One of my mentors asked once; “Show me someday on the calendar.”  If you didn’t know this already, someday is not on the calendar.  So what is keeping you from finding your someday?

If whatever it is that filled in your blank is worth doing, it should be worth doing now.  If there is preparation that needs to be done in order to do it, when will you start?  More importantly, when will you decide that you are done “getting ready” and it’s time to start?  I think this is where many of us get stuck.  At some point in time, you need to quit getting ready and just start.

I think this is one of the biggest responsibilities there is when it comes to leadership.  In my book, Leadership by Invitation, that will be out later this spring, I look at four areas of leadership that we will find ourselves in most of the time.  Leading your self, leading at home, leading at work and leading in your community.  We will all find ourselves in these situations multiple times every day.  Every day we will have to make decisions and the timing of those decisions will make the difference between success and failure.

John Maxwell talks about The Law of Timing in The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and gives these factors to use when we prepare for the timing of our actions:

Understanding – Are you clear on what the decision actually is and what will be involved in making that decision?  Is there more that you need to learn?  What is it?

Maturity – Do you have the correct motives in making this decision?  Maturity is typically the result of applying experience based knowledge into a strategic action that will produce an expected outcome.

Confidence – Do you believe that what you are about to do is the right decision? Are you willing to stand behind it even if someone else doesn’t or things don’t go quite as planned?

Decisiveness – Are you going to move forward regardless of the challenges that may come up.  Hesitation can kill any momentum that you might be building. Course corrections are alright, but direction needs to remain forward.

Experience – Everything that happens to us in life, good and bad, has the potential to teach us.  The key is to actually learn from these experiences.  Don’t waste opportunities to learn from your experiences.

Intuition – Make sure you have considered the things that you have not considered.  Awareness is huge when it comes to timing.  You don’t know what you don’t know.  If something doesn’t feel right, find out why.

Preparation – Have you done what is needed to set yourself up for success?  A solid plan before you start will produce great results.  When you have prepared for the decision – act on it!

Life is busy.  You have a full plate.  Your “someday” list grows daily.  I get it.  This is why this is so important to leadership.  The next time you use the word someday, challenge yourself to choose a day.  It might be tomorrow or two months from now but once you choose a day, you can start to follow the framework above and develop a plan to make someday today.

So if you have been on an extended stay on Someday Isle, it’s time to come back to reality.  There is nothing wrong with dreaming but if you want that dream to come true, you need a plan.

Martin Luther King Jr. said “The time is always right to do what is right.”  (Tweet This / Share on Facebook / Post to LinkedIn)

So my question for you today “Is the time right?”  and my challenge – Act on it!

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Barry Smith    1/20/14   photo by author   © Building What Matters 2014

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Of course, Maxwell is referring to leadership, but if you think about it, almost everything we do involves a process.  Very few accomplishments of significance are created in a day, yet it seems like so many times we look for shortcuts to get done quicker.

Shortcuts can be helpful but are we compromising the quality of the product by doing so?  Being more efficient is one thing but cutting out steps is another.

The process that I think is the most important is also the one I think we neglect the most.  The process of developing ourselves.

I have observed that many people want to be more, do more and get more in the quickest way possible.  I suppose the desire is alright on the surface but at what cost are they doing this?

With a thirty year background in construction, I feel I have a fairly good understanding of what it takes to build something.  Sure we want to be more efficient and cut costs but at the end of the day, every single piece of a building needs to be constructed and in a specific order.

You can use less expensive materials and leave out some of the luxury items, but the basics all need to be installed for the building to function.  How well would your building function of there were no wall outlets?  How well would it work if you had water but no way to turn it on or off?  Ok, silly questions, but I think you get my point.

“In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves.  The process never ends until we die.  And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.”  –  Eleanor Roosevelt

Here is my point, we as people are developed through a process.  Life comes at us fast and I, not unlike most of us, often find myself developing only the things that are important for my current needs.  So what happens when life throws something at you that you are totally unprepared for?

For us to become all that we possibly can, we must trust and honor the process.  That process includes the commitment to being a life long learner and to view each new experience as a part of the journey and not just the destination.

I used to look at life as several small journeys independent of each other.  I now believe that every “roadtrip” is part of the process.  The question I have is “are these individual events adding to your life or taking away from it?”

Another thing I wonder about is how well I have thought out that process.  I have high aspirations for who I want to become and the legacy I want to leave behind and I know that I will go through a process to get there.

The thing that I have overlooked much of my life is what that process is.  Certainly we deal with the occasional unexpected, but for the most part, we are able to chart our course and go through the process that we have chosen.

So I have a couple thoughts for you to consider today:  First, do you know the process you need to go through to achieve your goals and dreams?  And second, are you following that process?

Carl Rogers said “The good life is a process, not a state of being.  It is a direction, not a destination.”  One simple question – “You might know your destination, but are you headed in the right direction?”

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Barry Smith www.buildingwhatmatters.com 4/23/13 photo by author

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I look back at my life and think about all the ways I have impacted those around me.  I feel pretty good about what I have accomplished, but at the same time, I realize how many opportunities that I let slip by.  Over the last few years, I have become much more aware of the importance of what I leave behind.

Not so much in the material sense, but in ways that really leave a mark on the people I know.  I want to be remembered as someone who was a giver.  For my family,friends and my community.  I can’t really point to one single event, but recently I have felt the desire to give back to the people that are important to me.  As they say, life is too short.  We only get one chance at living and to me, living represents an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those around us.

Next month, many Americans will vote for the President that they believe will do the best job in leading our country.  Each previous President has left behind a legacy.  Some have been good and some not so good, but all of them are based on the difference they made in the lives of the people within their circle of influence.

John Maxwell in his  The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership gives us four ways to be intentional in leaving the legacy we want.  Here’s how:

1.  KNOW THE LEGACY YOU WANT TO LEAVE

This is not guess work.  We need to be very intentional on the legacy that we want to leave.  What will we be remembered for?  That is the question you need to answer.

2.  LIVE THE LEGACY YOU WANT TO LEAVE

Here is the challenging part.  It doesn’t matter what the legacy is, you have to live it.  People won’t remember what you said you wanted to do.  They will remember what you did.  The things that you are passionate about and act on are what you will be remembered for.

3.  CHOOSE WHO WILL CARRY ON YOUR LEGACY

There is no better way to leave a legacy than to create it such that your impact and influence will continue on once you are gone.  As a John Maxwell coach, trainer and speaker, part of my legacy will be in continuing to share what he has taught me related to Leadership Development, Communication and Personal Growth.

4.  MAKE SURE YOU PASS THE BATON

John Maxwell has created a team to carry on his legacy to ensure that his works continue to provide value even after he is gone.  My dream is to impact others in a positive way and empower them to use the resources that I am able to provide to make a difference in the lives of those they influence.  I have also attempted to teach my boys how important it is to add value to the world they live in.

One of my favorite athletes of all time, Jackie Robinson, said this:

“A life isn’t significant except for its impact on other lives.”

Jackie paved the way for African American athletes to be accepted into professional baseball.  What he did took courage, character and personal sacrifice but it made a difference for countless athletes into the future.  Leaving a legacy will take sacrifice but at the end of the day, it really is all we leave behind.

Take a look at the way you are impacting those around you and ask yourself  “How will I be remembered?”  Do you like the answer you came up with?

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This post brings us to the end of the series on The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.  Next Wednesday, I will start a fifteen week series based on John Maxwell’s new book “The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth.”

First up:  The Law of Intentionality.

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Barry Smith   www.buildingwhatmatters.com   10/3/12       photo by author

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Now that I am in my mid-forties, I can see a major gap between the leadership skills in my generation as compared to the skills of the next generation.  The fact is, my generation is responsible for developing the next generation and based on what I have seen, we are failing.

I know that is a farily broad generalization and there are some great leaders out there in their twenties but it seems to me that the majority of our future generation is more concerned with what they get instead of what they give.

I have experienced many leaders that use their position primarily to create a group of people that will do what they want and basically do the majority of the work.  The more followers, the more power and the more work that can be done.  I have also seen leaders that are more concerned with developing their followers into leaders.  Leaders that will carry positive momentum and eventually develop those that they influence into leaders themselves.

Maxwell does a great job comparing the FOCUS of leaders who attract followers and leaders who develop leaders.  Here are six differences in comparing the two types of leaders.

1.  A strong leader will develop leaders around him so that his team can successfully continue with, or without him.

• Leaders Who Attract Followers … Want to Be Needed
• Leaders Who Develop Leaders … Want to Be Succeeded

2.  A strong leader will invest the time and effort in developing the leaders around him.  These will be the leaders of the future.

• Leaders Who Attract Followers … Develop the Bottom 20 Percent
• Leaders Who Develop Leaders … Develop the Top 20 Percent

3.  A strong leader will build on the strengths of his followers.  He realizes that we all have a different skill set and that it is better to enhance the gifts we already have and utilize them accordingly.

• Leaders Who Attract Followers … Focus on Weakness
• Leaders Who Develop Leaders … Focus on Strengths

4.  A strong leader will recognize potential and will make sure that those willing to invest in themselves will receive the opportunities to do so.

• Leaders Who Attract Followers … Treat Individuals the Same
• Leaders Who Develop Leaders … Treat Individuals Differently

5.  A strong leader will make every minute count.  Time spent with his followers will focus on personal and professional growth.

• Leaders Who Attract Followers … Spend Time with Others
• Leaders Who Develop Leaders … Invest Time in Others

6.  A strong leader recognizes that developing leaders around him will exponentially create a larger group of leaders.  Leaders will develop more leaders and followers will simply continue to follow.

• Leaders Who Attract Followers … Grow by Addition
• Leaders Who Develop Leaders … Grow by Multiplication

In order to create the type of explosive growth that Maxwell describes can only be done by multiplying the amount of leaders that we have on our team.  All of us is better than one of us and when all of us are influencing others in a positive way that facilitates growth, our team will continue to grow and produce positive results.

The clear question then becomes, “What kind of Leader do you want to be?”

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Next Up:  Law # 21 – The Law of Legacy

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Barry Smith   www.buildingwhatmatters.com   9/26/12       photo by author

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The problem is that I have not focused on the when as much as I should have.  I have intentionally decided to post on my blog three times a week.  I have a scheduled reading plan and I have placed myself in environments that are conducive to my development as a coach, speaker and trainer.

What I have not done is put enough focus on the timing of the when.  I have been for the most part, letting things happen.  Don’t get me wrong – I am staying on schedule for the things I am currently doing but the things on my “next” list have been there quite a while.  One thing on this list is to join a local business networking organization.

Earlier this week I finally decided to connect, and reached out to one of these organizations.  The timing could not have been better.  They are getting ready to develop both a short term leadership program involving contractors as well as a long term, more comprehensive leadership program that they currently do not have in place.  Both of these are right in line with the type of leadership development I want to be involved with and I will now have the opportunity to collaborate with local business people working towards the same goals and objectives.

John Maxwell in his  The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership gives us seven thoughts on leadership timing:

1.  UNDERSTANDING

In order to make decisions, we must be informed on as much information as possible.  Study the situation and make your decisions based on facts and not emotion.

2.  MATURITY

We need to have the maturity level to allow us to make our decisions based on the right motives.  These motives should be congruent with our values and our mission statement.

3.  CONFIDENCE

We need to be confident in the decision.  First the buy-in and then the all-in.  If we are not totally committed to the decison, it may be time to reconsider.

4.  DECISIVENESS

A decision lacking solid follow up and commitment will net the same results.  If you make a decision, stand behind it an move forward without hesitation.  If we start doubting our decision, we will lose the momentum that originlly got the ball rolling.

5.  EXPERIENCE

If you don’t have all the experience that you need in doing something new, surround yourselves with those that do and learn at every opportunity.

6.  INTUITION

If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.  Don’t confuse the fear of the unknown with not knowing.

7.  PREPARATION

If the conditions do not seem perfectly clear, first examine the facts and determine what it would take to make them clear.  If it is something you can control, proceed.  If it is something outside of your control, it may be time to re-evaluate the timing.

There are a lot of positive things that people can do, but if they are not done at the right time, the ability to produce the desired results may be compromised.

The important take away for me – To be successful, we don’t just need to do the right things, we need to do the right things at the right time.  

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Next Up:  Law # 20 – The Law of Explosive Growth

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Barry Smith   www.buildingwhatmatters.com   9/19/12       photo by author

The post The Law Of Timing – 7 Concepts To Help Decide “When” appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

We had the amazing experience talking with many of the residents that had either stayed, or recently returned, to start picking up the pieces in an attempt to put their lives back together.  Many had still not received any financial aid from their insurance companies or FEMA.  In fact, most of the people we spoke with had been doing anything and everything they could with no more than what was left over from their paycheck every week.

The thing that really amazed me were the stories of sacrifice, not only during the storm, but during the restoration.  We met one man who’s family combined, lost 5 homes.  They were in the process of fixing home number 3, doing them one at a time, and only two of the family members had full- time employment.  Most of the people working were either volunteers or residents.  There was not a contractor in sight in the residential areas.  This still amazes me in that after 18 months you would think things would be back to normal.  Far from it!

John Maxwell in his  The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership says that:

“A Leader Must Give Up To Go Up.”

We saw a lot of sacrifice during those two trips and Maxwell was right,  a leader does have to give up to go up.  Many people, both workers and residents, had given up, not in the sense of quitting, but in the sense of giving up the opportunity to be somewhere else.  They were there to help those who had no other options try and put their lives back together.

The following year, we had the opportunity to return to some of the areas we had worked in before and revisit the people we had previously met.  I can still remember how excited they were to show us how much had been accomplished.  To us, it really didn’t look like much had been done but to them, everyday was progress.

Every time I hear something about New Orleans, I drift back to the memories of the two weeks I spent there with my boys and think about the sacrifices that were made by many to help others.  I think that the type of sacrifice that we saw in New Orleans defines what leadership is all about.

I acknowledge and appreciate the fact that thousands, maybe millions of people, provided financial support in the recovery efforts.  But to me, the real leaders were the people on the ground making a difference.

Leadership is influence, and in my eyes the people that had the most influence were not the ones that were providing money but the ones that provided encouragement, compassion and in many cases, simply be someone who would listen.

The next time you have the opportunity to help out someone in need, consider saving your money and investing some time.  From my perspective, sometimes sacrifice can bring out the best in people and a little investment of time may be worth much more than a check in the mail, not only to those in need but you as well.

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Next Up:  Law # 19 – The Law of Timing

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Barry Smith   www.buildingwhatmatters.com   9/12/12       photo by author

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Not so fast my friend!  Busy only counts in the make believe world that says that if you are accomplishing much your priorities must be in order.  We have all heard the expression hindsight is 20/20 but I don’t think it’s realistic to say “If I had it to do over again I would …” because the only reason we would do it different is because of the outcome that we just experienced.

I took this picture from my deck tonight as I grilled a hamburger for dinner.  I have seen many sunsets like this one but this was the first time it struck me that the sun going down is kind of like our life.  We have bright, sunny periods when all seems to be in order and then there are times, like when the sun goes down, when everything starts turning dark and we can’t really see where we are or where we are going.  I never looked at it quite like that … until tonight.

I am currently working on identifying what my priorities are and more importantly, am working to put them in the right order.  I think John Maxwell in his The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, gives pretty good advice when he says that:

“leaders must order their lives according to three questions.”

1. What Is Required?

We are all accountable to someone for the work we do.  We are also responsible to our families and those that we care for.  If you are a person of faith, I am sure that you feel a responsibility to act in the way God intended.   So what is required?  I will leave the order of these up to you but for me it should be my faith, my family and then everything else.  I am still working on this but at least I know the right order.

2.  What Gives The Greatest Return?

The things that we do best are the things that give us the greatest return.  Maxwell says that if someone else can do something 80% as good as you, you should delegate it to them.  Focus on doing the things that give you the greatest return on your investment of time and do them.

3.  What Brings The Greatest Reward?

Here is the one that I think many of us fall short in.  Our culture has taught us that the greatest reward comes in the form of fortune and fame.  I think I have been somewhat guilty of that all my life.  I justified a messed up priority system with financially providing for my family.  The result was 25 years of long hours and missed opportunities.  What is the greatest reward?  My wife saying “thanks for spending the afternoon with me.”  One of my boys saying “thanks for taking me to the ball game.”  Or even a friend saying “thanks for helping me deal with a water leak.”  That’s the greatest reward.

For those of you wondering – you can’t put a price on it.  You already know this – time is the one thing in life that we can’t get any more of.  You can’t buy it.  You can’t borrow it.  You can’t even steal it.  What you can do is spend it wisely.

My challenge for you today is to take a hard look at your priorities and consider what is required of you, what will give you the greatest return and what will bring you the greatest reward.  My guess … some adjustments may be needed.

SPEND YOUR TIME WISELY.  YOU WON’T GET A DO OVER ON THIS ONE!

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Next Up:  Law # 18 – The Law of Sacrifice

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Barry Smith   www.buildingwhatmatters.com   9/5/12                                                                    photo by author

The post The Law Of Priorities – Being Busy Doesn’t Count. appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

Sandy River – New Location after Washout

Early last year I experienced a great example of the power that momentum can produce. Unusually warm temperatures and heavy rains on Mt. Hood in Oregon produced runoff that forced the Sandy River over it’s banks washing out a road that had previously withstood numerous high-water events.

Witnessing the damage, I could only imagine the increasing momentum as each swollen tributary dumped into it creating a raging river that wiped out everything in it’s path.

John Maxwell in his The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership states that

“Many times momentum is the only thing that makes the difference between losing and winning.”

Several homes, roadways and thousands of trees lost to momentum that day and hundreds of homeowners were stranded when a 600′ section of the only road in or out was washed away.

The construction company I work for was called in to make the repairs, relocate the river and get the road opened up.  As you can see in the picture above, there was still momentum that would have to be dealt with to accomplish the difficult task.

Maxwell gives us 7 Truths about Momentum:

• 1.  Momentum Is The Great Exaggerator
• 2.  Momentum Makes Leaders Look Better Than They Are
• 3.  Momentum Helps Followers Perform Better Than They Are
• 4.  Momentum Is Easier To Steer Than To Start
• 5.  Momentum Is The Most Powerful Change Agent
• 6.  Momentum Is The Leader’s Responsibility
• 7.  Momentum Begins Inside The Leader

I saw many of these truths demonstrated up on that mountain, not only in the devastation that took place, but in the days following the event when the repairs and restoration took place.  In less than 24 hours we reconstructed the original channel of the river and then redirected the flow back in the location it had originally been.  It only took about 30 minutes for the river to carve it’s way back to it’s original location (see picture) allowing us to start the road reconstruction.

The River Back Into It’s Original Channel

The same momentum that resulted in the river jumping it’s banks was now used to put it back where it had been.  The difference – this time we were controlling the direction of the momentum.  That example is a lot like leadership. When we control the power of momentum and steer it in the direction desired we can control the direction of the flow and achieve our desired results.

We were later recognized by Clackamas County for our commitment in completing the work under very difficult conditions and more importantly for the leadership demonstrated by many of our team members. There were many sacrifices made by our crews to do what needed to be done.  In my opinion, it was leadership that kept our momentum flowing seven days a week, twelve hours a day until we were done.

My takeaway – as leaders, we need to stay in front of the issues and problems that we deal with every day and build momentum steering them in a productive direction.  The minute we fall behind, we find ourselves running away to keep from getting run over.

Are you building momentum in your business or personal life or simply trying to stay out of the way?  Your answer may tell you the direction you are headed.

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Next Up:  Law # 17 – The Law of Priorities

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Barry Smith   www.buildingwhatmatters.com   8/29/12                                                                    photos by author

The post The Law Of The Big Mo – Are You Building Momentum? appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

I believe that we are all here for a greater reason than we understand.  My teammates will continue to win every day but our real purpose is to create victories beyond our group that now numbers close to two thousand across the globe.

Flying home from the event today I saw several men and women in uniform.  I try and take every opportunity to thank those men and women that serve our country and today was no different.  I shook many hands today and provided a simple “thank you” for their service.

In one case, just before boarding in Atlanta, I shook the hand of the young man pictured in this photo.  Then something happened that I never really noticed before, at least not at the level of awareness that I understood today.  Right after I shook his hand a woman came up to him and in more of a motherly way grabbed his arm to say her thank you.  I did not hear exactly what she said but I really didn’t need to.  The smile on her face and the smile on his provided all the “victory” that was needed.

Every minute of every day there are stories of victory all around us, yet we fly through life passing most of them by.  One victory I have taken away from this is that when your level of awareness is such that you start watching for the stories instead of seeing how fast you can read the book, the content suddenly becomes much more meaningful.

I think the next time I reach out to shake the hand of one of our soldiers, I will ask what their story is instead of just reading the back cover with a simple thank you.  Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with a handshake and a thank you but why not invest a little more time to hear about the victory.

Grantland Rice, the great sportswriter once said,

“It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.”

I think leadership is a lot like that.  Leaders need to produce results but the real victory will be achieved by how you play the game.  Things like honor, integrity and valor are how you play the game.  I did not ask the soldier in this picture his name but I know how he plays the game.

Challenge yourself to recognize the victories that are around you in your walk of life and more importantly acknowledge them.  I felt a sense of victory in just saying thanks as I am sure the woman in the picture did as well.  I know the soldier sensed victory because someone took the time to say thanks.

Where will you find your Victory today?

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Next Up:  Law # 16 – The Law of The Big Mo

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Barry Smith   www.buildingwhatmatters.com   8/22/12                                                                    photo by author

The post The Law Of Victory – Where Will You Find Yours? appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

My father was a stock broker for a short time early in his professional career and I remember some time around my senior year in High School I asked him to explain to me how the stock market works.  I believe that he explained it well and I followed quite intensely for a while until I realized that continuing to do so would probably make me crazy.

There is one thing that he taught me that has stuck in my mind since the day he explained it.  “Barry” he said, “don’t ever buy into the company if you don’t buy into the person that is leading them.”  It was years later when I finally fully understood the lesson.

I don’t spend a lot of time following the stock market, but I do spend a lot of time following the business leaders, whose leadership plays a major role in how their respective companies perform.  A companies biggest asset and biggest liability, in my opinion, are one in the same – their people.  John Maxwell in his The 21 Irrefutable Laws Of Leadership describes the relationship between a leader, their vision and their followers:

When Followers Don’t Like The Leader But They Do Like The Vision … They Look For Another Leader

• A leader may have a great vision that many buy into.  If the leader is not allowing his followers to be part of that vision, the followers will find someone to lead them.  Vision is great, but without others engaged in that fulfilling that vision, it will never be achieved.

When Followers Like The Leader But Not The Vision … They Change The Vision

• If you like your leader but don’t necessarily share their vision, you will have a difficult time being satisfied with the direction you are headed.  As a leader, we need to recognize that if we do not provide a vision that out faithful followers can believe in, they will soon find someone else to follow.

When Followers Like The Leader And The Vision … They Get Behind Both

• Success!  A leader has a vision that others buy into.  He leads in a way that allows everyone to be part of fulfilling that vision.  And most importantly, he creates a culture that will not only carry that vision forward but will broaden the scope of that vision into the future.

If you are a leader, first make sure your vision is consistent with the core values and objectives of your business.  Second, make sure that your entire team is part of seeing that vision become reality.

“ALL OF US IS BETTER THAN ONE OF US” – Share your vision and lead your team to success!

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Barry Smith   www.buildingwhatmatters.com   8/15/12                                                                    photo by author

The post The Law Of Buy-In … Do You Believe In Your Leader’s Vision? appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.