March 31, 2014 Focus Point

Reflection Done Right, Will Change Your Life Forever!

"Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action." ~Peter F. Drucker

"Reflection is the pause that gives a person perspective and renewed energy." ~John Maxwell

"To sharpen the saw means having a balanced program for self-renewal in the four areas of your life: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual." ~Stephen R. Covey

"Are the changes that are happening in your life bringing grief or growth?" ~John Maxwell

There is a certain uplift and power that comes into our life when we take the opportunity to sit back and reflect upon the ordinary experiences of the day. In fact, reflection moves ordinary experiences into extraordinary and gives us something to build upon for the future. It is the silent teacher that helps us gain perspective and direction. It is how we turn everyday experience into uncommon insight. We always hear the expression "experience is the best teacher", but evaluated experience is what really moves us to the next level. Experience all by itself is nothing more than just living another day, and the moments that could have been captured evaporate away and become nothing more than the forgotten past.

Mistakes help us to make corrective action so that we do not repeat them. Success's fuel us to determine what action to do more of. In both the good times and the bad times, to be a powerful and successful person always take the time to reflect, and if you do enough of it and in the right way you will be off and running to a better life.

March 24, 2014 Focus Point

Live Life With Intention!

"Many people die with their music still in them. Why is this so? Too often it is because they are always getting ready to live. Before they know it, time runs out." ~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

"Positive thinkers get positive results because they appreciate the inestimable value of a day, this day, not the next day, but this day, and every day. Today offers at least sixteen waking hours that may be crammed full of opportunity, joy, excitement, and achievement." ~Norman Vincent Peale

"Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal" ~Earl Nightingale

"The opposite of courage is conformity." ~Rollo May

Potential is one of the most powerful words in any language. It implies possibilities. It energizes the soul. It is filled with hope and optimism. What about unfulfilled potential? That phrase takes away all of the energy and is just as equal in negative energy as the word potential is full of positive energy.

In order for us to fulfill our potential in life I believe that we must be highly intentional about setting and achieving goals. In 1956 Earl Nightingale delivered a powerful message called The Strangest Secret. In this message he explains that the reason some people succeed in life and others struggle simple to survive day to day or "die with their music still in them" is that successful people have goals and unsuccessful people do not.

Being intentional implies taking action each day with purpose and on purpose. Intentional people lead their life rather than let life lead them. They do not let circumstances take them away from their purpose, they make their own circumstances, they take control. Intentional people are not only content with activity but with improvement. Because the truth of it is, hard work alone does not guarantee success and having a hopeful heart is not a strategy for success. Don't go to work every day just because that's what people do. Go to work with purpose and motivation to achieve your goals, and to move into the next step in the direction of your success. Don't work aimlessly, work with intention for improvement.

A few questions to ask yourself:

Do you have a plan for personal growth?

Do you have goals for your life and something to work toward?

What are the two or three things that you know if you did them would bring you closer to your goals?

March 17, 2014 Focus Point

If You Get Them On Price, You'll Lose Them On Price

"When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion." ~Dale Carnegie

"Never get tired of doing the little things for others. Sometimes those little things occupy the biggest part of their hearts." ~Unknown

"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." ~John Wooden

I recently sat with a successful business man and we discussed different ideas that successful companies implement to help employees create the environment that their customers will enjoy the most, and what customers expect when they come into the establishment. Every customer has unique and different needs and therefore, one size does not fit all. We need several "tools in the shed" so to speak in order to connect with every customer in their own unique way and to make certain they have a fabulous experience.

This gentleman told me about his own experience as a customer at a clothing store, The Buckle. He and his wife were treated so well that they ended up going back several times, and over the course of a few months spent several hundred and even a couple thousand dollars on clothing. If price is your only focus you may get them in the door, but you will lose them again because price alone is not a strong enough factor to keep them as a customer. Remember the personal touch that every person desires. Remember their name, remember they have their own unique expectations, hold the door for them. All in all, they want to feel important, be noticed, and have a wonderful experience. Like John Maxwell says: "Make them feel like a million bucks".

March, 2014 Leadership Connect

What Are You Doing To Improve Yourself And Others?

"A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval." -- Mark Twain

"Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself." ~James Allen

"Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God." ~Leo Buscaglia

"Greatness is: Intentional, Consistant, Incremental, Improvement." ~Josh Shipp

I was recently on an airplane, and as they were preparing for take off the attendants gave all of the simple instructions that they normally do. As they gave instruction about the oxygen mask, they always instruct to put it on yourself first and then help the person next to you. I was reminded of a life principle that we really cannot give what we do not have. Our experience and knowledge cannot draw from an empty well. As we grow in knowledge and experience then it can be applied into wisdom which is the proper use of knowledge. The more you grow, the more you are worth because the more you can do. If a tree is alive, it is growing. Leaders will get more out of their people when they see more in their people. 

To lead effectively we must work with people in their strengths and by motivating them properly and avoiding manipulation. Manipulation is moving someone for personal advantage, where as motivation is moving someone for mutual advantage. Motivate people outside of their comfort zone but not outside of their strength zone.

You can always do more with and through others if you have first taken the time to improve yourself or in other words sharpen the saw. Whatever your leadership roles, become more effective by growing yourself and then by gaining trust from, and growing others.

March 10, 2014 Focus Point

Become SHARP In Your Communication

"You can always teach a hungry person how to become sharp, but you can never teach a sharp person how to become hungry." ~Les Brown

"The pen is mightier than the sword, if the sword is very short, and the pen is very sharp." ~Terry Pratchett

"The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism." ~Norman Vincent Peale

"There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept." ~Ansel Adams

Many years ago, well known motivational speaker Les Brown, gave a message on being hungry and sharp. He explained that being hungry is the desire to learn and grow. It describes commitment to develop and use the tools that you have been given in life to make your life more meaningful and worthwhile. People who have this desire are much more likely to fulfill their potential and experience greatness. But, he said that "Desire on it's own is not enough, we also need to be sharp."

Below are specifics that we can practice to become sharp in all our communication.

Share a story and make a point

Humor
Analogies or illustrations
References
Pictures - both verbal and written

Excellent communicators are effective in Sharing a story and making a point. They involve Humor in their communication. Humor possibly more than anything else keeps us young at heart. When we laugh, endorphins flood our body and cause us to be and feel healthier. Laughter is indeed like a medicine. Analogies and illustrations help people to form a better visual in their minds and remember what has been said for a longer period of time. References bring credibility to your communication. Pictures always stay with people longer than words. Like the old saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Pictures can offer a bit of a road map for people to follow.

When is the next time you will communicate direction, instruction, or specific detail to someone?

March 3, 2014 Focus Point

What Are You Creating?

"You are a creator, the question is what are you creating?" ~C.S. Hughs

"Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." ~George Bernard Shaw

"True happiness comes from the joy of deeds well done, the zest of creating things new." ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

"The majority of men meet with failure because of their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those which fail." ~Napoleon Hill

Do you love life? I love life! It is so wonderful and full of blessedness. Sometimes you really never know what to expect next. But one thing we know for certain is that we can shape, mold, and create the life we choose, and it starts with our thoughts.

In fact one thing that great leaders and teachers of all time have always agreed upon is quite simply that the power to change life rests upon our thinking. It has been said that whatever we think about and thank about, we bring about. Our thoughts lead to action, our action to habit, and habit to being or becoming, and eventually actuality. We can begin to shape our life's experiences and circumstances.

The power is within us and it all starts with our thoughts. What will we create this week?

February 24, 2014 Focus Point

The Right Idea Will Change Your Life. If You Let It!

"Live fully, love openly, and make a difference today!" ~Brendon Burchard

"The best ideas can hit you at anytime, keep a pen handy." ~Robert Rohm

"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." ~Eleanor Roosevelt

"You ask me if I keep a notebook to record my great ideas. I've only ever had one." ~Albert Einstein

Have you noticed that an idea can come to you out of nowhere? Maybe at the most unusual time and when you least expect it? This concept has been quite amazing to me in my life. There have been times when ideas have come and I was able to write them down, capture the right kind of thoughts, and have benefited a great deal by doing so. And yet other times when I have missed the opportunity altogether.

FedEx Corporation headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee and founded by Frederick W. Smith is an American global courier delivery services company and started with just an idea. In fact in the beginning the name "FedEx" was a noun. But after more than 40 years and because of the exceptional service that it provides as a part of daily life, it has actually become an action word and a verb. And it all started with an idea. Whether on your smart phone or a pen and small notebook, I am a firm believer that recording ideas will pay huge dividends.

Keep a pen handy, you never know when that next great idea will hit you.

February 17, 2014 Focus Point

I Love America!

"We can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone." ~Ronald Reagan

"If you want to make enemies, try to change something." ~Woodrow Wilson

"It is better to be alone than in bad company." ~George Washington

"Believe you can and you're halfway there." ~Theodore Roosevelt 

"Promising too much can be as cruel as caring too little." ~William J. Clinton

I love America, how about you? I love that there have been so many tremendous leaders who have helped build people as well as build the most free of all countries in the world. Now regardless of your or my political view point, I am certain of one thing. We can learn something from everyone. No matter who it is, or what the situation, I believe this statement is true. There is a popular saying: "Experience is the best teacher." But I maintain that: "Someone else's experience is the best teacher, our own experience is the next best teacher." If we take opportunity to learn from people who have gone before us, I think that we can save an amazing amount of frustration in the area of mistakes and pitfalls. And the bookshelves in America are loaded with this grand information.

What can you learn from who this week?

February 2014 Leadership Connect

Reclaim Lost Margin and Restore Your Sanity

"The fear of being left out or missing an opportunity sometimes drives us to do more than we should." ~Michael Hyatt

"Margin is the space between our load and our limits, the gap between rest and exhaustion, breathing freely and suffocation." ~Richard Swenson

"The calendar was made for man, and not man for the calendar." ~Michael Hyatt

“We all yearn for what we have lost. But sometimes, we forget what we have.” ~Mitch Albom, The Time Keeper

Do you feel you are running low on Margin? If so what do you do about it? Is Your current work load sustainable? Do you enjoy what you do everyday?

This is not a message about doing less in life and saying no to great opportunities. It is a message about making the highest priorities the ones that actually get priority and get done first. It's about taking care of yourself so that you can live a longer and happier life, and at the end of the day do more and be more productive. 

We are in a microwave society, but life works best from a bit of careful planning and choosing the very best things to pursue. What do you enjoy? What are you good at? Do you have the chance to do what you're good at everyday?

Be proactive and take control of your life. Take inventory of external causes, but remember that if you ever feel overwhelmed or over committed, it comes from within. It is difficult to say no to someone or something, but the choice is yours which really means it is an inside job. There is great power in saying NO.

Keep within your proper and healthy margins, live life with an abundance mindset and control how much you take on at once. If you are overwhelmed and overworked you will not be as effective. It is better to do less and be more productive and efficient with less, than to do so much it can't possibly get done.

Take responsibility, take control and start today!

February 10, 2014 Focus Point

Just Do The Next Thing!

"Stop focusing on what you can't be and start celebrating who you are." ~Denise Ryan

"Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent." ~Eleanor Roosevelt

"If you don't change the direction you are going, then you're likely to end up where you are heading." ~John C. Maxwell

"I cannot trust a man to control others who cannot control himself." ~Robert E. Lee

Of all things, take action. It is in the doing that you will accomplish your desires in life. It is knowing who you are when you look in the mirror and adding value to that person to become the more accomplished person you know you can be. It's ignoring the negative pressures in life and giving attention only to the positive.

Successful people don't accept their life, they choose the life they want and lead their life in that direction. They are able to see a bigger picture of who they can become. To me, success is really knowing who you are and working to become that. And leadership of self is the very foundation of leading anyone else.

February 3, 2014 Focus Point

Your Environment Can Make or Break You!

"Choice is your greatest power." ~Caroline Myss

"Take an honest inventory of your friends.  Identify who makes you happy and spend more time with them." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

"The environment is everything that isn't me." ~Albert Einstein

"The man who has no inner-life is a slave to his surroundings." ~Henri Frederic Amiel

Circumstance is what happens to us. It is life. Most people however accept their circumstances as their life story. "I have to" "they made me" and so forth. What we can control however, is our attitude and what we will do with the circumstances in front of us, for positive or for negative. Then we can begin to make our own circumstances, working towards changing them and being in control of our environment. Determine your priorities and lead your life. It is not so much how life treats you, it is how you respond to it that makes the difference. This week live on the higher level, control your environment, shape your own circumstances, and do something big and important.

January 27, 2014 Focus Point

Are You On Track With Your New Year's Resolutions?

"Your present circumstances don't determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start." ~Nido Qubein

"You have to believe in yourself when no one else does. That's what makes you a winner." ~Venus Williams

"Don't wait for the perfect moment. Take the moment and make it perfect!" ~Unknown

"Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You were born to win, but to be a winner you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win." ~Zig Ziglar

You have got to love those new years goals and resolutions. I recently read an excellent article by Michael Hyatt. The gist of the article as follows: 25% of people abandon their New Year's resolution after one week believe it or not. 60% abandon them within six months and the average person makes the same resolution 10 separate times without success. Only 5% of those who lose weight on a diet keep it off; 95% regain not only the same amount of weight but even more. Even after a heart attack only 14% of patients makes lasting changes around eating or exercise.

Dr. Gail Matthews, a psychology professor at Dominican University in California, did a study on goal-setting with 267 participants. She found that you are 42% more likely to achieve your goals just by writing them down.

So what is the secret to success in resolutions and goal setting? Write them down. And I will add, look at them often. Keep them fresh in your mind and even affirm them to yourself out loud twice per day as a part of your positive speech. Don't ask for tasks equal to your strength, ask for strength equal to your tasks. Many times we fear setting a goal for the simple fact that: "What if we don't reach it?" I know this however. We are much more likely to accomplish a thing if we first set out to do it. For more on daily affirmations click - Lead Your Life - Affirmations

January 20, 2014 Focus Point

Read Great Books

"Don't just read the easy stuff.  You may be entertained by it, but you will never grow from it." ~Jim Rohn

"We over estimate what we can do in a day, and we underestimate what we can do in a lifetime." ~John Maxwell

"There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them." ~Joseph Brodsky

"If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much." ~Jim Rohn

Reading good books is such a powerful way to feed your mind and heart. From the words on a page we can gain knowledge as well as understanding from the great minds of men and women who have written it all down. The right books will lead you to a better life, give you ideas, and fuel success. Hyrum Smith was doing a seminar and asked the question, "How many of you feel that books are important?" Most every hand went up. And then he asked, "How many of you are reading a book right now?" Only just a few hands went up. "Why do so many believe and know it's value and so few actually read?" Someone shouted, "Because books don't ring."

The fact that books do not ring and call for our immediate attention makes reading a bit of a lost art. I challenge anyone who is serious about gaining insight and greater perspective in life to read a great book daily. Find the time, make the time, and you will thank yourself. Even if it requires putting away the electronics or turning them off and moving away from all distractions it is a very worthwhile choice.

January 13, 2014 Focus Point

Growth & Continuous Improvement 

"Learn and apply one new idea each day to help you to become more productive and effective at your work. The incremental effect will amaze you." ~Brian Tracy

"There is a choice you have to make in everything you do so in the end keep in mind that the choice you make, makes you." ~John Wooden

"Most people want more and believe less." ~Paul Martinelli

"Life without progress becomes unendurable, and the person who ceases from growth must either become an imbecile or insane.  The greater and more harmonious and well rounded your growth is, the happier you will be." ~Wallace D. Wattles

Can you imagine not taking a bath or a shower for a few days and eventually a few weeks and even months? Would you agree there would be some social concerns and roadblocks with this kind of behavior? I suppose that someone who loves you and cares about you would pull you aside and say: "What are you thinking? You have got to fix this situation."

Yet many people go for days, weeks, months, eventually years without feeding or giving proper nourishment to their minds. Brian Tracy teaches: " If you become one tenth of one percent more productive each day, that amounts to one half of one percent more productive each week. One half of one percent more productive each week amounts to two percent more productive each month and 26% more productive each year. The cumulative effect if becoming a tiny bit better at your field and more productive amounts to a tremendous increase in your value and your output over time."

I believe the key to self improvement is two fold. First, commit to doing something every single day that will edify, inspire, and increase your knowledge, vision, and possibilities. A good book or audio recording for instance. Something to feed your mind. Secondly, be patient in taking small steps. Isn't it amazing every morning as dawn approaches how slowly it starts to become light? At first there is just a glimpse of daylight and before you know it there is enough light to see quite well and soon the sun is up and a new day is born, but it is very difficult to determine at which exact moment it all happened. Growth in life happens much the same way. Slowly, gradually, and over time. And for the person who is consistent and determined the rewards are tremendous.

January 2014 Leadership Connect

Gain Respect From Everyone Around You. Up, Down, And Sideways

"The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant." ~Max de Pree

"Influence is the ability to change other people's thoughts, beliefs, and actions." ~Chris Widener's

"The key to successful leadership is influence, not authority." ~Kenneth H. Blanchard

"The secret of my influence has always been that it remained secret." ~Salvador Dalí

"A parent gives life. A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." ~Henry Adams

"The seeds you sow determine the harvest that you reap." ~John Maxwell

"I believe each of us is born with a life purpose. Identifying, acknowledging, and honoring this purpose is perhaps the most important action successful people take." ~Jack Canfield

How would you like to be the guy or gal in the room that when you speak people listen? What difference would it make in your life to have the respect in your office or classroom, and from your work associates that you feel you deserve?

Influence is a matter of disposition not position. Leadership is a choice you make not a place that you sit. In other words, just as effective communication is more a learned skill than natural talent, so is leadership more a choice than it is a position. Yet those who are inexperienced in leadership think that it is in fact a position, rather than a decision in how we choose to treat people. Therefore even a position or title does not guarantee that you will have influence with your people and certainly will not protect you. John Maxwell teaches that "Leadership is Influence, nothing more and nothing less."

The question is, if leadership is influence then how do you and I increase our influence and respect with those that we lead or teach, and even those over us? The answer is to add value to them. Add value to your boss, add value to your work associates, add value to those whom you lead, if you are a teacher in a classroom add value to your students. Desire to understand their needs and connect through understanding needs. This adding value behavior along with hard work is a choice that you make and will certainly distinguish you from all the rest and will give you more confidence and credibility which are both keys to better relationships.

For more on this, I highly recommend 360 Degree Leader by John Maxwell available at under products.

January 6, 2014 Focus Point

What Is Success To You?

"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." ~Winston Churchill

"Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another." ~Napoleon Hill

"A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him." ~David Brinkley

"To succeed in life, you need two things: ignorance and confidence." ~Mark Twain

"Successful people make bold decisions and they follow through on them." ~Unknown

"In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure." ~Bill Cosby

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." ~Winston Churchill

I just recently had the chance to purchase an audio recording from Earl Nightingale and was reminded of what a legend in the personal growth industry he was dating even back to one of his first messages The Strangest Secret that he delivered in 1956. In The Strangest Secret he answers the question that he had been searching for since he was 9 years old. The question was regarding why some people have so much success and abundance in life and yet others struggle merely to survive. He defines success as the progressive realization of a worthy ideal. His life and teachings were such a positive impact. For example: "The greatest puzzle is life. The greatest mistake is giving up. The greatest comfort is work well done. The greatest journey is that of the mind, because it determines life."

My definition of success is: Knowing who you are and working to become such. When I think of success I think of potential. Potential is one of the most powerful words in any language. Yet so many people understand it incorrectly. They think of a great job as having potential or a book as having potential, maybe they see potential in a particular relationship. The truth is that all of these are opportunities, but the potential to fulfill and connect with that opportunity is only in you. It can come from nowhere or no one else, but you. Your preparedness and the expression of a higher level of your potential will meet with the opportunity and turn it into something greater. We often hear: "Success is when opportunity and preparedness meet." Isn't it amazing what you see in the world, when you know what you are looking for? I love the expression: "You don't see the world the way it is, you see it the way you are."

December 30, 2013 Focus Point

A New Year A New You

"A real decision is measured by the fact that you have taken new action." ~Tony Robbins

"It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed." ~Napoleon Hill

"You have no guarantee of tomorrow.  If you want to express love, you had better do it now." ~Rick Warren

"I'd rather fail at something I love, than succeed at something I hate." ~ George Burns

"When you come to the table you either have the menu or you are the menu." ~John Maxwell

A new year brings such hopes and a new determination to develop new routines and new habits. The ambition to try something new, to stick with that exercise plan, to take a chance at a new opportunity to prove your abilities. Yet most New Year's resolutions fail by sometime in February. The secret to success in a New Year's resolution is like Stephen Covey teaches. "Think carefully about your commitments before you make them. Make a commitment and keep it, but only make it if you intend to keep it." This includes commitments to yourself as in a New Year's resolution. As well as to others, as in with your work associates, family members, and so forth. It is as if motivation gets you going but internal commitment and discipline keep you going. The new year inspires everyone to feel motivated with a breath of freshness, but what happens when the going gets tough a few weeks into it? Only those with a firm resolve will continue.

In life you can either live with discipline or regret. Don’t mistake movement for achievement. It’s easy to get faked out by being busy. The question is busy doing what? Is it the action that you had actually intended or is it just something that you hope will be good enough to get by? Have hope in your accomplishments but never hope more than you work. Hope is a fuel, but not a strategy. Work will always do more for you than hope.

Make this year the best ever by making commitments and keeping them. By setting new goals and achieving them. By believing in yourself and your abilities. By hoping for a brighter future and most of all working hard towards it. Happy New Year!

December 23, 2013 Focus Point

A Season Of Love And Giving

"Being miserable is a habit; being happy is a habit; and the choice is yours." ~Tom Hopkins

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven." ~Ecclesiastes 3:1

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." ~Luke 2:11

"Show kindness through your face, your eyes, your smile, and through the warmth of your greetings.  Don't only give your care, but give your heart as well." ~Mother Teresa

"Anger blows out the candle of the mind." ~R.G. Ingersoll

"You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you." ~John Wooden

"I like not only to be loved, but also to be told I am loved." ~George Eliot

What a great time of year when we have an opportunity to think less of ourselves and to think more of someone else.

I remember Stephen Covey telling a story about a man who came up to him at a break in one of his workshops asking how he could generate love for his wife and in his marriage once again. The gentleman explained how there was no love left in their marriage whatsoever. Covey said, "Love her." Once again the gentleman explained "There is no love, in fact there is not even any feeling of love left at all." Covey taught a powerful principle that love is a verb, something that we choose to do and show through action. The feeling of love is the product of showing love and comes after we take action. In her book The Secret Rhonda Byrne describes love as one of the most powerful emotions and forces that exists in human life.

What is the purpose of love and giving in your life? What is the purpose of the Season?

December 16, 2013 Focus Point

Everyone Communicates, Few Connect

"Successful people are simply those with successful habits." ~Brian Tracy

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I ...I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." ~Robert Frost

"Great leaders win over the hearts and the minds of others." ~John Kotter

"To master something someday, you have to work on mastering it everyday." ~John Maxwell

What a powerful statement and bold at that; Everyone Communicates, but only few of them truly Connect. To connect it requires so much more energy and effort. Anyone can say words and it takes no effort at all. But to really and sincerely reach someone's heart takes some good effort.

Like Kotter says in the above quote, we must win the hearts and minds. Notice that the heart is first, in fact the heart is always first. How can you win someone's mind until you have first won their heart? The best leaders and communicators know that you always touch a heart before you ask for a hand. You must reach their heart first in order to truly connect. You must identify with them, relate to their situation, ask caring questions, and listen intently. You must connect with them on their level. If you do this you will win with people and in life. Most people do not lead their life, they only accept their life, and these practices will help any person take charge and lead themselves and others more effectively.

December 9, 2013 Focus Point

What Is Your Most Valuable Asset?

"I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition." ~Martha Washington

"Feeling sorry for yourself, and your present condition, is not only a waste of energy but the worst habit you could possibly have." ~Dale Carnegie

"The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his feet." ~J. Robert Oppenheimer

"A happy life consists not in the absence, but in the mastery of hardships." ~Helen Keller

There is a story told of an old farmer down on his luck and discouraged. Well as good luck would have it he ended up with a goose who one day delivered a golden egg. Being true to his senses he thought that the egg was not real gold. Finally he had it examined by experts and found that it was indeed real gold and every day the goose would lay yet another precious golden egg. And every day the farmer grew more and more impatient to retrieve the next egg and eventually became so impatient that he thought: "I will kill the goose, reach inside and get all of the gold eggs rather than waiting any longer." So the next day he carried his plan out but as he reached inside the dead goose, sure enough, no eggs. His greed and impatience led to the destruction of the very thing which was serving him.

The things that are given to us at no cost are the things that carry the most value. Our minds, bodies, talents, and gifts. Most people place little value on them because they come as standard equipment at birth. But the things that can be replaced they value. What do you consider to be your most valuable asset in life? Is it your mind, knowledge or experience? Is it family, friends, or mentors who have offered direction? Maybe it is possessions, investments, and so forth... Whatever it is that you value in life are the items that should be protected and respected. For the things in life of most value are those that cannot be replaced.

December 2013 Leadership Connect

Are The People You Lead Working In Their Strengths?

"The self proclaimed "experts" who spend their time telling others what's wrong with them never win with people." ~John Maxwell

"I would much rather hire experience than knowledge any day of the week." ~Paul Martinelli

"The praises of others may be of use in teaching us, not what we are, but what we ought to be." ~August W. Hare

"All players have a place where they add the most value. That place is their "strength zone." ~John Maxwell

A fact based on research states that: Every person can do at least one thing better than ten thousand other people. The trick here is to locate within yourself what your own strengths are. What do you enjoy? What are you good at? And then take it to the next level and help those you lead, do the same.

In his book Good to Great Jim Collins talks about the idea of getting the right people on the bus, and getting the right people in the right seats on the bus. This is such powerful information because we see that it is important not only to hire the right people, but to also know their strengths so that we can place them properly.

From a survey that was taken across the United States, we learn that 85% of those interviewed said that they could work harder on the job. More than half of them claimed that they could double their effectiveness if they wanted to. These are huge numbers. Why would that be we ask? It is because so few people are actually working in their areas of strength. What about you? Do you get excited and feel motivated when asked to work in your weakness? I certainly don't.

Understand a powerful truth. When someone is working in their area of strength, they do not need much external motivation. It's like they take off and skyrocket in terms of effectiveness and production. A successful person finds the right place for himself or herself. But a successful leader is able to find the right place for others. How do you get unbelievable results from a person? Have unbelievable expectations about that person and help them discover and work in their strengths.

December 2, 2013 Focus Point

Information and Its Application

"A mind that is expanded by a new idea, concept, or experience, can never be satisfied in going back to its old dimensions."  ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

"I don't mind the question if you don't mind the answer." ~Bill Bailey

"Give up what you want now, for what you want eventually." ~Stephen R. Covey

"Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming." ~John Wooden

"You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read." ~Charlie "Tremendous" Jones

"Learn as if you are going to live forever, live as if you will die tomorrow." ~John Wooden

Isn't the right kind of information amazing with the value that it carries? But when we really understand its true impact we know that it will not serve us unless it is applied properly. It must be applied properly in order for a person to realize its full value, and this process of growth and improvement takes time. You cannot tear up the flower to see how the roots are doing. You must keep the roots in the proper soil or environment, so they can produce.

Think of the right information in terms of informative or in other words enlightening. It teaches us what we need to do in order to become better. It teaches us where we need to make changes. However, in order to benefit, we must act upon the knowledge and information. It's a tough gap but an important gap to step across. In fact the biggest gap on earth is the gap between knowing and doing. We must know in order to do, but to truly know, is to do. In life many people know what to do, but few people actually do what they know.

This week in all of your getting get understanding. And with understanding become aware of the application points necessary to move onward, after all, it's what happens in you that counts, not what happens to you.

November 25, 2013 Focus Point

Barriers, Opportunity, and Thanksgiving

"Character, not circumstance, makes the person." ~Booker T. Washington

"When Opportunity comes, it's too late to prepare." ~John Wooden

"Success is not where you are today, it is what you had to overcome to get there." ~Booker T. Washington

Barriers are of two kinds: Those that come along by themselves and those that we bring upon ourselves. In some cases you may not even have two consecutive days without some kind of barrier. The only person who has no barriers are those who do nothing. Anyone moving forward is going to face the challenge and resistance that comes as a reality of living in this amazing world. The difference in successful people that you and I can learn lessons from is that they overcome their setbacks and move forward anyway and in spite of them. They are overcomers they overcome the setbacks, barriers, and road blocks of life. They are successful not because they had less of them than the next guy or gal, but rather it is the attitude in which they approach them. The very setbacks that stops one person, for the motivated overcomer it becomes a stepping stone to higher ground and an opportunity to grow.

Think in your own life of some of the most rewarding times and successes that you have had. Were there challenges along the way? But you made it anyway! I guess in this case we should also give thanks for the barriers and roadblocks in life.

Every day each person on earth has new opportunities to grow, create, and become a better person more suited to assist others in their journey. This week I would like to give Thanks to the people in my life who inspire me to stand a little taller and to do a little bit more and who encourage me to become my best self.

November 18, 2013 Focus Point

The Law of Timing

"When to lead is as important as what to do and where to go." ~John Maxwell

"The only limits in our life are those we impose on ourselves." ~Bob Proctor

"It is only the farmer who faithfully plants seeds in the Spring, who reaps a harvest in the Autumn." ~B. C. Forbes

"It's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get back up." ~Vince Lombardi

1- The wrong action at the wrong time leads to disaster.

2- The right action at the wrong time brings resistance.

3- The wrong action at the right time is a mistake.

4- The right action at the right time results in success.

I recently had a conversation with an individual who related an experience. It was a difficult time with lots of demands and pressures, and on top of all of that she was working towards getting licensed as a Real Estate Agent. One particular day found her exhausted and deflated. "Will I ever make it? Will I be able to pass the test?" You understand the normal questions that we ask ourselves when times get tough. She was about to give up on herself and her goal, but just then it happened. She answered a phone call from a person who was also working on her license at the same time. "Let's do it together." Together they studied, worked, traveled, and became great friends. Together they were able to pass the tests, become licensed, and accomplish their goals. What if this person's friend had put off calling for another week or two, the outcome may have been very different. The Law of Timing was at work.

In John Maxwell's book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership we see that the law of timing is what led Jimmy Carter to be President of the United States. In 1976 Americans were ready for new blood, and a new view and voice for Government. January 20, 1977 James Earl Carter was inaugurated as the 39th President of the United States. But as the window of timing came, it also went away. In the 1980 election, Carter faced a devastating defeat in that he won only 49 electoral votes against Ronald Reagan's 489. Maxwell believes that with Carter's lack of experience and tenure in politics that his initial win in 1976 was a remarkable point in the timing in America and that at no other time would he have even had a chance.

The Law of Timing is real, and at work in our lives.

November 11, 2013 Focus Point

Character, Integrity, and Service

"My fellow citizens of the world: Ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." ~John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961

"I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." ~Nathan Hale

"Duty is never worthily performed until it is performed by someone who would gladly do more, if only they could." ~Unknown

"Real character and real integrity is found in the things that you do when you think that no one else is watching." ~Stephen Covey

When we think of those who are our Veterans we think of Service. We think of Commitment, Discipline, and Character. I am so thankful for our country, I think of the lyrics of an old song: "I am proud to be an American where...... I know I am free." I am so thankful for those brave men and women who have given so much, who have given of their time and a portion of their life to serve our country. To protect and ensure our freedoms. As the song continues: "I will gladly stand up." Thanks to each of you my fellow Americans who Stood Up. As we know, all gave some. And some gave all. The ultimate gift and sacrifice that anyone can give.

This week: Salute your country's flag and thank a Veteran. 

November 4, 2013 Focus Point

Let Go of Discouragement, Setbacks & Offenses

"Remember you will not always win. Some days, the most resourceful individual will taste defeat. But there is, in this case, always tomorrow - after you have done your best to achieve success today." ~Maxwell Maltz

"Yesterday ended last night." ~John Maxwell

"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." ~Winston Churchill

Discouragement can get the best of all of us at times, the feeling that you cannot go forward another step. In John Maxwell's new book Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Learn, we gain understanding that: Even though losses and setbacks really hurt and are not pleasant, they actually become our opportunities to gain some of our most valuable insight and the necessary direction to move forward even stronger.

When you get bumped around by someone else either on purpose or by accident, do you act or react? Robert Rohm states the following: "I see people every day, especially in traffic, who just do not let anybody get away with anything. They are ready for offenses to come so they can react in a way that lets other people know that they won’t tolerate being treated that way." There really are multiple opportunities to get offended on a daily basis. Maybe the real questions are: Do we give people the benefit of the doubt? Do we remember that even though they may say or do the wrong thing, they really meant to both say and do the right thing? Do we act or do we react? Easy concept to grasp and more difficult to apply.

November 2013 Leadership Connect

Change Your Paradigm And Get Results That Stick!
How is their: Attitude, Relationships, and Willingness to be a Team Player?

"All things are difficult before they become easy." ~Persian poet Saadi

" Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success." ~Henry Ford

"How do you have motivated people? Hire those who are motivated themselves." ~Unknown

When you are interviewing people or bringing them on staff, always check the attitude first. You need someone with skill and attitude both, but if they do not have the attitude it will not matter how good their skills are. They may not be the quality you are looking for. If they have a great attitude but lack some of the skill, well, then you can teach and train them in those areas, and a person with a good attitude will also be more likely to be teachable.

Another important area to consider when bringing someone on staff is how are they at working with people? Studies show that 85% of success in life and in work, is directly related to a persons ability to work well with other people. In other words they are able to connect and work effectively with others. They have a sense of what needs to happen in order to work smoothly with their team, resolve conflict, and accomplish the company's mission. Only 15% of success in work relate to skills.

Next area is teamwork. When I think of teamwork, I think of a group of individuals who have many differences in their skills, talents, interests, personalities, and so on. But they are one in purpose, vision, and commitment. Being different as individuals, but the same in purpose and commitment now makes a group of people united as a team. As the saying goes; "You can lose with good players, but you cannot win without them." These are the kind of people who are adding value to co-workers, supervisors, and the company. They are the kind of people who pick up trash off the floor on their way out to lunch, they take ownership and responsibility. This is the person you want to hire.

October 28, 2013 Focus Point

October 28, 2013
Focus Point

Discover Yourself

"A discovery is said to be an accident meeting a prepared mind." -Albert Szent-Gyorgi

When Christopher Columbus discovered a new world, he had to first leave the old world and all of its securities in order to discover what lay ahead.

There is a baseball analogy that says: "You have to take your foot off first base in order to get to second base." There are many people who have dreams and ideas but they are never secure enough to let go of what they know so that they can receive what they could have. Sometimes we lose what is best for us if we do not take a risk.

I encourage you to discover what it is that is your inner most desire, and start moving towards it. Be a "make it happen kind of person" and it will happen. I believe now more than ever before, that our personal growth and willingness to change when necessary, will drive our opportunities in life, advancement in our work, success in working with people for a win-win, and so forth.

What is it that is just waiting to be discovered by YOU?