I just received the below post, originally posted by Michael Hyatt.

TWO TYPES OF THINKERS Posted: 26 Sep 2015 09:15 AM PDT Over the years, I have noticed that there are two kinds of thinking. One kind leads to success, joy, and fulfillment. The other leads to failure, fear, and discontent. “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7 NKJV). My friend Robert Smith is a great example of the first. He is one of the most generous people I know. He always greets me with a big smile, a hug, and an encouraging word. I always leave his presence energized, feeling great about being me. And I have noticed that he is like this with everyone. He treats employees, vendors, booking agents, publishers, and everyone else as if they were his best customers. He routinely invests in their success. It comes back to him in a thousand ways. Robert is my best example of an abundance thinker. One of my former clients, Charlie (not his real name), is just the opposite. He exhibits a hoarding mentality. He never picks up the check, even if he asks you to lunch. He constantly complains—about everything. I haven’t seen him in years, but when I did, I always left his presence drained and diminished. It turns out that he, too, was like this with everyone. His employees—and even family members—rolled their eyes when you mentioned his name. They lived in constant fear that their livelihood and well-being were at risk. Interestingly, the success he craved seemed to elude him. Charlie is my best example of a scarcity thinker. The question is this: Which type of thinker are you? Maybe it’s time to do some honest self-evaluation. Better yet, ask those closest to you. Abundance thinkers believe there is always more where that came from.Michael Hyatt As I was running this morning, I noted eight characteristics of abundance thinkers: 1.They believe there is always more where that came from. 2.They are happy to share their knowledge, contacts, and compassion with others. 3.They default to trust and build rapport easily. 4.They welcome competition, believing it makes the pie bigger and them better. 5.They ask themselves, How can I give more than is expected? 6.They are optimistic about the future, believing the best is yet to come. 7.They think big, embracing risk. 8.They are thankful and confident. Abundance thinkers ask themselves, “How can I give more than is expected?”Michael Hyatt I also noted eight characteristics of scarcity thinkers: 1.They believe there will never be enough. 2.They are stingy with their knowledge, contacts, and compassion. 3.They default to suspicion and find it difficult to build rapport. 4.They resent competition, believing it makes the pie smaller and them weaker. 5.They ask themselves, How can I get by with less than is expected? 6.They are pessimistic about the future, believing that tough times are ahead. 7.They think small, avoiding risk. 8.They are entitled and fearful. The truth is that, for most of us, we are not either/or. We are a little of both. I certainly want to grow as an abundance thinker. Reviewing these characteristics has given me some clarity. How about you?

Interesting isn't it???

End of the month is fast approaching. I thought you might enjoy this article in my absence.

10 Ways to Be a Leader—Even When You Aren’t in Charge

Patti Johnson

 

May 1, 2015

Do you think of a leader as someone else with a more important title or more experience? Think again. True leaders have more than impressive job descriptions and company anniversaries. They have influence and contribute to something bigger, not just to the work but also to the team.

Candace joined my team a few years ago with big enthusiasm and a fresh perspective. She had recommendations on new technology and ideas to improve communication with each other and our clients. Her suggestions were always aimed at making us all better, not just making herself look good. Candace was only a few years out of college and yet she was most definitely a leader—not because of her title or experience, but because of how she showed up.

You can show up like a leader, too. And when you do, the rest of your career will take care of itself. Here are 10 behaviors that can help make you a leader:

1. Speak up.
Leaders, regardless of title, know their role—to share and be part of the conversation. They aren’t content to be bystanders. Decide upfront in any meeting or discussion that you have a role to play and participate. Think about how you can contribute, not if you’ll look good.
 
2. Have ideas to make things better.
Leaders contribute to the greater good. Bring ideas to help make your work, team and organization better. And good ideas come from being informed and learning about much more than just your daily work.
 
3. Stop talking about other people.
Nothing makes you look smaller faster than filling your conversations with everyone else’s weaknesses. I used to work with someone with a nonstop commentary on how everyone else was annoying, frustrating, uninformed or clueless, and so on. Most people who spend their energy in this way are trying to deflect from their own lack of confidence. It’s hard to have influence if criticism is your currency.
 
4. Show your brand of enthusiasm.
This doesn’t mean you have to become a cheerleader or be someone you aren’t. Enthusiasm means confidence in your ideas, a positive outlook and valuing others. No one will show more enthusiasm for your ideas than you do.
 
5. Power up others’ ideas.
When someone else gives a good idea, offer validation and expand on it. As an example, if your co-worker has a great recommendation for a new way of connecting with customers, then recommend how to get started with an experiment.
 
6. Constantly improve how you work.
Always look for ways you can do your work better. Share ideas for even small improvements. Keep looking for how to increase your contribution—even if no one is asking you to do it.
 
7. Quit being a professional critic.
Early in my career, I had a respected boss tell me that “being a critic isn’t hard and that no one earns respect from doing the easy lifting.” It’s not difficult to point out what’s wrong. Leaders have recommendations and answers.
 
8. Solve problems rather than self-promote.
Keep your eye on the problem you want to solve or an opportunity to make your work or team better. Recommendations intended to make yourself look good or get promoted are pretty easy to spot.
 
9. Give credit to others. 
Appreciate others’ contributions. Openly thank people for a great recommendation that worked. Congratulate others for the success of their new project. This shows not only self-confidence, but it proves that you are more interested in the success of the team than just your own.
 
10. Promote yourself. 
Think as if you had the job that you want in the future. Know the issues you’d have to consider if you were in charge. This outlook helps you broaden your perspective and continue to grow.

Want to be great at your job? Check out my top 10 of the best career advice I’ve received.

- See more at: http://success.com/blog/10-ways-to-be-a-leader-even-when-you-arent-in-charge#sthash.YyDLmb2G.dpuf

Some Things That Can Kill Good Leadership

Due to technical difficulties, some of you missed this article. I believe it is worth posting again, even if it was only a few weeks ago.

It's end of the month and I didn't get a chance to write an original blog. Instead I saw this article I wanted to share with you. Hope you enjoy.

SOME THINGS THAT CAN KILL GOOD LEADERSHIP

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015 AT 10:03AM

There are certain attitudes and actions that can kill good leadership and bring its effectiveness and fruitfulness to an abrupt end. Here are twelve "killers" offered by Ron Edmondson:

Originally posted by Ron Edmondson

I know numerous leaders with great potential. They have all the appearance of being a good leader. But they lack one thing — or two.

In my experience, some of this self-learned the hard way, there are a few killers of good leadership.

I decided to compile a list of some of the most potent killers I’ve observed. Any one of these can squelch good leadership. It’s like a wrecking ball of potential. If not addressed, they may even prove to be fatal.

It’s not that the person can’t continue to lead, but to grow as a leader — to be successful at a higher level or for the long-term — they must address these killers.

Here are 12 killers of good leadership:

Defensiveness – Good leaders don’t wear their feelings on their shoulders. They know other’s opinions matter and aren’t afraid to be challenged. They are confident enough to absorb the wounds intended to help them grow.

Jealousy – A good leader enjoys watching others on the team excel — even willing to help them.

Revenge – The leader that succeeds for the long-term must be forgiving; graceful — knowing that “getting even” only comes back to harm them and the organization.

Fearfulness – A good leader remains committed when no one else is and takes risks no one else will. Others will follow. It is what leaders do.

Favoritism – Good leaders don’t have favorites on the team. They reward for results not partiality.

Ungratefulness – Good leaders value people — genuinely — knowing they cannot attain success without others.

Small-mindedness – Good leaders think bigger than today. They are dreamers and idea people.

Pridefulness – Pride comes before the fall. Good leaders remain humbled by the position of authority entrusted to them.

Rigidity – There are some things to be rigid about, such as values and vision, but for most issues, the leader must be open to change. Good leaders are welcome new ideas, realizing that most everything can be improved.

Laziness – One can’t be a good leader and not be willing to work hard. In fact, the leader should be willing to be the hardest worker on the team.

Unresponsiveness – Good leaders don’t lead from behind closed doors. They are responsive to the needs and desires of those they attempt to lead. They respond to concerns and questions. They collaborate more than control. Leaders who close themselves off from those they lead will limit the places where others will follow.

Dishonesty – Since character counts highest, a good leader must be above reproach. When a leader fails, he or she must admit their mistake and work towards restoration.

A leader may struggle with one or more of these, but the goal should be to lead “killer-free”. Leader, be honest, which of these wrecking balls do you struggle with most?

What would you add to my list?

Be Careful of Leadership Superheroes

Found this article I thought you would enjoy.

Be careful of leadership Superheroes

Sep 08, 2015 05:17 am | Dave Kraft

We all love heroes, especially superheroes. Marvel Comics is making a fortune by bringing these superheroes to the big screen. 

Here is Mike Anderson sharing a bit on this important topic.

Originally posted by Mike Anderson

The Hero Myth

We’re prone to look to for heroes that can save the day. Think George Washington, Abe Lincoln, John Wayne, Jackie Chan. Does your organization need to complete a big new project? Get a hero. Need to change the culture? Get a hero. These are lies. Lies that are very painful to buy into.

Problems with heroes

• They inevitably have weaknesses that are as great as their strengths
• They are a single point of failure. If they burnout, move on, or become toxic you loose.
• An organization that depends on heroes will fragment as it grows
• Heroes become villains really quickly when they don’t save the day
• There is always a lot of drama in hero based organizations
• and on and on…

To counter the hero myth build strong teams that have high trust, sharing of responsibility, and the ability to openly discuss and debate problems. Hero mentalities only exist in organizations that tend to silo themselves. Just think about it, the more you work with even the best people in the world you see that they have weaknesses and areas that they need help. The hero mentality wouldn’t exist if there was high levels of cooperation.

Invest in your team

Team members can be treated like cogs that each have a function. But I warn you, leader, building a team of cogs is WAY more work. You’ll spend all of your time in maintenance mode figuring out what’s broken. You’ll need to constantly repair and replace. When you build and lead a well functioning team you’ll need to do very little maintenance because each member of your team will be looking to fix problems together. You will multiply your effectiveness.

Give away credit

This is really important—when the team you lead does well don’t hog the credit. Rant about them… They did it. We did it. It was us. It was the team, not just me. You’ll find that by giving away credit people begin to own the vision, they begin having breakthrough ideas, and they multiply—not just add to—the overall effect.

Give away ownership

When I lead teams I try to give people roles that they can feel ownership over, and not just tasks. One way that I do this is by separating everything that our team does into projects and operations. Operations are great to delegate ownership of because they have generally understood goals and methods of accomplishing the goals. I try to make a dashboard that lists out every operational function that my team is responsible for. Every function has an owners name next to it, and at our weekly team meetings we rate each function as a team. This allows team members to be self critical and in constant states of evaluation over their responsibilities.

Be humble

If you’re the leader you don’t need to pretend like you know how to do everything. It’s perfectly fine to admit your weak areas. It invites others on your team to step in and compliment your weakness with their strength.

What has been your experience with "Leadership Heroes?" I'd love to hear from you!

Think About It!

Anyone who knows me --- is aware I read a lot!

Right now there are three books that have mesmerized me:

“The Social Media Why”, by Crystal Washington 

“Give and Take” , by Adam Grant


and
“How to Succeed at Being Yourself”, by Joyce Meyer 


So here’s what I’ve realized. Three different authors. Each person addresses a different life arena. Yet they are all challenging me to the same basic concepts.

Social media =  learn how to communicate in today’s real time world or go out of business. (Crystal Washington).

Some people take and never give. Others are only interested in matching what I have to offer, and a giver can either be at the top or the bottom of the scale. To be successful you’d better know who you are, and what’s it going to take. (Adam Grant)

And life is never fair or easy. You can change. However, it takes work. (Joyce Meyer).

All three books remind me of what  my Mom would simply say, “Carolyn, GOI (get over it!) and figure it out whatever that means!”

One statement in the Joyce Meyer’s book brought all this home for me:  (Chapter 10)  “If you have been tempted even recently to give up -- don’t!  If you don’t finish the thing you are currently involved in, you will face the same challenges in the next thing you start”.

Ms. Washington said the same thing in her book.  Essentially, dig in and  figure it out! While Adam Grant indicates it takes years to understand givers, takers, and matchers, but you’d better know who they are and how to work with each of them..

WOW, think about what these authors are saying. Know where you are, work through where you want to be and understand who’s involved.

So here’s the deal: you are entering the final last quarter of 2015.  Do you know what it’s going to take to finish strong?  Have you processed where next year will take you?  Are you working with the right people to help you get there?

The analysis of these three questions is your test.

Remember, “Nothing changes, when nothing changes!”