Monday, January 3, 2011

Opportunity and Risk vs Status Quo and Safe


I have long been a proponent of people taking calculated risks to improve situations and achieve dreams. People often shy away from such risks because the fear of failure has too strong of a hold on their life. But I wonder what the greater sadness is, risking failure by taking a chance on yourself to achieve your dreams or always playing it safe.

Everyone has goals and everyone has dreams. Some talk about them and some keep them hidden deep within themselves. But be assured everyone has them. If you are the type that keeps your goals and dreams hidden, stop it. Share them.
Tell people what you want to do. Lose the fear of someone else thinking you are silly because of your dream. Those that wish to squelch your dreams are not worthy of an opinion. People are either pulling for you or pushing against you. Decide who you want on your team and let all the others go.

Wouldn’t you rather gamble on yourself and take your shot rather than wake up one day towards the end of your life having lived a life full of regret and missed opportunities? Take a chance on yourself, you will be surprised how many people are rooting for you.


Curt Fletcher aka The Likeability Guy, is a Real Estate Professional, Business Development Strategist, Published Author of the book, "How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income," Sales Trainer, and REALTOR with Atrium Realty Group in North Texas.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Leadership


Leadership is the missing ingredient in many management positions. Often the people placed in leadership roles in an organization are those who have simply been around the longest. Seniority, though, is not a substitute for effective leadership strategies.

Tough Decisions

Real leaders make hard decisions. Making the popular decision is not always the right decision. Colin Powell, one of the foremost leaders of this generation, says, "Trying to get everyone to like you is a sign of mediocrity: You'll avoid the tough decisions, you'll avoid confronting the people who need to be confronted, and you'll avoid offering differential rewards based on differential performance because some people might get upset."

Tough decisions are those that require confidence, because inevitably someone will not be happy with you. Fear of backlash should not concern you if you know the decision to be made is in the best interest of your people.

Challenge the Status Quo

Going with the flow is not what leaders do. Leaders challenge social norms, typical procedures, generic answers, and create new questions that outline new opportunities. When leaders hears the phrase, "We have always done it that way," they say "Why?" They desire a better result. Leaders don't understand or accept answers that have no substance, no valid reasoning, or opportunity for growth.

Leaders constantly look to challenge, tweak and change. They recognize opportunities and are curious to learn of new strategies that will test their current capabilities. They are pushing the envelope to facilitate a "better" way.

Personal Actions

General Douglas MacArthur, a great American leader, used to carry with him a list of questions to guide his journey. One such question, was, "Have I the calmness of voice and manner to inspire confidence, or am I inclined to irascibility and excitability?" This question gets right to the heart of leading by example. General MacArthur understood that to gain the support and trust of his subordinates, he had to carry himself accordingly. Leaders do not allow themselves to be drawn into situations that will impact their standing within their group.

Leaders carry themselves to a higher standard--a standard that inspires their people to want to excel and push themselves further then they thought they could go.

Action Plan and Training

Leadership is easy to explain, but harder to put into practice. Frankly, it is more about personal actions first and actual skill second. However, there are some useful items that can be practiced to try and improve leadership abilities.

  • Place people in the best possible positions to succeed. Evaluate your employees and team members and figure out what they do best and enjoy most. Situate them as closely as possible to align them with their strengths.
  • Allow your employers to make decisions. The transfer of empowerment is motivational and it's a great knowledge builder.
  • Create an atmosphere of excitement and happiness. While all work is not fun, people are more productive when they feel good about their situation.
  • Reward Excellence. When your people do something well or they consistently stop to help others, reward them and recognize their efforts. This provides a confidence boost and it delivers a firm message that you are valuable.
  • Be Positive. Challenges arise each day. Rather then look at challenges as problems, turn them into learning and growth opportunities for the team. Allow different people to be involved in the process.
  • Allow the free flow of ideas to be heard. Listen to your employees. Each day people have great new ideas, philosophy differences, and improvement suggestions. Foster an environment that allows this communication exchange to thrive. Just because someone has a lower tier job classification does not mean they have a lower tier brain. Use everyone on your team as a knowledge building opportunity.
Curt Fletcher aka The Likeability Guy, is a Real Estate Professional, Business Development Strategist, Published Author of the book, "How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income," Sales Trainer, and REALTOR with Atrium Realty Group in North Texas.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Goals and Simplicity


A goal is really nothing more than an appointment you make for yourself. The key is not over-complicating the message. Keep it simple. Simplicity helps with clarity which leads to a higher percentage of success. As you train your mind to handle simple goals and experience more successful outcomes you can start incorporating more complex goals. Just don’t start that way.

It’s like exercise. If you are not a runner, would your first experience be the Boston Marathon? Obviously not. You start slow, develop, learn, grow, and THEN expand. Everyone wants immediate results and immediate growth, which most often leads to no action and no growth.

Get the thought of immediate satisfaction off of your mind. It is lazy thinking. It is entitlement thinking and it’s counterproductive to actual growth. Set yourself up for the best opportunity for success. Simple doesn’t mean easy. Simple just means clear. It means you have definitized the specific steps to take to obtain a specific result.

Curt Fletcher aka The Likeability Guy, is a Real Estate Professional, Business Development Strategist, Published Author of the book, "How To Sell More Homes and Increase Your Income," Sales Trainer, and REALTOR with Atrium Realty Group in North Texas.