by Helena Escalante | Growth, Leadership, Mindset, Miniseries, Sales, Tools
Links to other parts of the miniseries:
Leadership: Developing influence one step at a time: Position
Leadership: Developing influence one step at a time: Permission & Production
Leadership: Developing influence one step at a time: People Development and Personhood
Leadership: Climbing the steps
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes, 10 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Leadership: Debunking 5 myths
— From Leadership 101: What Every Leader Needs to Know by John C. Maxwell
What is leadership? With lots of definitions and books on leadership, you’d think the answer to this might be an easy one, but it’s not. The essence of leadership and its different manifestations can sometimes be confusing. Why? Because nowadays the label “leader” is tossed around often and sometimes misused to describe position, knowledge or some other attribute as opposed to true leadership.
To that effect, in Leadership 101, John C. Maxwell sets a simple definition that is right on point:
“True leadership cannot be awarded, appointed or assigned. It comes only from influence. [Thus] the true measure of leadership is influence—nothing more, nothing less.”
So, how do we find and measure influence?
In this miniseries, we will first start by debunking the five most common myths or misconceptions that account for the majority of the confusing definitions leadership and, in subsequent posts, we will see how influence can be developed.
1. The Management Myth: “A widespread misunderstanding is that leading and managing are one and the same.” As Rear Admiral Grace Hopper so aptly put it, “you manage things, you lead people.” Maxwell says, “The best way to test whether a person can lead rather than just manage is to ask [him/her] to create positive change. Managers can maintain direction, but they can’t change it. To move people in a new direction, you need influence.”
2. The Entrepreneur Myth: “People assume that all salespeople and entrepreneurs are leaders. But that’s not always the case.” Maxwell cites the example of Ron Popeil, an inventor of gadgets and celebrity in his own right who became a household name by appearing in numerous infomercials. “Popeil is certainly enterprising, innovative and successful… but that doesn’t make him a leader. People may be buying what he has to sell, but they’re not following him. At best, he is able to persuade people for a moment, but he holds no long-term influence with them.”
3. The Knowledge Myth: “Knowledge is power,” is the famous phrase by Sir Francis Bacon, and Maxwell says that, “most people, believing that power is the essence of leadership, naturally assume that those who possess knowledge and intelligence are leaders.” Yet the author points out that this is not automatically true because there are numerous research scientists and philosophers whose knowledge is, “so high that it’s off the charts, but whose ability to lead is so low that it doesn’t even register on the charts. IQ doesn’t necessarily equate to leadership.”
4. The Pioneer Myth: “Another misconception is that anyone who is out in front of the crowd is a leader. But being first isn’t always the same as leading.” Maxwell points out the case of Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to reach the summit of Mount Everest. While being the pioneer comes with much merit, that doesn’t make him a leader. Many climbers have done the same afterward, but they aren’t following him. “To be a leader, a person has to not only be out front, but also have people intentionally coming behind him, following his lead, and acting on his vision.”
5. The Position Myth: “The greatest misunderstanding about leadership is that people think it is based on position, but it’s not,” says Maxwell. In the military, officers can pull rank and in business, bosses get away with people being cooperative because their livelihood is at stake. People respond to their superiors and that is mistaken as leadership. Maxwell quotes Stanley Huffty: “It’s not the position that makes the leader; it’s the leader that makes the position.” Think about some of the known examples of leaders of a team or company who resign or are forced out and the colleagues follow: the leaders may lose the position, but not the influence because, as Harry A. Overstreet said, “The very essence of all power to influence lies in getting the other person to participate.”
And the corollary to this last quote is one that Maxwell is famous for saying:
“He who thinks he leads, but has no followers, is only taking a walk.”
While leaders may have some or all of these attributes within them, they must still have influence for people to follow them and act upon their vision.
Come back tomorrow for the next installment of this miniseries to learn how influence can be developed.
ACTION
TODAY: Think about the leaders that surround you. Think about their influence. Who do you follow because you truly believe in them? Who do you follow because they have rank or authority over you?
FUTURE: Come back to learn how to develop influence. To become a leader, it’s important to develop influence in a way that empowers, elevates and enlightens others, always coming from a point of empathy and much generosity. It takes time, but it’s worth it—think about all the true leaders you admire and their journey to the top!
Know someone who wants to learn more about leadership? Please share this post and the upcoming ones in this miniseries, thank you! Email, Facebook or Twitter.
by Helena Escalante | Accountability, Goals, Growth, Habits, Mindset, Planning, Tools
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 35 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Ask these questions to describe your successful, ideal life
— From No Excuses!: The Power of Self-Discipline: 21 Ways to Achieve Happiness and Success by Brian Tracy
Each one of us has a different definition of success, yet we will all likely agree that no matter what our definition is, the pursuit and attainment of that success will bring us happiness. In his book No Excuses!, business guru Brian Tracy cites Aristotle as saying that the great question each of us must answer is, “How shall we live in order to be happy?”
He goes on to say, “Your ability to ask and answer that question correctly for yourself—and then to follow where your answer leads you—will largely determine whether you achieve your own happiness, and how soon.”
And to get there as soon as possible, we can start by defining what success looks like for each of us. Tracy suggests asking the following questions and answering them as if you could wave a magic wand and make your life perfect in every way.
If your business, work, and career were ideal in every way, what would they look like?
What would you be doing?
What sort of company would you work for?
What position would you have?
How much money would you earn?
What kind of people would you work with?
And, especially, what would you need to do more or less of to create your perfect career?
If your family life were perfect in every way, what would it look like?
Where would you live, and how would you be living?
What kind of a lifestyle would you have?
What sort of things would you want to have and do with the members of your family?
If you had no limitations and you could wave a magic wand, in what ways would you change your family life today?
If your health were perfect, how would you describe it?
How would you feel?
How much would you weigh?
How would your levels of health and fitness be different from what they are today?
Most of all, what steps could you take immediately to begin moving toward your ideal levels of health and energy?
If your financial situation were ideal, how much would you have in the bank?
How much would you be earning each month and each year from your investments?
If you had enough money that you never had to worry about finances again, how much would that be?
What steps could you take, starting today, to create your ideal financial life?
Why aren’t you already as successful as you would like to be, and what one discipline would help you the most to achieve all your goals?
What one skill could you develop that would help you to realize more of your goals?
If you could wave a magic wand and be completely disciplined in one area, which one discipline would have the greatest positive impact on your life?
As you begin to lay out your vision of success, pay attention to the very last question in each category (the things that you should be doing more or less of) and the very last three questions.
Self-discipline is the key to achieve what you want; however, it’s very important to lay out a plan first, so that you can then follow it with your self-discipline. For this, Tracy focuses on the Law of Cause and Effect, or sowing and reaping: “This law says that if you want to achieve success in any area, you must determine how success is achieved in that area and then practice those skills and activities repeatedly until you achieve the same results.”
Success guru Kop Kopmeyer aptly says that you must “learn from the experts [because] you will never live long enough to learn it all for yourself.” Remember that success leaves clues!
ACTION
TODAY: Set aside some time to answer the questions above and figure out what your ideal and successful life looks like. As you answer, a clear path will emerge and you will see what you need to do more or less of to head into the direction of your dreams.
FUTURE: Once you know what success looks like for you and what direction you need to go into, figure out who are the foremost, trusted experts in those fields, so that you can learn from them and follow in your footsteps.
Please share this post with someone who could benefit from answering all these questions to define their success, thanks! Email, Facebook or Twitter.
by Helena Escalante | Goals, Growth, Mindset, Tools
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 34 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Tenacity: 3 essential characteristics to keep going
— From Success 101: What Every Leader Needs to Know by John C. Maxwell
“Tenacity,” says John C. Maxwell, “is crucial to success.” He mentions that even people lacking talent and failing to have or cultivate other qualities of a team player are able to help the team succeed if they have a tenacious spirit.
But what does being tenacious mean?
According to the author, there are three essential characteristics that constitute tenacity and that help us keep going:
1. Giving all that you have, not more than you have. Some people lack tenacity because they think their project will require a superhuman effort to get done and they don’t believe they have what it takes to make it happen. Maxwell states, “Being tenacious requires that you give 100 percent—not more, but certainly not less. If you give your all, you afford yourself every opportunity possible for success.”
2. Working with determination, not waiting on destiny. “Tenacious people don’t rely on luck, fate, or destiny for their success. And when conditions become difficult, they keep working. They know that trying times are no time to quit trying. And that’s what makes the difference. For the thousands of people who give up, there is always someone like Thomas Edison, who remarked, ‘I start where the last man left off.’ ”
3. Quitting when the job is done, not when you’re tired. Maxwell cites the American actor Robert Strauss, who stated that “success is a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don’t quit when you’re tired—you quit when the gorilla is tired.” The author says that it’s not the first, but the last step that makes the difference, as that is where the race is won. “If you want your team to succeed, you have to keep pushing beyond what you think you can do and find out what you’re really capable of.”
So, how tenacious are you?
As food for thought, I’ll leave you with this quote from Napoleon Hill:
“Every successful person finds that great success lies just beyond the point when they’re convinced their idea is not going to work.”
ACTION
TODAY: Take a moment to think of an area in your life where you could succeed with more tenacity. What is that area? Which of the three above characteristics have you not applied there? Say, have you not given it your all and quit because you got tired, before the job was done? Simply take away a lesson from that and start again. Armed with that lesson and the determination to get it done, you will find the tenacity to get to that last step you need to win the race and achieve your goal.
FUTURE: When you’re stuck or about to quit, think about these three characteristics of tenacity. Why did you decide to start in the first place? Go back to that mental place and you’ll find the motivation and determination to continue giving it your all and not quit until the job is done.
Know someone who needs a bit of inspiration and tenacity right now? Please share this post via email, Facebook or Twitter, thanks!
by Helena Escalante | Accountability, Creativity, Growth, Leadership, Mindset, Tools
Estimated reading time: 1 minute, 53 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Model the best, remember the worst
— From LEAD RIGHT by Steve Ventura
There’s no question that we’ve all been exposed to many leadership lessons. These learnings come to us courtesy of the many leaders, both in business and in life, with whom we’ve interacted—or whom we have read about, watched on TV, or seen or heard from in other ways.
Steve Ventura, author of Lead Right, has a short, yet powerful idea to share with us today. He says:
“Think back on all the various people you’ve worked for. Some you’ll remember fondly—some not so fondly. Undoubtedly, some were ‘saints’… or at least they exhibited almost saintly behaviors. These were top notch leaders who showed you by their example, what you should be doing now. Emulate them; follow their lead. When in doubt, ask yourself ‘What would he do… how would she handle this situation?’ Then, DO IT!
Maybe your inventory of past bosses also includes one or two jerks… and you’d probably just as soon forget them. DON’T! You need to remember them clearly and frequently. They provide your best lessons on what NOT to do! By avoiding the kinds of behaviors they exhibited, you’ll make sure that, down the road, you never appear on any of your team members’ list of worst leaders.”
There you have it. As uncomfortable as it is to watch or to interact with people who are bad leaders, the lessons derived can be very valuable (albeit painful at times). Poor leaders are inverse mentors: they teach you how not to lead. Pay attention so that you remember to never do what they do.
Instead, emulate those leaders whose behavior consistently yields good results. Those are real role models and mentors.
“People seldom improve when they have no other model but themselves to copy after.” – Oliver Goldsmith
ACTION
TODAY: Recall an experience that you witnessed, whether at work or in your personal life, that was the result of poor leadership. What can you learn from it? What lessons can you derive so that you don’t make the same mistakes?
FUTURE: When faced with a difficult leadership decision or challenge, recall those leaders whose example you value and admire, and ask yourself how you think they would handle your situation. Then act accordingly.
Know someone who would enjoy reading this post? Please share it via email, Facebook or Twitter, thanks!
by Helena Escalante | Accountability, Goals, Growth, Leadership, Mindset, Opportunity, Planning, Tools
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes, 0 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: 3 Questions you must ask yourself to succeed in business
— From The 100 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws of Business Success by Brian Tracy.
In The 100 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws of Business Success, business guru Brian Tracy shares the Law of Critical Success Factors: “Every business has a number of key success factors that measure and determine its success or failure.”
Just as our bodies have indicators of vital functions that determine our health (heart rate, blood pressure, etc.), “companies have critical success factors, as well, which measure the health and vitality of an enterprise.”
Tracy says that many critical success factors are common to all businesses: “leadership, product quality, service, sales, marketing, manufacturing, distribution, and finance and accounting.” Excellent performance in each of these areas will bring about excellent results, whereas poor performance—or nonperformance—will seriously jeopardize the survival of the business.
Above and beyond these common critical success factors, some companies have their own factors that are specific to them. They are unique and they are what separates a particular company from the rest.
This last point brings about the first corollary of this law: “Each individual has personal critical success factors, the performance of which determines his or her business future.”
Tracy goes on to explain, “You have a set of key skills or core competencies that you use, like tools, to do your job. A weakness or failure in any of your key skills can undermine your overall effectiveness and weaken your ability to do your job effectively. To perform at your best, you must first identify the critical success factors of your work, measure your strengths in each one, and then develop a plan to become excellent in the areas that can help you the most.”
There are two questions that you must ask yourself in order to determine your personal critical success factors:
Why am I on the payroll? “What exactly have you been hired to accomplish? Why does the company pay you the money it does? Both you and your boss should be in complete agreement on this question. Whatever your answer is to this question, that is what you should be working on most of the time.” (Note: if it’s your own business, substitute the above with questions as if you were hiring someone to work in your position. It’s an eye-opening exercise, what exactly would this person work on most of the time?)
What can I, and only I, do that if done well will make a real difference to my company? “This is a task or responsibility that only you can do. If you don’t do it, it won’t get done. But if you do it and do it well, it can make a tremendous difference both to your company and to yourself.”
And these two questions bring about the second corollary to this law: “Your weakest critical success factor determines the height at which you can use other skills.”
What exactly does this mean?
“Your personal strengths and core competencies are what have brought you to where you are today. They are the foundations of your position and the determinants of your income. At the same time, your weaknesses form the ceiling on your ability to rise to even greater heights.”
To move ahead more rapidly, Tracy says, you must ask yourself—and be honest—about your weaknesses:
What are your weaknesses? “What one skill, if you developed and did it in an excellent fashion, would have the greatest positive impact on your career? Whatever the answer to this question, this is where you should begin to work on yourself. This is where you can get the biggest payoff in terms of increased competence.”
By asking these three questions, you will be able to determine where you currently stand and what you need to do to move forward to achieve your greatest business success.
ACTION
TODAY: Assess yourself. Tracy asks, “What are your personal critical success factors, and what is your plan to become absolutely excellent in the one area that can help you the most at this time?” Create a plan to start working on yourself in this area.
FUTURE: A great individual assessment and a book that can help you figure out your strengths is called Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath. Highly recommended. It will help you figure out your top 5 strengths so that you can build upon them. I’m happy to report that my biggest strength is learner (not that you hadn’t noticed…). A good outlet for expression for a learner is to share what he or she has learned, as a teacher, and this is another reason why this blog came to life, to be able to share what I learn. Check out the book and/or test and let me know in the comments here what your top strength is!
Know someone who needs to find his/her strengths? Please share this post via email, Facebook or Twitter, thanks!
by Helena Escalante | Accountability, Goals, Growth, Habits, Mindset, Planning, Tools, Wellbeing, Willpower
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 7 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: The one characteristic that unites enemies and strengths
— From The Artist’s Journey: The Wake of the Hero’s Journey and the Lifelong Pursuit of Meaning from Steven Pressfield
I love Steven Pressfield’s books. He has a knack for brevity, clarity and great wordsmanship that I admire enormously (and secretly wish I had).
In his great book The Artist’s Journey, the author makes a point of sharing and comparing the modern-day enemies that (most of us) share and the strengths that we all strive to have. The conclusion? The one thing that unites both our enemies and strengths is that they are all mental.
Don’t believe it? Check this out:
ENEMIES: “None of these enemies are real… they are all products of the mind.”
Fear of failure.
Fear of success.
Fear of the new, of pain, of loneliness, of exertion, of intensity.
Need for external (third-party) validation.
Self-doubt.
Arrogance.
Impatience.
Inability to defer gratification.
Predisposition to distraction.
Shallowness of thought and purpose.
Conventionality.
Insularity.
The need to cling to the known.
The best part of this, says Pressfield, is that we “confront no foes that are not of [our] own creation.” Yes, a pouncing lion or a man with a gun may be real, but we’re not talking about those absolutely true, physical dangers in here (if you confront either one of them, please run!).
We’re referring to our every day, mentally domesticated and cultivated, enemies. We have within ourselves the ability to defeat them: we’ve created these enemies in our heads and we can overcome them the same way.
But how do we overcome them?
By developing and nurturing strengths within ourselves. They are also a product of our mind. And while Pressfield rightly points out that none of the strengths listed below are innate, the good thing is that “all may be acquired by effort and force of will.”
STRENGTHS:
Courage.
Honesty, particularly with oneself.
Self-confidence.
Humility.
Compassion for oneself and others.
The ability to receive criticism objectively.
Patience.
Curiosity, open-mindedness, receptivity to the new.
The ability to focus.
The ability to defer gratification.
Will.
Mental toughness.
The capacity to endure adversity, injustice, indifference.
In computer science, the term GIGO stands for “garbage in garbage out.” This means that if you put flawed data in (=garbage), you get flawed data out. It’s the science equivalent of the old saying you reap what you sow.
Our mind works the same way. Feed it with the enemies described above and it becomes a fearful, selfish mess. Feed it with the strengths above and you will attain the best version of yourself. We could even coin the term VIVO: virtue in virtue out, or value in value out. (I was not able to find the opposite of GIGO anywhere… if you have a better option let me know in the comments here.)
The wonderful thing about all this is that it is up to us: we’re not subject to anything or anyone to get started and to cultivate and reap the rewards of the VIVO habit. Let’s go!
“Cultivation to the mind is as necessary as food to the body.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero
ACTION
TODAY: Pick one of the enemies from the list above or one that you are battling within. Pick a strength to overcome it. Think of an instance in the past in which you let the enemy rule and ponder how you could have overcome it with the strength. Please don’t use this as a way to beat yourself up, but instead as an opportunity to learn directly how to react the next time. It’s all a matter of awareness: the quicker you realize when your enemy is creeping up, the quicker you’ll be able to defeat it by bringing out the virtue/value with which you want to substitute it.
FUTURE: Make VIVO a habit that will help you cultivate and reap the best version of you.
Know someone who could use the concept of VIVO? Please share this post! Email, Facebook, Twitter. Thank you!
