XLR8 The Passionate Leader: (G + L + F = JOY!!!)

Weekly Inspiration: You Can Do It! (click) Affirmation by Louise Hay from her 2010 calendar:

• “I have perfect teachers in my life. I learn something constructive from every teacher in my life, even if it is learning how not to live.” I wrote my thoughts on this and was going through my e-mail and somebody sent me something that was much better, so here it is. She doesn’t know who wrote this, but I suppose it doesn’t really matter.
• Rules for being human:
• You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it will be yours for the entire period this time around.
• You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time information school called” Life”. Each day in this school, you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or think them irrelevant or stupid.
• There are no mistakes, only lessons. The "failed" experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiment that "works."
• A lesson is repeated until learned. It will be presented in various forms until you have learned it. Then you can go on to the next lesson.
• Learning lessons DOES NOT END.

Special Edition #2: What is Tiger teaching us?

I’m redoing my website. It will start with a very simple message:

Ultimately, we are all on the planet to find happiness. As leaders, we have chosen to serve others and to leave the world a better place through our work. We would like to invite you to a more effortless journey – your “In Search for Adventure,” guided by the formula … G + L + F = JOY!!! First and foremost, our goal is to XLR8 YOU!!! and your business with more clarity and focus with your “G” (God, Genius, Greatness). This leads to “L”, loving yourself by doing what you love in service of those who love what you do. In doing so, the “F” is your barometer, since life should be fun. When in sync, it all adds up to pure JOY!

Since I’m a sports nut, I watch ESPN and other sports programs. Many say that the only way for Tiger to “come back” is to start golfing and winning again. Is golfing Tiger’s “G”? He certainly is great at it. What if it was his father’s obsession and he simply found the perfect student? My dad wanted me to be an engineer, but flunking out of engineering school due to lack of interest and ability took care of that early! Are you doing what YOU want with your life?

These same reporters talk about not really knowing Tiger. I think it’s pretty clear that Tiger doesn’t know Tiger … how could we? This is where his real work lies, gaining clarity and focus around loving himself, then determining how he will take his many gifts and opportunities to serve those who love what he does. The only way to accomplish that is being “clean”. Are you clean?

The life that Tiger projected indicated he was having lots of “F”, fun. Now we know that is not the case. His barometer actually could have told him his life was way out of sync, IF he was paying attention. For many of us, we will do something to screw things up, just when we thought we had what we wanted. Guess what, you’ll need to dig a little deeper, but it’s worth it because it will add up to your pure JOY!

XLR8 The Passionate Leader: (G + L + F = JOY!!!)

Blog Delivery Notice: For those who were wondering why you received five weeks worth of my blog last week . . . It took us a while to figure out why they were not being delivered in the first place, and then all backlogged posts were delivered at once. Hopefully, this won’t occur again. Sorry for any confusion.

Weekly Inspiration: You Can Do It! (click) Affirmation by Louise Hay from her 2010 calendar:

• “Sharing who I really am with others thrills my heart. The mystery of me unfolds in new ways every day.” When I speak about leadership development, I often say it all boils down to character and competence. For those of you who have worked with us, the character portion is described as your “Inner Guidance System”: unique ability, personal mission & values and passions. While sharing this information is uncomfortable at first, the people you are asking to follow your lead want to know this.
• This is particularly true when you have a new leadership assignment. One of my favorite leadership books is: The Leader’s Legacy by Kouzes and Posner. Chapter 11 is entitled “Leading From the Inside Out.” Authentic leadership does not come from the outside-in. It comes from the inside-out. Inside-out leadership means becoming the author of your own story and the making of your own history. Or, as we say: “In Search of Adventure.” Kouzes and Posner goes on further to say that people tell them they want to ask the new leader these questions:
• Who are you?
• What do you stand for and believe in?
• Where do you want to take us?
• Why you?
• What qualifies you for the job?
• What makes you think you can do this?
• Do you really know what you are getting yourself into?
• What changes are you planning to make?

Special Edition: The Leadership Lessons of Tiger Woods -

Like many of you, I have watched the Tiger Woods story unfold since his Thanksgiving Day massacre. I watched his apology a couple of times and asked those around me what their reactions were. Being and working in the addiction field for more than four decades, I understand some of what Tiger is experiencing and the lessons he is struggling to come to terms with:

1. Integrity – living consistent with your values. A quote I use from Bill George’s book: True North now is more understandable. “Character without capacity usually means weakness in a leader, but capacity without character means danger.” The same rules do apply to all of us - especially our own rules. With a little luck, they will save us.

2. Balance (physical, mental, emotional & spiritual) – where passions become obsessions. For many of us, it’s around work. How many times have I heard: “I love my work” from the hospital bed?

3. The “bubble” we live in, especially those with power, fame and/or fortune. Who do we have surrounding us that will tell us the truth? We think we are getting it, but are we really?

What are the leadership lessons from your perspective? Please share them.

XLR8 The Passionate Leader: (G + L + F = JOY!!!)

Weekly Inspiration: You Can Do It! (click) Affirmation by Louise Hay from her 2010 calendar:

• “Today my love shines out from my heart and touches everyone I meet.” I suppose this is appropriate for Valentine’s Day. Elaine and I have returned from two weeks alone together in Hawaii. Over our 27-year love affair, we have always made time for ourselves. Whether it is a walk alone together, a date night, a long weekend in the Adirondacks or now two week vacations, this time together continues to renew our love and appreciation.
• After our last leadership week in June, we signed our follow-up e-mails with: “What’s the coach’s job?…to love us; what’s our job?...to love each other.” It was a quote from Joe Ehrmann, a pro football player bad boy turned high school football coach featured on HBO’s Real sports with Bryant Gumbel. It is worth the time to watch for your family and your co-workers. Joe Ehrmann Video (click)

Your Happiness List – How to live your passions daily:

As I have mentioned over the last several weeks, I have listed my revised passions and markers as a reminder and example for you to do the same annually. I now have them on a postcard that I keep in several spots where I will look at them every day. I also interpreted them into daily reminders - my happiness list of how I want to bring them more fully into my life. Since I am working on life balance, they cover physical, mental, emotional and spiritual practices. Last week was the physical and mental aspects. This week is emotional and spiritual.

1. I recognize my emotions for what they are – teachers of my internal wisdom.
2. We gave each other our special hug today.
3. I practiced my spiritual disciplines: affirmations, vision board, passions, angel cards
4. I took some quiet time for myself today to meditate.

I read these every night before I go to sleep to “marinate” it into my thoughts and dreams. I read it again when I wake up to start off my day with passion. Try it!

XLR8 The Passionate Leader: The New Formula for Business: G + L + F = JOY!!! (This is the second excerpt from Chapter 2)

Why Is Change So Difficult?

Can it be more effortless … In Search of Adventure?

The operative word in Patanjali’s poem is inspiration, or in spirit. Webster’s dictionary defines it as “divine guidance or influence exerted directly upon the mind and soul of man.” It goes on to say “the act of breathing in; inhalation.” How easy is breathing? It’s effortless!

For the most part, our spirit is invisible, unless we attempt to visualize it in written form to the best of our ability. While it is only a reflection of that moment in time when we write it down, it puts a stake in the ground and lays the foundation for continued growth through clarification and focus. As I thought about it, practiced it and taught it in the XLR8 YOU!!! Leadership Excellence process over the years, a model formed in my head.

When I wrote my chapter for Wake-Up Live the Life You Love – Empowered in 2008, it forced me to rethink how to make what I do more visible and understandable. It began with a word empowerment. Empowerment is probably the most overused and under-utilized concept in business. Why? Because an organization cannot empower people; individuals must empower themselves. This is exactly what I try to do for myself and those I love – family, friends and my executive coaching clients. I try to get them to empower themselves and inspire others by their examples. My formula for this empowerment is G + L + F = Joy, which is a timeless formula for personal and organizational fulfillment.

You have been oriented that you must pay a price in order to get somewhere, and in the process, you’ve come to believe that getting there must be really important, therefore, it must be your purpose. And we say, but if you’re not getting to joy, then you’ve gotten nowhere. Joy is really where you’re going.

Abraham-Hicks

The story about how this formula and subsequent model was formulated will be in next weeks’ blog.

Be part of the book. Each chapter will feature a real life story or two pertaining to the content of the chapter. While I have some folks in mind, I’d love to hear from you! I wouldn’t be writing this book in the first place if you had not come into my life. Don’t be shy – yours may be THE story that inspires someone.

XLR8 The Passionate Leader: G + L + F = JOY!!!

Weekly Inspiration: You Can Do It! (click) Affirmation by Louise Hay from her 2010 calendar:

· “I am the master or mistress of my life.” This one hit me right between the eyes this week. While we all might depend on our employer or clients for a livelihood, we must take personal responsibility for our own personal and professional development.

· Taken to a higher level, we should not allow anyone else but ourselves determine who we are and how we should bring our Greatness to the world. Here’s a great daily quote from Abraham-Hicks that I received this week. “When a child has a dream and a parent says, ‘it’s not financially feasible; you can’t make a living at that; don’t do it’, we say to the child, run away from home…You must follow your dream. You will never be joyful if you don’t. Your dream may change, but you’ve got to stay after your dreams. You have to!!!”

Your Happiness List – How to live your passions daily:

Over the last several weeks, I have listed my revised passions and markers as a reminder and example for you to do the same annually. I now have them on a postcard that I keep in several spots where I will look at them every day. This week, I interpreted them into daily reminders - my happiness list of how I want to bring them more fully into my life. Since I am working on life balance, they cover physical, mental, emotional and spiritual practices.

1. I weigh myself, eat a healthy breakfast and exercise at home/gym and it motivates me.
2. I eat healthy foods but, at times, enjoy small amounts of my “comfort” foods.
3. I take time to write today.
4. I “do the work” today, and I am making progress.

I read this every night before I go to sleep to “marinate” it in my thoughts and dreams. I read it again when I wake up to start off my day with passion. Try it.

XLR8 The Passionate Leader: The New Formula for Business: G + L + F = JOY!!! (This is the first excerpt from Chapter 2)

Why Is Change So Difficult?

Can it be more effortless … In Search of Adventure?

For me, the bottom line is why change? It’s not a matter of motivation (from the outside), but rather inspiration (from the inside). Nobody addresses the subject better than this…

When you are inspired by some great purpose,

some extraordinary project,

all your thoughts break their bonds;

Your mind transcends limitations,

your consciousness expands in every direction,

and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world.

Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive,

and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far

than you ever dreamed yourself to be.

Patanjali (300-100 B.C.)

When I first saw this poem in Wayne Dyer’s 2002 book: Wisdom of the Ages, I knew that great purpose referred to our purpose. Not only that, it confirmed the direction of our coaching which is to help leaders define their purpose as part of the XLR8 YOU!!! “Leadership Excellence” process. I start my opening presentation at Leadership Week with it. Wayne Dyer also recited it to close his “Wishes Fulfilled” presentation at the movies last week.

XLR8 The Passionate Leader

Weekly Inspiration: You Can Do It! (click) Affirmation by Louise Hay from her 2010 calendar:

· “I am in touch with my inner guides, who help me at every turn.” The last four weeks, I have stated my passions and how I plan to outwardly realize them this year. Our passions are our most primal, inborn motivators to become fully expressed and inspired to fulfill our soul’s mission on earth.

· I spoke with Wayne Dyer this week at his premier of “Wishes Fulfilled” at a local theater here on Maui (It is being repeated on Feb 4^th – check your local theaters.). I gave him a copy of: Wake-Up Live the Life You Love – Empowered, that he also co-authored and asked him to autograph one for me. I’m hoping he reads my chapter, since his teachings are such an important part of my inner guidance system.

A Life on Fire – Living Your Life With Passion, Balance and Abundance

I recently downloaded the above-titled book. You can, too @ Free Passion Test Book/CD (click). For our clients who have their passion cards or have given them the 2010 update as I have, here’s what I’d like you to do:

1. Label them as “I” for an inner passion and “O” for outer passion
2. Score on a basis of 1 – 10
3. Pick one inner and one outer passion to put your primary focus on
4. Include aspects of them on your happiness list; update your vision board

XLR8 The Passionate Leader: The New Formula for Business – G + L + F = JOY!!! (This is the last excerpt from Chapter 1 - XLR8 YOU!!!)

Our Vision – For all of us to awaken to the magnificence of our limitless possibilities

Like most things in this book, I didn’t invent XLR8. My oldest sister’s stepson, Kirk, had a band in the 70’s named XLR8. I always thought it was a cleaver name - one that would be remembered once your heard it - and did the three times fast exercise to interpret it.

I was visiting my sister in Philadelphia right before I decided to leave my real job and continue to follow my purpose somewhere in late 1995. Since I visit infrequently, she often invites my nieces and nephews to dinner to keep the family connected. I really appreciate that she does that and they take time to come. It makes me feel special!

Kirk was there and as I talked about my intention, I mentioned that I needed a name for my company. When I looked at Kirk, I knew that XLR8 was it. I asked him if it would be okay with him to use the name and, of course, he was pleased with my choice. So “XLR8!!! Teamwork” was born - changed later on to “The XLR8 Team, Inc.”

What makes the connection to Kirk special was that he was experiencing his own transformation at the time. Unfortunately, it was cut short by sinus cancer. The treatment deformed his face, but his spirit soared. He used it in service of his church as a counselor. When we went to his service, the church was filled with over 500 people speaking of a man that made a huge impact in his 40 short years. Thanks, Kirk!!!

So XLR8 was imagined. Coaching wasn’t all that well known or accepted at the time. However, I thought the connection between hiring a coach to help you get where you want to go and XLR8!!!...was a memorable one.

Next chapter: Why Is Change So Difficult? Can it be more effortless … In Search of Adventure?