Leading the Pack

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“Throw me to the wolves and I will return leading the pack.”

—Author Unknown

Image from www.fanpop.com

Image from www.fanpop.com

Today’s quote makes me think of the times my clients state that a colleague, coworker, or client “threw them under the bus.”  In almost all cases, they say it was in an unfair, unjust, and detrimental way.

Blaming, bullying, one-upmanship, and office politics are common occurrences. How we respond to such attacks, and how we rise above their potential negative impacts is a skill which we could all benefit from time to time.

EXERCISE:

A book that I have read numerous times over the years – The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz – points to fundamental ideas that can help us all return, leading the pack, when we are thrown to the wolves. They are:

  1. Be impeccable with your word
  2. Don’t take anything personally
  3. Don’t make assumptions
  4. Always do your best

career and passion

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“It’s a beautiful thing when a career and passion come together.”

—Author Unknown

Image from Flickr by Chris Parfitt

Image from Flickr by Chris Parfitt

Watching young children at play is a joyful activity. If you happen to be a parent, the joy is magnified even more. The exuberance and passion these little ones show as they engage their world is truly a thing of beauty. Some would even say that play is their job.

Now take the average working man or woman –  including yourself if you wish – and examine the level of passion and fulfillment they show as they head off to work on Monday morning. Few people would call their facial expressions “a thing of beauty.”

What happened between our time as little ones and our adult years?

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways can you regain the playful and passionate exuberance of your youth, to make your current career or career transition a reason to look forward to many more beautiful Mondays?

 

Is the Glass Half Empty

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“People who wonder whether the glass is half empty or half full miss the point. The glass is refillable.”

—simon sinek, speaker and author

 

Image from breacan.org.au

Image from breacan.org.au

Imagine you have an entire month to take the road trip of your life, anywhere you wish. You have just won the use of a large luxury mobile home or recreational vehicle. The only limitation is that you were only given half a tank of fuel.

Of course, we can look on the bright side of things to estimate how far we could go, or we can be upset given the limited range available for this adventure. This view of things seems silly knowing that we always have the ability to top off the tank anytime we wish.

EXERCISE:

Where in either your professional or personal worlds are you operating with the half full or half empty perspective?  What would be possible if you assumed an attitude of overflowing abundance instead?

Great Leaders

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“Great leaders don’t blame the tools they’re given. They work to sharpen them.”

—Author Unknown

Image from comicbook.com

Image from comicbook.com

MacGyver was a very popular action adventure TV series in The United States and some other markets, from 1985 to 1992.

Resourceful and possessing an encyclopedic knowledge of the physical sciences, the main character solved complex problems by making things out of ordinary objects, using his ever-present, always sharp Swiss Army knife.

EXERCISE:

Where and in what ways can you make the most of the tools and resources available to you?

Where can you, as Stephen Covey might suggest, “sharpen the saw” of your abilities to be a MacGyver-like problem solver in your world?

Shelf Life

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“Ideas have a short shelf life. You must act on them before the expiration date.”

-John Maxwell, American author and speaker

Image from michellelianna.wordpress.com

Image from michellelianna.wordpress.com

When you visit the grocery store to purchase food for yourself and your family, do you have a particular strategy? Do you make a comprehensive list, or just have a general idea of what you need? Do you walk down each aisle to see what is on sale, or fill your cart with what appeals to you in the moment, especially when you’re hungry as you shop?

One strategy I employ is to examine the expiration date on all packaged food.  On numerous occasions, I find myself looking toward the back of the shelf to select those items that will stay freshest longest.

EXERCISE:

What are some of the best ideas sitting on the shelves of your mind? Which one will you act upon today and not let it expire?

Be Stubborn

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“Be stubborn about your goals, and flexible about your methods.”

-Author Unknown

Image from www.jobsite.co.uk

Image from www.jobsite.co.uk

A quality most people admire in their leaders is clarity around their visions, missions, and goals. We all lose confidence in those who flip-flop, leaving us feeling lost at sea.

At the same time, the route to achieving our desired futures must remain flexible and open to various course corrections, which also encourages the participation and collaboration of others who want to join the journey.

EXERCISE:

Where and on what issues are you or others in your world being too stubborn about your methods, and perhaps somewhat unclear about your goals?

On what matters would greater stubbornness or greater flexibility be the way to go?

Good Day

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“It’s a good day to have a good day.”

-Hillary Weeks, singer/songwriter

Photo from Flickr by J E Theriot

Photo from Flickr by J E Theriot

The Smiley Face as we know it today was created by Harvey Ross Ball, who at the time was employed by State Mutual Life Insurance Company of Worcester, Massachusetts. He created it in 10 minutes and was paid $45 for his effort.

Today, his Smiley Face can be found everywhere as part of our popular culture, and as the most utilized emoticon in our daily emails and social media posts.

EXERCISE:

How can you use Smiley Face, and of course your own smile, to support yourself and others to have many more good or even great days?

Perseverance

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“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.”

—Walter Elliot, 19th Century Scottish Politician

Image from timemanagementninja.com

Image from timemanagementninja.com

My daughter Rachel is one of the hardest working, most persevering people I know.

Over a six-year period during college and a few years beyond, she was involved in a 12-week summer sales program in which she worked over 80 hours each week.

Despite many challenges including bad weather, barking dogs, and of course, tons of rejection, she was committed to selling high-quality educational products. She broke her day into two-hour manageable blocks of time, which helped her manage her efforts in small short races, instead of being overwhelmed by the long road ahead.

EXERCISE:

How can you use Rachel’s strategy – running many short races one after the other – to demonstrate the perseverance you need to win your most important personal and professional races?

“Live in such a way…”

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“Live in such a way that if someone spoke badly of you, no one would believe it.”

-Author Unknown

Image from thestar.com

Image from thestar.com

During the very early stages of a new coaching relationship, I often give my clients the assignment to describe their best future self. This exercise forces each individual to look deeply at the qualities and characteristics they wish to develop and expand upon during the course of our relationship and beyond.

We employ a strategy in which they examine past and current role models they admire and respect, knowing that if others could act and achieve such remarkable things, it is possible for them as well.

EXERCISE:

Upon your passing, what would you like others in your personal and professional worlds to say about you?

What adjustment will you make in the way you live today to guarantee this as your legacy?

“A lot can happen in a year”

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“A lot can happen in a year.”

-Author Unknown

Image from www.wordbypicture.com

Image from www.wordbypicture.com

As we age, many people experience time passing more quickly. I once heard the statement, “Life is like a toilet paper roll. The more sheets we use the faster it spins.” Given the finite nature of time, how we spend it becomes even more important.

I’d like to suggest we use the power of our intentions to identify our most highly prized goals and aspirations.  When we accompany them with focused determination, we experience the journey more fully and produce our desired results.

EXERCISE:

Given the fact that our years go by one way or the other, please consider identifying your intentions in the following areas, so what you want to happen will:

  • Career
  • Finances
  • Family & Friends
  • Personal Growth
  • Fun & Recreation
  • Physical Environment
  • Health
  • Community
  • Love & Romance
  • Faith

Feel free to add additional categories that are most important to you.
Consider the support of a friend, family member, mentor, or a coach to help you make this your best year yet.

Also consider breaking down this exercise into more management nuggets of days, weeks, or months, to build the habit of ongoing intentionality.