THE MAKING OF A GREAT LEADER

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THE MAKING OF A GREAT LEADER

This week we gather and celebrate Independence Day with parades, cookouts, and fireworks.  As you enjoy this Independence Day, please keep in mind the brave men and women who are serving and those who have served our beautiful country.  We are forever grateful to those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedoms.  They are the real heroes and leaders of our world.

As I look back at the relentless way these men and women served our country, I discovered 10 leadership skills that any leader should possess.  In no way are these in any specific order, but they all are critical to a deeper, more meaningful and significant life.

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LEADING WITH CONFIDENCE

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LEADING WITH CONFIDENCE

How important is it to lead with confidence?  Confidence impacts every part of your leadership from your own personal development to the way you influence the people you lead.  But before we talk about what confidence is, let’s talk about what it is not.

 There are so many myths surrounding confidence.  First, let’s start with what confidence is not. 

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5 IMPORTANT LEADERSHIP LESSONS

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5 IMPORTANT LEADERSHIP LESSONS

I’ve been on an incredible journey of learning and developing my leadership skills.  Since I was a child, I have always been curious about human behavior and leadership.  I have watched, listened, interviewed, and studied many diverse leaders.  These leaders have poured into my leadership.  I want to share 5 important leadership lessons I have learned in my journey to be best leader I can be. 

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MAKE A DIFFERENCE

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MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Have you ever questioned your purpose or how meaningful you are as a leader? Has anyone ever made a difference in your life?  If so, what was the difference?  What positive impact did they have on your life?

We all should be seeking to influence and impact others in a positive manner.  This can only happen if you understand what it means to make a difference.  So what does it mean to make a difference?

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THE JOURNEY OF PROGRESS

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THE JOURNEY OF PROGRESS

It’s time for a check-in.  It’s mid-February.  Have you fallen into the “typical” statistics?  Do you know what stats I am talking about?  Check this out.

U.S. News reports that 80% of New Year’s resolutions will fail by the 2nd week of February.  Where are you with your goals for 2019? Have you been keeping up with the Daily Habit Tracker available for FREE as a Subscriber with MTN Universal? 

Don’t fret!  Anytime is a good time to reset, start again, or just pick up where you left off.  Start by re-reviewing how to Resolve to be Better in 2019 and re-evaluating your goals.

Evaluate your intentions.  Evaluate what has occurred in the beginning of 2019 that has hindered your progress and make  or reset your plan to make necessary changes.  It all boils down to your will, determination, and most importantly, CONSISTENCY.  

Recently, I learned about Mr. Pablo Casals; deemed one of the greatest cellists of all time.

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ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT LIFE SKILLS

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ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT LIFE SKILLS

There are few things that are as important as leading your life well.  Many people are searching for a well-balanced life.  But what is a well-balanced life?  How do you obtain work life balance?

I get asked this question quite frequently when I speak, perform workshops, or do individual coaching.  No matter the topic, the idea of having balance in one’s life usually always comes up.  You may have the same question while reading this blog.

Life has a way of bringing you the unexpected.  How many times have you had a busy schedule only to find one more thing added to it?  Have you ever made plans for a meeting, dinner, or an event only to find that it was cancelled?

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DEVELOPING A CULTURE OF UNSELFISHNESS

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DEVELOPING A CULTURE OF UNSELFISHNESS

When it comes to influence, we all have it.  Influence is the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself.  The question is how much influence do you have?

Selfish leaders don’t think about how influential they are.  They don’t care if others believe they are selfish or not.  Matter of fact, these leaders believe they are doing everyone a favor by making everything all about them.

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WHY VISION IS IMPORTANT TO YOUR LEADERSHIP

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WHY VISION IS IMPORTANT TO YOUR LEADERSHIP

Leadership has been around since the beginning of time.  It can be seen in every form of nature.  The question is how important is vision when it comes to your leadership?  When you look at past great leaders and various leadership styles, you will discover that vision is a key component to the success of any leader.

Great leaders are people who develop other great leaders.  In other words, the greatest leaders are able to see greatness in others before they even recognize greatness in themselves.  However, the truth of the matter is you cannot develop or see greatness in someone else if you don’t first develop or see greatness in you.  Here are two ways to sharpen your vision as a leader, and consequently improve your success as a leader.

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RESOLVE TO BE BETTER

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RESOLVE TO BE BETTER

Resolutions are decisions to do or not to do something.  Resolutions can be made any time of the year, but they are usually made at the beginning of the year.  It is just something about starting new with a clean slate.  Have you ever made a resolution?

Over the last 24 hours, there have been billions of resolutions made for the New Year.  Resolutions to save money, lose weight, get in shape, travel more, read more, to quit smoking, etc. I don’t believe there is anything wrong with making New Year’s Resolutions.  However, I do believe you should have a workable process along with a sound plan with small action steps to achieve your resolution. 

So whatever you do, don’t treat your resolutions like they are blanket statements.  Instead use one or more of these tips to successfully navigate your New Year.

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THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

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THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

Voltaire the French writer helps us to realize how living our best life is ultimately dependent on how we decide to live our lives.  As he described in his quote, our greatest gift we can give ourselves is the gift of living well.  One of my mentors said it this way, “The best thing you can do for you or anyone else is add value.”  It was one of the best gifts I’ve ever received as a leader.  It sounds simple, but it can sometimes be a challenge.  The reason why it can be a challenge is because adding value only happens when a person consistently and intentionally develops self.

There are many ways to grow, but I would like to share 3 ways to consistently and intentionally develop your skills as a leader.  By doing so you will give yourself the gift the keeps on giving and discover a plethora of opportunities to succeed in any aspect of your life.

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SUCCESSFUL HABITS FOR THE NEW YEAR

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SUCCESSFUL HABITS FOR THE NEW YEAR

Achievements do not happen haphazardly.  Accomplishments are a result of successful habits.  As we are getting ready to start a new year, I want you to be positioned for your best year ever. 

Every research study I have seen revealed that at least 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by February.  This means only 10-20% of New Year’s resolutions are actually fulfilled.  I do not want you to be part of the 80%.

So here are four successful habits to make your 2019 better than your 2018.

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LOSING: WHY IT IS ACTUALLY GOOD FOR YOU

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LOSING: WHY IT IS ACTUALLY GOOD FOR YOU

No one enjoys losing, but it is inevitable.  Everyone at some point in life will have to face coming up short.  In the past year, we all have made mistakes and poor decisions that ended up resulting in an unfavorable outcome.  It’s part of life.

Please reflect on the current year’s losses and defeats.  After you finish reflecting, you will discover two things about losing.

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RENEWING YOUR LEADERSHIP

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RENEWING YOUR LEADERSHIP

What do you do when you car’s gas tank is close to being empty?  Of course, you would refuel.  Well, what do you do when you are having a leadership burnout?  Then it is time to renew your leadership.

Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by stress.  It occurs when a person feels overwhelmed, emotionally spent, and / or unable to meet the constant demands.  If you are suffering from leadership burnout, here are four ways to renew your leadership.

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SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF LEADERSHIP BURNOUT

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SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF LEADERSHIP BURNOUT

Leaders are greatly responsible for the growth, development, and productiveness of their teams and organizations.  One of the greatest responsibilities of leaders is to grow and develop the people around them.  With these expectations, leadership burnout can become a real issue.

Are you suffering from leadership burnout?

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SHARPENING YOUR LEADERSHIP SKILLS

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SHARPENING YOUR LEADERSHIP SKILLS

A leader is a person that inspires, motivates, and leads himself and a group of people.  A leader will encourage others to pursue goals with intentionality.  I don’t believe anyone is born a leader, but an effective leader is a person that consistently sharpens a set of leadership skills.

Here are 6 leadership skills that every leader needs to sharpen.

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NIGHTMARES OF LEADERSHIP

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NIGHTMARES OF LEADERSHIP

Developing leadership skills and solutions can be a challenge, but effective leaders understand and welcome the challenge.  Although leaders embrace these challenges, they can still be a leader’s nightmare.  Check out these 4 nightmares that most every leader with have to face.

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LEADING WITH A FIERY PASSION

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LEADING WITH A FIERY PASSION

The heart and soul of leadership is about inspiring and influencing others.  Leadership is like light.  It is impossible for darkness to exist when light is present.  Darkness can be defined as confusion, procrastination, ineffectiveness, selfishness, dishonesty, guilt, regret, dictatorial, and condescending just to name a few.

The best way to radiate your light as a leader is by discover your passion as a leader.  To effective lead with passion there are 5 essential characteristics every leader should possess.

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5 BENEFITS OF LEADERSHIP

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5 BENEFITS OF LEADERSHIP

There are many opportunities and privileges that come with leadership, but it also comes with tremendous responsibility.  I believe we all are leaders.  The questions are who, why, and how are we leading?  Have you ever thought no one was watching, but you looked around and saw someone watching you?  The fact of the matter is that someone is always watching us, which makes us all leaders.

Whether you believe you are a leader or not, leadership has its benefits.  My hopes are that you will see the benefits of leading, and seek various ways to develop your leadership. Here are 5 benefits of leading.

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SUCCESS IS IN YOUR STRATEGY

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SUCCESS IS IN YOUR STRATEGY

I’ve never heard anyone say, “I don’t care about being successful.”  Everyone wants to be successful.  Of course, each individual’s idea of what success looks like is different.

 Over the last half of a decade, I have heard more authors writing about significance over success.  At one time, I jumped on that bandwagon.  Truth is, we cannot have significance without success.  Let me explain.

Here are a five strategies to achieve success and significance.

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