What Color of Leader are You?

 

You are a leader if someone is following you. This could be as simple as one person watching you and following your example and encouragement, to being a leader in your home, your community, your workplace or even your nation. Leadership can take many forms, but typically it often involves managing people; one of the most difficult of all tasks. It means coordinating and motivating the actions of others to achieve a common goal. A leader has to establish that goal, and gain the willing agreement of others to be governed by and work together towards that goal.

The style of leadership taken by any leader is usually predetermined by the personality and motivational values of that person. They are who they are, as a personality, and that has a strong influence on the way they lead and communicate with others.

The study of personality traits has been ongoing for centuries, and there is a great deal of agreement and disagreement in the conclusions and findings of personality characteristics. In this post I am going to refer to the different types of personality in color form, adopted by by Linda Berens and Don Lowry.

Every personality type has particular talents and skills that lend themselves to good leadership. Any form of leadership however, is greatly enriched and enhanced if it is able to draw on the strengths and characteristics of the other styles.

A leader who has a strong Gold personality type is personally committed and dedicated to the goal. They work hard, and expect their team to do the same. They lead from a place of belief that the work is important, and has to be done right. Gold leaders value tradition- the ways of the past are proven ways, and so they don’t take well to new ideas unless they are well proven to have potential.

Leaders with a strong Blue personality are motivated by their commitment to the people involved, and a strong sense of community. They have a democratic style of management, valuing the input of employees and team workers. Blue leaders tend to see the big picture, and have the ability to inspire others with the vision.

The strong Green leadership style also sees the big picture as well as the complexity of detail. Green leaders excel in strategy. They bring intellect, ingenuity and design into the leadership role. They research and analyze facts and concepts, constantly looking for improvements for working smarter rather than harder. Facts and information are all important to the Green leader, and they pay little attention to the value of feelings and relationships.

Action is the focus of the Orange leader. Administration and organization exist to make action possible. They are great troubleshooters. The Orange leader leads by example, setting the standard to follow. Orange management style can be quite authoritarian and abrupt as they are impatient with opposition, and expect their directions to be followed. Above all Orange leaders welcome change believing that the old ways can always be improved on. A new project represents, adventure, a challenge and potential fun, all of which the Orange personality thrives on.

Every leader has a combination of all four personalities, but one will always be the stronger, more natural way to operate in. A leader’s style may also be a blend of their main strength, combined with their second strongest style.  A wise leader will understand the strengths and weaknesses of their personal leadership style and use those team members with different styles to bring balance and greater efficiency in meeting the shared goal.

Lead by the Right Example

 

We’ve all heard that leaders should lead by example; that people pay more attention to our deeds than our words.  This is completely true.  What is implied by this truth, but not always articulated, is that people will follow whatever example we set.

 

To be a remarkable leader then, we must make conscious choices to set the right examples – to lead in directions we want people to follow.

 

The Caterpillars

 

Processionary caterpillars are an unusual species. They travel one after the other, head to tail in their search for food. It is because of this behavior that Jean Henri Fabre, the French entomologist, conducted an experiment.

 

He placed processionary caterpillars around the rim of a teacup one after the other in a circle. In the tea cup he placed their favorite foods, inches from their current location.

 

Through instinct and the strength of habit, the ring of caterpillars circled the teacup for seven days, until they died from exhaustion and starvation. They died with the food they were searching for just inches away.  Because of their nature and this arrangement they all assumed someone else was leading.

 

While we as humans are more insightful, complex and intelligent, our behavior, sadly, often mimics that of the processionary caterpillar.

 

We follow our leaders and habits blindly, without questioning if our direction will get us where we want to go. If we are leading we often rely too much on instinct and habit.  Perhaps worse, if we aren’t the assigned leader don’t think at all, assuming those who are leading are doing it well.  Perhaps they are.  Or perhaps you are collectively lining your own teacup.

 

Following blindly is dangerous enough for us as individuals, but can be even more devastating for us as leaders.  As leaders we are asked to lead people to a desired future.  It is rightly expected of us to do that with good information and a reasoned approach.

 

The Quick Trip

 

I was told a story a while back that fits so well with what I am saying here, so I will retell the story for you.

 

Many years ago I worked in a business with very difficult economics.  There was an opportunity to make a significant sale to a new Customer who happened to be located in Hawaii.  As a part of the negotiation for this long-term supply of product, they wanted to meet with our General Manager. 

 

Our General Manager flew from San Francisco early one morning, and with the advantage of the time zones, was able to meet with the Customer all day.  He then went back to the airport and flew home on the red eye.

 

He saved some money, no hotel stay, etc. – an important consideration in our tough business climate.  But the more important reason for the quickness of his trip was that he wanted to lead by example.  He told me later, “It was important for people to know that I went for the business, and not a mini vacation.”

 

The example he set made a difference for those he led.  Through his simple act, people re-focused on ways to improve the business and save money.  This was a manager who clearly led by example.

 

I could give you many other examples – some big and historic and others seldom mentioned – to illustrate the power of a leader’s correct example.

 

Your task though is to take what you already know, that people follow the actions of leaders and not their words, and use it to your advantage.

 

Stop today to review the direction you are heading as a leader.  Review the choices before you and make the best one, based not on comfort or habit, like the caterpillars, but based on the future result you desire. 

 

Make your choice and step boldly forward in that direction.  The combination of bold decision and action aligned with your words will be powerful, and will allow you to move people, and therefore your organization, in the right direction.

 

12 Reasons why Smiling makes you More Successful!

 

When you realize the true benefits that one gains from a smile it is surprising that more people don’t spend more of their time actively sharing them with others.

 

1. Our smile shows others how friendly we are.

 

If a stranger approached you and gained eye contact with you and then treated you to a broad smile you will have a fairly good idea that he or she is being friendly and means you no harm or ill will.

 

By contrast, however, we often find it far more difficult to give trust to a stranger that approaches with a scowl or unfriendly look on their face.

 

2. A smile can make people happy.

 

When someone treats you to a smile, even a stranger, you usually can’t help but smile back.  For that moment you enjoy a flash of positive communication without saying a word. As you walk through a crowd such as a social event, you may find yourself doing this hundreds times in a very short period of time. 

 

When you smile at someone who is not already smiling and they smile back you have brought a moment of happiness into that person’s life which, who knows, could last all day.

 

3. Smiling can be (and usually is) infectious.

 

When you are in the company of someone who smiles a lot you will soon discover that their smile starts to wear off on you.  It is hard not to return a smile; most of us do it at an unconscious level without thinking.

 

4. Smiling could make you popular.

 

Which type of people do you prefer; A: the person that has a tired and listless face or B: the one with an expression that may reflect their inner thoughts of boredom and worry or C: someone who is always smiling and shows that they have an enthusiastic passion for life?

 

I think for the majority of us the choice is be clear!

 

5. Smiling can bring new friends into your life.

 

In the same way few of us would make a conscious choice to be miserable, we generally stay away from other people who are unfriendly. Lets face it we all want someone who is going to be bubbly and a happy and positive person. 

 

6. A smile is a gift usually returned

 

When someone smiles back at you it make you feel good inside. You have just made a short, but very positive communication and possibly the first step in the process of getting to know or making friends with someone new.

 

7. Smiling makes you positive and happy inside.

 

When you smile it is hard to feel unhappy, negative or sad in anyway. Smiling gives you enthusiasm and drive; it can also become quite habit forming.

 

8. A smile makes you look more attractive.

 

You don’t see many celebrities or media personalities that are not smiling because if you did it is fairly certain that their popularity would quickly start to drop!

 

9. Smiling also helps make you memorable to others!

 

Have you noticed that smiling people are usually far more memorable than those that are not? It is a fact that you are 3 times more likely to remember the person that is smiling over the one that is wearing a negative or neutral look on their face.

 

10. More important, smiling is good for your health!!!

 

When you are smiling you find whatever you are doing far easier. It releases stress, worry and tension that you may have built up throughout the day. Long term, developing the smiling habit will be one of the smartest things that you can do to improve most aspects of your life.

 

11. The effects of smiling can last for hours

 

Whatever problems and challenges you have in your life, smiling temporary puts them on hold.  For a while you forget the problems and become more positive, and while you are in a positive state you have far more potential and power to advance and improve your life.

 

12. Smiling is FREE!

 

You are never going to run short of smiles and will always have enough to go around.  When you weigh up the positive points of smiling it is a no-brainer decision to do far more smiling and share them with as many people as possible.

 

Keep smiling.

What’s Stopping You?

I meant to get this out on the first, but life happened unfortunately and wasn't able to get it up in time, so I apologize and will work to keep these coming every Wednesday and Saturday. However, if you sign up for the RSS feed, you won't miss a post. Here we go.

What’s Stopping You From Becoming Assertive?

 

In order to succeed in business and in life, basically anything that is worth while, you can’t let people walk all over you. It is impossible for you to answer the door of opportunity if you are the doormat.

 

“Assertiveness is not what you do, it’s who you are!” - Shakti Gawain

 

That being said, there is a huge difference between being assertive and being aggressive. Being assertive is a way of living where you get the most out of life without other people telling you how to do it; in short, you do not need to be obnoxious, pushy, or rude to have it your own way.

 

You cannot just jump in with both feet and decide, “Hey, today I’m going to be assertive and no one will be pushing me around anymore. No more Mr. Nice Guy!”

 

Learning an assertive mindset.

 

Remember, you want to learn to be assertive, not aggressive. So ask yourself these questions:

 

1. What do I value most?

2. What are my beliefs about how life works?

3. How do I feel about myself?

4. What are my approaches to life? Do these approaches work?

 

The simple fact that you are reading this post actually says a lot about you; it says you are looking for improvements in life, a change. Well, change begins with awareness. You are aware that you need to change; the problem is, most of us just have a problem with where to start, we just don’t know how to get going in the right direction. That first step is always the hardest.

 

It is time to learn why you do what you are doing and how to turn that around. Remember, you cannot just flip a switch and instantly become assertive and successful in life.

 

Mark Twain said, “We do not deal much in facts when we are contemplating ourselves.” In order to learn how to become assertive and be in charge of your own life, you must be honest with yourself. Like Dr. Phil says all of the time on his t.v. program as well as his books, “you cannot change what you do not acknowledge.” It is time to figure out what you are hiding from yourself.

 

·        Do you consistently fail when it comes to attaining your goals in life?

·        Are you just drifting along with no plan, goals, and idea?

·        Are you stuck in a comfort zone that gives you no new challenges?

·        Are you getting too little of what you really want and way too much of what you do not want?

·        Are you living with guilt or frustration and do not know how to change things?

·        What is at stake here is the quality of your life. Do you want to live it fully and authentically? Or are you okay with someone else calling the shots and making decisions for you for the rest of your life?

·        Do you feel like you are constantly being pushed around? Do you feel like you are being taken advantage of?

·        Do other people try to run your life? Do you feel that you are ready to start living life in your own terms?

 

You don’t need to bow your head and just accept burdens like those listed above. You can assert yourself and reach for something better. You have the right and the ability to have what you want out of life. Let me warn you though, change does not come in an instant.

 

Assertiveness is something that must be learned carefully one step at a time. This is especially true if you have spent years just following others who tell you what to do, how to do it, what to think, what to feel, etc. How motivated are you to change and learn to assert yourself?

 

Think about those people who run our world. Whether it is business, politics, sports, or entertainment, there is one common denominator for all these people. These people know which buttons to push to get what they want. Some of these people are extremely intelligent and articulate, while others are merely manipulative.

 

Some are unconcerned whether you agree with them and share their views. Others are rabid in demanding that you fall in line with them. They feel that they know best and this gives them the authority to tell everyone what they should be doing and saying. It is their way or the highway.

 

Be aware that there are risks involved in learning how to be assertive. You will find that many will not agree with you. In fact, you will meet people who are skeptical and pessimistic. They will always argue and try to prove you wrong.

 

Let us continue with your assessment in life by acknowledging what is wrong in your life. Are you guilty of saying these things to yourself?

 

· I’m really trying but you know, it’s just so hard!

· I guess it could have been much worse.

· It’s not what I wanted , but what am I going to do?

· Sometimes you have to do what you have to do.

· We’re doing okay, I guess.

Are you making lots of excuses, like:

· It was harder than I expected, I just couldn’t do it.

· Maybe I was expecting too much.

· I have too much going on in my life to handle any of this right now.

· I’ll tackle that as soon as I have the time and resources.

· I guess what I wanted isn’t meant for me.

· Maybe it’s not in the cards. It’s not my destiny.

· I never seem to get the right break.

 

It is time to stop whining about bad luck, wrong timing, or how things just never seem to work out for you! Stop hosting pity parties! Realize that the deck is not stacked against you! Stop making excuses! It is time to learn to assert yourself and get what you really, really want!

 

Okay, let us get down to basics. What exactly are you afraid of? That is easy. People share a universal fear of rejection. The very thought of being rejected can turn the strongest man or woman into a quivering coward.

 

What does everyone crave for in life? This one is also easy. We all crave for acceptance. We feel lost if we are not accepted. We feel left out, excluded, and ostracized. Acceptance is everything.

 

We learn about acceptance from infancy. Children will go to any lengths; even do things they dislike just to gain the acceptance of their parents, friends, or teachers. It continues throughout our lives as we grow.

 

So accepted or not and rejected or not, you have your own destiny to create. You can make it happy or sad, good or bad, successful or not. Your life is your own and ultimately, you are responsible for how it turns out. There may be road bumps along the way and not everything will turn out according to your plan.

 

You may have to adjust your road map and come up with a Plan B or even a Plan C. In the end, learning how to be assertive will help you win and get what you want.

 

Without assertiveness, you will lose control of your life and find yourself living someone else’s idea of what life should be. If you shy away from being accountable and taking charge of your own life, someone will step forward to claim responsibility for it. This could be a parent, spouse, or in the case of an elderly person, maybe one of their own children. If you never master the ability to assert yourself, make your own decisions, and live your own life, someone will surely step forward and do it for you. Is that what you want?

 

Asserting yourself and taking full responsibility is scary and risky for anyone. “What if I assert myself and try to create my own destiny and it doesn’t work out? Then, what will I do?”

 

It is normal to be a little fearful because it is part of human nature. Keep in mind that all decisions have consequences. As you learn to be assertive, you also learn to trust your self when making decisions.

 

Your thoughts influence your world. “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so,” said William Shakespeare. To think is to create. Your thoughts create your reality. Your thoughts influence your actions and behavior.

 

A change in your thoughts leads to a change in behavior and eventually in your world. What do you tell yourself? Do these negative statements sound familiar?

 

· I’m just not smart enough.

· I’ve never succeeded before, why would now be any different?

· People refuse to listen to women like me.

· People make up their minds and there’s nothing I can do about it.

· I’m too young or too old.

 

Start by choosing to learn how to be more assertive starting today. With this, you will need a well thought out plan. There will be days when you wonder if you can sustain and follow through your plan. Wouldn’t it be easier to just throw in the towel and be done with it?

 

If you find yourself in this position, remind yourself of the benefits you will enjoy when you become assertive. Keeping the benefits in mind will help in sustaining your new and assertive behavior.

 

So again, I ask the question, what is keeping you from being more assertive? What keeps you from making your own decisions? Are you afraid you won’t be any good at it? Are you secretly afraid that you will be so good at it that your entire life will change? St. Paul said, “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”

 

Assertiveness is a learned behavior. Probably, it was not taught to you as you were growing up. Unknowingly, you developed certain behavioral patterns that do not support assertiveness. You fall into a trap where you constantly wonder why your life is not what you wanted.

 

The definition of insanity is doing the same things in the same way, but expecting different outcomes. If you have never done so before, learning to assert yourself produces a change in how you handle yourself.

 

 

Unfortunately, some of the behavioral patterns that you learned in life become automatic. You do not even think about your response anymore. You do not allow yourself to evaluate the cause and effect of this behavior; you are just flying on autopilot. It may seem easier to let go and not think about the consequences. In the end, you will realize that certain behavior patterns will not continue to work for you.

 

‘If you always do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you’ve always gotten.” By remaining static and not changing the pattern of behavior, you repeat the old patterns repeatedly. It is important to stop, think, and re-evaluate whether a learned behavior is really working for you or has become another crutch to keep you in homeostasis.

 

There is a reason why you keep getting stuck and unable to move forward. When you continue to repeat a bad pattern repeatedly, you are doing it for a reason. You must find the reason in order to change the behavior. Change the behavior in order to change your life for the better.

 

Some people seem to be at the mercy of others and not in charge of their own lives; they let others push them around and tell them what to do. The sad part is that they have allowed this to happen for several years. Some of these folks may never find their own way, while others may just snap one day and tell everyone off. This kind of abrupt change leaves everyone puzzled and leads to destroyed relationships and damaged friendships.

 

When you decide to be assertive, you must also realize that this learned behavior must be reinforced every day. Assertiveness is not a cure-all for all your ill feelings. It is a way of managing your life.

 

Choosing to make your own decisions does not require you to damage another person. Being assertive does not give you the permission to push another aside, take over another’s life, or make decisions for them.

 

Assertiveness is about you. It is all about your decisions and the consequences. Remember, you get what you give. How you treat others relates to Karma, which simply states that everything that goes around comes around.

 

Let us correct a misconception here. Assertiveness is all about getting what you want AND building lasting relationship with people around you.

 

Assertiveness works fine when used with diplomacy. You can assert yourself without hurting others’ feelings. In fact, the real essence of assertiveness is this: As you get what you want in life, you gain the support of people who would like to see you succeed.

 

If you read the meme in the picture, that is only half of it; if you act like a sheep, the wolf will eat you, but to be successful, you can't be the wolf either or others will either run from you or try to put you beneath them (alpha syndrome), so I would suggest to work toward being the sheep dog. Be the protector of the sheep to guard against the wolves of the world; assertive, knowing your place, yet only aggressive when it is called for.

Keep an eye out for the next addition to this series on assertiveness where I will go into some tips for being assertive around the home…a good place to start.

Law Of Success: Part II

 

Welcome to the second part of this special three part series commemorating the 21st Century Edition of Napoleon Hill's landmark work, “Law of Success,” in which he reveals the 17 Principles of Success based on his 25 years of research studying the lives of over 500 of the world’s greatest achievers. (To read the first part, look in the archives for "Law of Success: Part I").

 

Principle # 6: Imagination

 

“Imagination is the workshop of the human mind and creative power of the soul,” as Mr. Hill states. “First comes thought; then organization of that thought into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination.”

 

In his book, Hill explains that there are two types of imagination: synthetic imagination and creative imagination. Synthetic imagination involves rearranging old ideas into new combinations that produce new solutions. Stimulating creative imagination involves a repetition of highly emotionalized thoughts that can be combined with visualization, meditation, and prayer focused on a main goal or purpose or the solving a difficult problem, and then surrendering the thoughts to infinite intelligence to come up with new ideas, combinations, and plans.

 

Artists, inventors, and even entrepreneurs frequently use some combination of both types of imagination.

 

For example, writers will often intentionally stop writing in the middle of an uncompleted paragraph at a particularly challenging point in the plot and “sleep on it.” During the rest of the night their subconscious mind, through the powers of creative intelligence, will work on the solution, and by “sleeping on it,” the writer will come up with a better story than if he or she merely hammered at the keys until it was finished.

 

Artists will often times, leave a work in progress for a few hours or even days to come back and look at it with “a new set of eyes” or a new perspective, in other words.

 

Entrepreneurs will often brainstorm and write down all the ideas, challenges, and available solutions and resources concerning a challenge or problem and then “forget about it.” They might go on vacation for an extended period of time. On returning, or even while they’re on vacation, new ideas spring up that help solve the problem.

 

Note: I will break routine and go for a long hike or camping.

 

To further develop your imagination, study yourself; find out you personal motivations that drive you forward on certain tasks while avoiding other tasks like the plague. Study other people and their behaviors as well. If you want to know what the other person will do (whether a customer, boss, employee, partner, or competitor), use your imagination to put yourself in their shoes.

 

What would you do if you were that person? By being able to look from another’s perspective, you not only help build your imagination muscles, you also help build bridges.

 

Tip: Something that has helped me with getting into other people’s shoes is by understanding SocialTriggers. This guy knows his stuff. Derek has helped me figure out a lot about how people tick.

 

Principle # 7: Enthusiasm

 

Enthusiasm comes from the Greek root “entheos” which literally means God within. Enthusiasm is the vital force that impels action. Great leaders not only act, they inspire others to action from their own enthusiasm, which becomes highly contagious.

 

“It’s not so much what you say as it is the tone and manner in which you say it that makes a lasting impression,” Hill adds.

 

I can remember a few years ago (more than I care to mention), while living in Arizona, I worked two jobs. Job 1 was for a hotel, while job 2 was for an athletic club. The level of work that I did was about the same at both. I went above and beyond in both.

 

The difference was, that in the hotel job, I had issues because I had worked years prior in landscaping and there was a situation where late one night there was a sprinkler head that had popped off. Rather than just report it to the grounds keeper and allow it to just keep running, I fixed it; a 10-minute fix versus hundreds of gallons of water in the street.

 

Anyway, grounds keeping manager expressed that he felt I was trying to take his job and began a campaign to get me terminated from my position, which HR couldn’t actually find anything to get rid of me on because I was a good employee, but following the perspective of the manager instead of viewing the whole situation, they began working toward forcing me to resign.

 

Now, job 2, working at the same time as job 1, I used the same work ethic. In this job, I saw a problem that I could fix; I fixed it and reported on the problem and what I did, just as I did in job 1.

 

The difference is that in job 2 I received employee of the year after only working there 4 months, $500 bonus, an award, and public recognition at the company party in front of 300+ employees and managers.

 

What is the take away here? Job 1 saw employees as an ‘expense’ and therefore a liability when a manager felt his job was on the line, while with job 2 all of the management saw their employees as ‘investments’ and worked to keep them happy, knowing that it would reflect through the employee to other employees and customers.

 

Like I always say, your customers should be your second biggest raving fans, your employees should be your first.

 

The companies that will turn out to be champions in this new information based economy are the ones that treat their customer service and sales staff as VPs of Customer Relations.

 

These organizations will have a HUGE competitive advantage by investing just a fraction of the money (money that would normally be lost to poor service) towards paying above industry average rates to retain quality customer service professionals, investing in their professional development, teaching basic human relations skills, and helping to create a better work environment and see employees who go above and beyond as investments and not threats.

 

Principle # 8: Self-Control

 

Staying on this vein, Hill points out that self-control directs your enthusiasm. A wise businessman will keep cool when others are hot. As Hill says, “Those who control themselves usually boss the job” or, in other words, Self-Control = Leadership.

 

It’s amazing how much more business one can drum up and how many more happy customers one can get by simply counting to ten, taking a couple of deep breaths, and thinking of something pleasant for a few seconds before making or taking an important call or going into a meeting.

 

Never retaliate against those who offend you. Be a leader by being a person of poise and self-control.

 

Principle # 9: The Habit of Doing More Than Paid For

 

“Giving people a little more than what they expect is a good way to get back more than you’d expect” - Robert Half

 

Again, going above and beyond. We get back in life what we give. By getting into the habit of always doing more than you’re paid for, you will meet with opportunities for expansion, advancement, and promotion at every turn of the corner. (You might not get these opportunities immediately with your current employer; but eventually competitors could take notice and will gladly provide you with plenty of opportunity if your employer will not).

 

Napoleon Hill offers numerous real-life examples of ordinary people reaching extraordinary heights of achievement and success using this one principle alone in his book on success, “Law of Success: The 21st-Century Edition.”

 

Principle # 10: A Pleasing Personality

 

Mr. Hill says that a pleasing personality is a person that attracts. It’s all about your character and how you carry yourself. Are you dressed for success as it relates to your field? Do you speak with self-confidence? Are you someone that genuinely likes to be friendly to everyone around you?

 

Do you offer a firm handshake and a warm smile, or a limp, ‘dead fish’ handshake with a rigid, forced smile? Or have problems looking someone in the eye when speaking to them?

 

The best way to develop a pleasing personality is to show a real interest in other people.

It’s so much more FUN and PROFITABLE to have a pleasing personality!

 

Principle # 11: Accurate Thinking

 

“The facts, just the facts, ma’am” – Sgt. Friday in Dragnet (if you are old enough to remember that show)

 

Don’t believe everything you read in the news. Much of it today is propaganda and agenda-based partial truths. It doesn’t matter which political side you are backing, or anything like that, it’s just that the news used to be about facts and now it is interlaced with editorials projected as news.

 

Get into the habit of basing your decisions on factual information and avoiding gossip, rumors, hyperbole and conjecture. Always remember that partial truth means that some of it isn’t true. Make sure that you get all of the facts before making decisions based on the information, or worse yet, passing the information on to someone else.

 

Even common day practices that are widely accepted can be based on wrong assumptions. For example, in the middle ages, bloodletting was a common practice that was believed to help cure a variety of illnesses. It was a common belief among doctors that bad blood caused disease and so they bled patients for every imaginable ailment under the sun. This crude and ineffective medical ritual continued for 2,500 years until it was discovered that germs, not bad blood, were responsible for disease.

 

Imagine people willingly allowing someone to put leeches on them to remove their blood, that is disgustingly gross and the thing that nightmares are made of.

 

I think we need a new name for 21st Century bloodletting. I think we need to add the term moneyletting to the dictionary.

 

If someone makes a sweeping statement that raises doubts, you can ask this person the question that Napoleon Hill likes asking: “How do you know?”

 

We haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of accurate thinking. But to get to the heart of Hill’s main idea, accurate thinking is about separating the important facts from the unimportant ones and I would add to that and say that, whenever possible, emotion should be removed from the equation.

 

In politics, campaigns get to illicit negative emotional responses from people to turn them against their competition. The same concept is used in advertising; ads trying to make someone think that they will be better, healthier, stronger or happier with their product.

 

I hope you enjoyed Part II of this “Law of Success” series. Part III is just around the corner, keep an eye out for it. 

 

In the meantime, share these principles with your peers, discuss the concepts and teach other people what you’ve learned. There’s no better way to learn than by teaching others.

 

If you haven’t already, I’d highly recommend getting a copy of Napoleon Hill’s classic bestseller: “Law of Success: The 21st-Century Edition.” It really is a great read and I rank it in my personal top 10 list.

 

To get your copy just visit here or visit your local library.

 

 

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?