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August 2011
08/31/2011
08/20/2011
Just Start
Have you ever noticed that some weeks just seem to have themes? For example, you will hear a radio show or a podcast, read an article, or receive a call from a friend; and you will start to notice a theme to the messages you’re hearing. It’s just interesting how that sometimes happens.
Well, this week, the theme that has emerged for me is “Getting Started”.
I would like to tell you that when I started down the path of my business, I had everything planned to perfection; and then I executed and, magically, a successful business emerged.
Uh…NO. It didn’t happen that way.
The fact is, at the very beginning, I simply had an idea. I was not an expert in this idea, not at that point. I simply had an idea, passion, and some knowledge of the concept of finding and using one’s strengths. That’s it.
But you know what? I took a deep breath, got the best advice I could find on the subject, and just STARTED. If you have followed me the last couple of years, you will know that as I have tried new things – podcasting, video, website – sometimes they were, well, imperfect. I recently posted an interview with half my face cut off! What was important was the content, so I put it out there.
The fact is, I just START. I start with something good but not perfect, and I tweak from there. And if you do this day after day, year after year, you will be surprised at how far you've progressed.
You may look at great leaders and think,
“There’s no way I could do what they do.”
And you’re right.
In fact, THEY couldn’t do what they do, either,
when they first started.
So how do you start something? Let’s take the “Getting Started Test”. We’ll use the analogy of a car here.
1. Do you have a license?
You don’t have to be an expert driver, but you do have to know the basic rules of the road and have a certain amount of experience behind the wheel. If you don’t, people will know it immediately. You’ll be like one of those drivers going the wrong way with everyone honking at you. They will go to extremes to avoid you. In a business today, you must have the strengths, skills, and experience to back up your product or service.
2. Do you have a car?
Most of us did not start out with a Mercedes or a Corvette. Most of us started out with something that required a good roll of duct tape to be kept on hand. Our first car certainly wasn’t perfect, but it was cheap and reliable transportation. You have an idea. You need a vehicle to take it from Point A to Point B. Get something cheap and reliable to get started – that and a good roll of duct tape.
3. Where are your keys?
We all know that panicked feeling of not being able to find our keys because, without them, the car will not start. In fact, we can’t even get into the car. A business won’t run without keys, either. For me, those keys were Dan Miller’s coaching and Kevin Miller’s Free Agent Academy. The work of these men helped me identify and then hone my skills in the area of using strengths in leadership. I am also a big fan of John Maxwell’s teachings on leadership. These are some of the keys on my key ring.
4. Do you have tires?
What are tires for? Well, they provide support so your vehicle isn’t sitting on the ground. And they provide a means for movement. In business, you will need a support system, the kind that helps you move forward.
5. Do you have spark plugs, batteries, and fuel?
Now, I’m no car expert, but I do know that you have to have something to ignite your engine and to keep it charged. Identify those people and things in your life that spark your imagination and that give you the energy to keep moving.
6. Is your transmission working?
It’s one thing to start a car and another to get it into motion. You’ll need this thing called a transmission. Transmission is an interesting word that, translated from its roots, means “send across, send off”. You put your car into drive, and the transmission takes that message and moves your car forward. So what will you use to send your message across and get your business moving?
7. Do your accelerator and brakes work?
Some people think that we New Yorkers only have accelerators on our cars. But the fact is, we do have brakes. In business, as in life, you sometimes have to speed up; and sometimes, it’s just as important to slow down, or even stop for a bit. You get started, and then you adjust your momentum with intervals of acceleration and braking.
8. Do you have a steering wheel?
A car without a steering wheel would be dangerous. It also would only allow us to go in one direction all the time. The fact is, we need the steering wheel to go in the right direction, adjust course, and get to the proper destination. Steering a car requires constant adjustment. You should never take your hands off the wheel. The same applies to business. You’ll need to keep your hands on the wheel and adjust course constantly.
Don’t worry if you don’t have the perfect plan for your business. Just do what the rest of us have done and “get started”. You’ll see more of the road as you progress – you just can’t see it all right now.
If you are seeking to start your business,
I urge you to join us at www.FreeAgentAcademy.com.
And while you’re there, check out the details for the September 9-11 Accelerator Event in beautiful Woodland Park, Colorado. I will be speaking there, along with my fellow Free Agent Academy professors. If you need a quick start for your business, that’s the best way I know to get one. I hope you’ll join us!
Want to know where My Wired Style started?
Check out this interview with my mentor and coach, Dan Miller
08/19/2011
08/16/2011
08/15/2011
StrengthCast With Dan Miller
Dan Miller is the best selling author of 48 Days To the Work You Love and No More Mondays, a gifted coach and a generous giver. Dan's also my coach! Having coached countless folks on how to move into work that they love, Dan shares in this interview, strategies and stories that can help change the way you think about using your strengths and talents.
Listen in...
If you can't see this video click here.
You can find Dan at http://www.48days.com
or on his online community
08/10/2011
You Can't Command Relationship
In his book 'The 21 Irrefutable Laws Of Leadership' author, and my mentor, John C. Maxwell describes the key ingredients for great leadership. One of them, The Law Of Influence speaks to the fact that leadership is influence.
Therein lies the problem for some folks. Especially if you are 'D' Wired
Some of us are under the assumption that we can in fact 'command' a relationship. We believe that our strong way of communicating is a key ingredient to a great relationship. We delude ourselves into thinking that the world just can't wait to hear us bark out our next command, but that is not the stuff of great relationships or connections.
I overheard on a teleconference recently one participant remarked that they had relationships all figured out, they simply need to develop them from afar via social media because they seem to last, that it was their in person relationships that didn't. Ut oh!
Here are a few things I'm striving for as a grow as a leader and as a person.
1. Cultivate. - Whether its a business relationship, family, or future spouse, cultivating the soil, enriching their lives in small ways helps to build trust and frankly helps us to connect because we see that they care and know us and what we need.
2. Have Zero Expectation. - As soon as we enter into a relationship with an end result in mind and anything short of that is worthless we lose. Sometimes our expectation taints our cultivation. If we get the feeling things aren't moving in the right direction our attitude may reflect our disappointment and we don't cultivate.
3. Golden Rule. - I hated hearing this rule as a kid but now I totally see its value (thanks Mom), treat others how you would like to be treated (and I have added) ...whether they treat you that way or not.
4. Dialogue Not Monologue. - To be relational requires 2 or more of us interacting so remember to let their be dialogue from everyone. Frankly there is so much I learn when I listen closely to what someone is saying.
5. Practice. - Like any new skill practice is key. Oh and don't ever expect to nail it 100% because we are human beings. We are emotional, unpredictable and in the end we are the one thing each other needs.
What tips do you have on how to build great relationships?
08/08/2011
Which Is Most Important?
In sailing just as in business we focus on two keys
Charting the Course
Steering the Ship
Both are important but one is most important.
Charting the course takes serious concentration, requires research, demands logic and data to be accurate and timely.
And then there is steering the ship.
With the course charted the leader steers as planned but then something unexpected happens, the data is not lining up with the conditions at hand and it takes vision and a steady hand to intuitively modify the plan so you can continue on your path.
Great leaders have charted a logical course.
Exceptional leaders understand that conditions can change and they react accordingly.
Which do you need to develop further?
The Kindergarten Entrepreneur
I received a very special invite via a text message from my sister that my 5-year-old niece had set up an indoor (we do live in NY after all!) raspberry iced tea stand in their apartment.
The invite included the number I could call for more details and a recommendation that I stop first thing.
I eagerly RSVP’d and called as I neared their place. Once I arrived, they asked if I wanted curbside or indoor service. I opted for indoor so I could get the full effect of the indoor stand.
So there in their living room was her tiny table and chair. On top of the table was a pitcher filled to the brim with raspberry iced tea. Colorful cups were neatly arranged around the pitcher, and I was welcomed with a hug and a kiss!
Then it was down to business, or rather up, since her spirit and attitude showed her upbeat friendly demeanor.
“Would you like to stay or take out?” she asked, eager for a quick response. “Hmmm…I would like to stay, but I have a meeting to go to, so may I have it to go?” “Of course,” she responded with a big smile, as she and her mama poured my iced tea.
“Would you like a straw?” she asked next, and I eagerly accepted the straw.
Then she handed me the cup and said, “Oh, I have a treat for you,” and she pulled out a bag of jelly beans and said, “Take a jelly bean treat, too!”
I thanked her for her generosity, and she said, “Oh, and one more treat for you,” as she pulled out a bag of lollipops and handed me one.
I was WOWED and let her know it. I paid for my iced tea, and away I went.
Simple, right?
Cute story, isn't it?
There’s more to this than most businesses realize.
We could all learn a lot from this pint-sized entrepreneur.
1) Make the invite special. Everyone wants to feel special and wanted. What can you do to provide a special invite to people?
2) Use the latest communication methods. Don’t use only what is “comfortable” for you. If you want to connect with people, you need to meet them where they are. The fact that I received a text invite with a picture of her in front of her raspberry iced tea stand in her living room connected me immediately to her.
3) Meet your customer with an enthusiastic and genuine welcome. Making folks see that you genuinely care for them is important.
4) Keep it attractive. People are attracted visually, so be sure to keep your materials, website and promotion attractive and neat.
5) Limit options – today it is all about specialization. What is your niche? How would I know an ideal client or churchgoer to send your way? What is your specialty, and who are the folks that would need it? So often we offer too many options, too broad an approach for anyone to be connected.
6) WOW them. Offering something unexpected, unannounced, and unrehearsed is a great way to WOW people. What can you do today to add value to people you connect with?
These are simple lessons for us all in our relationships, churches, businesses, and life. What will you do differently now?
Oh, and if you happen to be in
New York anytime soon,
I know a great
raspberry iced tea stand
I could recommend to you!
08/07/2011
08/03/2011
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