Optimism is a trait worth cultivating that helps you develop other virtues.  It certainly far outweighs its counterpart, pessimism.

Optimistic people are generally cheerful and happy.  They see the glass half full, not half empty.  They are often more social and consequently more popular.

Optimists are usually adaptable and capable of dealing with difficulties that others find daunting.  And the health benefits for optimistic people tend to be quite favorable to the alternative. 

Optimists often take better care of themselves in what they eat, how they exercise, and what they fill their minds with.  This in turn helps them sleep better and leads to a greater likelihood of living longer.

Optimists aren’t just the creative people or entrepreneurial giants we read about.  They are ordinary people who share a peaceful and positive outlook on business and life.

The good news is, you aren’t trapped in pessimism for life.  We can all learn to be more optimistic.  We can practice being mindful of others, taking a more optimistic look at each challenge we face, and forming a resistance to things that get us down. 

Optimism is a virtue worth cultivating, and it can start right now.

Tags: Adaptable, Advice, Alternative, Benefit, Business, Business Development, Business Tips, Capable, Cheerful, Cultivate, Develop, Developing Leaders, Difficulty, Eat, Exercise, Glass Half Empty, Glass Half Full, Happy, health, Knowledge, Leadership Excellence, Leadership Skills, life, Live, Mindful, Optimism, Outlook, Peaceful, Personal Development, Pessimism, Popular, Positive, Practice, sleep, Social, Success, The Mind of a Leader, Virtue

People who talk a lot think they’re good communicators.  Sadly, they are often individuals in love with their own thoughts, and feel the need to be heard.  Is it ego, selfishness, insecurity, or perhaps all of the above? 

Talkers have a need to get their points across, yet can’t learn anything new by talking.  Asking questions and listening carefully is almost always a better way.

To be sure, communication is only as good as that which is received.  We are wise to measure our competence as communicators based on the quality of how our message is understood.

The problem arises when we put too much emphasis on what we intend to say or the point we are trying to make.  Instead, recognizing what the recipient has grasped is far more important.  If the gap between what you are trying to say and what is clearly heard and understood is too wide, you need to correct your messaging.

I suggest you slow down and think very carefully whether your interest is more about you or the person you’re speaking to.  Only then will you truly understand that the key to communication is listening more than talking.

Tags: Advice, Clear, Communicate, Communicator, Competence, Correct, Developing Leaders, Ego, Insecurity, Intent, Knowledge, Leadership Excellence, Leadership Skills, Listen, Message, Personal Development, Quality, Question, Recognize, Selfishness, Success, Talk, Talking, The Mind of a Leader, Thought, Understand, Understood

We avoid tough conversations in business as much as we can.  But when we can’t hide from them anymore, we need to face them.

The good news is, there’s a process you can use in most situations that works extremely well.  

First, set a specific time and neutral place to have your one on one.  Stay calm and composed.  It’s a conversation, not a confrontation.

Second, start the dialogue with a check-in to see how things are going with the individual.  Small talk leads to bigger things.

Third, be respectful, and when you speak, do so to share your thoughts with an aim toward being heard instead of creating defensiveness.

Fourth, listen intently and make sure the individual knows it.  Show understanding, not judgment.

Fifth, make sure your points are heard and understood.  Do so with sincerity and honestly.

Finally, wrap up next steps with specifics that are reasonable and crystal clear.  Gain agreement on moving forward, and simply move on.

Perhaps most importantly, conversations don’t have to be won.  They need to be shared with openness and candor.  Do this well and you’ll be on your way to conquering tough conversations.

Tags: Advice, Business Development, Business Tips, Confrontation, Conversation, Counsel, Developing Leaders, Judgement, Knowledge, Leadership Excellence, Leadership Skills, Personal Development, Positive Reinforcement, Success, The Mind of a Leader

I run into this all the time.  Business owners and managers are at their wits-end, often feeling out of control, mired in detail, or simply overwhelmed with everything they have to do. 

The problem is almost always a lack of organization.

It’s not that you lack desire or motivation to improve things.  It’s that you wake up each morning facing an almost impossible set of tasks.  This, combined with the surprises and disappointments you’ll learn about with employees, customers, or circumstances each day will make you crazy.

If you don’t know where to start getting organized, it’s because you are in the weeds of your business.  You can’t set priorities because everything seems to be a priority.  But if everything is a priority, nothing is a priority. 

You need to rise above the minutia and try to understand the real source of your problem.  This usually means getting out from under the detail to formulate a plan to deal with chronic disorganization.

If you don’t have quality people to delegate responsibility to, you will inevitably find yourself overwhelmed and unproductive in digging out from your hole.  I find individuals with the weight of the world on their shoulders without a great person to help them.  And even those who have such a person often fail to delegate responsibility. 

Think of a mouse running on a wheel and never getting anywhere.

If you feel like that, you likely need someone speaking in your ear and helping you get out from under the turmoil.  If you need that help, give me a call or drop me a line and I’ll give you some time.

Tags: Advice, Business Development, Business Tips, Circumstances, Customer, Detail, Developing Leaders, Employees, Knowledge, Leadership Excellence, Leadership Skills, manager, Organize, Overwhelmed, Personal Development, Priority, Problem, Rise Above, Success, Surprise, Task, The Mind of a Leader, Time, Understand

Think about what you’re really good at and leverage those strengths for maximum effectiveness.

I’m not the best speaker, but I’m pretty good.  I’m not the most accomplished writer, but I rank pretty high.  I’m not the most knowledgeable coach, but many would say I’ve really helped them.

My point is we can’t be the very best at everything, or even most things.  What I’ve discovered over the years is that one good strength is fine, but the secret to personal success is not one specific skill, but a coupling of strengths that makes you special.

What sets you apart is almost never just one thing.  It’s the combination of skills or traits or abilities that makes you who you are.

It’s communication skills combined with people skills that serves me well.  But what about you?  Think about what brings you joy and elevates your ability to get things done and produce great results.

Talented people are all around us.  How can you couple your own strengths into something very special?  It’s that combination of good skills that brings you success.

Tags: Ability, Accomplished, Advice, Business Development, Business Tips, Core Competencies, Developing Leaders, Elevate, Knowledge, Leadership Excellence, Leadership Skills, Personal Development, Skill, Speaker, Strength, Success, The Mind of a Leader

Some people complain about change so vehemently that one wonders how they get along in life.  Change is inevitable and not always pleasant, but it’s not what happens to you that is important; it’s what you do about it.

Nothing stays the same, so constant worry about things getting back to normal is a waste of time and energy.  It saps your vitality and depletes the natural vigor we should feel after a good night’s sleep. 

Instead, we should all be alert to how we can respond more appropriately to change and not react as if the world is about to end.  Unfortunately, we often think about “our little world” that revolves around us and that’s all we see.  We need to put things in proper perspective by looking outside ourselves. 

When business owners complain to me about how their industry or company or employees or technology has changed for the worse, I know they are on a collision course to failure.  It’s not what knocks us down that is the problem.  It’s what holds us back from getting up.

Which is why it’s not what happens to you; it’s how you respond and what you do about it.

Tags: Advice, Business Development, Developing Leaders, Employees, Failure, Knowledge, Leadership Excellence, Leadership Skills, Personal Development, Problem, Response, Success, Technology, The Mind of a Leader

Most of us now recognize the impact of influencers in the marketplace. I’m still trying to wrap my head around those who have amassed millions of followers. Good for them. They have inspired a lot of people because they have something to say that individuals want to hear.

The same can be said for any business, like yours. We are mostly limited by our imagination and our energy. It’s not always about resources, or who you know, or simple luck. You probably know the saying: the harder you work, the luckier you seem to get.

I believe in hard work, but I also believe in smart work. Just like we understand the power of influencers, we should also recognize the impact that outside perspective – trusted influence – can give to your business.

Some people don’t want to be helped, or don’t recognize they need help until it’s too late. What happens is loss of market share, failure to adapt to new technology, or alienation of children in the business. Worse yet, it’s a lack of perspective about letting go and easing out of the business without creating a firestorm.

You can’t help people who don’t want to be helped. But you can help people who recognize the impact and value of outside perspective from an individual you can trust. Think about this the next time you come to the conclusion that you really need help.

Tags: Advice, Business, Business Development, Business Tips, Conclusion, Developing Leaders, Failure, Imagination, Impact, Influence, Knowledge, Leadership Excellence, Leadership Skills, Marketplace, People, Persepctive, Personal Development, Recognize, Resource, Success, Technology, The Mind of a Leader, Trust

We’ve all heard the phrase “measure twice, cut once.”  That works well in carpentry, machine fabrication, construction, and many other trades.  But seldom do we practice this principle in leadership and management.  The way to apply it is really pretty simple.

We often get frustrated, even angry, in our daily work.  People and situations upset us, and circumstances pile up that cause us to lose our cool.  In such instances, a good reminder would be to measure twice and cut once.  But how does this work with people?

We need to think twice before acting or reacting.  If we think only once and respond immediately and emotionally to situations, we often blow it by over-reacting.  In turn, we create yet another problem by saying or doing something we regret.

We’ve also heard the old adage to write out a response, letter, text, or email, but to sleep on it before sending it.  Our frustrations and demeanor often change after a good night’s sleep.  

Yet you don’t always have an evening to react to issues that come up during the day, especially those that require an almost immediate response or decision.  That’s why it’s important to think twice and take your time to react, hopefully with grace and dignity.

So the next time you’re close to blowing your fuse, think twice and exercise wisdom in your response.

Tags: Advice, Angry, Business Development, Business Tips, Circumstance, Cut, Decision, Developing Leaders, Frustrated, Issue, Knowledge, Leadership, Leadership Excellence, Leadership Skills, Management, Measure, Personal Development, React, Reaction, Response, Strategy, Success, Talk, The Mind of a Leader, Wisdom, Work

Strategy is planning in advance of circumstances.  

Reaction is what you do in the midst of circumstances.

You dress and act and learn and grow for the job you want, not the job you have.  That’s how you get to where you want to be.  It takes patience, forgoing short-term gain in favor of long-term planning.

All too often, I see owners and managers reacting to circumstances instead of planning longer-term strategies that will get them where they want to go before they need to be there.  Plugging holes in a business for convenience isn’t the best choice, and rarely has much to do with actual strategy.  It’s more like putting a band-aid on a heavy wound.

As an owner or manager, a big part of your day involves working on your business, not in your business.  Looking at things from a higher altitude allows you to get out of the weeds.  Putting out daily fires is not good leadership.  Good leadership is accommodating, if not avoiding,A the daily fires in favor of longer-term goals.

If you really want to be strategic, set time aside to plan.  Challenge yourself and your team to look beyond where you are to where you want to be.  Ask yourself how you’re going to get there, what your options are, and where your priorities lie.

Strategy versus Reaction is something you should think about every morning.  Discipline yourself to think more, plan more, and be more.  Do that well and your leadership will flourish.

Tags: Accomodate, Advice, Business, Business Development, Business Tips, Challenge, Circumstance, convenience, Developing Leaders, discipline, Knowledge, Leadership Excellence, Leadership Skills, Long-Term, manager, owner, Personal Development, Reaction, Strategy, Success, The Mind of a Leader

In a first meeting with one of my clients, the long-time owner said, “I suffer people.”  I had never heard the term before, so I asked him what he meant.  He said he puts up with employees to the point of making him crazy.  

I see this all the time.  Owners and managers tolerate insubordination, incompetence, poor performance, and bad attitudes for reasons I can’t understand.  But the problem seldom lies exclusively with the employee.

Owners and managers often delay having the conversations that they should have with employees.  Instead, they allow employees to think that everything is okay – seemingly stringing people along – with indirect feedback or none at all.  Once the real issue is finally addressed, employees are shocked with a poor performance review, or worse, a termination.  

Let’s face it.  No one likes confrontation, nor getting or giving corrective criticism.  But everyone appreciates clarity in their role and job expectations.  Early and regular feedback is better than sudden criticism and outbursts, which only makes people angry and defensive.

As an owner or manager, don’t wait for an annual review to offer help, give suggestions, provide instruction, or in many cases, admonish an employee who needs it.  In some sense, every day, every week, every month is a review process of some sort, both for corrective criticism and for well-earned pats on the back.

In your role as an owner or manager, take the time to provide the clarity of job performance that your employees need.  Do that well and you’ll be accomplishing the key task of leadership and management.

Tags: Advice, Business Development, Business Tips, Client, Developing Leaders, Employee, Knowledge, Leadership, Leadership Excellence, Leadership Skills, Management, Performance, Personal Development, Success, Suggest, The Mind of a Leader, Time, Understand