A few weeks ago, I wrote about my belief that everyone is a leader, whether or not they would like to be.  (Read: School of Thought or A Way of Life?) That is because everyone has the obligation to lead at least one person in their life - themselves.  And when you do that well, simply by your actions, you are influencing other people; which by its very definition is Leadership. 

The problem is that too many people are not leading themselves; they are just allowing life to happen around them.  Yet, they too, through their actions and words are influencing others.  For example, I think everyone would agree the potential drunk driving and drug charges pending against Lindsey Lohan this past week would be poor judgments, yet they are influencing many people.  Just like gravity pulling every object down to itself, so do people with lower values become a constant pressure to compromise. 

In this blog, I want to talk about Who Is Influencing You?  All great leaders do not always lead.  Many times, they allow themselves to be influenced by their inner circle, and those closest to them determine a leaders potential.  It is my opinion that we choose whom it is that we allow ourselves to be influenced by. Many times outside influences can have a certain charisma and charm that can be drawing.  But people who influence you should have certain characteristics and predetermined values.  Those who do not have a predetermined set of values will find themselves expedient - this means that they are guided simply by what is advantageous and self-serving - rather than by principles. 

What this does not mean is that every decision made by someone who does have values is good, nor that every decision made by someone who has not set  their values makes bad judgments.  It only means that having values by which you stand by will provide you with the greatest chance of making good judgments.  Because you have something by which to make those decisions.

Temptation is a constant companion, but set values, like hardened cement, will be able to withstand the pressure.  Think of your life as a custom sailboat, built solely by your choices.  Values act as your sail and rudder in life.  When you do not have any values you will be blown to and fro by the passing storms and currents, and many times taken to places you never intended to go.  Our world is full of change - seasons change, goals change, friendships change - but values do not.  And it is by our values, principles, ethics, and beliefs that we can make sound judgments which, in turn, will allow you, or someone else, to be a person worthy of influence.  The success of anyone’s influence is the sum total of the quality of decisions they make on a daily basis. 

For these reasons, it is important to consciously understand who it is that is influencing you, as well as, understand how you may be influencing others.  For reference, the following is a list of predetermined values and ethics that great leaders posses, and that may aid you in understanding Who is Influencing you:

• Leaders posses Integrity
• Leaders make decisions based on their understanding of Right and Wrong
• Leaders decisions are consistent with their values and ethics
• Leaders are honest and trustworthy
• Leaders honor others and value them
• Leaders keep their word even if it means they take a loss
• Leaders are strong and stable

This message had been adapted from a speech given by Art Williams, Founder of A.L. Willimas & Associates, at the Regent University Global Leadership and Entrepreneurship student classes on November 14, 2006. His book Coach is available on Amazon.com. 

I read this lesson given by Art Williams the other day and found it resonated with me strongly.  The title is How to be a “Two Percenter”, and while the title alone did not grab all of my attention, the message did.  Best of all if focuses on how to succeed as a leader and an entrepreneur. 

Over the past twelve years, I have started many small businesses.  Some of them more successful than the others, but in hindsight I can see that their success was directly proportional to the amount of effort I put into the process before, during, and after.  Like a mathematical equation Time X Effort = Amount of Success.  Mr. Williams explains that a “Two Percenter” is someone who has survived the initial pressures of starting a business and has succeeded.  In other words, out of every 100 people who start a business, Mr. Williams believes only 2 will succeed.  Why?  Because those two people are the only ones who did/will do what was necessary to succeed. 

A great example of a “Two Percenter” is a friend of mine, a ‘TwentySomething’ young man who runs two successful businesses – one is a multi-million dollar privately held company and the other a real estate company. He has a hand written note stuck to his bathroom mirror in his home.  It reads, “I will do today what others will not, so that I can enjoy tomorrow what others cannot.” I quickly added this quote to my inspiration board. 

Let’s get back to Art Williams’s speech on How to Succeed as a “Two Percenter” in life and in business.  “Winning in business is a 10-year or 20-year game, and most people fail because they keep changing.  They are always looking for a quicker way, an easier way, and a way with the smallest amount of hard work,” said Mr. Williams. The following are bulleted highlights of his most significant habits to succeed. 

1. Simplify the Complicated – Success is based on a leader’s ability to zero in on the important matters.  They spend 90% of their time on important things and 10% on the rest.
2. Stand for Something – You have to believe in something and then you have to do what is right.  This is the basis for building character.
3. Be a Great Encourager – Be slow to anger and quick to praise.  Mary Kay [Ash] said, “The only thing more powerful than money or sex is praise and recognition.”
4. Win with your Heart and not Your Head – You have to love what you do rather than do something simply for monetary gain.  A.L Williams & Associates did not just sell life insurance; they believed they were correcting an injustice.
5. Be so Motivated it is Ridiculous – Passion is the fuel for motivation.
6. Have a Positive Attitude – Almost everybody can be positive/excited for two or three months, a few can be positive/excited for a few years, but a winner [Two Percenter] will stay positive/excited forever.
7. Have a “Can Do” Attitude – The two worst words in the English language are –“ I Can’t”
8. Make a Commitment – You cannot just test the waters and stick a toe in it.  You have to jump in with both feet.
9. Be a Big Dreamer – Never give up your hopes and dreams – EVER!
10. Be a Master Motivator – Nothing motivates more than getting involved and leading by example.
11. Be Disciplined – Do what you are supposed to do when you are supposed to do it.
12. Follow your Instincts – Follow your heart.

In summary, winners [Two Percenters] simply do it.  They will do today what others will not, so they can enjoy tomorrow what others cannot.

Believe it or not, you are a leader.

I do not know what silent thought just rushed through your mind, but for some of you it may have been, “No I am not!” or “Not Really” or “You Betcha”.  The truth is - everybody is a leader; like it or not.

I never really wanted to be a leader.  It seemed like too much work, and it actually appeared simpler to just sit back, follow, and let someone else make the hard decisions.  The dilemma that ensued was twofold:  most of the time I did not like the decisions others were making for me (but, if I did not help shape the decision, I had no authority to complain - right?), and when I wasn’t sitting with my arms crossed protesting like a young child who did not want to eat their spinach, I was usually chosen by others to be a leader.  A role that, if I was going to be asked to perform, I had better learn to do well.  Now, my passion has become learning to be a great leader.

Some believe in the school of thought, “leaders are born - not made”.  I disagree; no great leaders are ever born; only babies are born.  Leaders are made, and it is from there that my school of thought is birthed.  I stand by the leadership definition: Leadership is influence; nothing more and nothing less.

Whether or not you want to be a leader, in life, everyone has one person they must lead – Themselves. And whether you want to lead many or simply be a follower; you always have to at least be accountable for yourself. Life is nothing more that leading yourself so well that others cannot help but follow. Therefore, if your lead yourself well, you will influence others naturally; and by influencing others, you are leading. Thereby, making everyone a leader in some fashion or on some level. That raises the question: How are you influencing others?

I could never imagine how hard it would be to control others, as some leader’s attempt, when controlling myself is such a mammoth task.  Leading “others” in a formal fashion is a responsibility that not everyone is called to do, but everyone is called to, at the very minimum, lead themselves.  A true leader does not focus on leading others, they focus on leading themselves first and when you do that well, others will follow.  So - is being a leader really a school of thought or a way of life?

This week, and for the next few weeks, I want to stay on the topic of your thoughts, and how powerful, life defining, or life changing one thought can be. Today - on how the simplest word can make all the difference.

By now most of the world has seen the video circulating the web on Terje Haakonsen’s first descent down the Alaskan mountain named 7601. It is a short clip from the snowboarding film First Descent. (If you have not seen it I recommend watching it before reading further to get a better understanding of this lesson. It can be seen here - Terje’s First Descent) When this clip first hit the web my email was bombarded by my friends and colleagues asking me if I had seen it because they know one of my wife’s and my own passions in life is snowboarding. This video still gives me chills because I know first hand what it takes for this World Class Athlete to overcome his fears and succeed.

Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t - you’re right.” For a simple task, the price of thinking that you can’t do something is rather low. But using the video of Terje is the perfect example to illustrate how dangerous this simple word could be - one time or if it is made into a habit. For an action sports athlete the idea that you will ‘achieve what you believe’ is more than just a popular slogan designed for motivational speakers to give you something to get excited about, it is a way of life. One false thought or one negative mental image can mean life or death.

Long before Terje stood on top of 7601, the mountain named for its elevation, he had been thinking positive thoughts, and preparing himself for the challenges ahead.  Not so much outside of himself but from within.  He believed without a shadow of a doubt that he could ride this mountain, despite the dangers, and overcome his fear. He knew his limits and that in this particular case FEAR stood for the acronym: False Evidence Appearing Real. The ability to remove the negative thoughts that overcome you and replace them with positive thoughts and images are what separate you from those who do not.

The saddest words of the human language are: It might have been. These are immortal words of someone who was defeated by their thoughts but recognized that if they would have just said, “I can” they might have changed the world.

What the clip does not show you is that this is not the first time Terje and some of the other athletes featured in the film stood on top of 7601. Earlier in the film a team of athletes stood on the top weighing their options, and at that time the weather conditions proved to be too much for a First Descent. Wisely the team loaded back into the chopper and watched as the mountain got smaller and smaller out the window. Now he had to overcome not only the intial shock at seeing the dangers of the mountain, but he had to have the mental toughness to over come the fear twice. 

For Terje, he knew that the mountain was ridable and he chose to go back if the conditions were right. When the weather cleared and some of the dangers decreased, Terje once again set his sites on descending 7601. This time standing alone atop the peak Terje, with the power of positive thoughts and mental images, was able to tame the mountain and realize a dream come true. A reality that was only accomplished by denying the I can’t mentality.

While I recognize that snowboarding down a 55 degree mountain as dangerous as 7601 is not a gift/talent that everyone has, it does illustrate perfectly how powerful the mind can be and what can be accomplished when we remove the words ‘I can’t‘, ‘I won’t‘, ‘I am not good enough’ and replace them with the words ‘I can‘, ‘I will‘, ‘I am good enough‘. It is all in the power of your thoughts!

life

The great wisdom writer James Allen once said, “You are today where your thoughts have brought you. You will go tomorrow where your thoughts take you.”  What James Allen is really saying is that your thoughts, and what your concentrate your thoughts on, will be the direction that you go in life. Great leaders have the ability to concentrate their thoughts on subjects that will bring return to their lives and the lives of others. They do this by prioritizing what is important in their lives and then using the time they have been given to wisely think upon these thoughts.

A thought, or the act of thinking, is a mental process that allow us to model reality. By doing so we are able to deal with the world effectively according to our plans, desires,  or life vision. It is the ability to reason and reflect upon life or to visualize or imagine something to be true. Overall, thinking, is what we trade our time for and concentrate our thoughts upon.

People who go to the top think differently that those who do not. What they understand best is that life is what a you have been thinking about all day, and that the thoughts that consume our time will influence who we are. Most importantly, those who rise to the top, comprehend that with the limited amount of time we have been given each day they do not want to waste their time thinking upon things that bring no return.

Thoughts can be your best friend or your greatest enemy. A positive thought, that stands the test of time, will begin to shape you and mold you into the person you wish to become. In other words, you will find as you begin to shape your thoughts they will begin to shape you. On the other hand, negative thoughts, that have no return to them, will begin to chip away at your character and leave you discouraged and bare.

Albert Einstein, a man with a gift for thinking in a manner that brings return to himself and humanity, once said, “The world we have created is a product of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing your thinking.” The power of your thoughts can either carry you to the heights of your dreams or the depths of despair. Here are four ways to help your daily thoughts bring you positive return and change your world.

Focus On:

1. Big Picture Thoughts: Your ability to think beyond yourself.
2. Realistic Thoughts: Your ability to remove everything with no value and concentrate on the facts.
3. Strategic Thoughts: Your ability to think forward and give your life direction.
4. Reflective Thoughts: Your ability to reflect on your day and gain insight into your daily thinking in order to improve upon them.

Have you ever heard the comment or seen the quote, “To be old and wise… One must first be young and stupid”?  This appears to be a profound statement, like one you would hear from the mouth of Ghandi himself.  It suggests and gives hope to the fact that if you are young and stupid, and you hang in long enough,  you will arrive and grow wise with age.  This quote, however, can be misleading and one day a person can wake up and find that life has left them behind.  Let me explain further.

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.  Here is another example: If you take a dollar and put it in your piggy bank.  Day by day you will not find that it grows suddenly to $1.01, $1.02, $1.03, etc.  No by itself that dollar does not grow, nor will you just automatically grow in life either.  So how do you grow? 

Growth needs to be a daily process if you are to mature and become wise.  Just like the dollar, if you would like to see it make a profit for you, then you must strategically invest the dollar into a money market or mutual fund and have conscience involvement.  Like the dollar if you will strategically invest into your life daily, multiplied with conscience involvement to grow, you will find that you will one day be mature and wise.  For some individuals, sadly, they will find that sometimes age comes alone.Š