From time to time, I plan to bring you excerpts from various leadership podcasts that I listen to on a regular basis as a part of my own personal growth and development plan. Your growth and development as a leader doesn’t happen by accident. Neither does mine. It must be intentional. In my desire to add value to you, I plan to bring you these short excerpts from time to time to give your leadership a boost.
This week I am bringing you an excerpt from The John Maxwell Leadership Podcast. These notes come from the episode entitled: Growth and Gratitude Part 1: (Everything in the quotation box is from John Maxwell)
How To Make Your Contribution Larger Than Your Reward
Adopt a no entitlement attitude
You believe that you have to make some kind of a valuable contribution to others before you deserve any reward.
You have only one thing to focus on every morning – how can I add value to other people today?
Your job is not to worry about what you’re going to reap, your job is worry about what you’re going to sow.
Be the first to help.
Zig Ziglar said, “You can get everything in life that you want if you will just help other people get what they want”.
Being the first to help is very special. My success is determined by the seeds I sow, not the harvest I reap.
How do you plan to make your contribution larger than your reward?
“Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do…” I Chronicles 12:32
There’s no question that we live in peculiar times. As a leader, it is more important than ever that you have clarity of heart and mind in order to lead effectively.
Our country is torn by many great divides. Tensions are high and divisions are running deep. People are looking for answers. It’s important in times like these, as it was in the days of Issachar, that we as leaders are people who understand the times and know what to do.
I realize this is somewhat of a departure from my customary tone of writing that I deliver each week, but perhaps I am looking at our world these days with a different perspective.
My first grandchild is turning one year old, and I am thinking about the kind of world he is growing up in and the type that he will inherit. As our family celebrates this momentous and joyous occasion it is causing me to take a step back and put leadership in a sharper context. What type of world do I want him to know and inherit? Here are a few thoughts on how we get there.
In times like these, we must lead with love
“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care,” said John Maxwell. And this is the rallying call for all leaders today. If our leadership is going to amount to anything worth espousing it must be done with hearts of love. Enough with the hatred and vitriol, it’s time to lead with love.
In times like these, we must espouse servant leadership
For many in leadership, it’s all about the quest to get to the top. It’s a “what’s in it for me?” attitude. Yes, it’s self-serving, and yes, it’s everything that is wrong with leadership. Servant leadership is about adding value. It’s about enriching the lives and growing the leaders around you. It’s about raising others up, not tearing them down. It’s about contentment in being second in a “me first’ world. It’s about a “what can I give?” attitude in a self-absorbed world.
Photo Credit: Google Images
In times like these, we must lead with humility
“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less,” said Rick Warren. What a powerful thought. We have enough leaders thinking more about themselves than perhaps they should. Perhaps it’s in times like these we need to be thinking less of ourselves and more about those we can serve, those we can lift up, and how to bring people together.
In times like these, we must lead with open hearts
If there was ever a time for us as leaders to open our hearts to those around us it’s now. We must stop talking and screaming past one another and learn once again to listen. As leaders, we must be the change we seek. We must open our hearts and see that we all have a stake in the outcome of the type of the world we want to know and leave behind.
In times like these, we must lead with clarity
The men in the day of Issachar were men who understood the times in which they lived. It’s up to us as leaders to do the same. Our voices, the lone ones in a sea of instant reactions and opinions, must be the calm ones in the storm. In times like these, we must lead with a steady hand and moral clarity, and with the courage of our convictions. Our voices need to be heard and our message delivered with love and humility.
In times like these, we must think long and pray hard.
It’s no secret; leadership is hard. It’s hard in the good times, not to mention in times of difficulty. We need more leaders who think long. We need leaders who know how to look at the big picture and see into the future. But, we would all be amiss if we thought we could do it alone. We must be leaders who understand the power and necessity of prayer. Understanding the times in which we live comes with a price. We must seek wisdom from outside of ourselves when we know it’s not within us. We need God’s help.
The times in which we live present us as leaders a tremendous opportunity. Are you ready to lead in times like these?
It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are. – Roy E. Disney
In his new book No Limits, John Maxwell makes a profound statement worth consideration. He writes, “Today I am far less interested in certainty about many things and much more interested in clarity about the few things that matter.”
The statement comes on the heels of writing about how he relies less on his beliefs, which over the years have become fewer and fewer, and more on values which do not change. He adds, “Every time you learn something new, your beliefs adjust. In my lifetime I’ve let go of dozens and dozens of beliefs that I once possessed just because I learned more or experienced more.”
It caused me to reflect on my own personal and leadership journeys. I can also look back now and see where certain beliefs have changed over time. Clarity of values has brought perspective which in turn has brought much more meaning to life.
Where are you on your journey? Your belief systems are vitally important and I do not wish to diminish them. But perhaps a shift, no matter how small, toward having more clarity over your values is in order. Beliefs will change over time and through life experiences, but your values are your foundation. Here’s why they are important.
Values clarify your why
Your life’s purpose, both personally and professionally, is rooted in your values. Life has meaning and fulfillment when you know why you were placed on this earth. When you have more clarity about why you are here then everything else you do toward that end makes more sense. No longer is it a chore, it’s a calling.
Values clarify your passion
Passion alone is not enough. I can get passionate about losing weight for a week or two, but if I don’t have the discipline to follow through it won’t be enough. Passion is the fuel for your purpose. When you understand why you are here and the purpose behind it, then your passion will be contagious.
Values clarify your character
Maxwell devotes a section to the role that values play in determining your character. He writes, “Our values determine our character, and our character determines the direction we will go in life.” Clarity of values is critical to understanding the kind person you will be because your character flows from it. Whatever station you are at in life – husband, wife, father, mother, executive, leader, etc., what will set you apart is that you are a person of character. In short – clarify your values, clarify your character.
Values clarify your focus
Maxwell said he was far less interested in certainty about many things and much more concerned about clarity in the few things that matter. What great perspective!
What about you? How different would your life be right now if you began making the shift away from wanting certainty about many things to clarity about the few things that matter most? In this stage of your life right now, what are the few things that matter most?
We want certainty because we have a sense of security attached to it, but life takes on a whole new meaning when we can look at it with clarity. That’s when you understand what matters most.
Success is not a function of the size of your title but the richness of your contribution. – Robin S. Sharma
I’m sure if you’ve been in leadership circles long enough you’ve heard the adage, “People don’t leave jobs, they leave managers”. And it happens for good reason. A person with a title gets a position and then suddenly they think they know it all. Instead of growing into their leadership potential they fall back on their title to push their agenda and ideas.
A must-read for all leaders is John Maxwell’s book The Five Levels of Leadership. It should be required reading for all organizations and their leaders.
In the book, Maxwell walks the reader through the five levels beginning with level one, the lowest level – position. While it is a starting place for leaders it’s not where you want to stay. One of the main problems, as Maxwell points out, with positional leaders is that they want to “focus on control instead contribution.” And this is why people don’t leave jobs, they leave managers.
Positional thinking for any organization is like death by a thousand cuts (titles). It’s not necessarily one thing that is the deal breaker for people, but the culmination of bad leadership behaviors over time that seals the deal. It’s management by decree in place of leadership by example. It’s painful to watch, and horrible to experience. But what do those mindsets and thinking sound like? I will highlight a few that Maxwell describes.
Top down – “I’m over you”
The person with a title can either be humble or arrogant. They can take advantage of the opportunity they now have to learn, mature, grow, and develop into a good leader. Or they can be arrogant and think they are important because they have a title. When a leader relies on a position rather than influence to get things done it’s death by a thousand titles.
Power – “I determine your future”
Positional leaders on power trips will kill your organization. This mindset is counterproductive to any that wants to move forward. Sadly, the good people working for this type of positional leader will soon move on. Leaders who like to wield this kind of power soon find that there’s no one left to control. It’s death by a thousand titles.
Selfishness – “You’re here to help me”
For the positional leader, it’s all about them. You will fall into their good graces of leadership so long as you understand that is your role. Not the other way around.The antithesis of this, of course, is servant leadership. As you mature as a leader you learn that it is not about you and that the best way to lead is by serving others. A selfish leader is only thinking about his or her self-preservation. Everything else and everyone else is subservient to that end. Organizationally, it’s death by a thousand titles.
Rules – “The manual says”
Positional leaders are big fans of the rule book and the manual. This, of course, kills morale, stifles creativity, and otherwise makes life unbearable for those actually trying to make a difference. Howard Behar described it best when he said that what organizations need is not a rulebook but a playbook. Unfortunately, the positional leader doesn’t yet have the skill and foresight to lead any other way than by the book, not realizing that much of leadership is by the heart. Organizationally, it’s death by a thousand titles.
Having a title doesn’t make you a leader. It simply means as Maxwell points out, that you have leadership potential. Your growth as a leader will be accelerated as you stop relying on your title and use your people skills. This begins by practicing servant leadership. As a leader you must come to know, it’s not about you.
We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear. – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
In his book Intentional Living, John Maxwell describes the faith factor as it relates to connecting us with like-minded people. In a more personal way, he relates the role fear plays in preventing us from reaching our goals and dreams. Maxwell states, “Fear is the most prevalent reason why people stop. Faith is what makes people start.” Over the years I’ve had my fill of fears. I reckon it’s possible you have as well.
If you’re like me, you possess no shortage of ideas or goals you’d like to achieve. I’ll admit some ideas were perhaps conceived too soon, some a little too late, while others just died a slow death due to the restraints of time. Can you relate?
Yet there are some dreams and goals that died a slow death for another reason- fear. We’ve all wrestled with fears. I remember in Little Leagues it was always the fear of striking out. In school, I had test anxiety. Fear would get the best of me that I would fail. Even today I struggle with another fear- arachnophobia- the fear of spiders. What are yours?
Thankfully, Maxwell’s depiction of fear and the struggles we all face didn’t stop there. He went on to point how faith makes up for our fear and when applied in our lives can turn the tide in our favor. Maxwell said, “Faith does not make things easy, but it makes things possible because it puts everything, including fear, into the right perspective. So, if you want to learn, to grow, to achieve your dreams of significance to make a difference, have faith”.
How different would your life look if the decisions you made, whether those decisions are personal or professional, look if they were made through the lens of faith rather than through the lens of fear? How would things look on the other side of fear? Here’s my challenge to you.
Lead on the other side of fear
Imagine the kind of influence you could have as a leader if you opted for faith over fear? Fear will paralyze you as a leader and hinder you from becoming all God created you to be. When you lead with faith it will bury your fears and you will lead on a new level. Living on the other side of fear doesn’t mean you don’t have doubts or have questions, it just means that it’s a burden that doesn’t rest entirely on your shoulders anymore. Faith takes the weight off, fear puts it on.
Dream on the other side of fear
I know all too well what happens to dreams when fear sets in. They die. How many dreams of yours have suffered an untimely death because of fear? Fear will keep your dreams small. But I’d rather fail on the other side of fear with a God-inspired dream than succeed knowing I didn’t need God’s help. As Mark Batterson says, “If your dream doesn’t scare you, it’s too small.”
Serve on the other side of fear
When you live your life free from fear you live a life that is a peace. You are at peace knowing that you don’t have to worry about what other people think about you, say about you, or otherwise interfere with your life’s purpose. You are free to lead with your heart and serve causes greater than yourself. Fear is a speed-bump on the road to being a blessing to others. Get rid of the fear.
Grow on the other side of fear
Fear stunts your growth on many levels. It can rob you of your dreams, goals, creativity, and productivity to name a few. But when you feed your faith and starve your fears you position yourself for unprecedented personal and professional growth.
I am in no way suggesting here to throw caution to the wind and chase your dreams on blind faith. It pays to be prudent and listen to wise counsel. But well-meaning people along the way will fuel your faith or they will fuel your fears. You must not allow fear to win. Faith is hard because of the unknown. But with fear, the unseen and unattained dreams and goals will always be that–unseen and unfulfilled.
A wonderful life in leadership awaits you. It’s on the other side of fear.
What people think of as the moment of discovery is really the discovery of the question. – Jonas Salk
A friend once asked Isidor I. Rabi, a Nobel prize winner in science, how he became a scientist. Rabi replied that every day after school his mother would talk to him about his school day. She wasn’t so much interested in what he had learned that day, but always inquired, “Did you ask a good question today?” “Asking good questions,” Rabi said, “made me become a scientist.”
One of the lost arts in leadership is asking good questions. It’s a lost art mostly because we are so busy trying to be the answer man/woman that we miss the magical moments of discovery that are right in front of us.
While it’s fine to give answers and provide guidance to those whom you lead, it’s incumbent upon us to never lose our sense of wonderment and curiosity as leaders. A good leader will always listen to his or her people, but a smart leader will ask the right questions.
Part of your growth and development is found in the questions you ask about your own leadership. It’s in your moments of reflection that you can see how far you’ve come, where we are today, and where we are headed tomorrow. Here are four questions for your consideration.
Do I know my ‘why’?
This is perhaps the single greatest question that pertains to your life and your leadership. In his book Intentional Living, John Maxwell writes, “The sooner you know your why, the sooner you can shift your focus from yourself to others.” It’s a wonderful day when you discover your why and come to the realization that it’s not about you.
Am I intentional about my growth?
It’s way too easy to get caught up in the moments of the day tending to so many responsibilities of being the leader that you fail to develop as a leader. Developing as a leader is only achieved by being intentional about your growth. What books are you reading? What about a mentor or coach? If you are not growing as a leader you are in decline as a leader.
Am I leading by example?
One of the pitfalls of leadership is trying to lead by decree rather than by example. Your value as a leader is demonstrated not so much by what you say but by what you do. Those you lead are looking to you not for lofty words but for a solid example. Be sure what you are modeling is worth imitating.
Is my attitude/heart in the right place?
In Proverbs 4:23 the writer said, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” It’s important not to let the stress and responsibilities of leadership take a negative toll on you mentally, physically, emotionally, or spiritually. A negative mindset or attitude can ruin your effectiveness as a leader. Not only that, but it can cause unwanted issues in your organization. Make this a priority-guard your heart.
In order to grow as a leader you must answer these questions and more. What questions are you asking?
“You can change your mindset” – Carol S. Dweck – Mindset, The New Psychology of Success
In her highly acclaimed and recommended book Mindset , Carol S. Dweck lays out four foundational statements to gauge whether you have a fixed-mindset or a growth mindset.
Here are the statements ( Answer T or F to each one):
Your intelligence is something very basic about you that you can’t change very much.
You can learn new things, but you can’t really change how intelligent you are,
No matter how much intelligence you have, you can always change it quite a bit.
You can always substantially change how intelligent you are.
Statements 1 and 2 are fixed-mindset statements. Statements 3 and 4 reflect the growth mindset. “Which did you agree with more? You can be a mixture, but most people lean toward one or the other,” states Dweck.
Over the years I have come to know that leaders have a mindset that sets them up for success or failure even before that leadership journey begins.
The mindset you embrace sets the tone for your leadership style, success, and the influence you will have. What mindsets or characteristics will hold you back? Which ones will cause you to succeed? Here are a few.
The mindset of your attitude
In leadership, your attitude is your best friend or worst enemy. It’s one of the most contagious characteristics of your leadership style. It will cause people to rally around you and your vision or it will turn them away. The attitude mindset of the leader will be the benchmark for the rest of the organization. You can’t expect the attitude of your people to be good if the one you showcase is bad. Eventually, you will have to change your attitude or your people will change their address. (I wrote about attitude in the workplace here).
What kind of attitude are you projecting? Do you only focus on the negative? Do you only see what your people are doing wrong as opposed to what they do well? How does your attitude inspire, encourage, and motivate your colleagues? Is your attitude worthy of emulating?
The mindset of your perceptions
One of the basic foundational leadership lessons I learned many years ago from John Maxwell was in how he sees other people. Maxwell said he always looked at people and saw a “10”. It was his way of helping others get in touch with their potential and set them up for growth and success. Were all of the people he labeled as a “10” truly a 10? Of course not. But the perception he put into play was one that emphasized unlimited growth and possibility in the people he believed in–even when they may have only been a 4, 5, or a 6 in reality.
What are the perceptions of the people you lead? Do you instill confidence in your people that reflects a 10 even though they may only be a 5? If known by your people would your perceptions give them a reason to be optimistic or discouraged? What changes do you need to make in your perceptions of other people or personal changes that would cause you to be a better leader in general?
The mindset of your personal growth and development
Every successful leader I know has one thing in common- they never stop growing.The older I get the more I realize how much I don’t know which is humbling. (I wrote about the things I wish I had known years ago about leadership here). You can have a fixed-growth mindset that Dweck writes about or you can have a growth mindset that will make all the difference in the world to your leadership. The mindset you choose, feed, and nurture is the one that will win out at the end of the day.
What are you doing on a daily basis that contributes to a growth mindset? As a whole, does your organization have a fixed-mindset or a growth mindset? What fixed-growth mindsets do you struggle with the most? What changes do you need to make to develop a growth mindset?
Developing a growth centered leadership mindset is the beginning of a leadership journey that begins by believing it is possible.
Few things increase the credibility of leaders more than adding value to the people around them. – John Maxwell
American artist James Whistler, who was never known to be bashful about his talent, was once advised that a shipment of blank canvases he had ordered had been lost in the mail. When asked if the canvases were of any great value, Whistler remarked, “not yet, not yet.”
Value, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. While it’s not too hard to spot beauty when we see it, the search for value might be a bit more challenging.
I came across an article in Inc. magazine (http://on.inc.com/2bZaq1X) by John Brandon in which he reveals the results of one survey that should grab the attention of every leader who has anything to do with his or her employees. Citing a survey by O.C. Tanner that surveyed 2,363 office workers it “ found that, for those who feel appreciated, a whopping 89% feel satisfied in their jobs. That number drops to only 51% for those who said they don’t feel appreciated.
In the same control group, 85% of the “appreciated” employees also said they were satisfied with life while 61% of the under-appreciated employees were not happy with life in general. The data creates a stark contrast in other areas as well, revealing that those who feel appreciated tend to be less stressed, have a better sense of belonging, and feel like they have better control over their life.”
In theory we know that employee engagement is a good thing. We intuitively know that we should be engaged and taking a proactive posture towards building relationships that make a difference. As a leader, the value that you add to your organization is like one of those blank canvases. The value is yet to be determined. So what can you do as a leader to make a difference and create a masterpiece? Here are four practical ways.
Add value with your words
You can add value to those in your sphere of influence simply by the words you speak. Be generous with praise, be passionate with vision, be patient in confrontation. But understand that the word you use set the tone for the way in which your employees react and how together you move forward as a team. When they feel valued they will perform like it.
Add value with you actions
In as much as your team likes to hear from you, what carries the day is not your words but your deeds. Talk is just that – talk. Value is added when you back it up with actions that moves the team in the right direction. If you want to see morale soar in your organization be a leader that backs up the talk with action.
Add value with your attitude
Your attitude is the thermostat for the morale of your organization. It’s most unrealistic for you to expect strong morale from those you lead if your attitude stinks. Can you blame them? You add value to those you lead with a strong attitude that knows how to celebrate accomplishments, is steady in times of testing, and sets the bar high with a winning attitude.
Add value with your culture
The findings in the above mentioned survey found that the quality of life not only at work but outside of it was much improved simply because the employees felt appreciated. What one, two, or three actions could you do today that would add value to those you lead? It’s not about righting the ship overnight, but it is about taking steps today that can begin to change the culture of your organization. And you don’t have to fly off to some fancy conference to learn or do this.
Adding value to those you lead should be utmost in your mind, your heart, and the focal point of the decisions you make. Are you a value-added leader?
People don’t quit companies, they quit lousy bosses. – Jimmy Collins
I was in the car not long ago listening to an episode of the Dave Ramsey Show (http://bit.ly/NfZIDm) when a caller was describing to Dave how her husband was ready to quit his six-figure income because of a toxic work environment that had pushed him to the brink.
I couldn’t help but wonder how a person in such a financially secure position could walk away from it due to deplorable working conditions. Unfortunately, it’s a wide spread problem for far too many people.
A Benefits Pro article (http://bit.ly/1ZZ4oeU) reveals some of the top reasons why many in the workplace are ready to bolt. Among the top reasons are: Low pay, awful commute, unreasonable workload, annoying co-workers, poor work/life balance, lack of opportunity for advancement, the boss, and layoff/firing fear, to name a few.
If you were to give yourself an honest assessment of your present circumstance would you find yourself in the position like the lady talking to Ramsey or perhaps a person described in the article above who for whatever the reason were ready to quit?
Perhaps you are an employer who is trying to make sense of poor morale and attitudes that reflect a disengagement that troubles you. Here are some steps you can take to begin to close the gap and build a culture that matters.
Look in the mirror
Building the kind of company workers would never dream of leaving begins by being the kind of leader everyone wants to follow. If workers are ready to walk out the door making six figures it likely has less to do with the company and more to do with the leader. Never stop growing and learning as a leader and before you try to grow others, grow yourself.
Get connected
It was John Maxwell who said, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Unless you get this right, your organization will be a revolving door of talent who can and will go elsewhere. Building your company begins by building relationships. When your people mean more to you than your profits you will never have to worry about people walking out the door.
Build bridges
Building a culture of trust and openness begins when you connect your people to one another. While job descriptions and responsibilities may vary it is important that each person see the value of his or her role. Job titles and duties may vary but everyone brings talent and skills needed for success. Building a culture that matters begins when you bring people together, not when you keep them apart.
Embrace change
Building a culture that matters can only happen in an environment where change is allowed. The way things were done twenty years ago may have served you well at the time but how is it working now? Employee engagement is essential to your success and creative options exist today on levels that were not present a decade or two ago. Many an organization have lost their competitive edge simply because they were not ahead the curve as it relates to change. Don’t let your inability to change be the reason your best and brightest flee.
Be willing to prune
The truth is, some people are never happy unless they are unhappy. They are chronic complainers and whiners. They have bad attitudes and are the laggards on every decision to move forward. For them the glass is always half empty and they are always finding fault along with sowing seeds of strife. The old saying goes, “What you tolerate, you promote.” In order to build a culture that matters in which everyone can thrive and reach their potential you must accept the reality that not everyone can or should take the journey with you. Let them go.
Give ownership
When your people are empowered they will seldom disappoint. It’s an age old principle that has been proven time and time again. When people have ownership and the power to make decisions at the closest level to the problem they will succeed. Sometimes the best thing you can do as a leader is to get out of the way. When there is a shared ownership of the mission and vision then everyone has a stake in the outcome. The key for you as a leader is to welcome your people into the process, not shut them out.
These are but a few practical steps that if implemented can start a process of closing your revolving door and building the kind of culture that you and your people can take pride in. Are you ready to get started?
A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing. – George Bernard Shaw
Fred Rogers shared a story about a young apprentice who applied to a master carpenter for a job. The older man asked him, “Do you know your trade?” “Yes sir!” the young man replied proudly.
“Have you ever made a mistake?” the older man inquired. “No sir!” the young man answered, feeling certain he would get the job. “Then there’s no way I’m going to hire you,” said the master carpenter, “because when you make one, you won’t know how to fix it.”
Mistakes are as much a part of our lives in leadership as any success. This is so because on the journey to success we make many mistakes. It’s all a part of the learning and the journey. I know I’ve made my fair share of mistakes and then some, how about you?
Churchill wisely observed, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” In the end, it’s not that you will make mistakes or have failures, but it’s all about your response and what you learn when you experience them.
From some of the top thinkers in leadership come words of advice and wisdom to help you put your mistakes in perspective. Here are my five favorites.
John Wooden – “If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything. I’m positive that a doer makes mistakes.”
Wooden’s take on mistakes should encourage all of us. Mistakes are made by “doers” who dare to take risks and accomplish their goals and dreams. Mistakes will not come to the person sitting on the sidelines and who is otherwise disengaged from the race. Setbacks and failures are made by doers like Edison, Ford, Disney, Spielberg, and you. Get in the game, get your hands dirty, and get a few mistakes under your belt. The sooner you do the sooner you will enjoy success.
Steve Jobs – “Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly and get on with improving your other innovations.”
Steve Jobs characterizes people who make mistakes as “innovators”. Perhaps you’ve never thought of it this way before, but it’s a great perspective. Innovators are those tenacious people who never give up. Regardless of the ridicule, adversity, or circumstances, these innovators will gladly welcome the challenges that come with making mistakes. Your mistakes can either be your fuel and fire, or a bucket of water dashed upon your dreams. When you make mistakes- innovate!
Dale Carnegie – “The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way.”
What Carnegie is saying here is that no mistake, setback, or failure is ever in vain if you approach it with the right attitude and learn from it. Essential here is the learning. If you keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again you haven’t learned from it. Profiting from your mistakes is when you figure out why the mistake happened and turning that negative experience into a positive one. Your success as a leader is connected to what you learn and applying the lesson.
Les Brown – “Forgive yourself for your faults and mistakes and move on.”
This is such good advice. We’ve all made our fair share of mistakes. But what good would any of us be as leaders if all we did was beat ourselves up because of our mistakes? Success will come to the leader who, after making a mistake, forgives himself/herself and moves on with a renewed purpose and determination to succeed. Don’t wallow in your mistakes, cut yourself some slack, and get moving.
John Maxwell – “The greatest mistake we make is living in constant fear that we will make one.”
This is such a powerful truth that all success-minded leaders should embrace. None of us will achieve any level of success without making mistakes, experiencing setbacks, and feeling the sting of failures. But living in a constant state of fear of making a mistake will only impede you from being in the game and trying. Don’t let the fear of failure paralyze you from being fully engaged and ready to compete, and ready to win.
