One facet mentioned was – Lead By Example.

We all know that we only listen and retain a certain percentage of [...]]]>

The first article on ‘Strong Leadership Will Make You Money’, which was based on a list found in Napoleon Hill’s ‘Think and Grow Rich’, proved so popular that I decided to delve further into this topic.

One facet mentioned was – Lead By Example.

We all know that we only listen and retain a certain percentage of what we hear, however we do learn by modeling behavior.  Much of this happens sub-consciously such as taking on the habits, either positive or negative, of our parents or adult role models from childhood.

How can we choose who to model from?

Study successful people.  However firstly we need to decide for ourselves ‘what is success?’ Success means different things to different people, however in general the wants of us all fall loosely into the following categories:

Love, peace, joy, hope, financial freedom, good health, and living a purposeful life.

So look around at the people you see as successful, then just for fun give them a report card on these various aspects of their lives using the following legend:

A doing great, B doing pretty good, C – average, D – needs work, F – requires a major overhaul.

Examples

Love

A = has close family and friends, supportive peers, generally well liked and respected

C = Most family is close knit, few close friends with others being more like acquaintances, needs work on people skills

Hope

A = optimistic.  If having a bad day they will choose to feel the emotion, then choose to turn it around into a positive such as swimming laps to work through the anger, or listen to a motivational audio on the way to work to change the attitude.

F = pessimist, does not see a future, does not believe there is a God or any reason to live

Living a Purposeful Life:

A = heads an expanding company with a great team of motivated managers and staff.  Volunteers on weekends as his son’s assistant football coach.

B = Has an okay job, earns good money and is writing articles on the side in preparation for a career change to then work in his passion of writing for the national newspaper.

D = Unhappy in his job, doesn’t earn much and is not using his skills, however volunteers on the audio visual team at church which has an international television program. [so minimal changes are required to radically improve this area]

So successful people are not those who have achieved the highest in their field or earn the most money or have the biggest toys – although they could also have these!!  Success is living a balanced life.

If you plot this report card on a wheel, the ideal is balanced.  The person can have all C’s so there is room for expansion. However if the person has AAA then an F in love or purposeful life, the wheel will cause the vehicle to spin violently out of control and crash.  Even little bumps can cause unbalanced wheels to derail over time.

So the goal here is two-fold.  Aim to change your life to be one of balance and also choose to follow balanced people.  This could be as a coach or mentor (remembering that all successful people have others in their lives, who hold these types of roles, either formal or informal).

Stay tuned for the next post on how to live a balanced life and stay in control.

For further information on this topic, go to the tag cloud on the left hand side or do a search on this blog.  A great search is ‘Zig Ziglar success’.

So how to get someone to like you? Let’s face it, being lovable does not come easily to some of us and all of us have our moments!

Everyone wants to be listened to and appreciated. So if you [...]]]>

In business, as in any other sphere of life, people are attracted to people they like.

So how to get someone to like you? Let’s face it, being lovable does not come easily to some of us and all of us have our moments!

Everyone wants to be listened to and appreciated. So if you can learn to become genuinely interested in the other person, doors open.

Some people may not seem so interesting, you say… yes, but we all have a story.

Let’s put this into a business context. Say you are the new manager in town working for a consulting company and seeking new contracts with the big players in town. Let’s say a mining town. Research who it is you need to see to get the contract. Then research what he likes to do in his spare time – what is he passionate about.

One mining town I lived in had a major focus on landsailing – yes, quite a unique hobby! However whether it be just going out and trying it for the day or joining the club if you genuinely are interested, this has created a bridge to open communication in a non-threatening way. All business is based on relationships. Relationships are based on common interests.

We have all met the young and brash newbies who join a new company or business council and want to promote themselves or sell their wares. They do not create the relationship they so desperately desire, then wonder why.

For many of us this is common sense, however if it is perhaps you could share your knowledge and mentor someone else!

An even better strategy than a common interest is to research what that person needs or wants then help them obtain it. I don’t say this to manipulate but as the inspirational Zig Ziglar teaches us ‘if you help enough others get what they want, you will get what you want.’

Success begins with being genuinely interested in others.

Is it possible to have a number of goals at the same time?

Many peak performers and motivational speakers such as Anthony Robbins believe that to have [...]]]>

We all intellectually understand that to achieve success in any area we need to focus on a goal and have a plan to get there from the real starting point.

Is it possible to have a number of goals at the same time?

Many peak performers and motivational speakers such as Anthony Robbins believe that to have one goal to focus on at a time is optimal and preferable.

In our complicated lives especially for those of us with more ‘loose’ employment or contract work where we are unsure even in which continent we will be working in, how can we also achieve our goals?

I honestly believe that just as the overall employment market has changed drastically over the last fifteen years, with current trends including outsourcing and even direct employees are on short term contracts, that our goal setting must also become more flexible.

However some things do not change – there are still only 24 hours in a day.

If you do not have a goals program. I strongly suggest you research the one that suits you and then work on your own. I highly recommend the one outlined in Zig Ziglar’s book, ‘Over the Top’.  Alternatively most business mentors and coaches have their own.  If you would like to create one but don’t know where to start or you would prefer to have someone do it with you, contact us.  This is definitely one of our own services.

In this new year and new decade, I have a checklist however my next step is to really make my goals program more detailed. I do like whiteboards!!! In this way the goals and measuring progress toward those goals is visible and indirectly helps us to be more accountable. Just as we may have multiple projects on at work, we can monitor various goals in different aspects of our lives.

If you would like some suggestions or further information, please post a comment here or drop me a line at admin@onlinebusinessconsultingservices.com

See here for Steve Job’s inspiring address to graduating students from one of the world’s top universities. From Apple to Pixar – you cannot keep a good man down.

As it is [...]]]>

Who would have thought that being sacked from a multi-billion dollar company that you owned was in fact the biggest blessing in your life?

See here for Steve Job’s inspiring address to graduating students from one of the world’s top universities. From Apple to Pixar – you cannot keep a good man down.

As it is put so succinctly in Zig Ziglar’s book “Over The Top” – Your Choice:  Boom Attitude or Depression Attitude.  What I personally love about being around motivational people who know the value of inputting good stuff into your brain is that we can choose at any moment how we feel and our attitudes to things.

For example, over the last couple of years there has been a world-wide recession.  Most of the world has been glued to the television or stock exchange to see how their superannuation or stocks are faring.  Yes, many people did lose money.  However many did not.  What do I mean here?  Well if you chose to leave your money in the stock market for example and did not take it out when the market was down, that same stock may already been going up again.  Many are.  Please do not misunderstand me, to lose money especially at retirement is terrifying for many people.  Others however no matter their age, see the opportunities.  Some see the bust as a time to buy more shares at a lower price so when prices go up they can make money.  Of course, due diligence needs to be practiced and I do not recommend gambling on the stock exchange but rather minimising your risks by becoming educated in matters of financial management, whether on a personal or business level.

Even not-for-profit organisations receive funding that is to be used over a certain time period, say a year or two.  Why not check out the best rates for different types of accounts at various banks.  Obviously a not-for-profit would need to be more conservative with grant monies and I do not recommend putting this money in high risk ventures.

Back to Zig’s advice – what separates the successful people out is not only their attitude but also their momentum – maintainance.  Others call this stickability – the ability to stick with things.  ‘Positive Thinking + Positive Training = Positive Results’

Is there envy? Are people genuinely happy for your success or are [...]]]>

Judgment and resentment – are your colleagues or employees clock watchers checking to see what time the bosses come in? Are they resentful and just do not understand the long hours out of the office required to support and build the organization?

Is there envy? Are people genuinely happy for your success or are your colleagues jealous of your position or lifestyle?

Pride – do you feel like you have to do everything or it just doesn’t get done or worse – is not done properly?

Well – good news … here are some tips to creating unity in your group.
There needs to be love! OMG I can hear you say – what??
Love in a workplace or committee can be as simple as honoring those in authority, each other and supporting the vision of the group.

What does this look like?
• Respect authority by following instructions willingly,
• listening without interrupting,
• working together as a team (utilize those talents within the group)
• encourage one another
• cover each other eg if there is a complaint. Treat it with full respect and handle it internally if possible
• have empathy for others – we all have good days and days not so good – be forgiving and turn it around into a positive

On the other side do not speak negatively about others in your organization or the vision.

If you have a wonderful idea which will really help – approach it diplomatically – run it by others and check their feedback. Allow others to become part of the process so they too can buy into the vision.

A wonderful resource for this topic is Dani Johnson in her Spirit Driven Success series.

Remember that one is only able to do so much. Together there is synergy which means the results of people working in harmony for a combined vision are able to accomplish much more than two individuals separately. This for your business also means increased profits!

Wishing you unity in your organization!

Zig Ziglar, the world class motivational speaker, is an amazingly passionate man, who continues to inspires millions many decades on. He has researched and come up with a list of 8 things that everyone wants and what constitutes success: 1. Happy 2. Healthy 3. Reasonably Prosperous 4. Financially Secure 5. Friends 6. Peace of mind 7. Good family relationships 8. Hope

So this is where we can agree that [...]]]>

Are you successful?

Zig Ziglar, the world class motivational speaker, is an amazingly passionate man, who continues to inspires millions many decades on. He has researched and come up with a list of 8 things that everyone wants and what constitutes success:
1. Happy
2. Healthy
3. Reasonably Prosperous
4. Financially Secure
5. Friends
6. Peace of mind
7. Good family relationships
8. Hope

So this is where we can agree that this is the goal. Obviously the next step is how do we get there?
One way that most people think they can get there is by emulating their role models.
In Western society, heroes are often sporting champions, rich and famous actors or even socialites. As a high school teacher ,it was enlightening to see how much youth revere their chosen idols. In 2008, a class project involved students researching and writing a paper on their hero. Some of the more well known idols were Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan for the girls and usually with the boys sporting heroes such as Ben Cousins and Chris Judd, both now former West Coast Eagles stars in Australian Rules Football. Aside from Chris Judd, the commonality for the other four are that they live very high profile, glamourous lives of the rich and famous AND they are all well known as being out of control with addictive behaviours to various substances, usually illicit drugs and alcohol. Perhaps it is in one sense a reflection of how we may view ourselves that we too are far from perfect and as one student explained, how would we cope with all that attention in our personal lives? From feedback over the time it seemed that the students wanted to be given more chances to redeem themselves whether it be at home, school or with friends.
Who are your heroes?

So as Zig Ziglar suggests, I challenge you to hold up your heroes, mentors or boss to the above list.
Are they happy? If they always seem stressed then give them a big X.
Are they healthy? Tick or cross
Are they reasonably prosperous? It seems that most heroes now have a tick on this one. This is due to the world’s reliance on money and personal wealth as outward sign of achievement.
Financially Secure – Is this possible? We have all heard of extremely wealthy people who have gone bankrupt later. Most of us have had ups and downs financially with volatility in stock and property markets and even the job market where short and medium term contracts have become more widespread. However of course, by executing such basic principles as receiving income for your activities or ideas, saving and investing, we have the best chance of accumulating wealth and minimising the risks of future loss.
Friends – does your idol have many? Often if you look closer perhaps the so called friends are more business associates with not much depth to the friendship.
Peace of mind – If people are continually stressed usually this is a sign that they are unable to quieten their mind.
Family relationships – Is the person happily married or they undergoing a divorce proceedings or have never allowed anyone close enough and so are perpetually single? What kind of relationships do they have with their children?
Hope – do you think the person is hopeful about their present and future?
Now give them a score out of 8. Do you still want to emulate them?
None of these by the way are saying that the person is good or bad. It is a reflection of how they are inside and where they are at in a particular point in time.
How do you rate? Interestingly sometimes when we feel that we are not so successful , then consider this list again – perhaps our own lives are not so bad.

Wishing you success!

Expectations – signposts [...]]]>

Usually the boundaries in an employer/employee relationship are clear. In most western countries at least there is usually some form of employment contract. However even then there are nearly always some areas that over time become muddy! Of course we are human after all!! One issue is the expectations…..

Expectations – signposts that may mean you are being exploited?

Time boundaries – are your hours clear? Often when your job or business project is not a 9am – 5pm office job or tradesmen’s hours of 7am – 3pm, you end up working many more hours for the same benefits. Are you in control of your work/life balance? Are you able to book family and leisure time or does your boss or senior business partner ‘own you’? Do they call you on weekends and in evenings and expect that you will be free for a meeting? (Remember that often workaholics use their work also as their social life and so boundaries are very unclear. I definitely have fitted into this category so am speaking from experience!!)

Physical boundaries –
a) Workspace – is it conducive to your tasks?
b) Physical proximity – does your boss or senior business partner stand too close to you or over you while you work. They may even be a good friend however when they are invading your personal space do you feel as if you cannot continue with your current tasks? Of course there is also the other area of sexual abuse which could be everything from unwanted sexual advances to more forced situations.
c) Living arrangements – often we are in situations especially when our job or project involves us relocating to a new city, town or country, situations arise beyond our control. Is your superior controlling where you live and how you live? Do you feel totally compromised or even unsafe?

Economic boundaries – is your superior honouring their agreement with you? This usually is in terms of your pay, commission or reimbursement for out of pocket expenses as part of your role. Are you responsible for all costs associated with the project and thus your financial re-numeration is actually not that great? If things have become unclear then set a meeting and ensure expectations either way are clear. Beware you may not like the outcome!

Truth Boundaries – are you required to lie for your superior? Are you aware of any business dealings that are less than honourable however due to your own part in it and/or confidentiality clauses, you must keep your mouth shut and yet your conscience is bothering you. Perhaps you have a feeling that monies received for a certain purpose are now going into another project and although this may be legal you are not comfortable as you are also in part accountable for the progress of projects. This particular scenario has particularly led to economic downfalls of local government authorities. Or perhaps you have assisted in brokering a deal then one of the parties has not honoured their side of the agreement. Life is full of situations like this however it is how we choose to deal with them that marks us both at the time and for some years following!

Mental boundaries – are you respected and valued as an important player or are you belittled in front of others and seen as a disposable asset? Mental abuse is unfortunately common in every sphere of life particularly when someone has power over you. The good news is we can choose to no longer be under someone else’s control, even prisoners can change their internal response to incarceration. One incident in my own life involved me working for a large orgnaisation where they were in control of so much of my life at work, out of work and also living arrangements. My direct superior held my financial commitment over me and would jest – if you don’t like it – then you can buy yourself out it for AUD17,000. Fortunately with the emotional and spiritual support and even some financial support of friends and family, I was able to buy myself out of the contract. This was a huge decision at the time and I had been spiraling into depression until I thought “I am worth more than AUD17,000 dollars” even though at that time I thought it would take me years to be able to financially recover. However thanks to God’s grace, a better job offer was there immediately and I was financially blessed through the property market!

Spiritual boundaries – are you free to practice your religion or beliefs? Or are you persecuted and made to defend yourself?

When we are in situations even where we do not hold the authority, if the relationship is based on mutual respect which basically means respecting boundaries, then the venture will be more likely to prosper. However if you find yourself answering the questions above and do not like your answers then perhaps it is time for you to call a meeting and if you are unable to come to a mutually respected position then you too may need to buy yourself out of the situation. In your case maybe you physically will not have to pay thousands however there are costs associated with all decisions and yours as an employee or junior business partner may be just risk minimization, or to find a new job or outright damage control.

If you do need to make some tough decisions, remember that sometimes you have to close some doors before others open. Wishing you success!

There are many forms of leadership.  Some are more authoritarian – we’ve all heard of “it’s my way or the highway”.  Over a shorter period of time this can be very successful [...]]]>

Some of history’s most famous leaders were so successful … or were they?  Keep reading how we can lead our own teams to success.

There are many forms of leadership.  Some are more authoritarian – we’ve all heard of “it’s my way or the highway”.  Over a shorter period of time this can be very successful – at it’s most extreme we can consider Adolf Hitler.  He was so successful that he was able to bring his vision for a master race not only to Germany but to inspire many Germans to join the Nazi party and take over much of Europe.  However over the medium to long term people will not continue to be ruled by fear.

Leading by example is the more authentic way to lead.  One only has to remember William Wallace’s speech leading the men into battle in ‘Braveheart’ to see that strong leadership by example, can inspire even the most uncertain and even timid men, on to great things and occasionally almost certain death for the greater cause.

When leaders have integrity by honouring their word, being loyal to their workers and acknowledging their team for any and all successes, the team members will return that honour, respect and loyalty.

Other facets of strong leadership over the long term include:

Courage especially in the face of adversity (making the tough decisions and staying the course)

Self-control – if someone cannot control their own temper, overindulgent drinking habits or other addictive behaviours – it will flow over into the work arena and affect the respect you receive from staff

Justice – being fair does not always mean treating someone the same but being equitable – this could be by giving people the same chance to do their work.  Access to inclusion relies heavily on this.  For example, thinking outside the square to allow a sight impaired person to undertake office duties such as updating databases and answering telephone enquiries by utilizing technologies such as a scanner combined with software such as Jaws.

Commitment to the  plan – staying the chosen course which has been researched and chosen then undergoing review over time to check it’s effectiveness.

Giving more than is expected.  At all levels of employment, some people will notice your work ethic and commitment to excellence.  However it may not come from where you thought.

Be respectable.  This is not being a people pleaser but making the tough decisions when needed and not becoming over friendly with staff but open and respectful.

Be empathetic to others.  Everyone goes through difficulties at times.  Great leaders have usually been the most intelligent followers, learning quickly, thoroughly and accepting the authority.

Become a master of details as well as the big picture.  This does not mean that you need to do this yourself but are able to bring together an effective team and work with them and lead them.

Be responsible for yourself and your team.  Show loyalty even when things do not go well.  Great leaders understand that when things are not going well that they have also failed in their role as a leader.  Then they do something about it once they have acknowledged it.

Cooperate with others for the common goal.

(source:  based on the list from Napoleon Hill’s ‘Think and Grow Rich’).

Great leaders understand that every one of these traits is vital.  Only having some but not all will lead to problems!

What happens if we don’t plan?

Have you ever just got into a car on a fine morning and just gone for a drive, unsure where you are headed. I have – at times I have ended up at the [...]]]>

If you want to be successful in life – we need to have a business plan.

What happens if we don’t plan?

Have you ever just got into a car on a fine morning and just gone for a drive, unsure where you are headed. I have – at times I have ended up at the beach or the river, or occassionally with a friend even for an impulsive weekend away. This is great as a change and anyone who has ever done this I am sure appreciates time out to smell the roses and escape the busy-ness of our daily lives.

However for our lives or especially for our business we need to know where we are going to get there. This sounds simple yet many people go into business without a plan. They advertise in ways that they have seen others do and plod along hoping for the best or worse yet – starting and going with the flow literally until they are either flat out doing the business with no time to manage the business, or they make little or no money.

We need a plan.

In countries such as Australia and the United States there are numerous services available to help with this – some are listed on the Resource Page.

Even the most simple plan covers the basics:

What – What is your business? What are your products or services? What is your competitive edge?

When – When do you need to prepare your accounts? How often? Tax responsibilities… When do you plan to achieve your smaller – shorter term goals? When do you plan to achieve your longer term goals?

Where – Where are your premises? Where should you be advertising to suit your market?

Who – Who is your target market? Who are your competitors?

Why – Why are you in business? This is extremely important – the purposes – not only professional but personal. Without a vision the people perish. Without a vision for your business, it will more than likely disintegrate! Personal reasons must be visible. It does not matter what the goals are as long as you have an emotional connection to the purposes. This could be ‘so my wife can come home to look after the kids.’ or ‘so I can pay off my debts.’ or ‘so I can buy that house I have been looking at for the last two years.’

How – policies, procedures, and the strategies for your business to succeed.

All plans should be reviewed regularly to see if they are working.

Read about successful role models. Even get a mentor.

Better business strategies – see video here