Leadership

John Maxwell, in his book, No Limits, writes about “Thinking Capacity – Your Ability to Think Effectively.” He tells the story of his father, who in his early life during the Depression, worked for three wealthy people in their town. During this time, his father learned that they think differently from others, but thought alike. Maxwell writes that his father came to the conclusion: “Successful people think differently than unsuccessful people.” He states that good thinking is a key to success and shares these thoughts from his book on thinking, Thinking for Change.

1. Everything begins with a thought.
“Life consists of what a man is thinking about all day.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

2. What we think determines who we are. Who we are determines what we do.
“I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of the thoughts.” – John Locke

3. Our thoughts determine our destiny.
“You are today where your thoughts brought you. You will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.” – James Allen

4. People who go to the top think differently than others.
“Nothing limits achievement like small thinking’. Nothing expands possibilities like unleashed imagination.” – William Arthur Ward

5. We can change the way we think.
“Whatever things are true… noble… just… pure… lovely… are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy; think on these things.” – Paul the Apostle

Henry Ford wrote: “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right.” We are what we think. It is our choice to choose what we think. May we choose a strong belief in ourselves and our value, unshakable confidence to achieve, a joyous optimism in all that we are and do, a belief that everything is possible because I’m possible. May we remember the words of Marcus Aurelius as inspiration for our journey: “The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.” Great thoughts will make an even greater you.

From my teacher Michael Reuter, I pass this on.

In his book, Holy Sweat, Tim Hansel speaks of a common thread that runs through the lives of great leaders.

“In 1962, Victor and Mildred Goertzel published a revealing study of 413 famous and exceptionally gifted people. The study was called Cradles of Eminence. These two researchers spent years trying to understand the source of these peoples’ greatness, the common thread which ran through all of these outstanding peoples’ lives. The most outstanding fact was that almost all of them, 392, had to overcome very difficult obstacles in order to become who they were. Their problems became opportunities instead of obstacles.”

It is this magnificent gift that differentiates great leaders – a mindset focused on problem-solving and goal accomplishment. One which sees doors where others see walls. One that sees learning where others see trials. One that embraces the excitement of the challenge and the growth that it brings. Obstacles are the building blocks of the great leaders’ emotional, spiritual and intellectual strength. Remember always the wise counsel of Mahatma Gandhi: “ Strength does not come from winnings. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.” Never, ever surrender. May you always see opportunities and not obstacles and change the world.

“People who succeed have momentum. The more they succeed, the more they want to succeed, and the more they find a way to succeed,” writes Tony Robbins. It is built over time with a ceaseless drive and passion, a self-motivation repeated endlessly as it becomes part of the great leader’s life.

In his book, Winning Every Day, Lou Holtz provides great leaders his own definition of momentum with an interesting, thought-provoking insight.

“Momentum is nothing more than a state of mind. Again, an attitude. For example, you are winning a football game 14-0. Your opponent scores just before the half to make it 14-7. Up in the broadcast booth, the announcers proclaim that momentum has just swung in favor of the other team, even though you’re still ahead 14-7. Now let’s look at another game. This time your team is tied at 7-7. You score a touchdown and make the extra point just before the half to go ahead 14-7. As you enter the locker room, everyone now claims the momentum is with you. Ridiculous. The score is 14-7 in both instances. In other words, momentum is whatever your attitude determines it to be.”

Be it a force that great leaders build through repetition over time, or a continuing motivating attitude that finds its sustainability in the strength of attitude, momentum is sustaining power. May we magnify that power as we remember the words of Michael Korda: “One way to keep momentum going is to have constantly greater goals.” And as Tony Robbins counsels us: “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.” Life is so very good.

Thanks my friend Michael M Reuter SHU

My Mentor Michael M Reuter shared this with me.

John Grisham writes: “The alarm would go off at 5, and I’d jump into the shower. My office was 5 minutes away. And I had to be at my desk, at my office, with the first cup of coffee, a legal pad and write the first word at 5:30, five days a week.” So it is in the great leaders’ lives – the daily routine so often repeated, the seemingly endless work and long hours. Even with their excitement, challenges, and rewards, there are moments of fatigue, and even boredom, when the glamor of what they are doing disappears. They seem to have lost their way.

H.G. Wells wrote: “Losing your way on a journey is unfortunate. But, losing your reason for the journey is a fate crueler.” In their simple humanity, great leaders arrive at those moments in life when they question the “why” of their journey. The joy they once experienced is somewhere lost, and the once driving satisfaction becomes depleted. It is, at these times, that great leaders know to pause to revisit their purpose. What was it that brought them to this job? What was in it that filled their passion? What has changed that they feel as they do now? These questions open their door to a deep exploration to find again their purpose.

The answers to their questions help them again find their life’s purpose – reason is again found in their routine, excitement in their challenges and satisfaction in their work. It was always there, only obscured by a momentary detour. On the other hand, their answers may open their eyes to new paths. Erol Ozan writes: “Some beautiful paths can’t be discovered without getting lost.” Lao Tzu tells us: “New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.”

Regardless of the outcome, the moment was grasped to revisit their life’s purpose. This is beautifully captured in Pablo Picasso’s words: “The meaning of life is to find your fit. The purpose of life is to give it away.” May you always remember Jerry Buccino’s gentle counsel: “When you leave, you want to leave a pile of ashes that will remind people that you once burned a magnificent fire.” May your fire burn brightly and light the world! Life is so very good.

Have a beautiful day and a magnificent week!!!

“We do not remember days, we remember moments,” writes Cesare Pavese. It is in these brief instances that our mind and heart capture something memorable and distinctive. The moment was different from all others. It glowed by its specialty and uniqueness. It may have been a moment of connectivity with others in celebration (a wedding or graduation), a moment of self-discovery (a choice of a career or career change, a decision to marry),a moment of personal achievement and pride in its accomplishment, or simply a moment of exception that was exciting, fun and memorable (our first roller coaster ride, a truly out-of-the ordinary and magical happening). These are moments that we remember and treasure and which create a mosaic of the joys of our life.

In their beautiful and powerful book, The Power of Moments, Chip Heath and Dan Heath share with great leaders how they can create more magical and special moments. They write:

“Every culture has its prescribed set of big moment: birthdays and weddings and graduations, of course, but also holiday celebrations and funeral rites and political traditions. They seem “natural” to us. But notice that every last one of them was invented, dreamed up by anonymous authors who wanted to give shape. That is what we mean by “thinking in moments: to recognize where the prose of life needs punctuations.”

“Think in moments” is their powerful message – to recognize thoughtfully that each moment gives us the opportunity to create a memory of a lifetime. All it takes is stopping and asking: how can I make this moment (be it a birthday, a meeting with someone, hiring a person, an experience for a customer, a surprise for a family member or loved one) so very special that they will remember it always? We have the power to create perfect moments that can last a lifetime. Think in moments! Make those punctuations! You will change the world!

I believe Elon Musk, at this moment, is poised to become the single most impactful person of the 2st century.
Randy Ottinger, Executive Vice President at Kotter International, said of Elon Musk: “Elon Musk is an inventor and builder wrapped into one; kind of like a combination of Benjamin Franklin and Steve Jobs on steroids.” Assuredly, Musk is a magnificent one-of-a-kind leader in today’s changing world. In her Predictive Success article, Top 10 in Leadership, author, Kelly-Ann Lahey shares Musk’s top 10 lessons in leadership.

Lesson #1. Lead by Example
Lesson #2. Lead with Purpose
Lesson #3. Be Creative
Lesson #4. Be Collaborative
Lesson #5. Encourage Innovation
Lesson #6. Be Decisive
Lesson #7. Be Comfortable with Change
Lesson #8. Hire Carefully
Lesson #9. Set Exceptionally High Standards
Lesson #10. Put the Right People in the Right Role

Musk’s lessons reflect his life learning from his personal experience of leadership. He has gone through the harsh realities of difficulties and failures to understand how each of these lessons has impacted his career and life and how they can affect others. His selfless sharing of these lessons allows both him and the recipient to continue to learn the lessons of leadership through his new-found perspectives. May his lessons serve as seeds to each of us to further grow and develop our own leadership skills, talents and knowledge that we, too, can be “an inventor and builder wrapped into one.”

From my good friend and Teacher Michael Reuter of SHU

It is the great leaders’ daily ritual in the quiet of the morning – their mind goes through the day ahead: family responsibilities to take care of, personal to-do’s, business schedule, evening commitments (a late night ahead?), then home again. With a smile of their face, they look into the mirror and jubilantly say, “This will be a magnificent day, the best yet.” Another day begins, and they know that the day will be filled with challenges.

Philip Humbert in his blog, Trouble and Triumph, writes about these great leaders, and shares his thoughts on a successful strategy that they can use in dealing with these challenges. He states: “High achievers expect challenges. They know that, as they move forward, problems will occur. Unexpected things will happen, and they maintain an attitude of optimism, humor, strength and resolve in the face of difficulties. They know that, as they become ever more successful, the size and complexity of their problems will only grow.” He suggests some solutions for solving the problems.

Expect difficulty! This is no surprise. It is not unfair or unusual. Life is complicated. Get good at it.
Keep a buffer around the edges of your life. Maintain a reserve of extra time, savings in the bank, and a bit of energy to handle the unexpected.
Attitudes of optimism and enthusiasm are essential.
View difficulties as challenges or learning opportunities rather than as problems. How we talk about our difficulties makes a huge difference in how we handle them.Words matter!
Have a team of cheerleaders, experts and colleagues on stand-by to help you overcome any challenge. “We get by with a little help from our friends.”
Be proactive. Take care of difficulties while they are small. Preventive maintenance is good for your car, your relationships and your heart.
Learn from every experience and (try) not to have the same problem twice. Learn from difficulties, make changes, and move on. Never repeat the same life-lesson!

Setting expectations, maintaining a positive attitude and seeing what life presents as opportunities to learn establish a powerful growth mindset. The morning ritual, far from being dreaded, becomes one of joy and excitement… the excitement that this beautiful and magnificent day we are given will be the best yet, because we choose it to be.
Fill every minute of your day with all the greatness and possibilities that only you can give. Return home each night knowing that you lived every minute of your magnificent life that day. May you remember and hold close the words of Henry David Thoreau that we “must find your eternity in each moment.” May you find your eternity in every moment. Life is so very, very good.

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As sent my friend and teacher Michael M. Reuter of SHU

Henry David Thoreau writes: “It is not what you look at that matters. It’s what you see.” These words provide great leaders a beautiful moment of reflection. They think of how wonderfully unique each of us is. We see life differently, not “right” or “wrong,” but with a rich abundance of diversity that brings new insights and meaning to everything we touch. They muse about how these words speak to the creativity that spawned from that different set of eyes, a creativity so beautifully captured by George Bernard Shaw in his words: “Some men see things as they are and say, why? I dream things that never were and say, why not.” They recognize also the caution given in these words: to be vigilant in their understanding that they don’t know what they don’t know – that there may be more possibilities in something that they are not seeing. As Anais Nin tells us: “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.”