“Remember that a kick in the..”

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“Remember that a kick in the ass is a step forward.”

—Author Unknown

Photo from Flickr by Brittney Bush Bollay

Photo from Flickr by Brittney Bush Bollay

I use a special 360º Leadership Survey in my work with business leaders. The survey evaluates their style as a leader, and the effectiveness from their own perspective and that of their associates.

The two results-producing styles are called “team leader” and “taskmaster,” with the first being a balance between results and people, and the second being a focus exclusively on results.

Although being a “team leader” is by far the preferred style for optimal long-term results that empower people, sometime the “taskmaster” or, as in this quote, “a good kick in the ass,” may be the only way.

EXERCISE:

Examine for yourself where and when the situations you find in your professional or personal life would most benefit from a balanced team leader or a kick-in-the-ass taskmaster approach to move the issues you face forward.

Easy Street

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“Easy Street is a blind alley.”

—Author Unknown

QC #981c

Are you always looking for the path of least resistance and the easy way to navigate your world?

If so, you may have noticed a drawback from such a strategy. Consider people who don’t exercise and live sedentary lives. What do you notice about their relative health, well-being, and overall vitality?

Coaching is all about helping people stretch and push beyond their physical, mental, emotional, and sometimes their spiritual limits to open up bright new vistas of professional and personal possibilities and achievement.

EXERCISE:

How can you take a more challenging “road less traveled” today, to strengthen your capacity to clearly see and realize an extraordinary life?

“If you don’t take care of your body…”

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“If you don’t take care of your body, where will you live?”

—Author Unknown

Photo from Flickr by Doug

Photo from Flickr by Doug

Virtually every person I work with as a coach has been dealing at some level, over the last few months, with issues such as health, fitness, and death.

Health and wellness has always been a top priority for me. Because experts say 70% of our health is within our control, I have spent considerable time applying what I learn to my own life.

EXERCISE:

As 2014 winds down and we prepare for a new year, consider taking the “Real Age Test” to get a baseline on your current biological age versus your chronological age.

Once you have taken the test, you can develop a plan of action to optimize your health and create a stronger, healthier place to live.

“The trouble with the rat race is…”

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“The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win you’re still a rat.”

-Lily Tomlin, American actress, comedian, writer, and producer

Photo from Flickr by Tim

Photo from Flickr by Tim

One of the unique parts of my work as a coach is that I have significant freedom to work with the people I choose. This freedom of choice has multiple benefits, including better results and far more mutually satisfying relationships.

Before any coaching begins, I utilize a discovery process to weed out the potential rats that are not the best fit to work with me.

I clearly do not wish to offend anyone by calling them a rat, however, we all find some people far easier and more enjoyable to work with due to common values, beliefs, and commitments. The ability to seek out such individuals allows us to not only win more races, but also to enjoy the run regardless of the results.

EXERCISE:

How can you use your values, beliefs, and authentic commitments to partner with others to more fully enjoy more of your professional and personal races?

“Never go to a doctor whose…”

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“Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died.”

—Erma Bombeck, American humorist & columnist

dying-houseplant1

One of the first pieces of advice I share with those just beginning a coaching career is to engage their own coach to support their professional and personal achievements.

How can they expect clients to hire them as a coach if they don’t walk the talk and demonstrate the value and impact of coaching through their own life?

It would be a classic breach of integrity, and clients would notice it immediately. This is one of the added benefits of being a coach in that you can’t help others achieve their goals without taking a good hard look at your own, and doing the work necessary to reach them.

EXERCISE:

How can you better exemplify the highest standards of integrity and excellence in your professional and personal lives?

 

“Life is like playing the violin…”

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“Life is like playing the violin in public and learning the instrument as one goes on.”

—Samuel Butler, 19th century English author

Photo from Flickr by Bunches and Bits

Photo from Flickr by Bunches and Bits

We’ve all heard the phrase “Life is not a dress rehearsal.” We are constantly on stage, learning as we go. The good news is that this is exactly how we learn best, through the day-to-day experiences that mold and shape our character and spirit.

Sometimes, though, our fears take over and we remain on the sidelines, watching others venture on stage and observe how things turn out for them. Often we see them fail or fall short, and think that their experience confirms our reasons for playing it safe.

Samuel Butler tells us otherwise in this quote. To be a virtuoso at life, we must engage as fully as possible, knowing that this daily effort can lead us to harmony and success.

EXERCISE:

Consider Malcolm Gladwell’s “Rule of 10,000 hours” as a way of orchestrating personal mastery and the success and fullness of your own life.

“There is more to life than increasing its speed.”

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“There is more to life than increasing its speed.”

— Mahatma Gandhi, leader of Indian independence movement in British-ruled India

Photo from Flickr by John Talbot

Photo from Flickr by John Talbot

Have you noticed lately that the pace of life has picked up considerably? Wall Street and large organizations capitalize on the critical factor of speed. Everyone wants what they want bigger, better, and faster—but at what cost?

Evaluate your own organization and examine the level of stress and overall job satisfaction for yourself and those around you. How much more are you expected to accomplish these days compared to a few years ago?

With the internet, smart phones, and other technical wonders that make communication instantaneous, the world expects us to speed up proportionally, and be available 24/7, as if we were computer microprocessors ourselves.

EXERCISE:

Based on what is most important in your life, determine the optimal speed at which you choose to operate, and make the necessary adjustments to your world. Do you need to speed up, or will your life be better if you slow down?

Feel free to reply to this post to share your thoughts and perspective on this important issue.

“Criticize by Creating.”

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“Criticize by Creating.”

— Michelangelo

Photo from Flickr by Nathan Rupert

Photo from Flickr by Nathan Rupert

We have all heard the phrase “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” Though we may not share our criticisms verbally, they are still heard loud and clear by our inner selves, and perhaps are observed by others through facial expressions and body language.

Michelangelo coaches us to mobilize our creativity to improve a situation rather than sitting in judgement of the situation. This simple idea is critical in the business world in that our leaders and managers are looking for optimistic, “can-do” people to forward their organizations, not negative “the-glass-is-half-empty” people who rain on other people’s parades.

EXERCISE:

How supportive or critical are your thoughts? Pay close attention today. Should you notice the dark side emerging more often than you desire, ask yourself what creative action you can take to move things in a better direction. Don’t be surprised if engaging your creativity gets you noticed by others and has others around you holding you in higher regard!

“Show me someone who has done …”

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“Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I’ll show you someone who has overcome adversity.”

—Lou Holtz, retired American football player, coach, and active sportscaster

Photo from Flickr by twiga269

Photo from Flickr by twiga269

Think about the greatest accomplishments of your life. If you can, arrange them chronologically, from the achievements of your childhood to those of the present day. Which moments brought you the most joy and fulfillment?  Now consider the struggles and challenges you faced, and the effort it took to make your goals real.

In this quote, Holtz is giving us a bit of coaching to follow this practice as we tackle each of our days ahead.

EXERCISE:

What adverse conditions or situations are you facing at this moment? What is it worth to you to overcome these adversities in order to reach your most cherished professional or personal goals? How will you summon the personal courage and support of those around you to achieve your desires?

“Individually, we are …”

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“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.”

— Ryunosuke Satoro, Japanese Poet

Photo from Flickr by Tim Lundstedt

Photo from Flickr by Tim Lundstedt

A few days ago I had a discussion with a business leader who was at the end of his rope. He was totally exhausted and overwhelmed by the tsunami of work and responsibilities coming at him.

Have you ever felt that way? What did you do to stave off the tidal wave?

Our coaching session centered on his current and future use of social support structures, so that he might tackle these matters in a collective, collaborative community rather than as an individual whose shoulders were just not wide enough to bear the burden.

EXERCISE:

How can you capture and mobilize all the individual drops within your personal and professional communities to become your own powerful ocean, to move the obstacles in your path?