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Life isn’t made by what you can accomplish. It’s made by what you can accomplish with others.

Partnerships with like valued people is powerful. This is the key to succeeding in partnerships. If you are not connecting with people who share your dreams and values, you have no shot at making these partnerships work. Connecting with the right people will help you gain momentum and build your team into something bigger.

Partnerships allow you to tap into something that you do not currently have – their knowledge and skill. Other people can make you better than you really are. When this happens, is their really a limit to how good you can become?

If you are serious about partnerships that will compound your ability to make a difference then I want to offer 12 qualities of like-valued people that are seeking significance as well. This is not a magic list that will fix all issues, But it is a list that will paint the canvas for you so that you know what to look.

1.Like-Valued people think of others before themselves – A favorite description of humility is that humble do not think less of themselves, they just think of themselves less! When you find a person of maturity combined with humility – that is a person you want to partner with.

2.Like-Valued People Think Bigger than themselves – This involves expanding your world “me” to “we.” At this point you have broke out of the “what is in it for me” mentality. They desire to reach the finish line as a relay team and not sprinters.

3.Like-Valued People have a passion that is contagious – Their zeal changes the atmosphere in the room. It is noticeable and it is felt.

4.Like-Valued People have complementary gifts – Mother Teresa stated once “I can do what you do and you cannot do what I do. Together we can do great things.” Nothing is more rewarding than shared values and mission to achieve significance. Each gifted person brings their uniqueness to the table and willingly shares their insights for the greater good. If you want to go fast go alone. If you want to go far go together!

5.Like-Valued People connect and provide great support – Isolation and independence does not work. Partners need to connect and they need to support each other. Your closest friends will be some of your partners.

6.Like-Valued People show a can-do creative spirit about challenges – I can’t people people are convinced they can’t and won’t. I don’t think I can people might be able to but talk themselves out of it. Can I people allow their doubts to control their actions. How can I people have already made a decision to tackle tough assignment.

7.Like-Valued People Expand our influence – Successful people understand that working hard at networking with other people is time well spent. It is the quickest way to find partners and opportunities to expand our influence.

8.Like-Valued People are activists – People who have a willingness to take a stand have an inherent bias toward action. These people do not live their lives they lead their lives.

9.Like-Valued People are ladder builders, not ladder climbers – This is self explanatory. Help other people!

10.Like-Valued People are head and shoulders above the crowd – These people take action when other people stand still and do nothing. They are record setters who want to help others break their records.

11.Like-Valued People provide synergy that gives a high return – Four strong horses have the capacity to pull over 30,000 pounds. Amazing!

12.Like-Valued People make a difference in us – a strong partnership divides the effort and multiplies the effect.

Remember that everyone starts small. Author Brian Tracy wrote “You are a living magnet. You are attracting people and situations that are in harmony with your dominant thoughts.” Said another way “birds of a feather flock together.”

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!

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It is a fact of life that no person can achieve significance alone. Some people attempt to achieve great things by themselves mainly because of the size of their ego, their level of insecurity, their temperament, or simple naïveté. You might be able to achieve some measure of success alone. It is impossible to live a life that matters and find significance with other people.

If you have a heart to make a difference, there is always an answer, but if you have a heart of indifference there is never an answer. At the center of this statement is the size of your dream and how many people you are willing to include. People are drawn to passionate leaders. Just look at history, people are willing to follow passionate leadership right or wrong –even to death when the cause is wrong.

John Maxwell has articulated in an article “I Have A Dream” – History tells us that in every age there comes a time when leaders must come forth to meet the needs of the hour. Therefore, there is no potential leader who does not have an opportunity to better mankind…I believe that God has surrounded me with those who will accept the challenge of this hour. My dream allows me to…

• Give up at any moment all that I am in order to receive all that I can become
• Sense the invisible so that I can do the impossible
• Trust God’s resources since the dream is bigger that all my abilities and acquaintances
• Continue when discouraged for when there is not faith there is no future, there is no power in the present
• Attract winners because big dreams draw big people
• See myself and my people in the future. Our dream is the promise of what we will shall be one day

Consider these factors that draw people of significance

The Opportunity Factor – Significant acts almost always occur in response to opportunities. Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life. Question: What opportunity do you see right now to make a difference?

The Belief Factor – I believe that God brings people into our life when you have it in your heart to do something of significance. Do you believe that people want to connect with you to make a difference. When someone enters your life do you recognize they can assist you.

The Possibility Factor – If you pursue a life of significance you will give up some things. The pathway of possibility is filled with trade-offs. WHY? Because a life of significance requires sacrifice. Consider some of these suggested trade-offs….

• Trade affirmation for accomplishment
• Trade security for significance
• Trade immediate pleasure for personal growth
• Trade acceptable for excellence
• Trade addition for multiplication
• Trade the first half for the second half

The Faith Factor – Fear is the most prevalent reason why people stop. Faith is what makes people start. The faith factor will cause me to start walking and to believe the resources will come to me as I walk. Faith does not make things easy, but makes things possible because it puts everything into the right perspective. Question: Is my faith greater than my fear?

The Attitude Factor – It is easy to start out with al of the right motives and attitudes. You begin to attract people and these people are blessed and grow. But sometimes we get caught up in the idea that instead of helping people, I want people to help me. When you are motivated by personal advantage, you have lost your way. When you stop loving people, you stop serving them effectively. Question: Is your attitude an asset or liability?

The Winning Factor – Dreams often come in one size too big so that we can grow into them. Are you sharing your dreams of significance with others? Are you connecting with winners to achieve significance?

The Promise Factor – Dreams are FREE. The journey to fulfill them isn’t. You have to work with and for the dream. The dream is the promise of what you can be, but commitment is the reality of what you will become. What starts as a promise ends in commitment.

LINKS

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE

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

Executive Coaching Premier 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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Adding value to others begins with what may appear to be nothing more than a subtle shift in behavior. As we will see, it is a radical shift in behavior and thinking. The shift is this “moving from making a difference for people to making a difference with people. This will save your leadership from thinking that you are the entire picture to the exclusion of the BIGGER picture.

John Holmes says it best; “It is well to remember that the entire universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others.” WELL SAID!

If you desire to live a life of significance then you must add value to others. Is it necessary for me to say it this way – significance and selfishness do not go together. There is no way to live a self-centered, selfish life in which you focus upon yourself and ever think that your life is going to matter to others around you.

There are five essential values of adding value to other people.

To add value to others I must first value myself. John Maxwell states that who we are determines how we see others. Said another way we do not see people as they are, we them as we are. Author Brian Tracy states that there is a relationship between our self esteem and the health of our personality. The more you respect yourself the more you will respect others.

The most effective way to turn positive thinking into positive actions is to perform positive actions consistently.

To add value to others I must value others. Mother Teresa stated once that the greatest disease is to be a nobody to anybody! Question: How often do we look past others without really seeing who they are? Every person has value and to live lives that matter, we need to intentionally value others and express that value to them.

To add value to others I must value what others have done for me. Gratitude is not supposed to be exhausting – it is to be invigorating. When we put gratitude ahead of attitude, it is exhausting. Have you heard the phrase, Count your blessings! When you take the time to that very thing you become stimulated to do for others. You have to count your blessings before you can be a blessing

To add value to others I must know and relate to what others value. Here are seven qualities that John Maxwell suggests to get at the heart of this point:

• Availability – I choose to spend time with others
• Listening – I will listen my way to common ground
• Questions – I will be interested enough to ask questions
• Thoughtfulness – I will think of others ad how to connect with them
• Openness – I will let people into my life
• Likability – I will care about other people
• Humility – I will think of myself less so that I can think of others more

To add value to others I must make myself more valuable. The idea of adding value to others is dependent upon the fact that you have something of value to give them. It is easy to add value once. If you desire to make this whole-life effort you must grow and become more valuable.

If you believe that adding value to others is worth it over the course of your life, then answer these three questions:

1.What have I been given? This is a look backward

2.What do I have to give? This is a look inward

3.What can I do? This is a look outward

LINKS

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE

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

Executive Coaching Premier 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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Shifting from Success to Significance

How many times can you look back over your life and see the pathway to success instead of significance? Where do I rank? Who is number 1 and how close am I to over-taking that person?

Self-centeredness is the root of virtually every problem – both personally and globally. Whether we want to own up to it or not we all have a problem with self-centeredness. Malcolm Forbes once stated that people who matter most are aware that everyone else does too.

Self-centeredness and fulfillment cannot peacefully coexist. They are incompatible.

When you can change your thinking from “What am I going to receive?” to “What am I going to give?” your entire life begins to turn around.

How do we begin to think of others first? Putting other people first is the heart of Christianity. The Lord’s prayer is the central attitude for helping others. This prayer is inclusive. This prayer begins with “Our Father” and it says “give us” and not give me! There is no place in the Lord’s prayer where you can use the word “I” – this prayer is a community inclusive prayer. Regardless of your faith position, I am sure that you belief that in putting others first is the right thing to do. Here are some insights that will assist you in developing an other’s first mindset and heart practice.

• Develop A Greater Appreciation for Other People – TO begin thinking properly about this first point take a sheet of paper and begin create a GRATITUDE list by writing down the names of the people who bring the best out in you. This exercise will help you to realize that you are not a self-made person after all.
• Ask To Hear Other People’s Story – Fred Rogers of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood kept this quote on his wall; “There isn’t anyone you couldn’t learn to love once you’ve heard their story.” Don’t you believe this is true? It is hard to remain self-centered when you begin to focus on others. Hearing other people’s stories inspire you and helps you to get outside of yourself.
• Put Yourself in Other People’s Shoes – When is the last time that you put yourself in another person’s shoes. Perhaps you have experienced poor service. Can you relate or connect with someone’s bad day? In a bad situation have you ever paid it forward to someone who was serving you?
• Place Other People’s Interests at The Top of Your List of Priorities – Here is a question that probes this thought; As you being your day are more curious about what you will reap or the seeds that you will sow? Here is the truth of the matter, people who are looking for ways to make a difference in other people get outside of themselves and search for ways to intentionally make a difference
• Make Winning A Group Activity – John Wooden of UCLA fame stated that the greatest challenge to any coach is selfishness. The challenge is make the team better not just yourself. Are you willing to loose yourself for the sake of the team. That is a person that will make a difference.

LINKS

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE

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

Executive Coaching Premier 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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Significance Begins HERE

How does your WHY help you find your way? Here are four insights.

1. Knowing your WHY allows you to focus more on Others and less on Yourself. Purpose works from the inside out. This requires time and a lot of introspection. There are no short cuts. The sooner that you can find your WHY the sooner you will be able to focus on others.
2. Living out your WHY gives you confidence that is attractive to others. Have you ever noticed people who walk into a room and you could feel their presence? They bring an energy into the room. This is not ego or arrogance. It’s purpose. People with purpose have an air of distinction about them.
3. The more you live your WHY the more you layer it. People’s individual strengths and purposes are always connected. Your why is fuel for your strengths and your strengths are the way to fulfill your why. Every time you use your strengths you are fulfilling your purposes
4. The more you layer your WHY, the more impact it has on others. Purpose has a compounding effect upon our life. Doing the right thing, with the right people, over time, gives you a huge significance return, and ultimately a giant significance reputation. Keep acting according to your purpose and doing significant acts day by day, year by year, decade by decade, and your impact will keep increasing.

How do you find your WHY? Margie Warrell contributing writer to Forbes Magazine offers 4 key questions to assist in discovering your WHY!

1. What makes you come alive? This is a question about what ignites a fire in your belly? This is more than your favorite dish of food or favorite team in sports. This is about a bigger passion to leave a legacy. This about connecting your strengths and energies to a cause that is bigger than you but it aligns with your passions.
2. What are your innate strengths? Have your ever taken the time to discover what your true strengths are? There are many tools available to assist in this discovery. Beyond the mere discovery of what your inner strengths are, having a good coach to assist you in seeing how these traits coupled with your present thinking can take your leading to a higher level is crucial. In the show notes there is a link that will give you insight to Executive Coaching from Shepherds Advantage.
3. Where do you add the greatest value? Doing work that you are good at but yet you loathe it, is not an effective pathway to happiness. Ask yourself this question to assist in knowing where you can add the greatest value; “What problems do I enjoy solving?” The answer will guide you to a correct pathway of fulfillment and happiness in your life.
4. How will you measure your life? The old adage is true; “If you do not take a stand for something your will fall for anything?” How do you want to be remembered? They say that people will only give one good paragraph that describes your life when they eulogize you – so start writing it now! What matters the most in your life right. If your life and possessions started to diminish today, how would you prioritize these losses?The purpose of life is not just to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make a difference that you have lived and lived well – Ralph Waldo Emerson

LINKS

Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE

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

Executive Coaching Premier 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!