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How can I lead my self?

Many people ask me this question.  So you are not alone.  In fact, self-leadership is an ancient subject turned into a multi-billion dollar industry.  It is MUCH harder to lead my self than it is to lead others.  And it requires daily deliberate practice for me to lead my self.

 

My purpose in life is to teach others how to be better leaders.  I know what works.  Hopefully the following two steps will be useful to you.

 

There are two ways to lead your self:

1.  self awareness

2.  self care

 

Self awareness requires core skills such as openness, self appraisal, clarity, self esteem.  There is a massive amount of research in psychology and organizational development on the subject of self awareness.  There are countless religions and faiths and daily practices on the subject of self awareness.  Amid these conflicting and spurious theories there is a need for clarity.  We use assessments to provide data.  There are over 15,000 validated assessments.  We can provide assessments for any individual behavior or competency imaginable.  Evidence-based consulting is mandatory in any profession, from law to healthcare to psychology.

 

A key coaching question is “What assessments do I need to increase my self awareness?’

Self care requires core skills such as expression, sustainability, resourcefulness, action.  Consider the fact that humans now have more digital information available than EVER in the history of mankind.  We now KNOW what we should do.  However, we do not always DO what we should do.  Imagine a grandmotherly person.  She towers over you with an apron and shakes a wooden spoon… as she tells you what you should do.  That image of a wise, older person may help you.

A key coaching question is “How can I take care of myself today?”

 

One more point.  There is a myth that leadership is a personal act.  By definition, the word “leadership” means influence at two levels:  on my self and others.  The goal of self leadership is not to attain some mystical state in isolation on a mountain.  Humans are defined by relationships.  No one develops as a leader when living in isolation.  And too many people spend hours alone, writing in journals, or focusing on their weaknesses.  When Maslow described self actualization it was not thought to be a resting place.  The goal is to improve the quality of relationships with others.  Leadership is both a personal act and a team act.  We adopt evidence-based research in positive psychology because it works.  We want YOU to flourish.

 

The goal of self leadership is to have a greater relationships with my self and others.

 

We all need a coach at times.  Call me at 704.995.6647 or subscribe now or schedule your initial consultation here.

 

What are you waiting for?

Download this list of services and investment levels now:

How can I lead others?

This is a common question.  With both a simple answer and a complex answer.

The simple answer:  Serve others well.  Provide tremendous value.  

The complex answer has at least the following 5 points.

 

1.  Choose a BIG WANT.  Humans are aspirational- we aspire to do constructive work.  We aspire to build families, companies, wealth, happiness.  Our aspirations are reflected in art, architecture, net worth, hobbies, etc.  However, too many people lose their focus.  Perhaps you are representative.  As a child you may have had aspirations defined by others; such as get a job, or go to college or take care of your siblings.  As a young adult you may have had aspirations defined by you; such as, build a happy family, serve others, develop my business.  And all of us struggle.  Challenges exist.  Suffering exists.  In response, we need to choose an aspiration that is BIG.  When we choose a BIG WANT, not a small want such as material comfort, we become leaders.  The bigger our want, the bigger our impact as leaders.  A key coaching question is “What is your BIG WANT?”

 

2.   Choose a GREAT TEAM.  Humans are social creatures.  We evolve as a result of strong relationships.  Selling is based on strong relationships.  We can assess the market needs.  We can assess the strengths of others.  And we can build a great team to respond to that market need.  The most successful leaders have at least 6 people on their team who create creative tension and focus on results.  You may need to hire or develop a great team.  A key coaching question is “Who can you add to your team?”

 

3.  Choose constructive DAILY ACTIVITIES.  Leadership is not an occasional event.  Leadership is an ongoing process of daily activity.  Choose your activities carefully.  You have access to more digital information than ever in recorded history.  You should know WHAT works:  Good diet.  Regular exercise. Focused activity. Finding problems.  Solving problems.  Serving others.  Tracking activity.  A key coaching question is “How are you certain that you are making constructive daily activities?”

 

4.  Measure your Key Performance Indicators.  KPIs are used in all businesses.  What we measure leads to results.  Sadly, too few people measure their leadership efforts.  For many years, I have provided scoresheets, templates, spreadsheets to help others measure their KPIs.  A little structure helps.  Daily and weekly accountability sessions help.  Metrics define the score.  They are data points.  Like a line on computer software, KPIs determine your impact as a leader.  A key coaching question is “What KPIs do you need to measure today?”

 

5.  Remain humble.  I have had countless great teachers, from the finest universities on the planet.  Clients are the most instructive teachers.  Children are a close second.  All constructive leaders in recorded history shared the same trait:  we are all humble.  A key coaching question is “How are you showing your humility?”

 

If I had more time I might add more to this list…

 

Bottom line:  YOU can save time and money.  YOU can be a smarter leader today.

 

We all need coaches at times.  Call me at 704.995.6647 or subscribe now for details.  Or schedule your initial consultation here.

 

What are you waiting for?

Download this list of services and investment levels now:

8 reasons why you need a list of qualified alliance partners for your business

Business has always been defined by who you like and trust.  Those who deliver get the best results.

Future business will be defined by the quality of your web of qualified alliances or partnerships.

A friend is a successful realtor.  When people call he asks, “Would you like a list of qualified services that may be interested in helping you and your family?”  They typically say YES!  And he hands them a list of his favorite plumbers and dentists and… you get the idea.

As an expert in leadership development, here is my current list of qualified alliance partners and experts:

  1. Assessments.  www.action-learning.com Doug Gray, 704.895.6479;  www.edc-llc.com  Adam Ortiz, PsyD, 704.248.0863
  2. Coaching and consulting.  www.action-learning.com Doug Gray, 704.895.6479
  3. Change management.
  4.  Strategic Planning.  www.avivconsulting.com Aviv Shahar, 425.415.6155
  5. Business development and sales
  6. Operational efficiency.
  7. Marketing.
  8. Social media.
Note:  I am expert in only 2 of these 8 categories.  I am delighted to post only 2 other service providers.  I am glad to provide the remaining names and links upon request.
Please call me at 704.895.6479 now for the remainder of the list.  Or to discuss your needs for your business.
If you think you belong on my list, please contact us.
If you are serious about your business, create your own list now.  Why wait?  I have 8 reasons listed above…
Comments?

To ignore millenials is to commit marketing suicide

Open your eyes!  How much time do you spend with millenials?  Not only do millenials consume the most products, they also expect results.  They are 50% of the workforce in 2018.
To ignore millenials is to commit some form of suicide.

Here are 6 steps for you and your company:

1.  Mobile web-based experiences are a $10 billion dollar industry, with over 7 billion phones.  We now have nearly 4x more mobile browsers than the number of desk-based browsers.  Follow the numbers.  Follow the money.

2.  We can provide emotionally-provocative experiences that combine digital and physical activities.  Here are several examples.  When you go to the zoo you can now rent a GoPro or Segway to make your experience unique.  When you go to a park you can use your mobile device to geocache.  You can have a “Yelp Night” and move from restaurant to bar in any unfamiliar city.    When you go to a conference you can tweet about and score the presenters, in real time.  However, at most amusement parks and concerts we are not doing anything about the visitors who are standing in a line (bored) or tweeting or Face-booking their friends to “stay away” from your business or event.  As a more costly example, we are not doing anything about low compliance with incentive reward programs.  In fact, industrial organizational researchers tell us that some 35% of the US workforce is not engaged in their jobs.  We sorely lack emotionally-provocative experiences that combine digital and physical activities.

3.  In response to these market needs, I have developed a mobile web-based app that can guarantee engagement for any clients.  This app enables clients to have a pre-visit and post-visit experience that integrates their event with any content.  The event becomes a process.  For instance, if a client wants to assign pre-visit training or reading content, the app can assess their engagement.  Using a leader board and social media, they can increase accountability.  They can market and promote the company.  They can include video and photo uploads.  They can earn points by doing more activities.  They can return to the venue.  The app can be delivered in hours, under any name.  And it can be scaled for any sized organization.

4.  Large corporate clients expect global delivery capacity.  Every successful Free Agent has a network of alliance partners.  The myth of the solo-preneur as a lone wolf is dead.  For instance, the largest provider of leadership development coaches is www.coachsource.com, founded by Brian Underhill and Marshall Goldsmith.  Marshall is described as the #1 leadership consultant in the U.S., according to Harvard Business Review.  I am the southeast engagement manager, and represent 1,200 leadership coaches in 60 countries.  We can provide expert leadership coaching to any clients.  A bold claim, but a well validated claim.  We can deliver the value of global leadership coaching to your current clients.  And we can design programs that include a cycle of regular visits to any location with reinforcements from the very best leadership coaches.  Those individual and group agendas typically yield a 500% ROI.

Digital and Global solutions not only satisfy millenials.  They lead to results.  They are required solutions.

If you are a solo-preneur, develop strong alliance with the smartest partners that you can find.  Today.

If you are a business leader, call Doug at 615.236.9845 If I cannot help you I will find someone who can.  Today.

Comments?

 

 

 

Expert interview with my brother, Stuart Gray…

Expert interview with my brother Stuart Gray, founder/president of www.4remarkable.comwww.hospitalityrocks.com, and www.bluecollarsalesguys.com.
Stuart is an expert sales consultant, recruiter, customer service trainer and technology provider for independent restaurants.
Based near Minneapolis, MN he promotes excellent customer service throughout the world.
Check out this MP3…
Stuart Gray 7.19.13

How much is your time worth?

Recently a client was struggling with two related issues:  1.  How much to pay his employees and subcontractors, and 2.  How to manage his accountant who regularly arrived late for scheduled meetings.

I suggested that he should  bill the accountant at least $1.00 per minute that he is late.

“Huh?”  He asked.

Then I reached into a day timer and showed him the following image.  (I tried to find a better image online but was not successful.)

The column headings are Salary year/ Salary week/ Benefits= 40% Total salary/ Total week/  Value per hour/ and Value per minute.

 

For instance, if your salary per year is $70,000, your Salary per week is $$1,346, your Benefits are $538, your total week is $1,885, your Value per hour is $47.00 and your value per minute is $0.79.

So why wouldn’t you charge the accountant at least $1.00/ minute for being late?  His tardiness is 1) expensive and 2) unprofessional.  I urged him to charge a retroactive late fee.  And I referred him to other accountants.

The second question is more complex.  How much should you pay employees and subcontractors?   The market response is “as little as possible, according to their value.”  That is why we pay minimum wages and low salaries for remedial work.

For most business leaders, we are slow to pay others for remedial work.

The best business leaders, however, ALWAYS delegate low paying tasks to others.  And they refuse to do remedial work.

Back to my client.  I asked him, “So, what do you think your time is worth?”

He said, “At least $70,000/ year.”

I said, “OK then, why aren’t you excited about the opportunity to pay others $10-24.00 per hour to do work for you?”

And that, of course, led to a deep conversation about self-worth and the need to delegate low paying tasks to others.

So, what is your time worth?

 

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