Week 36 - XLR8 The Passionate Leader

It’s back to school. Thank you to the teachers who love what they do for our kids. My oldest daughter, Laura, is one of them. She found her passion and love for teaching during our kick-off leadership week in June, 2002. She just graduated from college and didn’t know what she wanted to do in her career. Her mom was a teacher in our community’s urban school district and got burned out by the system. She did not encourage Laura, due to her experience, which is understandable. Laura, however, discovered she was born to teach and each year leaves her mark on the children of the world.

• Zig Ziglar’s Inspiration: 365 Days A Year
• My favorite quote for the week of September 7^th – September 13^th: “Character is the total of thousands of small daily strivings to live up to the best that is in us.” Lt. Gen. Arthur Trudeau
• As coaches, we are also teachers. In my opinion, the best coach of all time is John Wooden. He defined success as the peace of mind attained only by self satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do the best of which you are capable. He never talked to his players about winning - just doing their best.
• Take a look at John Wooden's Video on True Success – it’s 17 minutes long – but I’ll guarantee you’ll learn a lot in those 17 minutes. Open it and save it for later.

• The Best Year of Your Life: Get Debbie Ford's Kit
• Week Thirty-Five: Forgive Yourself
• If that thought returns – say to yourself – “I have forgiven myself for that.” Don’t waste any more energy on it.
• Week Thirty-Six: Choose Powerful Interpretations
• You can make that above-mentioned forgiveness more powerful by choosing the lesson you learned from it. When you think of that situation or circumstance from your past, think of the lessons it taught you.
• This interpretation either adds to the quality of our life or takes away from it. This week, choose the one that builds self-love.

• Creating a Culture of Leadership Development – A Drop for Your Bucket!!! Send an electronic drop or comment by going to the blog (click on this blog’s heading – Wake Up the Passionate Leader above) and click on the “comment” icon at the end of this week’s posting.
• We love it when people send us things to include in this blog. Here is a quote someone would like to share with you. It is particularly pertinent since he recently achieved a very important goal. Congratulations!!!
• “We are at our best, and happiest, when we are fully engaged in work we enjoy, on the journey towards the goal we’ve established for ourselves. It gives meaning to our time off and comfort to our sleep. It makes everything else in life so wonderful, so worthwhile”. – Earl Nightingale
• As I’ve said on this blog in the past, Earl Nightingale was my audio Dad. He was best known for a book entitled: The Strangest Secret. It was one of the first audio programs I listened to. It is also a Simple Truths book and DVD. Watch the 3 minute video

To date, we have 230 subscribers. Our goal is 1,000 by year end. We need your help!!! Invite a friend, colleague or sign up your team this week.

Week 35- XLR8 The Passionate Leader

Edward Kennedy died this week. Not withstanding your politics, he helped us all in ways we probably don’t even realize or in some cases appreciate. Of the many things I read and saw about him this week, I identified most with his letter to the Pope. He spoke of his many imperfections and his attempts to leave the world a better place - despite his mistakes and shortcomings. He asked the Pope for his prayers and forgiveness. I hope he forgave himself because I believe that’s what matters most.

• Zig Ziglar’s Inspiration: 365 Days A Year
• My favorite quote for the week of August 31^st – September 6^th: “You can have everything in life you want if you just help enough other people get what they want.” Zig Ziglar
• This quote is one that I saw quite a long time ago that remains one of my favorites. It really speaks to servant leadership. I just took the time to look at my top passions, particularly the one that I’m having a little trouble “getting”.
• I am rethinking what I have to give - how I can serve more - in order to realize more of this passion. Take a look at your list of “wants”. What is your “giving” opportunity?

• The Best Year of Your Life: Get Debbie Ford's Kit
• Week Thirty-Four: Find the Gifts of Your Shadows
• One of my shadows has been “not being good enough.” One gift is the constant striving to get better. Another gift is helping other people deal with and overcome my old shadow.
• Week Thirty-Five: Forgive Yourself (If Teddy can do it, so can you)
• Self-forgiveness is the key to living an extraordinary life. By making a courageous choice to forgive ourselves for our mistakes and shortcomings, we liberate ourselves from the bonds of our past and open the door to a new future.
• Are you holding on to something that makes you feel unworthy or undeserving of receiving everything life has to offer? Write it down and then tear it up. Think about why you are worthy of your own forgiveness.

• Creating a Culture of Leadership Development – A Drop for Your Bucket!!! Send an electronic drop or comment by going to the blog (click on this blog’s heading – Wake Up the Passionate Leader above) and click on the “comment” icon at the end of this week’s posting.
• We have been doing a lot of XLR8 Teams!!! work lately. As you know, I love to show “Simple Truths” DVD’s. I like to start a session with: Change is Good - You Go First and conclude with Finish Strong. Check them out!

To date, we have 225 subscribers (the biggest weekly jump in a while!) Our goal is 1,000 by year end. We need your help!!! Invite a friend, colleague or sign up your team this week.

Week 34 - XLR8 The Passionate Leader

I had the opportunity to meet the founder of Soul Purpose Institute and fellow “West Irondequoiter”, Steve D’Annunzio. We met through his brother, Chris, who we have hired for various projects around the house. A coincidence? I think not. A synchronistic event? Time will tell, but I couldn’t help thinking that we have a lot that we could learn and offer each other at this particular time in our lives. He also gave me a copy of his book, The Prosperity Paradigm which espouses what I truly believe, which is that you will make a much greater living by making a much greater life.

• Zig Ziglar’s Inspiration: 365 Days A Year
• My favorite quote for the week of August 24^th – 30^th: “You can have TOTAL success when you balance your physical, mental, and spiritual, as well as your personal, family and business life.” Zig Ziglar
• The older you get, the more people you will know that need some type of catastrophic event to pay attention to this truth. The Leadership Excellence process examines all of these areas and strives to help clients self-discover the importance of balance.
• The two most common “presenting” imbalances are physical: overweight and out-of-shape; and overwork – often with the caveat - “but I love what I do!” As the saying goes, no one says: “I wish I spent more time at the office” when on their death bed.

• The Best Year of Your Life: Get Debbie Ford's Kit
• Week Thirty-Three: Give Up the Blame Game
• OK - I am 100 percent responsible for 100 percent of what shows up in my life.
• Week Thirty-Four: Find the Gifts of Your Shadows
• Our shadow, or dark side, contains all the parts of ourselves that we resist, dislike and/or try to hide. Which part of our TOTAL success is blocked by this shadow? Who might help you reveal this shadow and turn it into the gift it is blocking?

• Creating a Culture of Leadership Development – A Drop for Your Bucket!!! Send an electronic drop or comment by going to the blog (click on this blog’s heading – Wake Up the Passionate Leader above) and click on the “comment” icon at the end of this week’s posting.
• Check out Dave’s comment on last week’s blog. Also, thanks to several people that gave me feedback this week – including some as simple as that they are enjoying the blog.

To date, we have 219 subscribers. Our goal is 1,000 by year end. We need your help!!! Invite a friend, colleague or sign up your team this week.

Week 33 - XLR8 The Passionate Leader

One of the most important things we can do is to break the negative cycles in our lives. I love the Adirondacks and wanted to take a couple of days off. I was prepared to go alone, since Elaine had appointments, but my son Andrew volunteered to come. That would have never happened with my father for many negative reasons. More importantly, that will happen with Andrew’s children.

• Zig Ziglar’s Inspiration: 365 Days A Year
• My favorite quote for the week of August 17^th – 23^rd: “What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” Zig Ziglar
• When people complete their top five passions during Leadership Week, a key observation is how they will leave the world a better place. Leadership is not about self interest but rather what we can do for the common good.

• The Best Year of Your Life: Get Debbie Ford's Kit
• Week Thirty-Two: Admit You’re Wrong
• How many times this week did you ask yourself what’s more important - being right or being happy?!
• Week Thirty-Three: Give Up the Blame Game
• As long as we blame others for any circumstances in our lives, we diminish our power to learn and make changes. Blaming sets us up for victim-consciousness, which has become the disease of our time.
• This week, take an honest look at where in your life you may be blaming others for your circumstances. Next, allow yourself to see what you could learn and create if you became 100 percent responsible for 100 percent of what shows up in your life.

• Creating a Culture of Leadership Development – A Drop for Your Bucket!!! Send an electronic drop or comment by going to the blog (click on this blog’s heading – Wake Up the Passionate Leader above) and click on the “comment” icon at the end of this week’s posting.
• We conducted a day-long planning retreat for a small 70-person organization this week. The current President, only two years into the job, is trying to break down the hierarchical, arrogant leadership style of his predecessors. They tried a similar meeting last year that did not go as well as they hoped to say the least. The President stuck to his guns and tried again this year with a new facilitator. Thanks to his continued commitment to participative management over the course of the year, the day exceeded their expectations.
• While they were very complimentary about how we conducted the day, the learning is that building an empowered culture takes time. Moreover, the ideas generated and the enthusiasm for them will make all the difference.

To date, we have 217 subscribers. My goal is 1,000 by year end. We need your help!!! Invite a friend, colleague or sign up your team this week.

Week 32 - XLR8 The Passionate Leader

We have done a number of XLR8 Teams!!! Team Building days recently with some high-functioning teams who want to get to the next level. As you know, I am a fan of the “Simple Truths” books and DVDs, so here are my two favorites to show at the end of the day for inspiration. Show them to your team and see how you can Finish Strong and get that last degree to 212.

• Zig Ziglar’s Inspiration: 365 Days A Year
• My favorite quote for the week of August 9^th – 16^th: “The history of free men is never really written by chance but by choice; their choice.” – President Dwight D. Eisenhower
• One of the popular team relationship building exercises is the Lifeline. You draw a horizontal line in the middle of a blank piece of paper with “birth” on the far left edge and “X” a couple of inches from the right edge representing today. You then look over your life and place dots representing times in your life that helped to define who you are and what you have become.
• Those are the times when you had to make critical choices. Leaders make choices that build off the “learnings” that the high or low point represented. Are you at one of those points now? What are your choices? Choose wisely!

• The Best Year of Your Life: Get Debbie Ford's Kit
• Week Thirty-One: Seize the Day
• How did you seize the day! Share it with a comment below.
• Week Thirty-Two: Admit You’re Wrong
• Whenever two people are at odds with one another, it’s usually because both people are trying to be right. This week, notice what your need to be right costs you in terms of energy, intimacy and peace of mind. Ask yourself what’s more important - being right or being happy!
• Take Wayne Dyer’s advice – the six words that can bring you more peace and happiness: “You know, you’re right about that.”
• This was also on Marshall Goldsmith’s Happiness List – “How many times did I try to prove I was right when it wasn’t worth it”.

• Creating a Culture of Leadership Development – A Drop for Your Bucket!!! Send an electronic drop or comment by going to the blog (click on this blog’s heading – Wake Up the Passionate Leader above) and click on the “comment” icon at the end of this week’s posting.
• A Leadership Team did a great job writing their inspirational statement to an XLR8Forward addressing their lowest score on their XLR8Teams!!! Assessment.
• Respectfully resolving conflict openly and honestly is important to model our expected behaviors, remove barriers and understand each other’s motivations while boosting morale & allowing us to move forward with buy-in and support of the team!
• Next, they will pay attention to when this does happen, tell a story sharing their feelings and most memorable aspect of the experience. Lastly, they will suggest Start/Stop/Continues on how the team and they personally can do better.

To date, we have 211 subscribers. My goal is 1,000 by year end. We need your help!!! Invite a friend, colleague or sign up your team this week.