Lead to Inspire Others on Your Team

Lead to Inspire Others on Your Team

You can ask any successful business one of the keys to a strong and prosperous organization, the answer might surprise you. A product or service the public seeks, location of the business, or the ability to create new customers as needed. All important elements for a solid foundation for any business. However one area which tends to get overlooked in corporate America…Leadership not limited in how a single person leads but as a group. Leadership is a team effort. Not an individual effort. Although this element is often overlooked, it is one which should be a part of every day operations. It’s not limited to those in management, every department can participate in leadership. It should be part of the culture of any business plan. Once employees discover the empowerment of leading in their work, a successful outcome is likely in daily responsibilities. We should keep in mind leaders have also mastered the art of influence. Understanding how to integrate influence in employees is a powerful way to help workers develop their ability to become self directed. But first we must understand who we are and how those around us see us, what is your standard? When people look at you what is your trade mark? Is it clear enough for those around you to understand? Now it’s time to work with your team, help them understand and develop their own brand. Be patient, listen. Ask questions, help them to expand on their identity. Only assign tasks in alignment with what they clearly communicate to you. This will help move them and the business forward. You can only lead...
Fear and Faith

Fear and Faith

No matter who you talk to these days opinions on our current state of the world varies, some say it’s just evolution while others say people are influenced by society, never the less one thing we can all agree on is we live in very uncertain times. Which leads to a level of fear for most. Turn on any electronic device and you’ll be exposed to information, sometimes good sometimes not so good. Anger, hate, and those who believe their ideal is what will fix what’s wrong with the world today. Distrust is the new norm in the world, we’ve begun to question what’s “real” or “fake news.” Life is a gift from our creator, it’s our obligation to not focus on negative or destructive thoughts while here on this planet. Spending time letting external challenges rule our lives in nothing less than a waste of time. If you and I are to live a life of freedom we must first let go of thoughts which hold us from moving forward. Dwelling on things we have little to no control over is allowing any personal growth to be limited. Decide to become a master, one why does not let fear enter your thoughts. When we look at fear it’s nothing more than a thought of what’s to come, worrying about external forces which will control your emotions. It’s those emotions direct energy toward unknown forces limiting our ability to control a better outcome. This only leads to further pain and suffering. No one can control when life decides to through you a curve ball, it hits hard and without...
The Key to Making a Deal

The Key to Making a Deal

On Friday I met up with an old friend and had lunch, my friend Jim has been in business for a number of years, through out his career he has seen many people start a business and fail. No doubt Jim has been very successful in any venture with he has entered. Even when the bottom of the economy fell in back in o8-09 Jim was successful, making deals and growing his business. In Maine any venture is or can be a challenge, there’s not a lot folks who have money, so you must be trusted before people with do business with you. Jim’s business is a brick and mortar model, he’d built with many hours of hard work and dedication. So it’s no wonder the question arouse during lunch…I asked him to describe some of the keys to a successful business, although a very humble and generous man, his answer took me a bit by surprise. I was expecting to hear how hard work long hours and keeping ahead of the guy behind you were going to be the first thing out of his mouth, instead he smiled paused and said…Steve it’s not what you get it’s what you give…In any business you must make some sort of a deal, from a sale or and order, service, product anything which requires satisfying a customer. You must put aside what you want, although it’s important to understand what’s driving you, first you need to determine what your potential customer wants. Steve in any deal the customer must feel their needs have been met before they will do business with...
If Time Were Money How Would You Spend It?

If Time Were Money How Would You Spend It?

If time were money how would you spend it? A question we must ask ourselves as each day goes by. Time, one of those precious gifts life offers us yet for some tends to be taken for granted. Tomorrow morning you woke up a super hero, you might use your powers to stop time…Right? One more day…One more hour…One more minute…One more second. However if there was a way to save time would we use it more efficiently? Or would we fall into the same habits of wasting time? Have you ever thought about the different ways we all tend to not use our time efficiently? Television…Oh my one of my mentors use to call that the automatic income reducer, so true, don’t get me wrong I do like to sit down and watch a movie from time to time, the issue becomes when the TV consumes your life. Come home sit down turn it on relax for a minute right? An hour later we’re still sitting there just relaxing. After supper, or some eat supper in front of the TV, a favorite show is on next thing you know it’s time for bed…Where did the night go? Sound familiar? Time is something we never get back, There’s no way to reverse wasted moments, only way to control wasting time is to realize there is an issue. Bad habits form when there’s not a goal at hand, the next mountain to climb or to expand ourselves and create progress in life. We kick back and become a little bit complacent. Not everyone wastes time, but when we look at...