Executive Leadership Training | Executive Leadership Coaching - John Hersey »

Leadership coaching: “Do you lie to yourself?”

admin — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:13:15 +0000

As part of our online leadership coaching system we help participants to identify their strengths, where they are naturally gifted. We use a fun and relatively accurate little game called The Jigsaw Challenge. We have administered it to literally thousands of people. It’s a great way to started narrowing down and getting crystal clear on your natural talent.

The point is that when you identify your natural talent you then need to stop doing as many of the things you are not particularly good at and start doing more of the things that come naturally to you. It sounds so easy but people simply don’t do it because, quite frankly, they don’t know what they are good at.

So while we were working with a financial organization recently, we got this question which we have been asked many times.

“I think the Jigsaw Challenge game was fun, but does it really tell the truth?”

Well it depends……do you tell the truth? Because it’s only as accurate as you tell the truth about yourself. The Jigsaw Challenge is not a scientific tool, but it’s an outstanding way to start a process of uncovering your strengths so long as you tell the truth. If you don’t, then don’t bother!

We have found that some people are so ingrained in trying to be who they are not that they have a hard time identifying their natural talent. They are playing the ‘should be’ game? I should be this…I should be that. By playing the ‘should be’ game people are limiting their success because they don’t put themselves in a job, career or project that is a great fit for them. Consequently, everything takes more effort, more time, more stress and a lot less fun.

Without knowing your strengths, it’s just easy to get sort of bogged down, and never quite get into your potential. So stop with the ‘should be’ self-limiting conversation and dig deep to discover where you are outstanding!

Click here to download the JigSaw Challenge!

Leadership Coaching: Randi Zuckerberg on Social Media

admin — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:28:12 +0000

In our Leadership training courses, we encourage our participants to constantly update their information because things are moving so fast.

I had the pleasure of meeting Randi Zuckerberg, who is the sister of the founder of Facebook and who is launching her new venture, A to Z media, to help live events to be more social (http://www.bloomberg.com/video/75783154/).

She was speaking at a leadership seminar I was attending and was talking about social media trends and technology, and how it is impacting businesses, small and large.

She was very articulate, down-to-earth, and she gave us some really good advice. She did start with something very funny, which was, she was reviewing 10 trends, the most current trends, in social media. And she said that she had called the day before and said “We’ve got to change one of the trends!” And so they took out one of the trends and put in the new one. To the audience she said, “That’s how fast things are moving.”

As she was sharing her insights, some very practical, hands-on ideas with great success stories, a hand went up in the middle of the audience and he said “I love this, and I could see how it could make a difference for my business, but how do I get started?”

You could hear the murmur of, “I’m SO glad someone asked that question” from at least half the audience.

So the question is, “How do I get started in social media?” Obviously he had a very fast-paced organization, and he couldn’t find how to take the first steps to get started in social media. Here’s the scoop….you have to get started. You have to be in this trend.

We have three recommendations, small steps to get started:

Start texting and playing with some apps on your smart phone. It will up your level of confidence and you’ll start seeing how the whole great, huge explosion is happening from the inside out!.

Second, put together a few of people who want to take on or get better at social media. Then start talking and listening to them about the deal so you develop a conversational comfort with social media and technology.

Finally, join LinkedIn, and find a group where you have a lot of confidence about the material that’s being shared. And participate. Actively participate.

These three little actions may take you a half an hour a day. If you do just one of them, it could be five minutes.

The implication of the question at the Zuckerberg event, is a great metaphor for what’s going on in the world of business today. We seem to not know what to do.. We seem to be a little stuck. We seem to be waiting for something to happen… the economy to get better, somebody new to get elected, something to happen, so that things will get better.

It’s not going to work that way. Actually, like “just get started with social media”, you just need to take action…yourself. You’ve got to create a vision of what you want and how you want to participate in your job, your career, your business, your development, and you’ve got to move it in that direction. Start reading books, start listening to current business CDs, participant in seminars and start modeling what other successful people are doing. Do something right now!

We’d love have your input. Leave a comment and let us know what’s up with you.

Leadership Coaching: 4 Step Success Blueprint

admin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:18:19 +0000

Attend the 4 Step to Success Webinar and learn to identify your leadership strengths, leverage them, match your strengths to any culture, any job and close the GAPS between your strengths and the JOB requirements.

Click Here to Download and Print the JigSaw Challenge.

You won’t want to miss the 4 Step Success Blueprint webinar. Click on the image below to register.

Leadership Training: Beverly Belury Named Finalist for Fountain Hills Business Person of the Year

admin — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 23:50:24 +0000

Beverly Belury

Introduced to Chamber of Commerce members as
a “firecracker,” Beverly Belury has been nominated for the 2011 Business Person of the Year.

“When Beverly Belury enters a room, you know it. She has that rare presence of confidence and energy that seems to be contagious,” said Teresa Russo-Cox, program committee chair. “Her hunger for knowledge and staying abreast of the newest concepts in business strategies led her to reinvent herself several times,” said Russo-Cox. She quoted a favorite saying of Belury: “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.”
“That’s what Beverly Belury brings to Fountain Hills: Change. Helping us embrace the future through technology and education,” said Russo-Cox.

Beverly Belury is a partner in John Hersey International. She recently created the Contagious Leaders Coaching Club, an online, multi-media leadership training system designed to help individuals get ahead, showcase their talent, be more valuable, make more money, and have more fun at their jobs with a lot less stress.

The winner of this years Business Person of the Year will be announced on January 21, 2012. Let’s all wish Bev well.

John

Leadership Training: Things Can Always Be Worse

admin — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 04:30:22 +0000

Leadership Lesson learned for today — it (life, business, career, relationships) could always be worse.

Bev and Our Host for the Evening

Consider our last two days. The Mexican Fiesta Tuesday evening was wonderful but exhausting. All that music, dancing, applauding was way too much.

John Trying Desperately to Have Fun at the Fiesta

Then, after a strenuous day working out, followed by breakfast by the ocean and reading poolside, I was in desperate need of a nap before dinner.

Nap Time!

Tomorrow we get to do today all over again. We are having a terrific Infusionelite Mastermind meeting. This stress is hard to duplicate day in and day out.
It is all a matter of focus. But, it could certainly be worse, except in Cabo.

See you tomorrow.

Bev & John

Leadership Training: Leaders Learn Everyday

admin — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 04:05:55 +0000

We have come to realize that great leaders are learners, continuous learners.

Today we went on a time-share presentation. Not because we wanted to buy and certainly not because we like the pressure and total discomfort of this process. Rather, we wanted to learn about the property (Pueblo Bonita Sunset Beach in Cabo) and we wanted to view the sales process with fresh eyes.

After Hours in Cabo

Still Smiling at Sunset Beach but the Pitch Hadn't Started Yet!

Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach Resort

Doesn't Get Prettier Than This!

Great Property, But…

Lessons learned — 1) Although the “tour” was much longer than we had been told, the entire process was far more enjoyable than we expected and the property we learned about is truly beautiful, one we’ll likely return to, often. If we had not gone, because of our “old views on the process”, we would have been the losers, not the property or “Larry the sales guy”; 2) “Larry the sales guy” was not the strong-arm, hard closer we expected and actually gave us room to say “no”. Surprise, surprise, there are smart people employing smart strategies out there; 3) Listening and observing skills are still key to any sales process. Larry failed on both points as he showed us a home that we had ZERO interest in and he failed to pick up on our buying (or not buying) signal because he was so intent on making his pitch; 4) All in all we had a great morning and wouldn’t have had we not been so committed to learning about the property and sales process.

Leadership Training: Play Makes Work More Fun

admin — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 01:31:36 +0000

We just arrived in Cabo San Lucas for a “work session” with our Infusionelite Mastermind Group. WE ARE STAYING AT THE Pueblo Bonita Rose and it is a very cool place.
Here is a view from our balcony at 6:30PM as we write this post.

Pueblo Bonito Rose, Cabo San Lucas in the evening

We learned an interesting lesson this morning as we made the final preparations for our trip. Even we, the people who teach things like Emotional Intelligence, Looking to Greatness and Involved Recognition, can let our emotions get the best of us if we wait until the last minute to do what needs doing. Yup, that’s right, we waited until Sunday to pack, download new books, videos and music to our iPods and iPad, check our camera batteries, etc. As a result, we got behind and the stress of it all made us both a tad edgy. We do not do well when we are edgy with each other.

Here is the lesson. Think ahead, make a list of what needs doing and by when and give yourself a few days to do it all ahead of time. This goes for business as well as our personal lives. We have way more control over the amount of stress in our lives than we think. Get it all done 2-3 days before and life will be less stressful, fewer mistakes will be made and the edge will become well rounded and more enjoyable all around.

More later. (We promise not all the pictures will be taken in the dark.)

John & Bev

Executive Leadership Coaching: Leaders Institute Meets With Tech Founder

admin — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 23:30:07 +0000

November 27, 2011
Fountain Hills, Arizona: Clate Mask, CEO and co-founder of Infusionsoft, had agreed to one hour of executive leadership coaching with the Fountain Hills Chamber Leaders Institute (FHCLI). But, the group was so prepared and their questions so interesting that Mask’s team had to pull him away after nearly two hours of interaction and discussion.

According to Carol Goyena, a Fountain Hills Realtor and Leaders Institute member, “several quotes from Clate really stand out in my mind. “People get paid for results”
“Do what you say you’re going to do and do it” “Hire & fire to core values” “Don’t keep a seat warm, discuss and let them go” “This is an opportunity, not a job” “One has to be able to adapt and be a cultural fit” . I love his “family” oriented work theme, and found the entire morning a very uplifting event. “

Dwight Johnson, a Leaders Institute member for six years added, there were “a couple of quotes/paraphrases I will always remember: “The more you serve the person and the more you educate him/her…the better the customer likes it.” “The more contact we have with the customer…the greater the relationship and the greater the profitability.”

FH CHamber leaders With Clate Mask, Infusionsoft CEO (2nd from left in back)

Founded by Beverly Belury of John Hersey International, The Fountain Hills Chamber Leaders Institute provides tools and educational venues to a group of qualified students from the Chamber membership. Participants examine & experience extraordinary business leadership practices and business models in a highly interactive format.

Bev Belury and John Hersey present Clate Mask with their book, Creating Contagious Leadership

John Hersey, co-founder of the FHCLI says ,“The combination of experiences will be instructional and inspirational as to how to be an extraordinary leader in today’s business climate”.

Infusionsoft, based in Gilbert Arizona, provides an easy to use program that will automate sales, marketing, invoicing and many repetitive functions that strangle small businesses. Is Infusionsoft growing? You bet! The hearty band of 185 employees are ringing bells, playing music and tossing beach balls as a new customer joins the InfusionSoft revolution to empower small business owners. Walking into the company you get the feeling that this young and vigorous company is having fun….lots of it.

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What's Your Real Talent?

admin — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 22:09:07 +0000

A coach made me think of a story that made me think about talent vs skill.

Your skill is what you do in business and have been trained to do. It may be
technology, marketing, human resources, accounting and anyone of a dozen or more other “activities”.

Your talent is what you really bring to the party. The qualities that make you shine, stand out, and
attract others. You could be fast paced and energetic, great with people, a steady, dependable and
strong supporter or someone who is great with detail. You may be a lifelong learner, a teacher, a leader,
a sales pro or someone who is destined to make a difference for others.

It is important that we all know our real talent. Because, anyone can do the “activities” we do, but no one can
do them the way we do them.

John

God Bless America

admin — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 17:18:08 +0000

God Bless Our Freedom

We doubt anyone could craft more compelling or more thoughtful words to honor our country on this, the 10th anniversary of the horrific events of 9/11, than our friend and colleague Dr. Nido Qubein.

God Bless America

While the World Trade Center was burning and collapsing, while the Pentagon was absorbing the crash of a commercial airliner filled with innocent souls, and while a wounded nation gathered the evidence of heroism aboard United Airlines Flight 93, I was preparing to give the keynote address to the North Carolina Telephone Association Executives Conference at the Pinehurst Hotel.

The ominous reports began arriving seconds before I stepped to the microphone. The executives, with only sketchy details of what was happening, decided that I should go on with my remarks.

As I looked out over my audience at this pivotal moment in our national experience, I felt a brotherly solidarity with the people in that room. We were Americans. And I knew that whatever the threat, whatever the origin of this instant of infamy, this nation – our country – would endure and excel.

I am an American by conviction, North Carolinian by choice. When I came to the United States as a penniless youth, I knew – even before I knew the language – that this was my country. I had to fill out 38 forms, side A & B, to become an American, and I’ve told 6,000 audiences over the last 35 years how thankful we all should be to live in a land so abundant in material and spiritual riches.

As I look back over the decade that has passed since that awful morning, I remind our family at High Point University how heartened we all should feel of patriotic sentiment from Americans of all races, creeds, and economic levels.

As I have crisscrossed America to address audiences in all corners of the land, I have spotted a heartwarming trend. I find myself much more often flanked by the national colors as I stand on the podium. I hear the National Anthem played much more frequently. And I have noticed the re-emergence of our “Second National Anthem,” the poignant call to patriotism sounded by Irvin G. Berlin in 1938 “while the storm clouds gather from across the sea”: God Bless America.

That song became the unofficial anthem of September 11, 2001, and it expresses not only a hope but also a fact: God has blessed America in manifold ways. It’s a fact that we seem to acknowledge most fervently in moments of national danger or distress, but it’s something we should keep in our hearts in good times and bad.

We are a strong people, a tough and stable alloy forged from the mettle of many lands. You need only run down a list of the victims of 9-11-01 to sense the aptness of the motto stamped on our coins. E. pluribus unum – “Out of Many, One.”

Since September 11, 2001, we have demonstrated anew the essential integrity of this blessed land. We have survived the attack, learned from it, and committed ourselves to work together to protect this country without sacrificing our freedom and values – even in tough economic times.

Our hearts go out to the families of the victims. We salute them and their loved ones with our prayers, our support, and our desire to help rebuild that which was so unfairly destroyed.

Every day I thank God for the gift of freedom I enjoy as an American, for the blessing of purposeful work, and for the joy that stems from being a member of a vibrant and growing community. At High Point University we honestly proclaim that we are a God, family, and country school. Our United Methodist Church roots define our values.

It’s clear to me that by embracing the dream and applying our efforts and talents, we can have success and significance, happiness and joy, balance in business and life. With open hearts and willing souls, we can create abundance from adversity and cross the difficult chasms of life with faith and fortitude. It is never easy. But it is possible.

I am eternally grateful to my country for opening these possibilities to me. I have made it my endeavor to repay this great land for the kindnesses it has rendered me and the opportunities it has offered me. So may we all.

Dr. Nido R. Qubein is president of High Point University and chairman of
Great Harvest Bread Company.

On this day and throughout the weekend just consider that despite our challenges and differences we are truly the most fortunate and blessed people on the planet.

John & Bev