asap. Especially the free Think and Grow Rich audio book!
You might be interested in: free offer
* Free Audiobook at Audible.com and Free eBook Download from Barnes & Noble
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Twitter...and tweeting...
Do you know what twitter is used for?
I have had quite an eye opener these past few days as I start to explore new ways of promoting my business. Unfortunately, you cannot just put your website out on the web and think it's going to draw in customers all by itself...it needs help.
I know very little about twitter, but I bought a book trying to come up to speed called "twitter power" by Joel Comm. Thus far, I'm in the middle of the book and I've learned quite a few interesting tidbits to leverage the power of Twitter.
Are you using this high-tech, low-cost and low-hassle technology to gain advantages over your competitors? I'm still learning, however, I'm trying. If you're not tweeting, you might want to look into the possibilities it has to offer you and your business.
Here's my twitter address let's connect!!!
@CLCsuccess
I have had quite an eye opener these past few days as I start to explore new ways of promoting my business. Unfortunately, you cannot just put your website out on the web and think it's going to draw in customers all by itself...it needs help.
I know very little about twitter, but I bought a book trying to come up to speed called "twitter power" by Joel Comm. Thus far, I'm in the middle of the book and I've learned quite a few interesting tidbits to leverage the power of Twitter.
Are you using this high-tech, low-cost and low-hassle technology to gain advantages over your competitors? I'm still learning, however, I'm trying. If you're not tweeting, you might want to look into the possibilities it has to offer you and your business.
Here's my twitter address let's connect!!!
@CLCsuccess
Success is built on discipline...
What disciplines are consistent in your life today?
I've given disciplines a lot of thought lately. If I eat too much, I will get fat. If I don't save money, I won't be able to retire. If I don't go out for a walk and watch the rerun my muscles will atrophy over time. Everything I do or don't do usually requires my thought towards the pain or pleasure my activity will cause. I can go a day without exercise and nothing terrible happens...I can go two...three...four However, when it begins to turn into weeks, months, years...I will suffer some type of long term consequence for not doing the right things TODAY!!!
Every one wants the magic pill (me included). I want to be able to take the "magic pill" and have my blogs written, my business blooming, my figure in shape! But, life doesn't work like that for most of us. Most people see failure as on event...but failure doesn't work like that in life. If your goal requires you to write 10 letters today and you do 5, you're still 5 short of the goal. One day won't matter...but again...2,3,4,5...begins to add up in missed opportunities.
Discipline is a word most of us don't want to hear, but it's vital to unlock the door to wealth and happiness, high self-esteem, high accomplishment, and success.
What disciplines are in your life? Which ones do you need to bring into your life? Will you get started today...why, or why not?
I've given disciplines a lot of thought lately. If I eat too much, I will get fat. If I don't save money, I won't be able to retire. If I don't go out for a walk and watch the rerun my muscles will atrophy over time. Everything I do or don't do usually requires my thought towards the pain or pleasure my activity will cause. I can go a day without exercise and nothing terrible happens...I can go two...three...four However, when it begins to turn into weeks, months, years...I will suffer some type of long term consequence for not doing the right things TODAY!!!
Every one wants the magic pill (me included). I want to be able to take the "magic pill" and have my blogs written, my business blooming, my figure in shape! But, life doesn't work like that for most of us. Most people see failure as on event...but failure doesn't work like that in life. If your goal requires you to write 10 letters today and you do 5, you're still 5 short of the goal. One day won't matter...but again...2,3,4,5...begins to add up in missed opportunities.
Discipline is a word most of us don't want to hear, but it's vital to unlock the door to wealth and happiness, high self-esteem, high accomplishment, and success.
What disciplines are in your life? Which ones do you need to bring into your life? Will you get started today...why, or why not?
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