AccelSnips - Get Coached!: Youth Is In How You Think!

www.linkedin.com/in/maryagrierAccelSnips - Get Coached!: Youth Is In How You Think!

Youth Is In How You Think!

Youth is in how you think!  That may be the most honest statement you're going to hear in your life.  I don't care what age you are, when you stop changing your behaviors, stop striving to get better results in everything you do, and stop considering all the possibilities that are still out there for you, YOU GROW OLD!  

In a recent conversation with a friend, she said that she is dreading talking to some of her friends because all they do is whine about getting old.  Listen we all get old, and if we don't grow old then we're probably dead.  So why whine about growing old? What a waste of time, yours and mine.

If you find yourself waking up feeling and thinking OLD, well, snap out of it!  Change your behavior.  Put a smile on your face and SMILE when you talk.  You can't complain when your smiling.  Try it, it really works.  Do something extra and outside of your usual routine, i.e., extra reps in the gym, a trip to a new store, a walk across the street to talk to a neighbor.  And most importantly, start dreaming again.  Thinking and dreaming are the food of youth and the results can be spectacular. 

If You Can't Lead Yourself, Are You Sure You Can Lead Others?

Being a strong leader can make the difference between success and failure in anything you do professionally.  It starts with your ability to lead yourself...then others!

I think you'll agree that your personal and professional success and your future, is really up to you!  But you also need to realize that your success in your personal and professional life can be enhanced if you, first, know how to lead yourself.  Strong self-leadership will not only determine your future as a leader but also the future of others who look up to you as their leader.

So what exactly, is self-leadership?  It's knowing who you are, who you want to become, and how you're going to get there.  It means being consistent in demonstrating your values and goals.  It requires self-discipline as you strive each day to reach your goals, the ability to change your mental models to survive tough challenges, and a commitment to life-long learning.  It's recognizing the importance of finding new and better ways to build on best practices to achieve your goals.  It allows you to set direction for yourself and for those who look to you for direction.

There are basically three types of leaders.  Those who enhance others by adding value, helping others improve, being honest, genuine and sincere, with excellent communication skills.  Those who neutralize by not doing much of anything because they don't help, usually follow, achieve little and don't add much value.  And, those who diminish or actually take away from the situation and others because they lack confidence and fear change which reveals itself in the putting down or general abuse of others.  Luckily most people don't fall into any one style. 

Ideally, strong leaders should strive to be enhancers.  They are the leaders who are visionaries and can take their organization to the next level.  They're powerful in their level of execution and see possibilities in everything and everyone around them.  They want others to enjoy success, and will contribute to, share and set examples from which others can learn and achieve.  They are honest in their emotions, and understand the importance of being able to laugh at themselves, cry with others, get angry if necessary, and show warmth and kindness when it's most needed.  They are confident in themselves, respected by others, and take their responsibilities seriously.  They know how to stand tall and bring hope to others when chaos abounds.

Since applied knowledge is power, one goal of self-leadership is to start thinking about the type of leader you are and what you can begin doing to become more of an enhancer, a leader that can help make their own and others dreams come true.

The road to understanding and developing self-leadership emphasizes developing self-confidence and a belief that you have he ability to accomplish what you've set out to do; self-esteem that says I really like me; integrity that demonstrates honesty and sincerity toward everyone you come in contact with; a positive mental attitude that helps you focus on the good things you can accomplish rather than the negatives you may face day-to-day; courage to meet and overcome what seem like insurmountable obstacles; persistence to keep trying no matter what the odds; and character expressed through well developed values, morals, and self-discipline that demonstrates you know the right things to do and can do the right things.

Being a strong leader and being able to lead others begins with being excellent at self-leadership.  It's the first step to achieving your personal dreams and professional goals and the ultimate success you want for yourself and others who depend on you as their leader.

MAG                                                                                www.performance-connect.com

Do You Have What It Takes To Be A Leader?

If you're a teenager or young adult, struggling to get out of school and move on to the next phase of your life, your next dream, you may be asking yourself, "What do I need to do to realize my goals?"  How would you feel if, starting right now, you could begin developing personal self-leadership -- the attitudes, skills, and goals that would help you achieve personal success and happiness?  Probably, pretty darn good! 

So, what's it going to take to get you there?  How about some energy and effort including learning about other successful people and why they're successful?  How about recognizing that it isn't luck that makes you successful as much as effort, planning and a true belief in yourself -- self-confidence, self-esteem, and positive reinforcement from the inside out and from those who have influence in your life?

There are many leaders in this world, some known and some unknown except to those who have been touched by them.  Do you think these leaders were born with the ability to lead?  Well, if you think about it, aren't there some particular traits that leaders possess?  Would you say they include confidence, self-discipline, self-esteem, character, persistence, and integrity? 

What are some other qualities they have?  How about an ability to communicate with others, set and achieve goals, and motivate others?  What about making decisions and choices that require courage?  And, would you say that having a positive mental attitude also has something to do with it?  Tell me, do you see many leaders that are on a constant downer, feeling sorry for themselves and their situation in life?

People aren't "born leaders".  But they can develop the traits and qualities that make them leaders and it's these same qualities that you need to develop to ensure your future and your success.

What's even more important is to recognize is that all of us have the potential to become leaders and live a very successful lives.  How you go about developing that potential is what will determine your level of success as you grow and develop now and into the future.

Your success -- and whatever you achieve in life -- starts with YOU!  You are the captain of your ship.  You are the author of your life story and the creator or your future.

To learn more about how you can develop your self leadership skills and start building your future success visit www.performance-connect/risingstars.aspx.  Let today be the first day of your future as a leader.

MAG 

Passive-Aggressive Colleagues? Deal With Them, But In a Nice Way!

Work can be so frustrating when you're dealing with colleagues who run hot and cold.  It can totally disrupt activities going forward and make everyone uncomfortable.  So how can you manage this and make sure you keep and build the relationship?

I suggest trying this.  Start with a well worded I-message.  I-message?  What's that?  Well it's a message that describes the behavior the colleague is exhibiting, how it's making you feel and the consequences it may cause.  An I-message is clear feedback that can open up a discussion on what needs to change in the situation.  It also focuses on the behavior and not the person. 

An I-message sounds something like this:  "John, you know, you have a lot of creativity, but when you make a suggestion that's way off the charts and changes the direction of the project, I feel like you're trying to sabotage me as the project manager.  It really makes me not what to continue to work with you or struggle to keep the project on track."   Most people when they hear this type of message will STOP and really consider what you're saying.  When this happens you can really get down to the heart of the matter and start focusing on what needs to change for both of you.  As the conversation winds down, restate what's been discussed and decided, and commit to working on the relationship.  

Passive-aggressive colleagues are not easy to be around but they are your colleagues and you probably need to keep working with them.  Using a well worded I-message can keep even the most passive-aggressive person on point. 

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT - 2011

The other day I received the BlessingWhite Employee Engagement Report 2011.  They introduce their report with these bold words:  "In organization's every individual is accountable for his or her own engagement; anyone with direct reports must coach team members to higher levels of engagement and manage his or her own engagement; and executives set the tone for high morale and motivation plus shoulder the responsibilities of individuals and managers".  The report itself is 80+ pages but I'd like to share some of their key findings because whether we want to recognize it or not, as leaders, we must encourage our workforce to build a more engaged organization.

These key findings focus on engagement levels worldwide, the engagement-retention connection, key drivers, and the ways that behaviors of managers and senior leaders influence engagement.

• 31% are Engaged, and 17% are Disengaged.
• There's a strong correlation between engagement levels and age, role/level, and tenure.
• More employees are looking for new opportunities outside of their organization.
• Engaged employees plan to stay for what they give; the Disengaged stay for what they get.
• Employees worldwide view opportunities to apply their talents, career development and training as top drivers of job satisfaction.
• Trust in executives appears to have more than twice the impact on engagement levels than trust in immediate managers does.
• Managers are not necessarily doing the things that matter most.
• Executives appear to struggle with key leadership behaviors.  Engagement surveys without visible follow-up action may actually decrease engagement levels.  

Some of the key implications and recommendations state that to reap the rewards that a more engaged organization promises, your entire workforce needs to be accountable for their piece of the "engagement equation" every day.  As an individual:  Ownership, clarity and action; Managers: Coaching, relationships and dialogue; Executives: Trust, communication and culture.

Think about it, are you making sure your workforce is engaged?

To download your free copy, click on the following link.  http://blessingwhite.com


Regards, Marya

The Traits of Effective Leaders. Do You Have Them?

Effective leaders exhibit several traits that stay with them no matter where they work or what efforts they're involved with.  Check these out and see if you measure up.  

Effective leaders work with others in a way that makes followers feel important; they know how to sell their vision; they treat others like they want to be treated, they are willing to disclose their mistakes; if they criticize others they do it in private; they're where the action is, not hiding out in their offices; they are competitive so they know how to set goals and reward others who meet and exceed their goals.  They're also big on celebrating success.

So, where do you fall in exhibiting these leadership traits? 

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