Archive for the ‘Goals’ Category

“Leaders who don’t believe that results are limitless are selling their jobs and careers short. Here is a four-step process for manifesting a “results are limitless” mind-set.”

In Leadership, Results Are Limitless

Results are limitless. That’s not a supposition.  That’s a fact.  Leaders who don’t believe that don’t understand the power of leadership to achieve great results.  Leaders who believe it and live by their belief have an unmatched advantage over those leaders who don’t.

To begin to understand how and why results-are-results are limitless, consider these facts:

* In 1878, Jean Bouillaud, member of the French Academy of Sciences, said upon hearing a demonstration of Thomas Edison’s phonograph, “It is quite impossible that the noble organs of human speech could be replaced by ignoble, senseless metal.”

* In 1899, Charles H. Duell (Commissioner of U.S. Office of Patents.), urging President William McKinley to abolish his office, said: “Everything that can be invented has been invented.”

* An 1909 article in the Scientific American stated, “The automobile has practically reached the limit of its development as suggested by the fact that during the past year no improvements of a radical nature have been introduced.”

* Popular Mechanics stated in March 1949: “Where a calculator on the ENIAC is equipped with 18,000 vacuum tubes and weighs 30 tons, computers in the future may have only 1,000 vacuum tubes and perhaps only weight 11/2 tons.”

The point isn’t that experts are wrong. Experts, we know, have been wrong countless times.  The point isn’t that things change.  That’s obvious.  The point is this: BECAUSE THINGS CHANGE, RESULTS ARE LIMITLESS.  IN OTHER WORDS, WHATEVER RESULTS YOU ARE ACHIEVING, YOU CAN ALWAYS ACHIEVE SOMETHING DIFFERENT OR MORE.

This may seem like a non sequitur. After all, leaders know that things change.  But many leaders whom I have encountered don’t make the connection and fail to realize that results are limitless.

But there is a connection — a profound connection. And leaders who don’t make that connection, don’t live that connection, are giving short shrift to their leadership and the people they lead.

Living by the results-are-limitless credo can set you apart as a leader who consistently gets results, no matter what the challenge you face.

Start to take a small but well-defined step to manifest results-are-limitless leadership:

(1) Identify. Identify one thing you think is NOT BEING QUESTIONED.  Make sure it is something people believe has “reached the limit of its development.”  It may be a product or features of a product.  It may be the way your organization is structured.  It may be a successful engineering program.

(2) Question. Treat it as if it’s fundamental premise were false.  Can you shoot holes in the logical reasons for its existence?  If it ain’t broke, see what would happen if you break (change) it with one end in mind, achieving more results.

(3) Change. See if you can come up with answers that will lead either to replacing what you’re questioning or improving it.

(4) Continue. Don’t look at this as an academic assignment.  It’s not homework.  It’s the beginning of making the credo part of the DNA of your leadership.

Repeat: This as a leadership endeavor. Determine who are the cause leaders you need to make the change happen.  Talk to them about how they would take leadership to affect that change.  You should not only have “What if … ” discussions but more importantly, “Why not … “discussions.

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What separates those who succeed and those who live their lives feeling that things could have been better?

Ask any truly successful person why they achieved and they will all tell you they had a dream, a vision for their future.  Those who are successful leaders have been able to share that dream with others with such conviction that they have convinced others to join them on their quest to achieve that dream.

Can anyone achieve their dream? Having a clear strategy can help you make your dream a reality.  It isn’t rocket science, or magic.  Take the following steps and fulfill your dream.  Make it your reality.

The first step is to understand that in order to achieve success you must take action.  Inertia is the most common reason for lack of success!

What is your dream? Your goals for the future?  What do you want to achieve in your life in the next week? month? year? 5 years? What would you like people to remember you for after you have left this world?

Think big – challenge yourself. Reach for the stars!

Be clear about where you are now.  Audit your strengths and areas for development

What needs to be done to eliminate the gap between your dream and the reality?

• Prioritize. Don’t just look for quick wins, consider those things which will have maximum long term impact.  Build solid foundations, think of sustainability!

• Set challenging but realistic targets. Aim high.

• Communicate your vision, and keep doing so.  Ensure that all stake holders understand and subscribe to the same vision.

• Who do you need to involve?  How will you ensure they sign up to and stay committed to the vision?

• Think about the language you use, be sure to sound positive, if others think you are confident it can be achieved they will gain confidence too.  Develop a “I can do it” mentality within your staff.  For every problem there is a solution, encourage others to see themselves as problem solvers not problem givers.

• Create clear lines of communication which operate at every level and in all directions.

• Break each priority down into small achievable steps, involve your team.  Who needs to do what by when?  Set a timetable.

• Identify the roles and responsibilities for all staff; ensure that staff take ownership of their work.

• Ensure that people are appropriately trained and that training is constantly updated.

• Build in the monitoring and review process from the start so you can evaluate performance and be prepared to adjust as necessary.  (By creating a culture of development rather than blame huge potential will be released.)

• Celebrate success! and remember to thank people for their contribution, give credit where it due and be generous with it.

• Develop professional honesty within your staff, constructive feed back can be invaluable.

Finally leave your ego behind as it will simply get in the way of your success.

Did you know that your goals are far, far ahead of you?

Really.

Women and men have been aiming at achieving more or less the same things in their lives since thousands and thousands of years.

You are the one who is new to the game. The game itself is old. Very old.

You could think that you are setting new goals and identifying an ever-growing stream of new and improved needs, wants and must haves; all the while working toward a better life and state of being for you and your loved ones.

Don’t be fooled. Your goals are way ahead of you. They have seen you coming from miles away. Seen you peak your head around the corner eyeballing that new you, including that new purse, dress, car, house, husband, wife, promotion, status, reputation, retirement, etc. from miles and miles away.

You are not coming up with your goals, your goals are coming up with you; reinventing you, shaping you into the man or woman you will become. Unconsciously, if you are not careful.

Don’t exhaust yourself running after that future state of perfect peace and happiness that can only be found in the intense sanity of being truly, fully here and now.

You may be looking out of your office window in Midtown Manhattan right now or driving down the 101 into Los Angeles in mid-morning, bumper to bumper traffic, you may be ex-padding it on the Mexican peninsula or teaching those stern Europeans how to market to the 50+.

Whichever it is, don’t loose sight of what makes you unique. It is not your goals, it’s your capacity to be present in spite of them.

Tell us what do you think! Share your thoughts about Men Who Stare At Goals (And Women Too)!

We can help bring your goals onto the path, so that you prosper not simply because but in spite of them!

Call us today at (805) 680-3988 for your personal Free 25 minutes Empowered Perspective Consultation.

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We assist you with personalized Intelligent Leadership and Quality of Life in Business.

Are you worried about boots on the ground? Your boots?

Are you worried about getting your own hands dirty, refining your attitude, honing your skill and losing your illusions about what it really takes to lead people intelligently and successfully?

Are you reluctant to open up the discussion how you can build a business that is ethical, consistent, authentic, transparent and an expression of your personal values and integrity.

Are you avoiding looking at what the real causes of quality of life in business are and how you can get started with their implementation?

Why not start by putting your own boots on the ground. Become realistic about the need for you to develop greater composure and cultivate your connections with others.

Here are three things you can do today that will strengthen your Intelligent Leadership and Quality of Life in Business:

1) Develop a sense of humanity: Life’s not always about you and your needs and wants. People share a fate in that everyone is working to make the most of the time they have, whether that expresses in their private lives or professional lives. Open up, observe others! Are you really so different?

2) Commit unconditionally: You will only put forth your best effort and bare the heaviest burdens for goals that are well worth it, and a vision that is well conceived. Once you have found what these goals are and what that vision consists of, commit unconditionally. It is the one thing that keeps the red wood tree growing through the seasons and it will get you to your sunny spot as well.

3) Celebrate successes: Every day has some successes. Whether you allowed someone in line to pay his coffee before you paid yours, or you succeeded in being a bit less anxious when Bill down the hall received laureates for an idea you sparked. Celebrate your successes and keep enjoying your journey. Less anxious = more quality of life. Remember that.

Call us today at (805) 680-3988 for your personal Free 25 minutes Empowered Perspective Consultation.

Sign up for The Empowered Perspective eZine above or visit our website at www.empowermentholdings.com.

We assist you with Intelligent Leadership and Quality of Life in Business.

Be SMART about your goals!

If you have not yet learned how to set goals using the SMART method for setting goals, you are missing something.

S.M.A.R.T. stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely.

Specific:
Specific goals have a greater chance of getting accomplished than general goals. Your specific goal must answer the six “W” questions:

1. Who: Who is involved?
2. What: What do I intend to accomplish?
3. Where: The location.
4. When: The time frame.
5. Which: Constraints and requirements
6. Why: The reason, purpose or benefit of accomplishing the goal.

Measurable:
Know in advance how you will measure progress toward the accomplishment of the goal you set. Measuring keeps you on track, helps you reach target dates, and allows you to celebrate the achievements of smaller steps that drive you forward.

Ask quantitative questions such as……How much? How many? …to know where you are.

Attainable:
If it really matters to you, you will commit to developing the right attitude, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach your goal. Previously overlooked opportunities seem to suddenly appear to guide you along the way.
When you break your goals down into small actionable steps you can achieve almost any goal you set your mind to. step by step wins the race.

Realistic:
When you are both willing and able to work toward your goal it becomes realistic. With regards to motivation, a high goal has greater motivational force than a low goal, which is why many small goals remain unaccomplished, so don’t be afraid to reach for what you really value.

If you have achieved similar goals in the past or have strong confidence in your ability to achieve it, it is another indicator that your goal is realistic.

Timely:
In order to be smart, a goal needs to have a deadline or a time frame. When you establish a time frame for your goal your braincells go into action. “Someday” is not specific enough. When you choose a specific date – like July 4th – your unconscious mind starts working out ways to achieve it.

Call us today at (805) 680-3988, sign up for The Empowered Perspective Newsletter above or visit our website www.empowermentholdings.com. Let us assist you with your goals toward Intelligent Leadership and Quality of Life in Business.

Start the day with your intention(s) – It makes all the difference!

When you get up tomorrow morning, you should make a decision. Is this going to be another mindless day of chasing things you can never really grasp, another day of frantic business activity, of reactive relationships and a stressed out you?

Or do you say: Stop. Think. Choose.

And direct your mind with intention to being of value today, serving your clients and customers with clarity and patience, and giving them what they actually need.

You decide with that first thought in the morning, if this is going to be a day of giving – of yourself in the best way you know how – or another day of running after profits alone.

Think it through, it matters – for you and your quality of life in business.

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