Tag Archives: Mindset

Posted on

The Cries for Inspirational Leadership (Part 1)

Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action is what can change the world ~  Joel Baker

Inspirational Leadership

Partnership

Leadership is perhaps best viewed as a partnership – the partnership between the “leader” and the “led”. The goal of beneficial leadership in this regard would be to facilitate and unlock the potentials of the parties to achieve desired end results. In this context, a good leader is the person that acts as the bridge linking people to their goals through inspired actions. This distinguishes a true leader from a “greeder”. A “greeder” is the person that benefits only at the expense of the people that he or she leads.

There are people today in diverse positions of power, influence and authority who exploit the will, trust and belief of the people they supposedly lead. The often silent but agonising cry of these people for inspirational leadership is often met with more brazen exploitation.

Inspirational Leadership

Personal inspiration rather than mere motivation is what makes the leader stand out. Inspiration is far superior to motivation. It is a process that is spirit-induced and heart-controlled. It is revolutionary in concept and dynamic in approach. An inspired person is energised, enthusiastic and so passionate about his convictions that he is perpetually restless and tireless in pursuit of his goals.

I remember once asking a class during a coach-training session if well known transformational leaders like Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama and Bill Gates, among several others were inspired or merely motivated to do what they are recorded to have done? There was not one person in the class that was not convinced that these leaders were personally inspired.

Inspired Leaders Make Lasting Impact

Many scientists, writers, politicians, entrepreneurs, philosophers, entertainers, artists, teachers and others that make lasting impact in the lives of others and in their communities have been personally inspired to do so. Each of them has through some personal ingenuity made the world a better and happier place for others, because there has been a massive and irresistible personal drive to make a lasting impact. Personal inspiration is a hallmark of true leadership.

Strength from within

You cannot stop a truly inspired leader or even try to put him down, because he is propelled by forces of stronger convictions within him than all the negativism around him. That is why true personal inspiration is the key to successful leadership. A leader that is not personally inspired often ends up being the puppet of other people.

The Next Generation

A challenge of leadership succession and ascension is that some entrenched systems do not often favour the emergence and sustenance of truly inspired leaders. As a result, the transformation that the people earnestly desire continues to elude them.

Tell me what you think about Inspirational Leadership by leaving a comment below.

Posted on

Increase Productivity by Reducing Distractions

Productivity is meaningless unless you know what your goal is Eliyahu Goldrat

Increase Productivity by Reducing Distractions

For as long as I remember I have always had to struggle to maintain focus and avoid distractions. I still do battle daily against the things that take my attention away from what I have set my mind and heart to achieve.

Believe it or not, but productivity increases inversely with distractions. If you have no ambition or big goals you want to accomplish, it is unlikely that you will derive any benefits from reducing distractions. So what is a distraction?

A distraction is that which divides your attention or prevents concentration.

When I set out to write my blog posts, my mind wanders and my attention is divided between what I am doing and the many other things I want to do. I constantly have to fight to get back on track and complete the task. This for me is energy draining and a cause of low productivity. So I set out to increase my productivity, get more done and achieve my goals by reducing distractions.

Here are 5 changes I made to my working life that has yielded big results.

  1. Create A Personal Work Space.

Your personal work space includes your desk, your chair, the walls around you, access to day light, room temperature and any other thing you can think of that makes for a pleasant environment. The more comfortable you are in your chair, the less you would fidget and the longer you will stay and complete your work.

Keeping a clutter free work environment will add to your productivity. Look around you. Do you like the look and feel of where you work? If not, come up with three things you can do to make yourself relaxed and comfortable.

  1. Turn Off Emails, Telephone and Text

I am one of those persons who checks his email as soon as it arrives. So I have lights that blink when I get an email, a buzzer that rings when I get a text and a phone that vibrates when on silent.

For years I couldn’t imagine life without a smart phone. However, after overcoming the withdrawal symptoms, I get more done in my day with the phone turned off.

If you have work to do that demands focus and attention, you may want to try having these things turned off.

  1. Take Some Time To Plan Your Day In Advance

If you start your day without a plan, you are more likely to end that day without achieving much. Take some time to plan your day in advance. The previous night is a good time to do this. Set goals and have targets for the day.

A list of what you want to do or achieve is a simple tool that can make you more productive. On completion of a task, you do not have to spend time wondering what to do next. You simply look at your list and tackle the next task.

  1. Use A Timer

When on social media, decide how much time you want to spend and then spend no more that the time you have allocated. A timer is a wonderful device which simply bleeps when your allocated time is up.

When writing, use your timer, when researching online, use a timer and when you go to sleep in the middle of the day, if you have that luxury, use your timer.

  1. Record, Review And Reward

Many years ago when I was struggling with money, I was given a sheet of paper to record and keep track of my spending. The result of that exercise was an eye opener. By tracking my spending I was able to review my actual spend against my planned spend. I had actual numbers that were always different from the plan. I didn’t need much prompting to make spending cuts.

What you track you can change. Keep track of how you spend your time. Record how many minutes in your day you spend doing actual productive work. Record how many minutes you spend watching television. Record how many minutes you spend on the telephone and on social media.

Review what you have recorded. Make necessary adjustments and reward yourself for good behaviour.

Why not add your own productivity tip by leaving a comment below.

Posted on

Book Review – 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven R Covey

to learn and not to do is really not to learn. To know and not to do is really not to know. ~ Stephen R. Covey

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is recognised as one of the most influential books ever written. This book has sold more than 25 million copies in 38 languages world wide. It must have more influence on me than I realised because I have a print and an audio copy.

So whats so special about the 7 habits?

Your habits will determine your future

You can live your life by design or default. To design the future you want, you need to be aware of the habits that take you towards and the habits that pull you away from your desired future.

Successful people have successful habits and unsuccessful people don’t ~Jack Canfield

In the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey starts by introducing the concept of a paradigm. Using the analogy of a map, having a wrong paradigm is like trying to find you way around the city of London with a map of Manchester labelled London. You will experience a great deal of frustration and hardship because you have an incorrectly labelled map. We see things based not on reality but on our own version of reality.

The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.~ Albert Einstein

Steven Covey proposes a new and deeper level of thinking that will lead to the creation of 7 habits that can and will change your life. My top three are:

  1. Be Proactive – Principle of Personal Vision. – Take responsibility for your future. You have the ability to change many things about your life and future by proactively making newer and better choices that will lead you down your desired path. Proactive people according to Covey have the freedom to choose their response to external stimulus. There are lots of illustrations in the book about how you can take control of your life and influence the outcome.
  1. Synergize – Principle of Creative Cooperation. – Simply put, one plus one is greater than two (1+1>2). Synergy is more than working together. It is thinking TEAM (Together Each Achieves More). When we work together as a team, we must value our differences and combine our strengths to achieve much more than each individual can. This is about collaboration with an abundance mindset.
  1. Sharpen the Saw – Principle of Balanced Self-Renewal. Steven Covey identifies four dimensions of renewal
    • The body needs physical renewal though exercise, healthy eating and stress management
    • The mind needs a mental renewal via reading, writing, visualising and planning
    • The spiritual dimension is renewed by our continuous value clarification and commitment to study and meditation
    • Our relationships will benefit from a social and emotional balance through our own internal security, service to others and empathy.

This book is a classic that is worth reading or re-reading to reinforce your good habit of sharpening the saw and perhaps pick up one or two new habits.

The world we live in today may have changed from the time Covey wrote this book, but the principles contained in the seven habits are timeless in its application and they will certainly change your life if you make them habits.

Why not leave a comment if you have read this book or read the book and then leave a comment.

Posted on

Ideas To Action Challenge – 10 Keys To Help You Become An Ideas To Action Person.

In 1963, Mary Kay Ash, resigned from her job out of frustration from being passed over for promotion. She came up with the idea of writing a book to help women in business. What emerged from the book idea was a business plan that was later implemented and turned into a multimillion dollar business. In 2001 at the time of Mary Kay Ash’s death, Mary Kay cosmetics had over 800,000 representatives in 37 countries with total annual sales of over $200 million.

Idea Concept

According to Mary Kay Ash,

Ideas are a dime a dozen. People who implement them are priceless.

Everything starts with an idea and you have the capacity to generate lots of ideas. You can also find plenty of ideas online on just about anything you can think of. Yet many people fail to act on their ideas and the world ends up missing out on the potential that was never realised.

Why do people not act on their ideas?

Here are some of the reasons people have come up with on why they do not take action on their ideas.

  1. Lack of confidence
  2. Life gets in the way
  3. Too busy with work
  4. No motivation or drive to act
  5. Lack of support
  6. Discouragement from friends and family members
  7. Fear of failure
  8. Lack of know how
  9. No money
  10. No plan for action
  11. Don’t know how to do it
  12. Too young
  13. Too old

I am sure you can add one or two more reasons to this list.

It doesn’t matter why you have not been taking action on your ideas. What matters is your answer to this question. Do you think you would be a better person and the world you live in would be a better place if you make a decision today to act on some of your ideas? If your answer is yes, then you need to stop making excuses and start implementing some of your ideas. Here are some things to help you get started.

10 Keys To Help You Become An Ideas To Action Person.

Keys to Action

  1. Put first things first – There is always something you can do now with the limited time, skills and finances available to you. Find out what that is and then get started doing it.
  2. Believe in Yourself – Your belief in your self will be aided by your having a strong sense of purpose. What do you want in life and from life? With a sense of purpose, you will find it easier to commit to ideas that align with your purpose. You purpose serves as a screen that filters ideas.
  3. Get connected with the right people – People are your greatest ally and your greatest adversary. You will need to keep searching until you find people who will encourage, inspire and motivate you to get going with your ideas.
  4. Equip and train yourself – If you haven’t got the right skills and experience, then go and get it. Read books, attend courses or take up employment in companies that will provide you opportunity to get the skills your need.
  5. Set goals and realistic targets – Everything in life takes twice as long and costs twice as much. Set SMART goals and then proceed to create realistic plans that will lead you to achieve your goals.
  6. Set realistic time frames – Every new project is an adventure into the unknown. This will almost always result in costs and time delays you could not have envisaged at the start. Build some margin into your time estimates.
  7. Research to refine your ideas – Your idea in its current form will undoubtably undergo numerous refinements before you start. However, do not try and overdo the research. You know enough to get started and you will discover the rest along the way.
  8. Be committed to your success – Have you got a success mindset. Do you believe that you are going to make a success out of your life. If you do, then commit to your belief by taking actions that will bring you closer to your stated objectives.
  9. Find a coach or mentor – A coach is a trained professional who by asking the right questions is able to draw out the potential within you. A mentor is someone with experience in what you want to do. Mentors will share their experiences and give you tips that can help you avoid mistakes along the way.
  10. Be willing to adapt and change – Be flexible. Be a person who is open to new ideas and is willing to try new things. As you review and measure your progress against set markers, be willing to change course if necessary. You will need the wisdom to know when to persevere and when to pivot.

Decide on your next step and then act. Or leave a comment and tell me what else is holding you back.

Posted on

The Winner’s Sound Mind ~ Part 2

Winners do what losers don’t want to do. ~ Gary Busey

Winners
What does it really take,
To be a winner,
It takes a great deal of effort,
To become a real winner,
But it’s got to come naturally,
And don’t kid yourself,
You can’t force it,
A sound mind and a disciplined soul,
A winner who bluntly refuses,
To take advantage of others,
No matter how unique,
Who respects others for their contribution to humanity.

 

As the puzzle persists,
The channel grows,
The vision is widened in horizon,

 

The pace of activity increases,
At every turn,
The source of inspiration,
Remains mainly divine,
The spirit must be upheld,
All set to grab
The opportunity,
To seize an opportunity.

 

Abstract knowledge by itself,
Requires a capable mind for relevant interpretation,
Winners often face that challenge.

 

Whenever a stage is attained,
When there’s a suppression of the urge,
To ask too many questions,
And offer more suggestions,
When self formulated policies,
Become guiding principles.

 

When the aspirant believes more,
In whatever is got out of life,
And less on the goodwill of others,
The period is at-hand.

 

The crown word is independence,
In the actual sense of the word,

 

Frankly speaking age is immaterial,
And the fact is often overlooked,
Around the world today,
That several young ones,
Have already attained,
That enviable status of symbolic independence,
Long before their time.

 

Let the truth be said,
That a society,
With many winners,
Is deemed to make progress,
And is several steps ahead,
Of a similar gathering of youth,
Who eventually became elders.

 

Within the course of living,
If an idea occurs to you,
Which no other man taught you,
Hold on to it,
And develop it,
It’s your brain child,
Don’t bother how long,
It takes to materialise,
Making real sense to others.

 

You live in the future,
The future of the World.
Remembering always that the history of the world, is the biography of the best minds that lived.
 
Read the Winner’s Sound Mind ~ Part 1
Posted on

The Winner’s Sound Mind ~ Part 1

Winners
There are winners, there are losers and there are people who have not yet learned to win. ~ Les Brown
Success knows no excess
Success breeds further success
Once you identify the access
Success persists without a recess.
In addition to freedom,
Give a man money,
And he’ll keep coming back for more,
Leave him an inheritance,
And hell blame you,
For not waiting long enough,
To advice on how best,
To disburse the sudden wealth.

 

Even education,
Has produced undesirable effects,
And periods of confusion the world over,
But a sound mind,
Is incorruptible,
And capable of a fair analysis.

 

Beyond rational reasoning,
Lies a depth of divine knowledge,
Often stumbled upon,
After intensive soul searching.

 

And it serves to reinforce,
Mans faith in the capabilities of his mind.

 

And since the winner,
Must out-perform all else,
In the competition,
His need to look beyond the environment,
For standards is important,
And only those individuals,
Who were fully accomplished,
During their lifetimes,
Can be worthy of emulation.

 

The aspiring winner’s situation,
Is by no means unique,
Every successful one,
At the turning point,
Strives towards the positive extreme.

 

A bit of perseverance here,
Some self sacrifice there,
Would see you through,
Into the better times.

 

But keep your experience,
As a souvenir,
You’ll be proud to recall it,
In the course of the future,
It’s the only occurrence,
That will remain permanent.

 

To be continued on Wednesday 15th March 2013