WHAT'S YOUR ARMOR?

As leaders we shoulder a plethora of responsibility, from those within our own circles of influence, to their circles of influence. One of the biggest tools we have as a leader that we ofter overlook, is our vulnerability and transparency, in other words, the things that make us relatable....our stories, our experiences. Regardless of what industry you are in, the products or services that you offer, you still do business with other people, not companies. We are still a people 2 people engine. Take inventory of the stories/experiences that you have amassed, more so than not, those might be the keys to unlocking or securing growth and collaboration.

BRIGHT IDEAS ON THIS MONDAY

Bright Ideas!! On this Monday, spend some quiet time contemplating how you can better serve your team, company and especially your audience; with a bright idea. They are in you, let them out!

The comes a time in the lives of those who are destined to become great where they must ask themselves whether they are living in the shadows of their own capability, or are they creating abundance to the magnitude they were born with?

So what keeps us from our greatness?

Well in large part it’s because we’re lazy, for example: kids used to play outside and get exercise, they’d learn how to expand their negotiating skills by choosing players for a baseball game, they were honing their creativity, now they’re holed up in a dark room playing video games. For us adults…we’re not off the hook…it’s so efficient now with Amazon, we never have to leave our chair to buy just about anything our hearts desire. Because of that, more and more of us are becoming isolated, our health begins to decline and by extension, we miss out on opportunity. We slowly become more detached from our own potential.

Part of being a leader, means we’ve been able to escape the bonds of monotony, and we lead others by that example, otherwise we risk the inevitable, our teams, those we influence with, wandering around in mediocrity not harnessing the collective talents they already possess. Squandered talent is something that, as a leader, we too often see.

Every person on the planet is tooled for greatness by greatness, but somewhere along the way, many surrender that right, succumb to the road most traveled, and often find themselves the absent student, the mundane worker, the indifferent spouse or even the misguided youth.

So, the obvious question: “how do we escape these burdens and become (double fist pump) road warriors towards greatness?” Well first, we pull from that dormant inner strength, we’ve had it all along, and we access it with three simple steps:

STEP #1

Release: we take inventory of the people, situations and environments that do us harm, make us vulnerable to the unguided objectives of others, even keep us from harmony with our mission. Then, once we are confident the list is complete, we liberate ourselves from all 3. We give ourselves approval to move on without them; wish them well, but move on.

STEP 2

Consume: we watch our intake. Everything we consume becomes a part of who we are. This includes useless junk, shallow entertainment, shock factors for the sake of exposure, bad diet, ignorance of choice and especially GREED. They all play a negative role in how others experience and follow us. We need to be conscious of what we consume and what we emit, and be mindful of the impressions and influence we have on others, because those impressions, that influence, they produce seedlings wherever they fall.

STEP 3

Serve: we serve others. Being in service to others is the highest of callings; we just need to act on it. Now, we’re all aware of the more traditional models of service, philanthropy, and volunteerism, but that’s not what i'm talking about. What I AM talking about is serving others to the upper level of their current needs and the needs they don’t recognize yet; more like mentor service. This is where you help them see beyond their current reality and expectations. This is just as true for a family member, friend or even a client.

Growth and awareness like this though comes at a price: for a large contingent of our population, it probably feels perfectly normal to avoid the hardship of acquiring knowledge, so they retreat and happily settle for the status quo. As a result, for them, avoidance doesn’t ever foster leadership, influence or economic increase; ultimately they lose out on so much potential good.

The opposite though can be said for us leaders, we have unburdened attitudes, we’re motivated, and we don’t shy away from reality, we face trials WITH sweat of acquired knowledge, strength and character…that to is part of our journey to becoming great leaders, and how we create abundance for ourselves and for those around us, to the magnitude WE were born with.

My mentor drilled this into me and I want to drill it into you: Play your game, your mission, in the true spirit in which you started in the first place, and you will be surprised at the level and extent of success you will attain.

Be compelled to better the standard in your marketplace so that everyone must play up to you; that’s a great way to stand proud in a crowded ocean and remain top of mind to your audience.

If you apply these steps, they can help you adapt to change by turning them into assets of opportunity rather than potential for distress.