by Deborah Leverett | May 4, 2013 | Blog, Uncategorized
4. Live a Disciplined Life: Create Habits and Routines Whatever lifestyle you choose, there is a price to pay. The price you pay to eat what you want and sit on the couch is your health, energy and appearance. The price you pay to eat right and exercise routine is not getting to eat and do what you want; but, ultimately the ROI is much higher: good health, high energy, trim figure and feeling great about yourself! Obviously, this tip is not just about physical goals; it has to do with your personal, professional and relational dreams. Self-control comes about when we admit we have areas that need to be controlled: emotions that run high, appetites that run wild, and selfish tendencies that leave us empty. A disciplined lifestyle is the key to a happy life. You can change your life by changing your habits. Changing what you do cannot be done in 21 days either. When you decide to do something, set out to do it for 100 days and do not deviate. After this, it will be locked in and hard to break. Daily habits, weekly routines, monthly checklists – get...
by Deborah Leverett | May 3, 2013 | Blog, Uncategorized
3. Live with Passion, Gusto, Enthusiasm Enjoy what you are doing. Enthusiasm comes from the Greek en theos: In God. It is an attitude that is contagious and it is highly energizing. This is not a foolish attitude, but a level of energy that unleashes creativity and solutions. This attitude is a quality decision you make to live life to the fullest: in your work, your relationships, your hobbies. It involves helping others, being grateful and using stress as fuel for growth and not as an obstacle to growth. You may have heard ‘Life is what you make of it’; I can’t say it any better....
by Deborah Leverett | May 2, 2013 | Blog, Uncategorized
The power of one to make a positive change is enormous. One person can change a life, change an organization, change a neighborhood, change a nation. Yet before anyone can lead the charge to make a difference in the world, personal leadership must be mastered. In my own life I have discovered there are certain areas of attitude, beliefs and commitments that must be learned to achieve success – 12 that I believe are essential to a productive life: personally and professionally. When practiced daily, they will become habits, then they become who you are and what your are known for. For the next 12 days, one tip will be posted. Use the next 12 days to grow your capacity to make a difference in the world around you. 1. Do It Now To get things done you need to take action. Things seldom happen on their own. People at the top of every profession share one quality — they get things done. This ability outweighs intelligence, talent, and connections in determining the size of your salary and the speed of your advancement. Some people have been procrastinating for years, for decades. The way to overcome procrastination is to do it now! Fear is the attitude and belief behind this behavior. If you are afraid, you won’t leave the shore. You have to leave your place of security to grow. Change requires effort built on the belief that it can be done. The problem is not motivation; it is not commitment: it is...
by Deborah Leverett | Apr 7, 2013 | Blog, Uncategorized
Sitting in a meeting of 15 people, I noticed the atmosphere was stuffy, to say the least. As I looked around the table, I was dumbfounded at the non-verbals being communicated: blank stares body agitation impatient “I’m too busy to be here” looks pouty “I don’t want to be here and I’m mad” looks eye-rolling angry glares no response to questions being asked This is the kind of behavior one expects from a 15-year-old at a family reunion, not a management meeting. Some might say this is a reflection of poor leadership. I say it is a reflection of people who are unprofessional and behaving poorly. The words self-absorbed and immature come to mind. At the very least, this reflects poor listening skills; the more glaring truth is that it is about character. Integrity and trust are entry-level behaviors for team members. Lack of self-awareness and self-control are poor habits which get all of us into trouble and certainly do not promote a strong team much less achieve the mission. Too many of us simply don’t know the impact of our behavior and have no idea of how we come across. Your body language is easily read by others who know exactly what you are saying – make sure that you...
by Deborah Leverett | Mar 25, 2013 | Blog, Uncategorized
In a previous blog post (3/18/13), I identified the attitude of leadership as being the pivotal trait for leading a successful change initiative. But there is another reason why change does not produce the positive results that are expected and it has to do with focus. There is either no focus and allowing every situation to become a crisis; or having a focus but on the wrong target. The complex and often chaotic conditions of change that are now a way of life for most organizations e.g., global competition, economic volatility, new technology, and a diverse workforce all present enormous distractions for leaders and managers to maintain focus and manage employee performance. However, even when leadership and management do focus, the tendency is not to focus on employees, but to zero in only on systems and the bottom line. But, let’s face it: change affects people. Even during positive change, a person will sense loss, fear, and disruptions to daily routines and relationships. These can all play havoc with individual mental and emotional processes that can bring about a dip in performance and productivity. And, yet, often managers and leaders do not see their main concern being about the people. I have worked with leaders who have taken the lack of enthusiasm on the part of employees as a personal affront because they did not understand the process and impact of change from the employee’s point of view. So when dealing with change as a leader there are two important points that will bring you through successfully: Know yourself: have an accurate understanding of your strengths and weaknesses and...
by Deborah Leverett | Mar 22, 2013 | Blog, Uncategorized
Do you know what it is like to work for you? It’s fairly evident by those on your team as well as backed up by research that most managers have a highly distorted notion of how they are seen by staff. One of the most vital traits needed to be a successful boss requires a high level of self-awareness. A boss can no longer depend only on his/her understanding of what life is like as a member of the team. That’s why 360s are both valuable and uncomfortable for everyone. It finally gives us a picture of how others see us. But why is it so important for people to be more self-aware? Because the role of the 21st century boss is much different than the 20th century top-down, controlling boss. The 2oth century manager didn’t have to worry about how they were seen – they were the boss and the employees just had to do as they were told. Doesn’t work any more – today’s managers have to play the role of a coach, a partner, a developer of others and a willing participant in two-way communication. These require continual growth and personal learning. 21st century organizations will gain competitive advantage, be adept at innovation and able to challenge the status quo by creating a more equal balance of power throughout the...
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