More and more the term Law of Attraction is gaining publicity and becoming known to mainstream America. The big question I'm always being asked is "Is it real and does it work?"
The answer is a definitive YES, if you understand the fundamental principles of the attraction process and how to accurately apply them to get the results you want.
The Law of Attraction Is Already Working for You
The first thing you need to understand is the Law of Attraction has been, currently is and always will be working for you. It's a complete part of your life just like breathing. The Law of Attraction is always in play, believe it or not, bringing into your life the things you focus your attention on with the greatest clarity.
In the most simple terms the Law of Attraction is defined as "Like Attracts Like," meaning "you get what you think about" whether your thoughts are conscious or unconscious, negative or positive. Although this statement is correct, I define the Law of Attraction as follows, giving you the basis to intentionally attract what you want into your life:
"Anyone who regularly concentrates with desire, belief and expectancy on a particular thing, condition or circumstance will manifest it into their life."
Making Your Thoughts Determine Your Experience
The most important aspect of intentionally using the Law of Attraction to get what you want is understanding that it takes more than just thinking to make it work; it takes desire, belief and expectancy. You must not only have the desire to focus on what you want, but you must have the desire to take action to achieve your objective.
Next, you must have belief. When intentionally manifesting, you must believe in yourself, believe in your right to have what you seek and believe that it is possible for you to obtain it, without question.
And third, you must trust in your belief while having a genuine expectation that you will obtain your desire, even when you are unsure how it will manifest. The "how" is not your concern; your goal is to expect without reason or justification that you will obtain what you desire.
When you combine focusing your attention on what you want with desire, belief and expectancy, you unleash the power of the law and begin to command it.
Experience the Law of Attraction Yourself
The Law of Attraction is real and it does work. And, to repeat myself, it's been an active part of your life since you arrived here. It's not rocket science, there's nothing mystical about it and anyone can use it to their greatest advantage. The challenge we face as humans is we make this "process" much harder than it is. So let's simplify it!
There are three steps to getting the law to work for you:
First, determine your desire. Identify what you want, be crystal clear about it and get it down on paper. You have to make sure your intention is positive and absolutely focused on your desire. And you have to be able to put your desire into words in a way that will make the Law of Attraction work to your greatest advantage.
Second, you must align with your desire. In order to become aligned with your desire, you must "feel" good about what you want. After you put your intention down on paper, read it out loud and see how it makes you feel. If you feel good, then you know you have clearly aligned with what you want. It you don't feel good, then you either do not believe it is possible for you to obtain or you weren't crystal clear defining what you want.
The third and final step is to permit your desire to manifest. At this point you must expect that you will receive that which you want. There can be no doubt of any kind, just expectation that you will receive your desire. When you think about your desire from this point on, always picture yourself "already" having it and enjoy how it makes you feel.
Be Humble and Grateful
As you learn and practice how to use the law correctly you will begin to bring into your life the things, conditions and circumstances you want.
When you start to use it, be patient with yourself and your progress. It may take a bit to get the hang of it, but I promise you once you understand how it works for you, your life will change for the better in the most amazing ways.
Second, be humble and grateful. Be grateful for all that you currently have as well as all you will (and do) receive. Respect the power of Law of Attraction and openly share it with others.
The Law of Attraction is for everyone, just like the air we breathe. Use it often, use it openly and most of all, use it wisely.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Quick Tips for Executive Stress Management
None of has unlimited time. Professionals or executives often find themselves in a pressure-cooker environment as they manage people, make costly decisions or determine directions of their organizations - on top of their obligations to family and friends. How they manage their time is critical to how they will be able to manage their stress – and more and more admit that stress is impacting their jobs, emotional life, relationships and ultimately their health.
The first step in managing stress is to become more aware of all of the things that trigger it. Keep a stress journal documenting all of your stressors for one week. Don’t forget to include the less obvious stressors like commuting or family arguments. This way you at least have a starting point to do some self examination of your stress – and then figure out how you’re going to cope. Obviously, some stressors will not change and must be accepted - but others might benefit from being adjusted to lessen their impact.
Time management and effective delegation are two of the leading ways to combat unusually stressed professionals in higher level positions. In addition, learning tools to counterract the body's "fight or flight" response associated with the unhealthy type of stress should be implemented.
The first step in managing stress is to become more aware of all of the things that trigger it. Keep a stress journal documenting all of your stressors for one week. Don’t forget to include the less obvious stressors like commuting or family arguments. This way you at least have a starting point to do some self examination of your stress – and then figure out how you’re going to cope. Obviously, some stressors will not change and must be accepted - but others might benefit from being adjusted to lessen their impact.
Time management and effective delegation are two of the leading ways to combat unusually stressed professionals in higher level positions. In addition, learning tools to counterract the body's "fight or flight" response associated with the unhealthy type of stress should be implemented.
Dealing With Difficult People
Difficult people are a dime a dozen. Dealing with them might make you avoid these very people, even if they are loved ones. We know we love them, but they just have heartache-inducing behavior at times. The good news is that there are effective ways in dealing with difficult people.
It actually doesn’t require you to get a straitjacket to restrain them or to save them from themselves. Dealing with difficult people actually requires only two things: love and patience.
When you give love to difficult people, it will not be such a burden to get along with them, because you would have the capacity to be gracious and patient towards them.
Being a difficult person means that the person either has any of the following:
- Anger issues
- Emotional issues
- Extreme need for attention
Other manifestations of being “difficult” could also be noted.
Dealing with difficult people is rather draining, because unlike “normal” people, there are times that there seems to be no getting through them.
Even if you try to talk some sense into them, the words of wisdom seemingly just slide off. Not because they aren’t listening, but only because they are so problematic that they cannot see past their anger, resentments, or problems.
Dealing with difficult people need not be a chore. When you give love, you would be able to handle the abuse you might need to put up with them. You only need to see past the abuse in order to have love for, and give love to, the difficult people in your life.
In cultivating love, discipline yourself to focus on their good or positive qualities. As a result, you would almost automatically have patience in dealing with them.
As long as you do not let negativity and complaints enter your own thoughts, and as long as you keep focusing on the positive, you will surmount this challenge of dealing with difficult people.
It actually doesn’t require you to get a straitjacket to restrain them or to save them from themselves. Dealing with difficult people actually requires only two things: love and patience.
When you give love to difficult people, it will not be such a burden to get along with them, because you would have the capacity to be gracious and patient towards them.
Being a difficult person means that the person either has any of the following:
- Anger issues
- Emotional issues
- Extreme need for attention
Other manifestations of being “difficult” could also be noted.
Dealing with difficult people is rather draining, because unlike “normal” people, there are times that there seems to be no getting through them.
Even if you try to talk some sense into them, the words of wisdom seemingly just slide off. Not because they aren’t listening, but only because they are so problematic that they cannot see past their anger, resentments, or problems.
Dealing with difficult people need not be a chore. When you give love, you would be able to handle the abuse you might need to put up with them. You only need to see past the abuse in order to have love for, and give love to, the difficult people in your life.
In cultivating love, discipline yourself to focus on their good or positive qualities. As a result, you would almost automatically have patience in dealing with them.
As long as you do not let negativity and complaints enter your own thoughts, and as long as you keep focusing on the positive, you will surmount this challenge of dealing with difficult people.
How To Live A Balanced Life
Is your life more hectic than ever? Do you find that you become tired more frequently, lose patience easily, experience moodiness, and are so stressed that you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel? Have you lost contact with your friends? Has fun completely gone out of your life? While we tend to think we can do it all; the problem is we can’t. We forego simple pleasures, take on unnecessary burdens and, quite frankly, put other’s needs before our own. This is a recipe for ill-health, depression, and overall sadness. It’s time to sit down and determine how to live a balanced life.
Performing selfless acts is noble, but it takes a toll we may not be aware of. There is nothing wrong with being selfish. While everyone seems to be concentrating on themselves, you are focusing on them. The first step to a balanced life is to think about you and your needs. If you fall apart, you won’t be of any use to anyone. Selfishness is not defined by an inability to help others; it is the means by which you regenerate yourself by focusing on your own needs. Simple ordinary pleasures can make a world of difference in your life such as: a manicure, a day out with friends; a new outfit.
You’re mental and emotional state has more to do with the balance within than you realize. Worry drains us; yet we can’t seem to control it. We tolerate many things which essentially drain our energy, leaving us feeling empty and void of feeling. Sleepless nights ensue, and the cycle begins all over again the next day. Confront the problems head on; let the water out of the tank before it bursts open. Worry about the things you can control.
Protect your space from intruders who are intent on invading your thoughts and inner peace. If someone is rude or makes a disparaging remark; walk away. If a situation arises creating angst, deal with it then let it go. Don’t let it disrupt your life by claiming it as your own. You didn’t create it, nor are you responsible for it. Try not to solve the ills of the world or place the burden on your shoulders. Life is hard enough without placing unimportant needs ahead of your own.
A path well taken is one of integrity and honesty. Love yourself; look in the mirror every morning and acknowledge the unique person you are. Empower yourself to accomplish your most intimate goals. Acknowledge the kindness and good in you; you may be hard pressed to fine anyone who will. Conduct yourself with dignity and honor. Finally, take charge of your life; nurture it, reward it; and the balance within will reveal itself through the smile on your face, and the gleam in your eyes.
Performing selfless acts is noble, but it takes a toll we may not be aware of. There is nothing wrong with being selfish. While everyone seems to be concentrating on themselves, you are focusing on them. The first step to a balanced life is to think about you and your needs. If you fall apart, you won’t be of any use to anyone. Selfishness is not defined by an inability to help others; it is the means by which you regenerate yourself by focusing on your own needs. Simple ordinary pleasures can make a world of difference in your life such as: a manicure, a day out with friends; a new outfit.
You’re mental and emotional state has more to do with the balance within than you realize. Worry drains us; yet we can’t seem to control it. We tolerate many things which essentially drain our energy, leaving us feeling empty and void of feeling. Sleepless nights ensue, and the cycle begins all over again the next day. Confront the problems head on; let the water out of the tank before it bursts open. Worry about the things you can control.
Protect your space from intruders who are intent on invading your thoughts and inner peace. If someone is rude or makes a disparaging remark; walk away. If a situation arises creating angst, deal with it then let it go. Don’t let it disrupt your life by claiming it as your own. You didn’t create it, nor are you responsible for it. Try not to solve the ills of the world or place the burden on your shoulders. Life is hard enough without placing unimportant needs ahead of your own.
A path well taken is one of integrity and honesty. Love yourself; look in the mirror every morning and acknowledge the unique person you are. Empower yourself to accomplish your most intimate goals. Acknowledge the kindness and good in you; you may be hard pressed to fine anyone who will. Conduct yourself with dignity and honor. Finally, take charge of your life; nurture it, reward it; and the balance within will reveal itself through the smile on your face, and the gleam in your eyes.
The 10 Commandments Of Success
We see people becoming successful around us everyday, no matter how uncertain times we live in or how fluctuating our society may be. Opportunities come and go more than ever, but what is it that makes some of us hold on to the abundance that is our birth right while others see it as a slippery dream that seems to avoid us?
There are certain strategies and ways of being that we need to achieve in order to be able to create a strong foundation to allow energy, money and abundance to come into our lives and be held within the frame of our capacity to receive:
1. Listen to your inner guidance.
Following the rules that others follow may not be right for you. We need a connection with what our own purpose is and it is only us who can provide the answers. It is easy to fall for the illusion of “what seems” and as we do so, we disperse our focus on what our own strengths are. Comparing our lives with others’ only disperse or focus further. Think of this: we are on the Earth and therefore there is one place for us (like each piece in the puzzle). Which one is it for you? What are your strengths? What are your dreams? Are you dissolving the power of your clear focus by getting lost in the maize of possibilities? What do you think you will be missing out if you become who you are? What sacrifice are you avoiding to make? What is your trade-off for the life you live, where is your energy compromised? These and other similar questions will guide you so make sure you have time and space to listen to the whispers of your soul.
2. Honour yourself.
It is easy to make ourselves wrong when things don’t go our way or as we planned them. However, there are gifts and talents that we all possess and will never leave us; we earned them and they are with us for life. The only setback is that if we don’t work with them, they all but disappear from our lives. We then find ourselves fighting to achieve skills that may not be natural to us and need to spend an enormous amount of energy in the process, rather than turning back and finding who we originally were, align with our talents and let them guide us to our destiny while we enjoy the freedom and joy of pure self-expression.
3. Competition or Cooperation?
Do you believe that everything that can ever be created has already been so? Then, I understand you are fighting to gain customers from your competitors or you are getting disillusioned when the house you want and has just appeared in the market is being bought by someone else. Give yourself credit for you are a powerful being: visualise the life you want and create it through intention, focused energy and faith. Then you will understand that we are not here to compete for what has already been created but to create the new that will make ours a better world to live in.
4. Navigate the “undercurrent” of your life.
Are you trying to find meaning and reach your highest potential in your life while at the same time you are avoiding to meet yourself face to face at the deepest level? Where are you sabotaging your efforts? What contradictions are you carrying within your belief-system? Everything that is out of integrity in your life will create an energy drain and it will be very “energy expensive” to keep filling this leak. It would be better to go to your foundations and see where your efforts and your dreams are out of alignment with your values, needs and beliefs.
5. Focus on joy, abundance and attraction.
Do you feel that life is hard and we need to learn through pain and sorrow? Or are you willing to surrender your Will and Ego to the Universe and allow your gifts and talents to open up a path for yourself? Are you ready to learn through joy and expansion and accept the abundance that lives just at the outskirts of your life-force field, your heart expectations, your imagination?
6. Wait for your inner prompts, then follow them.
The Tao says that “every trip of a thousand steps starts with one step”. Massive goals can be broken into small steps. Focus on a dream or vision, break it down in achievable steps. Take one at a time and plan the length of time that it will take you, feel what it will be like when you achieve it, think of it as already here and make sure you celebrate at every little gain. You won’t be a better person or be worth more when you get there: you already are that better person and you already have that worth. Simply know it.
7. You learn better when you are humble.
Is your Ego getting on the way of your achievements? Is the original vision for yourself limiting what you can become? Have you grown and your Ego doesn’t know it yet? Let go of wanting to control the outcomes; relish the endings and thrive on the processes. This way, you are a winner at every single little step!
8. You are not what you do.
Are you scared to death to loose your income, to be made redundant? Do you identify yourself with your job title and you feel it would be unacceptable to have to go even one single step backwards in your career? Then, think about this: if your time was up tomorrow, what would you say you would regret not having done? What would you think was the most important thing for you?
So what is making you take for granted the life you live and the achievements that you have accomplished? Put things into perspective and know that you have created your present and you could create it again and again. It is not something that “you have been given” – it is something that you have “made happen” by your persistence, focus, dreams and original vision of yourself. Don’t carry that dead weight and leave a space around your “work identity” so that if tomorrow things are to happen, you won’t get the shock of your life. Give yourself space to grow and manoeuvre and dare to review your profession, career and goals on a regular basis. You will then understand what freedom is, the freedom of not depending from “others’ hand-outs” but from the fact that your are the source in your life.
9. Timing is everything.
Are you able to set up a goal and then be open to receive inner guidance on when the timing is right or the timing is off? Are you prepared to be patient in an alert sort of way? Yes, you will need to observe the opportunities that may come your way and take the steps you are being guided to take, whether you understand the reasons why or not. The point is that when you wish for something in your life, you are actually setting in motion the process of creation of that item, not “its instantaneous manifestation”. Once you have asked for your gift, have faith that it will come to you for self-doubt is the only thing that will revert back the process of creation and bring it to a stop. Then, be willing to be patient and abide to “Universe Timing” instead of Human Timing.
10. Be grateful for all you are and already have.
Are you asking for more because you don’t have enough or are you asking for more because it is part of your next step of growth and self-empowerment? There is a big difference. In order to attract more, you need to open your heart and receive what comes your way. The amount you will be able to receive is related to your self-worth. If you feel that you are doing without, you are stating to the Universe that you don’t trust you are being taken care of. Or perhaps you need to understand abundance through the experience of lack. In any case, gratitude opens your heart and being able to acknowledge what you already have received in your life if the quickest way to attract more!
There are certain strategies and ways of being that we need to achieve in order to be able to create a strong foundation to allow energy, money and abundance to come into our lives and be held within the frame of our capacity to receive:
1. Listen to your inner guidance.
Following the rules that others follow may not be right for you. We need a connection with what our own purpose is and it is only us who can provide the answers. It is easy to fall for the illusion of “what seems” and as we do so, we disperse our focus on what our own strengths are. Comparing our lives with others’ only disperse or focus further. Think of this: we are on the Earth and therefore there is one place for us (like each piece in the puzzle). Which one is it for you? What are your strengths? What are your dreams? Are you dissolving the power of your clear focus by getting lost in the maize of possibilities? What do you think you will be missing out if you become who you are? What sacrifice are you avoiding to make? What is your trade-off for the life you live, where is your energy compromised? These and other similar questions will guide you so make sure you have time and space to listen to the whispers of your soul.
2. Honour yourself.
It is easy to make ourselves wrong when things don’t go our way or as we planned them. However, there are gifts and talents that we all possess and will never leave us; we earned them and they are with us for life. The only setback is that if we don’t work with them, they all but disappear from our lives. We then find ourselves fighting to achieve skills that may not be natural to us and need to spend an enormous amount of energy in the process, rather than turning back and finding who we originally were, align with our talents and let them guide us to our destiny while we enjoy the freedom and joy of pure self-expression.
3. Competition or Cooperation?
Do you believe that everything that can ever be created has already been so? Then, I understand you are fighting to gain customers from your competitors or you are getting disillusioned when the house you want and has just appeared in the market is being bought by someone else. Give yourself credit for you are a powerful being: visualise the life you want and create it through intention, focused energy and faith. Then you will understand that we are not here to compete for what has already been created but to create the new that will make ours a better world to live in.
4. Navigate the “undercurrent” of your life.
Are you trying to find meaning and reach your highest potential in your life while at the same time you are avoiding to meet yourself face to face at the deepest level? Where are you sabotaging your efforts? What contradictions are you carrying within your belief-system? Everything that is out of integrity in your life will create an energy drain and it will be very “energy expensive” to keep filling this leak. It would be better to go to your foundations and see where your efforts and your dreams are out of alignment with your values, needs and beliefs.
5. Focus on joy, abundance and attraction.
Do you feel that life is hard and we need to learn through pain and sorrow? Or are you willing to surrender your Will and Ego to the Universe and allow your gifts and talents to open up a path for yourself? Are you ready to learn through joy and expansion and accept the abundance that lives just at the outskirts of your life-force field, your heart expectations, your imagination?
6. Wait for your inner prompts, then follow them.
The Tao says that “every trip of a thousand steps starts with one step”. Massive goals can be broken into small steps. Focus on a dream or vision, break it down in achievable steps. Take one at a time and plan the length of time that it will take you, feel what it will be like when you achieve it, think of it as already here and make sure you celebrate at every little gain. You won’t be a better person or be worth more when you get there: you already are that better person and you already have that worth. Simply know it.
7. You learn better when you are humble.
Is your Ego getting on the way of your achievements? Is the original vision for yourself limiting what you can become? Have you grown and your Ego doesn’t know it yet? Let go of wanting to control the outcomes; relish the endings and thrive on the processes. This way, you are a winner at every single little step!
8. You are not what you do.
Are you scared to death to loose your income, to be made redundant? Do you identify yourself with your job title and you feel it would be unacceptable to have to go even one single step backwards in your career? Then, think about this: if your time was up tomorrow, what would you say you would regret not having done? What would you think was the most important thing for you?
So what is making you take for granted the life you live and the achievements that you have accomplished? Put things into perspective and know that you have created your present and you could create it again and again. It is not something that “you have been given” – it is something that you have “made happen” by your persistence, focus, dreams and original vision of yourself. Don’t carry that dead weight and leave a space around your “work identity” so that if tomorrow things are to happen, you won’t get the shock of your life. Give yourself space to grow and manoeuvre and dare to review your profession, career and goals on a regular basis. You will then understand what freedom is, the freedom of not depending from “others’ hand-outs” but from the fact that your are the source in your life.
9. Timing is everything.
Are you able to set up a goal and then be open to receive inner guidance on when the timing is right or the timing is off? Are you prepared to be patient in an alert sort of way? Yes, you will need to observe the opportunities that may come your way and take the steps you are being guided to take, whether you understand the reasons why or not. The point is that when you wish for something in your life, you are actually setting in motion the process of creation of that item, not “its instantaneous manifestation”. Once you have asked for your gift, have faith that it will come to you for self-doubt is the only thing that will revert back the process of creation and bring it to a stop. Then, be willing to be patient and abide to “Universe Timing” instead of Human Timing.
10. Be grateful for all you are and already have.
Are you asking for more because you don’t have enough or are you asking for more because it is part of your next step of growth and self-empowerment? There is a big difference. In order to attract more, you need to open your heart and receive what comes your way. The amount you will be able to receive is related to your self-worth. If you feel that you are doing without, you are stating to the Universe that you don’t trust you are being taken care of. Or perhaps you need to understand abundance through the experience of lack. In any case, gratitude opens your heart and being able to acknowledge what you already have received in your life if the quickest way to attract more!
Spot the leader
NO ORGANISATION can rise above the quality of its leadership. Because leadership is a position that must be earned day in and day out, there are important personal choices that both new and experienced leaders must make on a regular basis.
Effective leaders are, first and foremost, effective people.
Personal ethics cannot be separated from professional ethics. Therefore, the character of the leader is essential.
The following list of 10 characteristics is a valuable guide for quality living, in addition to being critical criteria for leadership:
1 A high standard of personal ethics. This quality leads the list. Honest Abraham Lincoln, who walked miles to return a customer’s change, is a classic example of how personal ethics are reflected in professional conduct. Decisions made under pressure and/or temptation separate the great leaders from the impostors.
2 High energy. Great leaders are not exhausted from dealing with petty issues. These people know right from wrong as well as the difference between what is truly important and what is merely interesting.
3 Walking the talk. The ability to work on priorities shares equal importance with setting priorities. Many brilliant priority lists end up in the landfill of life. The difference between setting priorities and working on them is the difference between a dreamer and a doer.
4 Courage. The willingness to take risks and accept responsibility for the outcome is a consistent quality among effective leaders. Either you or your fears will control everything you do. An organisation will be no bolder than the leader.
5 Dedication. Committed and dedicated hardworking leaders will eventually develop dedicated and hardworking organisations, regardless of whom they start with or the experience they bring to the job.
6 Creativity. Unorthodox leaders have an urge to create and do not have the patience to deal with red tape before acting. Effective leaders are innovators who get bored easily and prefer shaping tomorrow to repeating yesterday.
7 Focused. Great leaders have the goal orientation to make tough decisions. Goal orientation produces drive and energy that shield them from the pain of the task. Keeping an organisation focused increases efficiency.
8 Genuine enthusiasm. This is contagious. People look to their leaders for enthusiasm. The inspiration level of the organisation is directly proportionate to the enthusiasm of the leader, be it high or low.
9 Cool under pressure. Level-headed people make realistic leaders who respond to problems rather than simply react. A leader who can stay cool under pressure inspires confidence among those in the organisation and empowers them to do the same.
10 Caring. The desire to help others succeed is the mark of a truly great leader. Synergy is created when a leader truly invests his efforts in the success of others.
Motivational speaker Zig Ziglar says: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care about them.”
Whether you are trying to increase your own effectiveness as a leader or are trying to develop leadership talent within your organisation, keep studying the characteristics of those you consider to be great leaders.
Remember that leadership is an art, not a science.
The difference between a genuinely effective leader and a short-term motivator can be found in the personal decisions an individual makes when choosing how to live his life.
Long-term commitment to the principles described above will produce an effective leader and, over time, an inspired organisation
Effective leaders are, first and foremost, effective people.
Personal ethics cannot be separated from professional ethics. Therefore, the character of the leader is essential.
The following list of 10 characteristics is a valuable guide for quality living, in addition to being critical criteria for leadership:
1 A high standard of personal ethics. This quality leads the list. Honest Abraham Lincoln, who walked miles to return a customer’s change, is a classic example of how personal ethics are reflected in professional conduct. Decisions made under pressure and/or temptation separate the great leaders from the impostors.
2 High energy. Great leaders are not exhausted from dealing with petty issues. These people know right from wrong as well as the difference between what is truly important and what is merely interesting.
3 Walking the talk. The ability to work on priorities shares equal importance with setting priorities. Many brilliant priority lists end up in the landfill of life. The difference between setting priorities and working on them is the difference between a dreamer and a doer.
4 Courage. The willingness to take risks and accept responsibility for the outcome is a consistent quality among effective leaders. Either you or your fears will control everything you do. An organisation will be no bolder than the leader.
5 Dedication. Committed and dedicated hardworking leaders will eventually develop dedicated and hardworking organisations, regardless of whom they start with or the experience they bring to the job.
6 Creativity. Unorthodox leaders have an urge to create and do not have the patience to deal with red tape before acting. Effective leaders are innovators who get bored easily and prefer shaping tomorrow to repeating yesterday.
7 Focused. Great leaders have the goal orientation to make tough decisions. Goal orientation produces drive and energy that shield them from the pain of the task. Keeping an organisation focused increases efficiency.
8 Genuine enthusiasm. This is contagious. People look to their leaders for enthusiasm. The inspiration level of the organisation is directly proportionate to the enthusiasm of the leader, be it high or low.
9 Cool under pressure. Level-headed people make realistic leaders who respond to problems rather than simply react. A leader who can stay cool under pressure inspires confidence among those in the organisation and empowers them to do the same.
10 Caring. The desire to help others succeed is the mark of a truly great leader. Synergy is created when a leader truly invests his efforts in the success of others.
Motivational speaker Zig Ziglar says: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care about them.”
Whether you are trying to increase your own effectiveness as a leader or are trying to develop leadership talent within your organisation, keep studying the characteristics of those you consider to be great leaders.
Remember that leadership is an art, not a science.
The difference between a genuinely effective leader and a short-term motivator can be found in the personal decisions an individual makes when choosing how to live his life.
Long-term commitment to the principles described above will produce an effective leader and, over time, an inspired organisation
Make space for a better life
HAVE you been to an office or a shop where the surroundings were dirty, desks or shelves were cluttered and there was a general feeling of chaos or neglect? Did you want to do business at such a place or leave as quickly as possible?
The question may seem silly as the answer is obvious, but you need to ask it because it may apply to your home and the organisation that you work for. Are the environments you live and work in disorderly, depressing and de-motivating?
It is a fact that your environment can influence you in many ways – including the way you think and act. Naturally, a positive environment will make you a happier person, which in turn will make you more productive and effective in what you are doing.
Therefore, you need to pay some attention to your physical environment to ensure that it gives you a feeling of euphoria and is charged with positive energy.
1 Tidy your desk.
You don’t have to spend large sums of money to create an orderly environment. All it takes is a bit of tidying up and you will see things from a different perspective.
In my workshops and seminars, I always ask my participants if their desks in the office are messy. Many of them say “yes!”, but add that despite the mess, they know where things are and they are comfortable with the clutter.
Although they may think that they feel comfortable, the truth is that they are far from being productive or effective in what they are doing.
The reason is simply because they have to work extra hard each time to get what they want. To find a particular file from the pile on the desk will take longer than if files were neatly arranged on shelves and everything was in order.
By clearing up the mess and removing all the unnecessary paraphernalia, you will free yourself from working harder at what you are doing – and work smarter instead!
2 Keep computer lean
Too many icons on your computer desktop slow down its operating system. Storing unnecessary files uses up precious disk space and inevitably reduces your computer’s performance.
You need to do some house-keeping by ensuring that only those files that are really important and relevant are kept. If you are not sure whether you should delete some files or not, store them in an external hard drive instead.
Many people use wallpaper and screen savers to liven their desktops. Why not make these do double duty? Download some inspirational messages or pictures that stimulate your mind and motivate you as well.
3 Get updated
Many organisations have a waiting area for visitors. The way this is organised says much about the organisation.
If you have a magazine or newspaper rack, ensure that the magazines and newspapers are constantly updated. I have visited some organisations where the magazines on display are more than 10 years old!
Visitors will get the impression that this is a company that does not move with the times, is careless about its image and has little money to spare.
4 Home sweet home
There is an English saying that “an Englishman’s home is his castle”. What is your castle like? Is it filled with things that you know deep down inside that you will not use at all?
In your wardrobe, are there clothes that you have not worn for a long time and will never wear again? If there are, why are you keeping them?
Take stock of what you have in your home and either give away or sell those items that you have no use for.
Make it a habit to go through your home and office cubicle every three months to check on whether you have accumulated things that you don’t want or need.
This way, you will effectively dispose of the periodic clutter that tends to build up slowly and steadily in your home and at work. Just the act of clearing out your space will motivate and energise you.
Many people wait for a reason to spring clean – usually just before a festive season. However, if you regularly tidy up, you will find that it does not take too much of an effort to create a positive environment.
Be creative in how you can make your environment more positive. Add some inspirational and stimulating art works. Give your room a new coat of paint. Buy a good-looking piece of furniture or put up badly needed shelves.
As author Norman Vincent Peale, who was a champion of the theory of positive thinking, said: “The person who sends out positive thoughts activates the world around him positively and draws back to himself positive results.”
The question may seem silly as the answer is obvious, but you need to ask it because it may apply to your home and the organisation that you work for. Are the environments you live and work in disorderly, depressing and de-motivating?
It is a fact that your environment can influence you in many ways – including the way you think and act. Naturally, a positive environment will make you a happier person, which in turn will make you more productive and effective in what you are doing.
Therefore, you need to pay some attention to your physical environment to ensure that it gives you a feeling of euphoria and is charged with positive energy.
1 Tidy your desk.
You don’t have to spend large sums of money to create an orderly environment. All it takes is a bit of tidying up and you will see things from a different perspective.
In my workshops and seminars, I always ask my participants if their desks in the office are messy. Many of them say “yes!”, but add that despite the mess, they know where things are and they are comfortable with the clutter.
Although they may think that they feel comfortable, the truth is that they are far from being productive or effective in what they are doing.
The reason is simply because they have to work extra hard each time to get what they want. To find a particular file from the pile on the desk will take longer than if files were neatly arranged on shelves and everything was in order.
By clearing up the mess and removing all the unnecessary paraphernalia, you will free yourself from working harder at what you are doing – and work smarter instead!
2 Keep computer lean
Too many icons on your computer desktop slow down its operating system. Storing unnecessary files uses up precious disk space and inevitably reduces your computer’s performance.
You need to do some house-keeping by ensuring that only those files that are really important and relevant are kept. If you are not sure whether you should delete some files or not, store them in an external hard drive instead.
Many people use wallpaper and screen savers to liven their desktops. Why not make these do double duty? Download some inspirational messages or pictures that stimulate your mind and motivate you as well.
3 Get updated
Many organisations have a waiting area for visitors. The way this is organised says much about the organisation.
If you have a magazine or newspaper rack, ensure that the magazines and newspapers are constantly updated. I have visited some organisations where the magazines on display are more than 10 years old!
Visitors will get the impression that this is a company that does not move with the times, is careless about its image and has little money to spare.
4 Home sweet home
There is an English saying that “an Englishman’s home is his castle”. What is your castle like? Is it filled with things that you know deep down inside that you will not use at all?
In your wardrobe, are there clothes that you have not worn for a long time and will never wear again? If there are, why are you keeping them?
Take stock of what you have in your home and either give away or sell those items that you have no use for.
Make it a habit to go through your home and office cubicle every three months to check on whether you have accumulated things that you don’t want or need.
This way, you will effectively dispose of the periodic clutter that tends to build up slowly and steadily in your home and at work. Just the act of clearing out your space will motivate and energise you.
Many people wait for a reason to spring clean – usually just before a festive season. However, if you regularly tidy up, you will find that it does not take too much of an effort to create a positive environment.
Be creative in how you can make your environment more positive. Add some inspirational and stimulating art works. Give your room a new coat of paint. Buy a good-looking piece of furniture or put up badly needed shelves.
As author Norman Vincent Peale, who was a champion of the theory of positive thinking, said: “The person who sends out positive thoughts activates the world around him positively and draws back to himself positive results.”
Reach for the sky
HAVE you ever thought about what you could do if you really decided to? I’m not merely talking about your skills, education and talents. I’m talking about what is really possible for you.
It’s possible that you can do virtually anything. Not alone, not without new information, but certainly within your ultimate grasp.
Now many people would say to me: “Jim, be realistic. Some things are just not possible.”
To them I say, a realist is simply a pessimist who doesn’t want to admit it. I’ve never heard a “realist” take an optimistic posture on any topic. They always say: “Let’s be realistic” and then go on to explain why your idea can’t be done.
Imagine a realist saying: “Realistically, we don’t yet know what the possibilities are. This could be easier than we think!”
Isn’t that a better approach?
One thing I have learned over the years is that luck really does come to those who commit to a goal. Scientists and philosophers call it synchronicity. It is when things come together in an unexplainable way to help you reach your destination.
Sometimes you just happen to meet someone who has the answer you need or shares your interests. At other times it is written off as timing or blind luck.
I don’t see it that way. I believe that there are some universal principles at work which most people miss. There have been references to this phenomenon in philosophical and religious literature throughout history.
It happens like this: When any person makes a decision to achieve a certain outcome, the entire universe starts the process of making it happen. As long as the person persists in the belief that they are creating the desired result, the process continues. When doubt, hatred, or fear dominate the person, the process stops and other forces direct the world’s energies in other positive directions. This is why there is “power” in positive thinking.
Sometimes you express a strong desire and the result occurs immediately. You call this a miracle. At other times, you strive long and hard without visible progress. The operative word there is “visible”.
There are too many elements in the world for you to be conscious of how they all interact. But the moment you decide to do what it takes to create a result, I believe the universe assists you. This continues unless you do something to stop the process.
That is why I say there is nothing you cannot do. However, to achieve the impossible requires optimism, determination, clarity and love for all mankind and humility.
Optimism is the only productive way to think. It is a continuing belief you will ultimately find the way to your goal.
Determination is to do what is necessary even if it is not convenient, you are not in the mood, it takes more than you expected, and it is not fair, meaning that you have to contribute more than others.
Clarity is essential to activate things in your favour. The clearer your focus, the more compelling your influence becomes. When you believe unflinchingly in your cause, others will be drawn to you.
Love of all humanity means respect for the dignity of and sensitivity to the needs of others. Contrary to Gordon Gekko’s line in the movie “Wall Street”, greed does not work, because it separates you from others. Only love and respect will connect you to all who might ultimately help.
And finally, there is humility. If you realise how little you know, you will be a lot more humble. The writer and poet Emerson said: “Desire is possibility seeking expression.”
If you truly want something, the possibility of it surely exists. If you are dedicated to achieving something deeply and sincerely, then it is incumbent upon you to pursue it.
Problems arise when you decide that you already know what it will take to do the job. Far too many variables exist for you to really “know” what it takes in any instance.
So you must move forward based on what you know. Sometimes, an even better outcome is available to you through a simple change in direction. At other times, you simply need to learn the lesson life has to teach you at a given point and then move on in a new direction.
You never know how valuable that life lesson will be later on as you pursue a greater goal. So be realistic and understand that there is no limit to what you can do.
It’s possible that you can do virtually anything. Not alone, not without new information, but certainly within your ultimate grasp.
Now many people would say to me: “Jim, be realistic. Some things are just not possible.”
To them I say, a realist is simply a pessimist who doesn’t want to admit it. I’ve never heard a “realist” take an optimistic posture on any topic. They always say: “Let’s be realistic” and then go on to explain why your idea can’t be done.
Imagine a realist saying: “Realistically, we don’t yet know what the possibilities are. This could be easier than we think!”
Isn’t that a better approach?
One thing I have learned over the years is that luck really does come to those who commit to a goal. Scientists and philosophers call it synchronicity. It is when things come together in an unexplainable way to help you reach your destination.
Sometimes you just happen to meet someone who has the answer you need or shares your interests. At other times it is written off as timing or blind luck.
I don’t see it that way. I believe that there are some universal principles at work which most people miss. There have been references to this phenomenon in philosophical and religious literature throughout history.
It happens like this: When any person makes a decision to achieve a certain outcome, the entire universe starts the process of making it happen. As long as the person persists in the belief that they are creating the desired result, the process continues. When doubt, hatred, or fear dominate the person, the process stops and other forces direct the world’s energies in other positive directions. This is why there is “power” in positive thinking.
Sometimes you express a strong desire and the result occurs immediately. You call this a miracle. At other times, you strive long and hard without visible progress. The operative word there is “visible”.
There are too many elements in the world for you to be conscious of how they all interact. But the moment you decide to do what it takes to create a result, I believe the universe assists you. This continues unless you do something to stop the process.
That is why I say there is nothing you cannot do. However, to achieve the impossible requires optimism, determination, clarity and love for all mankind and humility.
Optimism is the only productive way to think. It is a continuing belief you will ultimately find the way to your goal.
Determination is to do what is necessary even if it is not convenient, you are not in the mood, it takes more than you expected, and it is not fair, meaning that you have to contribute more than others.
Clarity is essential to activate things in your favour. The clearer your focus, the more compelling your influence becomes. When you believe unflinchingly in your cause, others will be drawn to you.
Love of all humanity means respect for the dignity of and sensitivity to the needs of others. Contrary to Gordon Gekko’s line in the movie “Wall Street”, greed does not work, because it separates you from others. Only love and respect will connect you to all who might ultimately help.
And finally, there is humility. If you realise how little you know, you will be a lot more humble. The writer and poet Emerson said: “Desire is possibility seeking expression.”
If you truly want something, the possibility of it surely exists. If you are dedicated to achieving something deeply and sincerely, then it is incumbent upon you to pursue it.
Problems arise when you decide that you already know what it will take to do the job. Far too many variables exist for you to really “know” what it takes in any instance.
So you must move forward based on what you know. Sometimes, an even better outcome is available to you through a simple change in direction. At other times, you simply need to learn the lesson life has to teach you at a given point and then move on in a new direction.
You never know how valuable that life lesson will be later on as you pursue a greater goal. So be realistic and understand that there is no limit to what you can do.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
It’s all about the image
YESTERDAY, we looked at how every employee can make a difference that ultimately affects a company’s bottom line.
Poor service from just one person can drive away a customer for good.
Organisations should constantly check if any links in their service chain are weak.
The weakest link
In the early days of Crown Zellerbach Paper Company’s business in the north-west of the United States, a company truck driver was moving his load along a narrow, twisting road.
A big, impressive car in front slowed him down, and it took the truck driver about 20 minutes to pass the car.
When he did, he rolled down his window and swore loudly at the car driver, not caring that the Zellerbach name was all over the truck.
It happened that the man in the car was Zellerbach’s largest purchaser in the entire state, and he saw that the truck belonged to Crown Zellerbach.
He immediately contacted his purchasing agent and said: “Cancel all orders we have with Zellerbach and never, ever do business with them again.”
At the time, the paper company was being managed by its founder, Mr Isadore Zellerbach, who attempted to contact his ex-client by phone for two months to find out why the account had been cancelled.
He had no luck. He flew up to the north-west and said to his customer: “We give you good service, prompt deliveries and great prices. Why won’t you do business with us anymore?”
The man told Mr Zellerbach about the truck driver. At that moment, Mr Zellerbach realised that he had overlooked the most important aspect of his business: Everyone in his company represented Crown Zellerbach to the outside world.
Sometimes, it is difficult for us to realise that we do represent our company every day.
But a single negative act can ruin a company’s reputation in the eyes of a customer.
You do make a difference every day in your company’s ultimate success.
Model worker
At times, companies have good employees from whom the management can take a lesson.
Several years ago at the National Speakers Association Winter Workshop in a hotel in Nashville, the board of directors met and six of us adjourned to the coffee shop to continue our deliberations.
Nobody wanted anything exactly as it was presented on the menu, no one wanted the same item as anyone else and, as speakers, we talked the entire time the waitress was taking the order.
The waitress was so nice and patient that at the end of the meal, I said: “My dear, this is going to be worth your while, these guys are big tippers.”
She said something that I have never forgotten: “I’m not being nice for a tip, I don’t care if you don’t give me a tip, I just feel that if we give you good service, if your group comes back here another year, you’ll bring your business back to our hotel and not the competition.”
I was impressed. Here was a waitress who talked about “our” hotel, seeing herself as a stakeholder in it.
When I returned to my office, I sent a letter to the manager, praising the waitress’s good service. I also said: “Sir, I don’t know what you do to motivate your people, but keep doing it. It works.”
I never received a reply. I think the manager and the waitress should change places for a couple of weeks because she knows more about public relations than he does.
Say it every day
If you have a mission statement or philosophy about how you want to run your business, post it everywhere.
Be creative when you explain what is expected of your staff.
On a plane, a man who had been sitting next to me introduced me to the young man who was meeting him. He said: “John has been working in Disney World for three years.”
I asked John: “Is it true that when you first go to work in Disney World, they send you through a week’s training programme telling you about the philosophy and that you have to be nice to people and what your job is?”
“Yes,” he said.
I asked him: “After that first week’s training, in the three years you worked there, how often did you hear the philosophy on how you had to treat people?”
He replied: “Every day.”
When he saw that I was sceptical, he added: “It took different forms, it took different words, but I heard it every day.”
Is it any surprise that Disney World is still drawing crowds from all over the world?
Poor service from just one person can drive away a customer for good.
Organisations should constantly check if any links in their service chain are weak.
The weakest link
In the early days of Crown Zellerbach Paper Company’s business in the north-west of the United States, a company truck driver was moving his load along a narrow, twisting road.
A big, impressive car in front slowed him down, and it took the truck driver about 20 minutes to pass the car.
When he did, he rolled down his window and swore loudly at the car driver, not caring that the Zellerbach name was all over the truck.
It happened that the man in the car was Zellerbach’s largest purchaser in the entire state, and he saw that the truck belonged to Crown Zellerbach.
He immediately contacted his purchasing agent and said: “Cancel all orders we have with Zellerbach and never, ever do business with them again.”
At the time, the paper company was being managed by its founder, Mr Isadore Zellerbach, who attempted to contact his ex-client by phone for two months to find out why the account had been cancelled.
He had no luck. He flew up to the north-west and said to his customer: “We give you good service, prompt deliveries and great prices. Why won’t you do business with us anymore?”
The man told Mr Zellerbach about the truck driver. At that moment, Mr Zellerbach realised that he had overlooked the most important aspect of his business: Everyone in his company represented Crown Zellerbach to the outside world.
Sometimes, it is difficult for us to realise that we do represent our company every day.
But a single negative act can ruin a company’s reputation in the eyes of a customer.
You do make a difference every day in your company’s ultimate success.
Model worker
At times, companies have good employees from whom the management can take a lesson.
Several years ago at the National Speakers Association Winter Workshop in a hotel in Nashville, the board of directors met and six of us adjourned to the coffee shop to continue our deliberations.
Nobody wanted anything exactly as it was presented on the menu, no one wanted the same item as anyone else and, as speakers, we talked the entire time the waitress was taking the order.
The waitress was so nice and patient that at the end of the meal, I said: “My dear, this is going to be worth your while, these guys are big tippers.”
She said something that I have never forgotten: “I’m not being nice for a tip, I don’t care if you don’t give me a tip, I just feel that if we give you good service, if your group comes back here another year, you’ll bring your business back to our hotel and not the competition.”
I was impressed. Here was a waitress who talked about “our” hotel, seeing herself as a stakeholder in it.
When I returned to my office, I sent a letter to the manager, praising the waitress’s good service. I also said: “Sir, I don’t know what you do to motivate your people, but keep doing it. It works.”
I never received a reply. I think the manager and the waitress should change places for a couple of weeks because she knows more about public relations than he does.
Say it every day
If you have a mission statement or philosophy about how you want to run your business, post it everywhere.
Be creative when you explain what is expected of your staff.
On a plane, a man who had been sitting next to me introduced me to the young man who was meeting him. He said: “John has been working in Disney World for three years.”
I asked John: “Is it true that when you first go to work in Disney World, they send you through a week’s training programme telling you about the philosophy and that you have to be nice to people and what your job is?”
“Yes,” he said.
I asked him: “After that first week’s training, in the three years you worked there, how often did you hear the philosophy on how you had to treat people?”
He replied: “Every day.”
When he saw that I was sceptical, he added: “It took different forms, it took different words, but I heard it every day.”
Is it any surprise that Disney World is still drawing crowds from all over the world?
Work can be fun
Some time ago, a friend tested me with a riddle. He asked: “What is the difference between work and play?”
“One is fun and the other isn’t?” I guessed recklessly, meaning, of course, that play was fun.
For most of us, most of the time, work is not fun. How many of us leap from bed on Monday morning simply itching to get to work? How many of us like to be working more than almost anything else? How many of us find joy and inspiration in our work more than in any other place?
If global employee engagement statistics are any indication, the answer to each question would be “not many”.
Why is this so? For one thing, we have been brought up to believe that we have no choice but to “work”, and that we should not expect work to be fun. That is, after all, why they call it work!
“Sorry, kids”, I can hear our parents and teachers saying. “When you grow up, your job is to make money, and you don’t have any choice.”
But is this true? Do we really not have any other choice but to work at work? This is a troubling prospect. We spend most of our waking lives working, or at least the most productive and creative hours of our life at work.
In my work as an executive coach, I work with chief executive officers, vice-presidents and other high-performing people.
I also work with people of all ages and at every stage of life in my life coaching practice. I see that the people who are engaged in the challenge to match who they are with what they do, are either already successful or on their way to certain success.
Almost without exception, the people who are successful at work and in their careers over a lifetime are the people who are doing the work they are meant to do. Work for them is mostly enjoyable.
For every one of us, our first task and challenge in life is to uncover our gift. Then, it is our challenge and task to bring that gift into the world through our work. Our work then becomes an expression of our greatest calling.
When I see people engaged in learning and developing their gift and in expressing their gift at work, I see them experience meaning, success and, well, just plain having fun with their lives.
Forget whatever you have been taught about the virtues of separating who you are from the work you do. If you have been taught to accept that “it’s just a job”, forget it. That is the road to mediocrity and dissatisfaction and, well, just more work and less fun.
You do have a choice. Successful and happy people have made this choice and continue to express who they are every day.
The choice to work at what we are meant to do is only one of what I call the “7Cs of extra-ordinary success”, but it is one of the most important, and the most difficult! (The other six Cs are: course, courage, capacity, companion, curiosity and compassion.)
Extraordinary success, happiness and fulfilment at work begin with the journey to uncover your gift. It is not easy, but considering the alternative – spending your whole life “working” instead of “playing” – it seems like a reasonable place to put your energy!
“One is fun and the other isn’t?” I guessed recklessly, meaning, of course, that play was fun.
For most of us, most of the time, work is not fun. How many of us leap from bed on Monday morning simply itching to get to work? How many of us like to be working more than almost anything else? How many of us find joy and inspiration in our work more than in any other place?
If global employee engagement statistics are any indication, the answer to each question would be “not many”.
Why is this so? For one thing, we have been brought up to believe that we have no choice but to “work”, and that we should not expect work to be fun. That is, after all, why they call it work!
“Sorry, kids”, I can hear our parents and teachers saying. “When you grow up, your job is to make money, and you don’t have any choice.”
But is this true? Do we really not have any other choice but to work at work? This is a troubling prospect. We spend most of our waking lives working, or at least the most productive and creative hours of our life at work.
In my work as an executive coach, I work with chief executive officers, vice-presidents and other high-performing people.
I also work with people of all ages and at every stage of life in my life coaching practice. I see that the people who are engaged in the challenge to match who they are with what they do, are either already successful or on their way to certain success.
Almost without exception, the people who are successful at work and in their careers over a lifetime are the people who are doing the work they are meant to do. Work for them is mostly enjoyable.
For every one of us, our first task and challenge in life is to uncover our gift. Then, it is our challenge and task to bring that gift into the world through our work. Our work then becomes an expression of our greatest calling.
When I see people engaged in learning and developing their gift and in expressing their gift at work, I see them experience meaning, success and, well, just plain having fun with their lives.
Forget whatever you have been taught about the virtues of separating who you are from the work you do. If you have been taught to accept that “it’s just a job”, forget it. That is the road to mediocrity and dissatisfaction and, well, just more work and less fun.
You do have a choice. Successful and happy people have made this choice and continue to express who they are every day.
The choice to work at what we are meant to do is only one of what I call the “7Cs of extra-ordinary success”, but it is one of the most important, and the most difficult! (The other six Cs are: course, courage, capacity, companion, curiosity and compassion.)
Extraordinary success, happiness and fulfilment at work begin with the journey to uncover your gift. It is not easy, but considering the alternative – spending your whole life “working” instead of “playing” – it seems like a reasonable place to put your energy!
The Billionaire's Strategy for Success
John Paul Getty became the richest man in the world by practicing a few basic principles of risk-taking and reward throughout his life. In this newsletter, you learn his key insight to risk reduction and success and how you can apply it to any decision you have to make. You learn a series of additional ideas that can help you to make better decisions and reduce the risks associated with success.
The Billionaire's Strategy for Success
Remember Murphy's Law: "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong." There are several secondary laws to Murphy's Law, such as "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong at the worst possible time" and "Of all the things that can go wrong, the most expensive thing will go wrong at the worst possible time."
Another sublaw is "Everything takes longer than your best calculation." In advising businesspeople, I suggest that they take their very best estimate of break-even for any business venture and then triple it to arrive at a more realistic number. Whenever businesspeople follow this advice, they are amazed to find that, in spite of their best initial calculations, it indeed takes about three times longer than they thought it would to start making money.
Always Add a Fudge Factor
Another sublaw is "Everything costs more than you can possibly anticipate in advance." In minimizing risk in any venture, always add a "fudge factor" to account for the degree of uncertainty. Whenever I do a business plan, I always add 20 percent to the total of all costs that I can identify, to come up with the probable cost. Anything less than this, whether in business or your personal life, is likely to be an exercise in self-delusion and open you up for some unhappy surprises.
Once you have identified the worst possible things that could go wrong, make a list of everything that you could do to offset these negative factors. Engage in what is called "crisis anticipation." Look down the road, into the future, and imagine every possible crisis that could arise as the result of changing external circumstances.
Be Intensely Realistic
Men and women who have achieved a high level of success are intensely realistic. They do not put their trust in luck. They carefully calculate every possible risk, and then think about what they would do should it occur. They always have a backup plan in case things do not go as they wish them to. They have a "Plan B" and options to that plan that take all kinds of variables into consideration.
Do the Things You Fear
One of the very best ways to develop your ability to take intelligent risks is to consciously and deliberately do the things you fear, one step at a time.
A very good way to overcome the fear of risk taking is to set clear, written, measurable goals for yourself, and then to review those goals regularly.
When you have clear goals and plans, and you continually work on them and evaluate your progress each day, you will see what you're doing right and how you could improve your performance. You'll feel more competent and capable and better about yourself. You'll become more thoughtful and reflective and willing to take on even greater challenges. You'll feel like the "master of your fate and the captain of your soul." And your likelihood of success will become greater and greater.
Action Exercises
Here are three steps you can take immediately to put these ideas into action.
First, take any worry situation in your life today and ask, "What is the worst possible thing that could happen?" Then go to work to make sure it doesn't occur.
Second, look into the future in your life and determine the worst things that could happen. Engage in "crisis anticipation" regularly and continually be taking steps to guard against them.
Third, work from clear, written goals and detailed plans. Review them regularly. Consider alternatives and always look for ways to increase the likelihood of your success.
The Billionaire's Strategy for Success
Remember Murphy's Law: "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong." There are several secondary laws to Murphy's Law, such as "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong at the worst possible time" and "Of all the things that can go wrong, the most expensive thing will go wrong at the worst possible time."
Another sublaw is "Everything takes longer than your best calculation." In advising businesspeople, I suggest that they take their very best estimate of break-even for any business venture and then triple it to arrive at a more realistic number. Whenever businesspeople follow this advice, they are amazed to find that, in spite of their best initial calculations, it indeed takes about three times longer than they thought it would to start making money.
Always Add a Fudge Factor
Another sublaw is "Everything costs more than you can possibly anticipate in advance." In minimizing risk in any venture, always add a "fudge factor" to account for the degree of uncertainty. Whenever I do a business plan, I always add 20 percent to the total of all costs that I can identify, to come up with the probable cost. Anything less than this, whether in business or your personal life, is likely to be an exercise in self-delusion and open you up for some unhappy surprises.
Once you have identified the worst possible things that could go wrong, make a list of everything that you could do to offset these negative factors. Engage in what is called "crisis anticipation." Look down the road, into the future, and imagine every possible crisis that could arise as the result of changing external circumstances.
Be Intensely Realistic
Men and women who have achieved a high level of success are intensely realistic. They do not put their trust in luck. They carefully calculate every possible risk, and then think about what they would do should it occur. They always have a backup plan in case things do not go as they wish them to. They have a "Plan B" and options to that plan that take all kinds of variables into consideration.
Do the Things You Fear
One of the very best ways to develop your ability to take intelligent risks is to consciously and deliberately do the things you fear, one step at a time.
A very good way to overcome the fear of risk taking is to set clear, written, measurable goals for yourself, and then to review those goals regularly.
When you have clear goals and plans, and you continually work on them and evaluate your progress each day, you will see what you're doing right and how you could improve your performance. You'll feel more competent and capable and better about yourself. You'll become more thoughtful and reflective and willing to take on even greater challenges. You'll feel like the "master of your fate and the captain of your soul." And your likelihood of success will become greater and greater.
Action Exercises
Here are three steps you can take immediately to put these ideas into action.
First, take any worry situation in your life today and ask, "What is the worst possible thing that could happen?" Then go to work to make sure it doesn't occur.
Second, look into the future in your life and determine the worst things that could happen. Engage in "crisis anticipation" regularly and continually be taking steps to guard against them.
Third, work from clear, written goals and detailed plans. Review them regularly. Consider alternatives and always look for ways to increase the likelihood of your success.
The Indispensable Quality
Dare to Go Forward
Winston Churchill once said, "Courage is rightly considered the foremost of the virtues because upon it, all others depend." Courage is the chief distinguishing characteristic of the true leader. It is almost always visible in the leader's words and actions. It is absolutely indispensable to success, happiness and the ability to motivate other people to be the best they can be.
Follow Through On Your Vision
In a way, it is easy to develop a big vision for yourself and for the person you want to be. It is easy to commit yourself to living with complete integrity. But it requires incredible courage to follow through on your vision and on your commitments. You see, as soon as you set a high goal or standard for yourself, you will run into all kinds of difficulties and setbacks.
Refuse to Compromise
You will be surrounded by temptations to compromise your values and your vision. You will feel an almost irresistible urge to "get along by going along." Your desire to earn the respect and cooperation of others can easily lead to the abandonment of your principles, and here is where courage comes in.
Stick to Your Principles
Courage combined with integrity is the foundation of character. The first form of courage is your ability to stick to your principles, to stand for what you believe in and to refuse to budge unless you feel right about the alternative. Courage is also the ability to step out in faith, to launch out into the unknown and then to face the inevitable doubt and uncertainty that accompany every new venture.
Avoid Your Comfort Zone
Most people are seduced by the lure of the comfort zone. This can be likened to going out of a warm house on a cold, windy morning. The average person, when he feels the storm swirling outside his comfort zone, rushes back inside where it's nice and warm. But not the true leader. The true leader has the courage to step away from the familiar and comfortable and to face the unknown with no guarantees of success. It is this ability to "boldly go where no man has gone before" that distinguishes you as a leader from the average person. This is the example that you must set if you are to rise above the average. It is this example that inspires and motivates other people to rise above their previous levels of accomplishment as well.
The Attack of Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great, the king of Macedonia, was one of the most superb leaders of all time. He became king at the age of 19, when his father, Philip II, was assassinated. In the next 11 years, he conquered much of the known world, leading his armies against numerically superior forces.
Lead the Action
Yet, when he was at the height of his power, the master of the known world, the greatest ruler in history to that date, he would still draw his sword at the beginning of a battle and lead his men forward into the conflict. He insisted on leading by example. Alexander felt that he could not ask his men to risk their lives unless he was willing to demonstrate by his actions that he had complete confidence in the outcome. The sight of Alexander charging forward so excited and motivated his soldiers that no force on earth could stand before them.
Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action:
First, set big goals for yourself and force yourself out of the comfort zone by acting boldly - even when there is no guarantee of success. Go boldly where no one has ever gone before.
Second, resolve to act quickly and decisively when you are confronted with a difficult or dangerous situation. Dare to go forward. Practice audacity in all things. Acting with courage builds your courage and confidence higher and higher.
Winston Churchill once said, "Courage is rightly considered the foremost of the virtues because upon it, all others depend." Courage is the chief distinguishing characteristic of the true leader. It is almost always visible in the leader's words and actions. It is absolutely indispensable to success, happiness and the ability to motivate other people to be the best they can be.
Follow Through On Your Vision
In a way, it is easy to develop a big vision for yourself and for the person you want to be. It is easy to commit yourself to living with complete integrity. But it requires incredible courage to follow through on your vision and on your commitments. You see, as soon as you set a high goal or standard for yourself, you will run into all kinds of difficulties and setbacks.
Refuse to Compromise
You will be surrounded by temptations to compromise your values and your vision. You will feel an almost irresistible urge to "get along by going along." Your desire to earn the respect and cooperation of others can easily lead to the abandonment of your principles, and here is where courage comes in.
Stick to Your Principles
Courage combined with integrity is the foundation of character. The first form of courage is your ability to stick to your principles, to stand for what you believe in and to refuse to budge unless you feel right about the alternative. Courage is also the ability to step out in faith, to launch out into the unknown and then to face the inevitable doubt and uncertainty that accompany every new venture.
Avoid Your Comfort Zone
Most people are seduced by the lure of the comfort zone. This can be likened to going out of a warm house on a cold, windy morning. The average person, when he feels the storm swirling outside his comfort zone, rushes back inside where it's nice and warm. But not the true leader. The true leader has the courage to step away from the familiar and comfortable and to face the unknown with no guarantees of success. It is this ability to "boldly go where no man has gone before" that distinguishes you as a leader from the average person. This is the example that you must set if you are to rise above the average. It is this example that inspires and motivates other people to rise above their previous levels of accomplishment as well.
The Attack of Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great, the king of Macedonia, was one of the most superb leaders of all time. He became king at the age of 19, when his father, Philip II, was assassinated. In the next 11 years, he conquered much of the known world, leading his armies against numerically superior forces.
Lead the Action
Yet, when he was at the height of his power, the master of the known world, the greatest ruler in history to that date, he would still draw his sword at the beginning of a battle and lead his men forward into the conflict. He insisted on leading by example. Alexander felt that he could not ask his men to risk their lives unless he was willing to demonstrate by his actions that he had complete confidence in the outcome. The sight of Alexander charging forward so excited and motivated his soldiers that no force on earth could stand before them.
Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action:
First, set big goals for yourself and force yourself out of the comfort zone by acting boldly - even when there is no guarantee of success. Go boldly where no one has ever gone before.
Second, resolve to act quickly and decisively when you are confronted with a difficult or dangerous situation. Dare to go forward. Practice audacity in all things. Acting with courage builds your courage and confidence higher and higher.
Seven Formulas for Business Success
Visualize Your Goals
There are seven formulas for business success. Number one, set a specific goal and visualize it as a reality. Play the picture of your goal as already realized on the screen of your mind over and over again. Number two, look for a problem you can solve with a product or service that is high quality and good value. All successful businesses are based on products or services that are high quality and good value. Number three, start small and learn your business thoroughly. Be patient. Invest time rather than a lot of money.
Bootstrap Your Way to Success
One of the best ways to build a business is to start off on a bootstrap. This means that you start off with very little money and you grow your business with the money that you earn in the business, rather than outside financing, borrowing, loans from friends and so on.
Test, Test, Test
Number four, test every major move before you invest in it. Test, test, test. Don't plunge into a business. Move ahead carefully, one step at a time. Number five, expand on the basis of your successes, out of your profits, as you move along. In other words, only expand your business on money that you've earned in the business, not on borrowed capital
Pick Your People Carefully
Number six, carefully select the people to help you expand and grow. The biggest mistakes you'll ever make will be in picking the wrong people to work with, so be very, very careful in picking the people you're going to work with in your business.
Use Financial Leverage
And number seven, use financial leverage. Financial leverage is business borrowing, lines of credit from the bank, which are based on the cash flow from your successful business. The whole aim of starting a business is to develop a consistent, predictable source of cash flow in excess of cost and expenses and then to hold to the money. Banks will lend you all the money that you can service as debt with your cash flow.
Start Off Part Time
One final thing that you can do, and I've recommended that many people do this over the years, is if you're starting off with no money, go to work part-time for a business in a field that interests you. It's a valuable form of on-the-job training. Work evenings or work weekends. Or work on your holidays if you like.
Learn What You Need to Learn
Remember this, though, most businesses fail because of managerial incompetence. So take the time to learn what you need to know to succeed. Be patient. The time you invest before you start will pay off over and over again in the months and years ahead.
Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to implement these formulas for business success:
First, be prepared. The number one reason that people succeed in starting their own businesses is that they have the knowledge and experience, in advance that they need to succeed. Do your homework.
Second, start small. Some people think that they can be successful faster by putting all their savings at risk at the very beginning. The opposite is true. Start small and grow out of your cash flow from successful operations.
There are seven formulas for business success. Number one, set a specific goal and visualize it as a reality. Play the picture of your goal as already realized on the screen of your mind over and over again. Number two, look for a problem you can solve with a product or service that is high quality and good value. All successful businesses are based on products or services that are high quality and good value. Number three, start small and learn your business thoroughly. Be patient. Invest time rather than a lot of money.
Bootstrap Your Way to Success
One of the best ways to build a business is to start off on a bootstrap. This means that you start off with very little money and you grow your business with the money that you earn in the business, rather than outside financing, borrowing, loans from friends and so on.
Test, Test, Test
Number four, test every major move before you invest in it. Test, test, test. Don't plunge into a business. Move ahead carefully, one step at a time. Number five, expand on the basis of your successes, out of your profits, as you move along. In other words, only expand your business on money that you've earned in the business, not on borrowed capital
Pick Your People Carefully
Number six, carefully select the people to help you expand and grow. The biggest mistakes you'll ever make will be in picking the wrong people to work with, so be very, very careful in picking the people you're going to work with in your business.
Use Financial Leverage
And number seven, use financial leverage. Financial leverage is business borrowing, lines of credit from the bank, which are based on the cash flow from your successful business. The whole aim of starting a business is to develop a consistent, predictable source of cash flow in excess of cost and expenses and then to hold to the money. Banks will lend you all the money that you can service as debt with your cash flow.
Start Off Part Time
One final thing that you can do, and I've recommended that many people do this over the years, is if you're starting off with no money, go to work part-time for a business in a field that interests you. It's a valuable form of on-the-job training. Work evenings or work weekends. Or work on your holidays if you like.
Learn What You Need to Learn
Remember this, though, most businesses fail because of managerial incompetence. So take the time to learn what you need to know to succeed. Be patient. The time you invest before you start will pay off over and over again in the months and years ahead.
Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to implement these formulas for business success:
First, be prepared. The number one reason that people succeed in starting their own businesses is that they have the knowledge and experience, in advance that they need to succeed. Do your homework.
Second, start small. Some people think that they can be successful faster by putting all their savings at risk at the very beginning. The opposite is true. Start small and grow out of your cash flow from successful operations.
Developing A Vision For Your Future
What Only Leaders Can Do
The one quality that all leaders have in common is that they have a clear and exciting vision for the future. This is something that only the leader can do. Only the leader can think about the future and plan for the future each day.
Develop A Clear Vision
Excellent leaders take the time to think through and develop a clear picture of where they want the organization to be in one, three and five years. Leaders have the ability to communicate this vision in such a way that others "buy in" and eventually see the vision as belonging to them.
How to Motivate People
It is the vision of the future possibilities, of what can be, that arouses emotion and motivates people to give of their best. The most powerful vision is always qualitative, aimed at and described in terms of values and mission rather than quantitative, described in terms of money. Of course, money is important, but the decision and commitment to "be the best in the business" is far more exciting.
To encourage others, to instill confidence in them, to help them to perform at their best requires first of all that you lead by example.
Be A Great Team Player
A study at Stanford Business School examined the qualities that companies look for in promoting young managers toward senior executive positions, especially the position of Chief Executive Officer. The study concluded that there were two important qualities required for great success in leadership. The first is the ability to put together a team and function as a good team player. Since all work is ultimately done by teams, and the managers' output is the output of the team, the ability to select team members, set objectives, delegate responsibility and finally, get the job done, was central to success in management.
Keep Your Cool
The second quality required for rapid promotion was found to be the ability to function well under pressure, and especially in a crisis. Keeping your cool in a crisis means to practice patience and self-control under difficult or disappointing circumstances.
Everyone Is Watching
The character and quality of a leader is often demonstrated in these critical moments under fire, when everyone is watching, observing and privately taking notes. As Rudyard Kipling once said, "If you can keep your head when all around you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, then the world is yours and all that's in it".
Your job as a leader is to have a clear vision of where you want to go and then to keep your cool when things go wrong, as they surely will.
Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.
First, project forward 3-5 years and imagine your ideal future vision. What does it look like? What steps can you take immediately to begin turning your future vision into your current reality?
Second, resolve in advance that, no matter what happens, you will remain calm and cool. You will not become upset or angry. You will take a deep breath and focus on the solution rather than on the problem.
The one quality that all leaders have in common is that they have a clear and exciting vision for the future. This is something that only the leader can do. Only the leader can think about the future and plan for the future each day.
Develop A Clear Vision
Excellent leaders take the time to think through and develop a clear picture of where they want the organization to be in one, three and five years. Leaders have the ability to communicate this vision in such a way that others "buy in" and eventually see the vision as belonging to them.
How to Motivate People
It is the vision of the future possibilities, of what can be, that arouses emotion and motivates people to give of their best. The most powerful vision is always qualitative, aimed at and described in terms of values and mission rather than quantitative, described in terms of money. Of course, money is important, but the decision and commitment to "be the best in the business" is far more exciting.
To encourage others, to instill confidence in them, to help them to perform at their best requires first of all that you lead by example.
Be A Great Team Player
A study at Stanford Business School examined the qualities that companies look for in promoting young managers toward senior executive positions, especially the position of Chief Executive Officer. The study concluded that there were two important qualities required for great success in leadership. The first is the ability to put together a team and function as a good team player. Since all work is ultimately done by teams, and the managers' output is the output of the team, the ability to select team members, set objectives, delegate responsibility and finally, get the job done, was central to success in management.
Keep Your Cool
The second quality required for rapid promotion was found to be the ability to function well under pressure, and especially in a crisis. Keeping your cool in a crisis means to practice patience and self-control under difficult or disappointing circumstances.
Everyone Is Watching
The character and quality of a leader is often demonstrated in these critical moments under fire, when everyone is watching, observing and privately taking notes. As Rudyard Kipling once said, "If you can keep your head when all around you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, then the world is yours and all that's in it".
Your job as a leader is to have a clear vision of where you want to go and then to keep your cool when things go wrong, as they surely will.
Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.
First, project forward 3-5 years and imagine your ideal future vision. What does it look like? What steps can you take immediately to begin turning your future vision into your current reality?
Second, resolve in advance that, no matter what happens, you will remain calm and cool. You will not become upset or angry. You will take a deep breath and focus on the solution rather than on the problem.
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Nine Things More Important than Capital
When starting any enterprise or business, whether it is full-time or part-time, we all know the value of having plenty of capital (money). But I bet we both know or at least have heard of people who started with no capital who went on to make fortunes. How? You may ask.
Well, I believe there are actually some things that are more valuable than capital that can lead to your entrepreneurial success. Let me give you the list.
1. Time.
Time is more valuable than capital. The time you set aside not to be wasted, not to be given away. Time you set aside to invest in an enterprise that brings value to the marketplace with the hope of making a profit. Now we have capital time.
How valuable is time? Time properly invested is worth a fortune. Time wasted can be devastation. Time invested can perform miracles, so you invest your time.
2. Desperation.
I have a friend Lydia, whose first major investment in her new enterprise was desperation. She said, "My kids are hungry, I gotta make this work. If this doesn't work, what will I do?" So she invested $1 in her enterprise selling a product she believed in. The $1 was to buy a few fliers so she could make a sale at retail, collect the money and then buy the product wholesale to deliver back to the customer.
My friend Bill Bailey went to Chicago as a teenager after he got out of high school. And the first job he got was as a night janitor. Someone said, "Bill, why would you settle for night janitor?" He said, "Malnutrition." You work at whatever you can possibly get when you get hungry. You go to work somewhere -- night janitor, it doesn't matter where it is. Years later, now Bill is a recipient of the Horatio Alger award, rich and powerful and one of the great examples of lifestyle that I know. But, his first job -- night janitor. Desperation can be a powerful incentive. When you say - I must.
3. Determination.
Determination says I will. First Lydia said, "I must find a customer." Desperation. Second, she said, "I will find someone before this first day is over." Sure enough, she found someone. She said, "If it works once, it will work again." But then the next person said, "No." Now what must you invest?
4. Courage.
Courage is more valuable than capital. If you've only got $1 and a lot of courage, I'm telling you, you've got a good future ahead of you. Courage in spite of the circumstances. Humans can do the most incredible things no matter what happens. Haven't we heard the stories? There are some recent ones from Kosovo that are some of the most classic, unbelievable stories of being in the depths of hell and finally making it out. It's humans. You can't sell humans short. Courage in spite of, not because of, but in spite of. Now once Lydia has made 3 or 4 sales and gotten going, here's what now takes over.
5. Ambition.
"Wow! If I can sell 3, I can sell 33. If I can sell 33, I can sell 103." Wow. Lydia is now dazzled by her own dreams of the future.
6. Faith.
Now she begins to believe she's got a good product. This is probably a good company. And she then starts to believe in herself. Lydia, single mother, 2 kids, no job. "My gosh, I'm going to pull it off!" Her self-esteem starts to soar. These are investments that are unmatched. Money can't touch it. What if you had a million dollars and no faith? You'd be poor. You wouldn't be rich. Now here is the next one, the reason why she's a millionaire today.
7. Ingenuity.
Putting your brains to work. Probably up until now, you've put about 1/10 of your brainpower to work. What if you employed the other 9/10? You can't believe what can happen. Humans can come up with the most intriguing things to do. Ingenuity. What's ingenuity worth? A fortune. It is more valuable than money. All you need is a $1 and plenty of ingenuity. Figuring out a way to make it work, make it work, make it work.
8. Heart and Soul.
What is a substitute for heart and soul? It's not money. Money can't buy heart and soul. Heart and soul is more valuable than a million dollars. A million dollars without heart and soul, you have no life. You are ineffective. But, heart and soul is like the unseen magic that moves people, moves people to buy, moves people to make decisions, moves people to act, moves people to respond.
9. Personality.
You've just got to spruce up and sharpen up your own personality. You've got plenty of personality. Just get it developed to where it is effective every day, it's effective no matter who you talk to - whether it is a child or whether it is a business person - whether it is a rich person or a poor person. A unique personality that is at home anywhere. One of my mentors, Bill Bailey, taught me, "You've got to learn to be just as comfortable, Mr. Rohn, whether it is in a little shack in Kentucky having a beer and watching the fights with Winfred, my old friend or in a Georgian mansion in Washington, DC as the Senator's guest." Move with ease whether it is with the rich or whether it is with the poor. And it makes no difference to you who is rich or who is poor. A chance to have a unique relationship with whomever. The kind of personality that's comfortable. The kind of personality that's not bent out of shape.
And lastly, let's not forget charisma and sophistication. Charisma with a touch of humility. This entire list is more valuable than money. With one dollar and the list I just gave you, the world is yours. It belongs to you, whatever piece of it you desire whatever development you wish for your life. I've given you the secret. Capital. The kind of capital that is more valuable than money and that can secure your future and fortune. Remember that you lack not the resources.
Well, I believe there are actually some things that are more valuable than capital that can lead to your entrepreneurial success. Let me give you the list.
1. Time.
Time is more valuable than capital. The time you set aside not to be wasted, not to be given away. Time you set aside to invest in an enterprise that brings value to the marketplace with the hope of making a profit. Now we have capital time.
How valuable is time? Time properly invested is worth a fortune. Time wasted can be devastation. Time invested can perform miracles, so you invest your time.
2. Desperation.
I have a friend Lydia, whose first major investment in her new enterprise was desperation. She said, "My kids are hungry, I gotta make this work. If this doesn't work, what will I do?" So she invested $1 in her enterprise selling a product she believed in. The $1 was to buy a few fliers so she could make a sale at retail, collect the money and then buy the product wholesale to deliver back to the customer.
My friend Bill Bailey went to Chicago as a teenager after he got out of high school. And the first job he got was as a night janitor. Someone said, "Bill, why would you settle for night janitor?" He said, "Malnutrition." You work at whatever you can possibly get when you get hungry. You go to work somewhere -- night janitor, it doesn't matter where it is. Years later, now Bill is a recipient of the Horatio Alger award, rich and powerful and one of the great examples of lifestyle that I know. But, his first job -- night janitor. Desperation can be a powerful incentive. When you say - I must.
3. Determination.
Determination says I will. First Lydia said, "I must find a customer." Desperation. Second, she said, "I will find someone before this first day is over." Sure enough, she found someone. She said, "If it works once, it will work again." But then the next person said, "No." Now what must you invest?
4. Courage.
Courage is more valuable than capital. If you've only got $1 and a lot of courage, I'm telling you, you've got a good future ahead of you. Courage in spite of the circumstances. Humans can do the most incredible things no matter what happens. Haven't we heard the stories? There are some recent ones from Kosovo that are some of the most classic, unbelievable stories of being in the depths of hell and finally making it out. It's humans. You can't sell humans short. Courage in spite of, not because of, but in spite of. Now once Lydia has made 3 or 4 sales and gotten going, here's what now takes over.
5. Ambition.
"Wow! If I can sell 3, I can sell 33. If I can sell 33, I can sell 103." Wow. Lydia is now dazzled by her own dreams of the future.
6. Faith.
Now she begins to believe she's got a good product. This is probably a good company. And she then starts to believe in herself. Lydia, single mother, 2 kids, no job. "My gosh, I'm going to pull it off!" Her self-esteem starts to soar. These are investments that are unmatched. Money can't touch it. What if you had a million dollars and no faith? You'd be poor. You wouldn't be rich. Now here is the next one, the reason why she's a millionaire today.
7. Ingenuity.
Putting your brains to work. Probably up until now, you've put about 1/10 of your brainpower to work. What if you employed the other 9/10? You can't believe what can happen. Humans can come up with the most intriguing things to do. Ingenuity. What's ingenuity worth? A fortune. It is more valuable than money. All you need is a $1 and plenty of ingenuity. Figuring out a way to make it work, make it work, make it work.
8. Heart and Soul.
What is a substitute for heart and soul? It's not money. Money can't buy heart and soul. Heart and soul is more valuable than a million dollars. A million dollars without heart and soul, you have no life. You are ineffective. But, heart and soul is like the unseen magic that moves people, moves people to buy, moves people to make decisions, moves people to act, moves people to respond.
9. Personality.
You've just got to spruce up and sharpen up your own personality. You've got plenty of personality. Just get it developed to where it is effective every day, it's effective no matter who you talk to - whether it is a child or whether it is a business person - whether it is a rich person or a poor person. A unique personality that is at home anywhere. One of my mentors, Bill Bailey, taught me, "You've got to learn to be just as comfortable, Mr. Rohn, whether it is in a little shack in Kentucky having a beer and watching the fights with Winfred, my old friend or in a Georgian mansion in Washington, DC as the Senator's guest." Move with ease whether it is with the rich or whether it is with the poor. And it makes no difference to you who is rich or who is poor. A chance to have a unique relationship with whomever. The kind of personality that's comfortable. The kind of personality that's not bent out of shape.
And lastly, let's not forget charisma and sophistication. Charisma with a touch of humility. This entire list is more valuable than money. With one dollar and the list I just gave you, the world is yours. It belongs to you, whatever piece of it you desire whatever development you wish for your life. I've given you the secret. Capital. The kind of capital that is more valuable than money and that can secure your future and fortune. Remember that you lack not the resources.
Life is Worthwhile if You...
1) First, life is worthwhile if you LEARN. What you don't know WILL hurt you. You have to have learning to exist, let alone succeed. Life is worthwhile if you learn from your own experiences, negative and positive. We learn to do it right by first sometimes doing it wrong. We call that a positive negative. We also learn from other people's experiences, both positive and negative. I've always said it is too bad failures don't give seminars. We don't want to pay them so they don't tour around giving seminars. But the information would be very valuable - how someone who had it all, messed it up. Learning from other people's experiences and mistakes.
We learn by what we see - pay attention. By what we hear - be a good listener. Now I do suggest being a selective listener, don't just let anybody dump into your mental factory. We learn from what we read. Learn from every source. Learn from lectures, learn from songs, learn from sermons, learn from conversations with people who care. Keep learning.
2) Life is worthwhile if you TRY. You can't just learn; you now have to try something to see if you can do it. Try to make a difference, try to make some progress, try to learn a new skill, try to learn a new sport. Life is worthwhile if you try. It doesn't mean you can do everything but there are a lot of things you can do, if you just try. Try your best. Give it every effort. Why not go all out?
3) Life is worthwhile if you STAY. You have to stay from spring until harvest. If you have signed up for the day or for the game or for the project - see it through. Sometimes calamity comes and then it is worth wrapping it up. And that's the end, but just don't end in the middle. Maybe on the next project you pass, but on this one, if you signed up, see it through.
4) Life is worthwhile if you CARE. If you care at all you will get some results, if you care enough you can get incredible results. Care enough to make a difference. Care enough to turn somebody around. Care enough to start a new enterprise. Care enough to change it all. Care enough to be the highest producer. Care enough to set some records. Care enough to win.
Four powerful little words: learn, try, stay and care. What difference can you make in your life today by putting these four words to work?
We learn by what we see - pay attention. By what we hear - be a good listener. Now I do suggest being a selective listener, don't just let anybody dump into your mental factory. We learn from what we read. Learn from every source. Learn from lectures, learn from songs, learn from sermons, learn from conversations with people who care. Keep learning.
2) Life is worthwhile if you TRY. You can't just learn; you now have to try something to see if you can do it. Try to make a difference, try to make some progress, try to learn a new skill, try to learn a new sport. Life is worthwhile if you try. It doesn't mean you can do everything but there are a lot of things you can do, if you just try. Try your best. Give it every effort. Why not go all out?
3) Life is worthwhile if you STAY. You have to stay from spring until harvest. If you have signed up for the day or for the game or for the project - see it through. Sometimes calamity comes and then it is worth wrapping it up. And that's the end, but just don't end in the middle. Maybe on the next project you pass, but on this one, if you signed up, see it through.
4) Life is worthwhile if you CARE. If you care at all you will get some results, if you care enough you can get incredible results. Care enough to make a difference. Care enough to turn somebody around. Care enough to start a new enterprise. Care enough to change it all. Care enough to be the highest producer. Care enough to set some records. Care enough to win.
Four powerful little words: learn, try, stay and care. What difference can you make in your life today by putting these four words to work?
The Major Key to Your Better Future is You
Of all the things that can have an effect on your future, I believe personal growth is the greatest. We can talk about sales growth, profit growth, asset growth, but all of this probably will not happen without personal growth. It's really the open door to it all. In fact I'd like to have you memorize a most important phrase. Here it is, "The major key to your better future is YOU."
Let me repeat that. "The major key to your better future is YOU." Put that someplace you can see it everyday, in the bathroom, in the kitchen, at the office, anywhere where you can see it everyday. The major key to your better future is YOU. Try to remember that every day you live and think about it. The major key is YOU.
Now, there are many things that will help your better future. If you belong to a strong, dynamic and progressive company, that would help. If the company has good products, good services that you are proud of, that would certainly help. If there were good sales aids, that would help, good training would certainly help. If there is strong leadership that will certainly help. All of these things will help, and of course, if it doesn't storm, that will help. If your car doesn't break down, that will help. If the kids don't get sick, that will help. If the neighbors stay half way civil, that will help. If your relatives don't bug you, that will help. If it isn't too cold, if it isn't too hot, all those things will help your better future. And if prices don't go much higher and if taxes don't get much heavier, that will help. And if the economy stays stable, those things will all help. We could go on and on with the list; but remember this, the list of things that I've just covered and many more - all put together - play a minor role in your better future.
The major key to your better future is you. Lock your mind onto that. This is a super important point to remember. The major key is you. Mr. Shoaff always answered when asked, "How do you develop an above average income?" by saying "Simple, become an above average person. Work on you." Mr. Shoaff would say, "Develop an above average handshake." He would say, "A lot of people want to be successful, and they don't even work on their handshake. As easy as that would be to start, they let it slide. They don't understand." Mr. Shoaff would say, "Develop an above average smile. Develop an above average excitement. Develop an above average dedication. Develop an above average interest in other people." He would say, "To have more, become more." Remember; work harder on yourself than you do on your job. For a long time in my life, I didn't have this figured out.
Strangely enough, with two different people in the same company one may earn an extra $100 a month, and the other may earn a $1,000. What could possibly be the difference? If the products were the same, if the training was the same, if they both had the same literature, the same tools. If they both had the same teacher, the same compensation plan, if they both attended the same meetings, why would one person earn the $100 per month and the other person earn the $1000? Remember here is the difference...the difference is personal, inside, not outside, inside.
You see the real difference is inside you. In fact, the difference IS you. Someone once said, "The magic is not in the products. The magic is not in the literature. The magic is not in the film. There isn't a magic meeting, but the magic that makes things better is inside you, and personal growth makes this magic work for you.
The magic is in believing. The magic is in daring. The magic is in trying. The real magic is in persevering. The magic is in accepting. It's in working. The magic is in thinking. There is magic in a handshake. There is magic in a smile. There is magic in excitement and determination. There is real magic in compassion and caring and sharing. There is unusual magic in strong feeling and you see, all that comes from inside, not outside. So, the difference is inside you. The real difference is you. You are the major key to your better future.
Let me repeat that. "The major key to your better future is YOU." Put that someplace you can see it everyday, in the bathroom, in the kitchen, at the office, anywhere where you can see it everyday. The major key to your better future is YOU. Try to remember that every day you live and think about it. The major key is YOU.
Now, there are many things that will help your better future. If you belong to a strong, dynamic and progressive company, that would help. If the company has good products, good services that you are proud of, that would certainly help. If there were good sales aids, that would help, good training would certainly help. If there is strong leadership that will certainly help. All of these things will help, and of course, if it doesn't storm, that will help. If your car doesn't break down, that will help. If the kids don't get sick, that will help. If the neighbors stay half way civil, that will help. If your relatives don't bug you, that will help. If it isn't too cold, if it isn't too hot, all those things will help your better future. And if prices don't go much higher and if taxes don't get much heavier, that will help. And if the economy stays stable, those things will all help. We could go on and on with the list; but remember this, the list of things that I've just covered and many more - all put together - play a minor role in your better future.
The major key to your better future is you. Lock your mind onto that. This is a super important point to remember. The major key is you. Mr. Shoaff always answered when asked, "How do you develop an above average income?" by saying "Simple, become an above average person. Work on you." Mr. Shoaff would say, "Develop an above average handshake." He would say, "A lot of people want to be successful, and they don't even work on their handshake. As easy as that would be to start, they let it slide. They don't understand." Mr. Shoaff would say, "Develop an above average smile. Develop an above average excitement. Develop an above average dedication. Develop an above average interest in other people." He would say, "To have more, become more." Remember; work harder on yourself than you do on your job. For a long time in my life, I didn't have this figured out.
Strangely enough, with two different people in the same company one may earn an extra $100 a month, and the other may earn a $1,000. What could possibly be the difference? If the products were the same, if the training was the same, if they both had the same literature, the same tools. If they both had the same teacher, the same compensation plan, if they both attended the same meetings, why would one person earn the $100 per month and the other person earn the $1000? Remember here is the difference...the difference is personal, inside, not outside, inside.
You see the real difference is inside you. In fact, the difference IS you. Someone once said, "The magic is not in the products. The magic is not in the literature. The magic is not in the film. There isn't a magic meeting, but the magic that makes things better is inside you, and personal growth makes this magic work for you.
The magic is in believing. The magic is in daring. The magic is in trying. The real magic is in persevering. The magic is in accepting. It's in working. The magic is in thinking. There is magic in a handshake. There is magic in a smile. There is magic in excitement and determination. There is real magic in compassion and caring and sharing. There is unusual magic in strong feeling and you see, all that comes from inside, not outside. So, the difference is inside you. The real difference is you. You are the major key to your better future.
Increasing Your Earning Potential
Throughout most of human history, we have been accustomed to evolution, or the gradual changing and progressing of events in a straight line.
Sometimes the process of change was faster and sometimes it was slower, but it almost always seemed to be progressive, from one step to the other, allowing you some opportunities for planning, predicting and changing.
Today, however, the rate of change is not only faster than ever before, but it is discontinuous. It is taking place in a variety of unconnected areas and affecting each of us in a variety of unexpected ways.
Changes in information processing technologies are happening separately from changes in medicine, changes in transportation, changes in education, changes in politics and changes in global competition.
Changes in family formation and relationships are happening separately from the rise and fall of new businesses and industries in different parts of the country.
And if anything, this rate of accelerated, discontinuous change is increasing. As a result, most of us are already suffering from what Alvin Toffler once called, “future shock.”
You can’t do very much about the enormity of these changes, but the one thing that you can do is to think seriously about yourself and your basic need for security and stability. In no area is this more important than in the areas of job security and financial security.
You must give special attention to your ability to make a good living and provide for yourself in the months and years ahead.
Above all, to position yourself for tomorrow, you must think continuously and seriously about your work today, your earning ability , and the work that you will be doing one, three, and five years from today. You must plan to achieve your own financial security, no matter what happens.
Charles Kettering said that you should give a lot of thought to the future because that is where you are going to spend the rest of your life.
One of the greatest mistakes that people can make, and the one with the worst long-term consequences, is to think only about the present and give very little thought to what might happen in the months and years ahead.
When our grandfathers started work, it was quite common for them to get a basic education and then go to work for a company and stay with that same company for the rest of their working lives. When our parents went to work, it was more common for them to change jobs three or four times during their lifetime, although it was difficult and disruptive.
Today, with increased turbulence and change in the national and global economy, a person starting work can expect to have five full-time careers between the ages of 21 and 65, and 14 full-time jobs lasting two years or more.
According to Fortune Magazine, fully 40 percent of American employees in the 21st Century will be “contingency” workers. This means that they will never work permanently for another company.
They will continue to move as needed, from company to company, from job to job, earning less money than full-time employees and accruing very few, if any, benefits in terms of health care and pension plans.
Imagine what your job will look like five years from today. Since knowledge in your field is probably doubling every five years, this means that fully twenty percent of your knowledge and your ability in your field is becoming obsolete each year.
In five years, you will be doing a brand new job with brand new skills and abilities. Ask yourself, “What parts of my knowledge, skills and work are becoming obsolete? What am I doing today that is different than what I was doing one year ago and two years ago?”
What are you likely to be doing one year, two years, three years, four years and five years from today? What knowledge and skills will you need and how will you acquire them? What is your plan for your economic and financial future?
We are now in the knowledge age. Today, the chief factors of production are knowledge and the ability to apply that knowledge to achieving results for other people.
Your earning ability today is largely dependent upon your knowledge, skill and your ability to combine that knowledge and skill in such a way that you contribute value for which customers are going to pay.
The Law of Three says that you must contribute three dollars of profit for every dollar that you wish to earn in salary. It costs a company approximately double your salary to employ you in terms of space, benefits, supervision, and investment in furniture, fixtures, and other resources.
For a company to hire you, they have to make a profit on what they pay you. Therefore, you must contribute value greatly in excess of the amount you earn in order to stay employed.
To put it another way, your earning ability must be considerably greater than the amount you are receiving, or you will find yourself looking for another job.
To position yourself for tomorrow, here is one of the most important rules you will ever learn: “The future belongs to the competent.” The future belongs to those men and women who are very good at what they do.
Pat Riley, in his book The Winner Within, wrote that, “If you are not committed to getting better at what you are doing, you are bound to get worse.” To phrase it another way, anything less than a commitment to excellent performance on your part is an unconscious acceptance of mediocrity.
It used to be that you needed to be excellent to rise above the competition in your industry. Today, you must be excellent even to keep your job in your industry.
The marketplace is a stern task master. Today, excellence, quality, and value are absolutely essential elements of any product or service, and of the work of any person. Your earning ability is largely determined by the perception of excellence, quality, and value that others have of you and what you do.
The market only pays excellent rewards for excellent performance. It pays average rewards for average performance, and it pays below average rewards or unemployment for below average performance.
Customers today want the very most and the very best for the very least amount of money, and on the best terms. Only the individuals and companies that provide absolutely excellent products and services at absolutely excellent prices will survive. It’s not personal. It’s just the way our economy works.
To earn more, you must learn more. You are maxed out today at your current level of knowledge and skill. However much you are earning at this moment is the maximum you can earn without learning and practicing something new and different.
And here’s the rub. Your accumulated knowledge and experience is becoming obsolete bit by bit, day by day. The knowledge in your field is doubling every three to five years. That means that your knowledge must double every three to five years just for you to stay even.
The solution to the dilemma of unavoidable change and restructuring is continuous self-development. Your personal knowledge and your ability to apply that knowledge are your most valuable assets. To stay on top of your world, you must continually add to your knowledge and your ability.
You must continually build up your mental assets if you want to enjoy a continuous return on your investment. And only by building on your current assets do you stop them from deteriorating.
By engaging in continuous self-improvement, you can put yourself behind the wheel of your own life. By dedicating yourself to enhancing your earning ability, you will automatically be engaging in the continuous process of personal development.
By learning more, you prepare yourself to earn more. You position yourself for tomorrow by developing the knowledge and skills that you need to be a valuable and productive part of our economy, no matter which direction it goes.
Sometimes the process of change was faster and sometimes it was slower, but it almost always seemed to be progressive, from one step to the other, allowing you some opportunities for planning, predicting and changing.
Today, however, the rate of change is not only faster than ever before, but it is discontinuous. It is taking place in a variety of unconnected areas and affecting each of us in a variety of unexpected ways.
Changes in information processing technologies are happening separately from changes in medicine, changes in transportation, changes in education, changes in politics and changes in global competition.
Changes in family formation and relationships are happening separately from the rise and fall of new businesses and industries in different parts of the country.
And if anything, this rate of accelerated, discontinuous change is increasing. As a result, most of us are already suffering from what Alvin Toffler once called, “future shock.”
You can’t do very much about the enormity of these changes, but the one thing that you can do is to think seriously about yourself and your basic need for security and stability. In no area is this more important than in the areas of job security and financial security.
You must give special attention to your ability to make a good living and provide for yourself in the months and years ahead.
Above all, to position yourself for tomorrow, you must think continuously and seriously about your work today, your earning ability , and the work that you will be doing one, three, and five years from today. You must plan to achieve your own financial security, no matter what happens.
Charles Kettering said that you should give a lot of thought to the future because that is where you are going to spend the rest of your life.
One of the greatest mistakes that people can make, and the one with the worst long-term consequences, is to think only about the present and give very little thought to what might happen in the months and years ahead.
When our grandfathers started work, it was quite common for them to get a basic education and then go to work for a company and stay with that same company for the rest of their working lives. When our parents went to work, it was more common for them to change jobs three or four times during their lifetime, although it was difficult and disruptive.
Today, with increased turbulence and change in the national and global economy, a person starting work can expect to have five full-time careers between the ages of 21 and 65, and 14 full-time jobs lasting two years or more.
According to Fortune Magazine, fully 40 percent of American employees in the 21st Century will be “contingency” workers. This means that they will never work permanently for another company.
They will continue to move as needed, from company to company, from job to job, earning less money than full-time employees and accruing very few, if any, benefits in terms of health care and pension plans.
Imagine what your job will look like five years from today. Since knowledge in your field is probably doubling every five years, this means that fully twenty percent of your knowledge and your ability in your field is becoming obsolete each year.
In five years, you will be doing a brand new job with brand new skills and abilities. Ask yourself, “What parts of my knowledge, skills and work are becoming obsolete? What am I doing today that is different than what I was doing one year ago and two years ago?”
What are you likely to be doing one year, two years, three years, four years and five years from today? What knowledge and skills will you need and how will you acquire them? What is your plan for your economic and financial future?
We are now in the knowledge age. Today, the chief factors of production are knowledge and the ability to apply that knowledge to achieving results for other people.
Your earning ability today is largely dependent upon your knowledge, skill and your ability to combine that knowledge and skill in such a way that you contribute value for which customers are going to pay.
The Law of Three says that you must contribute three dollars of profit for every dollar that you wish to earn in salary. It costs a company approximately double your salary to employ you in terms of space, benefits, supervision, and investment in furniture, fixtures, and other resources.
For a company to hire you, they have to make a profit on what they pay you. Therefore, you must contribute value greatly in excess of the amount you earn in order to stay employed.
To put it another way, your earning ability must be considerably greater than the amount you are receiving, or you will find yourself looking for another job.
To position yourself for tomorrow, here is one of the most important rules you will ever learn: “The future belongs to the competent.” The future belongs to those men and women who are very good at what they do.
Pat Riley, in his book The Winner Within, wrote that, “If you are not committed to getting better at what you are doing, you are bound to get worse.” To phrase it another way, anything less than a commitment to excellent performance on your part is an unconscious acceptance of mediocrity.
It used to be that you needed to be excellent to rise above the competition in your industry. Today, you must be excellent even to keep your job in your industry.
The marketplace is a stern task master. Today, excellence, quality, and value are absolutely essential elements of any product or service, and of the work of any person. Your earning ability is largely determined by the perception of excellence, quality, and value that others have of you and what you do.
The market only pays excellent rewards for excellent performance. It pays average rewards for average performance, and it pays below average rewards or unemployment for below average performance.
Customers today want the very most and the very best for the very least amount of money, and on the best terms. Only the individuals and companies that provide absolutely excellent products and services at absolutely excellent prices will survive. It’s not personal. It’s just the way our economy works.
To earn more, you must learn more. You are maxed out today at your current level of knowledge and skill. However much you are earning at this moment is the maximum you can earn without learning and practicing something new and different.
And here’s the rub. Your accumulated knowledge and experience is becoming obsolete bit by bit, day by day. The knowledge in your field is doubling every three to five years. That means that your knowledge must double every three to five years just for you to stay even.
The solution to the dilemma of unavoidable change and restructuring is continuous self-development. Your personal knowledge and your ability to apply that knowledge are your most valuable assets. To stay on top of your world, you must continually add to your knowledge and your ability.
You must continually build up your mental assets if you want to enjoy a continuous return on your investment. And only by building on your current assets do you stop them from deteriorating.
By engaging in continuous self-improvement, you can put yourself behind the wheel of your own life. By dedicating yourself to enhancing your earning ability, you will automatically be engaging in the continuous process of personal development.
By learning more, you prepare yourself to earn more. You position yourself for tomorrow by developing the knowledge and skills that you need to be a valuable and productive part of our economy, no matter which direction it goes.
Stand up and get noticed
YOU want a fatter paycheck, bigger bonus and greater advancement opportunities but feel as if you have hit a plateau, or worse, a dead end in your current job.
Seek greener pastures by enhancing your chances of getting headhunted. Here’s how:
Increase your reach
The first step is to make sure you are seen at the right place, at the right time. That means upping your visibility by attending networking events, trade shows, seminars and conferences.
Widen your circle of influence by getting to know more people within your industry and even beyond — you never know just who might be a potential business partner, client or supplier.
So pass your namecard around and make sure you are never caught in a situation where you run out of them.
Share your expertise
Mentoring is one way and contributing articles to trade journals and magazines in your field of specialisation is another. The latter serves to heighten your visibility within your industry as well as boost your reputation as a voice of authority in your field.
Ultimately, it will give you that added advantage as headhunters usually use multiple modes of sniffing out the right candidate and that includes thumbing through trade publications for leads.
So elevate your profile publicly, in full view of your contemporaries and headhunters.
Build trustworthy alliances
This refers to being selective about whom you choose to entrust your resumé to. It is a confidential document and you do not want it being passed around casually.
You also do not want to give others the perception that you are desperate for a job by having numerous consultants represent you.
A trustworthy, professional headhunter would never send a candidate’s resumé out for a client’s consideration without prior permission. So be discerning and extra cautious when deciding which headhunters to trust.
Be open to possibilities
You may be contented with your current job and might not have considered the possibility of leaving yet, but when a headhunter calls, it is always wise to be cordial and friendly.
Always put your best foot forward and give him a positive snapshot of your achievements and credentials. Who knows, the consultant may offer you the job opportunity of a lifetime in the future.
Ensure a graceful exit
Speaking ill of colleagues, subordinates or your bosses is a big no-no, no matter what the circumstances. Even if you have been genuinely victimised, do not counter-attack to even the score as words can spread like wildfire through the grapevine.
This may reflect negatively on your character, so never burn your bridges. Instead, conduct yourself with dignity and class even though you may be fuming internally. Your grace under pressure will gain you the respect of your peers and superiors.
Stay connected
Having a Rolodex full of business cards is one thing. Maintaining and cultivating personal relationships with the right people who can help you get ahead in your career is a whole different ball game.
As the old adage goes: Out of sight, out of mind. So take the initiative to identify useful contacts and keep in touch with them. You will be surprised at how a quick e-mail or phone call to catch up can work wonders in keeping you fresh in the minds of others.
Let the results speak
At the end of the day, your work performance is the most important key performance indicator. Never underestimate how far your name can travel due to sterling results.
Backed by solid work performance and indisputable accomplishments, your good reputation will certainly precede you. So be diligent, achieve spectacular results and wait for that call to come your way.
Seek greener pastures by enhancing your chances of getting headhunted. Here’s how:
Increase your reach
The first step is to make sure you are seen at the right place, at the right time. That means upping your visibility by attending networking events, trade shows, seminars and conferences.
Widen your circle of influence by getting to know more people within your industry and even beyond — you never know just who might be a potential business partner, client or supplier.
So pass your namecard around and make sure you are never caught in a situation where you run out of them.
Share your expertise
Mentoring is one way and contributing articles to trade journals and magazines in your field of specialisation is another. The latter serves to heighten your visibility within your industry as well as boost your reputation as a voice of authority in your field.
Ultimately, it will give you that added advantage as headhunters usually use multiple modes of sniffing out the right candidate and that includes thumbing through trade publications for leads.
So elevate your profile publicly, in full view of your contemporaries and headhunters.
Build trustworthy alliances
This refers to being selective about whom you choose to entrust your resumé to. It is a confidential document and you do not want it being passed around casually.
You also do not want to give others the perception that you are desperate for a job by having numerous consultants represent you.
A trustworthy, professional headhunter would never send a candidate’s resumé out for a client’s consideration without prior permission. So be discerning and extra cautious when deciding which headhunters to trust.
Be open to possibilities
You may be contented with your current job and might not have considered the possibility of leaving yet, but when a headhunter calls, it is always wise to be cordial and friendly.
Always put your best foot forward and give him a positive snapshot of your achievements and credentials. Who knows, the consultant may offer you the job opportunity of a lifetime in the future.
Ensure a graceful exit
Speaking ill of colleagues, subordinates or your bosses is a big no-no, no matter what the circumstances. Even if you have been genuinely victimised, do not counter-attack to even the score as words can spread like wildfire through the grapevine.
This may reflect negatively on your character, so never burn your bridges. Instead, conduct yourself with dignity and class even though you may be fuming internally. Your grace under pressure will gain you the respect of your peers and superiors.
Stay connected
Having a Rolodex full of business cards is one thing. Maintaining and cultivating personal relationships with the right people who can help you get ahead in your career is a whole different ball game.
As the old adage goes: Out of sight, out of mind. So take the initiative to identify useful contacts and keep in touch with them. You will be surprised at how a quick e-mail or phone call to catch up can work wonders in keeping you fresh in the minds of others.
Let the results speak
At the end of the day, your work performance is the most important key performance indicator. Never underestimate how far your name can travel due to sterling results.
Backed by solid work performance and indisputable accomplishments, your good reputation will certainly precede you. So be diligent, achieve spectacular results and wait for that call to come your way.
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