July 2, 2005 10:33 am - Wanted! - An Aspiring Leader
The following advertisement appeared in a local newspaper several times without bringing any sort of response."Wanted. A situation for a printer who is competent to take charge of any department in a printing and publishing house. Would accept a professorship in any of the academies. Has no objection to teach painting and penmanship. Has some experience as a lay preacher."
As desperation set in for the young printer, he realized he must lower his expectation in order to simply get his foot in the door to his new community.
With this new realization he added the following line to the above advertisement.
"P.S. Will accept an offer to saw and split wood at less than the usual rates."
This one additional line helped to secure the young man with regular work. As a result of the contacts he made shortly thereafter, the young printer soon found himself being introduced to the local editor as a dependable man with a strong work ethic, of impeccable character and a strong desire to learn and develop his skills.
The editor was so impressed with the positive references, he didn't hesitate to put the young man to work in the profession of his dreams.
Don't wait for a higher position or a larger salary to come your way.
Instead, take action to enlarge your current position. Be creative and put originality into your work. Fill the role you have been entrusted with in a manner that no other has ever attempted.
Be more prompt, more energetic, more thorough, more polite than your predecessor or fellow workers.
Do the jobs that no one else is willing to do.
Study your business, find ways to save your employer money. Make their work easier and you will guarantee your own job security.
The art lies not in simply giving satisfaction, not in just filling your role, but in doing better than what is expected, in surprising your employer; and the reward will be a better position with a larger salary.
Benjamin Franklin once said, "A ploughman on his legs is higher than a gentleman on his knees."
We're constantly on the lookout for highly effective leadership tools and resources that we can recommend to our readers. Share your own helpful hints and tips here.
July 10, 2005 8:14 pm - The Leader of the Microchip!
Bob Noyce was an outstanding mentor," Apple Computer founder Steve Jobs explains. "I was young, in my twenties. He was in his early fifties. He tried to give me the lay of the land, give me a perspective that I could only partially understand." Jobs continues, "You can't really understand what is going on now unless you understand what came before."Good advice starting small businesses is hard to come by, but Robert Noyce was always a generous man in this regard.
Advice starting small businesses today is found in great supply in the new book from Leslie Berlin. This is the story of Robert Noyce, The Man Behind the Microchip
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Leadership-Tools is proud to recommend this new book release in honor of Robert Noyce, the man behind the microchip.
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July 13, 2005 5:51 pm - Turning Conflict Into Success!
Conflict in business, in personal relationships, and in life - is unavoidable.In fact, we should just go ahead and add Conflict right along side Death and Taxes as 3 things we can all simply count on.
It is our approach to handling conflict that is the greatest determining factor in whether or not we successfully work through the issue.
Too often people approach a conflict with a Win At Any Cost strategy, or they attempt to simply Pull Rank and extend their authority as a way to intimidate the person into submission.
The worst strategy that is used more than any other is the one in which the manager simply Pretends The Conflict Does Not Exist. He just turns a blind eye and hopes to high heaven the situation will stop or change to his satisfaction.
As a Leader, however, you don't get to indulge yourself in the luxury of opting out!
The best way to approach a conflict is to clearly understand your intentions and to have clear goals for a positive outcome. For instance, if you can set aside your emotions (I.e, frustration, impatience, anger, etc.) for just a moment and ask yourself these 5 important questions:
1. Is the situation negatively affecting the business? If so, in what way?
2. Is the situation making the work environment unhealthy? If so, in what way?
3. Is the person I am about to confront hurting themselves professionally as a result of his/her behavior? If so, in what way?
4. Is it just me? Is this just simply a personality conflict that perhaps I am somewhat responsible for? If so, in what way? (Good leaders will always take a quick look in the mirror before holding others accountable.)
5. Am I about to make the situation worse or better for the person I'm confronting, for myself and for the organization I am representing?
In summary, it takes more to address conflict than simply carrying a large stick.
In order to successfully overcome a conflict you must outline the issue clearly, seek a mutual understanding of the issue and agree to an action plan for moving forward together.
Lastly, always remember as the leader you are in the postion of authority. You can control the content of your message and you can control the way in which you deliver your message - these are Your responsibility.
You cannot, however, control how the person you confront receives the message - this is his/her responsibility. Just make sure you do your part well and more than likely you will get a favorable response.
Go to the following links for more leadership related articles and free leadership tools.
July 14, 2005 6:53 pm - Leadership vs. Indifference
What is worse that a person who is rude, rash and a renegade on the team?Answer: The team member who is indifferent. Indifference is the silent killer.
"He that shoots," says Feltham, "may sometimes hit the mark; but he that never shoots can never hit the target."
Indifference in a man or woman is evidenced by someone who takes no stand against one side or the other. This person is simply along for the ride, without any strong desire for, or belief in, anything specific.
The person who is forever twisting and turning in the wind, hesitating or dawdling, analyzing or splitting hairs over the non-essentials - will never accomplish anything. In fact, the resources this person takes up can bring down an entire team or organization. Indifference is truly a silent killer of energy and enthusiasm.
But the leader, the positive and forward thinking individual, is a true power in the world and she stands for something. The leader has a purpose and a vision. You don't have to wonder what the leader is thinking - it's been communicated clearly.
You never hesitate to follow a true leader because the belief she shows in herself is so convincing, you quickly believe in the leader as well.
The leader understands that opportunity is coy, it's swift at coming and going.
The man who is indifferent has no chance to grab hold of opportunity because he is not even looking for it in the first place. Leaders, on the other hand, are quick to determine the quality of the opportunity and whether or not he will take advantage of it.
A man who can quickly resolve upon a course of action and maintain his energies upon the goal is sure to succeed.
Stay away from those who are indifferent as they will do nothing to support or encourage you to become better than your current standard. In fact, you may find that remaining in the company of indifference simply pulls and lowers your own standards over time.
Check out our Self Improvement Store for our hand picked favorite leadership tools and resources.
July 17, 2005 4:40 pm - New Interview - About Personal Growth
We recently had the opportunity to interview the owner and creator of www.about-personal-growth.com - Fatimah Musa.Fatimah's site walks her readers through some very important questions such as:
- Do you like where you are and what you have become?
- Have you ever wished that your life was different?
- Can your relationship improve?
- Are you producing the results that you want?
- What triggers you to produce your behavior?
Just to name a few.Fatimah does a great job of getting other to try to identify how they can reach the top rung and achieve success?
Read the entire Leadership Interview and then check out her site in more detail We think you will find it interesting.
July 18, 2005 12:21 pm - Street Smart Tips to Leadership!
Wouldn't it have been great is we all would have been required to take some specific classes on leadership as part of our formal education?Math, English, Accounting, all the typical classes that we think of - required no real leadership skills in order to pass.
One could argue that the extent to which we gained some level of leadership skills was in the team sports and club activities that we each became involved in. It was more the athletic and social activities that tended to help determine who the leaders and followers were.
It's a plain fact that most folks just haven't been given a REAL education on what it takes to be successful.
The following information outlines just a few "street smart" rules and resources that I believe can get anyone on the path to becoming a more confident and successful leader:
A Clear Focus - Vision
Being able to concentrate your energy on one specific unwavering aim is truly an important key for being successful.
You should make your life's work be in the area of your passion in order to reap the rewards of your unyielding enthusiasm.
Building your own personal mission statement is a great way to put your dreams onto paper and begin planning how you will turn your dreams into reality. You can build your own Mission Statement simply by visiting www.nightingale.com/mission.
A Positive Attitude
Henry Ford once said, "If you think you can, or if you think you can't, you're right." The power of BELIEF cannot be understated. No one has accomplished anything great without a strong will and belief that the goal can and will be achieved. I highly recommend Orison Swett Marden's book Pushing To The Front for helping to create a more positive mindset and a can-do spirit.
A Clear Goal - A Clear Plan
Today it seems just about everyone has some sort of daily planner. We all have mastered, or so we think, the art of "multi-tasking".
The fact is that many of the time management tools and resources do nothing more than help us to create a never-ending list of "to-do's". In my opinion, a to-do list does NOT motivate me or make me feel confident that I am making regular progress on my lifelong goals. Tony Robbins has a wonderful "life management" product that combines identifying our true purpose with clear goal setting and effective time management. Read more about this terrific product that I have used successfully for the last 4 years, at Time Of Your Life.
A Strong Desire to Learn
Too often our young people believe that once they graduate from High School or College, their learning days are, "oh so thankfully", over.
Successful people, however, possess a strong hunger and thirst for continued learning throughout their entire lives.
Leaders understand that in business and in life, you either Grow or you Die. If you do not continue to learn and grow, your competitors will surely pass you by and you will quickly become obsolete.
Information has never been more available and affordable - from a library card to book clubs, audio books for your travel or workout time, etc. We highly recommend Audible.com for continued learning in the field of self development, check out all the great titles.
Have Fun at Work and Play!
Lastly, you must make time to have fun and play, both in your work and in your personal life. Let's face it, life is too short not to make time to enjoy all that you've accomplished.
Unlike the masses, successful people know that working hard IS fun, enjoying the rewards of our hard work is FUN, sharing our success with others is extemely rewarding, and taking time to create positive memories for ourselves, friends and family IS A TON O' FUN!
I hope you have found these street smart tips and resources to be highly valuable in your leadership journey.
Best of luck to you and please be sure to - enjoy the ride.
July 27, 2005 4:10 pm - What's An Education in Leadership Worth?
Does an education pay?- Does it pay to make life a glory instead of a grind?
- Does it pay to open a little wider the door of a narrow life?
- Does it pay to push one's horizon farther out, in order to get a wider outlook, a clearer vision of what's possible?
- Does it pay to taste the exhilaration of feeling one's powers unfold?
- Does it pay to take the dry, dreary drudgery out of life?
- Does it pay to prepare yourself for a superior position?
- Does it pay to get a glimpse of the joy of living?
- Does it pay to have your mentality stirred by the passion for expansion, to feel the tonic of growth, the soothing satisfaction which comes from the attainment of self-improvement?
- Does it pay to have four or more years filled with the most delightful associations with others of various culture, people all at an age when ambitions and high ideals have not been dulled or shattered by life's disappointments?
Clearly, the answer must be that the price of a person's education is truly priceless - never underestimate the true value of knowledge.
July 27, 2005 7:05 pm - Why Successful People Fail?
The following list details some real reasons why some people who are successful in business and in making money, fail in the ultimate game of life. Avoid these mistakes to ensure your life is lived enjoying your success to the utmost.
Successful people FAIL when:
- They stop growing.
- They never become greater than their occupation.
- They never look on the bright side of a situation.
- They stuff their pocketbooks, but starve their mind.
- They regard their business as a means of making a living instead of a life.
- They lose their closest friends from neglect, and don't make the effort to create new ones.
- They use every means to build their business, but none to develop their mind or to make himself a larger person.
- They never learned to enjoy little things, or to see the uncommon in the common.
- They never learn to lubricate their life with laughter and good cheer, DAILY.
July 28, 2005 11:16 am - Rising To Your True Potential?
When does a person truly fail? Some consider themselves a failure the first time they attempt to achieve something and it doesn't turn out the way they had hoped. Unfortunately, this initial failure can create so much uncertainly in a person, their entire future can be negatively effected.In reality, a person only truly fails when he or she quits, gives up hope or simply settles for less that what's possible.
The following are some additional examples of what makes up failure:
- When you are doing the lower, when the higher is possible.
- When you are not a better person as a result of your life's work.
- When you live only to acquire, rather than to also give.
- When you have lost your way, your self-respect, your courage, your self-control, or any other quality of adulthood.
- When you have lived a double life, and practiced double dealings.
- When the hunger for more money has become your dominant passion.
- When you neglect your family and friends for pursuits based on greed.
Take special care to ensure that your time is wisely invested in taking care of your own health, your relationships to family and friends, and to making an effort to contribute your time and resources to benefit your community.
These are the things that people will remember you by and miss when you are gone.
July 29, 2005 1:01 pm - Leadership - One Fine Day!
The following thoughts represent ideals of every great leader. As each of us work to improve ourselves in every aspect of our lives, it's important that we guide our own behavior by remembering these ideas.
THE TIME WILL COME WHEN:
- When everybody will know that selfishness always defeats itself.
- When to get rich by making others poorer will be considered a disgrace.
- When the businessman or woman will find that his best interests will be the best interests of the person at the other end of the bargain.
- When a person who seeks amusement by causing pain or taking good energy from someone else will be considered a barbarian.
- When it will be found that repression and punishment are not reformative, and our prisons will be transformed into great educative and character-building institutions.
- When all hatred, revenge, and jealousy will be regarded as boomerangs which inflict upon the thrower the exact injury intended for others.
- When the "best society" will consist of men and women of brains, culture, and achievement, rather than those whose chief distinction lie in the possession of unearned fortunes which they choose to squander.
