More on Blogging

Addendum to a previous post:

"Blogging and Your Business" posted on the 13th of June.

 I just wasn't satisfied with it and thought I would add just a little more info on blogging, so here it is.

A quick guide to getting started with blogging that you can print off and keep somewhere near when writing. Hope that I haven’t missed any, if you know of any that I have missed, let me know and I will revise my list. Thanks.

The Basics

1.      Brevity rules. Can you say it briefly? If you can say it in two sentences, don’t waste time with drawing out to five.

2.      Start at the main point, and then work the story up. (Try to make the main point in the first paragraph whenever possible.)

3.      Use small words. Don’t speak down to your audience, but you don’t have to impress people either. It’s about being clear, not impressive.

4.      Analogies help people understand things better, so do stories.

5.      You don’t have to write complete sentences, even though your teacher taught you to do that. But treat it sparingly. Like this. Like a condiment.

6.      Keep paragraphs small, if possible. Large blocks of text tend to make people skim as opposed to read the entire entry.

7.      Make your point from the reader’s side of the fence. Think about who your audience is and write it as if you were having a direct conversation with them.

8.      Depending on your writing style, go back and see if you can cut out any fluff. Reduce. Reduce. Reduce. Remember that you are having a conversation and not trying to impress anyone with over the top jargon and repetition.

9.      Use the words you’re thinking about, not a fancier, or more polite word. In a real conversation, you will speak with your voice, portray your voice in your blog and make it yours.

Concepts and the Bigger Picture

10.  Set up series of posts, even if you don’t call them a series. Make a post that brings up follow-on points from a previous post, and link back to that post to reinforce the original content.

11.  Get your inspiration from reading; not just other blogs, but from any resource on any topic that interests you, especially topics that aren’t necessarily in the space that you blog about. Ideas come from everywhere.

12.  Think strategically, if this is for business or a cause. Ask yourself what you want your reader to do next. Try to write from that point of view.

13.  Theme-wise, writing very helpful things that people can use is way better than writing thoughtful things that make people think and just walk away. You can have thoughtful but not helpful, but you’re striving for helpful and thoughtful in the same piece.

14.  Never write the me-too blog. Look to be ahead of the wave and feeding backwards, not behind the wave and eating someone’s wake.

15.  Look for ways to think forward, but that tie to your business interests. When I write about the future, I’m also inviting someone to make that future with me.

16.  Mix it up. Keep an editorial calendar and note what kinds of posts you’ve written lately. Thought posts? Lists? Interviews? Make sure you’re mixing up the type of post you’ve written lately.

17.  Consider the occasional dip into Google Trends to write a story that might draw new audience to your conversation. Don’t do this all the time, because the gimmick can wear off quick. Again, think condiments, not meals.

18.  If you don’t have anything interesting to blog, skip a day. Don’t skip many days.

19.  And never never never (raise your hand and repeat this with me) “I” (state your name) “solemnly swear never never never never ever to post another ‘I’m sorry I haven’t blogged lately’ posts ever again. Ever.”

Overdrive

20.  Consider your audience but write from your passion.

21.  Don’t mince words. If it’s a “pissing match,” it’s not a disagreement.

22.  Ask questions. Blogs are conversations starting and flowing. Ask. Questions.

23.  Link to people. If you write about Steve Garfield, link to Steve Garfield.

24.  It’s not all about your blog. Get out and comment on other people’s blogs. Often.

25.  Leave a few ideas unfinished. Ask for input. It always improves a piece. Blogs are great for that.

26.  Use tags. Lots of tags. Make sure you claim your blog with Technorati, and submit it with Alltop.

27.  Make sure your blog’s URL is everywhere: in your email signature, in Facebook, in Flickr, in Twitter, in every outpost you can think about.

28.  Don’t email, DM, and otherwise push every blog post you write to other people. Share the best ones. Let the others be found on their own merits.

29.  Always know why you’re doing what you’re doing. Question yourself often. Look for ways to improve the game.

Encore

30.  Comment back to the people who have left comments.

31.  Follow those people’s links sometimes and go explore their blog.

32.  Look for ways to empower the community you inspire.

33.  If you haven’t found your community yet, keep looking, searching, and connecting.

34.  Learn about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM). It’s no longer okay not to know even the most basic things.

35.  Find great Creative Commons photos and use them for your post (with attribution).

36.  Deconstruct what your favorite writers do, and try it your own way.

37.  Occasionally, try something completely different.

38.  Don’t be afraid to fail. Be afraid of not being interesting enough.

39.  Write as if someone believes in you, because someone does. (me!)

40.  When writing a series topic, write multiple at a time, when you are “in the zone” so that they are more cohesive and also, so it frees up more time.

This post is a little short, I know, but I just wanted to make sure that I got this in the right hands of those who have contacted me about giving more of a checklist on blogging strategies. Trust me, once you get started, the first one is the most difficult.

  To Your Success,

Leave a comment and let me know if this blog post has helped you and pass it on to someone else who may need this information to jumpstart their success.

6 Bad Habits That Can Stifle Your Success

 

Too often, our habits control us and determine whether we succeed or not. It is imperative that we change out our bad habits for good disciplines. To do this, however, we must first identify those habits that are limiting our success.

 

False Limitations

 

Ask a writer for a great idea, and you’ll get a solution that involves words. Ask a designer for a great idea, and you’ll get a solution that involves visuals. Ask a blogger for a great idea, and you’ll get a solution that involves a blog.

 

We’re all a product of our experience. But the limitations we have are self-imposed. They are false limits. Only when you force yourself to look past what you know and feel comfortable with can you come up with the breakthrough ideas you’re looking for.

 

Be open to anything. Step outside your comfort zone. Consider how those in unrelated areas do what they do. What seems impossible today may seem surprisingly doable tomorrow.

 

If you recognize some of these problems in yourself, don’t fret. In fact, rejoice! Knowing what’s holding you back is the first step toward breaking down the barriers of creativity.

 

Lack of confidence

 

A certain level of uncertainly accompanies every creative act. A small measure of self-doubt is healthy.

 

However, you must have confidence in your abilities in order to create and carry out effective solutions to problems.

 

Much of this comes from experience, but confidence also comes from familiarity with how creativity works.

 

When you understand that ideas often seem crazy at first, that failure is just a learning experience, and that nothing is impossible, you are on your way to becoming more confident and more creative.

 

Instead of dividing the world into the possible and impossible, divide it into what you’ve tried and what you haven’t tried. There are a million pathways to success.

 

Information Overwhelm

 

It’s called “analysis paralysis,” the condition of spending so much time thinking about a problem and cramming your brain with so much information that you lose the ability to act.

 

It’s been said that information is to the brain what food is to the body. True enough. But just as you can overeat, you can also over think.

 

Every successful person I’ve ever met has the ability to know when to stop collecting information and start taking action. Many subscribe to the “ready – fire – aim” philosophy of business success, knowing that acting on a good plan today is better than waiting for a perfect plan tomorrow.

 

Fear of failure

 

Most people remember baseball legend Babe Ruth as one of the great hitters of all time, with a career record of 714 home runs.

 

However, he was also a master of the strike out. That’s because he always swung for home runs, not singles or doubles. Ruth either succeeded big or failed spectacularly.

 

No one wants to make mistakes or fail. But if you try too hard to avoid failure, you’ll also avoid success.

 

It has been said that to increase your success rate, you should aim to make more mistakes. In other words, take more chances and you’ll succeed more often.

 

Those few really great ideas you come up with will more than compensate for all the dumb mistakes you make.

 

Two Lines of Thought at Once

 

Like driving a car in first gear and reverse at the same time, it just can’t be done.

Likewise, you shouldn’t try to use different types of thinking at the same time. Just like in the transmission in your car going two directions at once, you’ll strip your mental transmission as well.

 

Creating means generating new ideas, visualizing, looking ahead, considering the possibilities.

 

Evaluating means analyzing and judging, picking apart ideas and sorting them into piles of good and bad, useful and useless.

 

These two types of thinking work together, but not at the same time without causing some issues; one will lock up the other.

 

Most people evaluate too soon and too often, and therefore create less. In order to create more and better ideas, you must separate creation from evaluation, coming up with lots of ideas first, and then judging the worth of each later.

 

Keep your ideas written down somewhere and visit them often. There are times when an idea will give birth to new ideas and even if you end up evaluating an idea as not working for you at that time doesn’t mean that it won’t work later.

 

Other People

 

Even if you have a wide-open mind and the ability to see what’s possible, most people around you will not. They will tell you in various, and often, subtle ways to conform, be sensible, and not rock the boat.

 

It’s like going crabbing on an Alaskan Sea Crab boat. They dump the crabs in a small box hold area that the crabs could get out of, but they don’t because just as soon as one starts to get up, others pull it back down.

 

The same holds true for people. There are those out there who find it easier to pull others down than to work on succeeding themselves.

 

Ignore them. The path to every victory is paved with predictions of failure. And once you have a big win under your belt, all the naysayers will shut their noise and see you for what you are — a creative force to be reckoned with.

 

Success is yours to grab, you just have to want it bad enough to overcome the limiting bad habits that keep you from getting it.

 

 

An Ultimate Lifestyle Secret - The Power Of Integrity

 

Wikipedia defines integrity in the following way:

“Integrity is the basing of one's actions on an internally consistent framework of principles. One is said to have integrity to the extent that everything he does and believes is based on the same core set of principles. The behaviors that one genuinely reflects when being one of integrity includes: honesty, sincerity, truthfulness, keeping one's word and agreements, punctuality, ethics, fairness and justice.”

The power of one’s integrity is realized when they discover that everything they do and say is guided by the above behaviors. When these behaviors become the yardstick by which your life is guided and measured, you have the power, the will and the moral right to do and become anything that you want.

Unfortunately too many of our business leaders, sports stars, entertainment icons and politicians (especially politicians) have not reflected sincere integrity in their comments and behaviors; saying one thing and then doing another. As a result, some have lost their jobs, some have lost their families, and others have even lost their freedom because of their actions.

There used to be a time in which you could point to a successful businessman or sports star and tell your child to emulate them because they were special and admired by all. Today that is not the case as the morals and actions of many show no sign of integrity and instead loudly bugle, “I’ll get mine and to heck with everyone else. As long as I get what I want, how I do it is immaterial.”

Young entertainers having a following of young teens, presenting themselves as wholesome only to find that they are posing in provocative clothing and poses in magazines and posters, sports starts telling kids to stay off drugs only to be arrested for DUI, politicians touting transparency while making deals behind closed doors and evangelists preaching the ten commandments while living in sin; it’s no wonder that we no longer have heroes like we once did.

Fortunately, however, the average adult is now beginning to recognizing these charlatans for what they are and no longer want to have anything to do with them. It is very heartening to see that the average citizen has more integrity than many of the so-called elite in our society. As such, we are beginning to teach our children to be more observant as to whom we idolize and look up to.

Many companies are now creating mission statements and codes of conduct by which all of their employees from the newest recruit to the CEO must follow. It is nice to see that integrity isn’t passé and is making a come back. Its power ensures that we will all get honest and considerate treatment from those who follow the behaviors that were listed above.

It is vital that we all know and really discover the power of integrity when we commit to personal accountability and making great choices. Were you aware that the power of integrity lies within each and every one of us despite who we are, where we are from or how we were brought up?

Well, it does and it is very easy to release this power. All you have to do is follow the above behaviors in everything you do and say and you will discover that the power of integrity opens a whole new lifestyle for you. The power of integrity, a power that no one can take away from you, but which you can squander by not following the above behaviors, is the power of your soul, the power that will ignite the passion of your conscience.

With integrity as your guide, you will never again have to settle for less in your life, your business, your ministry or even your family because your actions and words will mark you as an exceptional individual, someone to be followed and to be listened to. When you are locked into a life of integrity, you will feel powerful and self-confident and you will exhibit a magnetic presence and an aura of leadership. With the power you gain from your life of integrity, you will become successful in all areas of your life.

If you were not raised in an environment that placed a huge emphasis on integrity, then it will be difficult at first, but Jim Rohn says it like this, “We have ‘bad’ habits, but create ‘good’ disciplines.” It will require some work, but eventually the disciplines that you create will become habits that will inspire others.

In conclusion, living a life of integrity gives you more power than any other lifestyle. Your success will be immeasurable, your popularity unmatched and your joy will be boundless. A life devoted to integrity will be an ultimate lifestyle, and what could be better than that?

 

 

Become Comfortable with the Uncomfortable

 

I continually learn something new and though learning is a passion of mine and I love it, actually getting down to the ‘doing’ part has produced some apprehension and a slight fear of the unknown as study turns to action.

 

Writing my first book, or rebuilding a set of new routines to advance my weight loss and improve my health, and anything else that was and is a ‘first time event’ for me, is very real and very uncomfortable. If you have never felt this discomfort then you haven’t done anything that challenges you.

 

The upside of this is once the new is mastered the physical pain miraculously disappeared. 

 

For me (and most of us) it’s all about the comfort zone.

 

I really know I’m alive when I’m outside my comfort zone, but the challenge is getting up the nerve to step out.

 

The comfort zone is an amazing place of security, comfort, safety, and protection.  Stepping out in this zone can be scary and, so often times, lonely, involving stretching, shedding, building and growing; this is the bit where physical pain comes into it. 

 

I remember, growing up, waking up with flashes of pain in my joints and my grandmother telling me that it was from growing pains, Expanding the comfort zone is pretty much the same.

 

With the growing pains comes growth, making you a bigger person, much like anything in life.  When mastering anything in life has finally been reached and with it increased inner strength and confidence, this is when the discomfort is worth it.

 

To truly be successful in life, you must be aware that this doesn’t just apply to the ‘big stuff’.  This applies across the board no matter how big or small; finances, health, relationships, it all requires the anxiety of the first step into the unknown in order to head in the right direction.

 

Here are 5 easy things to help with becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable.  Starting with the most important:

 

1. Start by taking an honest look around you and take an objective note of what you notice.  Each time you do something different notice what your reaction to it is and where this reaction manifests within your body.   

2.  Keep a journal or diary of feelings and reactions as you continue to grow through stepping out of your comfort zone.  Yes, a little woo-woo I know, but this also serves to give you a physical reference later to see where you were compared to where you are now.

  3. Ask yourself the following questions in regards to growing and stretching:

 

“What needs to happen now to make it less painful for me?”

 

“What are the benefits for me in mastering this new thing (relationship, job, task etc)?”

 

“What am I learning from this experience?”

 

“What am I not learning from this experience?”

 

4. Turn negative self-talk into positive speak.  The more often positive self-talk is practiced the more comfortable it will become, until it’s fully integrated and natural. You will be surprised how many times in one day that you will self-deprecate and insult yourself.

 

5. Know that it takes time to become comfortable with something new and different.   Unfortunately there is no instant fix or cure all. The quicker the mastery level raises, the quicker the return to a comfort zone.

 

The outcome of this effort will be living how you want to live, and knowing that you’ve achieved this through your own efforts.   

 

Always remember to “Become comfortable with the uncomfortable”.  It’s during my uncomfortable moments, I remember that phrase and I tell myself that once mastered, I’ll find myself, not only comfortable again, but at a higher level than I was…well until the next time I decide to take on something new.

 

 

Blogging and Your Business

 

Should You Blog For Business?

 

Before you jump on the bandwagon and start your own blog, you should understand what a blog entails.  Otherwise, you will begin writing and then lose interest.  If you stop blogging, then everything you have done up to that point will have been worth little.

 

How can you determine if a blog will actually benefit your business?  You need to know why people start blogs in the first place.  You also need to know how to find the right topic for you and how to find tools that will help your become an efficient, successful blogger.

 

Articles and content are important for attracting and maintaining your client list.  This content can be provided in a variety of forms, and blog is one of the most popular today. 

You can use your blog to connect your business to your readers in hopes of drawing potential customers to your site.

 

You need to decide how you want to approach your blog.  While it can be fun and therapeutic to talk about your life, it will not necessarily attract many readers unless you are a celebrity.  Most people these days want people to give them advice on how to become successful or they want information on a certain product or area of interest.  Most readers do not want to read an advertisement that is wrapped up in uninteresting content. 

 

Instead, they need to see how the site owner can relate the product to real life.

 

Before you start a blog you should ask yourself a few questions.  Do you really have something to say?  Do you have the time to devote to updating your blog regularly?  Can you provide information that would be relevant and important to someone else?  How will you use the blog to attract new visitors to your site?

 

One of the most important of those questions is whether you will have the time to write in your blog regularly.  You should be able to add something almost every day, with a minimum of five times a week.  Most of the blogs that show up in search engines actually have multiple posts a day.  You can read other blogs on similar topics and post a response to those blogs.  It is actually a common practice among bloggers.  Cross-blog discussions give new readers a reason to check out your blog if you post about a blog they read regularly.

 

Besides that, you should consider the amount of website traffic you generally get.  If you have very little traffic, it will take more work to get your blog up and going and successful.  However, if you already have a lot of visitors to your site, then your blog will be more likely to catch on quickly.  Just realize that you may not become an overnight success, but hard work will pay off in the end.

 

Your main goal with a commercial website is to gain profit.  The way to do that is to attract as many people as possible to your website and to maintain that client list by enticing them to come back again and again.  A blog is not for everyone or for every business, but it may be exactly what you need!

Increase Your Business with a Blog

 

Increase Your Business with a Blog

 

When running your own business, a blog can really help to make your website successful. It can give readers information about your product and can also actually be the thing that brings new visitors to your site.  It is a business tool that can help you update your site with informative content to keep readers coming back for more.

 

There are two main reasons that you should include content on your website.  Content can help visitors develop trust in your product and your knowledge.  Also, it will help to increase your site's appearance in internet search engine ranks.

 

First of all, having content that is relevant can help to increase the credibility of your business.  It can do so by providing important information to your clients and potential clients.  If your blog is full of interesting and relevant information, people naturally assume that your company is interesting and relevant to them.  This improves your chance of adding these readers as future customers.  Once they realize that you are providing an informative service to them, they will gain trust in your and your product, thus producing sales in the future.

 

Second, the only way to increase your site's chances of being ranked high with search engines is to include that good content.  With optimized content you are able to keep your site in the top picks.  Search engines will locate and rank your site based on the content provided there.  If they determine that the content is good, unique, and relevant to people, your ratings will improve.  Higher rankings mean potential customers can more easily search and find your company, and that, in turn, means higher profit for you!

 

So, you have decided that you are ready to try blogs.  You are confident that you can write good, relevant articles to promote your business and product.  However, you just are not sure how to get started?  You need to figure out how to publish your articles and make sure search engines are aware of the content available on your site.  To do this, you should employ the use of blogging software, blog directories, and article directories. 

 

Let's consider your choice of blogging software.

 

Blogging software can help you to manage the articles that you write.  Most will provide features such as word processing, database storage, archiving, search options, and RSS newsfeed.  Each of these, along with others offered, can help make using a blog more effective and time efficient for you.

 

In many cases, you can order customizable blog software.  This means you can choose which features to use, adding or deleting various features at any time.  For example, some

bloggers choose to turn off the comments feature to discourage spammers from leaving unrelated comments just to leave their own link.

 

You can choose between two main types of blogging software.  You can choose hosted or integrated, depending on your needs.  Both can help you manage articles, and there are even some free options available.

 

Hosted blog versions are those such as Wordpress and Blogger.  They are websites that host individuals' blogs for free.  Any articles published on a company's blog are actually held or stored on the website that is provided by the software company.  You will not use your own website as the address of your blog but instead will use the company's website with an extension that is personal to you.  This option is good for those with limited funds, but it also can be less beneficial to your website since your content is not available on your site itself.

 

An integrated version of blogging software means that articles and software used to manage them are all set up live on your own website.  Your site will increase due to the

blog being hosted there and the new visitors that are attracted by that content.  It also helps to increase your site's rankings with search engines and helps to make your business seem professional and credible.

 

When setting up a blog to use in your marketing plans, consider your options carefully. There are a number of directions you can go with a blog, but be sure to use the one that is right for you.  Consider your needs and take some time to research your options before making a final selection.

 

Why Blogs Appeal to People

 

What is a blog?  A blog is a sort of journal, published on the web.  It allows the author to share his views, thoughts, and insight with the world.  It may be used to show off writing or journalism skills or to share a passion for a particular subject. 

 

Blogs have become a part of the internet technology craze and have become exceedingly popular.  They offer writers freedom of speech with an audience that is world wide.  It gives people a chance to use the world as a sounding board for their emotions, thoughts, and areas of expertise.  They also offer readers the chance to bond with writers who think similarly to them.

 

There are also financial benefits to owning and/or writing a blog.  Blogging sites can often be set up with banner ads that provide the blogger with a percentage of profits generated from that advertisement.  Other ads can be set up that pay a blogger a certain amount for each time a reader clicks on the advertisement from the blog's page.  This is an easy way to make a little extra money by writing and doing something that you love.

 

Another advantage to starting your own personal blog is that it gives people a chance to gain confidence in themselves as writers.  When a writer gains a readership, it makes the writer feel that his work is presentable and can prove to be beneficial to others.  It is always nice to know that what you are doing is good and is being appreciated, especially when that praise comes from someone that you do not even personally know.  Writing regularly and receiving regular, positive feedback can help to increase a writer's self esteem.  An increase in self esteem can then in turn also help a writer to actually become better at the writing itself.  As they learn what readers like, the content they produce becomes more relevant and more applicable to those blog visitors.

 

A blog can also be used as a way for beginning writers to express themselves without true fear of rejection.  Plenty of people are interested but have never made the leap into the

world of writing because they are afraid of being turned down or rejected by the public. 

 

A blog allows them to write somewhat anonymously (or completely anonymously as they desire) and not feel overly pressured or limited in that endeavor.  No one really knows

who they are, so any negative comments do not necessarily affect them as personally. 

 

They are free to express themselves and their thoughts without consequence.  This can help to strengthen self esteem as well and make them more comfortable with themselves

and with sharing their talents with the world.

 

Finally, blogs can be used as an amazing avenue for free advertising.  Those who have a limited budget can use blogs to promote products.  It actually does not cost a singly

penny to write a blog posting and advertise a product.  Readers can also instantly read blog postings, making profit from the postings occur fairly quickly.  It can be an great

marketing tool. 

 

To your success

Why Most Leadership Development Efforts Fail

Why do most leadership development efforts fail? good question.

 

Organizations invest large amounts of time – and even more money trying to develop their leaders.  Unfortunately much of that investment doesn’t get the return it should.  This article tells you why.

 

George was seen as an up-and-coming leader in the organization.  People the worked for him liked and respected him.  And those in Senior Leadership saw his potential, so he was slated to attend the company’s leadership development workshop.

 

George was ecstatic!  He loved the organization and wanted to move up and contribute as much as he could.  He saw this opportunity as a positive step in that progression.  Plus, he had some challenges in his job that he hoped he could learn how to deal with more successfully.

 

After he found out he was slated to attend, George didn’t hear much more about the training until about a week before it began.  The email gave him all of the details and he was excited all over again.  Excited, that is, until he looked at his calendar and saw how much he had to do.

 

Because the training meant so much to him, he was determined to be focused while he was there, so he worked hard to get his projects all caught up before he left for the workshop.

 

George loved the workshop!  The facilitator was great, the content was helpful, and the food was even good!  He was so motivated by the new ideas and the people he met.  He gained in confidence as they practiced some of the things they learned. As a part of the program he built an action plan.  He left the two days completely stoked about what he had learned and how he would be able to apply it.

 

After the Workshop

 

George awoke the next morning and reviewed his action plan.  He was excited because he knew what he would do to be a better leader, starting today.  Then, George got back to work.  As he fired up his computer he checked his voice mail. 

 

23 messages. 

 

His heart sank a little.  As he listened to the messages, taking notes when needed on his next steps, he opened up his email and found an even more depressing sight.  91 emails.  A quick glance found that there was little fluff there – it wasn’t 20 serious emails and a bunch of reading or jokes, it was a solid 91 emails to read, work through, reply to and take action on.

 

After getting a cup of coffee, George went to say hello to his team.  This took awhile because they had questions and things they wanted to talk to him about – which was only natural since he had been out-of-pocket for two days.  By 9:15 he was back at his desk, ready to tackle all the messages – including the 7 new emails that had come in while he was out.

 

By 3:00 he had mostly forgotten about his action plan – he remembered it only when he saw it in his briefcase.  He took it out and looked at it wistfully.  He was still committed to working on those items, but they would have to wait, the next project meeting was all day tomorrow. . .

 

Reviewing the Situation

 

Perhaps the situation above sounds familiar to you.  What is written up to the “After the Workshop” heading looks good situation:  a willing learner, a well designed workshop, and a person leaving excited about his action plan.  This story might be a bit too rosy – admittedly, not every one who attends training will be as excited and motivated as George, but in the end it doesn’t really matter – because a highly motivated person like George won’t get as much from this effort as he could or even wants to.

 

Why?

 

Because while most leadership development programs focus on developing a great training program, that is a small part of the overall likelihood of success.  You see, training is an event, but learning (including leadership development) is a process.

 

We don’t learn important, complex life skills in brief instant.  In an instant we can get an insight, an aha, and an inspiration.  In an event we can get ideas, approaches, checklists and knowledge.  But skills come to us over time – not in a one shot, one time training course (regardless of how well it is designed or how awesome the trainer is). Skills come with practice and application.

 

Leadership development is a process and as long as those efforts look like events, the return on those investments will never be high.

 

Much can be written about specific things that can be done to make the process more effective, but you can start without that list of ideas.  Reread the story above.  Connect it to your situation and then think of two things you can do to make your leadership development process (whether for yourself or your organization) be more successful.

 

 

Ask Don't Tell Leadership - How Do I Create Accountability As A Leader?

 

 

In today’s post, I get to play Dear Abby…I guess that would be Dear Frankie, Maybe?

Anyway, here is a question from a reader.

 

Hey Franklin,

“Question: I own and run a company, but my leadership skills are sometimes lacking. My Senior Team refers to me as “Mr. Softy,” because I fail to discipline those who breach company policies. I am having particular difficulty with my VP of Sales. While he does bring in new accounts, he consistently enters them incorrectly and causes all sorts of problems for production staff. My team keeps telling me to “let him have it,” but I am not sure what to say. How do I make him accountable without simply firing or threatening to fire him?”

 

NOTE: Though this is a seasoned business owner, with a question that doesn’t really seem to apply to those of you out there who are freelancing or you haven’t yet taken the plunge to start your own business yet, this still applies and I don’t want you to tune this out, because if you learn it now, you won’t be searching for answers later.

 

Answer: Congratulations! You are already demonstrating great leadership wisdom by seeking solutions aside from threatening job loss. The accountability you want would never develop from firing or threatening to fire, anyway. Exceptional leaders build accountability and empower their employees by asking them questions. My philosophy of leadership is “ask, don’t tell.” Although you have identified the VP of Sales as causing the current problems, make sure you have all the facts. This could be a great opportunity for you to build accountability – not just in this employee, but also in all your employees.

 

I suggest holding a company-wide meeting, focused on the big picture of how sales orders are processed. Use the situation with the VP of Sales as an example, and ask, “Is this order representative of how this company functions?” Either everyone will agree, or an interesting discussion will ensue between the disagreeing parties. Sometimes, your role as a leader is to stay out of the middle and simply facilitate. The managers of your various departments likely understand the facts better than you do, and it is perfectly ok to admit this. Enter the meeting with an open mind. Even if your employees begin by arguing and finger pointing, they will eventually work through to the facts. You may need to pepper the conversation with questions, but try not to give answers.

 

Once the group has pinpointed the actual problem and the individual(s) involved, begin discussing solutions. Ask simply, “How would you like to solve this?” Even if you have solutions in mind, great leadership requires you to trust others to develop their own answers. Given this is the first time you have undergone this process, I suggest you stay in the meeting. Continue to only ask questions, and if asked your opinion, refrain from giving it. Remind your managers that you trust them to run their departments and make money for your company, so surely you trust them to solve issues, such as this one. Initially, this entire process may be extremely time-consuming and frustrating for everyone involved. Be confident that you are moving in the right direction! Your employees will soon become more energized as they feel empowered, and the time will prove well worthwhile. By the end of this process, you too will find your power and realize you have built accountability by merely asking questions.

 

Remember: Ask, don’t tell.

 As always, here is to your success. Leave comments, suggestions and questions, I would love to hear from you.

 

5 Qualities Of An Inspiring Leader

 

Have you ever been in a position where you wanted to help someone out so bad that you were frustrated because everything you have tried doesn’t work? Or the person doesn’t seem to hear what you’re saying?

 

Often times we feel that there is something more that we either should have done, could be doing or didn’t do. We can find ourselves going around in circles in our thoughts and then punishing ourselves because we couldn’t come up with an answer.

 

I have to tell you that in my experience, the very fact that you care, you can pretty much trust that you have done all that you could. If you aren’t able to effect a change, please consider that maybe you weren’t meant to in this case.

 

Or the person isn’t allowing you to help them.

 

We all know someone that we have tried to help who can’t seem to hear what we are saying. Or they can’t see what’s right in front of them. Some people…don’t even want help.

 

I’ve found that we find comfort in our suffering. It’s safe and there are no surprises.

 

I think that we have all felt that at one time or another.

 

So what are the qualities of a good friend, wife, husband, leader or whatever role you are playing in someone’s life?

 

Be and example. Be an inspiration.

 

It’s not tough to do really. You just have to be, you. Without the ego getting involved.

 

I believe that we are like a lighthouse in a way. We shine our lights out to sea and whoever is supposed to be drawn to that will come into our path. Some choose not to see it. Others cringe at how bright your light is. While others still, rush to suck up every bit of your power.

 

But if you notice, Lighthouses don’t dim they’re lights because someone can’t handle it…or try to shine brighter because a certain boat isn’t paying attention.

 

It just shines. No matter what the weather is on the outside.

 

So really, all you have to do is shine without strain, without effort and without thinking about it too much wondering if there is something more you should be doing.

 

Again, the very fact that you have compassion towards a person and care about them enough to want to do something to help them sometimes is enough. They will pick up on that energy and if there is something more to be done then it will present itself.

 

That’s tough to do though because we want to be in control. We want to make sure that we are doing everything. We even want to control another’s experience. Isn’t that right? Check to see inside of you what you are really feeling when you are trying to help someone else out.

 

Most of us want three things:

 

* We Want Security

* We Want Approval and

* We want Control

 

Sometimes it’s just one of these, sometimes it’s a mixture of all three.

 

If you are not happy with a situation the way that it is, don’t you want it to be different? Do you want to change the outcome? That is what wanting control feels like.

 

That is an article for another day.

 

Right now let’s focus again on being the best inspiration that you can be. When you are just being the soul light that you are you are setting an example. Whether you are aware of it or not, the other person will notice. You may not see that difference now, but trust me, you will plant a seed inside of that person and when they are meant to, they will come out of the fog that has been keeping them from seeing the truth.

 

In my opinion, the qualities of a good leader are:

 

* Sets an example and lives what he/she teaches

* Gives permission to other people to just be themselves

* Allows others to follow their path without tainting their experience

* Sends their love and light without getting the ego involved

* Encourages, not demands a shift in another’s perception

 

I know that this may not be the immediately answer that you were looking for but what makes an inspiring leader? One who lives what they are teaching; especially in business.

 

Do you want someone as a boss who practices “do what I say and not what I do?”

 

Be a light. Be an example. And through this way you will become everything that everyone needs from you. They will follow their path and you will follow yours.

 

But I don’t want you to just believe me. Try it for yourself to see if this doesn’t ease some pressure off you in your dealings with other people. After all, if what you’re doing so far isn’t working, would you be willing to try another way?

 

Be the soul light that you were meant to be and you will both prosper from it.