The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.
John Maxwell
Follow the Leader, the popular song says. But is it always true to follow every leader? Are some better leaders that others? You can be assured that indeed some leaders are in fact better than others.
An INC’s article shared the top 5 signs that a leader is not a fit. Here I share my top 4 favorite.
Narcissistic Tendencies & More
Narcissist tendencies
Look out for themselves only
Treating people like numbers
Too much control
Which stands out to you? Are there other signs you can recognize? Do share, we would love to hear.
Itβs the people we hardly know, and not our closest friends, who will improve our lives most dramactically.
Meg Jay
Stimulating interview with Executive Coach, Founder and CEO of Soft Skills Services, Maxine Barnett. In it she shares successive nuggets on effective networking for new entrepreneurs and professional desiring to build their personal growth.
Strategies For Effective Networking
Here are three strategies:
Be prepared to meet 2-3 persons while attending the event.
Make a connection. Introduce yourself using your elevator speech and be present during your conversation.
Follow-up within 2-3 after the event to remain top of mind with your new strategic connection.
Networking is a soft skill–a people skill needed for business and people purposes. It is useful for purposeful growth. Be intentional about it. View the full conversation here.
What are your thoughts on networking? Do share, we would love to hear.
What happens when your career becomes your identity? This Happens to so many of us? Here are 3 of the Questions HBRβs contributor Janna Koretz suggest asking yourself.
1. How do you think about your job outside the office?
2. How do you describe yourself? How much of this description is tied to your job, title, or company?
3.How would you feel if you could no longer continue in your profession?
Great questions. Read the article for the full analysis.
You may also listen to tips as I chat with Patricia Reid-Waugh or get a copy of my book βYour Careerβ Ditch It? Switch it?β Both provide a deeper dive into how you can ditch it and gain the identity that brings lasting satisfaction.
On June 17, 2021, Juneteenth became an official federal holiday. Federal employees will have it as a paid day off. Many companies are taking steps to officially recognize this day to support people of color following the protests of systemic racism and inequality in the U.S. Here are a list of early forerunners taking the lead on this from 2021-2022:
Companies Recognizing Juneteenth
Nike
Target
Best Buy
Adobe
Capital One
JPMorgan
Chase
Lyft
Nike
Quicken Loans
Spotify
Target
Uber
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Conde Nast
National Grid
Eventbrite
Yelp
Allstate
Fiat Chrysler
Ford Motor
General Motors
What other companies have added this to their list of holidays? Do share. We would love to hear.
Are you a manager or leader of some sort? Harvard Business Review article shared 4 points to help managers be seen as more human. Here I share:
Be Personal
Be Self-Aware
Be Selfless
Be Compassionate
In my research on what makes leaders successful, self-awareness was one of the traits that stood out. But being of service to others depends on your own self-development.
Again, are you a manager, or leader of some sort? Take a moment and look at your leadership style. Do people working with you, whether at work or otherwise find you approachable? Easy to get along with? If not, you have some work to do. EnrollΒ now. To be successful as a leader, your people should not fear you. So do what you have to do to improve.
Do you know why some people succeed while others don’t? It’s simple. They never give up.
People often say that motivation doesnβt last. Well, neither does bathing – thatβs why we recommend it daily. β Zig Ziglar
Motivation And Success. The Link
Motivation is important to success. Give a push start or a power boost to a struggling entrepreneur today. 101+ Empowering Quotes For New Entrepreneurs will ignite their new year with the desire to keep going when they feel like giving up.
Successful people press on when the going gets tough and they become discouraged. J. K. Rowling
The Meaningful Job Decision
Did I make the right choice when I was headhunted? Selena revealed that her 9-to-5 job was an exciting rollercoaster journey. Four years earlier, she was headhunted by a giant company to manage its flagship location. They had called her many times, but she avoided interview invites because of her jobβs loyalty. She was not sure how to tell them that she had landed a new opportunity. As time progressed, she went away to a distant country then returned to her home country, hoping that the headhunter would have forgotten, but they had not. On arrival back home, she was invited to an interview. This time she went. Not surprisingly, she was offered the job at twice the salary.
Help someone you know move on from a difficult, stressful job. It might just be that they have been doing the job for 5, 10, 15 years and just want a change. With the book Ditch it, Switch it, youβre sure to give them the ignition to make the decision as they step into the new year.
Quiet Peace In The Midst of Life’s Storm
At three in the morning I received the most devastating news. My daughterβs Godmother had lost her 15-year-old granddaughter. She had died of a massive Asthma attack. I screamedβquietly. I asked the Lord why, why, why? I did not understand. As I sought answers, her aunt encouraged that she did not understand either, but she was safe in the Lordβs loving arms.
Months later as the still grieving mom received a copy of the book My Safe Place, she sat feeling comforted. It brought a sense of peace that quieted her heart. Consider those who mourn this holiday season. Give the gift of prayer and daily inspiration to those who are hurting from sickness, mental incarceration, and loss. GreenLight and My Safe place provides that comfort. Gift it now.
Poetry
A poetβs work β¦ to name the unnamable, to point at frauds, to take sides, start arguments, shape the world, and stop it from going to sleep
Salman Rushdie
Poems revive the soul and encourage the heart. Charmaine speaks these in her book I write. You Recite.
Purpose And Meaning
Nothing brings me more joy than a life dedicated to the personal growth and development of others. Life is about helping others along lifeβs way. Choose your book today and make a difference in the lives of your friends, family or foe.
Over To You
Which book has made an impact on your life? Do share, we would love to hear.
Binge Watching is the practice of watching multiple episodes of a television program in rapid succession, typically by means of DVDs or digital streaming.
Dictionary.com
Patty’s text excitedly read “hey, Iβm here binge watching your YouTube videos”. Hmmm an untapped medium, I thought about it and decided to share a few of the top videos. Below are 9 listed and shown below for your convenience. Go grab a snack and tune in. Build your personal growth as a writer, leader, new entrepreneur and more.
The difference some people make comes alive after they are gone. Sad but true.
S. Cameron
Martin Luther King, Jr., was a Baptist minister and leader extraordinaire. His death catapulted a movement so others could live. The more recent deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and many others who lost their lives and in their deaths they made an impact. Their deaths made others live.
It causes us to wonder if some people are born with the purpose to make a difference after death. We think of children. Amber alert was created after little Amber died after being abducted. Sad but her death encouraged changes that saved the lives of others.
Sadly, it is in death that we understand. Only after some die that we understand the purpose of life. Today I encourage you to look back on your life. Try to understand your purpose. Are you on the path that leads you to making a difference?
Reflect. Think about your purpose. Why are you here? While you’re at it, reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s last speech. It depicted a leader who had attain his true purpose.
Trust usually takes years to build, seconds to break, and forever to repair. If you want to succeed, you need to be concerned with cultivating trust and credibility. ~Lolly Daskal
COVID_19 will incorporate changes throughout the USA and worldwide. Gone are the days of resistance to societal changes. There will be some who still resist but soon they will be dormant. To stand still is to be left behind.Β But while we wait for the cure, a new vaccine and more, we practice safe measures, quarantines and more.Β Here are a few basic gleanings that’s highly possible will become the norm for businesses and individuals:
Some organizations may incorporate work-from-home for some positions as a new way of working.
Some employees delighted for the break, may never return to work in a physical office structure. We call it exposure to work / life balance.
Some businesses may never recoup and go under.
Some businesses will expand or diversify. For example, a business that provides recruitment to hundreds of hotels has been placed on hold as the hospitality industry was forced to a halt. Meanwhile the healthcare industry booms in response to the pandemic. Same business but incorporating different industries. We call it diversification.
Some Celebrities will fade while others will enormously gain.
Smaller churches and religious leaders exposed to the expanse of online possibilities to minister to the sick and shut-in. No doubt they will venture out bench-marking those well known preachers. Competition rampant even among churches? Yikes!
World-wide Entertainment. The exposure of Digital media to those who didn’t have a clue of its existence (living in the dark ages, I’d say). Online movie-goers will expand into mobile users accompanying their musical mix. Expansion, expansion, expansion.
Some parents… now introduced to the ‘joys‘ of home-schooling, will decide to do so as a way of life. Better Control and safety they’ll say.
Some parents may even start their own school.Β Hmm …the exhilarated insight to new entrepreneurship!
Lets not forget healthcare as more patients, workers, laissez faires will be more willing to use telemedicine!Β Yep! no more resistance to the doctor-on-call.
Research and Development (R&D) will speed up provided they have the investment/ financial funding.
Record numbers of census sign-ups…never seen before?
Real Estate will see increased number of interests from homeowners who will want a dedicated space to work at home. Four bedroom anyone?
More will be willing to purchase their dream cars online. Oh the delights to test-drive and return later for a better ride
Some barbers and hairdressers will lose business as clients will try to do their hair at home. Yep! Mistakes get better with time.
Other Masters of hair-care will expand as they become more mobile or more flexible… trying this, that, or the other.
Virtual meetings will soar as those who didn’t know become exposed and be bold enough to experience the joys of technology …the virtual enabler.
E-commerce will soar making virtuality a normality for sure
Oh and what of governments, policies, and politics? We’ll leave that for you to explore.
Individualized self-discovery, and willingness to learn will explode, giving rise to
The escalation in anything new as we innovate, innovate, innovate!
Tons more will rise but for now it’s your turn. Any changes you have noticed that you would like to add? Do share. We would love to hear!
Success Strategies 