Sure this book is about Starbucks, but it’s much bigger than that.  Michelli shows why Starbucks has become the coffee bean superpower of the world.  And it has nothing to do with the beans.  I guess that’s not entirely true, but their success is built much more around who is serving rather than what is being served.

I will admit, I have invested my fair share in the Starbucks brand but I never gave a thought as to what goes on behind the grinder, so to speak.  Michelli explores 5 Principles that give Starbucks the advantage over their competition and I for one, will pay much more attention to what is going on behind the counter next time I visit my local Starbucks.

Definitely a great look at what has made Starbucks so successful, but at the same time, the bar has been set very high for them to continue to live up to their reputation.

In this, the second of three posts, I will recap Michelli’s exploration of Principle 2 – Love To Be Loved and Principle 3 – Reach For Common Ground

PRINCIPLE 2 – LOVE TO BE LOVED

In a word, this section is about trust.  Both trust of the product and the service and more importantly, consistency in delivering them.  It’s not surprising that there is more content about the people than the product in this book.  That is where the trust is built.

Think about when you have purchased a product that you believed in but received less than stellar service.  You might stick with the product, but if your are like me, you will look elsewhere to get it.

“If you select people with genuine talent for serving others, give them opportunities to become more knowledgeable and passionate about your products, and insist upon product and consumer experience excellence, you are well on the way to gaining the pride and passion of customers.”

While in construction, I often chose service over cost because at the end of the day, I needed someone that would deliver WHEN they say they would and make me feel like I was their most important client.  I realize I probably wasn’t, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be treated like you are.  Truth be told, I was pretty loyal to those vendors.  Hmmmm!

PRINCIPLE 3 – REACH FOR COMMON GROUND

A deep look into the Starbucks way of connecting with their customers, explains much about the forward motion of the organization.  It’s one thing to communicate with your customer, but are you really connecting?  And I’m not just talking about words.

Starbucks looks at ALL aspects of the environment, the architecture of the store, the neighborhood, the customer base, and the competition.  These all factor into the experience that we have when we enter a Starbucks.

“The goal of leadership is to create the right environment for human connection to occur and to help staff members manage the inevitable issues that surface.”

There is certainly risk when you bring the human condition into the business model, but then again, if you want to be the best at what you do, you better be willing to risk something to get there.

I don’t want to feel invisible!

This is probably my favorite quote from this section of the book; “The number one request or desire of every human around the world is to be seen and heard.”  (Tweet This)

TODAY’S QUESTION:  How effectively have you sought partnerships while building your business and have you positioned yourself to provide services or products that are relevant to your market?

Click here to read Part 1

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Barry Smith  4/17/14   photo courtesy of amazon   © Building What Matters 2014

The post Leading The Starbucks Way – Part 2; Connecting With Trust appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

Sure this book is about Starbucks, but it’s much bigger than that.  Michelli shows why Starbucks has become the coffee bean superpower of the world.  And it has nothing to do with the beans.  I guess that’s not entirely true, but their success is built much more around who is serving rather than what is being served.

I will admit, I have invested my fair share in the Starbucks brand but I never gave a thought as to what goes on behind the grinder, so to speak.  Michelli explores 5 Principles that give Starbucks the advantage over their competition and I for one, will pay much more attention to what is going on behind the counter next time I visit my local Starbucks.

Definitely a great look at what has made Starbucks so successful, but at the same time, the bar has been set very high for them to continue to live up to their reputation.

In this, the first of three posts, I will recap Michelli’s exploration of “The Starbucks Connection” and Principle 1 – Savor and Elevate.

THE STARBUCKS CONNECTION

The story starts with Howard Schultz stepping back into the role of Chief Executive Officer in 2008.  Schultz introduced his “Transformation Agenda” establishing a forward-looking vision that enhanced the companies established mission.  Michelli shares that:

“While the Starbuck mission was “to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, and one cup and one neighborhood at a time,” the transformation vision set an energizing and rallying objective, “to become an enduring, great company with one of the most recognized and respected brands in the world, known for inspiring and nurturing the human spirit.”

Whether you are a fan of the coffee or not, I guarantee you will look at the organization differently after giving this book a look.  The investment that Starbuck makes in their people is impressive.  Their commitment is to not only continually improve the product but the way they connect with the customer.  It’s not too hard to figure out why your local Starbucks is always full.

PRINCIPLE 1 – SAVOR AND ELEVATE

There are many great quotes about the Starbucks philosophy throughout, but the message is consistent.  Connect with your customer and create an experience that will be remembered long after that last sip from the cup.

This is done by being passionate about your product and the service provided to deliver it and do it in a way that inspires the customer to share the same passion.  Here is a great quote that represents the Starbucks culture:

“We take the ordinary … and give it new life, believing that what we create has the potential to touch others’ lives because it touched ours.”

It is clear that Starbucks culture is built around both the customer and the product and it’s hard to tell which is top on the priority list but one thing is clear, they are completely committed to make both the best.

This is probably my favorite quote from this section of the book; “all business settings are a stage from which all experiences emerge.”  (Tweet This)  What if we all looked at our business that way?  People are going to pay for your service or your product or both.  The real question becomes, will they enjoy it?  The answer to that will determine whether or not they come back.

TODAY’S QUESTION:  Your brand is really a representation of who you.  What are you doing to use that brand to create an experience that will get your customer or client to share in your passion?

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My role is to provide a path to get there.  In other words, I bring the tool box and we collaboratively figure out which tools to use and how to use them.  Any project will require tools to complete.  So which tools do we need?

A conversation I had recently with a client pushed me to take a look at the toolbox I carry with me and figure out which tools are required for any effort.  A few thoughts crossed my mind.  Do I have the right tools?  Do I have too many tools?  Am I offering the right tools for the project?

After reflecting on this idea for a while, I came to the conclusion that there are 3 tools needed to achieve success in any project we take on.  I am certainly not suggesting that these are the only tools you will need but these 3 tools are the ones you better take out of the toolbox before you even look at the blueprint.

You Can Only Get Here From There!

TOOL 1 – AWARENESS

When I speak to people and ask them about their goals, I get all kinds of responses. Some are simply the “one-liner conceptual type” and others are full of detail and very specific.  I love to follow this up with a question.  Where did you come up with that idea?  This is where it get’s interesting.  “I don’t know, I just think that would be real nice to achieve that.”  Or, “Well I want more than what I have now and that is more.”

Most people set their goals upon only that which they know.  They never even consider that there might be options that they have not even thought about.  That conversation I had allowed that person to enter into the awareness of possibility she had never thought about before.  All it took was a few curious questions she had never asked herself.

Stepping To The Line Of Intention Is Only The Beginning

TOOL 2 – INTENTIONALITY

Nothing happens without setting the intention for it.  Sure, life happens but I’m not talking about life happening to you, I’m talking about “intentionally” happening to life. Peter Drucker said; “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”  (Tweet This / Post to LinkedIn)

Drucker is spot on.  If you want to achieve anything of significance in life, you need to be intentional about it.  Do you think the Seattle Seahawk defense figured because they were the #1 rated defense this year, they could just show up to the Super Bowl and perform?  Not hardly.  I know enough about the game of football to know they were very intentional about everything that happened on the field in New Jersey on Sunday.

Who Are You When Someone Else “Is Watching?”

TOOL 3 – ACCOUNTABILITY

You need the awareness and you need to set the intention but without the tool of accountability you are simply rolling the dice on whether or not you will be successful.  I am not saying you can’t accomplish great things on your own but let’s be real.  If you could do it on your own, it would already be done and it wouldn’t be on your list anymore.  Make sense?

The simple fact is we perform better when someone else is watching.  If they are going to watch, they might as well call us out when we need it.  Quit fooling yourself by saying “this time will be different.”  The only way it will be different is if you make it different.

So I have a little different type of challenge for you today.  Think about these 3 tools and then think about someone that you know that carries these with them.  Go talk to that person and ask them how they use those tools to find success in their endeavors.  You never know, they just might make a pretty good accountability partner as well!

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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?

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

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One of the great things about being a coach is that you get to collaborate with other coaches and mentors on a regular basis.  Honestly, I think having a coach or mentor – someone to hold you accountable – is the best way to achieve any goal.  Speaking from personal experience I can say that my results increase dramatically when I have someone holding me accountable to doing what I say I am going to do.

One of my mentors, Kary Oberbrunner, recently posted this on his Day Job to Dream Job blog:

The purpose of your dream is not in achieving the dream itself, but rather the person you become in the process of achieving it.

I think I heard something like this before but it clearly did not stick.  This time it did.  I get this now.  It makes so much sense.  It’s really no different for goals.  When the goal is the goal, the focus is on the destination.  When the goal is about changing who you are, the goal becomes the bi-product of the transformation you go through.

I Don’t Want To Be What I Used To Be!

Maybe it’s the transformation that I have gone through over the past few years in my own life that has brought clarity to this concept.  But now that I understand it, everything I do has more meaning.  And not just to me, but to those around me as well.

In Guatemala last June, John Maxwell told me that; “Once you get a taste of significance, you will never settle for success.” (Tweet This / Share on Facebook / Post to LinkedIn)  Think about that one for a minute!

OK, so why does any of this matter?  If you remember from an earlier post, I mentioned that today in National Quit Day.  The average day that most people give up on their New Year’s Resolutions.  Do you possibly think that the reason they give up is because they are focused on the destination and let’s be honest, how much change can possibly take place in ten days?

I Want To Be Who I Am Going To Be!

OK – Problem identified.  Now let’s get to the solution.  Here is my advice.  The next time you set a goal, use the one you set ten days ago if you want, spend some additional time writing down (YES, I SAID WRITING DOWN) the person you hope to become in achieving that goal.

We are ten days into 2014 and I will go out on a limb here and assume that most of you have made some type of list of the things you want to achieve this year.  My guess is very few of you have written down who you would like to become this year.

I Can’t Find The Easy Button

Are you going to measure the success of this year by how well you achieve your goals? What if you fail?  What if life happens and you simply can’t attain your goals because of your circumstances?

Here is the good news about focusing on the journey instead of the destination. Setting out to change yourself does not really have much to do with achieving the goal. We can learn through adversity and we can change during the difficult times.  We can grow every day in any situation.  It doesn’t matter what life throws at us.

“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

Nietzsche may give the best goal setting advice there is.  The problem is that most people don’t get stronger.  They give up or simply change direction because “it makes more sense.”  

As far as I am concerned, this may be the most important question I ask this year. “Who do you want to become?”  How about a bonus question to celebrate National Quit Day?  “What will you do to become that person?”

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The post Quit Wasting Your Time Setting Goals and Focus On The Journey. appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

This month we are masterminding through The Men Who Built America, a DVD produced by the History Channel along with Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill to compliment the mini-series built around some of the great early leaders and entrepreneurs that help build the United States into a world power at the end of the 19th Century.

If you don’t know the back story on how these two connect together, Napoleon Hill was commissioned by Andrew Carnegie to study the most successful people and find out what resulted in their success.  The men who built America were among many of the 20,000+ that Hill interviewed over the twenty year period it took him to write the book.

This month we are going take a look at Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Edison, JP Morgan and Henry Ford.  In this, the first of four posts, we will take a look at Andrew Carnegie.

Carnegie is most recognized for the steel empire he built that would later become the U.S. Steel Company after being sold to J.P. Morgan in 1901 for the equivalent of 13.5 Billion Dollars in today’s economy.  But there is much more to Carnegie’s story.

So what was it that took a boy born into poverty in the Country of Scotland to become one of the wealthiest men in the America?  Lets take a look at three of the things that Napoleon Hill discovered:

Rags To Riches

DESIRE

“Every act you have ever performed since the day you were born was performed because you wanted something.” – Andrew Carnegie

Carnegie spent his early years in business watching men like Vanderbilt, Rockefeller and Thomas Scott.  He watched them build their empires and when his opportunity came, he knew exactly what he wanted and that desire never left. From one venture to the next his desire empowered him to find a way to achieve it.

Is It Time To Get A Bigger Box?

IMAGINATION

“Think of yourself as on the threshold of unparalleled success. A whole, clear, glorious life lies before you. Achieve! Achieve!” – Andrew Carnegie

One of the events showcased in the mini-series is when Thomas Scott, Carnegie’s mentor and boss,  asked Carnegie to build and oversee the design and construction of a bridge across the Mississippi River.  Scott suggested a man who according to Scott, “could do anything”, to design it.  As it turned out, the designer said it was impossible.  Carnegie responded with a emphatic “Nothing is Impossible.”  From there he imagined the construction of the bridge using steel and thus began the legacy of Carnegie Steel.

Just When You Think You’ve Had Enough …

PERSISTENCE

“People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents.” – Andrew Carnegie

All these men, including Carnegie, defined the spirit on entrepreneurship.  I won’t suggest that they came up with entirely new ideas (except for possibly Edison) but they figured out entirely new ways to use what was already there, how to use it more efficiently, or how to produce it quicker and cheaper.  None of these advances came with failure.  10,000 tries at the light bulb ring any bells for you?  But all these men, especially Carnegie refused to quit.  They persisted until they succeeded.

Most equate the success of these men to industry and the technological advances of their time.  I believe what really made them more successful than anyone else of their time was their entrepreneurial spirit.  They were visionaries.  They saw what other didn’t and did what others couldn’t and achieved the impossible.  (Tweet This / Share on Facebook / Post to LinkedIn)

This will be a great mastermind study.  None of these men were angels, but one thing about them – they never let anyone else limit what they could do.

So I have a question for you to ponder today.  What limits are holding you back for doing what you want to do and becoming who you want to be?

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For more than two years Scott Fay has been my coach, mentor, and most importantly, my friend. When I was trying to separate who I was from what I did, and come up with a plan for the rest of my life, Scott believed in me and pushed me in the right direction.

Yes, this is another book that focuses a lot on leadership, but Scott provides 7 steps, built around the idea of Design, Build & Maintain, that will guide you along a path to success and significance in whatever lane you are travelling.

PHASE 1: DESIGN YOUR LEADERSHIP ENVIRONMENT

STEP 1 – Discover Your Sweet Spot – Design with the End in Mind

That design, when done correctly, will land in your Sweet Spot.  Scott breaks down your sweet spot like this; “The convergence of three things: Purpose, Passion, and Plan.”

• Purpose is who you are designed to be.
• Passion is what you love to do.
• Plan is the strategic convergence of being and doing.

STEP 2 – Sweat the Small Stuff – The Devils are in the Design

This is a great step.  Scott describes the importance of ALL the details, especially the small ones because they really represent the minor adjustments that can make a major difference.  Scott gives us the infamous five that seem to show up the most often.

1. Poor Drainage
2. Context Confusion
3. High Traffic
4. Aesthetic Misfit
5. Short-Sighted Plan

PHASE 2: BUILD YOUR LEADERSHIP ENVIRONMENT

STEP 3 – Tear Out, Then Build Up

He provides a great three step process to eradicate these weeds, or “excuses,” that are in the way of construction.  This is crucial.  If the weeds are not removed during the build phase to allow the new “roots” to take hold, you will will be focusing on pulling weeds the rest of your life.

1. Identify your weeds.
2. Own your weeds.
3. Eradicate the weeds.

STEP 4 – Build Midcourse Corrections

Scott gives us four things to consider regarding course corrections:

1. Intersect the issue.
2. Correct the problem.
3. Protect the goal.
4. Reflect the outcome.

PHASE 3: MAINTAIN YOUR LEADERSHIP ENVIRONMENT

STEP 5 – PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT: Poor Maintenance Costs You More In The Long Run

To maintain the success, or significance, that we have achieved will not sustain itself unless we commit to continual growth.  Scott suggests asking questions to keep us on top of our game.  Here are his Elite 8:

1. What do I do best?
2. How can I do it better?
3. Who can I best serve doing it?
4. Of the things I currently do, what should I do more?
5. Of the things I currently do, what should I do less?
6. Of the things I currently do, what should I stop?
7. What should I start doing?
8. What am I missing?

STEP 6 – MAINTAIN THE MAIN THING: Keep Your Vision within Sight at All Times

Scott describes the importance of vision and how, unless we keep it on the forefront, it will soon be lost.  Here are his “Five Lenses of Maintaining Vision”:

1. Define The Vision 
2. Develop the Vision 
3. Drill the Vision
4. Distinguish the Vision 
5. Demonstrate the Vision 

STEP 7 – GIVE WHAT YOU CAN’T KEEP: Legacies are Maintained by Investing in Others

Investing in others and believing in them is the way we can leave our fingerprint on generations to come. We can’t take anything with us, but we can clearly leave something behind. (Tweet This / Share on Facebook / Post to LinkedIn)

I have reviewed numerous books and many have had a specific topic or targeted audience. Discover Your Sweet Spot is for everyone.  We all have a Sweet Spot, but very few are living in it.

Today’s challenge: Click Here and join us on a call that will help you on your way to living in your Sweet Spot

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The post Isn’t It About Time You Start Living In Your Sweet Spot? 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

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

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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!

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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.

You are probably thinking that I have gone off the deep end.  Wouldn’t be the first time I have been accused of that and probably won’t be the last.

Here is where I’m coming from.  I don’t have an issue with people succeeding or with the idea of success.  I simply want more.  I want significance.  This past June, while in Guatemala, John Maxwell made the following statement in one of our training debriefing sessions; “Once you get a taste of significance, you will never settle for success.”

That’s more like it – Significance.  I find it interesting that I don’t get any emails that claim to make me significant.  I wonder why that is.  Maybe because it’s hard to put a dollar amount on significance.  Or maybe people don’t care if they are significant as long as they succeed.

I guess the best way to solve this problem is to define success.  Try this on for size: “Success is doing something you’ve never done before, that makes you feel like you’ve never felt before, in a place you’ve never been before, with people you’ve never met before”.  What do you think?

The picture in this post is of me with four of the orphans that I was blessed to meet while in Guatemala.  Some may say that the toys, books and clothes that we were able to provide was a big success.  Well, I think it was more than that – It was significant. We made a difference in their lives that day!

There is nothing wrong with success, but I really challenge anyone to take a hard look at what they are doing with whatever “success” they feel they have achieved, and tell me what the greater good there is in it.

That’s the difference between success and significance.  Success is about you and significance is about everyone else.  In building my business, I look at everything I do and ask a simple question; “What’s in it for them?”

That question allows me to train, speak, coach and write with the intent of adding value to others.  The paycheck is a bi-product.  Sure I have bills to pay just like everyone else but when I focus on the giving part of the equation, the receiving takes care of itself. Not always right away, but it does come back.

Zig Ziglar was spot on when he said; “You can have everything in life that you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.”  I want for others to experience that same thing I desire – to be significant.  At the end of the day, what people desire most is to feel valued.  What is the best way to do that?  By believing in them.

I don’t know what your business model is, and I don’t know what your definition of success is.  But this I know – if your success plan does not make you significant, your are short changing yourself and your clients or customers.

A challenge for you today – review your definition of success, your mission statement or your business plan.  I hope you have at least one of these.  If they do not show a clear path to significance, take the time to make the revisions necessary so you can become significant.

The numbers to the left of your checking account balance give a true statement of what you have.  The number of lives that you have positively impacted gives you the real value of your significance.  I guess I will throw in a question today; “Which numbers are you more interested in?”

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SAVE THE DATE:  On October 10th, John will be doing a WEBCAST to teach from his new book and introduce the Maxwell Leadership Assessment.  CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE WEBCAST

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Barry Smith    9/23/13   photo by author   © Building What Matters 2013

The post Is Significance Part Of Your Success Plan? appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.