Powerful Leadership

Posted on January 6, 2016 by Barry

“The most powerful leadership tool you have is your own personal example.”

-John Wooden, late UCLA Basketball Coach

Image from en.wikipedia.org

Would you like to be like you when you grow up? How and when do you set an excellent example for those in your personal and professional world? How happy would you be if your children turned out just like you?

John Wooden was one of the most admired basketball coaches to ever step foot on the court. The impact he had on great players and championships is legendary. Nothing he ever said to his players had more impact than the example he set for himself, as he led his daily life.

EXERCISE:

Consider your answers to the questions asked in the first paragraph. How can you set an even better example to those around you, to become the kind of person and leader you desire to be?

Day of Infinite Length

Posted on January 5, 2016 by Barry

“The day is of infinite length for him who knows how to appreciate and use it.”

-Johann Wolfgang Goethe, 19th Century German writer and statesman

Image from www.rottentomatoes.com

In the 2006 movie CLICK starring Adam Sandler, the hero is an overworked architect who neglects his family. He acquires a magical universal remote that enables him to fast forward through unpleasant or outright dull parts of his life. He soon learns that the seeming bad moments he keeps skipping over contain valuable time with his family, and important life lessons.

EXERCISE:

How can you use your own life remote to slow down or pause the passage of time, so you can more fully appreciate each moment of every day?

Don’t Let Yesterday

Posted on January 4, 2016 by Barry

“Don’t let yesterday use up too much of today.”

-Will Rogers, 19th/20th Century American Cowboy, Vaudevillian, and Humorist

Image from denvertent.com

Imagine you are planning to take a hike, climb a hill, or even scale a mountain. Your goal is to go as far as you can and see all the beauty along the way. Unfortunately, you have chosen to carry a very heavy backpack filled with too many weighty issues from your past.

EXERCISE:

What can you do to lighten your load and carry fewer yesterdays, in order to make the best out of each and every day ahead?

Small Minds

Posted on December 31, 2015 by Barry

“Don’t let small minds convince you that your dreams are too big.”

-Zig Ziglar, late American author and motivational speaker

image from theproductivtypro.com

Who are some of the small-minded people in your personal or professional worlds? What qualities or characteristics have you assigned to them? See how many of the following qualities describe those who appear to have diminishing or completely crushing the dreams of others as their purpose:

Antagonistic	Righteous	Fear-Based
Condescending	Oppositional	Aloof
Perfectionism	Judgmental	Overly Aggressive
Controlling	Critical	Unethical
Combative	Wishy-Washy	Disrespectful
Temperamental	Pessimistic	Arrogant
Volatile	Uncooperative	Dishonest

EXERCISE:

How can you reduce or eliminate the small-minded people in your world, and replace them or attract more big-minded people to support your biggest personal and professional dreams?

Consider making a list of the big-minded qualities and characteristics to help you recognize these folks when you meet or see them.

More Than He Can Chew

Posted on December 30, 2015 by Barry

“A man begins cutting his wisdom teeth the first time he bites off more than he can chew.”

-Herb Caen, 20th-century San Francisco Journalist

Image from dailyapple.blogspot.com

What are some of the physical signs you experience when you take on a new challenge, go outside your comfort zone, and bite off more than you can chew?

Is it butterflies in your stomach? Cold sweats, a pounding heart, or a general feeling of fear and foreboding?

What do you do when you have these feelings?

Herb Caen suggest we embrace the lessons and accompanying wisdom provided by the circumstances, rather than retreating.

EXERCISE:

Where in your personal or professional worlds can you start taking bigger bites out of life’s apple to capture even more nuggets of wisdom?

Life is Very Short

Posted on December 29, 2015 by Barry

“Life is very short, and there’s no time for fussing and fighting, my friend.”

—John Lennon, co-founder of the Beatles

Image from storypic.com

I am currently coaching an attorney who wishes to make a career transition to something far more in line with his vision and values. Ask him about what he finds distasteful about his current career and his response is clear: he does not enjoy all the fussing and fighting.

Examine your professional and personal worlds to determine just how much of your time you and others spend fussing and fighting. If the amount is unacceptable, examine the cost to your health, happiness, and overall life satisfaction.

EXERCISE:

What steps can and will you take to neither initiate nor participate in fussing and fighting? Lennon’s coaching and life is for all of us to appreciate and be reminded of just how short and precious a life can be.

Make a New Decision

Posted on December 28, 2015 by Barry

“Help someone make a new decision, based on new alternatives, and a new story.”

-Seth Godin, American author & entrepreneur

Image from sethgodin.com

One of the few bloggers I read each day without fail is Seth Godin. He has been consistently blogging for over two decades, and has one of the highest readerships worldwide. Beyond his amazing dependability are his thought-provoking and brilliant perspectives on many ordinary things about life, success, and making a difference. Take a bit of coaching and check out his work at http://sethgodin.typepad.com/.

Today’s quote is perfect for this time of year, as we all resolve to be a better version of ourselves. Godin suggests that when we take on the role of coach, mentor, or advisor to others, we help them make new, powerful value-based decisions that come from the story they wish to tell next year at this time.

One wonderful by-product of playing this role for others is that it is almost impossible to not reap extraordinary benefits in your own life. Givers Gain.

EXERCISE:

Select at least one person from your personal and professional worlds to coach, mentor, or advice regarding their decision and the new stories they wish to tell next year.

Christmas Waves a Magic Wand

Posted on December 24, 2015 by Barry

“Christmas waves a magic wand over the world, and Behold! Everything is softer and more beautiful.”

-Norman Vincent Peale, 20th Century minister and author

Image from groupleme.com

A friend and colleague, Dr. Jean Ann Larson, shared today’s quote in her recent newsletter. Regardless of your religious beliefs or spiritual practices, this time of year holds a certain specialness for most people.

It is a time of reflection, generosity, forgiveness, gratitude, and hope which, as Peale points out, softens and beautifies our world, inspiring us to carry the magic into the New Year.

EXERCISE:

Throughout the holidays, please use your own magic wand to soften and beautify your world. Imagine the possibility of seven billion people doing the same.

Things You Have

Posted on December 23, 2015 by Barry

“Never let the things you want make you forget the things you have.”

—Author Unknown

Image from Flickr by Alvanman

With Black Friday behind us and the Christmas holiday just days away, a great deal of attention is being devoted to consumerism and asking our Santa’s for the things we desire.

About ten years ago, my wife Wendy and I took a very special vacation to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We made a practical budgetary decision, and promised to forgo purchasing additional gifts for one another.

When the holidays arrived, I was shocked to see wrapped packages from my wife sitting by the fireplace. I began to get upset, thinking she had broken her promise. With an elfish smile, Wendy simply said“Yes, I know what we promised,” and asked me to open the gifts.

To my pleasant surprise, inside those packages were some of my favorite possessions⏤things I already owned and loved. Opening the packages caused me to remember how much I enjoyed them!

EXERCISE:

How can you take greater satisfaction in the things you already have, rather than things you want or even receive? Consider paying particular attention to non-material items.

Won’t Change You

Posted on December 22, 2015 by Barry

“If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you.”

—Fred Devito, American Yoga Instructor

Image from londonpowertunnels.co.uk

What areas of your personal or professional life would you most like to change for the better? How long have you wanted these changes in your life? If your answer is “far longer than I care to admit,” a new approach will be required.

The New Year is just around the corner and a high percentage of people will be looking to resolve or achieve far more this time around.

One key to this success is to choose only a small number of challenging objectives that will cause you to stretch and grow, and to garner many more social and structural sources of support to virtually guarantee your success.

EXERCISE:

List one or two challenging goals for the New Year. Display them in multiple places in your personal and professional worlds. Solicit the rigorous support of a coach, mentor, family member, or friend, who will not give up on you to assure the lasting changes and results you desire.

Once this has occurred, select another priority goal and repeat the process, to have your best year yet!