We become who we surround ourselves with.
Jack and I are self made millionaires. We recognize opportunity, act upon it immediately and then take full command of it. We did not get here by luck or accident. Let us show you how to break free of the paralyzing fear, that has prevented you from tapping into your full potential.
When you are ready to go for it all, get in touch with us. Be prepared to learn what it takes to be empowered and unstoppable. We have been creating and cultivating successful leaders for years. We will provide you with one on one coaching, training, and mentorship. What are you willing to do, to tap into your true potential, so that you can break out of your cycle, and take control of your life and your future?
Take a few minutes to read this article on Leadership. If you are committed to change, you must do things differently. We are here to assist you in following through with your commitment to yourself. Let us help you, create The Leader Within.
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Robin & Jack Firestone "The Dynamic Duo"
The Successful Leader
By Anne Marie Baugh
Sometimes we may choose to lead and in other circumstances we are pushed into leadership. Whether you want to lead or are selected to lead, how you demonstrate your leadership will determine how successful you will be and how successful those who follow you will become.
Successful Leadership is a demonstration of a true example. We lead by the example we set. If you expound on virtues or techniques that you do not follow or demonstrate yourself, those that follow your leadership will fail and then wonder why. This can only reflect badly on you as the leader. Teach and live what you teach to be the type of leader that will stand the test of time. Great leaders become role models to others for their future success. So how are great leaders made? Consider these tried and true principles of leadership as demonstrated by leaders worldwide.
Leaders learn. They understand that the moment they become un-teachable, they lose their edge in the world. Leaders not only understand that they must continue to find opportunities to learn, they crave every chance to learn. Brian Tracey, the nationally recognized guru on Leadership, encourages those seeking leadership success to read at least one hour every day. He states that one hour a day will make you a nationally recognized leader within three years. Commit to learning for the rest of your life and embrace the opportunity to do so.
Leaders listen. They understand the difference between passively hearing and actively listening to what people are telling them. They also have the wisdom to know who is worth listening to and who is not. Some people just like to hear themselves talk, but they never actually say anything. A janitor may have a very worthwhile story to tell that teaches wisdom on human behavior while a millionaire may be stuck in his own ego and simply enjoys the sound of his own voice, never really sharing anything worth the time.
Leaders develop discipline. Discipline becomes the corner stone in their lives. Not just in business, but in everything that they do. They learn to develop more discipline by curbing instant gratification. Learning to say no, when they can say yes is the road to discipline. For instance:
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. By curbing your wants makes you stronger in every aspect of your life. Leaders discipline themselves to do necessary tasks even when they do not feel like.
Leaders take time to be quiet. Successful leaders are generally very busy people with little extra time in their schedules. However, the most successful leaders take 15 to 30 minutes every day to be absolutely silent. They remove all distractions and noise to sit within the calm of a completely quiet surrounding. In this precious silence they can hear themselves think and feel. In this way they develop their intuition, which guides them with all their decisions.
Leaders are compassionate. They know that kindness trumps bad behavior. That softly spoken words are heard with understanding and that yelling at peak volume simply becomes a battle of wills. In short, leaders care.
Leaders don't wait for other people to do it for them. Nothing stands in the way to accomplishing their goals, certainly not excuses. They are people of action. However, they do understand when it is good to be patient and when it is time to go forward. They also understand the value of delegating. No one can do everything all of the time. Delegation is vital to great leadership. They just make sure that those they delegate to actually get the job done.
Leaders manage their time. They understand time is the only commodity that they cannot get more of no matter how successful they become. So they treat it with great respect. They manage their time by planning their days with precision.
Leaders are persistent. They work doggedly to accomplish their goal no matter how long it takes. Persistence is not an option. They know it separates them from those that would have and those that could have but didn't.
Leaders focus on the positive. A leader keeps his eye on the end result and always maintains a positive outlook, regardless of current circumstances. They think in terms of solutions rather than problems. Leaders understand that they are in command of their own thinking.
Leaders also value failure. The average leader will fail many times before he succeeds. They are undaunted by the failures and view them as golden opportunities to get closer to their goal.
Leaders understand that failure is not the end of something hoped for, but a chance to learn to do it better next time.
Lastly Leaders are authentic. They know that their clothes and cars do not make them successful as human beings. It is their actions in the world and their true intentions that make them leaders worth following. They are authentic in their approach to life, which includes their day-to-day living. Their spoken principles reflect their actions.
Leadership is the desire to excel and to share what is learned on the path to success. As a leader it is important to be generous but authentic with praise. Those learning in your footsteps need to know when they are getting it right and then need to know from you. Praise should not be effusive, but rather appropriate to a particular situation. Given too often, it can lose it's meaning. Not given enough the student can become discouraged. We all need praise. It is invaluable from those that are leading us.
Whether you are a manager in a company overseeing employees or a mentor teaching students, you must be able to handle the rocky road to learning that invariable comes to those new to the task at hand. Everyone learns at a different pace. Some understand certain techniques and ideas with ease, while others struggle to incorporate them. A great leader is able to work well with both personality types.
Patience is the key, as is not personalizing your students struggle. Don't see their struggle as your failure, but rather their learning curve. Motivation is vital to helping others through the learning process. It's important that students or employees feel comfortable asking questions and understand that their questions are valued. Never dismiss a question as unworthy of your time as communication is the foundation for leading successfully.
Engage your students in the process and keep them completely informed. If you are holding back tiny bits of useful information in order to keep your leadership intact, your students will fail and your leadership becomes suspect. True leaders maintain a mentality of abundancy that states there is enough for everyone.
Great leaders have a variety of personalities and styles. You should not strive to become a copy of someone else. Individuality is important to leadership. While strong principles are important to the integrity of leadership, so is your unique vision.
It takes time to incorporate all the principles of leadership so it's important to be patient. Strive to incorporate one leadership principle a week and within a few months you will be demonstrating the true qualities that define and set apart a true leader. You will become the best vision of yourself and that person is ready to lead, motivate, and inspire a future generation of leaders.
