Leadership on Speed

creating an amazing 2010: the carrot and the stick

Well 2009 is  officially over. Done. Finito!

So now the question for you is: What will you create in 2010?

Let me first tell you that I'm not a "resolutions girl".  They're cute.  They're fun.  And if they work for you great.  But resolutions are often initiated out of some sense of "have to".  You know what I mean....

I have to lose 20 pounds.

I have to quit smoking.

I have to spend more time with my family.

Now let me ask you, does any of that seem fun to you?

No? Me either.  Is it any wonder why 60% of resolutions fail in the first 2 weeks? 95% within the first month?  By the way, today is January 5th.  How are your resolutions going so far?

Today I'm asking you to turn your perspective upside down.  Don't get me wrong.  As a coach, I am all about goals. In fact, I love them! But I'm not about goals just to have goals.  I am about goals that have been put into context...

What?

In other words, what will losing weight, quitting smoking or spending more time with your family do for your life?  What is the vision that supports those objectives? When you arrive at December 31, 2010 what kind of life will you want to have created?

So many of us think that we have to take what comes to us but we don't spend time really thinking about what we want our lives to look like, feel like, taste like...  Yes, taste! You know that savoring of a moment that turns into many moments and your life just becomes this incredibly sweet, tangy, joyful entity that has you intoxicated on a daily basis?  Yes, you can create that!

Here's some homework for you:

Over the next couple of days, make some quiet time to reflect on what you want to create by the end of this year.  How do you want to feel?  What do you want your life to taste like?  Do you want to create an incredible business?  Do you want to create entry into a company that resonates with your values and philosophy? Do you want to create an incredible connection with your spouse? Do you want to change the dynamics of some of your friendships? Do you want to be more loving, caring, passionate about life? Do you want to gain greater vitality? 

Most resolutions are successful because of the carrot (the vision), not the "stick" (the have-to's, shoulds, need-to's, etc).  Create a compelling vision along with a great plan of action and 2010 could be your best year yet!

You were born to be great.

YES, you can!

going through the looking glass

When it comes to your professional life, do you often feel as if you're swimming with the current or against it?  Are you sailing with the wind or fighting it?

The answers to these seemingly simple questions are critical when determining if your work is aligned with your purpose, passion and talents because when everything is aligned, progress seems to be smooth and easy, almost effortless.  When you are "in the zone",you know it.  You feel more satisfaction and you perform well - no wonder money seems to follow!  You're energized, excited and looking forward to the next day.

Compare that feeling or state of being to when things are not going well...your career can feel rough and difficult, almost like you are bearing a heavy load (because you are).  Waking up in the morning is a struggle, the clock ticks by s-l-o-w-l-y during the day and you can hardly wait for the day to end.  The weekends seem to be one of life's few blessings...

If you find yourself in the latter group, it's most likely that you are probably not doing what you were intended to do on this earth.  You are fighting against your natural gift, skills and talents.  You may have settled for less -- an easier path, a more "socially acceptable" path or the path others expected you to take.

Don't feel bad.  Like you, I've been there.  I have lived it.  Feeling stuck in work that paid the bills but left me in an uncomfortable and unnatural rut. 

And I know I wasn't alone... Many people go through life the hard way.  Suppressing true desires and trying to blend in and avoid rocking the boat....playing it safe. 

The truth in my case is that I went for the money but at the end of the day, the money was robbing me of true joy and passion.  After all, how joyful can your life be if you dread the very thing that you spend 40 or 60 or even more hours at each week?   It's tragic, really.

So, let this be your wake up call.  Let's extinguish the whole concept of "mid-life" crisis!  How about a mid-twenties crisis or a mid-thirties crisis?  The "crisis" is nothing more than the realization that you're no longer willing to live a lie in your work and in your life.  That you're ready to take more risks, have more fun and spend time on and with the things that matter most!

We all think that we have this infinite amount of time to "figure it out" but what if next week was it?

LIFE IS TOO SHORT!  Let's agree to STOP the madness!  STOP delaying your life.  STOP living by others expectations. STOP putting things off until the kids are grown.  STOP waiting for retirement to regain a sense of joy and passion.  STOP going through the motions with your current career.  STOP feeling trapped by your degree or education (or lack of). STOP telling yourself comforting stories and lies.  STOP denying yourself real passion and fulfillment.

It is NEVER too late to live on purpose and with passion.  I often ask my clients this question - If you could be given a magic potion that would absolutely prevent you from failing at one major dream or goal in life, what would it be?  Chances are you already know in your heart what you should be doing.   If you don't, begin with your childhood.  Think back to the things that enjoyed most.  Think about your life over the past few years.  What is it that brings you the most pleasure?  Is it certain aspects of your work? Hobbies? Volunteer activities?  Do you find yourself attracted to certain types of activities or groups?  Everything in your life holds clues to your passion!  If all else fails, take some classes!  We all have things "we have always wanted to do".  Start to notice what you like and what you don't. 

Not unlike Alice in Wonderland, it may also be your turn "go through the looking glass" so look upon the journey with excitement and hopefulness!

You were born to be great.

YES, you can! 

i'm prefect. oops, i mean...perfect!

In last week's post, I shared with you one of the biggest impediments to success in business and in life is procrastination.

For many, procrastination is not just a hurdle..

it's a MOUNTAIN.

So this week, I wanted to extend last weeks post by discussing the SECOND major reason that people procrastinate:

The quest for perfection

Stated another way, we want to wait for the "perfect" conditions to make change or take that next step.  Many ordinary and really good people are caught up in an idealistic "perfect world syndrome".  They never create real wealth for themselves or their families because they wait for perfect conditions (which don't exist) before they advance toward their dreams.  I know of one business owner that purchased a home based franchise and spent FIVE years "getting everything in order" so that when he started, everything would be "perfect".  I guess it will comes as no surprise to hear that the business never got off the ground....

Sound like anyone you know?

This business owner represents just one of thousands of examples of how perfection can be a dream killer.  You and I both know that a "perfect world" has never and will never exist but the quest for unachievable perfect conditions provides the opportunity to make-up wonderful excuses for not taking action and ultimately, responsibility.  To add insult to injury, we can get so attached to everything being perfect, we don't understand it when others bring it to our attention! After all, we just want to do things "right", right?

Why do otherwise smart and even brilliant people get so stuck?

Fear has something to do with the quest for perfection as well but additionally, this particular breed of procrastinator is also risk-averse.  Instead of managing reasonable risks, they are unreasonable and want to avoid ALL risks.

Conversely, wealthy people don't wait for conditions to be perfect.  When they smell an opportunity that makes sense, they take action.  In fact, they have a bias for action.  Action could be starting a full- or part-time venture but it could also mean putting your hat in the ring for that big promotion or taking the job at that small start-up with big plans instead of being "safe" in the background of that big company with more perks..

The bottom line this week?

Don't get stuck in the perfection quagmire.  Make a calculated choice and move! Most good opportunities come covered in a layer of challenges and hard work - far from perfect but capable of providing substantial wealth.  At the end of day, it's about taking intelligent action versus INaction.

Have you ever heard a story about a wealthy procrastinator?

You were born to be great.

YES, you can!

can i put it off just one more day?

The older I get and the more I coach, I realize that there are truly no absolutes in life except this:

There are many ways to avoid success in life and one of the surest of these is procrastination.

I know most of us don't like to admit it, but most of us procrastinate from time to time.  Yes, it's true.  In fact, some of us are down right pros at it!  We put off filing our taxes until the last day (guilty), never get around to certain work and don't clean up "messes" in our lives.

Unfortunately, procrastinators end up sabotaging themselves and their dreams.  They very often put artificial obstacles and excuses in their own path.  I know, I hear it all too often....

So, why procrastinate?

One major reason for procrastination is FEAR - fear of change, fear of the unknown or fear of failure.   Fear is a fundamental part of the human existence but the problem with fear is that we can become so attached to our fear that we believe that our fears are "truth".  The real truth is that most of the "mental demons" we create do not exist and will never materialize.  Perhaps you are familiar with the acronym for fear?

F.E.A.R. = False Evidence Appearing Real

In order to achieve breakthrough levels of success and fulfillment with anything in life, you must learn to accept being uncomfortable.  In fact, I'll go so far as to say that it's necessary to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.  If not, it becomes much more difficult to adopt the empowering mindsets and actions required to leave your current situation.  If you don't break out of your comfort zone, your life down the road will look nearly identical to how it does today... 

If you find yourself inwardly screaming, "No WAY!" then welcome to the first stage of a new reality.  Don't look around in six months, a year or even five years and find out that, sadly, nothing in your life has changed.  Otherwise, you'll still be working at the same job, doing the same thing, making the same salary and probably reporting to the same boss.

As the new year comes upon us, declare that you won't wait one more day.  Decide what your future looks like and begin to take steps to make it happen. 

Do just ONE thing today to create a different future.

Tomorrow do just ONE more thing.

The next day do just ONE more...and soon you'll create momentum you could not have dreamed possible and living the life you were meant to.

You were born to be great.

YES, you can!

success is not forever and failure isn't fatal

We've all heard the adage "You win some. You lose some." but how often do we allow wins and losses in business to define us?  You have a big sale or close a big deal and you're the office hero. You lose a big client or blow a deal, you're the office schmuck, right?  In business (and in life) it often seems that the highs can be really high and the lows, really low.

If this resonates for you then take heed from football coaching great Don Shula when he says:

"Success is not forever and failure isn't fatal."

Coach Shula had a great rule which I think can serve anyone well.  It was called "the 24-hour rule".  He allowed himself, his coaches and his players a maximum of twenty four hours after a football game to celebrate a victory or bemoan a defeat.  That's it.  During that time they were encouraged to experience the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat as deeply as possible but once the twenty-four hours passed, they put it behind them and focused their energies on prepping for the next opponent.

Now that's a principal well worth noting AND applying.

Don't waste time getting a big head when you win or getting too down in the dumps when you lose.  Keep things in perspective. What's done is done.  Focus instead on applying the strategies, tactics and/or principals that will either give you the "win" the next time or keep the winning streak going. 

Remember success is not forever and failure isn't fatal.

You were born to be great.

YES, you can!

 

modeling character and competence

The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity.  Without it, no real success is possible no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army or in an office.  
-Dwight David Eisenhower

Several weeks back, I wrote a post on integrity (The Integrity Test).  I wanted to follow it up with some observations taken from Stephen Covey's The 8th Habit which gave me additional perspective that I wanted to share with you.

I think it's safe to say that we all desire to work with people of integrity.  It is also safe to say that 60-70% of the workforce who has been employed for at least five years can identify at least one situation they have witnessed in the workplace in which someone (probably a manager or leader) has not demonstrated integrity and for which there was no repercussion.  It is worth noting that in a survey of over 54,000 people asked to identify the essential qualities of a leader, integrity was by far, the number one response. 

I realized in reading The 8th Habit that this issue of integrity (or lack of it) really boils down to a failure of character.  And, according to Stephen Covey, 90 percent of all leadership failures are character failures.

Where leaders lack character, trust cannot grow and trust is the key ingredient to all relationships be they business or personal.  So if you want to make a difference as a leader in your organization and in your life, practice integrity.  Keep your word.  Only make promises you can keep.  Don't do anything in private that you wouldn't want made public.  If you make a mistake, come clean. 

One man cannot do right in one department of
life whilst he is occupied in doing wrong in any
other department.  Life is one indivisible whole.
- Mahatma Gandhi

We are all human beings and sometimes life gets in the way of who we want to be.  Begin with yourself and notice the domino affect it has on those around you.  It isn't about being perfect, it's about being the best you can be. 

You were born to be great.

YES, you can!   

the dog ate my homework

This post was inspired by my recent frustrations over getting some marketing work done.  I wanted to brand and rebrand some of my programs and I had a great marketing guy referred to me.  Great at least when it comes to design work, not so great when it comes to getting his deliverables out on time....

Once John was hired (and yes, the names have been changed to protect the innocent) and we were in the middle of branding, I would email or call him about a certain aspect of the project and it would literally take him 4 or 5 DAYS (yes, D-A-Y-S) to get back to me. BUT here's the rub: He would always have what he thought was a good story about why it took him so long.

Don't get it twisted...

A good story does NOT equal getting something done.

It's like the joke about the dog eating my homework.  We always laugh at it because we know that as ludicrous and unrealistic as the story sounds, the deliverer (the student) THINKS it's a great story that EQUALS getting the homework done and thereby lets them off the hook.  And as much as we smile or laugh, WE DO THE EQUIVALENT EVERYDAY.

I know I promised to call you back but my boss called me in the office.
I know I promised to take you to the mall but I had a busy week and I'm really tired.

I know I promised to ________________  BUT __________________. (fill in the blanks with your favorite story).

So everytime you want to back out of something or it becomes inconvenient to meet your deadline because the dog ate your homework, remember that a good story does not equal getting something done.

I know life happens and occasionally, there really are extenuating circumstances (but not every day).  Here's a tip:  If you KNOW that you won't meet your commitment then simply renegotiate the deadline up front.  Much of my angst would have been alleviated if John had given me the story on the front end and rescheduled his deadline as opposed to missing the deadline and disappearing.  THAT is not a good strategy in work or in life. 

And John?  Well, he is now my EX-marketing guy.  We finished the project for which he was hired and I LOVE the result BUT I would never refer him out.  His inconsistencies overshadowed his design brilliance.

It's a sad thing really....

By the way, how do YOU show up?

You were born to be great.

YES, you can!

better leaders do produce better results

As a leadership consultant, I speak to companies every day about the impact strong leadership has on the bottom-line of the organization.  We sort of know that great leaders produce great results, but why? 

To answer this, I want to share some research conducted by ZengerFolkman which demonstrated that:

Good leaders create more economic value than poor leaders and extraordinary leaders create significantly more economic value than the rest.

While we intuitively know that this makes sense, how do strong leaders achieve such results?

Ultimately it boils down to their affect on the bottom line - things such as retention, turnover, employee commitment and morale, customer satisfaction and ultimately, productivity. 

In fact, their research shows that if the "people costs" to a company are 50%, a productivity improvement of only 5% can result in a 50% increase in pre-tax profit!!  In that same scenario, a 10% increase in productivity increases pre-tax profit by 100%!!! And on and on and on.

The bottom line:  Leaders who inspire people to perform at higher levels increase organizational productivity and thereby increase (substantially) pre-tax profit.

Now, can you imagine the organizational impact if you had a building full of inspiring leaders and not just the one's with titles? 

You were born to be great.

YES, you can!

the integrity test

1.  How often do you keep your word to others in business?

2.  How often do you keep your word to friends and family?

3.  How often do you show up on time for meetings or get-togethers?

4.  Now, how often do you keep your word to yourself?

When I ask leaders these four questions, invariably I get a response to questions one, two and three.  To question #4, 95% of the time I get a chuckle. 

Why?  Because when it comes to integrity, we tend to focus on what others can see but integrity, at a deeper level, is about one's ability to keep the promises that no one else knows about.  You know the ones.  Things like:

• I'm going to wake up and exercise at 5:30am tomorrow 
  • The integrity challenge: It's 5:15am.  The alarm clock rings. You slowly open your eyes, close them and roll over thinking - tomorrow, I'll start tomorrow....  After all, you're the only one who knew you were going to exercise today so it's no big deal right?    
• I'm going to work on that project for my boss that I've been putting off 
  • The integrity challenge:  The day is passing you by while you do "stuff" all the while looking at the folder that contains "the thing" you don't really want to do.  After all, it's not actually due for two more weeks.  You just don't FEEL like it today even though you promised yourself you would work on it today...     

What examples come to mind for you?

The challenge is this - with every private broken promise, we chip away at our core being.  We chip away at the person we "want" to be and we begin to develop this sense of false-ness.  It ultimately weakens our power because we know we are not being the person others may think we are. 

If this resonates for you then try finding an accountability partner that is going to hold you to your intentions and your action plan.  The trick is to find someone who isn't going to sell out on you and who will really hold you to your goals even when it's uncomfortable.  In other words, if you make a decision to exercise today and your accountability partner phones you at 2pm only to find out that you slept in, you want someone who is going to say, "OK, so when will you exercise today?" instead of "Well ok.  I know it must be hard to wake up at 5am so try again tomorrow."  ESPECIALLY when it comes to goals that require new habits, we may need someone that is going to push us until the new habit kicks in. 

There is power in keeping your word - not just to others but more importantly to yourself.

You were born to be great.

YES, you can!

the procrastinating perfectionist

I'm currently in the question about pursuing my PhD and to that end, I was on an informational call with one of the universities I am considering.  At some point, the question was asked about how long it takes to complete the program.  The response was that the average student completed the program in four years, but some students went as long as six.

SIX years?  Wow.  Can you tell us why that would be?

The school representatively graciously explained to us that there are those students who are affectionately referred to as "procrastinating perfectionist".  Ah-ha!  I immediately got it and it made perfect sense...

Procrastinating perfectionists are everywhere....

In the context of the PhD program, these are the students who work on a paper, turn it in for review, try to "perfect it" based on the feedback, turn it in for review again, try to "perfect it" again based on new feedback and on and on and on.  Why does this happen?  Because for the most part, these future scholars want to reduce any likelihood of ridicule on their published work.  They want to create absolute perfection in their theory and their execution so that no one can find a flaw in their approach...  Meanwhile, they're racking up thousands of extra dollars in school bills simply because they find that less painful than the idea of not being perfect!

Sound crazy?  Sound familiar?

Intellectually, we all know that there is no such thing as perfection but when it comes to going out on the skinny branches; to being "seen" or heard by more than our most intimate family and friends, we retreat into a space of fear and uncertainty.  We don't want to risk saying the wrong thing in front of our boss or our colleagues so we say nothing at all. 

Here's what you need to know:  When you choose to take a stand on anything, there will always be those with you and those "agin" you and that's OK because, as the saying goes "If you stand for nothing, you will fall for anything."

What do you stand for?  What beliefs are taking you out to the skinny branches?

You were born to be great.

YES, you can!