Week 14 XLR8 The Passionate Leader

I was notified by the Wake Up Live the Life You Love publisher that the book I’m contributing to is going to “draft” print. We will each get a copy to proof and then it will go to press. There are co-authors from these countries: USA-31, Canada-2, UK-2, Italy-2, Germany-1, Israel-1, Dubai-1, South Africa-1, Australia-5, New Zealand-2, Virgin Islands-1. Who knows where this might lead ~ maybe nowhere ~ but at least I took a risk!

• Zig Ziglar’s Inspiration: 365 Days A Year
• My favorite quote for the week of April 6^th – April 12^th: “Four short words sum up what lifted most successful individuals above the crowd: A LITTLE BIT MORE. They did all that was expected of them and … a little bit more.” – A. Lou Vickery
• This is illustrated perfectly in the Simple Truths Book/Video – 212^o The Extra Degree A client showed it at the end of a quarterly staff meeting I attended to emphasize that great things can happen with just ... a little bit more.

• The Best Year of Your Life: Get Debbie Ford's Kit
• Week Thirteen Assignment – Surrender
• You needn’t always insist that your own perspective and opinions are the only right ones.
• Week Fourteen Assignment – Risk
• To move forward powerfully and achieve quantum results, we have to take risks. Do you have a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) on the table right now? Identify one place in your life where you are not getting the results you desire. Write down three actions you could take that would be outside your usual comfort zone that would move you toward your BHAG.
• Practice XLR8Forward: Ask three people whose opinions you respect how they would go about achieving your goal. Then listen! Steal shamelessly!

• Creating a Culture of Leadership Development – A Drop for Your Bucket!!! Send an electronic drop or comment by going to the blog and clicking on the “comment” icon at the end of this week’s posting.
• Praise someone you know who took a risk. My congratulations go to the team I worked with last week who worked through a “Naming Elephants” session. It was a little scary, but so worthwhile. You can’t be the best team you’ve have ever been on by playing it safe!

To date, we have 162 subscribers, including a new colleague, Phillip Ralph, from Australia. THANKS! Check out his article Love That Culture in Management Today (Australian Institute of Management). My goal is 1,000 by year end. I need your help!!! Invite a friend or colleague this week.

Week 13 - XLR8 The Passionate Leader

This week we found ourselves talking about people who are “failing” in their current jobs and the difficulty addressing this issue. Usually we are the first to know that we are on “the wrong seat on the bus”, but we are afraid to admit “failure”. Rather than look to how we can find a job better suited to our strengths, we will try to hold on - putting our teammates and supervisor in a very uncomfortable situation. The bottom line is first admitting that we are a “duck, trying to attend eagle school” Check out this DVD

• Zig Ziglar’s Inspiration: 365 Days A Year
• My favorite quote for the week of March 30^th – April 5^th: “Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end.” – Denis Waitley
• Denis was my second audio mentor after Earl Nightingale. I bought his first audio program: The Psychology of Winning. It was a tough, no-nonsense approach based on years of documented scientific research. The techniques it taught me showed a path to making me a "winner in life." Looking back, Denis was my first “coach” and began my interest in coaching.
• I actually avoided a huge failure when I decided my strengths would not be best utilized being a CEO of a Health System - my boss’ job. Since that was always my goal, I needed a plan “B”. I started with a conversation with my boss, who was instrumental in helping me get here!

• The Best Year of Your Life: Get Debbie Ford's Kit
• Week Twelve Assignment – Learn from the Mirror of Relationships
• After completing this exercise, are you truly happy with your job. Is it time for a plan “B”?
• Week Thirteen Assignment – Surrender
• Take some time this week to notice the amount of energy you spend trying to keep from “failing” in a job you know deep down is not right for you. What does the struggle rob you of? What actions would you need to take in order to surrender and accept this situation exactly as it is? Start your plan “B”!
• If not you, maybe you see this in someone you work with and care about. Do you care enough to help them surrender?

• Creating a Culture of Leadership Development – A Drop for Your Bucket!!! Send an electronic drop or comment by going to the blog and clicking on the “comment” icon at the end of this week’s posting.
• Thanks to Garret Callahan for commenting last week. He gets to choose another Simple Truths Book/DVD of his choice.

To date, we have 157 subscribers. My goal is 1,000 by year end. Invite a friend or colleague this week.

Week 12 - XLR8 The Passionate Leader

As always, this last class had their biggest opportunity in improving their leadership performance as indicated by the Leadership Practices Inventory question #16 – “Asks for feedback on how his/her actions affect other people’s performance”. We’ll address not only why it is difficult, but some ways to approach it though this week’s theme – Are you ready, willing, and able to be coached?

• Zig Ziglar’s Inspiration: 365 Days A Year
• My favorite quote for the week of March 23^rd – March 29^th: “You can’t talk yourself out of a problem you behave yourself into.” – Stephen Covey
• Well actually you can . . . it’s called DENIAL! I often joke that “the state of denial is a beautiful place.” I came across this a couple of times this week and the Johari Window model came to mind (see Johari Window Model). This model provides a picture into what a trusted person, including your coach, can provide you like no one else.
• We all have “blind areas’ – known by others but unknown by self. We solicit feedback through 360⁰ data or team assessment data and then we have a choice. Are we truly ready, willing, and able to be coached? If you are, it’s no longer denial.
• Sometimes the “unknown area” (unknown by self/unknown by others – you don’t know what you don’t know!) is the biggest obstacle, but it’s where the most opportunity for transformation lies. If we have never experienced something (a great team, a loving, intimate relationship) we may not know what we are missing or think we have it, at least according to what we have experienced. If you do nothing, it is worse than denial because you and your team/organization cannot be all it can be.

• The Best Year of Your Life: Get Debbie Ford's Kit
• Week Eleven Assignment – Take Back Your Power
• Do you have clarity and focus? NO ONE can take them away from you, and more importantly, NO ONE can keep you from fulfilling it without your permission.
• Week Twelve Assignment – Learn from the Mirror of Relationships
• A great random selection given the Johari Window Model reference above. Seek out two people whom you admire, and invite them to answer these questions:
• What about me inspires you the most?
• What do you think is possible for me in the year to come?
• What behavior, habit, or belief do you think I would have to give up in order to make this the best year of my life?
• What skills and abilities do I have that you would like to see me develop?
• Look for common themes and act upon them.

• Creating a Culture of Leadership Development – A Drop for Your Bucket!!! Send an electronic drop
• I sent out five drops this week. How many did you send? How do you feel when you did? I know the receivers LOVE THEM!!!
• Make one of your drops a blog comment to share with our community and get a free Simple Truths Book/DVD of your choice as a reward.

To date, we have 152 subscribers. My goal is 1,000 by year end. Invite a friend or colleague this week.

Week 11 - XLR8 The Passionate Leader

We are back from the March XLR8 YOU!!! Leadership Excellence process kick-off week at Bristol Harbour. Summing it up in one word from a participant – WOW! My word is Effortless! The reason for this is found in this week’s theme - Power! I’ll let this most recent class tell you about theirs, as their comments will be scattered throughout this reflection in “quotes”.

• Zig Ziglar’s Inspiration: 365 Days A Year
• My favorite quote for the week of March 16^th – March 22^nd: “Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” – Aristotle
• “My passions and values are my foundation and understanding; clarifying, writing them down and sharing them with this loving group made me feel like I could move mountains. No matter where you are in your travels on your path toward greatness, Elaine & Tom Brady can enlighten and bring focus to the plan.”
• I returned home and immediately started reading Happy for No Reason by Marci Shimoff. Her first chapter “Happy for No Reason … Really!” sounds like a Saturday Night Live “Weekend Update” comedy bit. Given the effortless theme of the class, I know it is going to have a profound effect on me because, thanks to last week’s group, I just modified my #1 passion to “bringing peace and happiness to myself and those I love.” Check out her short video at the above link to Amazon.

• The Best Year of Your Life: Get Debbie Ford's Kit
• Week Ten Assignment – Take the Week Off!
• I hope you appreciated what you have already accomplished.
• Week Eleven Assignment – Take Back Your Power
• In order to have clarity (what I really, really, really, really…want!), focus (row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream, merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream!) and confidence to be Happy for No Reason, we must take our power back.
• “I never realized that I didn’t know who I was! My summit awaits!”
• “The most important message I’ll take away from this week is that you must first truly know yourself before you can begin to lead others.”
• Your power, which will provide your inspiration, is found in your passions, unique ability, personal mission and values. Once discovered and articulated – NO ONE can take them away from you!

• Creating a Culture of Leadership Development – A Drop for Your Bucket!!! Send an electronic drop
• I’d love to send a drop to all those who previously have participated in the XLR8 YOU!!! Leadership Excellence process that took the time to support the individuals in this latest class. You are what made it so effortless for them. While no one ever actually knows exactly what to expect, your encouragement and support prior to the week helped everyone be much more open to the possibilities.
• I have one more favor to ask. If you know any of last week’s participants, grab your In Search of Adventure plan and share them with each other. “Absolutely phenomenal week – I thoroughly enjoyed each and every day of the class, and most importantly, enjoyed every moment with our group.” Please be part of their extended group!

To date, we have 150 subscribers. My goal is 1000 by year end. Invite a friend or colleague this week.

Week 10 - XLR8 The Passionate Leader

Remember, if you are a subscriber and want to comment, please click on “Wake Up the Passionate Leader” on the top of this e-mail you are reading. If you are on the actual blog, scroll down to the bottom of this week’s post and click on “comments”. This week’s theme is Intention.

• Zig Ziglar’s Inspiration: 365 Days A Year
• My favorite quote for the week of March 9^th – March 15^th: “You are the way you are because that’s the way you want to be. If you really wanted to be different, you would be in the process of changing right now.” – Fred Smith
• We are getting ready for the kick-off week for XLR8 YOU!!! Leadership Excellence at Bristol Harbor this week. It is a great time to get in touch with what you want to be different through your passions, writing them down and then sharing them with those who can help you. Are you ready, willing and able?
• A great book to help you is What Got You Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith. Upon request, I can send you an Audio-tech book summary transcript.

• The Best Year of Your Life: Get Debbie Ford's Kit
• Week Nine Assignment – The Power of Choice
• Be the first to share the two choices you made this week and the impact they had to win a FREE SIMPLE TRUTHS BOOK/DVD of your choice. (Go to the blog and click on the comment icon at the end of this week’s post).
• Week Ten Assignment – Take the Week Off!
• This is the week to appreciate what you have already accomplished.

• Creating a Culture of Leadership Development – A Drop for Your Bucket!!! Send an electronic drop
• While packing for Leadership Week, I came across Joe’s rocks. He came to Leadership week with the intention to get out of his comfort zone in order to learn what he needed to learn. He found three rocks during his morning runs. On the last day, he shared this story. The first rock looked like a baked potato cut in half - kind of the way he felt on the first day - sliced open for all to see. The second one was more fully formed but had several blemishes on it. This is how he felt by mid-week - like he was making progress. The last one was almost a perfectly-formed baked potato. Through all the self reflection, feedback and support from his new-found coaches, he recognized himself and his potential and as importantly, he had a plan of action. I love those rocks - thanks Joe!
• If you don’t want to blow your horn – how about recognizing someone else’s leadership success - big or little – please share your comments.

To date, we have 147 subscribers. My goal is to reach 1,000 by year end. Invite a friend or colleague this week.