John Hersey Leadership Blog

“I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element.  It is my personal approach that creates the climate.  It is my daily mood that makes the weather.  I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous.  I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration; I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal.  In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person humanized or de-humanized.  If we treat people as they are, we make them worse.  If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)

Personal responsibility over one’s life is not a new concept, however it is much easier to blame others, or fate, for a failed marriage, an unsteady job history, or financial bankruptcy, than to accept that our personal choices have led us down the path of utter failure.  In fact, blaming external situations for our personal catastrophes has become so popular that we only need to turn on the TV to find endless examples of this disheartening behavior.

Nevertheless, there is a select group of people that rejects to be a part of this crowd.  The happiest and most successful people on earth, the people who get things done and make history out of their lives, true leaders, know that life is about personal choices.  These individuals take responsibility for their choices and the resulting consequences. They choose to control their destiny instead of letting fate or other people tell them where, how, and why they are headed in a certain direction.

True leaders know there is a choice behind every circumstance, even when they are not directly responsible. They accept responsibility for their actions or the lack thereof.

If you want to become a leader, the first step is within you.  You have to accept control and choose power over these:

1.    To win- Leaders are identified because they choose to focus on the possibilities rather than on the problems.  When faced with obstacles and failure, a real leader will overcome them and learn from them, turning them into opportunities.  Only these individuals will be truly successful.

2.    The perceived reality- Most facts in life are highly subjective and dependent on how a person perceives them.  The world is seen by each individual as he or she is, not as the world is. This is why it is very common to get trapped inside our own reality groove and unable to see the possibilities beyond.

3.    Personal outlook- The optimist always expects the best to happen and gets the positive out of every situation, while the pessimist lives on the negative side and always imagines the worse that could happen.  Even though we were raised into one or another, it is up to us to decide how we want to see our circumstances and the world today.

4.    Let go of harmful emotions- Leaders know they are responsible for their emotions.  It hurts less to think that others are to blame for our anger, resentment, or jealousy; however, this makes us prisoners of our emotions.  Humans tend to dwell on negative feelings, thus, for our own health and happiness, we have to learn to let go.  For our own sake, we have to learn to forgive and forget.

5.    Thoughts- We are what we think.  Thoughts become things.  By choosing our thoughts consciously we are directly affecting our reality.  Thoughts become actions, actions become habits, habits shape our character, our character dictates our circumstances, and our circumstances define our future.

Become the Leader Your Company Needs. Get My 6 FREE Leadership Videos Here: www.JohnHersey.com

We hear it all the time; so many people so sure about their intention of focusing on what they truly want.  They are so certain, their attitudes are so positive, and yet, nothing seems to happen.  “I have done it all, BUT everything is the same”, Stephen says.  He is fast to point out that he hasn’t moved a bit in the direction of his dreams.

We must remember that our language is directly linked to our thoughts; thus, we have to pay attention to what we say and how we say it in order to understand a great deal about our way of thinking.  Right there, where Stephen said ‘BUT’, is the key.

One has to make it a conscious habit to catch one’s words.  This could easily be the only opportunity you have to actually catch your true thoughts, because the only reason you could catch yourself is because you are going to say it out loud, otherwise, it would just stay back there, in your subconscious.  The subconscious is happy to grab everything you pay some attention to, whether it is valuable or not, thus, in order to refine its choices, you could refine your language.

In our vocabulary there are millions of words, however, we use a small amount of those millions regularly.  The amount of words we use depends directly on our upbringing and education, and one thing is certain: no matter how we were raised or what kind of education we have received, in order to be successful in life we have to be conscious of the words we speak and learn to differentiate what words are meaningful and which ones are pure junk.

No matter where we come from, there are certain words everyone should eliminate from their vocabulary if they want to make their life big, and want to make it big in life.  These words are:

-    But
-    Don’t
-    No
-    Never
-    Can’t
-    Should
-    Try
-    Might
-    Want
-    Hope

All the words above express some kind of doubt, incapability, negativity, unwillingness, and lack of control.  Let’s take ‘hope’ for example; ‘hope’ is a major success among people.  People love what ‘hope’ stands for; nevertheless, this word is normally used to express desperation, more than real hope.

If you think this is trivial, think again.  Remember, our words are tightly linked to our thoughts; whatever you say is deeply entrenched in your mind, so, when you consciously keep out of your vocabulary certain words, you are making yourself think in a more positive way.  As everything, changing your vocabulary needs training, and it may seem difficult at first, however, if you learn some new great words to substitute the less positive ones, it may make it easier to switch:

-    Yes
-    And
-    More
-    Chose
-    Intent
-    Plan
-    Can
-    Will
-    Trust
-    Allow

Start using these words more in your daily conversations and you will experience MAGIC, there you go! Another great word!

Become the Leader Your Company Needs. Get My 6 FREE Leadership Videos Here: www.JohnHersey.com

Many successful writers have talked about incredible ways to prioritize our tasks, organize our days, and get the best out of our time by focusing on what is truly important for our success in life.

All this makes a lot of sense and even sounds wise.  Many of us try to apply it to our lives in an attempt to become better human beings and professionals; however, there is one little, or maybe not so little, thing called procrastination.

An important part of the active population of the world suffers from procrastination, a condition that makes us ignore behaviors and actions that could enhance our lives and change them for the better.  In order to get over this condition, one must find its root, which in many cases seems to be fear.  Some studies have established that there are three aspects that influence procrastination:

-    Confidence in oneself, an issue guided by fear
-    The need for immediate fulfillment, due to early programming
-    Impulsiveness, trait of immature behaviors designed to meet early needs

Basically, it is different for each person; it depends on his or her upbringing and how he or she has developed ways to fulfill his or her basic human needs.

As a child, Susan commonly felt she had no power over her controlling father; thus, she procrastinated to feel in control and to feel free.  Eventually, Susan learned a different and positive way to feel powerful, but this was only possible after she identified where the problem was.

Roger is a senior executive at a marketing firm.  At one point he was so overwhelmed by work that when his boss asked him to handle a new assignment he became extremely anxious.  He was so scared of not being able to do it right that he just avoided the project. He procrastinated.

People mistakenly confuse procrastination with laziness; however, laziness does not encompass a dose of guilt, while procrastination makes the person feel extremely guilty, and he or she punishes him or herself.  It eventually becomes a vicious cycle, because the more the person punishes himself or herself, the more they procrastinate, and the more they procrastinate, the more they punish themselves, leading to a complete self-esteem crisis.

The good news is that there is a way out of this negative behavior, and here we show you 4 steps to get you there:

1.    You have to recognize that procrastination is not something you ‘caught’ yesterday.  You have to be willing to go deep into your life to find the root, and a good way to start is to try to identify when it started affecting you.

2.    You have to allow yourself to act in spite of the emotion.  You can have negative feelings, everyone does, but the difference lies in whether you let those feelings rule your behavior or not.  We shouldn’t let emotions guide our actions, but we commonly do, especially when there is fear or guilt involved.

3.    You can start small.  Think of what you could do, a small task, that would get you started and out of procrastinating.  It can be the smallest thing.  Let’s say you have been neglecting cleaning the attic.  You can start by making a list of everything you remember is in storage there, next, think of what you would like to do with some of the stuff; maybe you would like to give some furniture pieces to your daughter, or donate a box of books to your community’s elderly home.

4.    You have to be aware of distractions.  These can control you if you don’t control them.  Honestly think about what distracts you from acting on your goals. It could be something like checking your inbox, soap opera time, or playing solitaire to ‘relax’, only you know what excuses you make up.

Each small step you take will make you feel stronger and better, and if you can imagine how good it will feel to get there, you can certainly get motivated to complete the task.

Maybe the most important thing is to learn to forgive ourselves.  We are human beings, and when we have to overcome a condition such as procrastination we have to understand that it takes time to heal and that we deserve to be kind to ourselves.

Now you are ready to start your journey; do not waste another second! Get going and start living!

Become the Leader Your Company Needs. Get My 6 FREE Leadership Videos Here: www.JohnHersey.com

Many of us should put a little thought into what it is that we want to achieve by proving that we are right and, thus, that others are plainly wrong.  Most of the times what happens is that we win a quarrel but lose an acquaintance, even a friend.  We seriously should stop to ask ourselves why is it that we deviate so much from our goals when we feel challenged or afraid.

Every intelligent professional knows that when we deal with people, be it to provide a service for a client, negotiate a contract, or motivate an employee, if we make them feel worthy they will care a lot for what we have to say; however, as soon as they utter a word in the wrong direction, it is very difficult for us to stop ourselves from letting them know how wrong they are, with the inevitable consequence: our power to inspire is gone, and we are just left with a discussion between our hands.

This is possibly the most common way to boycott ourselves, as human beings, and our businesses.  Maybe we are just being human; maybe it is in our nature to be foolish, so, how do we move beyond needing to be right to the point where we truly show we care for others and our business?

There are studies that have tested thousands of communicators and identified a common practice among the most successful ones. These people work to not make others be wrong.  And, how exactly do they do it?

These successful communicators lowered their expectations of the others’ behaviors before meeting with them.  As it turns out, this lowered the chance of making a big deal out of what was said during the climax of the conversation.  These communicators consciously decided to arrive to a meeting not to make the person be wrong but to focus on the areas where he or she was knowledgeable and had a good point.  Eventually, when the time came and these people showed less than perfect understanding, the communicators were able to react calmly and get the best out of the situation.

This may not sound ‘business professional’ to some, until you stop to think that it is much better than the alternative: putting yourself into a communication fight to prove who is the cleverest, most intelligent, and wisest person in the room.  You can be right, but you most definitely don’t need to make others be wrong to prove it.

Become the Leader Your Company Needs. Get My 6 FREE Leadership Videos Here: www.JohnHersey.com

It has been proved.  The best leaders are the ones who understood the super powerful truths in regards to trust:

-    People do business with people they like.
-    People like people they trust.
-    People trust people who have a clear level of compassion and capacity.

Trust is not a matter of time but of level of caring.  Once people feel you truly care about them, they start believing in you.  The best way to show you care is by listening to them, truly listening.

A leader is one if he has followers; otherwise he is just a boss.  No matter how many titles you hold, if your people don’t feel acknowledged and cared for, they won’t trust you, thus, they won’t follow you, and they will do the minimum.  They will be waiting for you to fail, and they will even work to make you fail.

Most people don’t know how to listen, and it is not their fault.  Yes, it isn’t.  Experts agree that the first five years of a child’s life are the most productive in terms of learning, in those five years we learn more than we will ever learn during the rest of our lives.  If during those five years a child doesn’t feel adults listen to him, he will not be a good listener himself.  How can you learn to listen if no one ever taught you?

Here we arrive to the crucial point.  Good listening is a skill that has to be learned; we are not born with it.  People follow by example, thus, in order to create good listeners, we have to become one.

And how do we learn to listen?  Pretty sure, not at a seminar.  We have to work with what we have, and what we have is the capacity to make sure people feel heard.  In order to do this, we have to be conscious about distractions and consciously avoid them.  While an employee is sharing his ideas, you have to stop thinking about the size of his ears, and if you’re talking to a complaining customer, make a conscious effort not to focus on her eye tic.  Yes, our minds tend to wander under any excuse.

Once you are able to avoid distractions, you have to learn to get rid of preconceptions.  Stop believing that all blondes are stupid just because everyone says so, or that a certain employee is trying to steal your job.  Normally people need just the right opportunity to start giving their opinion and sharing their experience as the solution to someone’s problem.  Right there, the person doesn’t feel heard, he feels judged, and you have lost him.  But what exactly did you do wrong?  Well, you took away their uniqueness the minute you knew exactly what the problem was, prompting them to insist on showing you how special they are and making them resist your lead.

When people talk you are thinking about yourself and what you can do to help them help you.  This is when you start convincing people instead of making them agree with you.

True leaders make people feel heard and feel special.  They make others feel important, thus, they are important to those others.  Once you start focusing on how people really feel about what they are expressing, you start caring for them much more, and suddenly, you become your best self… you become a leader.

Become the Leader Your Company Needs. Get My 6 FREE Leadership Videos Here: www.JohnHersey.com

Not matter how tight budgets are today, it can!

For some years now, the economy has been slowing down dramatically, and many companies have been forced to tighten up their financial belts, making them wonder if now is the best time to bring in a leadership speaker, among other tough decisions.

As most of us know, but deeply try not to acknowledge, we commonly dismiss what is truly important in favor of what’s “really” urgent.  The financial struggle companies are experiencing has put them into the crossroads of weighing what’s worth investing in and what is disposable.  The way in which they approach this moment of truth can make all the difference between surviving or falling prey to the crisis.

Leadership speakers are critical during hard times; they provide people with what they need the most: hope, knowledge, and the tools to get the job done when faced with the reality of reduced manpower and fewer resources.

The advantage a leadership speaker has is that he works with many different types of businesses in many different fields, allowing him to see things from a higher perspective, from a privileged point of view.  He is able to combine the issues, problems, and opportunities he sees across these companies to formulate an accurate and broader view of the situation.

A leadership speaker will offer a unique view because he is an outsider.  He is not directly involved in the specific situation of a business; thus, he is not influenced by its fears and experiences.  Very much on the contrary, his broad experience and knowledge of many types of organizations entitles him to propose new ways of looking at situations so as to get the best out of them.

The leadership speaker’s mission is to show people how to rise above challenges and grow.  He is able to do this because he is a superb communicator, trained to lead, advise, and motivate.  Since he does not relate, personally or professionally, at any level with either high executives or the company’s workforce, it is easy for him to teach everyone what they need to know based on their positions and future possibilities.

A leadership speaker can help a business adjust faster to a changing environment.  He helps the company’s leadership team by empowering people to strive no matter what; he teaches the organization about change, and how to see it as an opportunity rather than a threat.  Through leadership and good judgment, he teaches strategic thinking for difficult times, and how to act based on reliable information and understanding of the situation, but probably the most important aspect of the leadership speaker’s job is that he is a source of hope and possibility, while at the same time he has his feet firmly planted on the ground.

The decision to hire a leadership speaker during a crisis proves your company’s commitment and confidence in its people, and the true value of its service.

Become the Leader Your Company Needs. Get My 6 FREE Leadership Videos Here: www.JohnHersey.com

There is nothing better than feeling completely energized and empowered to follow your dreams no matter what.  This is what a motivational coach does for you. He teaches you tricks and new ways of seeing your reality that put you in control and give you the tools to move forward in spite of anything.

Any one of us would wish we were able to have such a person right at home with us every single day.  Imagine that you just wake up every morning and start listening to all this valuable advice and are reminded constantly of your power and capacity. How great, huh?  Sadly, in most cases, that is not possible.  The majority of us receive coaching for a few days, and afterwards, we are left alone with what we learned to apply it wisely and change our lives, or save it for later inside a desk drawer.

The truth is that it is not easy to stay motivated after the coach is gone.  Amazingly, the thing that stops people the most after learning how powerful and capable they are, is actually knowing it.  Many people feel overwhelmed once they become aware of all the potential they have.  These persons have to stop right there and think about all they deserve; it was a huge step to allow yourself to be coached on how to motivate yourself, and now you have to stop thinking about all the hard work this coaching meant so as to feel in control of your life again.

Remember that you are a big and creative thinker with amazing goals and expectations, and you are allowed to be afraid of the unknown; just don’t let this fear own you.  Motivation is not about not being afraid, it is about acting in spite of fear, because above all, you know you can do it if you just give it a try.  You know you have all that is needed to succeed, if you don’t go for it, you will never know how it feels to be powerful, you will never grow, and you will let many worthy opportunities pass you by.

If you need more than a little boost to stay motivated, take some time to organize and work on your coaching sessions’ notes.  Write down the important points and comments your coach has mentioned.  Work it out like a reference book or pamphlet you can check regularly for inspiration, because the key to making a new behavior stick is repetition. The more you hear it and say it to yourself, the more you will begin to make it a part of your reality, until finally it becomes a part of you.

It is a good idea to talk to the speaker about your feelings and concerns when the end of your coaching event approaches. As he has done with the rest, the speaker can give you tips on how to tackle those fears as soon as they appear and how to move through them.

You can also talk to someone you trust and ask him or her to be your accountability partner.  He or she will become a non-judgmental supporter during your ‘weak’ times, someone you can go to every time you feel you want to quit.  This person will listen with an open heart and mind.

Staying motivated puts you in control of your life, so it is important that you know yourself very well to acknowledge where you need help in order to find it.  The motivational coach will open your eyes to the possibilities, but only you can act on them; only you have the ability and power to be your best self.

The motivational speaker has shared with you an amazing secret: that you can do anything you dream of; it’s just a matter of dedication and commitment.

Become the Leader Your Company Needs. Get My 6 FREE Leadership Videos Here: www.JohnHersey.com

Any company that cares for its personnel and recognizes their value as the moving force behind its business’ success, especially during hard times, will definitely invite a motivational speaker to boost their pride and knowledge.

By planning a seminar for your employees, you are surely working towards improving your company’s productivity, sales, and image.  In past years, a company’s worth was thought to be on the equipment it possessed. Today, people are a company’s insurance for success so, instead of upgrading equipment, the leadership team should be working on upgrading its staff’s performance and quality of life.

Yes, motivational talks not only improve performance, skills, and motivation, but they also improve the way in which the individual perceives his life and the world around him.  Through these talks, you are demonstrating that you care about the person behind the job title. Employees feel valued, and in turn, it makes them value your company much more.  This is why it is important not only that you hire a motivational speaker but that you hire the right one.

But, how exactly do you hire the right speaker to benefit you as much as your staff?  Here is how:

1.    Research locally
Due to budget, and even more so if you are making this a regular practice, you should research local motivational speakers, because they mean savings in travel, lodging, and professional fees.  However, NEVER sacrifice quality to practicality.

2.    Look for referrals
Good motivational speakers are widely known in certain industries.  Make sure you ask your colleagues and acquaintances for referrals, and go into several motivational speakers’ websites to read the testimonials.  The best way to find the best is by listening what others have to say about him.

3.    Do not judge by the website
Remember that websites are a source of information that reach many people, thus, they tend to be ‘general’.  Most motivational speakers tailor their presentations to fit a company’s specific needs and are open to new ideas and proposals, so it is imperative that you talk to them personally in order to know exactly what they can do for you, your staff, and your company.

4.    Ask what other things they offer
Some motivational speakers who also happen to be authors may offer their books at a special price or as part of the deal.  They may also add one or two free coaching sessions after the event.

5.    Ask if they can provide a breakout session for a lower cost
Since the speaker is already on site, sometimes you can talk him into delivering a short breakout session for a different group in the company after the main event, for a much lower cost.  The speaker’s main goal is to satisfy his clients and give added value, thus, flexibility is the norm.

6.    Ask for permission to record the event
In this way you can make it available for new employees and use it, when pertinent, in future events or for specific training sessions.  You can even invite some clients over and show them the material so that they can experience your staff training vision and mission, reinforcing your image and professionalism.

7.    Maybe you can pay the speaker with your product or service
You may not be able to negotiate the whole fee, but perhaps part of it.  If you work or own a hotel, restaurant, or spa, the speaker may want to exchange some of your services for his.

Thinking about your staff’s wellbeing and professional growth is a priority if you want to succeed in today’s business world.  No more are business and life two separate things. Nowadays, one complements the other and are intrinsic to mutual success.  Consider this the next time you are thinking about ways to boost your people’s inspiration, and let the motivational speaker do his job.

Become the Leader Your Company Needs. Get My 6 FREE Leadership Videos Here: www.JohnHersey.com

Maybe you think that a motivational speaker is an unnecessary expense for your business. Maybe you think this person will not benefit your staff enough to compensate for the time and money he requires.  Well, think again… because if this is your line of thinking, maybe you are under appreciating your personnel.

A motivational speaker’s mission is to inspire your work force and to enhance their sense of pride in what they do by teaching them new skills to improve their life and their work, and to help them see their jobs under a new and different light.

Motivational speakers are business leaders that have trained themselves in the areas of public speaking and motivation in order to be able to inspire others into action and to teach people in high positions within companies to reach their staff in meaningful ways.  They employ proven techniques to get the best results out of the people they are motivating, in alignment with the company’s mission and vision.

It is important to hire a motivational speaker every time your company schedules a one or two-day training event.  This is a way to show your staff how much faith you have in them by encouraging them to learn new things, new perspectives, and to become better human beings.  The speaker will teach your employees how to act on what he teaches; he will show them simple techniques to apply what they have learned to their jobs and other areas of their lives, enhancing their experience on the job and outside of it.

The trick here is to find the right motivational speaker for your people.  He must be credible and respected by your staff; thus, it is best if you hire someone with experience in your field.  A speaker that can relate to your industry will be able to enrich the presentation by sharing personal stories that will make sense to the audience and will offer a completely new level of bonding.  Take your time researching the best motivational speakers out there, and ask for referrals. If a speaker is good, most certainly many people in your industry already know him.

Professional speakers will create a specific plan for each presentation, ensuring that it is relevant, interesting, and amusing, so as to keep the audience engaged and asking for more.  It is important that you talk to your staff after the event, to understand what they think about the experience, what they learned, what they considered most valuable, and how they plan to apply what was taught.  Do not forget to encourage them by praising their work and reminding them how valuable they are to you and your company’s success.

Regular motivational speaking events will guarantee that your people feel cherished and respected.  They will regard their job as worthy because their employer is investing time and money on them and their personal growth.  They will talk about it, and when they do, they will be showing you their loyalty and willingness to do and be their best.

Yes, a good motivational speaker is an investment, but it is a worthwhile one, because your staff is the heart of your business. If they are happy, your business thrives. If they are unhappy, you lose them and eventually, you will probably lose your company.

Become the Leader Your Company Needs. Get My 6 FREE Leadership Videos Here: www.JohnHersey.com

Many of the top magazines and newspapers hire inexperienced writers to write about business topics, and although it is understandable that these publications hire young people, some of the information and advice out there is plain wrong.  In many cases, these don’t match what truly experienced and successful business people have gone through, and the problem may reside in the process.

Secondhand information gets misunderstood, oversimplified, and it is vague; it is cleaned up, edited, and adorned.  In many cases, the people being interviewed are to blame; they are experts who want to make their teams stand out.

Good business writers identify an interesting and good idea, and know how to present it in a clear and persuasive way, period.  This being said, we have to say that there are many misunderstandings out there about what leadership is, and if you pay attention to them, you can harm your business in a serious way.

Here are two common ideas of what leadership is, that are definitely wrong… any true leader will tell you so:

1.    Leadership is about being ‘soft’
You read it all the time; that a good leader should listen to his employees, share his feelings with them, and be open to their ideas, no matter how bad they are, otherwise, business is dead.  Today’s business leadership arena is presented as one where employees want to be listened to; they want to contribute to decisions and give creative solutions.

As truly experienced leaders will tell you, the opposite of this is completely true.  Employees want leadership, meaning they want someone to solve the problems and provide clear direction.  Leaders are paid a lot of money to do just that, make tough decisions and get the job done.  Obviously, a leader must be open to ideas, and should communicate and pay attention to his employees, but he has the last word on the direction the company takes and the way to get there.

In order to do this, a person must have vision, knowledge, skills, and great ideas, but above all, he must know how to make others support his ideas and work to make them a reality, even if he is criticized or opposed.  And the way to do this is by making the work valuable.

2.    Leadership allows for participation over sharing a vision
The idea is that when establishing goals, a leader must focus on encouraging employees’ participation instead of on creating a plan for better business.

A true leader can delegate a lot of work if he has the best people around him, but he can never let another person establish the goals and create the vision.  The leader is the only one who knows what the business can accomplish, how far it can go, and how great it can be; this is his most important job.  He can ask questions and he can look for advice, but in the end, he decides where the business is going and what he wants to achieve.  After everything is clear, the leader can share his vision.

This is not easy to do.  True leaders have the blessing of knowing how to create and communicate their vision in an inspiring way.  They are able to communicate to others the value of the work being done; they make others understand that what they are doing is good.

In order to be a leader, you have to take the time to think about how you can make things better, and make people believe in the good behind your ideas.  Only then, will employees feel honored to work for you; you become powerful and meaningful.  You possess authority and influence; and it is a responsibility as much as an honor.  True leadership changes lives, all you have to do is define a worthy vision and inspire others to work with you to make it a reality.

Become the Leader Your Company Needs. Get My 6 FREE Leadership Videos Here: www.JohnHersey.com