Movement

 

Our goal as leaders, public speakers and thought leaders should be almost singularly focused on movement. It matters not what we say, the message we deliver, or the thoughts we convey, if they do not lead to movement. When I say movement, I mean action. I mean forward movement. I mean progress. That's what we want to instill in teams and organizations. Forward motion should be our constant goal.

Sure, we can speak on platitudes and concepts, but if they don't lead to action (movement) what good have we done?  Think about your next staff meeting. What about your next company address? How about your next one-on-one with your team leader? Are you conveying a message that creates movement? I feel like it's one of the greatest leadership questions we can face. Are we encouraging movement? Does our leadership result in action?

Who will you help move forward this week?

Start Somewhere

 

Sometimes you just need to get started.  However, don’t you want to wait until you have enough time, or you are in the right mood, or you have every possible required tool at hand?  I do!  Why do we put off getting started?  We have tons of reasons, better yet excuses that delay our start.   Often, it seems daunting to start a big project.  It can be paralyzing to face something that we know will require concentration and focus.  We search for tasks that we know require less time or we get distracted with less important action items.  Start somewhere.  Break the project down into consumable bites.  Set attainable goals that build towards completion of the larger project.

Just start…

Goals & Resolutions

 

Have you set goals for 2023?  Are you a New Year’s resolution person?  Is change on your horizon?  So here is the thing about goals and resolutions…

 

Nothing changes if nothing changes.  That sounds simple and obvious right?  Well it is, but it is not so simple to put into action.

• You will not improve your relationships if you do not change your behavior and/or expectations.
• The weight will not simply fall off of you without you modifying your diet and/or exercise.
• Do you want to quit smoking?  You better have a very specific plan of exactly how to do that and be ready for the pain.
• Is a higher income your goal?  What are your plans to sell more, increase margins, start a new business or change jobs?
• Maybe there is a personal life or faith resolution you have in mind.  Those can be really tough.  They take real discipline to achieve.
• You won’t save more money without spending less!
• You can’t run, cycle or swim in the mornings without getting up earlier.

Change and personal growth is hard.  It takes work, dedication and discipline.  Most importantly it requires a change in behavior.  Nothing changes if nothing changes…

 

Happy New Year and good luck with your 2023 goals!

Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes

 

“Only you can change you.”  That is so true.  To implement change, you need to be intentional and proactive.  It takes action and determination.  Resolutions do not instigate change.  Goals do not prompt change.  Good intentions only go so far.  Nothing changes if nothing changes.

 

Change is not easy.  We humans are resistant to it.  It is important to note that big changes usually start with small steps. There must be an initial step, a starting action item, a simple goal.  Make incremental changes to your diet.  Increase your workout frequency or intensity over time.  Start a new daily habit of quiet time, reflection, or prayer.  Eliminate the negative forces or distractions. Set a stretch goal in your professional life.  These are all easier said than done.  However, they have one thing in common, they all require something to change. 

 

Nothing changes if nothing changes.

Be An Example

 

There is plenty of advice being passed around out there these days. Social media has created a lot of experts and it facilitates an increased amount of opinion sharing. Much of that has no tangible actions associated with it. Advice and opinions need to be replaced by lives of example. We know that humans learn by the examples they see and interact with daily. It is true of our children, our co-workers, and followers. A life lived by example is a life of influence.

 

There is nothing wrong with genuine, sincere, and well-meaning advice. I wish it was all that way. If you really want to impact someone’s life, don’t just tell that person, show them by how you live your life.

 

Remember, a pint of example is worth more than a barrel full of advice.

Choices

 

Life is made up of a series of choices. We make choices each day of our life by prioritizing activities and choosing courses of action. It can be frustrating and challenging to make these choices. The alternatives are equally appealing, and the ramifications of the decisions seem so serious. The best we can do at any one point in time is to make a choice with the information and knowledge available to us at that point in time. Consider your alternatives, study your options, seek spiritual guidance, and make an educated decision.  Once a choice has been made, go on down the road of life. There is no value to be gained from beating ourselves up over past choices and decisions that did not work out. Sure, we should learn from past decisions, but there really is no need to re-live poor choices or to constantly second guess ourselves. Learn from those choices and grow. Make the best choice you can with the information available to you at the time.

 

Have a blessed week making choices.

Leadership - Honesty & Trust

The great guitarist Bo Diddley once said, “Don’t let your mouth write a check that your butt can’t cash.”  Others must believe in you before they are going to follow you.  They need to know that you are going to do what you say you are going to do.  They need to believe that you are honest and can be trusted.  They need to know that your check is not going to bounce!   Honesty and trust go hand in hand with great leadership.  People must experience the leader as believable, credible and most of all, trustworthy.  Trust and honesty are established when words and actions match up.  You don’t build trust by talking about it.  You build it by achieving results, always with integrity and in a manner that shows real personal regard for the people with whom you work.  Honesty is a key to integrity and the trust building process. Trust is what other people invest in you, based on your integrity and honesty.  Trust is their absolute confidence that you are truthful and reliable.  Great leaders are honest and trustworthy! 

Work like you're showing off!

 

“Vision without execution is a hallucination.” - Joe Calloway, Author and Performance Consultant. 

 

This quote comes from something Calloway wrote entitled, "Work like you're showing off!"  What a simple but profound statement about execution.  He goes on to say that an employer will trade ten "idea guys" for one person who can get things done.  You have all heard the statement, "Ideas are a dime a dozen."  Generally, leaders do not want to hear what you are going to do, plan to do, or think you will do.  They want to know what you have done, have completed, and implemented.  As leaders, the challenge is to channel ideas into action.  Encourage and direct people to implement ideas and reach completion.  There is nothing wrong with great ideas.  The world is full of them, and we need the people who come up with them.  The real test of any good idea can only come once it is executed.

Fear vs. Concern

An athletic department staff member at The University of Texas tells a story about his son sharing his fears with Darrell Royal some years ago.  Apparently, the young man told Royal he was afraid of graduating and finding a job in the “real” world.  Royal apparently replied, “Never be afraid.  Be concerned.  There is a difference.”  He went on to explain, “The difference is that fear is paralyzing.  Concern brings awareness.” 

I have always thought that fear was a normal and even important part of life and in fact I still believe that.   However, Royal’s perspective is good one.  When facing challenges, we do not want to be paralyzed but concerned.  We want to be cautious and aware and responsive but not frozen in fear.  There is a place for fear.  Certainly, we should fear consequences of our actions and ramifications of our decisions.  Our laws and authorities relay to some degree on fear and that is appropriate, but when facing change or obstacles in life fear should not dictate our lives.  Caution yes, fear no.

The Willingness to Lead

Successful leaders must be willing to lead. That may seem like a statement of the obvious.  Many people aspire to be leaders, others assume they are leaders, but are they truly willing to lead? 

To become an intentional, respected, servant leader one must be willing to lead.  I use the word “willing” because it implies a desire to act, to do what it takes.  One does not simply become a true leader because of their age, status or title.  Leadership requires work and is developed over time.  It requires a willingness to change and adapt.  Successful leaders understand themselves as well as their followers, and they adjust accordingly. They are intentional about reading people and analyzing situations to determine the best course of action. That approach is about the greater good of the project or organization, not the individual good of the leader.  Great leaders are willing to acclimate to personalities, circumstances and challenges.   Are you willing to lead?      

Don’t Just Wait

When the pandemic started a lot of us thought that we could wait it out.  I can remember discussions with friends and clients about getting this behind us by summer or at least by the fall.  Here we are one week from September and it is far from over.  It is clear now that we cannot simply wait until this is over.  I do believe that it will be over, however, that will not happen like a light switch being turned off.  Even when COVID-19 is largely behind us things will not be the same.  I don’t care for the term “new normal”, but things will definitely be different.  People’s habits have changed, we live differently now.  We shop differently, we eat out differently (or not at all).  Folks are not traveling and likely will not return to the same travel habits quickly.  Social gatherings and entertainment venues will look very different. 

We cannot wait for things to return to normal.  As leaders we need to take action.  If your initial reaction for personal plans or for your business was to wait it out before adapting, you need to re-think that strategy.  If your business is dependent upon things returning to a pre-COVID-19 status you need to change your plans.  We simply cannot afford to wait; we need to be making decisions now.  I understand that there is a lot of uncertainty.  I realize you might not have all the data you would like to have to act.  In time like these taking some action is better than no action at all.  If we want to come out of this smarter and more successful, we need to be deciding how to go about that now!

There are two great times to plant a tree, thirty years ago and today!

Action!

Action is the difference between an idea and results.  No idea, thought, concept or plan goes anywhere without action.  Lots of people have great ideas; few people take the required action steps to turn ideas into results.  You know how the director of a film or TV show calls out “Action” as the filming begins?  That is the step that takes a script from something on paper to a finished product, a result that we can see.  Good ideas constantly cross our minds and enter our thoughts.  We think of ways to improve things at work, how to change things with our kids, how we might make a difference in the lives of people around us.  As ideas alone they accomplish nothing.  As ideas combined with action, they create results.  The greatest of ideas goes nowhere until an action step is taken.  Make an idea turn into results.  Take action today!

Influence & Intentionality

True leadership is about influence.  It is not about titles or positions. True leadership is the ability to influence others in a positive way and towards a common goal. It is not magic and usually does not happen naturally.  It requires deliberate and intentional behaviors and practices.  Influential people move through life with a purpose.  They are constantly aware of how their actions and behaviors influence others.  Great leaders look for way to intentionally use their influence to help others grow.     

Do you use your influence intentionally? 

Note:  The MMM actually began in 2004.  Thanks for all our diligent followers who pointed out the 2014 typo last week.

9/11

Eighteen years ago, on this Wednesday, The United States of America was changed forever.  Those old enough will remember exactly where they were that morning.  The attack, now known simply by the date of its occurrence as 9/11, was nothing like this country had ever seen before, and hopefully will never again.  The images were horrifying and unforgettable.  We were unified as a country and we rallied together in the subsequent days, weeks and months.  Unfortunately, I feel like a lot of that unity has faded away, but that is a story for a different day. 

Two years ago, I had the opportunity to visit the 9/II Memorial & Museum in New York City.  It is a fascinating collection of stories and memorabilia located at the base of the Twin Towers.  I found it to be incredibly well done, powerful, but somber and reverent.  My granddaughter, who was not even born at the date of the attacks, was riveted.  She came home with an understanding, and true feel for that tragedy that she will never get from a textbook.  I encourage you to visit if you have the chance.

Take a moment today to recall the events of eighteen years ago.  Think about the lives lost.  Ponder the unity that grew out of tragedy.  Reflect on the actions of the first responders.  Consider where we are in the war on terror.  Ensure that the events of that day are not forgotten by the next generation.  Most of all be proud of the great country we live in and the freedom we enjoy.    

We are all Leaders…

We are all leaders.  We lead by our actions and reactions.  We lead with the tone of our voice and our level of caring.  We lead by our attitude, our patience and our listening skills.  Don’t think you are not a leader.  No title is required to lead.  You lead at home, in your neighborhood, in the PTO and at the youth sports fields.  The questions is... Is your leadership intentional, positive, encouraging and challenging?

Do you embrace your leadership role?  Are you intentional in how you lead?  Do you recognize your ability to influence others, both positively and negatively?  Are you growing as a leader?

The fact that we are all leaders is a given, we have the ability to influence others.  What you do with that influence is what defines you as a leader…

Insanity

Sometimes we think that change will drive us crazy.  Actually, we often think the pain to change is greater than the pain to stay the same, but we need change to keep us from going insane.  Without change it is far too easy to fall into a rut and continuously repeat our mistakes.  Enjoy the following definitions and embrace the change to stay sane!

Webster’s Definition:

Insanity; noun

• the condition of being insane; a derangement of the mind.
• a foolish or senseless action, policy, statement,etc.

Einstein’s Definition:

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting a different result.”

Action

I have written before about the importance of taking action.  Nothing good happens unless an initial step of action occurs.  Action, initiation, implementation, these are the starters of all things good.  They lay the foundation for success.  Good things can be talked about and theorized on at great length.  We can plan and prepare forever.  It takes action and movement for good concepts to be turned into reality, and reality into success.  Consider this quote from the very successful Conrad Hilton.

Success seems to be connected with action.
Successful people keep moving. They make
mistakes but they never quit.
--Conrad Hilton

Don’t overlook the part of the quote referring to mistakes.  Successful people make mistakes.  They cannot be avoided and are in fact part of the process of success.  Do not let the fear of mistakes keep you from taking action!

Go take some action!  Have a blessed week.

Life

Heard a great speaker last week at a VEL Institute event.  If you have not heard of VEL, check them out.  Their stated mission is…  “Bringing Veterans, Entrepreneurs and Leaders together to create positive community action and foster valuable relationships.” 

The speaker was Dr. Todd Dewett.  What an energetic and thought provoking guy he is.  One focus of his talk was the challenge of breaking out of our routines and pre-disposed viewpoints.  I came away feeling like I probably needed to re-examine some things in my life that I have come to accept as normal.  He also addressed the power of positivity.  We have all heard this before, but he came at it from a different direction, the negativity.  Here are a couple of quotes from Dr. Todd Dewett for you to ponder this week…

“A life worth living is worth examining and taking risks on.”

“Understand the sticky power of negativity.  It sticks way easier and way longer than positivity.”

            Dr. Todd Dewett

Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes

The closing line in the MMM from last week was “Only you can change you.”  That is so true.  To implement change you need to be intentional and proactive.  It takes action and determination.  Resolutions do not instigate change.  Goals do not prompt change.  Good intentions only go so far.  Nothing changes if nothing changes.

Change is not easy.  We humans are resistant to it.  It is important to note that big changes usually starts with small steps.  Something has to be the beginning of change.  There has to be an initial step, a starting action item.  Make incremental changes to your diet.  Increase your workout frequency or intensity over time.  Start a new daily habit of quiet time, reflection or prayer.  Eliminate the negative forces or distractions.  Set a stretch goal in your professional life.  These are all easier said than done.  However, they have one thing in common.  They all require something to change.  Nothing changes if nothing changes.

What will you change in 2018?

Action

I have written before about the importance of taking action and simply getting started.  Nothing good happens unless an initial step of action occurs.  Action, initiation, implementation, these are the starters of all things good.  They are also the foundation for success.  Never getting started has an obvious negative impact on success!  Good ideas can be talked about, debated, planned and theorized at great length.  It takes action and forward movement for concepts to be turned into reality and reality into success.  Consider this quote from the very successful Conrad Hilton.

Success seems to be connected with action.
Successful people keep moving. They make
mistakes but they never quit.
- Conrad Hilton

Be sure not to overlook the part of the quote referring to mistakes.  Successful people make mistakes.  They cannot be avoided and are in fact part of the process of success.  Don’t let the fear of mistakes keep you from taking action!