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When you think about your leadership skills in the workplace, do you also consider your work ethic? Truth is, many people do not consider how their every day actions play a part in how they are treated by their coworkers and their boss. There is a saying that goes “if you want to earn respect, you need to earn it,” and that saying should be given credit if you want to be treated like a leader in your workplace.
With the current state of the world, everyone is feeling stressed out. Money is tight, the rate of divorce is high and people are being laid off from their jobs left and right. All of the added stress can cause a person to feel overly tired and their performance at work will begin suffer. If you are finding yourself in this position, then it’s time to listen up and understand how your lack of ambition in the work place can be causing your boss and coworkers to run the other way.
In order to be a leader, you need to act like a leader. This means setting a good example, getting your work done correctly and getting it done on time. If you are having personal problems outside of your place of work or are letting stress get to you, then you may be procrastinating on your work tasks.
Not one single person likes to wait around for things to get done; and that includes your coworkers and your boss. Yes, they may tell you that they understand what a hard time you have been having lately, but in the end, all they really want is for you to be an active member of the team. Procrastination can, and will lead to your coworkers and your boss into believing that you do not have good leadership skills.
So how do you earn back your respect and regain your leadership role in your workplace if you have been slacking off lately? Luckily, the damage is not permanent and with a few simple tricks, you can easily win back the respect of those you work with.
•    Stick to what you say: If you say that you are going to get something done by a certain time, get it done by that time! Even if you do not have the best track record of being timely in the past, you will earn respect if you start doing it now and are consistent.
•    Don’t use excuses: People know when someone is making up excuses and you do not want to be known as the person in the office who has used every excuse under the sun. If you missed a deadline or made a mistake, then simply admit it. A person who can admit their mistakes without using an excuse is seen as a leader and is respected.
•    Don’t apologize more than once: Saying that you are sorry for procrastinating is going to mean just as much the fifth time you said it as it did the first time, and it is not necessary to say it more than once. You want to show leadership skills, but if you do nothing but constantly apologize, it will look as though you are desperate.
•    Be honest: Along with not using excuses, you should also always be honest about why your work has been lacking lately, not to mention just being honest period.
•    Change it: If you are determined to change your procrastinating ways, then actually change them and stick to it. Make up a list of goals and hang them where you can easily see them on a daily basis. Determination and goal setting will show your coworkers that you are someone that they can look up to and respect.
Being respected and thought of as a leader in the workplace will not only make you feel great about yourself, but you will also become a mentor to other people that you work with. No one is perfect and it can be easy to fall into the procrastination trap every now and then, but by following the few easy suggestions above, you don’t have to stay there for long.
There are several different areas in a person’s life that they can improve on their leadership skills and the workplace is just one of them. Once you start improving your leadership skills in one area of your life however, the other areas will start to see improvement as well. Check out more articles at 'Changing Times' on leadership.

 I simply had to share this post by Owen Joyce with you as it succinctly describes an issue so often faced with clients – its not me its you!

Last Friday I spoke with a client and something she said stuck in my mind. We were finishing a conversation about her recruitment practices and she said that she felt positive about her decision to work with us because, in her words, “I just realised that I had to change”.

There seem to be two different types of business owners that we come into contact with. There are those who are consistent learners who actively seek out ways to improve their skills, knowledge and attitudes. These business owners have the mentality that you need to ‘learn sustainable solutions’. Then, there are the business owners who don’t see learning as an important part of the process. These business owners have the mentality that you need to ‘find quick solutions’.

The question is; if you are having trouble pushing your business to the next level is it because of outside factors or problems that you cannot control or are these issues more likely to be connected to your own skills? Think of it this way. Imagine a business in your industry that is ten times the size of yours. If you were to take the managing director of this business and put him or her into your business, would they be able to take it to the next level?  If you think they could, what’s the difference between them and you? It’s unlikely they are more intelligent so it boils down to knowledge, experience and their attitudes towards things like marketing, money, relationships, staff, planning and so on.

There is no shame in admitting that you’re not a top notch marketer, sales person, accountant, capital raiser, planner, people manager etc. but when a deficiency is identified it’s important to do something about it. The wonderful thing is that these things can be learned. You can learn to have different attitudes towards money, you can learn to have different relationships with staff and you can learn new ways to promote your business. At the end of the day it’s about making a decision on whether uncontrollable external factors determine the fate of your business or you do.   

If your looking for resources to develop your skills in business check out  ‘yourbusinesssuccess’, which is Owen Joyce’s site. As a Coach and consultant I’m commited to assisting businesses to succeed so for more tools and tips to grow your business subscribe to ‘Changing Times’ or follow our ‘Twitter feed’.

I was reading an article by Megan Hills (click to read original) that resonated with me so I thought I’d share an extract of it below.

Even when business is going well there’s often a larger business vision we want to reach. But with day-to-day distractions, it’s easy to forget the bigger picture.

Some strange soloist friends of mine are completely happy with their businesses just as they are. According to them, there’s no need to think about the business vision they are working towards. They are already there. And somehow they manage to stay in that blissful place. I think these people belong under glass and should be gazed at by children on school excursions.

I am not one of those people, obviously. While my business is going very well, I remain in a constant state of pursuit. This can be fun and exciting, or see me moaning like a pint-sized Chewbacca.

But the main problem is this: while busy in pursuit, I can sometimes forget what I’m actually pursuing. This means I’ve gotten caught up with daily demands and a black hole begins to form in my soloist soul.

Strategic plans and action plans have been crafted carefully in order to get me to that big goal. But even then I can forget (drum roll) "The Vision". And when I forget (drum roll) "The Vision" things seem to go pear-shaped.

Business and life coaches often recommend imagining your business ‘vision’, or your big picture, just before you go to bed. This might involve imagining what it’s like having a Maserati as a ‘work vehicle’, owning a funky beach shack or creating enough profit to buy Afghanistan and fix it properly. Then you’re supposed to conjure this picture again in your mind as soon as you wake up the next morning.

But after a few days I forget to do it. So then I put a visual reminder next to my bed. But in a few days I stop seeing it. So then I make billboard-sized collage with images and words that relate to what I want. Then I stop seeing that.

Some people say that it’s okay not to see it any more. That the dream will manifest into reality because I’ve done the collage. Maybe it will. Still, I like being more actively involved in the process of creating what I want.

If you’re the same, here are some other ideas to remember "The Vision”:

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      Put an image on your computer desktop that relates to your business vision, but be sure to change the image regularly.
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      Insert a new line about your big picture at the top of your weekly to do list.
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      Every week, schedule a time to talk about the big picture with a friend, colleague, coach or mentor.
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      Create a short PowerPoint presentation with music that inspires, and play this little creation to yourself at the start of every working day (or buy the nifty software version of this called Mind Movies).

The key for me: whatever the strategy, I need to keep it fresh regularly.

How do you remember your big picture? Share it with us by commenting on this article.

Conrad Palmer is a freelance writer and Business Coach who enjoys helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses. Through his marketing & publicity nous, he can maximize the power of what you want to communicate to the people you want to reach. Follow our ‘Twitter Feed’ for updates.

I wanted to share this article with everyone. Its by Guy Insull, Founder Champions Club Community  who does some great leadership workshops using Franklin Covey resources in the UK.

Most people will be familiar with the term “Chaos Theory”, and even if they can’t describe or explain its mathematical roots, they probably understand it metaphorically as “The Butterfly Effect”.

The term “Butterfly Effect” was originally coined from the title of a paper by Edward Lorenz entitled “Predictability: Does the Flap of a Butterfly’s Wings in Brazil set off a Tornado in Texas?”

The title encapsulates the notion that the tiny, seemingly insignificant flapping of butterfly wings can cause exponential changes to occur in a system such as the weather which can cause massive and apparently chaotic consequences in another part of the world.

However, the idea that one small and apparently insignificant act can set in motion a chain of events which ultimately result in massive change has existed in the field of human behaviour long before it existed in science or mathematics. It is the idea that if we perform small acts of kindness to others, and instead of being repaid the person simply “passes on” the kindness or favour to others, and in doing so sets in motion a chain of good deeds which multiplies exponentially.

This concept was described by Benjamin Franklin, who in a letter to a friend in 1784 wrote:
“I do not pretend to give such a Sum; I only lend it to you. When you meet with another honest Man in similar Distress, you must pay me by lending this Sum to him; enjoining him to discharge the Debt by a like operation, when he shall be able, and shall meet with another opportunity. I hope it may thus go thro’ many hands, before it meets with a Knave that will stop its Progress. This is a trick of mine for doing a deal of good with a little money.”

The idea was more recently popularised in the film Pay It Forward in which a class of schoolchildren are given the task to come up with one idea which has the capacity to change the world. One pupil has the idea of “paying it forward” – an obligation to do three good deeds for others in repayment of a good deed that one receives from a stranger. In this way, the help we freely provide another can spread exponentially through society, creating a movement which ultimately makes the world a better place.

Whilst the idea may seem a little utopian and even “childish” given the world in which we now live, the film does a great job of suspending our disbelief through the use of children as the principle characters and “thought leaders”, creating the feeling in us once again that anything is possible if we truly believe it.

I hope this has started you thinking as it did me and invite you to see more articles like this at ‘Changing Times’ or follow our ‘Twitter Feed’ for updates.

Success Coach Brian Tracy uses the term “Negative Optimist” to describe the ideal behaviour required to benefit from all the opportunities to be gained from having a largely positive outlook in life, without the negative consequences of overlooking any downsides, or pragmatic flaws in any particular project or business venture you are undertaking.

According to Tracy:
“The most important quality for success in entrepreneurship and in life is the quality of optimism.
“Optimists have an unrealistic expectation of success. As a result, they are willing to try far more things without becoming discouraged.”
But, he adds, “In order to be successful in life or in business, and particularly in any activity where your money is involved, you must temper your optimism with negativism.”

One technique for achieving this balance is to use the “Six Thinking Hats” methodology, developed by Edward De Bono, and widely used in modern management cirlces, particularly in the area of creative thinking.

Essentially, each of the 6 hats serve a different purpose (such as White for facts & information, Red for feelings & emotions and so on), and each hat is “worn” in turn to ensure that a particular project or problem is considered from all possible angles.

In the case of the Negative Optimist, it is the Black hat which is particularly important:

When using black hat thinking, you look at things pessimistically, cautiously and defensively, trying to identify why ideas and approaches might not work.

Black hat thinking essentially helps you to spot fatal flaws and risks before you embark on a course of action. The use of Black hat thinking is particularly helpful for natural optimists, as many get so used to thinking positively that often they cannot see problems in advance, leaving them under-prepared for difficulties.

To hear Brian Tracy describing the Negative Optimist in more detail, click on the video clip below…

For more information like this check out ‘Changing Times’ or follow on ‘Twitter’ for updates.

Consider the following scenario:
There is a wooden beam, 15ft long lying on the ground in front of you. The beam is 3 inches wide, and your task is to walk from one end to the other without stepping off. Pretty straightforward for most of us under normal circumstances you would think.

But now suspend the same beam 150ft in the air between 2 buildings and attempt the same feat. Very likely, if you attempted this feat at all, your performance would be much more stilted, cautious and hesitant, and you would certainly feel very different about the experience!

Now it can be reasonably argued that the “fear” or trepidation we would feel with the second task is a perfectly normal response, as it is our minds’ natural protection mechanism kicking in, and a normal way of preventing us from putting ourselves at risk without being very aware of the consequences.

But the point is this: whether the fear is based on real or imagined dangers, the impact on our performance is same.

In sports this is often called the “choking” or “tanking” effect, and in the world of entertainment “performance anxiety” or “stage fright”. The same phenomenon also occurs in all other walks of life whenever we perceive the outcome of our performance to have heightened importance or significance, such as when taking an exam or driving test for example, or when delivering a wedding speech or business presentation.

The key to maximising our own performance levels and ultimate success in life comes down to being able to identify whether the fears which impact our performance are based on “real” dangers, or simply those things in our perception which “appear” real. To quote a common definition of fear, this can be described as False Evidence Appearing Real.

The ability to view your fears from a 3rd perspective and to dispassionately question their validity represents the start in the process to overcoming them.

Check out ’Pick from 18 excuses to inhibit your success’ for more insights into blasting away those road blocks!

For more articles like this go to ‘Changing Times’ or follow our ‘Twitter feed‘  for updates.