Mark S. Brown – Page 53

Options Belong to the Secure

Insecure people make poor leaders. If you are not secure about your purpose, your strengths, and the strength of your team, then you will normally struggle in reaching your goals. If you are insecure, then you tend to limit your options in handling everyday obstacles.

Feeling secure is easier when you feel good about developing yourself. Do you ever wonder how you can add more value to your organization? Or do you ever invest in making yourself better to improve your team’s performance?

You can increase your level of security, and avoid being an insecure leader. A leader that is insecure:

1. Doesn’t value himself: If a person is self-conscious about how he looks, then they will have barriers to their success. They may not risk doing something they do not know how to do for fear of looking incompetent. A person with low self esteem will also spend time and effort trying to hide their internal perceptions about their inabilities.

2. Doesn’t know what to do: A person that is insecure usually has not invested in themselves or improved their abilities. This will lead to having less knowledge and less ability to manage different situations. Being humble and having an attitude that allows you to always learn from others and yourself will expand your capabilities.

3. Works to maintain control: If a person is not secure they usually believe that they must show control over every situation and every person. They are afraid to be seen as weak, or as needing other people. Great success can only happen with the support of others. You can’t enjoy great success by yourself.

James B. Stockdale said, “Great leaders gain authority by giving it away.” When your people do something great, give them credit. When they make mistakes, take the blame yourself. Building them up will only make you more secure.

If you feel secure in your actions, you create options for yourself. You can handle obstacles quicker, and you become more adept at dealing with change. Security provides you options for success.

We are never perfect, and we are never as good as we could be. Joining a mastermind group will help you explore how you can improve your leadership, and discuss leadership experiences with other leaders. Add yourself to our list to be informed about upcoming opportunities for joining a mastermind group.

Do You Have the Right Qualities In Your Inner Circle?

The people closest to us are sometimes referred to as our inner circle. These are the 5 to 7 people with whom you spend the most time. These are also the people with whom you share your thoughts, ideas and feelings. The quality and characteristics of these people place limits on your ability to grow and succeed. Are you surrounded by the right people?

There is no specific formula to apply on selecting a correct inner circle. It is your personal preference that matters. However, your potential is determined by your selection. Did you select your inner circle, or did they select you? What qualities should you look to have within your inner circle? Lets take a look at three factors to consider:

1. Do they complement you? We tend to attract people that are like ourselves. Being with people that are similar creates a comfort zone for us to operate in. However, your potential will increase if your inner circle brings talents and traits which are different than yours. You should make sure you also add characteristics that are different and can add strength to your team.

2. Do they have influence? Each person has a unique circle of influence. Each person also possesses varying levels of influence within their circle. Adding people to your inner circle that will extend your influence, will increase your potential. Evaluate each person in your inner circle and see what level of influence they are able to bring to your team.

3. Do they add value to you? You will grow faster if you surround yourself with people that are great. Adding people to your circle that are the best at what they do, will accelerate your growth. Everyone in your inner circle should be adding value to you in some form. If you are the smartest or the best in your circle, then it is time to add some better people to your circle. Those that are better than you, stretch you to higher levels of success.

Even though there are no set rules for creating a perfect inner circle, you can evaluate your current status. People within your inner circle will change over time. Some will leave of their own accord, others you will let go yourself. Don’t be afraid of being on the lookout quality people that can be added to your inner circle. This type of change can have a very positive effect on your long term potential.

Phillips Brooks has said, “The best advisers, helpers and friends, always are not those who tell us how to act in special cases, but who give us, out of themselves, the ardent spirit and desire to act right, and leave us then, even through many blunders, to find out what our own form of right action is.” Your inner circle should support you, but not be you. You must be yourself. Select your inner circle carefully.

If you feel a barrier in evaluating where you are, and how you can increase your level of success, you may be helped by a coach. Contact us today to schedule your free introductory coaching session.

How to Avoid Being Average

The average person is, well, average. Why would you want to be only average, when you have the chance to excel above average? There are a few things that you can do that will help you lift yourself to a performance above average.

The average person puts limited effort into being better. If you spend some of your energy to improve, you will become better than average. Here are three things that can help you get started.

1. Be with better people: If you want to be better, then spend your time with people that are better than you. They will help you set your vision on improvement. If you spend all your time with people that are not as good as you, then you will seem better than you really are.

2. Work on it every day: Improvement does not happen overnight. It also doesn’t happen just because you decide to get better. However, making small efforts to improve every day will make a huge difference over months and years of effort. No one becomes great without practice and effort. Put time in your daily agenda to invest in yourself.

3. Know where you want to be: Becoming better than average is a great goal, but better than average in what? I know it is impossible to be better than average in all things. You must have a focus and a target of what you want to achieve. Create a goal that you can track for your progress.

These three points are not difficult to implement. They do not require hard labor. To avoid being average you must think, plan, and act on what it is you want to achieve. However, most people are satisfied with average and quit. As Orison Swett Marden once said, “It is just the little difference between the good and the best that makes the difference between the artist and the artisan. It is just the little touches after the average man would quit that makes the master’s fame.”

Participation in a mastermind group is a great way to develop the skills to take you beyond average. You can find out more information about groups that are forming now, by registering at the following link: http://newroadsleadership.com/mastermind

Do You Know the Three Words of Success?

Everyone has goals they would like to achieve. Normally success does not occur by accident. You can increase your level of success by learning a process for growing and achieving.

Let’s review the three words of success that you should know. These three words provide the basis of success regardless of the goal.

1. Awareness: The first step towards success is awareness. If you want to get from where you are to where you want to be, you have to start by becoming aware of the choices you are making. Some choices lead you towards your goal, and other choices are moving you away from your goal. No matter your goal, expanded awareness helps you make better choices.

2. Intentionality: The second step towards success is intentionality. Take action to turn your dream into reality. What you do matters. Your goal is attainable if you face reality, know where you are starting, know the cost to succeed, and then intentionally work at success daily.

3. Accountability: The third step is being accountable; not being accountable to someone else, but to yourself. The biggest gap in our success is the difference between what we know and what we do. Regardless of the goal we are trying to achieve, our knowledge is greater than our action. To be most effective most people need a third person or a neutral partner to help them with accountability.

Whatever your plan for success, you should continually grow and raise your awareness, act intentionally, and find someone to help hold you accountable to your goals. By continually taking these three steps, your level of success becomes unlimited. It won’t keep you from encountering set backs and making mistakes, but it will allow you to learn from your failure and moving forward.

A mastermind group is an incredibly powerful way to increase your awareness. Visit our mastermind page for upcoming events. http://newroadsleadership.com/masterminds