hree Minute Leadership: The Leader's Greatest Gift - Valuing Someone for Who and What They Are

Early Release – Sunday, March 7, 2010

To: The Great Leaders Who Have a Passion for Continuous Learning

American poet and playwright, e.e. cummings, wrote: “We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us something is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit.” To be accepted for who we are is one of the greatest gifts we can receive, and one of the greatest gifts that great leaders give others. It builds respect, commitment and trust. It goes beyond the material, social and physical, and makes a simple and beautiful statement: “I value you because you are you - for who and what you are.”

We have all experienced times in our professional or personal life when someone recognized a particular value we brought to an activity. When they told us, we were exuberant! We felt very special and uplifted. Our self-esteem grew and we were more confident. Our value was confirmed and appreciated. Our attitude toward the person who had recognized our value was one of respect and trust. We became more committed to the person than before, and more willing to give more and do more for the person.

Each of us has this wonderful ability to do the same and produce the same effect. Leo Buscaglia, author and motivational speaker, wrote: “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” Every day we are given incredible opportunities to turn a life around. Don’t miss a moment or a person. As cummings said: “Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curisoisty, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit.” You have the power to change your world and someone else’s by taking the time to recognize the beautiful gifts that only they can bring to the world.

Have a beautiful day and a magnificent week!!!

Mike

Three Minute Leadership: A Daily Ritual to Achieve Your Greatest Dreams

To:  The Great Leaders Who Have a Passion for Continuous Learning

Robert Schuller, author and entrepreneur, writes:  “Spectacular achievement is always preceded by unspectacular preparation.”  For great leaders, a daily ritual  of preparation is a must-do.  In her book, The Tao of Personal Leadership, Diane Dreher writes of the samurai warriors who provide leaders the valuable lessons of daily preparation.

The ancient samurai spent all their lives preparing for the unexpected.  They began each day with a precise ritual.  Rising early, they would bathe, dress, and arrange their hair with perfumed oils, paying careful attention to the slightest details of grooming.  Why?  Because this ritual prepared them for a day that could be life’s greatest blessing or greatest battle.  They knew each day could be their last.  Their morning ritual was a misogi, a cleansing of spirit, centering them for whatever lay ahead.”

It is incredibly exciting to awake each morning to a world of infinite possibilities: achieving a success that no one ever never dreamed possible, finally connecting dots that never seemed related,  or simply seeing and smelling a flower that you had passed by and never seen.  Be like the samurai.  Prepare each morning in quiet reflection… to be more than you ever thought possible.  And have fun doing it!

Have a beautiful day and a fantastic week!!!

Mike

Three Minute Leadership - Dream One Size Bigger

• Stop focusing on the impossibilities – “The first step in becoming a possibility thinker is to stop yourself from searching for and dwelling on what’s wrong with any given situation.
• Stay away from the “Experts” – These are the naysayers. “If you want to achieve something, give yourself permission to."
• Look for possibilities in every situation – Keep your eyes open and don’t be distracted by the negatives of a situation.
• Dream one size bigger - “If you push yourself to dream more expansively, to imagine your organization one size bigger, to make your goals at least a step beyond what makes you comfortable, you will be forced to grow.  And it will set you up to believe in greater possibilities.”
• Question the status quo – Understand that the status quo is a limit that you can change;  you only need to act to go beyond it.
• Find inspiration from great achievers – “Look for people with the attitude of Robert F. Kennedy, who popularized George Bernard Shaw’s stirring statement: “Some men see things as they are and way, ‘Why?’ I dream of things than never were and say, ‘Why not?’”

Three Minute Leadership: Your Greatest Decision

To:  The Great Leaders Who Have a Passion for Continuous Learning

In Michael Useem’s book, The Leadership Moment, we read a haunting story about Bowen McCoy, an investment banker at Morgan Stanley, and a decision he faced on a mountain trek:

“McCoy had taken a six-month sabbatical in 1982 to ‘collect’ his thoughts by trekking through the mountains of Nepal.  He was resting at 15, 500 feet on his way up the difficult mountain pass of Thorung La, just north of Annapurna, when he encountered an unconscious, nearly naked sadhu, or Hindu holy man.  If he carried the sadhu to a lower elevation, McCoy knew, he night end his chance of crossing the pass and completing his month-long trek;  he could even endanger himself and others if the unpredictable weather turned stormy.  After briefly watching other trekkers help warm the sadhu, McCoy departed for the pass and several hours later celebrated victory on it.  Only then did he question whether he had done the right thing in abandoning the sadhu before ensuring his safe descent and physical recovery.  ”

Reading this each of us will reflect on our own decision given if we were in McCoy’s shoes: his passion for accomplishing this goal; the proximity of the goal (he was almost there); his personal satisfaction in achieving it… all this weighed against the plight of a single human being needing help in a potential life or death situation.  What decision would you have taken: Move forward as did McCoy? Stop and ensure the security of the sadhu? An alternative satisfying both needs?  These are the moments that test our deepest principles and values.  If they are strong, we will make the right decision… and know it.  McCoy admitted: “I had literally walked through a classic moral dilemma without thinking through the consequences.”   Fifteen year later he wrote:  “I never found out if the sadhu lived or died.”  and he is still ambivalent about whether he made the correct decision or not.

Every decision, big and small, gives direction to our lives. Let each be made from your core values and life’s purpose. Let Anthony Robbins’ words, author and motivational speaker, be a guide to one of your greatest decisions: 

“I remember the moment my life changed, the moment I finally said, ‘I’ve had it!  I know I’m much more than I’m demonstrating mentally, emotionally, and physically in my life.’ I made a decision in that moment which was to alter my life forever. I decided to change virtually every aspect of my life.  I decided I would never again settle for less than I can be.”

Never settle for anything less that you can be.  Be more than you ever dreamed you can be!

 Have a beautiful day and a magnificent week!!!

Mike

Three Minute Leadership: The Seven Signs of a Great Leader

To:  The Great Leaders Who Have a Passion for Continuous Learning
 
In his book, The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness, Stephen Covey defines leadership as: "Leadership is communicating to people their worth and potential so clearly that they come to see it in themselves."   They are role models and teachers to others - in the values-based lives they live, in actions and words that demonstrate a direction and purpose for their lives, a passion for performance excellence and a caringfor  those whom they serve.

A friend recently shared with me an article, The Seven Signs of a Great Leader, by an author named, appropriately, Mr. Self Development.  The author suggests seven traits that great leaders share that enable them to "inspire us, help us accomplish our dreams and teach by example."

Vision - “It’s a terrible thing to see, and have no vision.” – Helen Keller
Leaders are visionaries; they know where they’re going, and their committed to bringing others along. They have a clear vision of what they want to accomplish and their vision is so compelling that it inspires others to participate in the fulfillment of the vision.

Discipline - "Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” – Jim Rohn
Leaders are disciplined individuals! They are the first partaker of what they preach and they exemplify unprecedented discipline, focus, and commitment in the achievement of their vision.

Emotional Strength - “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.” – Proverbs.  Leaders are not easily shaken. Leaders anticipate challenges and are not derailed by obstacles. Leaders remain strong when things get tough; they don’t faint when adversity strikes.

Experience - "Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment." – Jim Horning
Leaders have experience. In other words, they’ve been around the block a few times and they know where they’re going. Their experience has taught them how to get things done and they can differentiate between activity and accomplishment, between efficiency and effectiveness.  Leaders focus their efforts on the tasks that produce the greatest rewards.

Respect - “Respect is love in plain clothes.” – Frankie Byrne  
Leaders are respected and trusted individuals. Leaders have earned the respect of their followers by becoming an “example.” They chart the course, follow their destiny, and inspire others in the process.

People Skills - "Arguing with a fool proves there are two." - Doris M. Smith
Leaders have great people skills; they are friendly to the unfriendly, they know how to respond in every situation. Leaders do not engage in personal battles, they save their strength for the task at hand.Leaders treat people with respect and dignity; they connect with others on a personal and emotional level.

Momentum and Timing - “If you're coasting, you're either losing momentum or else you're headed downhill.” – Joan Welsh
Leaders know how to create momentum, and they know when to act. Nothing great is ever accomplished without momentum and timing.

This week reflect on each of these traits and evaluate your continued growth on your leadership journey.  Is one consistently leveraged over the other?  Does one or more need strengthening? Are there any that are underutilized?  The greatness of your influence is found in the beautiful harmony of these elements.  May you touch others that they see in themselves their greatest potential.  What an incredible gift to give!  What an incredible act of serving others!

Have a beautiful day and a fantastic week!!!

Mike