by Helena Escalante | Accountability, Growth, Habits, Leadership, Mindset, Planning, Tools
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 54 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Reflective thinking
— From Thinking for a Change: 11 Ways Highly Successful People Approach Life and Work by John C. Maxwell
In Thinking for a Change, John C. Maxwell makes a very good case for why we should take time to reflect on our experiences, big and small, good and bad. He says that reflective thinking gives us valuable benefits such as true perspective, because as a result of reflecting, you can put an experience into perspective, evaluate its timing and appreciate things that went unnoticed before.
Also, our confidence in decision-making increases. “Have you ever made a snap judgment and later wondered if you did the right thing? Everybody has. Reflective thinking can help to diffuse that doubt. It also gives you confidence for the next decision. Once you’ve reflected on an issue, you don’t have to repeat every step of the thinking process when you’re faced with it again. You’ve got mental road markers from having been there before. That compresses and speeds up thinking time—and it gives you confidence.”
Another significant point is that reflective thinking takes experience and turns it into insight. Mark Twain is quoted as saying, “We should be careful to get out of an experience all the wisdom that is in it—not like the cat that sits down on a hot stove lid. She will never sit down on a hot stove lid again—and that is well; but also she will never sit down on a cold one anymore.”
Yet in our crazy world where there is little time and where reflection and self-examination don’t come naturally, how should we incorporate this practice to reap the benefits?
Maxwell suggests setting aside time for reflection, and making sure that we are removed from distractions and interruptions. He also suggests going over your journal, if you have one, but if you don’t, your calendar is a great tool to review where you’ve been, what you’ve done and the progress you’ve made.
The most important thing, however is to ask the right questions and to put the thoughts derived from our reflections into action. “The value you receive from reflecting will depend on the kinds of questions you ask yourself. The better the questions, the more gold you will mine from your thinking.”
When Maxwell reflects, he thinks about his values, relationships and experiences. Here are some sample questions he shares. Feel free to use what you need and modify however you see fit to suit your experience and style.
- What have I learned today that will help me grow?
- How and when can I apply it to my life?
- To whom did I add value today?
- How do I know I added value to that person?
- What did I do with someone else that made both of us better?
- Can we do something else together to continue our mutual success?
- Did I lead by example today?
- What did I encounter today to which I need to give more thinking time? Are there lessons to be learned?
- What went wrong? Could I have changed it? What do I need to do differently next time?
Happy reflecting!
ACTION
TODAY: Take a few minutes to reflect on your day today. Set aside some time and ask yourself questions. Based on the answers, set actions for the future. How did it go? What did you learn?
FUTURE: Set aside a specific time and place for your reflective thinking. Maxwell suggests doing this for 21 days to turn it into a regular practice.
Know someone who could benefit from reflective thinking? Please share this post with them via email, Facebook or Twitter, thank you!
by Helena Escalante | Accountability, Goals, Growth, Habits, Leadership, Mindset, Time, Tools
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 50 seconds. 
TODAY’S IDEA: 2 types of No
— From The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever by Michael Bungay Stanier
Have you ever heard or spoken the phrase, “I never said I was going to do that!”?
In his wonderful book The Coaching Habit, Michael Bungay Stanier says that you need to be very clear on your commitments. Asking the question ‘‘‘What exactly [am I] saying Yes to?’ brings the commitment out of the shadows.” Further, asking “‘What could being fully committed to this idea look like?’ brings things into even sharper, bolder focus.”
“But a Yes is nothing without the No that gives it boundaries and form,” continues Stanier. And he points to two different kinds of No: the No of omission and the No of commission. The No of omission is the automatic result of you saying yes: all options happening at the same time are out of the question. “Understanding this kind of No helps you understand the implications of the decision.”
The No of commission “is what you now need to say to make the Yes happen. It’s all too easy to shove another Yes into the bag of our overcommitted lives, hoping that in a Harry Potter magical sort of way it will somehow all be accommodated. This second type of No puts the spotlight on how to create the space and focus, energy and resources that you’ll need to truly do that Yes.” And for this, Stanier suggests asking the following questions in three key “P” areas (Projects, People, Patterns):
Projects
- What projects do you need to abandon or postpone?
- What meetings will you no longer attend?
- What resources do you need to divert to the Yes?
People
- What expectations do you need to manage?
- What relationships will you let wither?
Patterns
- What habits do you need to break?
- What old stories or dated ambitions do you need to update?
- What beliefs about yourself do you need to let go of?
This is fascinating because it really puts commitment into perspective before we half-heartedly say yes to something again. The bottom-line question then becomes: “What will you say No to if you’re truly saying Yes to this?”
Remember that you can always request more information to fully understand the scope of the commitment you are getting into (go back to the 3Ps). And you always have the choice to decline if the commitment is too onerous with your time or if it will take away from other commitments that take priority.
ACTION
TODAY: Facing a choice on another commitment? Has your boss, colleague, friend, or someone else asked you to get involved in some project? Or are you considering taking up a particular project? (Classes, hobbies, remodeling your kitchen, etc.) Go over the questions above to determine what you will say No to so that you can truly say Yes to the new commitment.
FUTURE: Make a habit of going over the questions above every time you are questioning your involvement in a new commitment. They will bring much clarity as to whether you can/want to do the commitment, and they will save you from the heartache of going into something that you don’t fully understand what it will take. Coming back full circle, with these questions you will avoid ever saying again “I never said I was going to do that!”
Know someone struggling with the decision whether to embark on a new commitment? Please share this post with them via email, Facebook or Twitter, thank you!
by Helena Escalante | Accountability, Goals, Growth, Habits, Leadership, Mindset, Planning, Tools
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 20 seconds. 
TODAY’S IDEA: How should you focus your time and energy?
— From The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader: Becoming the Person Others Will Want to Follow by John C. Maxwell
Why do lion tamers hold a stool with the legs extended towards the face of the animal? Because the lion tries to keep up with all four legs of the stool at once and, unsure on what leg to focus, it loses concentration and freezes. “Divided focus always works against you,” says John C. Maxwell, leadership guru.
In The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, Maxwell states that priorities and concentration are the keys to having the focus required to be a truly effective leader. “A leader who knows his priorities but lacks concentration knows what to do but never gets it done. If he has concentration but no priorities, he has excellence without progress. But when he harnesses both, he has the potential to achieve great things.”
Maxwell sets out a few guidelines to focus our time and energy for maximum results:
Focus 70 percent on strengths. “To be successful, focus on your strengths and develop them. That’s where you should pour your time, energy and resources.” And he quotes Peter Drucker, management guru, as saying, “Nobody ever commented, for example, that the great violinist Jascha Heifetz probably couldn’t play the trumpet very well.”
Focus 25 percent on new things. “Growth equals change. If you want to get better, you have to keep changing and improving… If you dedicate time to new things related to areas of strength, then you’ll grow as a leader.”
Focus 5 percent on areas of weakness. “Nobody can entirely avoid working in areas of weakness. The key is to minimize it as much as possible, and leaders can do it by delegating” …or outsourcing, or finding a way for someone else to do it faster and better than they could.
These guidelines are great if all is well and you have your priorities clear. But what happens when you’ve lost focus and minor things are consuming your time? To get back on track, Maxwell suggests doing the following:
- Work on yourself. You are your greatest asset or detriment.
- Work at your priorities. You will have to fight for them.
- Work in your strengths. You can reach your potential.
- Work with your contemporaries. You can’t be effective alone.
“If you chase two rabbits, both will escape.” – Anonymous
ACTION
TODAY: Make a list of three of your strengths and three of your weaknesses. How much time do you devote to them? Are you in alignment with the 70-25-5 guidelines above?
FUTURE: Plan to divide your working time as close as possible to the 70-25-5 guidelines above. Give it a try. Test and test some more to see what works for you.
Know someone who could use help to align his priorities and concentration? Please share this post with them via email, Facebook or Twitter, thank you!
by Helena Escalante | Accountability, Goals, Habits, Mindset, Planning, Tools
Estimated reading time: 1 minute, 58 seconds. 
TODAY’S IDEA: Taking care of yourself is part of your job
— From: Habit Changers: 81 Game-Changing Mantras to Mindfully Realize Your Goals by M. J. Ryan
M. J. Ryan, leading expert on change and human fulfillment, says that she’s lost count of the number of her high-achieving clients who recognize that self-care is something that they keep putting off. She recalls a specific story of a female executive who said, “I’ve got my life really nailed… The kids are great, my work is going well. The only thing is that I’m not taking very good care of myself. Exercise has gone out the window, I’m eating lots of junk, and my sleep isn’t so great either.”
We all know that we should take care of ourselves, so why do we put it off for a later time that never comes? The reasons are as varied as each individual, and we simply chalk it off to being busy. Ultra busy. And we make work and others’ needs our priorities, while putting ourselves last (usually in the if-there-is-a-25th-hour-in-the-day-category-I’ll-get-to-it…category).
This reminds me of a quote by Deepak Chopra that says, “If you don’t take care of your health today, you will be forced to take care of your illness tomorrow.”
While the quote jolted me the first time I heard it because of its ominous nature, I think there is much truth in it. Yet I prefer Ryan’s response to this problem, “No one ever told you, but taking care of yourself is part of your job. It’s not optional. Because to succeed at work, you need high ongoing mental, emotional, and physical energy to do your best. If you keep ignoring self-care, eventually you’ll perform at a subpar level. […] When you understand that taking care of yourself is really part of your job, you see it as the business priority it is. So make a schedule of self-care and stick to it.”
I love this approach since it’s a very logical way to see and practice self-care. As Ryan further says, this method is designed it to “give high-achieving folks like you permission to take the time to focus on themselves.”
ACTION
TODAY: Do one thing about self-care that you’ve been putting off.
FUTURE: Schedule in your calendar the times that you will use for self-care. Stick to them!
Know someone who needs to take care of his or herself? Please share this post with them via email, Facebook or Twitter, thank you!
by Helena Escalante | Accountability, Collaboration, Goals, Growth, Leadership, Mindset, Opportunity
Estimated reading time: 1 minute, 48 seconds. 
TODAY’S IDEA: Running ahead of the pack
— From Common Sense Leadership: A Handbook for Success as a Leader by Roger Fulton
Leadership guru John C. Maxwell says that if you think you are leading but nobody follows, you’re just out for a walk. So true. Leaders owe their title and position to their followers. Despite leaders being at the front of the line, they should never forget that there are followers right behind.
In Common Sense Leadership, Roger Fulton has this to say about running ahead of the pack:
Leaders are a little more progressive.
A little more innovative.
A little more creative.
They take that extra step.
Spend a little more effort.
Get a little more accomplished.
Get a few more results.
They get promoted a little sooner.
However, they can’t run too far ahead of the pack.
They need support from others to be successful. If they’re too far ahead, others can’t keep up. If others can’t keep up, they can’t help their leaders if they encounter trouble.
So, unless you want to go it completely alone, keep ahead, but not too far ahead.
Perhaps we need to reconsider the phrase and, instead, run with the pack. I’ll leave you with this African proverb as food for thought: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
ACTION
TODAY: Think of the many instances in your life where you lead, both professionally and personally. Where are you going way too fast? Where do you need to slow down and catch up with those that you are leading? Conversely, where are you going too slow? What are the changes that you need to make?
FUTURE: As you embark on new leadership projects, think of your followers and the community that you want to build around each project. What are the expectations among the people you will lead? How about you: what are your expectations? Are both sets of expectations compatible? What are the constraints? What are the opportunities? Where do you want to take the project and in what timeframe? Make sure you are all on the same page so that you can be successful together. Remember that you, as a leader make all the difference!
Know someone who is running too far ahead of the pack? Please share this post with them via email, Facebook or Twitter, thank you!
by Helena Escalante | Accountability, Growth, Habits, Leadership, Mindset, Opportunity, Tools
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 15 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Cultivate generosity
— From The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader: Becoming the Person Others Will Want to Follow by John C. Maxwell
John C. Maxwell, one of the foremost experts and authors in Leadership says, “Nothing speaks to others more loudly or serves them better than generosity from a leader. True generosity isn’t an occasional event. It comes from the heart and permeates every aspect of a leader’s life, touching his time, money, talents, and possessions. Effective leaders, the kind that people want to follow, don’t gather things just for themselves; they do it in order to give to others.”
Maxwell offers 5 points to keep in mind for cultivating the quality of generosity in our lives:
- Be grateful for whatever you have. “It’s hard for a person to be generous when he is not satisfied with what he has. Generosity rises out of contentment, and that doesn’t come with acquiring more.” The idea behind this is that if we’re not happy with little, we won’t be with a lot; and this projects into our giving: if we’re not generous with little, we won’t be either with a lot.
- Put people first. “The measure of a leader is not the number of people who serve him, but the number of people he serves.” This is beautiful because it turns the widely circulated concept of leadership on its head by putting others first.
- Don’t allow the desire for possessions to control you. In our culture of consumerism, “if you want to be in charge of your heart, don’t allow possessions to take charge of you.”
- Regard money as a resource. In here, Maxwell quotes E. Stanley Jones as saying, “money is a wonderful servant but a terrible master.” The way to put money to work as our servant “is to hold it loosely—and be generous with it to accomplish things of value.”
- Develop the habit of giving. “The only way to maintain an attitude of generosity is to make it your habit to give—your time, attention, money, and resources… If you’re enslaved by greed, you cannot lead.” Maxwell quotes writer John Bunyan who drives this point home by saying, “You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.”
I’ll leave you with this wonderful quote as food for thought:
“No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave.” – Calvin Coolidge, U.S. President
ACTION
TODAY: Think of your 3 Ts: Time, Talent and Treasure (money and other valuable resources). Where are you giving of each? Where are you adding value to others? Are you being as generous as you can? Note that generosity starts with you, and you have to make sure that you are ok in order to be able to give to others. It’s similar to the instructions on board a plane: if the oxygen mask drops from the ceiling put it on yourself first, and then assist others. That’s the only way in which you can truly help. With this in mind, how are you generating value and being generous to yourself first, in a way that will enable you to give to others in a meaningful way?
FUTURE: If you’re not already there, get involved in something that will outlive you: a cause that you really care about. This way you’ll be able to channel your generosity for creating and adding value to others. Also, keep in mind that the best and most valuable thing that you can give is yourself. If you’re at a point in your leadership where you can do this and mentor others, that’s fabulous. If you’re not there yet, why not do the inverse? Get mentored so that you can learn how to do it, and pay it forward when you are ready.
Be generous and please share this post with someone who will benefit from reading it! You can share it via email, Facebook or Twitter, thank you. 🙂
