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.
Never hesitate to go far away, beyond all seas, all frontiers, all countries, all beliefs.
Amin Maalouf
With just a carry-on, I felt led to travel solo to a faraway land. Was it nerve racking? Kinda. I travelled without fear, more intrigued by curiosity while discovering the unknown. Most of all my learnings forced me into a new realm bursting forth with a new sense of unhurried flair.
Here I share a few of learnings:
Learned self-confidence. To be confident in who I am and who I want to be.
I learned to accept differences in cultures
I learned to accept the uniqueness of different lifestyles
I learned to say YES to myself, to what I want and to say No to the desires that others want for me.
I learned to hold firmly to my belief to never give up.
I learned to grow up and out to spread my wings.
I learned to try things that force me out of my comfort zone.
I learned to take rests.
I learned to take risks and not be afraid or most importantly, to take the risk even when I am afraid, despite my fear
I learned that education is critical to success but also to have a life.
I learned to be me.
I learned to not be of afraid to be me – to speak the way I want to speak.
I learned to write to help others through coaching.
I learned to express myself in writing to help others develop and maximize their potential.
I learned to laugh.
I learned to accept life’s simple things.
I learned to love dogs and animals.
I learned to accept help from others despite my independence.
I learned to accept love from others
I learned to accept what success means to me and not what others expectations are for me.
I learned to challenge myself to step out into the unknown.
That was the question asked. It’s fitting for those who are stuck. Those who have dreams, goals, and aspirations yet like a Nested Sludge, do nothing to progress towards achieving them.
Why do we hesitate? Why don’t we step out and do what needs to be done? What holds us back?
Here I share some of the responses from individuals to the question posed.
Fear …period
Confidence
Not believing in myself
Laziness
Fear of Failure
Fear of the What if’s
Judgment of others
Not knowing where to start and not having the means
Lack of money
Fear of failure and having possible regrets
Selecting career
People
Being disappointed
Possible rejection
Procrastination
Platform
Capital
Double faced people
Lack of confidence and confused
Discipline
Pain and fear
Losing people who I love
Interacting with people
Daily conflicts with people but they are not stopping me just standing…
It’s 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.
You know those things you have always wanted to do, you should go do them.
What is it that thing you have always wanted to do? Change job? Start a family? Enroll on that degree? Learn a new skill? Take that vacation?
Life gets hard at times. Chances are with everything happening around us at work, home, school, it can knock us off our feet. The result often is being stuck. Not moving. As in a state of shock, standing still. Below are 7 Things you can do when you are stuck.
Do something! Step out! Complete that application! Try something new!
Plan an escape rather than daydream about different scenarios. Go on a trip to relax and reboot your thoughts.
Switch up your daily activities.
Don’t envy and compare yourself to others.
Do one positive thing for yourself today.
If you want to change your life, Pray. Change your…
Engage in this stimulating conversation with George Washington University Student, Brianna Bougouneau as she shares her cross-cultural study abroad
Blessed are curious for they shall have adventures.
Lovelle Drachman
Engage in this stimulating conversation with George Washington University Student, Brianna Bougouneau as she shares her cross-cultural study abroad experiences in China, Taiwan, Greece and Europe. In her words, sometimes you have to be bold, patient, and manage your expectations in order to be successful.
Listen in as she explores her challenges and resilience. This video is another in the interview series where I explore Success as emerging leaders define it.
Studied abroad? What did you experience? Do share, we would love to hear.
Reflecting on its application to life, can we do everything and be everywhere all at once?
I was in San Francisco with my girls celebrating my sister’s birthday when the movie everything everywhere all at once came out. We went to see it. The theater was filled mainly with college students and those in their late teens or early twenties. My own young adult college student loved it. The movie had a few walking out early. With it’s multiverse focus, it was long and seemed to end about three times with the theater dwindling as the movie progressed. We stayed to the very end. It’s emotional theme was filled with laughter, some crazies, and a few tears especially at the end. To this day my youngest still adored that movie.
Life’s Application
But as I reflect on its application to life, can we do everything and be everywhere all at once? Really hard, even tiring and strenuous. Sure grounds for emotional imbalance and high stress.
Business coaches will tell you to focus on one thing at a time. Being everywhere all at once depicts lack of focus and going nowhere. Apply this concept to your goals. Sometimes you may have to reflect on all your life experiences to get to where you want to go. If it’s studies, you have to choose a major. If it’s career, you have to choose one or one will choose you (if you’re to survive) and chances are you may end up miserable. Not to mention relationships. You have to choose. You have to decide who your friends will be. Who will you be with long term to start a family and build a life?
Our society today seems all over the place. Values have gone awol. Anything goes. You can do anything provided it makes you happy. But at the end of the day, are you really happy?
“If you canimagine it,you can dream it.Dream itand you canbecome it.” - Walt Disney
For years Walt Disney’s quote…”If you can imagine it you can do it”, hung on my wall at home. I was able to see it every day. It stayed with me during all my dreams which became goals which later became reality. My studies, writings, books, and more, all became real because of my dreams.
Dreams Don’t Come Through by Themselves
But dreams don’t just come through by themselves. We have to plan, then work it. With hard work, dedication, persistence, and the will to achieve, they become real.
From a young age, my niece always wanted to do her best at making others beautiful. After graduating, she began working with a renowned makeup organization. She learnt from the best and with her innate desire for excellence, she…
Where does a writer derive the inspiration to write?
That was the question a new writer asked on a public forum. Here I share as experienced veteran writers excitedly chimed in.
Writers Inspiration
The desire to be heard
From within
Life experiences
Prayer
Observations and creativity
From being disciplined
Desire to entertain. Seen housands of movies and read countless books.
Culture
Inserting imagination into current events.
Nature. Walking around the beach, rivers, forests. Observing the moon and the stars
Sitting and watching people walk around
Learning something cool and new
My imagination – lot of times from photos of places and people
The need to share what I know
Jesus Christ
Life experiences – history read
Love, hate inferences. Sit in a pub or hotel and watch. Watch as a woman looks at a man with love or fear. See how children clutch at their parents hands
Where does a writer derive the inspiration to write? 
