Are you Leading With Honor? While on Twitter yesterday, someone posted a reply to me that said leadership is “influence with integrity.” I like that definition a lot. Influence alone is dangerous, and while integrity without influence may get you the Good Samaritan award, it won’t result in anything useful getting done.

The problem with this definition is that integrity can mean different things to different people. While most of us today think that Hitler was a crazed fanatic, there were those at the time who followed him with pride. His followers would say that he had integrity. We can say the same thing for any leader who had a following. Osama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Stalin, or on a scale of less grandeur, there are our business and political leaders such as Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich or Merril Lynch’s former CEO, John Thain.

On National Public Radio the other day, a caller said she had no problem with what Governor Blagojevich did. Why? Because he produced results. She thought that success meant achieving results, regardless of the means. In her opinion Gov. Blagojevich would have been acting without integrity if he didn’t do the things he did, because it prevented him from doing things for the people of Illinois. Most of you (including me) find it hard to believe that someone could think this way, but without a firm definition of integrity that everyone can agree on, this definition for leadership begins to falter.

So my question to you today is how do you know that you are leading with honor? That you are leading with integrity? This is a great topic for discussion at board meetings, staff retreats, or just at a team meeting. You will be surprised at the answers.

In my next few posts, we are going to help you answer this question. Stay tuned….

All the best,
All the time,
JT

Hello fellow leaders…

Part IV in the Series Leaders Take Control of Your Financial Future.

First of all…. I am not a financial guru. I am going to give advice that seems to have worked out for me, based on what I think is just good old common sense. Sadly, the old adage says that common sense is not as common as we think. My goal in the next few paragraphs is to give you some ideas about how I think a leader should plan for their retirement. I am not talking about investing money to make a TON of money. If it were that easy, our economy wouldn’t be in the shape it is today.

Rule #1: YOU are responsible for your financial future. While this makes sense intuitively, let’s take this to a deeper level. If you work for a company or organization that has a retirement plan – great. However – don’t EVER put all your eggs in one basket. I know… it is tempting to put your money into a 401k that gets a match from your employer – but you are giving up something very critical to your financial future. Control. You have some control of that money – but not total control. You also are tying yourself to that organization, and it makes leaving a lot harder. You obviously should take advantage of a 401k if you can… just don’t put all your retirement there. You are also tying up your money in the stock market. There are a lot of other investment vehicles out there besides stocks. By putting all your money into a 401k, you can’t participate in these. If you work for a government organization that has a retirement plan – again… great. However, you should not rely on that plan alone to be enough for you. If the company goes out of business, or the economy goes south in a hurry, you may find yourself holding onto a lot of empty promises. Diversify…. Diversify…. Diversify.

Rule #2: NEVER invest in something you can’t explain. I know there are multi millionaires who can’t possibly know everything about all their investments. But… they should know where there money is going. Call me a control freak – but I would NEVER (there’s that word again) turn over my investment to someone blindly, just because they’ve made money before.

Rule #3: With just a few exceptions… don’t buy something you can’t pay cash for. This was a lesson my Dad taught me when I was young. He said if you can’t pay cash for something, then don’t buy it. The only two exceptions were a house and a car. Your credit card is for convenience – not for a loan.

Rule #4: Take an active interest in your investments. Making money takes work. You are giving up a lot of money if you just throw your money into a mutual fund and check it once a year. There are a lot of fluctuations in the stock market that you can take advantage of with just a little bit of homework.

Rule #5: If it’s too good to be true – it probably is.

Rule#6: Read – read – read. Educate yourself on the different investment vehicles out there. Some of my favorites are by Richard Kiyosaki (Rich Dad, Poor Dad) and Donald Trump.

Leaders take control of their financial future!

All the best,
All the time,
JT

This is Part III in the series – Leaders Take Control of Your Financial Future.

In Part I, a basic outline was introduced that described what you need to do to take control of your finances. Part II dealt with Desire. Today we will be discussing your dreams and aspirations. I believe that one of the gifts you have been given is to dream. This is what motivates you to be creative and to exercise your mind and body to the point where you feel exhilaration. There is a great line from the movie Rudy that said, “Dreams are what makes life tolerable!”

What are your dreams, and how do you plan for them financially? It goes without saying (almost) that to achieve your dreams at someone else’s expense is never ok. Having said that, as a leader the first thing you need to know is that achieving dreams takes work.

If you can achieve your dream with little effort or work, your dream is not big enough!

So – Dream Big! James Collins and Jerry Porras in their 1996 article entitled Building Your Company’s Vision they coined the acronym BHAG that stood for Big Hairy Audacious Goal. Get a dream worth having.

After you have your dream, you need to put it in front of you where you can see it all the time. Get a photo or picture of your dream. If your dream is a Ferrari, put a picture of the car you want (get the color and details right!) and put it in a prominent place where you can see it almost all the time. If your dream is to become a singer, go get a picture taken of yourself on a stage somewhere, holding a microphone while you sing your heart out. Be creative.

Once your dream is in front of you – dissect it. How romantic. Dissecting your dream sounds a bit mechanical, but you have to do it. What do you need to have or do, to achieve your dream? This is where most people fail. They don’t assess what it really takes to get to their dream. Take some time and create a list of these things, then put a monetary value next to it. If you need to take singing lessons, how much does that cost? How about that Ferrari? What is the price tag? If you want to meet someone and enter into a relationship – where are you going to meet this person. Perhaps to meet this person, you need to get out more by taking a class or getting a hobby. What will this cost you?

This exercise puts a dose of reality in your dreaming. It gives you a clear picture of how to go about putting the finances aside to increase the probability of reaching your dream.

All the best
All the time,
JT

In my last blog I provided you with an outline to get control of your financial future. The first thing I recommended was to define what you need… in other words, what are your basic desires. This may seem a funny way to look at this but it describes the process better than to just tell you to create a list of what you need.

If you tried to define just what you need off the top of your head, the list would be pretty short. Food/Water, Shelter, Clothing and a few basic necessities. But, we live in a complex world full of complex people. Our experiences over the years, shapes the way we look at the world around us.

My mother works as a volunteer at a church in an area that assists people who are in financial need. She told me a story about a woman who was behind in her bills. As part of the process to receive some financial help, the woman had to bring in a list of all her bills. One prominent item was her Cable TV bill. It included HD TV, HBO, Showtime, On Demand programming. My mother politely told her that before she could receive assistance, she had to cancel her cable agreement. The woman, who really didn’t have enough money to feed her family – refused. She left without getting the assistance. She argued that cable was a necessity and wouldn’t give it up.

This story may seem outlandish, but it illustrates how differently we all view the world. So, what about you? What do you REALLY need? I’m not going to pass judgment on you – but you need to decide if you really need things such as cable TV, a cell phone, the car you drive. Some of you may have grown up in luxury, never having to really sacrifice to survive. To go to the extreme, there are really some people in the world who think that having maid service is a necessity.

If you are in a relationship, the process becomes even harder. You may be ok without cable – but what about your spouse?

So – what do you really need?

A last bit of advice, if you really need a lot of “things” to be happy, you may want to examine why. The pursuit of things as a way to happiness is an endless road.

All the best,
All the time,
JT

As a leader, you must take control of your financial future. There are no exceptions to this rule. To be effective as a leader, you must be comfortable with your financial status. This does not necessarily mean becoming rich, but it does mean that your need to be comfortable with your standard of living. This is important, because if you are not comfortable you cannot lead others without clarity. In a worst case scenario, lack of financial security also causes leaders to make decisions based on meeting their needs, rather than on what may be best for them, their followers, or the organization.

When it comes to financial security, the first thing you must do as a leader is to determine what you need to be comfortable. This is a very personal choice. There is no single answer. Some of you will be comfortable with the clothes on your back and a place to stay where food and water are readily available. Others will want a bit more, perhaps even wanting millions or billions of dollars. As you examine what you want, be careful not to judge others. We need people like Mother Teresa or Desmond Tutu, just as we also need billionaires who give away millions, if not billions of dollars to help the poor. What we don’t need, are billionaires who keep all their money to themselves, or terrorists in the disguise of revolutionaries who cause chaos just to further their own selfish ambitions.

Ok – the meat of the topic. How to take control of your financial future? Over the next few blogs, I am going to cover a variety of topics and am going to focus my answer on where the vast majority of you sit on this matter – the middle class. As someone living in the middle class there are a few things you need to do – here they are…

1. Define what you need to survive (food, clothing, housing, education?, transportation)
2. Create a budget that addresses your current expenses and income that will meet your needs
3. Create a list of wants (Cable, Computer, Travel, Recreation, Dining Out, designer clothing etc…). Ensure that you include something charitable. Either by giving of your time or money
4. Prioritize your list of wants
5. Develop a long range retirement plan
6. Generate enough income to cover all the items listed above.

The next few posts will break each of these down into smaller components. By the end of these few posts you will be on your way to taking control of your financial future.

Stay tuned…

All the best
All the time
JT

How to achieve greatness!!

Hello leaders!

I’ve been pondering this for some time. I look at those very successful at what they do, and wonder how they got there. I know a lot of very talented people who have some of the same skills and knowledge as those at the top of their game, but they seem to get lost in the pack, or left behind. Why?

If we look at the differences between Mediocrity and Greatness… the answer is pretty intuitive. These are the things we can find in almost any book on success. Passion, Focus, Goal Setting, Service, Attitude. You know… the usual stuff. The same thing can be said of Mediocre to OK and OK to Good, but perhaps not so easily. But what about from Good to Great? I know Jim Collins wrote a book with this title, but it had more to do with business than people. So, what separates Good from Great. More importantly, how do YOU move from Good to Great?

The first point I’d like to make is that to move from Good to Great takes time. Much like fine wine, moving from Good to Great is a process. The process is going to be the same for all of you, but the focus will be different. What do I mean by this? 

Moving from Good to Great is all about continuously making small but significant changes in your life/business. One small step at a time. For those of you old enough to remember What About Bob (Richard Dreyfus, Bill Murray), it’s all about baby steps.

Your first step – is to believe that you can be great. Greatness can be found in many places, and each of you will define it a little differently, but – you have to believe that, however you define it, you can become Great.

Your second step – is to look at what you’re missing from your definition of Greatness. In other words… Assess where you are. What are you missing. I’ll use myself as an example. I look at people like Robin Sharma and Tony Robins and see the impact they have made on millions of peoples lives. To me… greatness is defined by the impact we have on others. God has blessed me with the ability to impact others beyond my immediate family. I want to impact millions. I think many coaches and consultants think the same way. So, in my assessment, I ask myself, what am I missing. What  have Robin and Tony done that I am not doing?

The third step you need to take is to develop a plan to fill in the gaps. In my case, I believe it is building relationships, branding, marketing and selling. So, I have developed a long range plan to start tackling these. One small step at a time, realizing I’m not going to hit them all at once.

The fourth and final step is to take small steps, and start working your plan. Greatness cannot be achieved overnight.

In summary…

1. Define greatness and believe you can achieve it.
2. Assess your shortcomings
3. Develop a long-range plan to overcome these
4. Work at your plan, one small step at a time

So, I know you are asking if this is so simple, why aren’t more of us achieving greatness? Because some of the small things take time and dedication to overcome. It is also very hard to look into the mirror and admit that we have a shortcoming that needs tweeking or fixing. I truly believe that the difference between Good and Great are made up of small things. I encourage you to take the time to search out these small things that you need to do – then go do it.

All the best
All the time
JT

I’ve been talking about achieving dreams for the past few posts and wanted to end up tackling a major roadblock that prevents millions from achieving their dreams. Yes… we have met the enemy… and it is us. The greatest obstacle to achieving your dream is you. It is not money, time, support. It is not the color of your skin, your sex, or your nationality. It is you. Fail to accept this, and you might as well kiss your dreams good bye.

So…. why are we our biggest obstacle? I believe John Maxwell summed it up in something he called The Law of the Lid. We can only achieve, what we believe we can achieve… and also are trained to achieve. I have heard it put this way by others, What your mind can conceive AND BELIEVE, you can achieve.

I go to the gym regularly and noticed the HUGE increase in people on January 2nd. Two weeks have gone by, and the gym is still full, but not as full as it was. In two weeks, it will be back to normal. Why? All the new people had great aspirations, dreams, of losing weight and getting in shape. What happened? Was it a lack of commitment? Believe it or not, the answer is mostly no. These people were committed to start, so what happened?

Of course, lack of self-discipline plays a factor, and perhaps if they had a better support system, or someone to work out with they may have lasted a little longer. But most just didn’t believe…. that they could really lose weight and get into shape.

Whoa! What goes on here? This almost sounds insulting… but it isn’t intended to be. A lot of them just stopped because they didn’t truly believe, in the depths of their soul, that they deserved to be fit and healthy. If they did, they would keep going.

So… what about you? What is preventing you from achieving YOUR dream. Why can’t you believe that you deserve the success you desire? Now, don’t take this out of perspective. I DEFINITELY don’t believe in the name it and claim it movement. However, assuming you are willing to do the planning and work, and that you have the skills necessary to achieve your dreams… Your biggest obstacle is belief in yourself.

Have you ever wondered why some small businesses are successful and go on to become big business, while others languish and then fail? I have. Having worked with CEOs of small businesses over the years, it is usually their reluctance to deal with their inner fears that prevent them from going on to bigger and better things. If you find yourself in this situation,how do you overcome this?

To increase your belief in yourself you have a lot of choices: Coaching, Church (spiritual teaching), Meditation, Retreats, Counseling, Martial Arts. There are a lot of ways to go about overcoming your fears and your lack of belief.

My parting comment…

Everyone has a purpose – Not every purpose is lived

Everyone has gifts – Not all gifts are opened

Everyone has value – Not all are appreciated.

YOU have purpose. YOU have gifts. YOU have value. All you have to do is BELIEVE.

DO YOU BELIEVE?

All the best,
All the time
JT

In a previous post, I talked about the power of a dream and the difference between a dream and a fantasy. So… what next? Simple. Bringing your dream alive through planning. Yes good old fashioned planning. So, what am I talking about? You can take this to the bank…

When you are devising your plan to reach your dream, there are many things that need to be considered, besides the dream itself!

Let’s take a change in career as your dream. Perhaps it’s owning your own business, going into music, coaching, consulting or picking up a new skill/craft. What are some of the other things to consider besides the dream itself? Timing, Support and making a living.

I have been down this path through personal experience and was lucky enough to survive my mistakes. Sadly, I have witnessed others fail to reach their dream, because they didn’t consider timing, support and making a living.

Timing
It is great that you have a dream and are anxious to “just do it”. However, this doesn’t mean dropping whatever you are doing to just jump in and hope the stars are aligned with Jupiter or Mercury. If you want to give yourself the best chance of living your dream, you must look at timing. When is it the best time to make a push towards achieving your dream? Considerations? 1) Finances, 2) Obligations to work, 3) Obligations to Family, 4) Age.

Support
In a perfect world (let me know if you find it so I can move there), your family and friends would be totally supportive of your dream. Reality? Not likely. At least not all the time. So what do you do? The only ones that you really need to listen to are your significant other and/or your kids. Now – some of you may have a naysayer at your side. You are going to have to understand that you can move forward without thier support, but you need to be prepared for a really tough haul. You also should be asking yourself if there is some truth behind thier reservations. If you are in a relationship, you need to ask yourself if you are being selfish in the pursuit of your dream. I know – Not a popular concept or idea, but you need to ask yourself the question. The answer you come up with is entirely up to you.

Finances
To achieve your dream will require some careful financial planning. In many cases, pursuing a dream will require you to make an investment in your dream, or perhaps cause you to consider leaving your “day” job. Two rules here – 1) NEVER invest money that you don’t have, unless you have a solid (rock solid!!) proven record at what you are about to do. 2) NEVER quit your day job, until you have enough clients/money to know that you can feed your family. Tough? You bet. Worth it? Absolutely.

All the best,
All the time,
JT

FYI – I don’t know for sure, but I believe the quote in the title can be attributed to Noel Tichy.

Dreams vs. Fantasy

Last night I talked about the power of a dream. However – there is a gotcha that lurks in the middle of our aspirations. The Fantasy. You can see it on some of the faces of the contestants on American Idol when reality hits and they’re told they don’t have what it takes. Now, I know the story of Dr. Seuss, and the power of persistence. I also believe that we should never let someone steal our dreams. Having said that, we need to do a reality check.

About two years ago, I went to a coaching seminar and came away very disillusioned. Why? The woman presenting the class pumped up the 40 of us sitting in the room. She told us how she became a master coach and said we could all do the same. Not! In the room, about half of the attendees didn’t have the life experience, the personal skills, or the attitude needed to be a coach. I came away disillusioned because this woman, a master coach, was selling snake oil.

Yes, people can overcome handicaps to achieve a goal. Yes, there are many people who overcome great obstacles in their quest of their dream. However, the roadside is also littered with people who were led down the wrong path with no chance of achieving their dreams. A great example is the childhood dreams a boy has. Many of us men… perhaps all, dreamed at one point of being a superstar. You know… football great, basketball god, soccer hero, rock star or scientific genius. Whatever it was, most of us didn’t get there. I’m 5’6″ (5’7″ on a good day), can I be a professional basketball player? I know of ONE (which is better than none) professional basketball player who is 5’6″. So what are the odds of me becoming one? Near zero, if not really zero! So… fantasy vs. reality.

What does this mean to you? You need to dissect your dream. I know this doesn’t sound sexy or glamorous, but you have to do it. How do you do this? Here are some ideas…

1. Research the skills needed to achieve your dreams and ask yourself if you have, or can realistically obtain, these skills.
2. Do you have the time to pursue getting these skills?
3. Can you provide for yourself and your family while pursuing these skills?
4. Are you dedicated enough to make your dream come true?
5. Can you control achieving your dream? (Winning the lottery should not be your dream!)
6. Ask someone who is living your dream for an interview and get their opinion on your chances of success.

A little homework goes a long way in helping you determining the difference between a dream and a fantasy.

Two more bits of coaching advice here…. 1) Don’t give up too easily and 2) If you find you are living a fantasy, go get another dream. We all have a purpose in life, you just need to find yours. It’s out there.

All the best
All the time
JT

I’m sitting here watching American Idol and was reminded what makes it so popular. The Power of a Dream. We all have dreams. We all want to be acknowledged and recognized. There were several poignant moments on the first show of the season. There was of course, Scott MacIntyre. He is almost completely blind and yet had the courage to audition. He thankfully also has talent and made it on to the next phase.

I don’t want this to be a recap of the show, you can find that almost anywhere. But, there were some things worth noting. There was another contestant who appeared to be tearing up throughout the day of his audition. Why was he so emotional? In a moment that might have passed by many viewers, he said he worked in a cubicle all week and all he wanted was to be recognized. Funny… the power that a little recognition can have on someone. When was the last time you recognized someone at work, or at home for that matter.

Of course there were also the hugs and celebrations that greeted the contestants lucky enough to get a golden ticket to Hollywood. The reason for the celebration – The Dream was still alive! Amazing, the power of a dream.

Many of you who are reading this, have a dream. What is your dream? What are you striving for? Can you describe it to me. Can you picture yourself doing it? Now the hard part…. putting feet on your dreams. There are a few things you must remember…

1. Not all dreams come true (ouch)
2. Achieving your dream requires that four letter word… WORK
3. Vision (Dreams) without planning = hallucination
4. It takes more than just having a dream to make it come true
5. Dreams require – support from others

I will unpack these five thoughts in blogs later this week. Stay tuned…

All the best!
All the time
JT