Sharp Focus Sharpens Leadership

Sharp Focus Sharpens Leadership
– John Maxwell

What does it take to have the focus required to be a truly effective leader? The keys are priorities and concentration. To focus your time and energy use these guidelines to help you:

Focus 70 percent on developing strengths: Effective leaders who reach their potential spend more time focusing on what they do well than on what they do wrong.

Focus 25 percent on new things: If you want to get better, you have to keep changing and improving. That means stepping out into new areas. If you dedicate time to new things related to your strength areas, then you’ll grow as a leader.

Focus 5 percent on areas of weakness: Nobody can entirely avoid working in areas of weakness. The key is to minimize it as much as possible, and leaders can do it by delegating.

Excerpt from The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader

Motive Matters

Motive Matters
– John Maxwell

In a culture that sings the praises of individual gold medals and where a person fights for rights instead of focusing on responsibility, people tend to lose sight of the big picture. In fact, some people seem to believe that they are the entire picture: Everything revolves around their own needs, goals, and desires. I once saw this message on a T-shirt that expresses the attitude well: “My idea of a team is a whole lot of people doing what I tell them to do.”

A team isn’t supposed to be a bunch of people being used as a tool by one individual for their own selfish gain. Members of a team must have mutually beneficial shared goals. They must be motivated to work together, not manipulated by someone for individual glory. Anyone who is accustomed to pulling together people and using them to benefit only himself isn’t a team builder; he’s a dictator.

Excerpt from The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork

Quotes For Sunday March 28th 2019

Quotes For Sunday March 28th 2019

Whatever you do, never run back to what broke you. – Frank Ocean

It is the working man who is the happy man. It is the idle man who is the miserable man. – Benjamin Franklin

Choose to be kind and you will be right every time. – Unknown

If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.- Albert Einstein

Learn to wait. There’s always time for everything. – Unknown

Most of us have far more courage than we ever dreamed we possessed. – Dale Carnegie

Sometimes things have to go very wrong before they can be right. – Unknown

The only time success comes before work is in the dictionary.
– Harvey Specter

When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us. – Helen Keller

A person who feels appreciated will always do more than what is expected. – Amy Rees Anderson

Don’t Be Boring!

Don’t Be Boring!
– Harvey Mackay

In a classic “Peanuts” cartoon, Charlie Brown says to Lucy, “I have a great fear of being boring.” Then in the next frame Charlie says, “I also have a great fear of being bored.” Finally, Charlie turns to Lucy and asks, “What’s the most bored you’ve ever been?” And Lucy answers, “Besides right now?”

We’ve all faced boredom at one time or another. Routine tasks become drudgery. We need a change of scenery before we climb the walls. It gets harder and harder to get out of a rut.

My good friend Lou Holtz says, “If you’re bored with life – you don’t get up every morning with a burning desire to do things – you don’t have enough goals.”

A recent article by Lu Hanessian in the Courier Post online distinguished between good boredom and bad boredom. “We are a very ambitious and easily bored species,” she wrote. If we didn’t get bored we might still be prehistoric cavemen. That’s good boredom. Bad boredom is designed to essentially crush the human spirit.”

Don’t run the risk of being satisfied with the status quo if the status quo means same old, same old.

Advertising genius David Ogilvy famously said, “Nobody ever sold anybody anything by boring them to death.”

I couldn’t agree more. I always wrap up my speeches by saying, “Don’t be boring! Don’t be predictable!” Don’t ever pick up the phone again and call a client or a customer without having a sharp or humorous substantive opening and how you’re going to end that conversation. Don’t give just another gift, but make it creative and out of the box. Make it a WOW! Don’t ever send another letter out without giving it a lot of thought.

That often involves releasing your inner child. Hanessian notes there is a strong scientifically proven connection between positive childhood experiences – imagination, creativity, play time and reflection – and overall health in adulthood.

Science shows us that play and laughter promote the ability of the brain to re-wire and change itself. Boredom can actually be the effect of a play deficit!

That’s another argument for incorporating some fun into work.

“Humor can make a serious difference. In the workplace, at home, in all areas of life – looking for a reason to laugh is necessary,” said Steve Goodier, founder of Life Support System. “A sense of humor helps us to get through the dull times, cope with the difficult times, enjoy the good times and manage the scary times.”

But let’s face it; every organization has jobs that are necessary but boring. It can be tough to do those jobs, especially when those employees are accustomed to constant entertainment from TV and the Internet. Managers are challenged to keep them engaged and motivated when boredom sets in and they are counting the hours until they get off work?

Think of it this way: How many times do you open the refrigerator door over and over hoping that something amazing will appear? And when it doesn’t, imagine how that compromises motivation to perform. Show your gratitude for the people who do the jobs you wouldn’t care to do.

Acknowledge up front that the work isn’t very exciting, but explain why it’s important. Emphasize how their work helps other people – co-workers, customers and so forth. Give them a little leeway to make that job fun while still remaining professional.

Give them goals. Sometimes a target can make work more interesting. Challenge employees in different ways: To greet the most customers, assemble the most widgets, count the inventory more accurately, etc. Offer a small reward to make the game more enticing. Help them see the future. Employees are more likely to stick with a job, even a boring one, if they see the possibility of moving into something better. Describe potential career paths, and tell your people what they need to do in order to move up.

Ask for feedback. Encourage employees to suggest ideas for making their work more interesting or productive. Implementing their ideas will show them that you value their opinions and take them seriously. They’ll also be more invested in making their own suggestions succeed.

And who knows? Those suggestions may be just the inspiration your organization needs to go from boring to roaring to soaring!

Mackay’s Moral: Before a bore becomes a chore or even a snore, think more about what you’re in business for!

As Responsibilities Increase, Rights Decrease

As Responsibilities Increase, Rights Decrease
– John Maxwell

Leaders must live by higher standards than their followers. This insight is exactly opposite of most people’s thoughts concerning leadership. In a world of perks and privileges that accompany the climb to success, little thought is given to the responsibilities of the upward journey. Leaders can give up anything except responsibility, either for themselves or their organizations. John D. Rockefeller, Jr., said, “I believe that every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty.”

Too many people are ready to assert their rights, but not to assume their responsibilities. Richard L. Evans, in his book An Open Road, said, “It is priceless to find a person who will take responsibility . . . to know when someone has accepted an assignment that it will be effectively, conscientiously completed. But when half-finished assignments keep coming back-to check on, to verify, to edit, to interrupt thought, and to take repeated attention-obviously someone has failed to follow the doctrine of completed work.”

Excerpt from Developing the Leader Within You

Listening Like Samuel

Listening Like Samuel
– John Maxwell

Someone once asked Joan of Arc why God spoke only to her. She responded, “Sir, you are wrong. God speaks to everyone. I just listen.”

When God spoke to Samuel, it was as the boy lay down quietly in the middle of the night. Even then, Samuel did not at first recognize that the voice belonged to God. He needed the wisdom of his experienced mentor, Eli, to understand who was communicating with him. But based on how often Samuel heard God’s voice as an adult, it’s clear that he did learn to identify, listen to, and obey God’s voice.

Leaders are often very busy people. And they can easily get caught up in the activity of their obligations. If you’re a leader, that’s why it’s important to set aside times to quiet yourself and listen for God’s direction. As Bill Hybels says, “Leaders need to ask God to give them Samuel’s ear.”

Excerpt from The 21 Most Powerful Minutes in a Leader’s Day

Repair Character Faults

Repair Character Faults
– John Maxwell

Ego drove King Herod of Paul’s day, just as it had driven his father and grandfather. They all desperately lacked character. Herod’s lack of character provides many examples of what not to do as a leader:

1. He mistreated his own citizens.
2. He made decisions based on popularity.
3. He acted irrationally in difficult times.
4. He harbored anger toward others.
5. He sought power out of insecurity.
6. He projected an infallible image.
7. He was blinded by his ego.

To improve your character and build a solid foundation of your own leadership,
you must:
1. Identify where you’re weak or have taken shortcuts.
2. Look for patterns.
3. Apologize to those you’ve wronged.
4. Stay teachable and rebuild.

Excerpt from The Maxwell Leadership Bible

People Really Are Amazing!

People really are amazing!
– Robert Rohm

A couple of months ago I shared an experience that we had with a young man who was in prison. If you recall, he was quite upset with us because he had ordered a book and had not received it. We had tried to send it to him, but he had been moved from one prison to another in the meantime, so it was returned to us – twice! Not only was this young man upset, he also threatened to report us to the Better Business Bureau if he did not receive his book. In the end we wrote him a letter of apology explaining what had happened, returned his check, and still sent him the book. We told him that we were not “out to get him” and again, explained the circumstances surrounding the entire event.

Several of you responded to that Tip. Apparently, some of you have also had the experience of trying to help someone and have it backfire on you due to circumstances that were beyond your control. It was very refreshing to hear your insights and views on the subject.

Well, guess what? We recently heard from our friend again, except that this time it was an entirely different situation. The young man had received his returned check, along with his order, and a full explanation from us, as well as an apology for having put him through additional emotional stress. To my surprise, he responded like a champion! Here are a few lines from the letter we received from him:

“I want to start by apologizing for the tone of my last letter. The current position I am in, which I put myself into, leads to a lot of people, agencies and corporations taking advantage of our lack of communication and resources. I wrongfully assumed that this was once again the case. I am very sorry! I am also sorry it took me so long to write this letter. I did not write to complain to you. I wrote to thank you for your gifts and understanding. I only ask you that you keep me and my companions in your prayers.

Again, thank you for everything. You have helped me to see that humanity is not lost.

God bless you!”

Wasn’t that a nice response? Here is a young man who, according to his own account, has gotten himself into some serious trouble. Yet, he takes full responsibility for his own actions and behavior. He will serve his sentence and be released one day in the future. I am very pleased to see that he took the time to write us a letter of explanation and apology in order to make things right.

In his letter he stated that we restored his faith in humanity, but I have to admit that his apology helped restore mine, as well.

Of course, I realize that there are some people who will never change. That is a sad fact of life. However, many people do. It is possible to learn from our past mistakes, regardless of how serious they were, and become a better person. I believe that may be the case for this young man. I certainly hope so! His letter of apology encourages me to believe that he is a person who realizes that the circumstances of his life can actually be used to turn him into a better person, rather than a bitter one. It took courage for him to write that letter and I am proud of his growth!

A lot has been said over the years about people who are in prison. A friend of mine once shared with me the importance of reaching out to those who are incarcerated; although another friend rather sarcastically remarked, “I think we should be more concerned about the victims than the people who are in prison.” I can certainly see both side of the issue. Which one of us does not want to see justice served when we, or someone we love, are hurt? So, I realize that there are two sides to every situation. However, I also know that when a person learns from the error of their ways and starts to walk in a new direction, they can eventually do more good than perhaps they could have otherwise. I think it is very powerful to see how a life that has been broken can be restored.

This week you may deal with someone that you think will never change. The truth of the matter is, you and I never know. Our part is to be a blessing and encouragement to all with whom we come in contact and do everything we can to point them in the right direction. If this young man were a member of our immediate family or someone else we loved very dearly, we would be grateful that he had turned from the error of his ways and was walking in a new light.

I commend this young man for his efforts to make something better of his life starting now! I want to join him in making my own life better each day. Will you?

Tip: People really are amazing!

Have a great week! God bless you!

Dr. Robert A. Rohm

Speak Up to Your Leader

Speak Up to Your Leader
– John Maxwell

Good team leaders never want yes-men. They need direct and honest communication from their people. I have always encouraged people on my team to speak openly and directly with me. Our meetings are often brainstorming sessions where the best idea wins. Often, a team member’s remarks or observations really help the team. Sometimes we disagree. That’s okay, because we’ve developed strong enough relationships that we can survive conflict. Getting everything out on the table always improves the team. The one thing I never want to hear from a teammate is, “I could have told you that wouldn’t work.” If you know it beforehand, that’s the time to say it.

Besides directness, the other quality team members need to display when communicating with their leaders is respect. Leading a team isn’t easy. It takes hard work. It demands personal sacrifice. It requires making tough and sometimes unpopular decisions. We should respect the people who take on leadership roles and show them loyalty.

Excerpt from The Maxwell Leadership Bible

Happy Easter/Resurrection Sunday – Quotes for Today 4/21/19

Happy Easter/Resurrection Sunday – Quotes for Today 4/21/19

“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” — Theodore Roosevelt

“If we want to feel an undying passion for our work, if we want to feel we are contributing to something bigger than ourselves, we all need to know our WHY.” 
― Simon Sinek

“The art of communication is the language of leadership.” — James Humes

“You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.” — Zig Ziglar

“Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.” — William Penn

“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.” — Tony Robbins

“Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.” — Vince Lombardi

Wisdom of the Day: “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” ~ Mother Teresa