What used to work doesn’t. What does work is new to many of us and can be intimidating. What is a Contagious Leader to do?
Pass this Leadership Video on to your team members, friends and colleagues. And let us know what you think about our new video format by cpmpleting the reply box below.
During the past couple of years I have become more serious than usual (and I tend to have a serious nature). In April of this year my life and business had gotten so serious that I decided, much to Beverly’s relief, that it was time to make some changes. Since then I have been on a mission to learn to have fun again. Not only has it made me a better person (at least more tolerable to be around), but it has made me a better leader as well. I have discovered that really great leaders are broad thinkers, not narrow minded. Great thinkers have diverse interests. And, really great leaders enjoy leading.
John and Bev dancing at EuroRhythm
In my pursuit to learn to have fun again I have engaged in as many wonderful and new experiences as possible. We’ll share some of them with you from time to time. Beverly and I have taken up ballroom dancing (this is amazing fun,; check out EuroRythm Studios) and photography while expanding our interests in learning about wine, cooking, travel and Opera.
This weekend we engaged in several of these activitites. A ballroom dancing event Friday evening, Tosca at The Met at the Movies (fabulous and you must try this) on Saturday, and a musical Saturday evening. Sunday was the topper. We took a helicopter to Four Peaks Mountain and toured one of the finest (certainly the hardest to reach ) Amathyst mines in the world. The pictures below say it all.
Boarding Helicopter for Four Peaks Mine
Entering the Mine (From L-R; Doc, John, Garrett, Bev and Donna in front)
John Having Fun, Hard Hat and All
We got to keep the minerals we mined and the people at Sami’s Fine Jewelry will process, cut and polish the best of our stones and give it to us. Bev had some pretty huge rocks so maybe we’ll retire soon.
Finally, Just in case you are thinking this was looking like lots of work and very little fun check out the picture below.
John & Bev
You have no doubt heard the saying about all work and no play making John a dull boy. Learn to have fun again and the work and play will make us all better leaders. Besides, it makes for Unforgettable Weekends filled with Unforgettable Experiences.
There was a time when the Internet was all about speed. We sent emails (fast) and people would expect us to respond (fast). Now, this is still true but the Internet has become a tool for much more than speed. Click here to view our video, Vibrant Communications.
Employees, customers and prospects have different needs and learning styles. Some like to watch (video), some like to listen (audio), while others are at there best when reading. We wrote about this in our book, Creating Contagious Leadership, in the chapter The Habit of Vibrant Communication.
If we just do that which is fast or efficient (email), we will fail to communicate with large numbers of people. If, however, we practice Vibrant Communication and include variety, our communication will break through to all audiences.
This post is a good example. The same message delivered by video, and the written word.
And, if you want to listen to the message in audio format, click the play button below.
The question is are you practicing Vibrant Communication? Are you being a Contagious Leader or just doing that which is efficient (fast). At the end of the day leadership is about effectiveness more than efficiency.
So, open up, practice Vibrant Communication and watch your leadership soar.
Nido Qubein has been a friend and business coach for John and me. He has a strong vision of leadership. Nido came to this country at 17 years old, with $50 bucks and unable to speak English. He is now a multi-millionaire. He is a sensitive and insightful leader who creates success in every project he takes on.
The following quotes are extracted from his book Stairway To Success. I hope you’ll find inspiration in his words:
• You cannot give that which you do not possess.
• Relationships break down when there is a preoccupation with self.
• Winners compare their achievements with their goals, while losers compare their achievements with those of other people.
• The practical side of dreaming is being willing to pay the price to make those dreams come true.
• If you work only on days you feel like working, you’ll never amount to much.
• Are you a thermometer or a thermostat? A thermometer only reflects the temperature of its environment, adjusting to the situation. But a thermostat initiates action to change the temperature in its environment.
• Those with a strong self-image realize that the only way to keep from making mistakes is to do nothing — and that’s the biggest mistake of all.
• The process of growing and learning always involves risk. No one ever becomes perfect; but anyone can improve.
• Whether you are a success or failure in life has little to do with your circumstances; it has much more to do with your attitude.
• If you could view your life as you do a highway from an airliner, many of the detours and curves would make more sense.
• The practical dreamers know the harder they work, the luckier they get.
• No failure, misfortune, or mistake is ever so great that nothing good can come from it.
• Only when your memories are more important to you than your goals are
you old.
• Fixing the blame is never important, and fixing the relationship is never unimportant.
• You can’t think your way into acting positively; but you can act your way into thinking positively.
• People who are looking for something to make them happy, somehow never seem to find it. Yet those who find a way to be happy while they are looking for something, typically find what they are looking for.
• What matters is not so much how you got to be the way you are now, but what you do with the person you have become.
• A strong awareness that you are loved by God provides the most solid foundation for building high
self-esteem.
• Your best bet for a good job is to do the best you can with the one you have right now.
• Those who spend their lives searching for happiness never find it, while those who search for meaning, purpose, and strong personal relationships find that happiness usually comes to them as a by-product of those three things.
Dr. Nido R. Qubein is president of High Point University and
chairman of Great Harvest Bread Company.
Isn’t this exactly what we all need right now, More Sales, Less Selling!
Well, please pardon the shameless self-promotion but we are thrilled and feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the response to the publication of our new eBook, More Sales, Less Selling. This is such a simple concept, selling more while selling less.
More Sales, Less Selling
Beverly is fond of saying that in every book, eBook and seminar people read and or attend there are a number of elephant sized footprints. Our jobs are to focus in on these footprints, separating them from all the other information so we can glean the real treasure in the message. The elephant sized footprint in More Sales, Less Selling is the More Sales, Less Selling Referral System™ outlined in Chapters 8-12. By executing this system as a separate strategy, rather than relying on asking for referrals as an add-on conversation, one of the 5 Deadly Mistakes People Make When Asking for Referrals, we can shape our business and create an endless stream of profitable customers.
Steve Chandler, best selling author of Fearless and the Joy of Selling had this to say about More Sales, Less Selling:
“This system will be assigned training for
every sales team. It will sweep the planet
with a total reversal in the attitude of selling.”
For only $14.97 we think it is a great value and a necessary tool, particularly in our current economic environment.
To order More Sales, Less Selling just click here.
Please let us know what you think by offering a comment below. And, be a good friend and pass this post on to others who could use the help of More Sales, Less Selling.
We have had a tremendous response and some frustration to last weeks teleseminar, HowTo Thrive in Tight Times . It is not surprising to us that most of
your questions, comments and concerns were around Action 1,
Focusing on the top 20% of your income and/or impact producing
activities.
We never said it would be easy. Nor did we say to not do those
“other activities” that were necessary to the running of your
business.
As Ralph Waldo Emerson said:
“As the gardener, by severe pruning, forces the sap of the tree
into one or two vigorous limbs, so should you stop off your
miscellaneous activity and concentrate your force on one or a few
points”
We all have necessary and important activities to perform in the
normal course of keeping our businesses going in the desired direction.
However, all too often we do these instead of the critical income and impact
producing activities.
We have heard people say, “I can’t possibly do that top 20%
thing. It is a great idea but won’t work for me. There is just too
much to do around here, and I am the one to do them.”
All true! However, doing many of these activities keeps us from
zeroing in on those that produce big results.
Think of it this way; if you had an emergency that required you
to leave your office and only spend 20% of your time working, what
would you focus on? Who would you delegate those “other important
activities” too? Which of these “important” activities would you
let go off?
We hope you find this deeper dive into the subject helpful. Let
us know by commenting below.
In today’s business and economic climate, knowing your people and loving them may be one of your top three most important daily activities.
It’s amazing how little most Leaders know about the personal lives of the people they work with. More importantly, most Leaders don’t have a clue as to the real strengths of most of the people reporting to them. As Leaders you have know about your employees’ education, technical skills, behavioral style, and values.
Knowing your people doesn’t have to involve any uncomfortable or sophisticated systems. Just talk with them. Having real conversations with people can produce amazing results. Furthermore, you can just ask employees what they think their strengths are.
Strength Workshop Worked for Wells
By knowing each other better, we can honor each other’s strengths instead of working at defending our own ways of doing things. John and I will never, ever do things the same way. But focusing on our strengths and looking to each other’s greatness, we don’t have to be right. We just have to be effective. These same benefits will accrue to any organization using these incredibly powerful tools.
To help o help you get to know the strengths of those around you we are offering a complimentary Teleseminar, How to Accelerate Your Success by Knowing your Strengths
, on February 5 at 4:00pm Mountain time. We will introduce two tools, the JigSaw Challenge and the “I AM” statement. These are the most revealing and effective tools we have ever developed to help you get to know how to be your best!
Even if you have a schedule conflict on February 5, get registered, and after the call we’ll send you information on how to access the tele-training replay.
Knowing your people is loving them and loving them is what they need most today.
We are looking forward to being with you on the call.
Best Regards,
John Hersey & Beverly Belury
PS: If you have a friend or business associate who might benefit
from this offer please forward this information to them.
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