Category: leadership

Genuine

Everyone likes a compliment. However, if you want the compliment to be valued by the recipient, it has to be meaningful. We all know the person who compliments us like there is no tomorrow. Over time, people react similarly to the comment as they eventually did to Little Boy Blue.

Give authentic compliments. The idea is to help others feel good about themselves. The best way to do this is to give a compliment based on effort, based on the reality of their results, and only when deserved. It is great to be a nice person, but it is better to be an authentic person.

#Just Be Better

#Stay Strong, Stay Healthy

Be Prepared #3

Do not waste other’s productivity (or allow them to waste yours!).

It goes without saying that you should always be punctual. If you will be late, you must communicate it as soon as you realize it. Be prepared. Prepare your schedule and stick to it. Prepare by knowing who to contact if you are running late. Do not make it a habit. Do not waste other people’s time or productivity.

In meetings, stay on point. I have been in too many meetings where someone feels extra special and decides to take a tangent because they are feeling “smart” for the moment. They are wasting everyone else’s productivity. They are not smart; they are selfish. Don’t be that person, and don’t accept that person’s distraction. Be prepared for what to say and how to say it so the meeting gets back on track. Otherwise, you allow them to have power over your productivity (and future). Do not allow anyone to have power over either, ever.

#Be Prepared

#Just Be Better

#Stay Healthy, Stay Strong

Reaction

At the end of a wonderful weekend, the power went out suddenly around 8 p.m. The blackout was only the third time we had one in seven years. Unfortunately, all three occurred within the last calendar year. It was not what we wanted, and it threw a wrench into our plans to prepare for the new work and academic week. We could have easily chosen to play the victims and complained until our power was restored. We didn’t. This challenge was our time to shine. Instead of complaining about the situation we had no control over, we could take control, find backup lanterns, get a good book, and spend the evening reading or talking. It is amazing what can get done without 21st-century technology. However, this could only happen with having already developed good habits to rely on and the mindset that a challenge is an opportunity to get better (and having the right batteries for our lanterns).

What would you do in this situation? Either way, be prepared; implementing your answer will be much easier.

#Just Be Better

#Stay Strong, Stay Healthy

Force the Future #5 – Have Difficult Conversations

Sometimes, to get the future you want, you have to tell others what they do not want to hear. These discussions can be uncomfortable and unpleasant, but the temporary discomfort is far less than the long-term regret that comes from not getting the future you want. Do not walk away from the difficult conversation. Prepare for them and remain clear on what you wish to communicate, even when the other person reacts emotionally to the information they receive.

# Force the Future

# Just Be Better

# Stay Strong, Stay Healthy

Force the Future #3

The best route to success is forged with your preparation. Preparing has significantly influenced my accomplishments, and not preparing is one of the biggest reasons for my failures. I believe in “Force the Future” because it encourages us to prepare for the future we want by working today to develop the habits we need to be successful. No matter what you desire for your future, the better your preparation, the better your chances for success. If you want it in the de, force it by preparing for it today.

#Just Be Better

# Stay Strong, Stay Healthy

Force the Future #2

People continually tell us to learn from the past. I agree with this but to a point. So often, I see people spend so much time learning from the past that they forget to focus on the future, much less the present. Sometimes, you must put aside learning from the past to force the future. 

In working with an individual who was unhappy with last quarter’s results, we mapped out strategies to help him reach his goals in the next term. At the end of the meeting, he told me how much the previous results had affected him. I informed him this was an excellent opportunity to learn from the past and develop the skills and strategies to succeed moving forward. However, we were not going to dwell on the past and address what had happened in the previous quarter until we saw the results of the following two terms. You could see the relief on his face, knowing he could put the past behind him and focus on forcing the future.

When you have negative results, learn from them, but not at the expense of forcing the future.

#Just Be Better

# Stay Strong, Stay Healthy

 The point

I hate meetings that have no point. There are too many people who, by holding a meeting, are powerful. It is true that when someone calls a meeting that I am compelled to attend, the person has power over my time. However, I will only give them the power to use my time effectively. 

Meetings should be on-point and concise. The leaders should encourage discussion and debate but be focused enough to keep the discussions on point. I’ve seen too many meetings devolve because the leader is either reluctant to or fails to recognize this issue. It takes a creative participant to redirect the conversation.

Do not waste other people’s time. Come to a meeting prepared and ready to work. Expect your colleagues to do the same.

Just Be Better

Stay Healthy, Stay Strong.

Resolutions (Repeated)

It has been a few weeks into the new year, and it is time to assess your resolution(s). First, are you still keeping your resolution(s)? Are you still making the changes you wanted to make a few weeks ago?  Most people have failed to keep their New Year’s Resolutions as of this week. Change is hard. You have to be smart (one change at a time), and you have to be focused, not on the goal, but on the reason for the goal.

Next, do you have new changes that you want to make? Are you going to wait 351 days until next year? 

If you want to be successful, the answer to the last two questions is a resounding NO. If you want to be successful, you will make those changes today, not tomorrow, and not on New Year’s Day. Do not wait for New Year’s Resolutions, as most people have given up their resolutions, and make the change now.

What is your change going to be? 

Just Be Better

Stay Healthy, Stay Strong

Your Body Tells All

I prefer experts who practice what they preach. When discussing health and nutrition with others, I sometimes encounter those who need to realize what they are talking about and what their body shows needs to be aligned. They fail to recognize that one’s body is the best food journal. Feed your body correctly, consistently keep your nutrition on point, hydrate well, and in the end, your body will preach your health and nutrition to the world.

Just Be Better

Stay Healthy, Stay Strong

Stick to the Plan

I hope you are enjoying the New Year.

Did you make any resolutions? If you did, take comfort in the fact that many are navigating the challenges of their New Year’s Resolutions. It is never easy to make change permanent, and permanence is the point of a New Year’s resolution. The key is to take incremental steps. Desmond Tutu, who I had the privilege to see speak, once said, “There is only one way to eat an elephant, one bite at a time.” The same goes for making changes permanent. You cannot do it all at once. You have to take small, continual steps. You have to be consistent. You have to be patient. You have to stick to the plan. (The better the planning, the more permanent the change)

Now is the time when self-doubt about this year’s change will creep into your mind. Find strength in the reason why you want to make this change and visualize what life will look like for you once this change is made. Stick to the Plan

Good luck.

Happy New Year.

Just Be Better.

Stay Healthy, Stay Strong.