B.Inspired

Our world craves great leaders. Now more than ever before, public opinion of our leaders is at an all-time low. We need great leaders in our government, schools, businesses, hospitals, religious organizations, and homes. And, good leadership won’t suffice. We need great leadership.

With more than 33,000 studies on the qualities of top leaders, all conclude that “vision” is the most identifiable quality of a great leader. Leaders think about the future most of the time. They practice ”no-limit” thinking about the opportunities of tomorrow, rather than focusing on the problems of the past.

Great leadership is really a transfer of belief. Great leaders share their belief, vision, purpose and passion with others and in the process they inspire others to believe, act and impact. Great leaders are positively contagious and they instill confidence and belief in others.

• Good leaders get people to believe in them.
• Great leaders inspire people to believe in themselves.

• Good leaders say “Watch what I can do.”
• Great leaders say “Let me show you what you can do.”

• Good leaders catch fish for others so they can eat today.
• Great leaders teach people how to fish so they can eat for a lifetime.

Great business managers inspire their people to believe in themselves and their product/service/organization. Great school principals inspire their teachers to believe they can make a difference. Great teachers inspire and empower their students to believe in themselves. Great pastors inspire their congregations to serve and impact the community. Great sports coaches inspire their teams to believe they can win. And the people who have changed the world have been those who instilled in others the confidence to step up, serve, take initiative and create positive change.

As leaders, our job is to continue to learn and grow in our work and personal life.  In order to lead others in a powerful way, we must share our vision for the road ahead and then encourage and empower people to generate inspired momentum that becomes an unstoppable force. This is what great leadership is all about—whether we’re leading a Fortune 500 company, a volunteer group, or a family.  Today, we need you now, more than ever, to lead!

The Golden Rule of Business says that people will do business with and refer business to those people they know, like and trust. It’s a transformational philosophy on how to create success in business AND life. How can we apply this rule?

According to Bob Burg and John David Mann in The Go-Giver, there are 5 laws that attract “stratospheric success.” In this segment, we’ll focus on the first law: The Law of Value, which states, “Your worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.”

Sound Pollyanna? Remember the wise proverb, “Give and you shall receive,” or the business philosophy, “Givers Gain”? When we change our focus from “getting” to “giving,” we put others’ needs first and add value that brings unexpected returns.

By incorporating this transformation philosophy as a way of life, we have the opportunity to experience the “joy of giving,” which has inspired everything from business books, to philanthropic giants, to psychologists who say that altruism and generosity make us healthier and happier.

Why is giving so powerful? When we truly give without expectation, we experience love, joy, peace, community, charity, caring and improved self-worth. This process of personal EXPANSION creates great joy, as we open a conduit for the kind of happiness that no one can ever steal. Some say that through selfless giving, we enter the space where holiness resides. Some visionaries even believe in the possibility of an economy based entirely on giving!

To apply this law to growing your business, you’ve got to give more. Giving is a way of life, and produces huge dividends over the long-term. Some examples might be exceptional customer service scores; customer appreciation programs; added-value services, such as free shipping, etc; consistent and fair practices and processes; providing referrals; remembering customer milestones; and sending thank you notes.

Many of our great fathers of industry—Ford, Edison, Hill, Carnegie—knew that the great fortunes of the world were created by people who had a greater passion for what they were giving, their product, service or idea, than what they were getting.  And, Dr. Martin Luther King said that everyone can be great because anybody can give.

This month, start consciously applying the Law of Value—and give! Take some time to write out your plan to give more. In the next issues we’ll cover the remaining 4 Law of Stratospheric Success.

Summer is a wonderful time to bring balance and perspective to life – especially if you’ve been using all your emotional and physical reserves to push through a busy spring of balancing career with graduations, concerts, weddings and other commitments.

Today, there are many medical studies that show our biography becomes our biology. In other words, how we think and live directly affects our physical self, emotional well-being, relationships and overall success at work. When we’re out of balance, our resilience can be lowered right down to the cellular level – aging us and reducing our general immunity.

This summer, put yourself at the top of your to-do list. With a few new habits, you’ll have the power to get off the fast lane, make a difference in your work life and have more energy to enjoy the summer. As they say, “In habit lies destiny!” Here are some suggestions to consider:

Create calm. Summer can be the perfect time to reclaim your calm. Research shows that when people enjoy the simple practice of getting out of the noise, to focus and be still, they experience very practical, physiological effects – such as lowered blood pressure, calmed brain waves, a boosted immune system, and enhanced clarity and creativity. There are many ways to create calm in your life:

Schedule regular time for reading, reflection and prayer first thing in the morning or every evening before going to bed. Schedule an occasional massage. Spend time out in nature. Make sure to connect each day on a meaningful level with someone you love.

To be successful, however, you’ll need a solid strategy and a strong commitment to creating calm. Consider scheduling “Be Still Time” into your calendar to get this habit started. By setting aside regular time for calm – just like your morning coffee or tea – it will become second nature.

Rethink your digital life. Have you ever asked yourself: Why don’t I have time to think? Our computers, smart phones, iPads and other digital devices are miraculous at connecting us to the world, but research is showing these conveniences come at a great cost – to depth of communication, creative problem solving, and overall peace of mind.

Author William Powers, in Hamlet’s Blackberry, provides a compelling argument for consciously taking some time off from our devices. To escape the chaos of digital life, he suggests scheduling time DAILY to be “disconnected from devices”. For example:

Turn off your cell phone at 8 p.m., take a walk in nature without your phone, stay out of your home office after 7 p.m, or have a disconnected party where all devices are confiscated at the door!

Make lean-body food choices. The summer is a perfect time to create new lean-body food habits. Make sure to get rid of any junk food around the house and avoid food traps at the office – such as vending machines, donut trays, power lunches and candy jars. If all you have around are healthy foods, then you’re forced to make smart choices. Stock your kitchen and office with lean-body meals and snacks, such as:

Cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, yogurt, nuts, eggs, nut butters, salsa, avocados, whole grain wraps and breads, fruits, veggies, beans, white meats and fish, protein shakes, and even a little dark chocolate to satisfy your sweet tooth with an antioxidant-rich treat.

It’s also critical to drink plenty of water during the day. Finally, limit caffeine. Consuming too much caffeine can overtax your adrenal glands and leach the delicate balance of vitamins, minerals and electrolytes out of your body, contributing to your body’s stress load. Make healthy eating a habit, so that by the time fall rolls around and the holidays begin, you’ve already got a strategy to stay lean and healthy!

Get moving. Exercise heightens your sense of well-being, improves your mood, reduces stress and allows you to sleep better. The summer is the perfect time to build in a daily exercise program and other physical activities that continue burning more calories during the day. Remember to put your exercise routine in your calendar and show up like you’re going to an important meeting! In addition to a regular workout routine, here are some examples how to keep moving during the day:

Park at the far end of the mall lot. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Schedule a walk during lunch, or start a walking group in your office. Use a fitness ball as a chair to keep your core muscles engaged all day. Practice isometric movements while you’re talking on the phone or reading emails. And, consider interval training or plyometric exercises, like the P90(X) program, to ratchet up your cardio intensity with intermittent bursts to help you burn more calories in a short period of time and boost your metabolism longer after your workout.

Plan your dream career, promotion or community legacy. If work is leaving you overwhelmed and uninspired, it might be time to make a career change or plan a new purpose-filled direction. More and more people are moving away from conventional careers to pursuits they find more personally rewarding or in alignment with their values, from starting a new business, to writing a book or creating a non-profit.

This summer, take some time to find out how you were uniquely purposed. By increasing our self awareness, we make better decisions about work, our charitable pursuits and overall life direction. Self knowledge also brings insights that benefit your significant relationships as well. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Take a career assessment, such as the Strong Interest Inventory. Complete a StrengthsFinder. Join a LifeKeys class at a local church. Read a book on success principles. Create a vision and a life plan to achieve personal and professional dreams. Use a journal to record your insights. Finally, connect with a mentor or a coach to help you create a plan and keep you accountable.

By re-establishing a relationship with yourself, you’ll come to see the unique blend of your gifts, strengths, personality style, values, leadership abilities, goals, spiritual gifts, and life purpose. With this kind of clarity, you’ll have the right information to make the best decisions about your career – and your life!

Laugh more. Laughter has been proven to release a variety of immune-enhancing chemicals. Look for ways to be more creative and fun during the day. For example:

Take time for spontaneous activities. Lighten up and avoid undue seriousness. Practice an attitude of gratitude. Choose a humorous phrase or one-liner from your favorite comedy that helps keep things in perspective. Watch a funny movie before bed. Read the comics before work. Tell a joke. If you’ve had a bad day, once you get home make some nasty grimaces in your bathroom mirror, then take a shower to wash off all your seriousness.

Achieving a healthy work/life balance takes some analyzing, planning and contemplation. But change starts only when you take that first step. Even a small step is important, because small changes, practiced consistently, transform great ideas into dramatic results. So put yourself at the top of your to-do list this summer and create some success habits that can help you lead a more fulfilling life while accomplishing your goals more effectively.

Let’s be honest, we’ve all set goals that have failed. In fact, research says that 90% of New Year’s resolutions fail by the end of January!

Goal setting is supposed to be a positive, powerful practice that ignites enthusiasm and provides clear direction. To be successful, we’re supposed to set SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. However, when practiced poorly, goal-setting has a serious dark side that can undermine our success, making us cynical and fostering confusion about where to concentrate actions and energy.

So, why do so many people today set goals but fall short of achieving them on a regular basis? Following are 9 ways goals can fail – and some suggestions on combating these pitfalls:

1) No authentic purpose. For every goal, there must be a deeper motivation that fulfills our sense of purpose. This is because taking purposeful action appeals to the emotional side of our brain, which feels good and fuels our desire toward accomplishment. The easiest goals to accomplish are the ones that we desire the most and make us almost leap for joy at the thought of achieving them. According to Johann Wolfgang Von-Goethe, “Desire is the pre-sentiment of our inner ability, and the forerunner of our ultimate accomplishments.”

2) Not specific. If we set a goal to “lose 10 pounds by spring break,” for example, there isn’t enough detail for the rational side of our brain, which can encourage excuses that get us off track. Setting very clear, detailed goals will help the rational side of the brain follow through. You’ve heard the old adage, “failing to plan means planning to fail.” It’s really true! So, determine your action plan with specifics on exactly how you’re going to lose weight – such as type of workouts, days and the times, classes, diet adjustments, etc.

3) Lack of measuring. In addition to being specific and inspiring, our goals must be measurable. This enhances our ability to create feedback mechanisms that monitor, control and correct the process of achieving our goals. The same goes for business plans. If we can develop specific tactics, a timeline, and a way to measure our progress, then we provide a successful road map for achieving business goals.

4) Too big. If our goals are too large and overwhelming, they may be hard to accomplish. Goals that are subconsciously unachievable or outside our mental boundaries of reality, are much less likely to be accomplished.

Current research on goals suggests that we will go through three phases:

• Phase I: We come out strong with enthusiasm and determination.
• Phase II: The “Brick Wall.” We start to have a sense of failing at our goals or losing motivation. This is especially true if we have longer-term goals, which tend to make it easier to hit a valley. This could show up as lack of money, a lack of support for an idea from family or friends, or simply a loss of interest in trudging ahead toward a seemingly unreachable goal.

Now is a critical point to re-adjust our goals and timelines, possibly simplifying them or having more short-term goals that give us a sense of accomplishment that fuels our long-term goals.

• Phase III: Completion!

So, does Phase II sound familiar? Another related tip to prevent burn-out in Phase II is using the 80/20 rule. Try to be dedicated to achieving your goals 80% of the time, and lighten up on yourself 20% of the time, within reason. Staying “on goal” 100% of the time will eventually burn you out.

5) Too complicated. If we spend too much time upfront on designing elaborate goals and tracking systems, we may find that our best efforts may not be sustainable over time. If creating and tracking goals takes too much time away from accomplishing the goals, then it’s time to prioritize and simplify goals.

6) Too many. Along with complicated goals, we may create too many goals, making it impossible to complete anything. People with too many goals feel that they never can accomplish a complete task. They may also be confused about what is most important to accomplish or fall prey to the “check it off the list” syndrome, in which they check tasks off their list half way before accomplishing the goal due to lack of motivation or simply being willing to “settle” for less.

7) No accountability. When we talk about our ambitions, we feel accountable to other people. Find a mentor, co-worker or coach to share your goals with and to hold you accountable. There is strength in numbers!

8) Not written. Writing down goals is critical to making them happen. And, regular review and follow-up of your goals make them LIVE. Post your goals in two visible places, such as by your computer and on your personal bathroom mirror, and review them twice daily – first thing in the morning and before bed if possible. Anchor your goals by visualizing what it’s like to accomplish them. Refine your goals monthly as needed. Last, make sure your shorter-term goals and action steps continue to support your longer-term goals, which are the guideposts to accomplishing your dreams!

9) Focus on failure. If we ignore celebrating the goals we’ve accomplished in the past, we lose sight of our innate ability of great achievement. Our minds are too busy focusing on our “failures” versus our “successes” – and we inadvertently encourage more of the same. Essentially, the subconscious slinks away with its tail tucked between its legs, resigned to failure!

To combat this focus on failure, list all the goals you’ve achieved in the past and celebrate your successes. Acknowledge yourself for work well done. Then moving forward, every time you achieve a goal – no matter how small – reward yourself in some way. Our subconscious needs this kind of subtle, but extremely important, fine-tuning to set us up for success!

Your challenge: (1) Review or define goals. (2) Link goals to a deeper purpose. (3) Make them clear, well-defined, and measurable. (4) Implement the 80/20 Rule. (5) Find people to hold you accountable and review your goals daily.