A friend of mine told me a story the other day of a recent interview she had.  She had been looking for an edge, or maybe just a slightly open door to work her way up the corporate ladder.  For years, she had been networking and sending her resume at every chance.  Finally the break she needed appeared. 

After exchanging greetings with the hiring authority, the manager said, “So you are looking to move up and want a promotion, eh?”

 “Absolutely!  Doesn’t everyone?” Expressed my friend. 

The manager looked at her and said, “Not everyone.” 

Many people are looking for an edge. They invest their time in a ‘top dollar’ education, outward appearances, networking, or anything that may help them emerge better than others.   They are their very own ad agencies and continually launch new campaigns. Everyone is seeking the magic formula that will lead to success. The more competitive the field, the more relentless the search.

Do you want to know the secret to moving up and getting to the top?  When the executive team raises the question, “Whom shall we send? Who will go for us?” Be the first to stand up and say, “Here I am. Send me.” 

Nearly everyone, if asked if they would like a promotion would say, “Yes.” However, few will actually do what it takes to get there.  They look for the handout or the short cut.  They look for the entitlement.  And, those approaches will fail every time. 

What is the key to success? I believe . . .

1. Vision/Determination
2. Work ethic/Willingness to exceed expectations
3. Leadership/ Because everything rises and falls on leaders

Most of all, it is being the one who stands up and says, “You can count on me.”

I like to read blogs from Gen-Yers. I partly read them because there is such an abundance of them. I also read them because Gen-Xers and Baby Boomers do not typically blog. However, I search out their opinions for wisdom, and if I do not find it online I buy their books.

Mostly, I read Gen-Yers blogs to learn from their perspective. To see things from another’s point-of-view (POV).

My dad use to say to me, “Son, always walk a mile is someone else’s shoes. Because then you will learn from their perspective and, if you want, you’ll have a new pair of shoes.” My father is a wise man. Jeff Foxworthy, he may not be.

Let me give you a little background for understanding on where I am coming from. Depending on who you ask, I am either the last of the Gen-Xers or the first of the Gen-Yers.

Like so many other Gen-Yers, I blasted out of college and thought I was going to change the world. Look at me world. Here I am! I laced up my running shoes and bolted for the door. However, just like to birds in the Windex commercial, I found the glass had been freshly cleaned and I abruptly slammed into the sliding glass door window. Life had given me a good dose of reality.

I read a blog post this morning by a fellow blogger, Ryan Paugh. It is titled, Why I Won’t Regret Blogging Ten Years Later. I enjoy reading Ryan’s posts. He has really good perspective, and is a creative writer. Mostly I enjoy reading his posts because I have seen him mature and grow, and he has a very bright future ahead of him. I cannot say that for all the Gen-Y blogs I read.

After reading Ryan’s post, I thought I would offer two pieces of advice to Gen-Y based off a few common themes I read throughout various blogs.

Ryan raises a very good point when he says that he is put off by people who, “… think age and experience always trump a solid, well thought opinion.”

Let me tell you first hand, The young and the inexperienced have a vast amount of knowledge and information. Many times it is the youth and inexperience that makes them such good ideas.

I think what Ryan is saying is that experience does not always mean you have the most knowledge, and that even the young and inexperienced can have good ideas. He is right.

Don’t ever stop asking questions. What many young adults are trying to say is, “Hey, just listen to me and give me a chance. I believe you will be pleasantly surprised.” Everyone wants someone to simply listen.

Sometimes Age Comes Alone

I wrote a blog a while back that was motivated by an older gentleman who said to me, “To be old and wise… One must first be young and stupid” He was offended because I called him out for saying one thing and doing another. He was embarrassed and tried to insult me by saying this.

His comment suggests that if you are young and stupid, and you hang in long enough, you will arrive and grow wise with age. That quote, however, can be misleading and one day a person can wake up and find that life has left them behind.

Growth is not an automatic process. You do not go to bed at night, lay down, fall asleep, and wake up the next day a little farther ahead than you were yesterday. Nothing is to be expected and no one is entitled to anything.

Growth needs to be a daily process if you are to mature and become wise, and one way to grow is to offer your ideas, test them, and see if you can give them wings.

Age and experience are not the end-all-be-all. Dr. John Maxwell, a leadership expert and trainer says it like this, “Age does not necessarily mean someone is mature or experienced. Age and experience are not the best teachers. Evaluated experience is the best teacher.” (SideBar: If you are looking for leadership material, check out Dr. Maxwell. He is the best in the business)
If you do not have enough experience, borrow from someone who has Evaluated Experience. Learn from them, evaluate their experience and make it your own.

There Is No Such Thing As A Helicopter Boss

This may come as a surprise to many, but I believe helicopter parents have done a huge injustice to their children. They have poorly prepared their children for the real world.

You, me, our friends – we are not the center of the universe. The world does not revolve around us, as our parents did. We are not entitled to anything. Like all those who came before us, the cream rises to the top, and if you are not the cream you will not rise to the top.

Learn to live by the world’s rules, and if you don’t like it – start your own game. When you play in someone else’s game you play by their rules.

When you go into the workplace, you will find there is no such thing as a helicopter boss. He or she is not going to revolve around you catering to your every little need.

Gen-Y wants to achieve credibility and trust, but they attempt to demand it.

You do not achieve credibility or respect by demanding it. Nor do you achieve it by bending the rules to be in your favor. You achieve credibility by delivering on someone else’s expectations. If you want to impress someone, over deliver on his or her expectations; not your own.

If you believe you are entitled to something, YOU ARE WRONG. You earn it. Some call it paying your dues. Dues can be paid slowly or, for the bright-ones, the dues can be paid quickly. You choose which path you want to take.

Here is the issue with thinking you are entitled. When I first entered the business world it was not my ambition or passion to become a leader that turned people off. It was my tone. And my tone stemmed from my belief I was entitled. I learned because of this attitude people perceived me as arrogant, and this held me back for a short time.

Today I realize I am not entitled to anything. I still have the same passion and ambition. The difference is: I understand I have to work hard for and earn the respect of others, and that makes all the difference in the world. It will move you from being perceived as arrogant to confident.

Do you want to be listened to? The truth is no one wants to listen to a know-it-all, arrogant little brat.

If you want to get ahead and be respected as a young adult, perception is everything. If you are not getting what you want, maybe, you are sending a negative perception of yourself.

Think about it.

[The following is a short exerpt from my forthcoming book, The Modern Leader: 8 Rules For Tomorrow's Top Leaders, due to be released later this year.]

Leadership training professionals such as A.L Williams call it being a ‘Two Percenter’; Dr. John Maxwell declares it being a ‘Champion, and Mark Sanborn would call you a leader with a ‘little l‘. All of them would be referring to becoming a master motivator.

A master motivator is someone who excels at illustrated leadership, a term I use for leading by example. It is simply the greatest motivator of all time. Without the need to say a word, leaders can effectively influence others. They understand that a person’s perception of you is driven by your actions and are constantly developing their motivational skills.

Actions are the magic ingredient to making leadership better.

I have found that people want to do business with companies and individuals who follow through with their Core Values, not merely print them on their website or claim they are values they hold. They live them daily.

One day, I needed to have some work done on my wife’s wedding jewelry. I took it back to the store where I had purchased it. Like so many other businesses, they had their ‘Customer Dedication Policy’ proudly displayed on the wall. However, it is not what I could see but what I was not supposed to see that keeps me doing business with this jeweler.

On a back-office dry erase board, a hand-written note expresses the essence of a master motivator brilliantly. It simply read, “Every job is a reflection/self portrait of the person who did it. Autograph your work with excellence.”

The sign got me thinking, “Do I autograph my life with excellence?” A leader’s mark of excellence is not what they say but what they do. There is no better way to display illustrated leadership than letting your actions paint a self-portrait of yourself.

[Exerpt from The Modern Leader: 8 Rules For Tomorrow's Top Leaders. Due to be released Late 2008. Helping leaders find their voice of influence. Gen-Y to Baby Boomers will love this candid look at being one of tomorrow's top leaders.]

This post is dedicated to how the little things add up.

I was fortunate enough in my youth to grow up with a father who was a financial guru, and instilled in me some very useful qualities regarding finances. In fact, one of the most useful is simply being smart with money.

I risked everything and purchased my first home at 23. Shortly thereafter, I began investing any additional money I saved in my 401k or mutual funds. At the time, I really did not see the benefits, but now only a few years later I can see the why my dad always taught me to save and invest.

I remember our family financial model was built on the Rich Dad Poor Dadplatform or The Millionaire Next Door, long before there were either. My siblings and I also lived under a hood of Micro-saving that included extreme measures such as enjoying one McDonald’s cheeseburger, sharing fries, and drinking water while all the other kids ate happy meals. Am I any worse off for it today? Not one bit, in fact, that lesson has been enormously valuable especially in the current economy.

Right now, it does not matter whether you are a low-income earner or Warren Buffet everyone has their eye on the United State Economic future. With constantly rising gas prices, the sub-prime debacle, Wall Street bailouts, and constant bombardment of an impending recession it can be a little overwhelming.

After enjoying a few years of financial pleasure, my wife and I struggled in 2007. Her business is dependent on a strong real estate market and Denver, where we live, was one of the hardest hit with foreclosures and collapsing market values. Our income significantly reduced and our savings diminished. As we crested the mountain that was 2007 and gazed towards the horizon for a sign of a break in the gloomy financial weather, we could see nothing by black clouds on the horizon. One thing was clear; we were going to have to take measures into our own hands.

I remembered the lessons my father instilled in me and a comment I once heard, “If you want to change, you are going to have to change something you do daily”.

One thing I love about the internet is how easy it is to let your bills and money take care of themselves by having your salary directly deposited into your account and all of your bills and investments automatically deducted from your checking/saving account. However, this can have its drawbacks. If you do not pay attention to your bills, you may be spending money un-necessarily.

Last month my wife and I sat down to Micro-scrub our spending habits and the result was what I call Micro-savings. What is easy to overlook is how the little things can make a big difference.

The following are three areas I recommend scrubbing to potentially put more money in your pocket without sacrificing a thing.

Utilities – Take a look at your utility bills. Are they unnecessarily high or are you paying for features that are un-necessary.

One example would be, my wife and I saw that we had two cell phones used for almost all our calls, and a landline that was being un-used. So we canceled the land line and saved.

Last year we also moved our cell phone plans from individual carriers to a family plan on one carrier. However, we did not know how many minutes we were going to need. Not wanting to pay overage charges, we chose the 2000 minutes a month plan. After allowing some time to gauge our usage, we have accrued over 10,000 roll-over minutes. So, we have cut back our cell phone plan to 1400 minutes and saved.

Do you have any other utilities that you can cut back on without sacrificing use? Look it over, I bet you do.

Amenities – These are what I consider ‘Special Spending’. Items that just make you feel better such as memberships, subscriptions, or pampering that are going unused?

For my wife and I, once we found out we are expecting our second child she was not going to be using our gym membership as frequently as before over the next year. So, we put her membership on hold and saved. In addition, I canceled subscriptions to magazines that I really was not reading. Besides I can get the same content from their website and SHHHHHHH, this is a secret, it is free.

Do you have amenities that you could cut back on, change to a new program, or remove that would save you additional coin?

Self Disciplined costs or ‘Risky Business’ – the final cost cutting plan has to do with areas that take extreme discipline or the willingness to accept the consequences if you blow it.

They involve your insurance deductibles on home, renters, or auto insurance. One area I took into consideration was my auto deductible. Insurance professionals do not recommend ever making an auto claim on anything under $1000.00 so why not raise your deductible to $1000.00. Yahoo has a great article on this for more info.

The risk is that if you have to make a claim it is going to cost you more out of pocket. However, if you are a safe driver you could potentially save money.

After everything was all said and done, my wife and I have saved quite a bit of money. Money we were simply giving to the billing companies. Since we do not have any debt, we are going to reinvest that money and put it to work for us. You may be able to do the same by Micro-scrubbing your bills improving your financial outlook by Micro-saving.

Now here is my last suggestion, which may draw a series of boos from the crowd. DO NOT SPEND THAT MONEY ON FRIVEROULOUS ITEMS! It will be very tempting to blow that money; however, I recommend using it to pay down debt or investing it in a mutual fund, 401k, or IRA.

Finally, here is where I may sound like a commercial, but it is true – Talk to your financial advisor to find out the right option for you.

Having money will not make you happier, but not having debt will.

This is a good basic budget worksheet to help get you started. Or this one from Fidelity

I bet when you read the title you said it the same way Clint Eastwood says it in Dirty Harry: Sudden Impact.

The real power of that title is not hid behind a Smith & Wesson model 29 .44 Magnum. It is found in the reality of its attainment.

I am not by nature a mean person. Some day’s I just wake up on the wrong side of the bed or I allow something to affect me negatively. Ruminating on it instead of shrugging it off. I replay the incident in my head over and over resulting in a bad attitude.

To make matters worse, I often store it in my back pocket and use it as ammunition to self-justify when someone finally calls me on my unkindness. This very destructive habit can cause you to lash out at innocent people.

It is not that I am bad really. It is just that I have a practice of handing off my bad attitude by poking fun at or possibly insulting someone else. The good news is that it can be broken.

One of my personal goals in 2008 is to work on my attitude and kindness. Right now, I would rate myself at 7 out of 10, which is far better than I would have rated myself in the past, but I still have a long way to go. At a minimum, I should be operating at 8 out of 10.

I am not sure why we do it really. It seems silly and immature. Psychologists would say that we poke fun or insult others because of “displaced aggression or the kick-the-dog effect”. You have a bad day at work so you pass-the-buck to someone else in an attempt to feel better, but in reality with each insult we are micro-fractionally lowering our own self-esteem further.

Whatever the reasoning, I recognize this behavior to be unhealthy and unproductive, and certainly not becoming of a leader. That is exactly why I am working on changing. I read an inspiring story the other day that sparked an plan. Let me share with you the story.

Late one night while traveling in an unfamiliar city, Tony Campolo wandered into a diner where the only customers were a group of prostitutes. He overheard one of them say that tomorrow was her birthday. The next night he came back with a cake and a sign that read, ‘Happy Birthday, Agnes.’ Campolo said, “the door swung open and in came Agnes…never have I seen a person so flabbergasted. Her eyes moistened…and she started to cry.” Tony Campolo made her day.

I realized from this story that I have the ability to make someone’s day. Regardless of their outward appearance, outward emotional appearance, or my poor attitude. Without spending a dime, I can improve another’s day and possibly mine too.

After reading the Campolo story, I decided to pay a compliment, at the very least, to one unsuspecting person every day.

That evening, as the day was winding down, I had yet to make someone’s day. My wife and I had gone out to dinner and stopped off at Office Depot on the way home for a few supplies.

As we were checking out I noticed the cashier was a little shy, soft spoken, and introverted. In a way, she reminded me of the actress in the hit TV show Ugly Betty. I noticed her nametag said ‘Rebekah’. It was spelled a little differently that the traditional ‘Rebecca’.

I looked right at her and said, “That is a beautiful way you spell your name. It makes you very unique.”

Her face lit up as she said, “THANK YOU!” Then she became a little embarrassed and quickly looked down again. I couldn’t help but notice her facial expression never let go of that bright smile as her hands now danced as she counted back our change.

If you are like me, and I hope that you are not, many times you wait for someone else to treat you right before you treat him or her right. Or worse, you hand off your dirty laundry to them in an attempt to make yourself feel better.

Don’t wait! Be the first to brighten someone’s day and you will be amazed how good it makes you feel.

Mark Sanborn, author of You Don’t Need a Title to be a Leader, says in his book, “You don’t help others when you feel good. You feel good when you help others.”

Great Leaders often lift others and raise them up to join in life’s celebration.

My Brother emailed me just this picture the other day.  I printed it out and taped it to the wall above my office desk and it got me thinking…

… and I just can’t get it out of my mind. 

Which one are you, the lion or the gazelle?

Some of my best memories are from when I was a radio DJ.  I worked my way up from the early morning graveyard shift to a job in commercial radio, and it was during this time I learned a lot about people, business, and myself.

Here is how what I learned will help you: 

Be True To Yourself

You can please some of the people all of the time, or all of the people some of the time – but never both. 

My introduction to radio came when I was working at our school’s Television station.  The radio station manager, Laney, watched one of my shows and suggested I do double duty in radio as well.  She said, “You have a good radio voice and we have an opening for a DJ.”  I gave it a little thought and accepted. 

The problem was - I did not know how to be a DJ.

Since my first shift on the radio was from 3am – 6am, I was certain that no one was listening.  If they were, they were only listening for the music and not any of my commentary.  So, I started to try on different personalities like they were clothes.  I went through more personalities than Beyonce does wardrobe changes at one of her concerts.

My frustration must have showed because Laney called me into her office.   I remember exactly what she said to me, “James. People like you just as you are. That is why I asked you to be on air.  Do not try to be someone you are not.  Be yourself, and you will be just fine.” 

Those were inspirational words.  Once I quit trying to be someone everyone would like all the time and just started to be myself, both the show and my confidence improved.

Lesson Learned: Do not try to change who you really are, it is what makes you unique.

Know Your Audience

As soon as I began to progress and gain confidence behind the microphone, a very sought after specialty show position opened.  Friday nights 8-11pm.  I was given the position.

I also was very nervous.  This was a popular timeslot because, in a college town, Friday night meant tons of parties, and I was responsible for the musical entertainment.  We took things very seriously because we were rated the Number 1 radio station in the listening area, and this was competing against major market Denver commercial radio stations. 

This audience would be so much different from my 3am audience.  But, it was my job to know who would be listening and what their agenda was.  If I understood who was listening then I could meet their needs.

Lesson Learned:  Never walk into a test without doing your homework.   

Take Risks

I write in my book, Developing a Million-Dollar Relationship, about how important security is for relationships. 

In radio, being secure means having a solid listener base, keeping them listening, and not making a fool out of yourself.  However, when you take a risk you create margins.  The truth is, security is not freedom from risk, but rather it is freedom to risk. 

By my senior year, I was a full time DJ.  It was a far cry from my weekly ’specialty show’.  Where was I going to come up with material to fill so many shows? I thought for awhile, and remembered something a mentor once told me.  When you do not have alot of experience borrow from those that do. 

One morning, I was walking down the hall and our new, quiet, yet extremely personable station manager, Ryan, was walking towards me.  I thought  he would compliment me when, without slowing down, he said, “I heard your show today.  It sounded a lot like so-and-so’s show, and I think he is dull.” 

Wow! What a blow to my ego.

I then worked hard to come up with original material.  When something worked well, I would add it to my arsenal to use again later. 

One day, I had a great show. Feeling good about myself, I was walking out of the studio when in walks Ryan.  He said, “Heard your show today.  You said the same thing on last Thursday’s show, and I thought that one was boring too. Take some risks already.” 

Ryan was not trying to be ugly; he wanted me to get out of my comfort zone.  I took some risks, and in the end, taking risks allowed me to produce a widely popular show. 

Lesson Learned:  Sometimes without risk, there is no growth

Review Your Progress 

To some, the hardest thing a DJ has to do for the first time is speak to the large listening audience, all of whom are invisible to you.

For me this was not the case.  While pressing the on-air button for the first time scared the hell out of me, the hardest thing for me to do the first time was review my show. 

Every time I hit the On-Air button, I taped myself on what we called ‘the skimmer’.   Once a week all the DJ’s would meet, review, and analyze each other’s work.  It was uncomfortable, because you knew you would have to replay those bad moments you hoped no one heard. 

However, every time I did this my show would improve and I would sharpen my skills.   

Lesson Learned:  Some say experience is the best teacher.  I say, Evaluated Experience is the best teacher.

Believe In Yourself

There is a fine line in show business between being cocky and being confident, but the one thing I know is that having confidence in yourself will get you further.

What is the difference?  Cockiness comes from walking into a situation unprepared, failing, and learning nothing from it.  You can witness this on American Idol when the judges tell someone they just do not have what it takes and the auditioner yells what an a$$7o!3 Simon is.

Confidence stems from preparing to the best of your ability and giving an authentic performance.  Confidence does not mean you succeed everytime, but it gives you the ablility to learn from your mistakes and improve.  Without confidence, you will simply defeat yourself and never reach your desired goal.  However, with confidence, you will be able to reach your goals. Because you believe in yourself. 

Confidence is what gives the audience a reason to believe in you. 

Lesson Learned: You have to believe in yourself before anyone else ever will.

Who you are, you are now becoming.

Nobody was created for mediocrity.  We may not all be created equally, nor can everyone be a celebrity or able to make millions.  You can witness that simply by watching the auditions for American Idol.  But each of those people have a purpose.

Furthermore, neither were the wealthy created to be mediocre. 

Regardless of your income or social standing, when you sit back and simply allow life to take its course without finding your purpose in it, you are living a mediocre life.  We all have a place in and a purpose for our life.  It is a gift we each hold within. 

The question is…What are you doing to nurture that gift?  It is my opinion that each of us is either the key to or the lock on the door to our future.  Our daily actions will either move us toward or further from our dreams and purpose.

What are your dreams?  What are you doing to nurture them and find your place in this world? 

James Allen, author of As a Man Thinketh, says, “You are what you think about all day.” Who you are, you are now becoming, and when you decide to step toward your dream you have been created for, you are literally declaring your future.

So get on with your bad self, and live an extraordinary life!

I prefer not to be referred to as an expert. 

Seems silly, I know. By definition, someone considered an ‘expert’ possesses a special skill or knowledge in some particular field, a specialist, or an authority.  Sounds first-class and would be a badge-of-excellence anyone should be proud to wear.  However, it is the connotations, not the definition, that I think of that hold me back from wishing to be an expert. 

Is it just me, or have you also noticed that everyone seems to be an expert these days?  I read weblogs where the author writes they are a ‘self-described expert’.  That comment always provides me with a good chuckle, and is precisely why it is not the primary meaning of the word that keep me from liking it, rather, the misuse, abuse, and insinuations that are associated with it. 

Don’t get me wrong, when someone refers to me as an expert, I am flattered.  They are just paying me a complement; however, you will never hear me call myself an expert.

I do not want you to misunderstand, I am not trying to insult anyone who calls himself or herself an expert.  I simply feel that when you refer to yourself as an expert it can hinder your ability to be a leader.  Here are five reasons why being an expert can hold back your leadership’s maximum potential:

Being an expert signifies you have arrived.  Do you remember the story of the turtle and the hare?  The hare believes he is so fast, he becomes arrogant and overly confident and he stops to rest.  (Why? Because he has arrived in his own mind.)  And while he sleeps the turtle steadily pushes along and wins the race.  I bet to this day, the turtle never stopped going. 

Leaders should consider themselves a Turtle.  They should just keep moving along, learning everything they can along the way.  Why? Because when people chose to follow your example, they will only go as far as you go.   As you grow and improve, so will those you lead.  A leader never arrives. 

Being an expert says you are a know-it-all, and have nothing left to learn. The only people I would consider calling experts were a few of my college professors.  Attending college for an undergraduate degree was as much about learning new skills toward your intended profession, as it was about critical thinking.  God Forbid, you ever question a thought your professor wrote in one of their personally drafted, excellently perfected textbooks.  After all, you are simply an eighteen year old, and they have been around long enough to have debated with Socrates himself. 

Being a Know-it-all is the Achilles Heal of leaders, because it gives off the impression:

• They are much better than the ‘little people’.
• They did it without the assistance of others.
• They arrive at their destination without others.
• They would like to separate themselves from everyone else. 

Being an expert often creates close-mindedness. Aristotle once said, “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”   When you are an close-minded, it will cause you to be defensive and protect your knowledge at all costs.  How can you be open-minded when you are defensive? 

Jon Wooden taught his team best when he said, “It is what you learn after you know it all that counts.”

Being an expert signifies you are above everyone else.  Have you ever heard the comment, “it is lonely at the top”?  Anyone who has ever been a good leader knows this is not true.  When you are a leader, you surround yourself with your team and utilize the strengths of every member to complete the task.  Therefore, to lead effectively you can never be above your team. Realistically, when you have a good team, who needs to be an expert?

Being an expert often leads to giving a person an ego and makes them prideful.  An oversized ego or a person’s pride is their greatest enemy.  When a person is prideful they are more concerned with whom is right, rather than what is right. 

By contrast, Character, is a leader’s best friend.  Character is the predetermined values, ethics and morals, not associated with a specific religion, culture or country, that a leader chooses to engrave into their personality. 

Of those qualities, humility, may be one of the most important.  Humility is the quality or condition of being humble; modest opinion or estimate of one’s own importance.  When you have an ego, it directly conflicts with this quality and causes Prideful Issues:

• You will believe you can never fail.
• You will believe that rules do not apply to you.
• You will reflect a negative attitude to the team.
• You will disconnect from the team.

How can you look at yourself with a critical eye when you are egotistical and prideful?

It is my opinion, that when you refer to yourself as an expert, you will hold yourself back from achieving your greatest potential.  You will mentally stall yourself and slow down your ability to grow. You may even find yourself lying by the roadside sleeping while others pass you by.

I love this quote by Earl Nightingale, I used it in one of my recent posts, “If you spend an hour a day on any given subject.  After five years your will become an expert.”  What he is really saying is not that after five years you will arrive and can prance around bragging about everything you know.  He was really saying that growth is not a routine progression, and you should continue to grow, learn, and achieve new things - indefinately. 

Isn’t that what we are all striving to do… to reach our maximum potential?  In fact, that is one of the goals of this blog.  To help you reach your maximum potential, and I cannot do that if I do not continue to improve.  That is why you will always hear me refer to myself as a permanent student. Or sometimes, a scholar, meant in the most informal of terms: a student; pupil.

I will leave you with this quote from Paul Harvey, one of America’s most beloved storytellers, about his good friend Earl Nightingale, “Earl never let a day go by that he didn’t learn something new and, in turn, pass it on to others.  It was his consuming passion.”  As a leader, I hope it will be yours to.

Š

I believe that growth is not an automatic process.  If you want to grow, change, or improve you have to make a conscious decision to learn.  Earl Nightingale says, “If you focus on one topic for 1 hour a day, after 5 years, you will become an expert.”

I am not so sure about that.  I think I could spend the rest of my life training to be a comedian and I do not ever think I would ever be funny.

I like to learn; it helps me think.  Every time I learn something new, I commit it to memory by telling someone else or journaling it in order to use it again. 

About two years ago I subscribed to - Doctor Dictionary - and everyday when I open my email the Word of the Day is waiting for me.  Most of the time I learn words I will never use again (they are much too big for me), but that is OK, they are helping me grow and improve my vocabulary. 

I never have been the most talented writer.  My gifting is in oral communication more than written, but I suppose it is working better than I think.  My writing is improving; however, my book editor says I am starting to sound like a ‘college professor’. 

         Great! I am trying to become a better writer and I am sounding like some crotchety old professor and my readers are falling asleep.

Oh well, I guess it is time to work on being more conversational in my writing. At least, it is something to work toward. Who knows, maybe in 5 years I will be a little better.

Happy Belated New Year!

Well it is back to work after taking the last week and a half off. (Dec 21 - Jan 2) And, I have to admit, it was time well taken. 

I am ready to take on the New Year, 2008, the year of New Beginnings, and I am ready in large part because of the time I take off over the holidays.  So, I thought I would share with you why I take vacation at the end of the year and always will:

1. Tradition!: I can almost here the old man in Fiddler on the Roof singing those words now …TRADITION.  Ever since I graduated college I have taken the week of Christmas off, and there is no need to stop now because it always sling shots me into the new year ready to accomplish my goals, help others, and enjoy the holiday.Part of the time I spend in Quality Time with my wife and child, some of the time I spend in the mountains enjoying a face full of fresh powder, and some of the time I spend in preperation.  Nevertheless, it is a great tradition to have. 
2. Reflection: I am not going to lie, 2007 was a tough year for my family and me.  We faced many great challenges professionally and personally.  But, wisdom tells me that we will go through many trails in our lives and it is through those trials that we develop persistence and perseverance.  (This year a little more than others :))

   John Maxwell, a prominent teacher on leadership and author tells us, “experience alone does not make you better, but only through evaluated experience do we grow.”

   Some of my trials were just life, and some of my trials were based on my own decisions.  During this time off, I spent some time thinking back over the year and reflecting on the highs and the lows, and looking for insight on how to improve in either case.  Evaluating my experience and thinking how to make the following year a good one? 

3. Quality Time: The holidays come but once a year, and, while I have heard it argued by many bloggers this holiday that they would rather work than spend time with family, I disagree.

   I will be the first to admit that my family and I do not always see eye to eye. I am the youngest in the family and many times, even though I am now a respectable adult with a family, I am still treated as such. In fact, most of the time we don’t get along, but that does not mean I love them any less.  And is no reason why we should forget spending time together.

   My wife, the wise woman that she is, told me this year that I could make the time with my family whatever I choose - good or bad.  She further explained that I could spend the day with them grumpy and upset over past hurts or I could spend the day removing our differences, focusing on our similarities, enjoying their presence, repairing and rebuilding relationships long overdue.  What a wise woman she is. 

   I also spend much needed time with my wife.  She is my best friend. During this holiday we spend our time enjoying one another, reflecting on our year, and making plans for the new year.

4. To Prepare: I have a great deal I want to accomplish this year, and one way of insuring I see it through is by setting goals.  These are not New Year’s resolutions. These are much more than that.

   My wife and I take time to establish Professional Goals, Personal Goals, and TeamWork Goals.  We can then encourage each other along the way.  Once I establish major goals, I create smaller markers that serve two purpose:

         1st - they help me track that I am moving towards that larger goal.

         2nd - they help keep me motivated.  I know I am most likely the only person who does this, but sometimes when I am not getting somewhere fast enough I have a tendency to want to quit.  However, establishing these smaller markers improve my motivation and help me leap frog to the next one. 

   Like this year, for instance, I plan to release another book. 

5. In Honor: I am a Christian, and the Christmas holiday is a time of year that I honor a man who walked the earth 2000 years ago, to accomplish one thing - He was an atonement for me.  During this time of year I honor his birth and the fact that he loved me so much he was willing to lay down his life for me. Everyone has differing beliefs and I respect their opinions, but for me this is a special time of year. 

The end of the year signifies a New Beginning, and while it would be easy to push through and work during this time, I use it to Reflect, Remember, and Prepare for the upcoming year.  I am very excited about what 2008 has to offer.  I wish each and every one of you a magnificent year.

A few weeks ago my wife and I needed to take our wedding bands back to the jewelry store we purchased them from to get a check up and keep our warranty up-to-date.  While I was standing at the counter I was pleasantly surprised by the hand written sign in the back office on a dry erase board. 

It was not written for the customers to see, it was written for the staff to see and be inspired by.  However, when I saw it I knew we had made the right choice in purchasing our jewelry.

The Sign Read: Every Job is a Reflection of the person who did it.  Autograph your work with Excellence.

I wish I could say that all businesses I have purchased items from operate under this standard.  In fact, it seems like fewer and fewer businesses do.  But, there is light at the end of the tunnel.  I have seen a new standard of leaders rising above and not tolerating a low standard.  True Leaders, whether titled or un-titled, operate using this standard of excellence.  The do not allow the public standard or the lowered standards of their peers sway them from delivering 100%.

Do you want to get ahead?  Do you want to have a successful business, make more money, influence your boss, get a promotion, build a solid reputation or something else?  To achieve a higher standard you have to be a higher standard. 

The rewards from operating under the highest standard are:

• A Clear Conscience 
• A Great Reputation
• Increased Trust
• Humility
• Integrity
• Credibility
• Character

So - how do you operate?  Do you autograph your work with excellence or do you do just enough to stay ahead of the next person?

“It’s kinda fun to do the impossible,” proclaimed Walt Disney. Speaking on the accomplishment of his Disney Empire, and to the opposition he received.  Those individuals who you will find happiest dream big dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true. 

I read a book that re-established my belief in dreaming, The Dream Giver, by Bruce Wilkinson. While the overall theme of the book is Christian, it lays out perfectly how to overcome the obstacles and live the life you were created for. Wilkinson acts as a “ Dream Coach”, counseling readers on how to achieve their own Big Dreams though facing their fears, enduring hardships, and realizing their full potential.

The greatest men and women who achieved great things in life started with a simple dream, that to some seem insurmountable.

• Erik Weihenmayer dreamed of climbing Mt. Everest, and many thought that this may not be the best idea. However, Weihenmayer did not  let them or a debilitating disease that left him totally blind at the age of 13 hold him back reaching the summit of the world’s highest peak.
• Pastor Joel Osteen, Senior pastor of Lakewood Church, dreamed of one day moving his church into the Compaq Center in Houston. A feat that he will tell you took, “a great amount of Faith.”  Today he pastors one of the largest churches in America and is an inspirational leader to many more.
• Jake Burton, founder of Burton Snowboards, spent many long hours in his garage in the early stages of his dream, and has since developed the largest and most successful line of snowboarding equipment ever.

All dreams, combined with determination, propelled them to achieve each one.

In his book, You Don’t Need a Title to be a Leader, Mark Sanborn outlines in one of his chapters that in order to achieve your goals you must implement and execute. “Intent without action is only a daydream,” Sanborn states. I could not agree more.  Execution and implementation are the first steps in achieving your dream and as philosopher Lao Tzu once noted, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with the 1st step.”

The difference between a good idea and a bad idea is found in the implementation of the dream. You will encounter opposition and challenges, even potential failure, as your progress towards your dream, but the truth is that you will strike out 100% of the time when you never swing. However, do not let the ultimate success or failure of the dream be the determining factor of your success. Success is a journey not a destination, and if one dream may fall and shatter don’t be afraid to pick up one of the pieces and begin again.

Most importantly, do not let anyone steal your dream or delay you from taking your first step. Because, who knows, it might be fun to do the impossible.

Leadership by any given definition is nothing more than simply your level of influence on someone else.  Unbeknownst to most people it is not a title or position given by others.  Being an entry-level worker does not make you any less of a leader than a CEO, and certainly having the title of CEO does not necessarily make you a strong leader.  You can be a powerful leader right where you are, and it is all based on your influence on others.  Dr. John C. Maxwell wrote a great book on becoming and being a leader called The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, or Mark Sanborn’s book You Don’t Need a Title to be a Leader.

One man who, through his influence, has made an indelible impact on those he is around is Tony Dungy, head coach of the World Champion Indianapolis Colts.  Of my observations of Coach Dungy, I have noticed that he has two powerful traits that every leader should have in their toolbox if they want to make an impact on others.  Dungy is able to influence his players, fans, coaches, and NFL through his unique style of leadership - he serves those he leads.  He is a role model, and he affects his players by serving their interests rather than imposing his rule.  He lives his life by the example: Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.  Living his leadership by example is the loudest way for Dungy to be an effective leader. 

The two traits that Dungy carries in his leadership toolbox are that he is an Agent of Change and his leadership is a Catalyst.  Two ‘Free’ traits everyone should posses.  First, Dungy is an Agent of Change.  An Agent of Change is a person who intentionally causes a behavioral change.  Dungy infects his personnel with his servant leadership and causes them to have an intense desire to follow him - this provides the origin of the behavioral change.  Secondly, his leadership becomes the catalyst.  A Catalyst is a person or thing that precipitates an event or change.  When these two traits are combined - like mixing Mentos and Coke in a science experiment they cause a powerful reaction.  When it comes to leadership, the proper action can cause a powerful reaction in others.  But - like Mentos and Coke, each one needs the other to create the reaction - An Agent of Change needs a Catalyst as I will explain with the following calculations:

• Agent of Change - Catalyst = Direction without Propulsion
• Catalyst  - Agent of Change = Propulsion without a Destination
• Agent of Change + Catalyst = Rapid Acceleration toward your Vision or desired destination

An Agent of Change provides the direction and causes behavioral change.  While the Catalyst that helps you reach the goal is the passion or fuel that gets you there.  Try adding these two traits to your leadership toolbox and see what they can do for you.

Unless you been on a trip to the moon for the past month, it is nearly impossible to not know that the Colorado Rockies have been embarking on a magical run at the World Series.  And even if you have been traveling to the moon, it would be nearly impossible to not hear the volume of encouragement the fans have been giving them.  Colorado has officially renamed October - ROCKTOBER. 

Exactly one month ago the Rockies were a mere four (4) games above .500 and found themselves nearly out of contention in the bid for a playoff or Wildcard birth.  What the Rockies have accomplished since then is nothing short of miraculous, and I could easily spend the rest of this blog sharing the astronomical stats the Rockies compiled throughout the season, but they actually offer a fantastic model of Leadership X teamwork in motion. 

The Rockies no doubt have accomplished remarkable success this season - namely their astonishing run of winning 21 of their last 22 games, but what the Rockies have going for them is nothing more than Classical Mechanics working in their favor. 

Like a giant steamroller, the Rockies began to pick up speed as they entered the critical stretch of the season, and have flattened everything and everyone in their path.  The key ingredient to the Rockies success has been momentum, which is merely the byproduct of great leadership and teamwork.  But what is it that has given the Rockies so much momentum?  Simply the perfect execution of the Laws of Motion required to build momentum:

1.  Set a Vision - The Rockies established that, the vision, for their season would be set at winning the World Series.  But many times, visions at the start of the journey can loom like Mt. Everest, even if you are the Rockies, and require that a series of smaller more attainable goals are set.  With the achievement of each smaller goal, the Rockies were able to leapfrog their way to the next goal allowing each small success to build momentum for the next, thereby making each approaching goal easier.  Follow one success immediately with another to help build momentum and make the “Vision” attainable.

2.  The Buy-In - The vision must be the first principle set in gaining momentum, but next your must have the Buy-In of the whole team.  With each teammember focused on the same definite marker the Mass of the vision is set in motion with minimal internal forces affecting its path.

3.  The Inner Circle - The team has chemistry, there is no doubt about that, but more than chemistry, each player compliments and makes up for someone else’s weakness.  This allows each player to focus on and operate within their Strength Zone and figuratively removes any gaps because each players weakness is accounted for by the efforts of the whole team.  The Rockies stand by and define the acronym T.E.A.M - Together Everyone Achieves More.  They understand clearly that those closest to you will determine your success.

4.  The Law of Timing - Too many people, corporations, and teams attempt to rush their plans before the environment given to aid the plan has had time to set up.  Had the Rockies gone 21-1 at the start of the season it would have made for great headlines here in Denver, and amazing highlights on ESPN’s Sportscenter, but it would have been ill timed for their run at the Series.  When to plant is as important as knowing when to harvest. 

5.  No Dominating Hero - Many professional sports teams, and corporations for that matter, attempt to build a team around one star player. Clint Hurdle, the Rockies Manger, believed that his team would win through the collective effort of the entire team, not solely on an individual achiever. He chose players that would work together as a team, rather than try to be the hero. The players on the Rockies Roster are not the nations best players, a flaw many analyists saw as a weakness, yet Hurdle saw them for their potential as a team; not their individual potential.  His secret is TeamWork.

All of this is merely Newton’s Laws of Motion in action, which provides us with the mathematical equation P=MV.  Where P is Momentum, M is Mass and V is Velocity.  The higher the Mass and the faster the Velocity the more Momentum that is generated.  By using the Principles of Momentum identified in this blog, you can determine the Mass of the equation based off the size of your Vision, and you can determine the Velocity by the execution of the remaining four principles.  Thus you now can build momentum for yourself or your business. 

[Purchase your copy of my book - Developing a Million-Dollar Relationship: A Man's Strategy to a Real Relationship Now through October 31st for 25% off.  Just enter the Promotional Code Thanks during checkout to redeem your discount.]