Week 18 - XLR8 The Passionate Leader

My friends and colleagues, Joy and Kathy from www.innerlinks.com just sent their “angel” for the month of May – Awakening - “Let the sun illuminate parts of you that are dormant, numb, or forgotten. Rub the sleep from your eyes and welcome the new dawn.” Now that spring has finally arrived in upstate New York, awakening is a great theme for this week.

• Zig Ziglar’s Inspiration: 365 Days A Year
• My favorite quote for the week of May 4^th – 10^th: “The most important opinion is the one you have of yourself, and the most significant things you say all day are those things you say to yourself.” – Zig Ziglar.
• I’ve been reading my advance copy of Wake Up…Live the Life you Love – EMPOWERED. I’ve caught myself thinking limiting thoughts of what might come of being in this book. It dawned on me that my ego was in the way. While it would be nice that someone enjoyed my chapter, maybe the real purpose is to see what I learn from the other authors. Then, the rest would be gravy.

• The Best Year of Your Life: Get Debbie Ford's Kit
• Week Seventeen Assignment – Take Your Own Advice
• Did you find that there was something for you to learn in your advice to others? Why is it so easy to see other’s shortcomings – because you have “seen” it in yourself!
• Week Eighteen Assignment – Turn Off Your Shadow Box!
• Most of us experience a deluge of negative chatter on a daily basis that reminds us of our weaknesses and reinforces our limitations. This “shadow box” repeats the same message over and over again.
• Often an “awakening” begins with being sick and tired of being sick and tired - listening to this endless drivel. Choose not to listen to it and pay attention to what you could say to “welcome a new dawn.”

• 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.
• I’ve been collecting stories of Leadership “awakenings” from working with our clients. Here are some of the quotes that are so fulfilling. “I tried to come into this - open and receptive to whatever came my way this week. What I got in return has changed me forever. I have always believed in my abilities, and now I’m imagining the possibilities to unleash the energy!” “Thank you for inspiring me to define what I really want, how to get there & how to believe in myself to make my work and personal life the best it can be.”
• These clients and others know what how to combat their “shadow box” with their “awakened box.”

To date, we have 177 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 17 - XLR8 The Passionate Leader

One of the 360⁰ assessments we use, Leadership Values, is truly a measure of your character in the eyes of those you lead. During Leadership Week, we show the video “Walk the Talk” as an introduction to handing out their 360 data. Take three minutes to watch this video to start your week thinking about your leadership character, and send it to someone who you would like to Walk the Talk this Monday.

• Zig Ziglar’s Inspiration: 365 Days A Year
• There are a couple of quotes for the week of April 27^th – May 3^rd: “Character is not in the mind, but in the will.” - Fulton J. Sheen; “Character is what you are in the dark.” – D.L. Moody.
• When you lead by the values you espouse, you lead with integrity. The leadership values assessment asks you to pick the top 10 values you espouse in your leadership. How that matches up to the ones your assessors choose are not only an indicator of your self awareness but also a measure of how well you Walk the Talk.

• The Best Year of Your Life: Get Debbie Ford's Kit
• Week Sixteen Assignment – Say NO!
• If you were successful in saying NO to those activities outside your Unique Ability, now take the time to study, practice and teach it. Do so for 10,000 hours and you will be a genius!!!
• Week Seventeen Assignment – Take Your Own Advice
• This week pay close attention to the advice you’re giving people that are consistent with your values. What do you suggest to those around you to lead better lives?
• As you give advice to others, notice if you could use a dose of your own medicine, and take whatever steps or actions you’ve recommended for them.

• 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.
• I conducted a “graduation” this week with someone who had eight matching values from his assessors from his first and second 360⁰ assessment. His values are truly coming out loud and clear. It was truly a pleasure to work with him because he lived up to the “ready, willing and able” contract we discussed when I first met him two years ago. He will now be working closely with two other people with similar jobs but with a different focus. Knowing him, he will learn as much as he shares. Congratulations!!!

To date, we have 171 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 16 - XLR8 The Passionate Leader

Since I send this so you can start your week with inspiration, I thought you would enjoy the Every Monday Matters video from Simple Truths. Take three minutes to start your week thinking about this week’s theme - serving others - and send it to someone who you would like to inspire this Monday.

• Zig Ziglar’s Inspiration: 365 Days A Year
• My favorite quote for the week of April 20^th – April 26^th: “The message is clear: Plan with attitude, prepare with aptitude, participate with servitude, receive with gratitude, and this should separate you from the multitudes.”
• When describing Level 5 Leadership in Good to Great, Jim Collins described several great leaders. They had all made the transformation from being focused on self interest to serving the common good. The combination of professional will and humility made them the type of leaders who people wanted to follow - not had to follow.

• The Best Year of Your Life: Get Debbie Ford's Kit
• Week Fifteen Assignment – Put it on Paper!
• Your unique ability is a description of how you serve the world – given by those who love and care about you. Now that you have captured some data, we can examine how you can better serve the world by spending more time practicing your unique ability.
• Week Sixteen Assignment – Say NO!
• This week, complete the “Focusing your Unique Ability” exercise. Take last weeks’ data and list the top ten activities you performed and the % of the total time you were able to devote to practicing your unique ability. Draw a big circle on a blank piece of paper and list all those activities inside the circle.
• During the week, write down those activities you perform regularly that fall outside of those top 10 Unique Ability activities. How do you Say NO?! Can you stop doing them, delegate them, or shorten the time you must spend on them. This is the only way you will get more time to practice your Unique Ability. How much better would your productivity be if you spent 10% more time practicing your Unique Ability? How about 20%?

• 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.
• We received a note from one of the Zone Coordinators we have just started working with. She had her first monthly team meeting. They planned next month’s menu together. They shared data and gave each other ideas about simplification and shared stories about their successes and challenges. Lastly, the leader handed out the “Bucket Filling Interview Guide” to be completed and discussed next time. All she could say was . . . WOW!! We say . . . the BLNDBKR strikes again!!!

To date, we have 166 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 15 - XLR8 The Passionate Leader

Thanks to Denise for her comment last week. Check it out at the end of last week’s post. This fits into the “L” (love) in my formula for happiness. Remember G + L + F = JOY!!! “Loving what you do in service of those who love what you do”. Thanks Denise for telling people what you love about what they love to do!!! The first step is getting in touch with this through your unique ability – this week’s theme.

• Zig Ziglar’s Inspiration: 365 Days A Year
• My favorite quote for the week of April 13^th – April 19^th: “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” – Thomas A. Edison
• Dan Sullivan was the first to introduce me to the concept of unique ability. He supports Thomas Edison’s statement, but approaches it a little differently. Once you discover and articulate your unique ability (1% inspiration) – then spend 10,000 hours of “perspiration” getting better and better at it.
• The more you do this – the more love will be in your life.

• The Best Year of Your Life: Get Debbie Ford's Kit
• Week Thirteen Assignment – Risk
• Did you exercise your risk-taking muscle and ask for help using XLR8Forward? Reward yourself for every risk taken - no matter how small.
• Week Fourteen Assignment – Put it on Paper!
• This is the week to keep track of how much time you are spending exercising and improving your unique ability. Write down your unique ability on the top of a blank sheet of paper. At the end of each day, write down those activities that fall under your unique ability. Estimate the percentage of time you spent on them. We’ll do a “focusing your unique ability” exercise next week. Just collect some data this week.
• If you are new or would like a refresher on the unique ability process, drop us an e-mail and we’ll get you going.

• 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.
• Elaine was talking to one of her new clients and he was blown away after receiving a call from another Leadership Excellence participant – wanting to help in any way he could. I have heard this gentleman’s name before referenced in several “lifelines” as a mentor. That’s what a leadership learning community is all about. Who have you reached out to lately…?

To date, we have 161 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 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.