Leaders aren’t born; they are made. Recognising the power of movement can get us through almost anything and this is a fundamental truth. I think it’s not about speed; it’s about starting. Sometimes, it’s someone else’s responsibility, privilege, or role to help a friend or colleague see what they may not have been able to recognise on their own. For example, instead of asking your company or team to take on large, overwhelming initiatives, start small. When working on leadership development, one of the things I often recommend is for people to do less than they would usually expect. Rather than making a long, heavy list of tasks, start with something simple and manageable. For instance, instead of aiming to master delegation right away, set a goal to ask one follow-up question each day. Even if this feels small or insignificant, starting in this way builds momentum. Over time, the small, consistent actions lead to meaningful progress. It’s the act of starting, not the size of the action, that creates momentum and allows us to achieve more substantial goals in the long run.
Don't just tell me
What happens when performance doesn’t match the promise?
Teamwork is generally understood as the willingness of a group of people to work together to achieve a common aim. It’s not enough to call yourself a team just because you work together. I think you are only a team when you trust, respect and care for each other. This also the case with branding, as a very few customers will return a second time when brand performance doesn't match brand promise.
““Pay less attention to what men say. Just watch what they do.” ”
Act like you know
If you are not in charge of yourself and your life, for example, your emotions and thoughts, then what you do and what you don’t do, really doesn’t matter as you are not free. I think creating structure and rules may feel limiting like you are giving up freedom, but in reality, you are actually gaining freedom that a lot of people have never ever tasted. Therefore, true freedom comes from being in control of oneself, including our thoughts, actions, and decisions.
““When a man can’t find a deep sense of meaning, they distract themselves with pleasure.””
Are you a value creator?
When I enter a business meeting, my focus is consistently directed towards identifying elements that can provide the client with either an opportunity for growth or a stimulating challenge. Ultimately, I’m looking for things that are going to motivate them to act. It’s not enough to just tell them what they want to hear because I am supposed to be the expert in what I do. I aim to serve them by creating value and sharing insights into their thought process.
Here’s a line of questioning:
- What are your views and values?
- What do you believe is good, right, and true?
- Where do you think your market’s going?
- Have you identified the intersection between your business and the market?
- What are your recommendations based on what you believe to be good, right, and true?
Lead the way
We all want to work for leaders who genuinely value our well-being, and I think that leaders can demonstrate this genuine concern through the following actions:
1. Listen
2. Respect
3. Trust
4. Solve problems collaboratively
5. Recognise achievement
6. Provide touch points
7. Give corrective and positive feedback
8. Show vulnerability
9. Seek input
10. Provide mentoring and coaching
““Give recognition where it is due. Compliments definitely stimulate more effort and desire to improve. Be generous with honest praising.””
Brands are not logos
A brand is nothing to do with your logo or your mission statement. A brand is the perception of the person you are dealing with before the next interaction happens about what they expect will happen. The brand expectation and promise are the things that saves us time. Most mission statements I have read could be swapped from one company to another and you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference – apart from the logos. One of the few mission statements that means something is Patagonia’s. Patagonia says we are going to reduce the number of items we sell, or we are going to stop selling this profitable item because it leaves too much of an environmental footprint. I think these are not mission statements, they are mission actions and if you do enough mission actions the statements get made by itself.
Stoicism is helpful
Marcus Aurelius
When we speak about success, there are parts of this we are in control of and parts of it we are not. There are so many things that we have no control over, like outcomes, therefore, one should just focus on the things that you can change which is the world of your own thoughts and actions. I think this is where we should place our attention, therefore, I only emotional commit myself to my intentions and actions, not the outcomes as I have no control over them.
Stoicism is a philosophy designed to make us more resilient, happier, more virtuous and more wise–and as a result, better people, better parents and better professionals. Stoicism has been a common thread though some of history's great leaders and has been practiced by leaders, artists, writers and entrepreneurs.
Let's see what you've got
The further away a goal is in the future the less motivation it brings to today, they will have very little power today to govern our actions. If you don’t have a definition, at least get a direction by asking yourself the following questions:
1. Why is the goal important to you?
2. What will accomplishing that goal do for your life?
3. What will happen if you do not accomplish this goal?
Taking the correct path
A dream written down with date for completion becomes a goal.
A goal broken down into steps becomes a plan.
A plan backed by action becomes reality.
“Any idea that is held in the mind, that is emphasised, that is either feared or revered, will begin at once to cloth itself in the most convenient and appropriate form available.”
Keeping it real
When you establish a pattern of honouring people through your actions, word gets out and your positive influence will spread. And since you have acted thoughtfully and with integrity, when you speak, people will listen. Authenticity doesn't mean sharing everything about yourself, to everyone, all of the time. It does mean saying what you mean, meaning what you say, and sticking to your values and principles above all else.
Search and you will find
It takes more than self-motivation to really alter your life. I think you have to have a better plan for your life, and the first key to doing better is to find out how things work. Perhaps the real problem is the lack of ideas of how to attract your dream partner, create money and wealth, or maintain your ideal body weight. To change your life, you will need new ideas and to get new ideas you must consistently study. When you find something that works, take notes as it’s important that you don’t use your head as a filing cabinet. One way to learn if from your own experiences and another way to learn is from other people’s experiences. Which path will you follow?
Saying it and doing it
I think that there are three things you must always ask yourself before you say anything:
Does this need to be said?
Does this need to be said by me?
Does this need to be said by me, now?
Never give up
Most salespersons are looking for the success strategy, but because of their psychology, for example, fears, worries, views about the economic situation, etc., are keeping them from maximising their capabilities. Usually when you think that you’re not good enough, in reality what’s holding you back is 80% psychology and 20% mechanics. Top salespersons think mostly about their goals and their priorities and how to achieve them. Top salespersons think about their actions and activities each day, they think about the number people they need to call, the number people they need to send proposals to each day, the number things they need to read and study, etc., etc. Always thinking about what they want!
When you think about what you want it makes you happy and positive, it makes you think that you are in control of your whole life. I think success comes from planning! If you truly want success, then do what top salespersons do – engage with an executive coach and develop a plan. Contact me via e-mail for 1-on-1 executive coaching.
Courage is a choice
Courage is the willingness to act in the face of fear, doubt or uncertainty. It’s a choice to move forward, knowing that come what may, you will do whatever it takes to deal with it. Alternatively, you can retreat and do what has always been done, what you know and keep receiving what you’ve always gotten. Remember courage will bring us to new places, into new relationships and help generate new results.
Here’s a few action points that will allow you to connect with anyone immediately:
· Smile
· Make eye contact
· Use their name
· Ask questions
· Listen with interest
· Pay attention
· Be present
Trusting your gut means having the courage to not simply go with the majority. A study group asked a group of Californian entrepreneurs, “How do you make your decisions?” These are entrepreneurs who have built businesses from nothing to over $100 million, and they more or less said the same thing - “I am a voracious gatherer of information, I want to see the numbers but if it doesn’t feel right I won’t go ahead with the deal.” The part of the brain that thinks in words has a very rich connection to the gastrointestinal tract to the gut, so this is why we get a gut feeling.
When you are making decisions, do you trust your gut feeling?
