Listening, a task I struggle at. As a coach, trainer and speaker, I tend to be a problem solver. In fact, I think I’m so good, I’ll finish your sentence or thought for you. Why should you waste valuable oxygen. However, I’m finding the oxygen we breath gives a person the ability to take a breath and speak their thoughts, concerns and ideas. In fact, when I allow people to finish their sentence and thoughts, I find many provide valuable solutions or ideas. So as I continue to learn how to control my attention and listen more, I am finding that; from listening comes knowledge and from knowledge comes a true understanding. From understanding comes the wisdom to support or help. And from wisdom, comes the ability to solve problems. The common saying; “God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason”, continues to be true throughout the ages. Learn to listen, and you will be more successful.
Author: Denis Baker
Self-Leadership, My Most Difficult Challenge
Why is leading myself more difficult than leading others? I ask myself this question EVERY SINGLE day!
Why do I say or do things I know are wrong (there is a biblical reference here)? It happens at home, work, with my wife, with my co-workers and those I love and lead.
The answer is simple. There are areas I don’t see until they sprout up. In fact, I believe there are times I don’t see myself from a realistic point. I see myself from my intentions, AND others see me through my actions and words. I should probably also admit that I see my intentions from the training and talks I give.
While I speak of myself, I am sure I’m not alone. But how does one address this issue? Answer, look for the blind spots and deal with them! However, how do we identify the blind spots? I look personally to three source for my self-leadership:
- Scripture
- My wife
- Co-workers and staff
These sources provide direct and/or indirect insights to the areas I need to change or improve. With this information, I can apply these five principles.
- Control Emotions – Like anyone else, leaders have emotions. In fact, I believe a leader’s emotions can be more powerful due to the passion and desire for success they possess. However, a good leader knows how to control their emotions and display or delay them based on the situation.
- Meditate – Leaders are achievers. And that means they hit the ground running, which leaves little time to stop and think. Spend 30-45 minutes every morning mediating on the things that matter and planning your day.
- Focus Your Effort Where it Matters– A good leader wants to achieve more. They are never satisfied with their achievements. For me, I tend to want to fix everything and solve everyone’s problems. However, to be effective we must learn to focus our efforts on what really matters. I heard John Maxwell say, ” You can’t be 100% all the time.” I find that statement very true. We must identify the times and events where we need to be 100% . Everything else gets a good effort, just not our best.
- Serve Others – Zig Ziggler said, You can have everything in life, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” I am finding this to be very true. Not from a selfish perspective, but simply from putting others first in every action or decision. Throughout my career, I have seen and reaped the benefits of putting others first by gaining their respect, commitment and dedication. I simply look at it as, “you reap what you sow.”
- Get a Coach and/or Mentor – We all need to keep our minds sharp and our thoughts and ideas flowing freely. Our minds can freeze or we experience those “blind spots” that throw us for a loop. As a Coach and Mentor, I see the benefit from asking stimulating questions and the ability to seek wisdom and advice from others. I personally have at least five mentors that I can rely on for helping to address questions or walk me through situations. I sleep better knowing I have access to these individuals. I also can call several coaching colleagues for encouragement and guidance when needed.
Take the time to evaluate the effectiveness of your self-leadership to these five principles. Then establish a process where you consistently work to apply these principles and improve where needed.
A leader’s greatest challenge and most difficult task, is self-leadership. If you lead yourself correctly, you will influence others and they will follow. Failure to manage your self-leadership will create a loss of respect and the inability to influence, causing people to leave and follow others.
INITIATIVE MAKES A LEADER, 30 Quotes That Encourages One to Take Initiative
Initiative is something I write on often. In fact, my last blog was on initiative, the concept of Ready, Fire, Aim. I continue to write on this subject, because it is something that seems to be lacking in the workforce and leaders in general. And honestly, it is an area I seem to struggle in.
By definition, leaders cannot wait. If they do, they are not leaders, but merely followers. I think initiative takes a little bit of faith bathed in risk. Many times, you must take initiative on something with limited knowledge or insight and rely mostly on your intuition , or “gut felling”.
For those who want to be successful and effective leaders, one must take initiative. If we never try, we will never know. In fact, one will always be wondering, “what if”.
The hardest thing about taking initiative, is well, taking initiative. To help motivate and encourage you to take more initiative, here are 30 quotes that will encourage you to take initiative.
- “Genius is initiative on fire”, Holbrook Jackson
- “Initiative is doing the right things without being told”, Elbert Hubbard
- “Without initiative, leaders are simply workers in leadership positions”, Bo Bennett
- “Employers and business leaders need people who can think for themselves – who can take initiative and be the solution to problems”, Stephen Covey
- Never relinquish the initiative, Charles de Gaulle
- “Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit”, Conrad Hilton
- Be willing to make decisions. That’s the most important quality in a good leader. Don’t fall victim to what I call the ready-aim-aim-aim-aim syndrome. You must be willing to fire, T. Boone Pickens
- “I would rather regret the things I have done than the things I have not”, Lucille Ball
- “If you don’t make dust, you eat dust”, Motto of Jack A. MacAllister
- “Eagles don’t flock”,Ross Perot
- Even if you’re on the right track you’ll get run over if you just sit there, Will Rogers
- “An idea is worthless unless you use it”, John Maxwell
- “Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved”, William Jennings Bryan
- “If your ship doesn’t come in, swim out to meet it”, Jonathan Winters
- “Everyone who’s ever taken a shower has an idea. It’s the person who gets out of the shower, dries off and does something about it who makes a difference”, Nolan Bushnell
- If opportunity doesn’t knock- build a door”-Milton Berle
- “You don’t drown by falling in the water; you drown by staying there”, Edwin Louis Cole
- “When eagles are silent, parrots begin to chatter”, Winston Churchill
- “Initiative is to success what a lighted match is to a candle”, Orlando Battista
- “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing”, Walt Disney
- “The few who do are the envy of the many who only watch”, Jim Rohn
- “Most people spend their entire lives on a fantasy island called ‘Someday I’ll”, Denis Waitley
- “Chance favors those in motion”, James Austin
- “Just begin and the mind grows heated; continue, and the task will be completed!”, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
- “Two sure ways to fail: Think and never do, or do and never think”, Zig Ziglar
- “You can’t do everything at once, but you can do something at once”, Zig Ziglar
- “If you want to accomplish anything in life, you can’t just sit back and hope it will happen. You’ve got to make it happen”, Chuck Norris
- “You don’t have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great”, Les Brown
- “Implement now, perfect later”, Larry Winget
- The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones”, William Faulkner
READY, FIRE, AIM, The Initiative Concept for Leadership Abundance and Success
If you know what to do, then just do it! I could probably stop right there and have the shortest blog I’ve ever written. But that would be boring.
As a leader, one of the most frustrating things is to have someone on my team not take the initiative to make things happen. Instead they sit back and wait for direction, or constantly need my approval that their path or ideas are right.
I want people that are willing to take risks, learn from their mistakes and accomplish what they never thought could be done. I encourage and expect my staff to embrace the idea of READY, FIRE, AIM! A concept I learned years ago and I have refined recently.
Let me break the term down:
- READY – Identify what needs to be accomplished and evaluate what it takes to fully and completely accomplish the task or idea.
- FIRE – Go do it! Don’t wait. Be the swoosh in NIKE and “Just Do It.” For my inner circle, there are very few times where this concept wouldn’t apply.
- AIM – Once you “Do It”, then tweek as needed. If you did your due diligence in the READY phase, there should be very little need to correct things.
These three simple words can create extreme success in your leadership and success in the workplace.
Here are three examples of people who embraced the concept of READY, FIRE, AIM:
- Elon Musk – When you make millions off of an internet company like PayPal, the world generally expects you to, well, create and make more millions off of another internet company. But Elon Musk’s dreams lay elsewhere: Rather than follow a more conventional career path, Musk took the money he had made at PayPal and invested it in two of his own highly innovative startups, SpaceX and Tesla. Though his attempt at operating these two ventures at once nearly sent both companies into bankruptcy, it seems to have ultimately paid off—today, both SpaceX and Tesla thrive.
- Sylvester Stallone – With a baby on the way and too little money to pay the rent on his Hollywood apartment, Sylvester Stallone sat down and wrote the screenplay for Rocky in less than four days. Producers loved it and offered him big bucks to bring the story to life—but Stallone, as down-and-out as he was, refused to take any offer if he wasn’t allowed to play the lead role in the film. Rocky ultimately ended up pulling in millions of dollars and skyrocketing Sly into fame.
- Travis Kalanick: Uber – Travis is a great example of Ready, Fire, Aim. If he become discouraged with failure, Uber wouldn’t exist. Founded the company Scour Inc., a multimedia search engine, and Scour Exchange, a peer-to-peer file sharing service. Two years later, the company would come under fire from several big name music and film agencies for copyright infringement, forcing Scour to eventually succumb to bankruptcy. In 2007, Kalanick and Garrett Camp founded Uber. After facing some early competition and funding concerns, the ridesharing app is now the most widely used app of its kind. Kalanick created three companies; one failed, but that did not stop him from taking the risk.
Taking initiative is an important part of most any job and is critical to increasing your influence and ultimately your leadership. However, the reality is that not many of us will not end up as successful as Elton, Sylvester or Travis. But I can say people who take initiative, are people I want in my inner circle. And I bet that is the way many leaders feel.
I agree with Conrad Hilton said, “Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving,. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.”
Don’t keep talking about it, just “DO IT.”
8 REASONS I’M A PASSIONATE PERSON
I’ve been told many times I’m a passionate person. I guess that’s accurate. I have a passion for my marriage, my family, for employees to work safely and I have a passion for leaders to lead . In fact, pretty much my entire life seems to always reflect my passions. I can’t go anywhere or have a conversation with anyone without talking about my wife, my grand daughter, safety or leadership.
I want to passionately influence people!
Passionate people sustain their efforts until they make a difference. It drives them to do more, accomplish more, learn more and put up with more. One thing I often tell my coaching clients is,
“If you love what you do, you’ll do more of it, so find what it is you love”
I recently became intrigued as to why people think I am a passionate person. As I sat down and begin recalling conversations and asking questions, I found that most answers pointed to 8 reasons why I am a passionate person.
Here they are:
- I love what I do!
- I strive to remain positive
- I inspire to motivate
- I bring the sunshine
- I seek to to grow spiritually, personally and professionally
- I persevere
- I am determined
- I strive to maintain a servants heart
We have all been passionate about something. But maybe the passion has died or subsided through out the years. My purpose for this blog is not to arrogantly announce that I am a passionate person, but rather it is an attempt to show you that passion is found in what you love. Find what it is you love, cherish and hold tightly to.
John Maxwell ask these three questions to help others find their passion:
- What do you sing about?
- What do you cry about?
- What do you dream about?
What are you passionate about?
WHY DON’T YOU NETWORK
It amazes me how many people do not actively network. Even more surprising is the limited networking that many students do. For instance, using LinkedIn. If LinkedIn had been around when I was a student, there is no telling where my career would have gone. In my discussions with professionals, there seems to be common excuses for not networking. Here are the top three networking misconceptions I consistently hear:
#1: Networking is for self-promoting schmoozers – Networking isn’t solely the life of those desperate for a job. Networking simply involves making mutual connections. By tapping into our connections, we can share ideas, pass along opportunities, and benefit from one another’s expertise.
#2: Network is for salespeople – Wrong! Our professional success depends on the relationships we build. You may not be a salesperson and you may not be outgoing, but you can’t deny that networking is founded upon relationships. Regardless of your position or personality, you’d be wise to maximize your networking opportunities.
#3: Networking is uncomfortable, forced, and boring – We tend to imagine networking as speed dating awkwardly applied to the professional level. Nothing could be more inaccurate. The best networkers realistically share themselves (their talents, knowledge, resources) to benefit others.
Although the concept of networking has been tainted by mythical misconceptions, wise leaders know the importance of connecting and building relationships for professional success.
AUTHENTIC INTEGRITY
I was talking with a group of people the other day when one of them began talking about how much integrity they had and how they strive to do the right thing always. That statement caught me by surprise, because I know this person and have had many discussions concerning their lack of integrity. It made me realize two things.
- If you have to have tell someone you have integrity, you probably don’t.
- Authentic integrity is built within a person’s character through their actions.
Authentic integrity is the foundation of a person’s credibility. Credibility creates confidence and that confidence allows influence.
“Integrity is what we do, what we say, and what we say we do” – Don Gater.
Someone once said,
“You are already of consequence in the world if you are known as a man of strict integrity”.
That’s how essential integrity is in your personal life. In fact, if you have nothing else, authentic integrity will catapult you past everyone else.
Dwight Eisenhower said, “The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible.
I agree with Eisenhower. I cannot emphasize enough about the importance of having authentic integrity if you want true leadership in your life.
Integrity gives you so much as a leader; credibility, trust, confidence, influence and much more.
Be a person of integrity and be a person who people want to follow.
What Does Success Look Like For You
In my personal journey to success, I have identified some statements which have remained true throughout.
- Wealth is the not the sole determination of success
- Being happy should never be the ultimate goal
- Success is for everyone
- Success is different for everyone
- Success requires hard work and commitment
Success always includes growth and opportunity. You need to know where to go in order to grow. What does success look like for you?
Difficulties Creates Influence
Winston Churchill said, “Don’t argue about the difficulties, the difficulties will argue for themselves.”
We all experience difficulties in our personal and professional lives. But what I have learned is how we respond to these difficulties, determines our ability to continue to influence others. Here is how I approach difficulties;
1.Ask “Why?” once and figure out “What now?”
2.Quit whining, nobody cares!
3.Change what you can and accept what you can’t.
4. Remember, life isn’t fair and there are no guarantees.
5. When difficulties threaten to overcome, look for ways to help and serve others
6. Be grateful for what you have. Regardless of how little it may seem.
It can be exhausting to deal with various difficulties. However, you must persevere to conquer the opportunities to influence.
Can’t We All Just Get Along? 6 Principles to Solving Conflict
Look conflict is no
t fun, it’s not pleasant and quiet frankly it becomes frustrating and irritating. However, conflict is inevitable and it’s actually crucial for success. Without conflict, one continues on a path of mediocre performance. However, if we address the conflict, the clash of ideas, positions and personal preferences can become fuel for change, innovative thinking and thought provoking new ideas. Unresolved conflict will destroy personal relationships and create a division within an organization or team.
John C. Maxwell said; “People naturally see themselves in the light of their intentions, but they measure others according to their actions.” Man that was me. I use to avoid conflict all cost. Well that’s probably not entirely true. I think it would be more accurate to say, that I use to instigate conflict when I could.
Most leaders don’t respond well to conflict. In fact, I believe most leaders will avoid it and choose the easiest, rather than the most effective way to handle it. In John Maxwell’s Guide to Managing Conflict”, he listed six typical responses to conflict. I found these to be right on, so I want to share them with you. How many have you used? Personally, I used all six at some time in my personal life or professional career.
- Win at all costs. It’s like a shootout at the OK Corral. It’s quick, brutal, and destructive.
- Pretend it doesn’t exist. Even if they hear no evil, see no evil, and speak no evil, evil will still exist. It will simply grow unsupervised.
- Whine about it. Playing the victim doesn’t cure conflict. It just irritates everybody on the team.
- Keep score. People who keep a record of wrongs can never start fresh. And nobody can ever truly get “even.”
- Pull rank. Using position never really solves conflict. It merely postpones it.
- White flag it. Quitting is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.
But, how can we address conflict and avoid these failed responses? First, I think you have to truly care about the conflict, reason for the conflict and the person you have a conflict with. Second, we need to fully understand and comprehend the facts surrounding the reason for conflict. Once we show we care, indicate we fully understand the facts surrounding the situation and we are prepared to approach a resolution from a humble perspective, then I believe you can effective solve the conflict. How? By fully implementing and following the 6 principles listed below. Again, these were taken from John’s “Guide to Managing Conflict”;
- Confront a person only if you care about that person. It is more productive to go into a confrontation keeping the other person’s interests in mind.
- Meet together as soon as possible. When conflict arises, human nature is inclined to avoid it and procrastinate regarding resolution. The reality is, that by putting off confrontation, the situation can only deteriorate further. Get together face-to-face.
- First seek understanding, not necessarily agreement. The person who gives an opinion before he or she understands is human, but the person who gives a judgment before he or she understands is a fool. The truth is, you cannot reach understanding if your focus is on yourself.
- Outline the issue. Be positive, describe your perceptions, state how this situation makes you feel, and explain why this is important to you. Engaging in this process without emotional heat or bitterness is essential.
- Encourage a response. Try to build a dialogue – be sure to let the other person talk while you actively listen. Maxwell talks about the following observations when confronting people:
- 50% of the time people don’t realize there’s a problem.
- 30% of the time they realize there’s a problem, but they don’t know how to solve it.
- 20% of the time they recognize the problem and don’t want to fix it.
- A solution can be had 80% of the time merely by engaging and seeking a response.
- Agree to an action plan. Be sure the plan clearly identifies the issue and spells out concrete steps that will be taken. The action plan should include a commitment by both parties to put the issue to rest once resolved.
Learn to identify the potential conflict and make adjustments in your approach, thinking 
and desires. However, if conflict occurs, then it must be addressed. Following the 6 principles above will help ensure the conflict is fully, effectively and completely resolved. Dealing with conflict won’t hurt relationships, in fact it strengthens the bond between people and teams.
John C. Maxwell said, “Successful confrontation usually changes both people, not just one.” I agree. Every conflict that I have effectively solved has made me a better leader. I encourage you to resolve conflict quickly. Don’t let it build!
LEADER INFLUENCE 