John Hersey Leadership Blog

I created a series of three videos to help meeting planners create unforgettable events.

These are some of the topics I cover in the videos:
•    How you can make your events exciting so people actually look forward to them.
•    How you can increase attendance, involvement and inspiration.
•    How to get people to stop whatever they are doing and pay attention to what you have to tell them.

>> Get Instant Access to these FREE Videos Now <<

Does the unpredictable economy worry you and leave you feeling stressed? Do you wonder why you are unhappy with your relationships and job?

International best-selling author, speaker and entrepreneur, John Assaraf, sits down with world-renowned motivational speaker, John Hersey, to tackle the questions that are on everyone’s mind. Assaraf’s popularity as a motivational business coach landed him a cameo appearance in the highly-acclaimed book and movie, The Secret.

>> Watch The Full Interview Between John Assaraf and John Hersey Here <<

His thought-provoking interview inspires you to live each day with passion and joy. He shows you how to make positive changes in your life, and how to tackle every day obstacles.  If you have the right attitude, skills and tools, you will achieve your dreams and goals.

Make Big Changes and Start Living Today!
Are you tired of wading through life without goals and direction? Assaraf breaks down life-long goals into easy steps that you can apply to your life today.

•    Does your business and personal relationships suffer? Learn how a simple change in attitude can make all the difference at work and at home!

•    Do you wake up with a chip on your shoulder and carry it with you throughout your day? Learn how to take responsibility for your life – how to make a conscious commitment each day to be HAPPY!

>> Watch The Full Interview Between John Assaraf and John Hersey Here <<

Assaraf sits down with Hersey and shares how to:

•    Stop giving into rational lies so you can attract happiness into your life.

•    Make a realistic plan and set goals you’re committed to!

•    Move from a space of ignorance into a space of knowledge.

•    Make the down season economy work for you – Set BIG goals and move towards financial freedom!

•    Understand your vibrational energy and how it affects people around you

•    Hire, barter and partner with others to help achieve your dreams

•    Get rid of the “I cant’s” and turn them into “I can achieve!”

•    Be an inspirational leader and positive example to others!

>> Watch The Full Interview Between John Assaraf and John Hersey Here <<

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

A few years ago, Randall was the general manager for a restaurant chain.  One time, he and the other managers were having a meeting in one of the restaurants that had just been remodeled.  There was a table with some papers and a bottle of ink on top, and everyone was just hanging around, talking and having a good time.

At one point, Randall’s boss pulled him aside to speak to him about a possible candidate for general manager; the person was currently an assistant manager.  This young man was very good at organizing schedules, food orders, sanitation, and staffing, nevertheless, Randall felt there was something he lacked.  His boss kept asking Randall for specifics so as to not consider this person as an option, but Randall was not sure why he didn’t consider this employee worthy of a promotion, he just felt he was not a leader.

Right that minute, someone knocked the bottle of ink off the table, and everyone witnessed how it hit the new carpet and rolled under the table leaving a dreadful dark blue stain.  Immediately, one general manager got down on his hands and knees and crawled under the table to get the bottle; he just did it without giving it a second thought.  This man was big, he was around 300 pounds, but still, he never hesitated. He got the bottle of ink even knowing that there were others there for whom it would have been much easier to do.

Right then, Randall knew what his hesitation about the general manager candidate was.  He turned to his boss and said: “this person would not have gotten the bottle of ink”.  He would have asked someone else to do it, even if he had been alone in the room at the time.  He was not willing to do what he asked others to do.

Clearly it is not a manager’s job to do the cleaning; he must let others do that so that he can focus on the customers, but in a crowded restaurant sometimes managers must get involved in the operation to get things done, because there isn’t anyone else.  Managing a restaurant is more than walking around asking clients if they enjoyed the meal. Managers must be willing to get their hands ‘dirty’ if necessary.  Randall recalled how he had washed dishes for days after a dishwasher didn’t show up and until he found another one.  He didn’t like it, but it was necessary.

After thinking about it for a while, Randall’s boss agreed that he could not recall a time when this person had done a less than pleasant task. Needless to say, he never got promoted.  This episode was so remarkable that it was discussed at every manager’s meeting from then on.

A true leader picks up the bottle of ink.
If you want people to follow you, pick up the bottle.
If you want to inspire others, pick up the bottle.
If you want to be trusted with the big things, do the little things.

Randall spent lots of time working on the little things to help his employees, and they did much more for him.  He always found someone to cover for a sick colleague, in fact, before accepting, employees asked who the manager was for the shift. If it was someone who was not very respected, they said no, but Randall always got a yes.

A leader leads by example; you cannot expect others to do what you are not willing to do yourself, so, next time a bottle of ink is knocked off the table, get down and pick it up!

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

As the bestseller author Melody Beattie states:

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough, and more.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.  It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.  Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

Gratitude is not a Thanksgiving Day or Christmas time ‘thing’.  Although these special times of year are all about consciously counting our blessings, gratitude is a way of life, a habit we must get into so as to get the best out of life and the people around us every single day.

Showing gratitude is the best way to spread positive feelings around you.  Think about it for a minute:

How do you feel when someone expresses a sincere thank you for something you did?  Doesn’t it make you feel great?  Positive feelings lift people up, increase their enthusiasm, and motivate them to achieve more.  Reaching a goal starts with a single positive thought.

Gratitude can have a very positive snowball effect that keeps you and others moving forward towards achieving your goals.  It is a selfless and lasting feeling that will inspire you and others around you for a long time.  When being grateful to others, be open and expressive, so that they truly know how you feel.

No one should be taken for granted.  A good leader shows gratitude for even the smallest things. It could be just a verbal ‘thank you’, a note, or a small gift; the important thing is to recognize the service others give, in order to create a strong and loyal relationship.  It is fundamental to learn how to express gratitude towards others, however it is equally important to learn to accept it from those around you.

Gratitude prompts better communication and interest in helping.  Everyone understands a word of love that comes from the heart.  No matter how constructive criticism is, it may put people in a defensive state, but if you employ a grateful attitude, it can really do wonders.  By highlighting what you appreciate in people, it is easier to talk to them about what they need to improve.

Being grateful is a practice that requires training; this is why it is a great idea to keep a gratitude journal.  You should write on it five things you are grateful for every day.  Maybe today you want to acknowledge how grateful you are for your health, for your family, friends and colleagues, for your finances, for your personal accomplishments, for your intelligence and ingenuity, for the things you love, or for your freedom to dream.  The more you write the more you will start being grateful for the smallest things.  Showing gratitude every day will change the way you think, and will benefit you and others around you.

When you are thankful for what you have, you will get more of it.  If you center on what you lack, you will never have enough.

Gratitude makes you appreciate life and keeps your thoughts positive, so that you cherish everything you have and acknowledge the people around you as valuable human beings with lots of wisdom and valuable ideas to share.

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

Lehman Brothers, AIG, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Countrywide, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, foreclosures, sub-prime meltdown, Sarah Palin, and the stock market dropped 500+ points. These are all in the news, emotionally charged and wonderfully interesting distractions, And, they steal our energy, undermine our focus and keep us from doing what needs to be done�our jobs.

We give so much of our attention to these and other distractions that we begin to believe the sky is falling. We become enamored with the distractions and paralyzed, incapable of doing what will make a difference for us, regardless of the story of the day.

In 2002 I attended a gathering of leaders in the professional speakers� circuit. As you might expect due to effects of 9/11, the leaders discussed the challenges. The discussion was very much like the ones I am hearing now. Whispers of doomsday spread throughout the gathering. Then, the expert we had brought in to make us feel better and tell us how to weather this storm proceeded to tell us that there wasn�t any storm. There were speakers all over the country who were busy, some busier than ever. In this challenging time for the country, clients needed our services more than ever. The busy speakers focused on helping clients succeed when success did not seem possible. Her remarks were like a wonderfully refreshing slap in the face.

Leaders know we create that which we focus on the most. By placing our focus on our challenges, our difficulties, our problems, we draw more of these to us. James Allen first shared this leadership concept years ago in his seminal work entitled �As a Man Thinketh.�

This effect of focus is a universal leadership law, one that Contagious Leaders have trained themselves to understand. It is uncanny — when real estate professionals focus on how bad the market is, it gets worse. It is amazing — when leadership organizations focus on reducing expenses, expenses become more problematic, and sales and revenues suffer. It is astounding — when organizations focus on cutting, more cuts are always needed.

One of our leadership clients had a major initiative to reduce cancellations. They measured cancellations weekly, reported them to the top leadership, and reviewed them on regular conference calls. The fact is our client did not want fewer cancellations, they wanted more renewals. We suggested that the leadership shift the focus to increasing renewals. We recommended they measure renewals, report renewals, and discuss renewals on their conference calls. We encouraged the top leadership to focus on a positive desired result instead of focusing on negative indicators.

Does this mean leaders put their heads in the sand and ignore the natural vagaries in the economy? Of course not! Great leaders are always on top of market conditions. The difference is that truly great leaders do not allow themselves to be distracted by these shifts. They simply remain focused on what they want and what they need to do to accomplish the mission.

Here are some tips:

• Surround yourself with people who are focusing on being successful, who are determined to take advantage of the market shift.
• Focus on 100 reasons why you will be successful not a 100 reasons why you should worry.
• Make every day count, Do something everyday that will further your business.
• Get your chemistry working for you by releasing your endorphins. Exercise, deep breathing, walking will help to keep you positive. I just committed to a new exercise class.
• Turn off the news. If you feel compelled to find out what�s happening, do what John does. He uses his computer to just bring up the headlines and leave it at that. Sometimes I can actually feel the fear start to come alive when I watch the news.
• Laugh every day. Do something fun that will put a smile on your face. John and I regularly go to a Sunday matinee, get popcorn and a great seat.

There will be people who grow their market share and who do incredibly well during this time. If that�s you, please respond to this blog with your tips. Thanks. Bev

�Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.�

Dr. Wayne Dyer

It is a very simple statement but it can be powerfully true.

As leaders it is our responsibility to stay fresh, remain open to new alternatives, advance solutions that may have been unthinkable just 3-6 months ago. It�s so easy to get stuck in our way of doing and thinking that before we know it we are rigid, unable to see beyond that which we already know. Once stuck it can be very, very difficult to get unstuck. So, how do we avoid it and how do we get unstuck if that is where we are. Here are some easy, do it now suggestions:

• Practice changing your perspective by questioning your automatic responses.
• Make your self uncomfortable by simply sitting in a different seat during your regular meetings. You will be amazed at how differently you hear and see the content of the meeting and the participants.
• Go into the office (if that is where you go everyday) a bit later or earlier than usual. Get to the office in a different way like taking a different route, carpooling or taking public transportation.
• Read a book you would never think of reading.
• Read a totally unusual magazine for you, not business related.
• Take a course, any course. Check out a community college, the internet or your newspaper for course listings.
• Hire a coach who will hold you accountable for getting unstuck. www.thecoachinstitute.com or email us at beverly@johnhersey.com .
• Go on an adventure vacation by yourself for a day, overnight, or long weekend.
• Do some volunteer work. Pick an organization that you believe in such as the Boys & Girls Club, school athletic team, SCORE, or check out Volunteers of America�s website for ideas www.voa.org
• Turn off the TV and go for a brisk walk instead. It�s not only a great way to boost your mood and increase your energy but you will get in shape as well.

We recently delivered a keynote speech that included a demonstration of changing your perspective. It was lots of fun. You might enjoy watching a short clip. Just go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpNBIAqMZ0k and enjoy the show.

Just DO something that is out of the norm for you. Shake yourself up. There are lots of actions you can take if you decide to get unstuck and if you really determined to get better at being a better leader.

John

During our keynote leadership presentations we have been asking our audiences what they have done in the past twelve months to get better at being a better leader. This is not a question about what their company has done for them, but what they have done. Observing what happens when we ask the question is far more interesting and telling than hearing the answer.

Audiences actually start to squirm in their seats. They look down to the floor, avoiding eye contact out of fear that we�ll actually call on them.

You see, the biggest leadership challenge in most organizations is that way too many people are waiting for someone else to do it�lead. We complain that the top brass don�t step up; the top brass complain that the middle managers are too weak, while the folks that actually implement the work wonder if anyone is ever going to lead.

As business continues to experience the challenges of a flattening world and a pressured U.S. economy, taking responsibility for our own development will be more and more important. Long gone are the days when our company solely takes on the challenge of making individuals better at being better leaders. The fact is that organizations will increasingly look to the individual and ask �How are you investing in yourself?�

So start investing in yourself! How about:

• Join Toastmaster and develop your public speaking and leadership skills through practice and feedback in local clubs www.toastmasters.com .

• Take on the internet. We recently hired a coach, Tom Antion at http://www.greatinternetmarketing.com . It is not easy but we are making great progress in an area that we need to develop if we are not going to be left behind as leaders.

• Research and subscribe to blogs in your area of business expertise to get current points of view and resources.

• Read, read, read…take a speed reading course and read your heart out, reference your newly acquired knowledge in conversations, recommend books, share quotes.

• Don�t have time to read? Subscribe to www.dearreader.com

Join the free business book club. Every week day you will receive a 5 minute read from current business books…one book a week.

Getting better at being a better leader is something each of us must begin to own up to. It�s a process. Start today and everyday do something that will make you a wee bit better.

John