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Practice Patience

It will always be harder than you think and will take longer than you planned. Begin with a belief in yourself. A a rule of thumb expect 8-10 failures to one success. Develop resilience – allow for recovery time after a failure. Learn to practice patience with the process. You are asking the wrong question if you ask, “How long will this take?” You will up with destination disease which in turn leads you to compare. Comparisons kills momentum and causes you to miss out on the journey. The correct question to be asking is, “How far can I go?”

Possess Self-Discipline

Freedom is only a good thing of you are a disciplined person. Prioritize, then live by your priorities. Learn to feed your focus by diminishing your distractions.

Stay focused on high return actions. Avoid low return time wasters.Consistency of good habits compounds and provides the highest return on your investments. Remember that life comes in seasons and is never balanced. Your life cannot get into balance unless you prioritize and engage in the correct actions consistently.

Know How To Sell

Stop Selling and Start Enriching People’s Lives! Selling is about 90% people knowledge and 10% product knowledge. Only pass along what has enriched your life. Be passionate about sharing with others only what has impacted your life. Be more interested in who people are than in what you have to sell. Ask connecting questions of others. For example, What are the top three things that you are passionate about in life?

Develop Yourself Daily

Take your personal development seriously. Your growth today is the only guarantee that tomorrow will become better. Get into your optimal zone.

• Out of your gift zone + out of your comfort zone = Catastrophe
• In your gift zone + out of your comfort zone = Coasting
• In your gift zone + out of your comfort Zone = Creative and Climbing

Transformation occurs when you apply growth principles to your life. You grow by doing your number one priority daily.

Learn How To Lead

The foundation of leading people is to learn to love people unconditionally, value people, and believe in people.

You create compound interest with people when you;

• Never focus on making money, but focus on making people
• Never focus on starting companies, but focus on starting people
• Never focus on  growing production, but focus on growing people

Lead by example. Leadership is visual. The weight of your words is never as heavy as the weight of your actions. If we are connecting people beware of the tendency to become best friends. Focus rather on challenging people to produce. Develop greatness – do not let people remain the same.

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Music:  “Canal 3” by Quinicas Mooreira

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There are seven facets of change that I want to consider in this podcast.

Few People Like Change

There seems to be a misconception that leaders enjoy change and followers do not. Leaders don’t like change anymore than the next person, unless it is their idea for change. As a leader you must understand the basis of your positive energy about change. Especially if you initiate it.

Change Happens Whether You Like It Or Not

Change requires energy – positive or negative. Focus all of your energy on building the new and instead of fighting the old. Focus on what you can control. Remain flexible. Do not allow change to cause you to become emotionally stuck in your development.

There are 3 Times When People Change

(1)You will change when you hurt enough that you have to. This is the worst type of change. (2)You will change when you learn enough that you will want to change. (3)You will change when you receive enough that you are able to change. A leader will see the need for change before others will see it. In that moment you must present the case why change is necessary. Reassure the team that you struggle just as much as others.

You Have To Face Reality

You cannot make change unless you know what is going on. This is about the Law of the Scoreboard. What inning, how much time is left, and who is winning?

A team cannot make the necessary adjustments if they do not know where they stand. The leader should set goals that stretches the team to maximize potential and possibility. The leader must set realistic goals for the team.

Practice A Positive Stance

During difficult times, attitude is the difference-maker. Your stance should reflect how you view circumstances by means of your attitude, assumptions, and expectations. Here are 5 keys for a positive outlook

1. Life is filled with good and bad.
2. Some of the good and bad I cannot control.
3. Some of the good and bad will find me.
4. The good and bad become better with a positive outlook.
5. The good and bad become worse with a negative outlook.

Be Teachable

Be willing to learn from the changes of life. Here is a key question; “How has failure shaped your life?” Perhaps our answer is like the posted sign that reads; If I had it to all over again, I would ask for help! Your greatest growth occurs through your failures, setbacks and disappointments.

Learn To Be your Best Friend

Too many people are their worst enemy. Success or failure does not define who you are. Celebrate or cry for 24 hours – then move on with life. Do not become stuck.

LINKS

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Music:  “Canal 3” by Quinicas Mooreira

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The book by Ben Bergeron, Chasing Excellence, is all about character. More Specifically, the author spells out 12 unique character qualities of a champion. Jerry Rice once stated, “Today I will do what others won’t so tomorrow I can do what others can’t.”

COMMITMENT – It all starts with commitment. If you are playing the “I am good enough,” game then there is literally no chance of you ever experiencing excellence, actualizing your potential, or being the best version of yourself. ZERO, ZIP NADA! If you do not commit to a specific meaningful goal for your life then any road will take you there.

• GRIT – What is grit? It means that when things get hard you push harder, when you fall you get back in the game, relentless consistency, heart, and passion – that is GRIT!
• CONFIDENCE – Confidence is when you make the most challenging keys to success part of your daily grind and stick with the character traits unwaveringly.
• MAXIMIZING MINUTES – Ralph Marston stated, “Now is everything you have to work with. When you live it fully, it is more than enough.” So when is a good time to be excellent? NOW, NOW, NOW!
• THE PROCESS – Nick Saban’s “The Process”, talks about living fully in the current moment. Stop thinking about the future and start living in this moment, bringing your full potential to the table NOW!
• CONTROL – Somethings are within our control. Other things are not. God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.
• TURN THE PAGE – Understanding that you only have control over the present moment is the key to being able to turn the page. Reliving the past is a recipe for depression, fearing the future is a surefire way to anxiety. The only you can impact the past is to rectify it. The future can only be influenced by the choices you are making in the present.
• HUMILITY – the moment that you believe you have arrived at the door of greatness, it will be slammed in your face!
• COMPETITIVE EXCELLENCE – I will maximize my minutes by thinking, acting, training, and competing with excellence, regardless of the circumstances.”
• CLUTCH – this is the ability to do what you normally do under immense pressure.

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Music:  “Wishful Thinking” by Dan Lebowitz

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LL#1 – Life is not fair – Get used to it! The notion that socialism is a ultimate cure-all is nothing more than wishful dreaming. Since life is not fair, don’t waste yours in a hope-so-maybe-so dream! Make something of yourself through diligent work – one micro-win at a time.

LL#2 – The world will not care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself. What are you building, creating, learning today?

LL#3 – You will not make $60,000/year right out of High School. You will not become a vice-president of a company with all of the executive perks until you earn it.

LL#4 – If you think that your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss!

LL#5 – Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping; they called it opportunity!

LL#6 – If you mess up, it is not your parents fault, so don’t whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

LL#7 – Before you were born, your parents weren’t as boring as they are now. They got that way by paying your bills, cleaning your clothes, and listening to you talk about how cool you are. So before you save the rainforest from the parasites of your parents generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

LL#8 – Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but LIFE has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they’ll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn’t bear the slightest resemblance to anything in real life!

LL#9 – Life is not divided into semester. You don’t get summer breaks off and very few employees are interested in helping you find yourself. DO that on your own time.

LL#10 – Television is not real life. In the real world people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to their jobs.

LL#11 – Be nice to nerds. Chances are you will end up working for one.

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Music:  “Wishful Thinking” by Dan Lebowitz

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These questions are not to be asked every now and then – rather they are to be asked daily!

How Can I Make My Team Better?

• Ask questions. Listen. Learn. Lead.
  • This was the #1 approach of John Wooden. He stated that I have to find my team in order to lead my team.
  • Pat Summit of the University of Tennessee women’s basketball stated that she was leading by assumption – “I did not know what my team was thinking.
  • It is said that 70% of American workers are not in their strength zone.
  • Improvement in this first question is a result of good communication
  • What do I want them to know?
  • What do they want me to know?
  • Positioning – How can I help them succeed? If you are out of position you will never succeed.
  • Game Plan – What do I want them to do?

Am I A Good Example For My Team?

• We are all visual – show me! Model growth for me and give me the resources for growth!
• I need to model growth for clarity! I must model growth for credibility!
• What am I doing right now that enhances the culture of the team? Where am I going tomorrow?
• There are 3 crucial questions followers are asking every day of their leaders.
  • Do you care about me? – Do you demonstrate genuine care?
  • Can you help me? Are you in fact helping your team or driving them?
  • Can I trust you? Am I a trustworthy leader?

Do I Create A Growth Environment for My Team?

• We get to the top by our giftedness. We can only stay on top by our growth!
• People will work hard to make a company better. But what they most want is to know that I am getting better!
• Create a Leadership Bubble for people to grow into versus creating a leadership pothole for people to fall into.
• Qualities of a Growth Environment
  • Others are ahead of you
  • You are continually challenged
  • Your focus is forward
  • The atmosphere is affirming
  • You are often out of your comfort zone
  • You wake up excited
  • Failure is not your enemy
  • Others are growing
  • People desire change
  • Growth is modeled and expected

Do I Evaluate How Much Time I Give Each Team Member

• The Pareto Principle states that you give 80% of your time to the top 20% of your Team that will yield 80% of the returns.
• You have my heart, but you earn my time!

Am I Developing Depth For My Team?

• Great Teams have
  • Relationship depth – Connection
  • Diversity Depth – Completion
  • Servanthood Depth – Care
  • Skill Depth – Competence
  • Leadership Depth – Continuity & Clarity
  • Growth Depth – Capacity

• Two questions you must ask
  • Am I developing myself?
  • Am I developing others?

Evaluate these 5 questions on developing a team using a scale of 1-5. Ask your team to evaluate you using the same scale and the same questions. Use this information for discussion and growing.

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Music:  “8th Anniversary by Diamond Ortiz

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If you want to understand the topic of passion, you must review the life of Rueben Martinez. Here is a link for a quick YouTube glimpse into the man behind Latino Literacy 

Reuben, as a Barber started with 2 volumes for customers to read. This grew into 17,000 volumes and now has sold over 2 million copies of great Latino inspired books. He has received the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (Genius Grant) in 2004; US Small Minority Business Advocate of the year in 2004; Honorary Doctorate from Whittier College in 2005; desires to open 25 Latino Bookstores before he dies.

There is no substitute for passion when it comes to energizing your talent. Let’s examine these six insights into Passion.

Passion Is The First Step To Achievement

Loving what you do is key to opening the door for achievement. Socrates once stated that until what you want is equal to your need for air, you will not obtain what you want.

Passion Increases Willpower

You discover your passion by answering these three questions: What do you sing about? What do you cry about? What do you dream about?

Passion Produces Energy

When you have passion you become energized. Energized passion will help you stay the course and not give up.

Passion Is The Foundation To Excellence

Passion will transform you from average to excellence. Dr Martin Luther King stated until a man has found something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.

Passion Is The Key To Success

People are such that whenever anything fires their souls, impossibilities vanish. Ralph Waldo Emerson stated that every great and commanding movement in the annals of the world is the triumph of enthusiasm.”

Passion Makes A Person Contagious

It has been said that you cannot kindle a fire in any other heart until it is burning within your own.

To ignite your passion….

Prioritize your life according to Your Passion – Tim Redmon stated there are many things that catch m y eye, but only a few things that will catch my heart.”

Protect your Passion – Resist people that resist change and keep you from keeping the fire alive. Hang around people who see you for your potential.

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Pursue Your Passion With Everything You’ve Got – What do you want to accomplish in your lifetime? How do you want to focus your en energy? Survival, Success or significance?

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Edward Marshall stated “…speed happens when people…truly trust each other.

Jack Welch stated if you are not fast, you’re dead.

So what is trust? Simply stated, trust is confidence. The opposite is suspicion. When you distrust people you are suspicious of their integrity, agenda, capabilities, and their track record. It’s that simple!

In recent studies we see that organizational trust has eroded. Consider…

• Only 51% of employees trust senior management
• Only 35% of employees believe their leaders act with honesty and integrity
• Over the past 12 months 76% of employees have observed illegal/unethical conduct which if exposed would public trust.

The Economics of Trust

The Covey Institute suggests that if Trust has eroded this equals slow speed of the team which equals costs that drive upward. Trust is the one item that turns around the equation to faster speed of the team and lower cost ratios.

↓ TRUST = ↓ SPEED ↑COSTS

↑TRUST = ↑SPEED  ↓COSTS

Consider what Stephen Covey calls the five waves of trust.

Trust has a ripple effect starting with yourself and then moving out to society. The key is to understand the inter-relatedness of all five waves.

Self Trust

We have confidence in ourselves to achieve goals, keep commitments, to walk the walk.We possess the ability for high competence in credibility, judgment, and influence.

Relational Trust

We are consistent in our behaviors. The key here is the ability to generate trust within all contributors of the team enhancing relationships.

Organizational Trust

This level is where leaders can generate trust. The key here is alignment which has to do with structures, systems and symbols of organizations. This is to stop organizational tax that so quickly infiltrates.

Market Trust

The key here is reputation. This has everything to do with your brand corporately and personally. The trustworthiness of your brand determines public buy-in to your goods and services

Societal Trust

The key focus is contribution. How are you giving back into the community that you exist. This inspires others to give back as well.

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I want to give you 6 practices for a disciplined life.

Know what is important

Do you know what is important? If you have not thought this question through mentally and in written form, it is likely that you lack self-discipline that will come from the answer to the question.Knowing what is important is the single greatest touchstone in your life.

Getting rid of excuses

If discipline is the highway that takes you where you want to go in life, then excuses are the exit ramps on that highway. There are a lot of exits on this highway. Here are some examples you may be familiar with…

• I’ll get started in the New Year
• I do not want to work alone
• I would do this if I had the energy
• I am too busy
• When I retire, I will start
• I am afraid of failing
• I do not know how

The way to know if you are using an excuse is to answer the question this way; “Will this stop me from  doing something that I love. If YES, then get rid of it!

Take action before you feel like it

You cannot always wait until inspiration hits you. Sometimes you act regardless of how you feel. Here three insights that might help.

• Think about the consequences of not acting.
• Focus on doing the right thing just for today.
• Make yourself accountable to someone for your weak areas.

Don’t let distractions distract you

Author Brian Tracy wrote, “Successful men and women are those who work almost all of the time on high value tasks. Unsuccessful men and women are those who waste their time by wasting minutes and hours each day on low value activities.”

Be aware of time

Every self-disciplined person that I know is aware of time. Success breads time consciousness. Successful people know how to spend the time they have and they understand that every minute counts. If you want to maximize the time you have then do these two things continually….

1. Set Expectations Up Front – start setting expectations for yourself and others up front. This allows you to compress the time you have so that your focus is optimal.
2. Set External Deadlines – So much of what we do in life has no deadlines, therefore the task is pushed off. When hard deadlines are set it is amazing at the work gets accomplished.

Follow through, even when it hurts

Self-discipline is the fuel that keeps us going. The willingness to hold on in spite of the problems, the power to endure, is a winner’s quality. Say to yourself each day, “This day is not over until I complete each task that I have assigned myself.” Stay true to your commitments with yourself. You cannot manage your life if you do not manage yourself!

LINKS

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Basically a scarcity mindset lives on the other side of “NO,” meaning that people tend to stay where it is safe, while abundance living stays on the other side of “YES” meaning everything is new and there are new things to attempt.

What does it look like on the other side of NO?

• It is limiting – you are directed away from opportunities.
• It is easy – when you say no you do not have to do anything or go anywhere.
• It is comforting – familiarity feels good. Many people are more excited about keeping what they have versus gaining something new.
• It is deceiving – it appears safe when actually it is not!
• It is crowded – this is where average people hang. It will always be crowded.

What does it look like on the other side of yes?

• It is exciting – you need creativity to help you figure things out when they are new.
• It is enlarging – abundance creates more abundance which leads to more potential.
• It is challenging – new pathways are not easy to tread.
• It is rewarding – YES is the key word on the other side of no!

So that we are clear NO is not always a bad thing and YES is not always a good thing. People with high potential views of life simply believe in the power of YES. I want to take a look at three aspects of high capacity people that hopefully will challenge you to stretch from your current position.

Abundance People Possess High Belief

Why are people who embrace abundance able to say YES so freely? They possess a high belief in many arenas of life. For example….

• They actually believe in themselves – “There is more to me than what people actually see!”
• Belief drives behavior. A lack of belief is a chief characteristic of scarcity. We hesitate not because we are unable to do something, but because we have confidence in ourselves.
• They believe in others – “There is more to others than what I can see.” When you believe in your team you will want the best for them. Since belief drives behavior, bless your team! Blessing is simply projecting goodness on others.
• They believe in their tomorrows – they declare that my yesterday’s do not define my tomorrows!

Abundance People Understand the Power of Perspective

Our perspective is not determined by what we see. It is determined by how we see something and that comes from who we are. It is always interesting at how people looking at the same thing can declare different reports. Scarcity people will look at something and declare there is no way. Abundance people will look at the same thing and declare there has to be a better way. This is the level of thinking that opens the door of innovation and positive change form yourself and others around you.

Abundance People Are Generous to Others

Giving to charities are not the only way to measure generosity. Be generous and give people a chance, give them the benefit of the doubt, and give them a reason to desire working for you. You can be generous with you resources, give others opportunities, give them resources to do their job better, give them credit when they succeed.

Abundance people do not run out because they give away – the opposite is true. Move away from a scarcity mindset and embrace possibility living!

LINKS

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Describing the everyday, undisciplined, jittery mind as a “Monkey Mind,” is the description of mental restlessness that Tibetan Teachers use to reference a mind set that is constantly moving in the shallows and never going deep on much of anything. The first step in conquering  this condition is the cessation of the noise within. The biblical discipline of Silence and Solitude are excellent tools to silence and calm a mind that dances continually.

Email Apnea

Linda Stone a technology consultant, writer, and former Apple and Microsoft Executive coined the phrase “Continuous Partial Attention.” This describes the way a person divides focus among multiple devices while never giving any single one full attention.

She discovered in her research that she along with many others would hold their breath at various intervals while checking their emails. The phrase email apnea is a play on sleep apnea. A full and complete study has not been done, but consider that roughly 2 billion people in the world have access to the web which is more than twice who have a mobile phone. It would seem that email apnea could be pervasive.

Also consider that computer users spend an average of 43 minutes daily/5 hours weekly/11 days annually waiting on computers to boot, load software, open files and connect to the web. This would be a good place to re-insert the disciplines of Silence and Solitude.

Our best work comes from moments in which our minds are focused and stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile. When you add the numerous phone calls, emails, text messages, and people who have a quick question that demands an answer, your ability to focus is eroded along with your identity and worth.

Task Switching

Imagine that you are listening to a conversation on one subject while writing and email about another, or trying to participate in a meeting while scanning the headlines. Better yet don’t imagine it, just remember the last time you did this. Research has demonstrated that every time that you move from one screen to the next screen on your device costs you time, mental energy, and sets you up for the biggest mistakes that you will make. Thinking that you are effectively moving from emails to text messages to checking news feeds all while listening to a conference call or participating in a seminar is easy and effective. The truth that we deny is we are actually ineffective. To accomplish any task, mental energy is required. Depending on who you read, you literally lose hours weekly.

HUGE IDEA

Perhaps it is time that we take a technology sabbath. Unplug from all devices and allow your mind to take a break from the myriad of tasks. In these quiet moments we reconnect with the old adage; Pain is inevitable, but suffering is a choice!”

LINKS

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE

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