Simple answer.  START WRITING.

I spend a lot of time thinking about what I write.  I blog multiple times every week, create content on a regular basis, and am already working on my next book project. You might find this hard to believe, but do you know that until I actually start writing, nothing gets written?  I can spend all day thinking about it, I might even have a pretty good idea on what to write.  But until I start pounding the keyboard, nothing gets done.

You have to Start before you can Finish!

I think there are a lot of similarities between this thought on writing and just about anything else you might want to achieve.  We have to START.  At some point in time, we need to decide that we are done getting ready and just go for it.

There are also similarities on what happens after you start.  I have found that in writing, it is only after you start writing the words that the story really starts to come to life.  One thought leads to another and “whaddayaknow” a few months later you have a book.

It’s no different in anything else.  You want to lose 30 pounds?  Well, you have to lose one before you can lose the other twenty-nine.  You want to make a million dollars? You have to make one before you make the other … you get the picture!

The Power of Knowledge comes through Action.

The point is, you have to START.  If you are reading this, I will make the assumption that you are fairly well educated and have acquired a significant amount of knowledge over the years.  But what are you doing with that knowledge?  I used to think knowledge was power.  NOT!  The power of knowledge does not come from simply possessing it, you must act upon it.

This gap between what we know and what we do is the gap that will lead us not only to success, but to significance.  Everyday should be a day of closing that gap.  But it takes action.  Yoda said it best; “There is no try, there is only do and do not.” [Tweet This]  So which is it going to be?

In order to close the gap we need to “DO.”  The way we do anything is to START.  I have found that it is much easier to start something small as compared to something big.  It much less intimidating and much easier to achieve.  I have seen so many people take on large tasks and fail because they did not identify the small steps along the way.

Every Great Accomplishment has been Achieved One Step at a Time.

Writing is a great example.  The idea of writing a book may seem too much for you to ever accomplish.  But how about a chapter, better yet a paragraph and if you still think it’s too much, just write out a sentence.  To my knowledge, there are no books out there that were not written “one letter” at a time.

Today’s Challenge:  Choose something in your life that you want to do but have been putting off because “it’s just to big” and break it down into small steps and START. That is how you will close the gap between what you know and what you do.

***********************************************************************

===> JOIN THE “LEADERSHIP BY INVITATION” LAUNCH TEAM <===

Click here to get a copy of my Kindle Book “The Manifesto Of An Influential Leader”

Don’t miss a single post from Building What Matters by subscribing at the top left of this page. 

Help support us by clicking here and Liking our facebook page

Barry Smith  5/23/14   photo by author   © Building What Matters 2014

The post Closing The Gap Between What You Know And What You Do appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

I have been very transparent about my “comfort zone” when it comes to my work space.  Most of my life, I have had a million things going on, finishing very few of them in a timely manner, but feeling achievement by getting lots done.  Right?  I guess it’s a matter of perspective.  Checking 30 items off your list in one day may appear to be a huge success.  But if you had three hundred items when you started the day, maybe not so much.

Being Busy And Productive Is Not Enough

I have learned a lot about the difference between being busy and being productive over the past few years and it has helped.  In my defense, I have been working diligently on getting the draft done for my new book, Leadership by Invitation, and earlier today, I was pulling quotes from several different sources (as you can tell) but my desk still ends up like this at least once a week.  I guess old habits are hard to break.

For the most part, I have turned being busy into being productive, but with that success (if you can call it that) I have come to realize that there is a new level in achievement. That comes form moving from productivity to effectiveness.  Now you might think that these two words mean relatively the same thing.  Well, not in my world. And here is why.

Success Comes When We Move From Productive To Effective

As I have focused in on living out my purpose – “building what matters – people!” – I have realized that we can be very productive, while at the same time not be effective at all.  Huh?  In my book, I talk about strategies and vision that produce results.  These results are based upon a specific purpose.  Do you see where I’m going with this?

I can be very productive, take out the trash, wood on the fire, shovel the snow off the driveway and so on.  All of these are productive, but really don’t connect back to my purpose.  Based on my experience, many people out there are lost somewhere in this state of confusion.  They get busy with a list, over time that list grows (with many items serving other people’s purpose rather than their own) and they lose sight of what they really want to accomplish.

So what can bring clarity to all of this and help you maintain focus on fulfilling your purpose?  In a few months you will be able to read the long version when the book comes out, but here is a snapshot for you that might help you get headed in the right direction.

How To RSVP Your Way To Success

Be clear on your VISION.  What do you really want?  If you are in a leadership position, and you are, what vision are you casting to those around you?  Are you even casting a vision?

Once you identify that vision, you need to determine your role in achieving it.  That’s right, your purpose.  Identifying and understanding your PURPOSE is what brings additional clarity to the big picture and helps you to stay on task.  (Tweet This / Post to LinkedIn)

Now that you have a vision and understand your purpose in fulfilling that vision, you need a strategy to achieve that vision and fulfill your purpose.  The right STRATEGY is what keeps your work not just productive, but effective.

Now that the strategy is in place and you are casting your vision and fulfilling your purpose, take a look at the RESULTS you are getting.  If they are not what you identified within your strategy, make the necessary course corrections and stay at it.

There is a quick look at what’s coming up in much more detail, but I believe that even taking a little time right now to see how your current condition or circumstance fits into this framework, might just make a difference for you.

The Question:  Are you being productive or effective?

The Challenge:  Take a look at your activities and find something you are doing in which you can move from being not just productive, but effective.

***********************************************************************

Click here to get a copy of my Kindle Book “The Manifesto Of An Influential Leader”

Join me on the STOP CHALLENGE CHOOSE 12 week health transformation

Don’t miss a single post from Building What Matters by subscribing at the top left of this page. 

Help support us by clicking here and Liking our facebook page

Barry Smith  2/10/14   photo by author   © Building What Matters 2014

The post Effectiveness Is A Path To Results – Not Productivity appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

So here is the plan … Friday’s post will be dedicated to “What I Learned This Week” (WILTW).  I hope you will join in with me on this.  Friday’s I will deliver my take-a-way for the week and give a call to action as we head into the next.

As I look back on this week, there were several times when I was involved in some type of interaction – training, webinar, coaching, conference call and so on – that brought to light the “greatest gap.”  The greatest gap is the gap between what we know and what we do.

It Takes Results To Get Results

Earlier today I was on a call with Paul Martinelli, President of the John Maxwell Team, and he made the comment “Doing Nothing Is Not A Result” and proceeded to explain, in detail, how we can’t expect any kind of result without taking action.

I made similar comments to two groups of John Maxwell Team members that I am leading through a 90 Day Success Program.  We will finish this 90 Day journey next week and I told them all that after we attend one of the bi-annual Maxwell Certification events next month, I want to reconnect and discuss their “action plan” in moving forward.  You know … that accountability thing!

Are You Still Getting Ready To Get Ready!

All too often, we get hung up on the “getting ready” piece of accomplishing goals and when you think about it – getting ready has everything to do with what we know and nothing to do with actually doing it.  Don’t get me wrong here, preparation is a huge part of success, but you could be the most prepared person on the planet and if you don’t execute your plan, it’s all for not.

Here is where I think a lot of people get stuck in this.  They set a date to accomplish something knowing that they need to prepare.  The problem is that we assume that just because preparation comes before execution, the chronological order of things will take care of itself.  The net result is that we hover in the “getting ready” phase and the deadline slips by because we are still getting ready.

Quit Doing Something That Get’s You Nothing!

So what did I learn this week?  I learned that somewhere between knowing and doing there is an point where preparation stops and execution starts.  Yes, I realize that most things in life continue to evolve and that we will always need to be preparing for what’s next, but that CAN’T be a reason to live in get ready world.  I know that doing something that get’s you nothing is not the result you are looking for.

So here is what you need to do.  There is something you are working on right now that has you getting ready and you probably have some idea of when you need to actually do it.  Break up this omelette of activity into it’s original ingredients and put a date on each step.  Write this down ==> On (fill in the date), no matter what state of readiness I am in, I am going to start.  And them make any necessary course corrections needed along the way.

If nothing is what you are getting from your something, it’s time to make a change. (Tweet This / Share on Facebook / Post to LinkedIn)

C’mon people – It’s time to close the gap and start getting results!

***********************************************************************

Click here to get a copy of my Kindle Book “The Manifesto Of An Influential Leader”

Join me on the STOP CHALLENGE CHOOSE 12 week health transformation

Don’t miss a single post from Building What Matters by subscribing at the top left of this page. 

Help support us by clicking here and Liking our facebook page

Barry Smith  1/31/14   photo by author   © Building What Matters 2014

The post WILTW – Doing Nothing Is Not A Result! appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

I have spent much of the past two or three years studying what separates those who succeed from those that don’t.  I have come to the conclusion that it comes down to not what they are trying to do, but why they are trying to doing it.

Back to my opening statement.  For me, that lingering item has been my health.  I have never been able to figure it out.  My wife Michelle sets a great example for me.  She eats good, sleeps 8+ hours a night and runs five days a week.  Beyond that, I want to be in good health.  Even though I am 48, I feel like I am younger than that but at the same time, feel time catching up – if you know what I mean!

A couple of friends of mine, Chemae and Eric, are Take Shape For Life coaches and after years of listening to stories about success they have been having with their clients, I decided to put some of the health principles that they teach to the test.

About six months ago, I started eating smaller meals and cut way back on sugar and carbs.  Boom!  Instant results.  By early November I had hit my first benchmark.  I had dropped twenty pounds and thought I had this health thing all figured out.  After all, I am a professional coach.  Should be easy, right?  Maybe not.

A month later and no more progress.  So I did what I should have done to begin with. Reached back to Eric and Chemae and said “Help!”  Three words made a huge difference.  Here they are and why they are so important.

STOP

When things are not going the way you want.  When you just aren’t getting the results you are looking for – STOP!  I didn’t say quit, I said stop.  I know you have heard the saying “If you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you’ll keep getting what you’ve been getting.”  So if this is the case – stop and take a minute to figure out why things are not working out.  How do you do this?  Simple …

CHALLENGE

If you are not getting the results you were looking for, challenge the thought process that you have been using to get them.  Challenge your why.  Most of all, challenge what you know about what you want and why you want it.  (Tweet This / Share on Facebook / Post to LinkedIn) Knowledge is power and sometimes even when our why is the right one – we don’t understand it enough to make it strong enough to provide the strength to succeed.  OK, then what?

CHOOSE

Now you are a little bit smarter.  Now choose a new path.  The destination might still be the same but now you can make the needed course corrections and get back after it. Life is about choices and usually, the better informed we are, the better choices we make.  Clarity also makes the decision making process much easier.  Eliminate the things that didn’t or won’t work and then you have less to choose from.

So does this work?  Well, one week into following the Take Shape For Life program and I was down 5 more pounds and getting more sleep.  In reality, the process impressed me so much that it struck me that this would be a great addition to be able to provide the same support and resources to my own clients.  Most of them have health related issues on their list anyway so why not add a plan that actually works into the services I provide.

So I have added health coach to my resume.  I joined the Take Shape For Life team earlier this month and am looking forward to sharing a path to Optimal Health with my network of clients and colleagues.  If you are interested in finding out more about the TSFL program I would encourage to visit my TSFL page by clicking here and contact me if you think it makes sense for you and I will help you get started.

There is also a great opportunity that you can sign up for through March 1st.  If you are interested in finding your own path to Optimal Health, join along with thousands of others and sign up for the STOP CHALLENGE CHOOSE (sound familiar) 12 Week Health Transformation.  No cost.  No strings.  Simply an email a day full of great content and tools that can really make a difference for you in your journey to getting healthier.

Just click here and you will be redirected to the Stop Challenge Choose webpage. Click on the I Know / Have a Coach button and put in my name “Barry Smith” and that’s it. Starting on the next Monday, you will receive a daily email full of great value related to improving your health.  If you have any questions along the way, just let me know.

A question today that you may have never asked yourself before – What does Optimal Health look like to you?

You might have already guessed my challenge – Sign up for the STOP CHALLENGE CHOOSE 12 Week Health Transformation and find out what Optimal Health might look like for you. 

***********************************************************************

Click here to get a copy of my Kindle Book “The Manifesto Of An Influential Leader”

Don’t miss a single post from Building What Matters by subscribing at the top left of this page. 

Help support us by clicking here and Liking our facebook page

Barry Smith    1/27/14   photo by author   © Building What Matters 2014

The post Change Your Outcome When You Stop, Challenge and Choose appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

In my new book coming out later this spring, Leadership by Invitation, I explore the concept of answering the call to lead.  What will it take to answer that invitation?  A new commitment to investing in yourself and in others to create the impact and influence needed to lead.

So if we need to make new investments, we need to be prepared to make the necessary deposits that will result in a positive return on that investment.  As I was balancing the checkbook the other day it struck me that our Leadership balance sheet is much a checkbook.  You make deposits and you make withdrawals and what you have to work with is represented on the bottom line.

Credit Cards Don’t Work When It Comes To Leadership

I know you understand that if you want to take a withdrawal, at some point in time, you needed to make a deposit in order to make that withdrawal.  Let’s take a look at a few things that leaders need to keep in balance to lead.

Look, the day is going to come, if it hasn’t already, that you need to make a withdrawal from your leadership bank and if you don’t have the funds to cash that check, you will lose the opportunity to make a difference is someone else’s life.  Credit cards don’t work when it comes to leadership and we can’t ask life to take a time out until we build back up our account.

I have heard more than once that if you want to see where someone is committed, look at their calendar and look at their checkbook.  Those two things will show you where you deposits are being made.  The question is whether or not they are in something that will allow you to make a withdrawal down the road.

Life Has No “Time Back” Guarantee!

TIME

If there is never enough time, and there never is, how can we expect to make the necessary withdrawals to invest time in others.  Leadership is influence, right?  Most leaders are consumed by the needs of the people they lead.  It’s not intentionally set up that way, but those in authority, the leaders, are typically expected to solve the problems.

So how does a leader make those time deposits?  They can start by EMPOWERING others to make their own decisions.  Part of being a leader is casting vision, and communicating that vision will allow others to understand the desired outcome and make decisions, on their own or within their team, that will produce that same outcome.

Another great way is to DELEGATE.  I love what my mentor John Maxwell told me.  If someone else can do something 80% as well as you, let them do it.  You don’t have to do it all yourself!

You Can Wear Your Running Shoes In The Boardroom

HEALTH

Most of us live in a culture that is simply moving faster than we like.  If you want to live in the age of technology, you need to be prepared to move at light speed like the rest of the world.

I love the quote “Lead, follow, or get left behind.”  If we don’t take the lead on leading ourselves to take the necessary steps to show up with physical energy, mental clarity and emotional stability, (Tweet This / Share on Facebook / Post to LinkedIn) how can we be expected to instill that in others?

As a leader, what deposits are you making to allow for those withdrawals?  Are your eating, exercising and sleeping habits providing the deposits necessary for you to make those withdrawals when a twelve hour day is needed?  I have said it before.  The toughest person to lead is me.

What Is Your Disaster Management Plan?

We are usually last on the list and leaders, by nature, put others first.  This is a formula for disaster.  Look at the most successful leaders.  They show up with energy, clarity and for the most part physically fit.  Any clues to be found there?  Do you think they are making the right deposits?

I have heard more than once that if you want to see where someone is committed, take a look at their calendar and their checkbook.  That’s my challenge for you today.  Take a look at those two things and see what they are producing for your bottom line.

That leads to an related question of great importance.  What adjustment do you need to make today to build up equity in your Leadership Balance Sheet?

***********************************************************************

Click here to get a copy of my Kindle Book “The Manifesto Of An Influential Leader”

Don’t miss a single post from Building What Matters by subscribing at the top left of this page. 

Help support us by clicking here and Liking our facebook page

Barry Smith    1/24/14   photo by author   © Building What Matters 2014

The post Deposits and Withdrawals – What’s On Your Leadership Balance Sheet? appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

I have had my share of challenges just like everyone else, but for the most part, things have worked out for me and I never had to discipline myself to achieve some major goal or overcome a significant challenge.  To be honest, I think this has hurt me more than help me.  I think a lot can be learned from being disciplined to do something consistently and once completed, I think it empowers you to achieve even more.

The last few years I have had high expectations of myself and have set many goals. Many I achieved and some I did not.  Why did I fail in some areas?  I think I can point to one common theme – Discipline.

Now I’m a pretty smart guy (most of the time) and it didn’t take me too long to realize that if I am going to accomplish the goals I set for myself, I need discipline.  So I did the smart thing – I asked for some help.  I now have a few people holding me accountable to be disciplined.  End of story – mission accomplished – right?

Well sort of.  This is where I think I have been messed up in my thinking.  I know other people that are disciplined.  They run so many miles a week.  They go to the gym so many days a week and so on.  We all know these people.  They seem to accomplish whatever they set out to do.  What makes the difference?  How come they get it done consistently?

Well here is what I think.  They get it done consistently because they START consistently.  Starting is the key to finishing.  Here are some helpful ways to get you started.

STORY – If you are attempting to be disciplined, there is a story behind why you are doing it.  What is your story?  Are you clear on the reasons you are attempting to start, stop, do more or do less of something?  A strong story will provide the strength to succeed.

TELL SOMEONE – I mentioned it earlier, have someone hold you accountable.  Make sure they know exactly what it is that you are trying to accomplish.  No one can do as much by themselves as they can with the help of others.

ACTION – Actually doing the work is what will accomplish the goal.  Starting is the first step to finishing and starting takes action.  Wanting to do something is great, but that intention, by itself will accomplish nothing.

RISK – Let’s spin it a little bit.  We usually look at doing something new based on what it will add to our lives.  How often do you evaluate the risk of not doing something?  Sometimes the real risk is in deciding to do nothing at all.

TIME MANAGEMENT – What is the best way to start something?  Get it on your calendar.  This has been the best tool I have found to help me reach my goals.  My calendar does half the work for me.

So back to the question posed in the title of this post.  Is discipline the hard part or the easy part?  In my opinion, it is the hard part.  Doing the work is really pretty easy once you start.  When was the last time you gt in your car to go to the gym and turned around half way to go back home?  When was the last time you went for a walk and turned around at the end of your driveway?

A month from now, everyone will be talking about New Year’s Resolutions.  My challenge for you today – START NOW!  Unless of course, you can tell me why January 1st is a better day than today to start doing something you need to do now.

***********************************************************************

Click here to get a copy of my Kindle Book “The Manifesto Of An Influential Leader”

Click here to listen to the encore presentation as John Maxwell shares how to “Influence through Connecting”

Don’t miss a single post from Building What Matters by subscribing at the top left of this page. 

Help support us by clicking here and Liking our facebook page

Barry Smith   12/2/13   photo by author   © Building What Matters 2013

The post Is Discipline The Hard Part Or The Easy Part? appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

I had lots of goals for 2013, and to be honest, some of them won’t be met.  The good thing is that in almost everyone of them that I will fall short in, I know why.  It may be due to being unrealistic to begin with, maybe it was lack of commitment on my part or maybe just the fact that some of my priorities have changed throughout the year.  But at least I can learn from these failures.

A few months ago, my mentor Kary gave a group teaching on having a solid core so you could show up with all your energy available to best serve your family, your clients or simply anyone that came across your path.  I really felt convicted by his words as I knew that my fitness goals were some that I was way behind on.

Most of you know I am always looking for the next “great” book to read and about the same time as I was trying to figure out how to reverse the downward trend in my efforts to improve my eating, exercise routine, and sleeping habits, a book comes out called EAT MOVE SLEEP by Tom Rath.  Now some of you may recognize Rath as the author of StrengthsFinder 2.0 and I found this title surprising given his previous efforts – that was until I found out the rest of the story.

As it turns out, Rath has been dealing with a very serious illness for more than 20 years and refusing to just accept his fate, he set out to find out how he could do for himself what his body would not.  For more than 2o years Rath has been studying how the food we eat, the exercise we do, and the sleep we get influence our body’s ability to function and take care of itself.

I am not really going to break down the book, but I would like to share what I have learned in each of these three areas.

EAT

If you would have asked me 3 months ago “how well do you eat?” I would have probably said that I don’t eat bad, but I don’t really eat good either.  I actually have stayed away from the really bad stuff (except ice cream and pizza of course) for the most part.  My big problem was that I skipped breakfast, snacked my way through lunch and ate a big dinner – because I was hungry – Hello! And then had a snack later at night to finish off the day.

Now I get it.  Get a good breakfast, snack on healthy “whole” foods and eat a normal dinner. If you are going to have a snack at night, choose something healthy like fruits or nuts.   I know everyone is different, but the elimination, for the most part, of all the sugars and carbs I used to eat and a better schedule has allowed me to lose 20 pounds in less than three months and I feel much better.

MOVE

My relative inactivity over the last 12 months has certainly had an impact on me.  Losing twenty pounds has helped but simply stated, I need to start moving more.  No extremes, but some consistency would be nice.  I have some colleagues holding me accountable to this so I intend on making solid, lasting improvements.

If you want to know all the things you didn’t know related to why it’s important to exercise, grab a copy of the book.  I learned a lot of new stuff and I thought I knew most of it already.

SLEEP

I find it interesting that Rath just happened to list these three things in the specific order of how well I am doing on them.  The bottom line is that you need 7-9 hours of sleep a night. That means my bottom line is at about a minus 3.  I have a much better understanding of sleep and what happens to your body when you don’t get enough of it.

So here is the bottom line that I believe will help anyone reading this.  It doesn’t matter how much you know about any subject.  What matters is how well you implement the needed changes in your life or business.  I am headed in the right direction and the reason is that I finally figured out that you can’t do it all at once.  You need to take it one step at a time and develop habits.  Get one thing out of the way and start the next.

A very important challenge today.  First, get a copy of Eat Move Sleep.  This book will provide some valuable information that can change your life.  Second, choose one of these areas – any one of them, and start doing something different.  Set yourself up for success and start today.

***********************************************************************

Click here to get a copy of my Kindle Book “The Manifesto Of An Influential Leader”

Click here to listen to the encore presentation as John Maxwell shares how to “Influence through Connecting”

Don’t miss a single post from Building What Matters by subscribing at the top left of this page. 

Help support us by clicking here and Liking our facebook page

Barry Smith   11/21/13   photo courtesy of eatmovesleep.org   © Building What Matters 2013

The post How You EAT, MOVE and SLEEP Will Change Your Life! appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

1 oz. of Gold from the Yukon

Friday night I attended a “Gold Rush” season premier party.  For those of you not familiar with the show, it revolves around three groups of gold miners chasing their dream to find the elusive shiny mineral and strike it rich.

Part of my interest in the Discovery Channel hit is that I personally know some of the characters.  For that reason, the “behind the scenes” footage always catches my interest.

Now in season four, we have watched the characters give up or “sacrifice” the life they have at home and head north in search of buried treasure.  This season, one group led by Todd Hoffman and Dave Turin is actually mining in Guyana, South America.

The show is clearly a hit, but four years ago when these men left their families behind, they had no idea if they would find gold or not.  They had to make difficult choices and had to be willing to sacrifice what they had for nothing more than the hope of hitting it big.

The “on-site” action clearly makes the show but the producers have done an incredible job showing what these ambitious individuals have had to give up.  Everything has a price right?  This season was no different as they showed the scenes of dad’s and husband’s saying goodbye for five months.

Aside from the pure adventure of gold mining, it is clear, at least to me, that these adventurers are not only living a dream but creating a legacy.  If you are a fan of the show, you know that teamwork has been the key to their success.  John Maxwell gives us some sacrifices that we have to consider when we want to do more and be more when working with teams.

Make Financial Sacrifices For The Team

Most of these people have leveraged everything to get started and to acquire the needed resources to become successful miners.  Decisions had to be made and they all sacrificed the security that they had to become collectively successful.

Keep Growing For The Sake Of The Team

The shows main characters have stayed pretty much the same, but some changes have been made to make sure the teams are comprised of committed individuals that are willing to do what has to be done.  Whatever that might be.

Empower Others For The Sake Of The Team

This is huge to me.  I have watched the leaders face very difficult decisions, yet the vision was made clear and more importantly, shared with the rest of the team.  Each individual knows that they are an important part of the team and sharing in the responsibility has empowered them to work together towards that common goal.

Make Difficult Decisions For The Sake Of The Team

Every season has had major challenges and each team has had to overcome major adversity.  The leaders of each group have stepped up to the plate and made those difficult decisions and owned the results.  Some of the choices made have not worked out, yet they continue to not fail, but learn and become better for it.

The bottom line is this, all these individuals have sacrificed on many different levels, but the leaders have had to sacrifice their pride when making the wrong decision.  They have been quick to share the success but just as quick to own their failures and in doing that, have gained the respect from their teams.

The entire world might be watching on their television set but for these men and women, every day is real.  They have made sacrifices to get there and they make sacrifices every day to get it done.  The leaders set the attitude by being willing to do themselves, everything they expect from their team.

My question for you today is this: Are you asking your team to make sacrifices that you are not willing to make yourself?  Doing so may explain the lack of commitment you are seeing.

***********************************************************************

Click here to listen in on October 30th as John Maxwell shares how to “Influence through Connecting”

Don’t miss a single post from Building What Matters by subscribing at the top left of this page. 

Help support us by clicking here and Liking our facebook page

Barry Smith    10/28/13   photo by author   © Building What Matters 2013

The post What Are You Willing To Sacrifice In Order To Grow? appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

Dr. Cloud does an incredible job providing insight on why some people get results and others don’t.  Simply stated, when we invest time beyond the boundaries “we should have” we reduce the results we achieve along the way.

Dr. Cloud has taken a complex issue and has broken it down into simple terms that every leader should be able to embrace and implement into their leadership and life style.

This will be the final of three posts exploring what it takes to lead teams, companies and cultures defined by high performance and healthy relationships.

HIGH-PERFORMANCE TEAMS

Dr. Cloud sums up the power of “high” performance teams with this statement; “Nothing drives strong teams like great performance, and what drives strong performance is a commitment to a shared vision and shared goals with behaviors and relationships aligned with reaching those goals.”

Basically he is saying that high performance teams work together on the right things at the right times.  This really only comes through focusing on the things that you can control and with the clarity and focus of working on them in a strategic and specific manner.  It comes down to having the right plan and working that plan.

TRUST MAKES THE TEAMS ABLE TO PERFORM

Dr. Cloud focuses this chapter on the importance of trust as related to team performance.  He provides his five most important components:

Connection through Understanding – Of course it is important that we “get it” – but more important is that the other person understands and believes that we “get it.”

Motivation and Intent – We have all been there – someone offers their help or assistance but you know that their motivation is solely because they want something in return.  Trust is build when there is no expectation of anything in return.

Character – There are many attributes that can describe character but in building trust, “who you are” becomes much more important that what you do or what you can provide.

Capacity and Ability – Intentions are great, but follow through is where we build, and lose trust.  Part of the trust building process is being able to identify what you can actually deliver – and deliver it.

Track Record – No surprise here; what you have done in the past, in this area, is a predictor of the future.  It doesn’t have to be, but that is the way it will be perceived. Perception is Reality anyone!

BOUNDARIES FOR YOURSELF

This is great – Dr. Cloud gives us a Law of Leadership: “The higher you go in leadership. the fewer external forces act upon you and dictate your focus, energy, and direction.  Instead you set the terms of engagement and direct your own path, with only the reality of results to push against you.”

Read that again – remember, this book is about boundaries.  As leaders, we are the only one responsible in setting our own boundaries.  That being said, understanding what those boundaries will, or will not allow in is crucial.  I like to think of it like this – boundaries set the perimeter, but we still need to position ourselves so we can “see over the fence” to stay aware of what is going on “outside.”

I strongly encourage any and every leader to pick up a copy of Boundaries For Leaders. Dr. Cloud provides frameworks throughout the book that can be easily applied to your leadership role.

It has been said that the greatest gap we deal with in life is “The gap between what we know and what we do.”  If you want to start applying more of what you know into increasing what you do, you need to have boundaries.

My challenge today:  Take a look at what is currently on your plate and make the decision to set some boundaries that will allow you to put more focus and energy into the things that you have to do that have to be done now.

• Click here to read Part 1
• Click here to read Part 2

***********************************************************************

Click here for a 3-Video Series from John Maxwell and Les Brown being “Authentic and Transparent”

Click here to listen in on October 30th as John Maxwell shares how to “Influence through Connecting”

Don’t miss a single post from Building What Matters by subscribing at the top left of this page. 

Help support us by clicking here and Liking our facebook page

Barry Smith    10/23/13   photo courtesy of Amazon   © Building What Matters 2013

The post Boundaries For Leaders – Part 3: High Performance Teams appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

Dr. Cloud does an incredible job providing insight on why some people get results and others don’t.  Simply stated, when we invest time beyond the boundaries “we should have” we reduce the results we achieve along the way.

Dr. Cloud has taken a complex issue and has broken it down into simple terms that every leader should be able to embrace and implement into their leadership and life style.

This will be the first of three posts exploring what it takes to lead teams, companies and cultures defined by high performance and healthy relationships.

THE PEOPLE ARE THE PLAN

Dr. Cloud starts off with a very powerful point.  He suggests that everybody out there is always trying to figure out the right plan.  But the truth is that there are numerous “right plans.”  The real problem is getting the people to do what it takes to make the plan work.

I love what he says next; “Ultimately, leadership is about turning a vision into reality; it’s about producing real results in the real world.”  He is right!  It comes down to the performance of you or your team.  So if you agree that people are the plan then it only makes sense to start with the people you have when formulating your plan.

RIDICULOUSLY IN CHARGE

I believe this is the signature chapter of the book.  Dr. Cloud tells the story of a discussion he had with a CEO.  They were discussing problems that existed within the organization and the reasons they existed.  Dr. Cloud then asked “why do these reasons exist?”  The reason behind the problem – right?  “Who is in charge?” he asked.  The CEO replied; “I am” replied the CEO.

As the discussion continued, the CEO exclaimed “You know, when you think about it, I am rediculously in charge.”  Bingo!  The CEO “owned” the decision making process and decided to own the outcome.  As Dr. Cloud put it; “As a leader, he was going to get what he built, or what he allowed.”

LEADING SO BRAINS CAN WORK

OK, so let’s get into the idea of boundaries.  Dr. Cloud suggests that the reason a leader’s boundaries work is that they actually make it possible for people’s brains to function as they were designed.  In other words, our brains are designed to function within certain parameters and when we stay inside those parameters, by setting the necessary boundaries, our brain functions at it’s highest performance level.

Not having boundaries results in the brain spending critical energy processing information not conducive to producing the results we are looking for.  In Dr. Cloud’s words; “The leader’s job is to lead in ways such that people can do what they are best at doing: using their gifts and their brains to get great results.”

THE EMOTIONAL CLIMATE THAT MAKES BRAINS PERFORM

Dr. Cloud makes the following statement; “The cold, hard scientific facts are that your people think better when they are not stressed, afraid, or depressed.”  He goes on to explore the impact of creating a positive environment and the impact of not having one.

There is a great section on the idea of “Avoiding the negative, and accentuating the positive.” Several great takeaways here including, but not limited to, providing structure, setting clear expectations and a focus on communication.  In simple terms, when the individuals are emotionally healthy, their level of productivity will reflect that.

I have read numerous books written by highly intelligent people full of data analysis and complex issues and ideas.  Many of them made me feel like I was reading a textbook. This is NOT one of those.  Dr. Cloud breaks things down into the simplest terms and provides great questions and suggestions that we can apply to our role as leaders and in our leadership development.

So I leave you with a thought today.  Some of you are in charge of a lot and some maybe not so much.  No matter how much you are in charge of, have you owned it?  Are you ridiculously in charge?  As Dr. Cloud suggests, what we get is either created or allowed.  So what are you creating and what are you allowing in your life?  What needs to change?   OK – so I guess my thought turned into a few questions.  But you know I love questions!

***********************************************************************

Don’t miss a single post from Building What Matters by subscribing at the top left of this page. 

Help support us by clicking here and Liking our facebook page

Barry Smith    10/9/13   photo courtesy of Amazon   © Building What Matters 2013

The post Boundaries For Leaders – Part 1: Who Is In Charge? appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.