Category Archives: Podcast

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Are We There Yet

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When it comes to success many adults act like children during a road trip. They continually ask, “Are we there yet?” Understand that part of the answer stems from impatience about success and the other part stems from not knowing the landmarks leading to success. This brings me to an old adage that a college professor hammered into us; “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there!”
The first question you need to answer is, “Am I headed there? Your goal is not a destination, rather it is a journey. If you find yourself somewhat unsure of your location, look for obvious markers that would indicate that you are heading the correct direction. PRINCIPLE: Success landmarks are internal not external.

It has been said that for everything you gain, you lose something. Or for everything you gain, you pay something. In order to reach your success landmarks will require commitment and persistence. You must give up something of value. Speaker Ed Cole stated, “All of life is lived on levels and arrived at in stages.”

Ultimately we must understand there are significant trade-offs that must be made in order to move in the direction of your dreams. Here are six trade-offs that must be made.

Achievement Vs. Affirmation

If you are seeking affirmation from your peers you must understand this is fickle and fleeting. Charles Lindbergh stated once that success is not measured by what a man accomplishes, rather by the opposition he has encountered and the courage to maintain his struggle against overwhelming odds. 

Excellence Vs. Acceptability

Competitive excellence requires 100% effort all of the time. If you are not careful you will become satisfied with 92% or 95%. A new standard of acceptability is set at that moment. Excellence is always a choice! Quality is never an accident, it is always the result of high intention and skilful execution. It represents the wise choices of many alternatives.

Personal Growth Vs. Immediate Pleasure

You cannot dedicate yourself to pursuing pleasure and make genuine progress in your personal growth at the same time. There are no shortcuts to anyplace worth going.

Future Potential Vs. Financial Gain

Many things in life have a far greater worth over money. Money gives you options in life but it does not necessarily add value to your life. Henry David Thoreau stated if you advance confidently in the direction of your dreams and endeavor to live your life that you have imagined, you will meet with success in unexpected common hours.

Narrow Focus Vs. Scattered Interests

Being able to focus your attention almost exclusively on what you do best is a privilege you earn, not a right. At some point you must narrow your focus from being a general practitioner to a specialist.

Significance Vs. Security

Security is what we all crave. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs reminds us of giving up in order to go up to the next level. Tom Brokaw stated that it is easy to make a buck – it is harder to make a difference. Bob Buford’s book Halftime suggests that life has two parts. In the first part we are getting, gaining, and acquiring. The second half is risky because it has to do with living beyond the immediate. It is about making a difference with people who are making a difference. This second half is about LEGACY – what will you leave behind!

LINKS

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on Stitcher – SUBSCRIBE

FREE GIFT – “The Art of Balancing Candor With Care” – Click on the icon at the bottom of the page

Executive Coaching Service– Private message me for details on this customizable serviceMusic: “Gratitude Mood” by David Arivett. You can learn more about his music by clicking on his name. THANKS DAVID!

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How To Handle Detours

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Learn to turn adversity into advantage! Keep moving forward in the direction of your hopes and dreams.

When you talk to leaders about success it will not be long until the two greatest detours that leaders face will surface, they are Fear and Failure! When you really take the time to analyze it, these two issues are deal-breakers. You must keep moving forward on the journey, making the best of the detours and interruptions, turning adversity into advantage. Otherwise fear causes procrastination! So, FACE your fears! Consider the following:

  • 60% of our fears are unwarranted
  • 20% of our fears focus on the past
  • 10% of our fears are petty
  • Only 4-5% of our fears are real

Consider these 6 insights on Fear…..

  • Admit your fears – do not hide from them.
  • Accept fear as the price tag of progress – fear will not positively affect the outcomes.
  • Develop a burning desire within – the hero and the coward feel the same fear. The hero turns it into fire.
  • Focus on the things that you can control – what happens IN you is more important that what happens TO you.
  • Put some wins under your belt – Vince Lombardi stated – Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing!”
  • Feed your faith, not your fear – have a “can do” attitude.

FAILURE – You need to learn from it! It has been said that successful people will make mistakes, but they do not quit. Here are 10 guidelines to reframe your failures.

  1. Appreciate the Value of Failure
  2. Do Not Take Failure Personally
  3. Let Failure Redirect You
  4. Keep A Sense of Humor
  5. Ask Why, Not Who
  6. Make Failure A learning Experience
  7. Do Not Allow Failure To Keep You Down
  8. Use Failure As A Gage For Growth
  9. See The Big Picture
  10. Don’t Give Up

LINKS

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on Stitcher – SUBSCRIBE

FREE GIFT – “The Art of Balancing Candor With Care” – Click on the icon at the bottom of the page

Executive Coaching Service– Private message me for details on this customizable service

Music: “Gratitude Mood” by David Arivett. You can learn more about his music by clicking on his name. THANKS DAVID!

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How To Pack For The Journey of Success

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Nothing in your past guarantees that you will continue growing toward your potential in the future!

An old Irish proverb states that you’ve got to do your own growing no matter how tall your grandfather is! At the outset of this podcast let us learn that Growth Is Change – after-all if you do not grow you do not change! Growth is a choice – choosing to grow is a decision that can really make a difference. In other words how have you changed lately? In the last week? In the last month? In the last year? Can you be specific?

10 Steps To Reach Your Potential

Choose A Life of Growth – The only way to improve the quality of your life is to improve yourself. If you want your organization to grow, you must grow as a leader.

Start Growing Today – It is not what you are going to do that counts, but rather it is what you are doing now. Growth is your responsibility!

Be Teachable – Coach John Wooden stated once, “It is what you learn after you know it all that counts!”

Focus on Self-Development Not Self Fulfillment – Self Development always draws you toward your destiny. Self Fulfillment only gratifies in the moment. See the LONG VIEW!

Never Stay Satisfied With Current Accomplishments – Rick Warren stated the greatest enemy to tomorrow’s success is today’s success!

Be A Continual Learner – It has been said that most of us learn something everyday in order to keep ahead of what we forget. Daily learning is the essence of being a continual learner.

Concentrate On A Few Major Themes – C.S. Lewis stated that every person is composed of a few themes! Write out your themes on life – mine is people focused and leadership development in a non-profit context.Develop A Plan For Growth – You must be able to articulate your growth plan in writing or you are daydreaming. Write it out for each week exactly what you will learn. Set appointments with yourself and keep them!

Pay The Price – Discipline is required and that can be uncomfortable. Growth is always worth the price you pay because the alternative is a limited life of unfulfilled potential.Find A Way To Apply What you Have Learned – Jim Rohn once said to not let your learning lead to knowledge. Let your learning lead to action!

LINKS

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on Stitcher – SUBSCRIBE

FREE GIFT – “The Art of Balancing Candor With Care” – Click on the icon at the bottom of the page

Executive Coaching Service– Private message me for details on this customizable service

Music: “Gratitude Mood” by David Arivett. You can learn more about his music by clicking on his name. THANKS DAVID!



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Where Is The Road Map?

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Goals Create A Roadmap For Success

On the success journey, the first part of the trip is just as important as the last part. Think with me for just a moment – what separates motivated people from all others? The answer is they have goals! They identify what they want to accomplish to fulfill their purpose and maximise their potential. The goals that you set become your roadmap for life’s journey.

Consider these five insights about the power of goal setting
Goals draw out your sense of purpose – It has been suggested that 50% do not pay attention to their direction, 40% do not even know where to start, and only 10% know what they want and how to get it.

Goals give you “GO” – Industrialist Andrew Carnegie stated once; “You cannot push anyone up the ladder unless he is willing to climb himself.”

Goals show you what to do – All of the motivation in the world is useless if it’s wasted on things that do not matter.

Goals get you focused on improvement not activity – Stop clinging to the idea that success is a destination rather than a journey. The key to fully reaching your potential is to continually improve yourself.

Goals create mile markers – Goals not only give direction, but they help you to see progress.

The Success Process

  • Your dream determines your goals
  • Your goals determine your actions
  • Your actions create results
  • Results bring you success

Use this process as a worksheet to assist putting your thoughts to paper to visually see your thoughts. This will help you refine them, make adjustments, and plan your journey more effectively.

LINKS

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on Stitcher – SUBSCRIBE

FREE GIFT – “The Art of Balancing Candor With Care” – Click on the icon at the bottom of the page

Executive Coaching Service– Private message me for details on this customizable service

Music: “Gratitude Mood” by David Arivett. You can learn more about his music by clicking on his name. THANKS DAVID!


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How Far Can I Go?

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When our attitudes outdistance our abilities, even the impossible becomes possible!

This statement is born from the 1960’s by then President John F. Kennedy who challenge a nation to put a man on the moon within the decade of 60’s. Against all odds July 16, 1969, Neil Armstrong took one step onto the Moon’s surface and declared; “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind!”

This moon landing became a reality because of a change of attitude. Therefore, when our attitudes outdistance our abilities, even the impossible becomes possible!

The old adage is more true today than ever; Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude. When the power of a dream is coupled with the right attitude, landing a man on the moon is possible. Consider…….

  • A dream without a positive attitude produces a daydreamer.
  • A positive attitude without a dream produces a pleasant person who can’t progress.
  • A dream with a positive attitude produces a person with unlimited possibilities and potential.

Who and where you are today result from our attitude.Your current attitude is a choice. A quote from former Celtics player Bill Russell says, The game is scheduled, we have to play it – we might as well win!

Here are seven insights to possessing a great attitude.

Belief in self – When you believe in yourself, you’re free to focus on improving yourself and reaching your potential. Rarely does a person succeed when they do not believe in themselves.

Willingness to see the best in others – I’ve never known a positive person who didn’t love people and try to see the good in others.

Ability to see opportunity everywhere – No matter the circumstances positive people see opportunities everywhere. Lois Wyse, founder of Wyse Advertising used to state to her girls, Always say yes, because nothing ever happens to people \who say no!

Focus on solutions – People with a positive attitude focus their energy on solutions, not problems! Any person can see a problem. Positive people maintain a solution mindset. It has been said that most of the things worth doing in the world have been declared impossible before they were done.

Desire to give – Giving is the highest level of living. These people focus their time and energy on what they can give to others rather than on what they can get from others.

Persistence – Success will always allude people who buy into the statement, If you don’t succeed try something else. Dreams that become reality do so because people stick to their ambitions.

Responsibility for their lives – Positive people are willing to take responsibility for their own lives. Unsuccessful people duck responsibility.Successful people understand that nothing positive happens until you are willing to step forward and take full responsibility for your thoughts and actions.

Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude!

LINKS

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on Stitcher – SUBSCRIBE

FREE GIFT – “The Art of Balancing Candor With Care” – Click on the icon at the bottom of the page

Executive Coaching Service– Private message me for details on this customizable service

Music: “Gratitude Mood” by David Arivett. You can learn more about his music by clicking on his name. THANKS DAVID!




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Know Your Purpose

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Have you ever been on a cruise to nowhere? These are cruises that simply go out to sea for a few days and enjoy the onboard activities and fine dining, yet go to any exotic port of call. The ship simply returns to the home port. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people whose lives are like these cruises. They are on a trip with no set destination. They are in a holding pattern, they occupy their time pursuing pleasures with no lasting benefit to themselves or others. Their life concludes with no better results than when  they started.

Success is a journey. You do not suddenly become successful when you arrive at a particular place or achieve a certain goal.That does not mean that you should travel without identifying a destination. You need to identify and sail toward your determined destination.

In other words what is your DREAM? I believe that each of us has a dream that has been placed in our hearts. This is not a dream to win the lottery. This is a dream that stirs the heart and soul. It is the thing that we were born to do in our life. A person that has a dream knows what he is willing to give up in order to go up. There are five (5) facets to a dream.

A Dream Gives Us Direction – Have you ever met a person that did not have a clue concerning what they wanted in life, yet was highly successful? I have not, and I will bet you have not either. Our dream acts as a compass showing us the direction in which to go. Until you settle the issue of direction, you will never know if your actions are actually accomplishing anything.

A Dream Increases Our Potential – Without a dream, we may struggle to see potential in ourselves because we don’t look beyond our current circumstances. It has been said that a blind man’s world is bound by the limits of his touch; an ignorant man’s world by the limits of his knowledge; a great man’s world by the limits of his vision.If your vision, your dream is great, then so is the potential for success.


A Dream Helps Us Prioritize – A dream gives hope for the future but it also gives power for the present. A person with a dream knows what he is to give up in order to go up. It is exciting to have a lot of options when first starting out. Progress can only be made when you choose a direction versus preserving many directions as though you are protecting a fire escape.

A Dream Increases Our Potential – Without a dream, we may struggle to see potential in ourselves because we don’t look beyond our current circumstances. It has been said that a blind man’s world is bound by the limits of his touch; an ignorant man’s world by the limits of his knowledge; a great man’s world by the limits of his vision.If your vision, your dream is great, then so is the potential for success.
A Dream Helps Us Prioritize – A dream gives hope for the future but it also gives power for the present. A person with a dream knows what he is to give up in order to go up. It is exciting to have a lot of options when first starting out. Progress can only be made when you choose a direction versus preserving many directions as though you are protecting a fire escape.

LINKS

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on Stitcher – SUBSCRIBE

FREE GIFT – “The Art of Balancing Candor With Care” – Click on the icon at the bottom of the page

Executive Coaching Service– Private message me for details on this customizable service

Music: “Gratitude Mood” by David Arivett. You can learn more about his music by clicking on his name. THANKS DAVID!

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Do You Know Where You Are Going?

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So what is the right picture of success? How do we get started on the correct pathway? I believe that two things are required for this journey: 1) the right picture of success, 2) the right principles for getting there.

The picture for success isn’t the same for any two people because we are all creatively different. However, the process is the same for all people. This reason lies within the fact there are universal principles that do not change.

Consider this definition of success: Success is….

  • Knowing your purpose in life
  • Growing to reach your maximum potential
  • Sowing seeds that benefit others

You can see by this definition of success that it is more about the journey rather than the destination. You will never exhaust your capacity to grow toward your potential or run out of opportunities to help others. When you see success as a journey, you will never have a problem of trying to arrive at an elusive destination. Consider the following insights on Growing to your potential.

Concentrate on one main goal – No person has ever reached their potential by stretching themselves in 20 different directions. Reaching your potential requires focused intentionality. Once you have decided where to focus your energy, you now need to decide what you will give up. You cannot reach your full potential until you leave something behind. What is it?

Concentrate on continual improvement – David Glass one time chief Executive Officer for Walmart was asked who he admired the most. His answer was Walmart founder Sam Walton. He stated, “There’s never been a day in his life, since he has known him that he didn’t improve in some way.” Each day you can become a little bit better than you were yesterday. Small deliberate steps will move you closer to your potential.

Forget the past – Jack Hayford once stated, “The past is a dead issue, and we cannot gain any momentum moving forward toward tomorrow if we are dragging the past behind us.” For those who desire to live in the past, let me remind you that yesterday ended at midnight. Think of Booker T. Washington – born into slavery; Helen Keller – blind; Franklin D. Roosevelt – Polo. It is more about what you overcome!

Focus on the future – Your potential lies before you – whether you are 8, 18, 48, or 80 years of age you have room to improve yourself. You can become better tomorrow than today. The old proverb states; “He who does not look ahead remains behind!”

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give!

LINKS

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on Stitcher – SUBSCRIBE

FREE GIFT – “The Art of Balancing Candor With Care” – Click on the icon at the bottom of the page

Executive Coaching Service– Private message me for details on this customizable serviceMusic: “Gratitude Mood” by David Arivett. You can learn more about his music by clicking on his name. THANKS DAVID!




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The Language of Influence

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What was the most beautiful thing someone has ever said to you? Take a moment and revisit that experience… What do you see? How do you feel? It could have been just one sentence—one single sentence that changed you for a moment, or maybe even a lifetime.

There is more to our language than strict grammar and spelling. There is a real power to it, sort of magical. Our language dances with our imaginations. It creates an incredible range of emotions and feelings, which quite often make the difference between someone loving their life and sabotaging it.

Let’s look at three maxims on influencing…

How you describe someone when they are not around tells me more about you than it does about them.

What does the water cooler conversations sound like – Grace filled or Gossip filled? Who models appropriate speech in your organization? What does that sound like? Based upon the speech of your organization, how would you define the culture of your work environment? What is the one thing that we can do today that will give a 50% increase?

Whatever you neglect will deteriorate.

When you review the history of your organization do you often reflect upon yesterday as the “Glory Days?” What is different then versus now? What is the number one area that is being neglected today in your organization? In your personal life? In your family?

You cannot hide your heart. Whatever fills, spills!

Your leadership is a direct outgrowth of your intake. What are you feeding your mind? Our minds are being attracted to so many digital marketing ideas and stimuli – well at some point we must turn off the noise and shut down the devises. We must be intentional about the content that we allow into our inner being. Learn to practice a digital sunrise and sunset. Take charge of your life.

LINKS

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on Stitcher – SUBSCRIBE

FREE GIFT – “The Art of Balancing Candor With Care” – Click on the icon at the bottom of the page

Executive Coaching Service– Private message me for details on this customizable service

Music: “Gratitude Mood” by David Arivett. You can learn more about his music by clicking on his name. THANKS DAVID!




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The Language of Influence

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These maxims can be used to evaluate yourself and to provoke discussion with your team. Here is the first maxim to explore:

Most vision starts in the form of shapes and shadows, not clean details. Don’t be in a rush to describe it.

Great ideas start out fuzzy, lacking all of the details. However, as you ponder, converse with your circle of colleagues, research, and test your idea – clarity will follow. You have to be comfortable without details and clarity at the outset. There are many ideas that have come to fruition in which technology did not even exist to make the vision clear.

A leader’s heart must stay hot. Once it becomes room temperature, influence ceases.

Since leadership is influence, influence is born from personal growth and development. Personal growth and development becomes real when we can articulate our goals and plans in writing. Why is this process vital to staying hot as a leader? Simple! You cannot influence from an empty reservoir. Your ability to influence is directly related to the outflow of your learning journey. It is also helpful to discuss influence killers. This knowledge can keep your motivation pure and on a pathway of learning and development.

The irony of masks is that we wear them to appear strong, yet people are drawn to us when we take them off.

Isn’t it interesting at how we use masks to deflect attention off of our weakness and onto our pseudo strengths? I believe the real issue is “groundedness.” Staying grounded in the reality of circumstance and focused upon our dreams for tomorrow. We can focus on the trajectory of our life and work. There is power in the story of the Hero’s Journey. We are drawn to that narrative in part because it is without pretense and masks.

LINKS

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on Stitcher – SUBSCRIBE

FREE GIFT – “The Art of Balancing Candor With Care” – Click on the icon at the bottom of the page

Executive Coaching Service– Private message me for details on this customizable serviceMusic: “Gratitude Mood” by David Arivett. You can learn more about his music by clicking on his name. THANKS DAVID!




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The Language of Influence

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:59 — 27.5MB) | Embed

There is more to our language than strict grammar and spelling. There is a real power to it, sort of magical. Our language dances with our imaginations. It creates an incredible range of emotions and feelings, which quite often make the difference between someone loving their life and sabotaging it.

These maxims can be used to evaluate yourself and to provoke discussion with your team. Here is the first maxim to explore:

Leadership is not about production, it is about reproduction.

These 9 words are packed with universal truths that we are still attempting to learn and apply. The key is not about making better products, it is about making people better. This maxim is beyond the “SELF” and is transported into the heart and dreams of another person. It is not about the nuances of the product, it is about the character of a life well-lived. EQ trumps IQ everyday.

You want your protege to exceed your accomplishments not just your expectations.

In order for this maxim to be true, as a leader you have to be comfortable in your own skin. The natural tendency is that we protect our turf and we are very reluctant about letting others share the limelight. In order for this maxim to be true, you must become a larger than life leader from the inside out. Legacy is not what you have accomplished. Legacy is about who you influenced so they can excel past you! Remember we do not get what we want, we get who we are.

Nobody’s success is robbing your potential. There is plenty of wind in the harbor to sail more than one ship.

The short response – “I have a dream worth pursuing!” We tend to feel that other people’s accomplishments robs us of our opportunity. Nothing is further from the truth. You can tend to blame others for your failures versus taking charge of your dreams. No one is standing in your way. The most important person to conqueror is yourself.

LINKS

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on Stitcher – SUBSCRIBE

FREE GIFT – “The Art of Balancing Candor With Care” – Click on the icon at the bottom of the page

Executive Coaching Service– Private message me for details on this customizable serviceMusic: “Gratitude Mood” by David Arivett. You can learn m