Category: Leadership

Help Someone Step Beyond Their Comfort Zone

As a coach, it is very rewarding to see someone expand their belief in themselves.  Then to use their new confidence to go outside their comfort zone, and find a new level of success.

So many people are stuck in their comfort zone. They don’t see a reason to cross the boundary. But the motivation to change can only come from within. It can be very frustrating when we see a friend, a co-worker, or a family member not living up to their potential.

If you are inclined to help a person get beyond their comfort zone, here are three basic steps to consider.

1) Help them define, and bring clarity to their dreams for the future. You may have to draw out a new future for them by asking questions, discovering their strengths, and their passions. Let it be their dream you coax out of them, not the goals you want them to achieve.

2) See them as they could be, not as they are. See them as if they had already accomplished their dream. Treat them as they will be.

3) Help them find wins that move them forward. Leaving the comfort zone can be very difficult. Help them find the first small steps that will lead to success.

If you would like to experience the power of having a coach dedicated to your success, schedule your complimentary coaching session today. Send an email to Mark at mbrown@newroadleadership.com and we can schedule a time.

 

Get in the Spirit

No one can deny the power of a positive attitude. Countless stories exist in medicine, sports, and the workplace on the impact a positive attitude creates. You can search the National Institute of Health website, and find details of over 40 studies that included the impact of optimism on healing.

When we speak of spirit, it has a different meaning. We typically use phrases like “the spirit of the season”, “team spirit”, or we want an event to have a certain spirit. Spirit typically does not relate to just one person. It relates to the atmosphere surrounding a group or an event.

But attitude and spirit are related. A team with good spirit is a collection of people working together with good attitudes. A collection of attitudes can be the core of the spirit.

If you want to improve your team’s spirit, or you want to create a spirited environment, you need to start with attitude. So today, there are 3 questions you should ask yourself:

1. Have I checked my attitude recently?
2. Am I positively influencing those around me with my positive attitude?
3. Am I building a powerful positive team spirit?

5 Key Paths of Motivation

My friend and business partner, John Maxwell, once told me, “If you want motivated employees, hire motivated people.” His point? I can’t motivate people, I can only inspire them. Motivation originates and is nourished from within.

So I decided to spend some time thinking about how we become motivated. Is it something we can create through intentional action, or is it an emotional response?

Some believe that you can become motivated by being inspired. But I don’t believe that inspiration alone will create much motivation. To be significantly motivated, we need to link inspiration with one of the following motivation paths.

1. Desperation – We are filled with motivation when we are faced with desperation. We have no other choice. We are frantic for something to change. Our fears increase to a level that requires action.

2. Clear Desire – Clarity of purpose will provide us with motivation. If we are able to see the future we want to create in exact detail,  we will be motivated to achieve. When our purpose or vision is fuzzy, or only a dream, our motivation is also subdued.

3. Momentum – We are motivated by winning. Small wins lead to bigger wins. If we begin to achieve success, we are motivated to attain more.

4. Breakthrough – A significant discovery or advancement can fuel our motivation. If we suddenly see new opportunities, we become energized to continue. We want to discover the next breakthrough.

5. Methodical Persistence – Some of us are driven towards a goal, step by step, steadily. We never consider giving up. We never consider failure as an option. We are driven by the process of improvement. This feels different than desire or breakthrough because it is less emotionally charged. We are attached to the practice and less towards the outcome.

There are times when I have felt a lack of motivation, but now I have the ability to develop it intentionally. I can select a source of inspiration. I can decide which motivational path will be most effective. (I hope I can always act before I get to the desperation stage!) Then I can allow my motivation to grow through the actions associated with that path.

Motivation truly does come from within. So where do you need more motivation to increase your success?

Productivity Is Not the Only Measure

The measure of your effectiveness is not productivity alone. Getting more done in a short period of time is important, but it should not be your primary measure of effectiveness. With my background in manufacturing, this was an idea that took me some time to put into perspective.

Excellence is more important than productivity. People pay for excellence. People admire excellence. Excellence has longevity. Productivity is based on what you accomplish only during a specific moment in time.

So here is the question to ponder this week. In your business, or your life, where is excellence more important than productivity? We cannot be excellent in everything. So for you, what matters? Where do you need to be excellent, and where do you need productivity?

I have learned that in most cases when you focus primarily on productivity, you risk short changing the result. You risk compromising excellence for time. In many parts of our life, this may be acceptable. But there are key areas of your life and your work where you should never compromise excellence for time.

Where is it more important to be right than fast? Where is it more important to be fast… to be first? Where can you adjust and improve as you go? Where are mistakes more costly?

There are areas of your life where you need to be prepared to always give your best. Do you know your area of excellence?