Posts Tagged ‘Self-Management’

In 100 Words: Standard of Leadership and Culture

Tuesday, October 29th, 2024 by AdvisorCatalyst

What standard of leadership behavior do you set in your organization?  You don’t need to look any further than the culture because leaders cast a shadow. It matters little what praise you speak about your leadership example if it doesn’t line up with what people in your organization see from you.

How well do you live the core values?  Core values are the first standard of behavior.  Other people will treat them to the degree you live them.  If a picture is worth a 1,000 words, think of the power you hold in personally modeling your organization’s standard of behavior.

“Example is worth a thousand lectures.”  Clarence Thomas (2008 interview)

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In 100 Words: Work Your Craft Daily

Tuesday, August 1st, 2023 by AdvisorCatalyst

Your craft is the technical work through which you produce value for others – external customers or internal team members.  It is also work you enjoy and gives you energy.  You may get tired, but this work doesn’t drain you.

What is your personal craft?  How much time do you work your craft each day?  How can you:

  • Fill your schedule with more of your craft?
  • Build support systems which facilitate smooth transitions into your craft and keep you in the zone?
  • Identify tools and processes which help you excel at your craft?
  • Develop your skills to improve in your craft?

“Real success is finding your lifework in the work you love.”  David McCullough

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In 100 Words: Capability Multipliers

Tuesday, June 15th, 2021 by AdvisorCatalyst

Five capability multipliers are listed below. Each factor will expand a person’s contribution regardless of the individual’s base level of talent, skill or knowledge.

1. Attitude – positive and pleasant with a desire to openly engage and serve people.

2. Energy – a result of physical and mental conditioning through diet, rest and exercise.

3. Focus – concentrated attention and effort toward the task or situation at hand.

4. Strengths – leverage unique strengths within the particular work.

5. Teachability – willing to absorb and apply both new knowledge and instructive feedback.

Managing these five well amplifies existing capabilities. How do these resonate with you?

“When you can do the common things of life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world.” George Washington Carver

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In 100 Words: The Value of Humility

Friday, June 14th, 2019 by AdvisorCatalyst

Humility is not required to be successful. There are plenty of conceited, boastful people who enjoy career and financial success. Conversely, people with humility sometimes struggle. The idea that humility has benefits over pride is an axiomatic truth (more probable) rather than an absolute law (like gravity). Arrogance increases the chances a leader:

• makes a blunder by ignoring key decision factors or sound advice,
• experiences resistance to their plans, or
• develops a closed mindset.

Humility usually makes it is easier for a leader to keep an open, receptive mindset – toward people, ideas, and opportunities. Consider the value this could yield.

“Humility will open more doors than arrogance ever will.” Zig Ziglar

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In 100 Words: Savoring Quiet

Wednesday, August 1st, 2018 by AdvisorCatalyst

Reflection time is a luxury many people find too expensive. Consequently, the skill of quiet thinking can be under-developed. We live in 24/7, visual-rich, noise-saturated, media-stimulated environments. Who dares unplug and go quiet? What might we miss?

Physiologically, our minds don’t function well “always on.” Reflection time is where our minds work subconsciously connecting stored dots of information.

Practice quiet.

• Turn off devices
• Sit or stroll outside – nature is conducive to mental meandering
• Close your eyes – other senses awaken

When we are thirsty we gulp. To savor a drink, we sip and swish. Reflection is savoring quiet.

“The monotony and solitude of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind.” Albert Einstein

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In 100 Words: Position Well

Wednesday, January 31st, 2018 by AdvisorCatalyst

Where do you produce your greatest value and are you positioned to do so? Do you know what activities lead to your best work? Do you orient your time accordingly? If not, start a time log.

Identifying what keeps us out of position is a good first step toward contributing our best. Many of us don’t properly structure our work activities. Maybe we haven’t given thought to which activities yield the highest returns. Possibly we hold onto work that should be delegated or stopped altogether. Then, there are those pesky distractions.

Evaluate how you can reposition to deliver higher value.

“There’s an awful temptation to just keep on researching. There comes a point where you just have to stop, and start writing.” David McCullough

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In 100 Words: Bring Others With You (Change Spark-Part 2)

Wednesday, November 1st, 2017 by AdvisorCatalyst

How often do you coach, demand or incentivize people you lead to change? Stop these efforts – at least until you lead by example and change some of your own behaviors. Often leaders simply forget the power of example. Change is hard. When you change one or more your own ingrained habits the message is powerful and persuasive. Your call to action now has the ring of authenticity; of integrity. You demonstrate what it takes to fight through present discomfort for a better future outcome. Your example may be the spark others need to join you on a habit changing journey.

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” Leo Tolstoy

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In 100 Words: Being Present

Monday, August 1st, 2016 by AdvisorCatalyst

How well do you concentrate your mental and emotional faculties on the situation at hand? Can you tell when someone else in a conversation is “miles away?” Here are four reasons why being present is a difficult skill to do well in our person-to-person interactions:

• we are naturally self vs. others focused
• we allow distractions (phones, email, etc.)
• we aren’t emotionally invested
• our minds wander

If we cultivate the mindset of being present we will have greater impact in the current situation. More importantly, we send people the message that they, and the tasks at hand, are important.

“The mind is never satisfied with the objects immediately before it, but is always breaking away from the present moment…” Samuel Johnson

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In 100 Words: The Adversity Advantage

Wednesday, June 15th, 2016 by AdvisorCatalyst

Great accomplishments have a history of adversity. Our response when asked the question, “When have you grown the most in your career?” is frequently connected to times we were stretched to an uncomfortable level. The struggle of adversity is likely to produce stronger personal character as well as better performance. Character growth is seen in the form of greater personal humility, more graciousness toward others, and increased work ethic. Performance improvement comes through investing extra effort, developing our skills and figuring out new solutions. In the end, adversity provides the necessary edge to accomplish more than we first thought possible.

“There is no education like adversity.” Benjamin Disraeli

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In 100 Words: Success > Satisfaction > Stagnation

Tuesday, March 15th, 2016 by AdvisorCatalyst

Success is challenging to sustain. I believe one key reason for this stems from the cycle indicated in the headline. Too often we lose intensity when we are experiencing success – we become too satisfied. Here are two disciplines I use to help maintain my intensity and desire to keep setting and accomplishing new objectives:

• Purpose – focusing on the WHY of my work motivates me to keep improving because I realize my work is far from complete.

• Pace – alternating my periods of production intensity with meaningful downtime keeps me from flaming out and exhausting my resources.

How do you maintain intensity?

“The world owes all its onward impulses to men ill at ease.” Nathaniel Hawthorne

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