tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17607837764113098042024-02-19T05:18:44.254-08:00Pages of Growth - Green Thumb LeadershipReaders Are Leaders! Reading is a great way for you to grow and I love sharing new books to help you flourish!Lisa F Kosakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03787550946703106543noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760783776411309804.post-2435385159168960802019-07-08T08:45:00.000-07:002019-07-08T08:45:59.226-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Have you ever noticed how one day you are on cloud nine
getting things done with adrenaline coursing through your veins and the next
day just making coffee is a chore? Unfortunately, motivation is an inconsistent
tool for most of us to consistently master and as leaders, we really aren’t
that effective at motivating others. Guess what? You CAN master and learn to
consistently remain motivated. There is some strong science behind motivation
and you can use science to bring consistency to being motivated every day.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Not long ago I read the book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Why Motivating People Doesn’t Work…and What Does</i> by Susan Fowler. I
was fascinated by her book. I have always been the manager who encourages
people to reach for goals and perform. I would dangle “carrots” in front of
them with sales or service contests. I was a ”rah-rah girl” and coaching my
people without customers knowing it during a client interaction. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought that I had the motivation and
creating success deal down. Man, was I wrong. Susan’s book really opened my
eyes to what motivates teams long term. It’s not contests, bells, whistles, and
games… it’s more than that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Susan Fowler’s follow up <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">book
Master Your Motivation – Three Science Truths for Achieving Your Goals</i> is a
book that everyone should read. Despite the title, the book isn’t full of
scientific theories and hard to read tactics. It illustrates how we really
don’t understand how to motivate ourselves and others. We have been fed some
wrong information over the years. There really is a science to motivation and
like any new thing that we try (like a diet), it is easy to fall off of the
cart. You really can learn to master your inner motivation and skills to be
consistently motivated and have tools to motivate others. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">There are three scientific keys to motivate and thrive:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Choice:</b> You need to feel like you are
in control of your destiny and that no one is pushing you<o:p></o:p></div>
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2<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Connection:</b> Your goals must have
meaning to you or be linked to those you care about. You need to feel connected
to others and align your actions and goals to meaningful values and your
desired outcome<o:p></o:p></div>
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3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Competence:</b> You WANT to learn and grow,
not have it forced. You should demonstrate effectiveness in all that you do and
build skills over time. Always strive to learn on your own schedule<o:p></o:p></div>
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All of this will require a change in your own outlook before
you can coach others. We should all identify what our outlook is, shift our
outlook, and reflect on our outlook from time to time. Our motivation can be
squelched if our outlook is one of disinterest, external, or is imposed on us.
Our optimal motivational outlook should be aligned, integrated into our
purpose, and inherent in everything that we do. When we reflect we need to be
in the moment and remain in a state of mindfulness.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Your motivation needs to always align with your values. You
are in control and remember to consistently be willing to shift your values and
beliefs as circumstances change. Remember, “Not all beliefs are values, but all
values are beliefs”. <o:p></o:p></div>
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If your motivation wanes it is because there are too many
distractions for us to remain consistent. They include:<o:p></o:p></div>
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1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Materialism and
being motivated for the wrong reasons<o:p></o:p></div>
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2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Searching for
happiness in all the wrong places<o:p></o:p></div>
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3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Busyness<o:p></o:p></div>
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4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Changing what is
important<o:p></o:p></div>
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5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not asking why
or asking too often<o:p></o:p></div>
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6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notice your
energy and why it is changing<o:p></o:p></div>
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Master Your Motivation is a must read for leaders and anyone
who feels like they are on a trampoline with their motivation. The “scientific
truths” will resonate with you immediately. Susan offers a variety of effective
tools, real-life examples of people who have mastered their motivation, and
suggestions that you can incorporate into your life every day. Pick up this
read today!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Lisa F Kosakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03787550946703106543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760783776411309804.post-67551379944291919692019-03-06T10:38:00.000-08:002019-03-06T10:38:04.322-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimY3o_oyEopIhZxxRd7rm0E3UKFmR6pCjWSMQwHzTRM8sQ9OpbB78du7B-3KCDEHNgTSsROHK0hFA39rIw6HRuloD6rjJ1Q-QtcBBc6p9ib4CJFVGYJTbgDCvLQn_kuKqxY1IzX1w8ovE/s1600/win+the+heart.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="782" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimY3o_oyEopIhZxxRd7rm0E3UKFmR6pCjWSMQwHzTRM8sQ9OpbB78du7B-3KCDEHNgTSsROHK0hFA39rIw6HRuloD6rjJ1Q-QtcBBc6p9ib4CJFVGYJTbgDCvLQn_kuKqxY1IzX1w8ovE/s320/win+the+heart.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Employees have less loyalty to their employers and most seek more than just a paycheck. They want a positive culture, strong teams, recognition, and opportunities to learn and to contribute. Sadly, a majority of employers don’t share the same goals and are hyper-focused on numbers and results, not engagement.<br />
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I have worked for a few companies that lack a strong or caring culture. They are all talk, and it shows up in employee engagement scores and overall company performance. One of my previous employers has recently fallen prey to lower sales and production. They took their eyes off of their employees and neglected to engage them, recognize their efforts, and apparently didn’t care about people or even work-life balance. Moreover, employee engagement was non-existent, and now the company is suffering.<br />
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Some of my experiences with prior employers were a stark reminder of the pitfalls of poor culture and low engagement. When I read Mark Miller’s new book,<i> Win the Heart – How to Create a Culture of Full Engagement </i>it hit home. Mark is very passionate about employee engagement and adamant that culture is the key to employee engagement and productivity. Engagement requires a certain level of care which is reflected in both overall attitudes and actions.<br />
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<b>High performing companies have four things in common:</b></div>
1. Bet on leadership<br />
2. Act as one<br />
3. Win the heart<br />
4. Excel at execution<br />
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As leaders, we should take ownership and be proactive in creating an environment where our people will thrive, and success follows. The <b>CARE Model </b>is an active process to guide us on our journey.<br />
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• <b> Connection </b>– People crave connection, and it drives ideas, engagement, and action<br />
• <b> Affirmation</b> – Use words and actions with our people<br />
• <b>Responsibility</b> – Entrust people with taking responsibility, and they will move mountains<br />
• <b>Environment </b>– Create a positive, appreciative, and forward-thinking culture to bring achievement<br />
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I enjoyed Mark’s relaxed and relatable style of writing. I read <i>Win the Heart i</i>n one setting not only because culture is one of my passions, but he shares ideas and strategies through storytelling. I quickly fell into the story and felt like I was on the journey with the characters. Each chapter had me cheering them on, and I was engulfed in their struggles and wins.<br />
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Our story starts with our main character, Blake, the leader of a successful company. His team felt that everything was flowing smoothly until Blake slowly realized that everyone was just showing up to work and going through the motions every day. He started doing some digging and found out that indeed the culture was sluggish and employees weren’t heavily engaged. Blake's team began a courageous journey to travel the world to see what other companies were doing to engage employees and change the culture. Every company he met with had unique struggles and found ways to facilitate change.<br />
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Our journey with Blake opens up our minds to new ideas, solutions for engagement, and how to win back the heart of employees. We learn that employees are extremely vested in wanting to love where they work and strive to care what they do every day.<br />
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Blake’s team meanders through their journey walking into obstacles and challenges; however, it is so engaging to see how they handle the process and continue on because of the intense passion that they have for their people and the company. They have a strong commitment to winning the hearts of their people and placing them first because they know it will be an emotional and financial success.<br />
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Mark does an incredible job of writing this tale to bring the reader into the story for the entire book. I felt like I was a part of the team and was learning without even realizing it. I was thoroughly engrossed in learning about the perspectives of each character on Blake’s team and intrigued how they were able to bring their various ideas and differing views to work together for success – not always an easy feat.<br />
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Pick up Mark’s book today and jump into his story. You will go on intriguing adventure learning along the way, and I guarantee that your head will be swimming with new thoughts, ideas, and obstacles. You WILL win over the hearts of your people.<br />
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<br />Lisa F Kosakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03787550946703106543noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760783776411309804.post-3082542056422015982019-01-21T11:07:00.000-08:002019-01-21T11:07:44.548-08:00The 9 Dimensions of Conscious Success - It's All About You! by David E. NielsonI am a voracious reader and always looking to learn new ideas and approaches, and then I try to apply them to my personal growth. I enjoy books that aren’t overwhelming with affluent scientific gibberish because I want to be one with the book, not be overcome by statistics and theories that I won’t use on a daily basis. The new book The 9 Dimensions of Conscious Success – It’s All About YOU by David E. Nielson is my kind of read. I was immensely drawn into the book and took notes on how I can personally grow, differentiate myself from others, and live my purpose.<br />
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David’s writing style is personable, interacting, and full of real-life stories and examples that I can relate to. The book takes us on a journey to be present, be noticed without being flashy, and how to experience personal success. One of the keys to the book is his framework for Conscious Success. Moreover, the Conscious Competence model is a continuum that explains how most people learn and how we can become more aware of how others learn and implement knowledge.<br />
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David was curious about what drove people whom he deemed successful about what they felt are the elements of a successful leader to help us grow and develop healthy habits. His informal survey asked five key questions, and he compiled the results. In the end, he didn’t throw out any of the factors because they are all critical. The categories ranged from purpose, knowledge, self-awareness, and social awareness – 12 elements in all. All or any of these factors are critical to success, and because we are so individual, we will dwell on some factors more than others. In short, there is no magic bullet, we are all unique, and each piece is critical. It’s like putting a puzzle together – but it’s our own puzzle.<br />
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Throughout his experiences and research David developed a Conscious Success Model.<br />
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<b><i>3 Elements + 6 Differentiators = 9 Dimensions of Success</i></b></div>
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It’s a practical and easy plan for us all to use and many of us may be implementing pieces of it today without realizing it. He determined that our success foundation contains the following elements:<br />
1. Purpose<br />
2. Self-Awareness<br />
3. Social Awareness<br />
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These elements are the solid foundation for defining your success. He also identified six differentiators which together make up the 9 Dimensions of success.<br />
1. Authenticity<br />
2. Work Ethics and Personal Responsibility<br />
3. Listening for Results and Connections<br />
4. Articulate for Impact<br />
5. Humor<br />
6. Gratitude<br />
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If you notice, Purpose is a crucial foundation for your success. When you know it – share it when you are comfortable doing so. From there, set annual and long-range goals, consider personal development plans, and most of all LIVE YOUR PURPOSE.<br />
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We are all unique in a busy world. Whether we like the idea or not we need to sell ourselves every day, and it’s not comfortable. As cold as it may seem, think of yourself as a commodity and discover how you can best differentiate and sell yourself to live out your purpose. David offers some effective tools to help us along similar to the 5 Ps of marketing. He provides the 5 Ps of YOU:<br />
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1. Presentation - Impressions count folks, and you need to outwardly live your brand<br />
2. Proper Placement – How are you placing yourself in the market? Will the job that you have now position you for the future? Do you have the right skills?<br />
3. Active Promoting – Are you putting yourself out there networking and meeting new people? Building your centers of influence?<br />
4. Profit/Value – Know your value to yourself, others, and your company. What are your skills worth?<br />
5. Perceived Gain – What will people gain by working with you? It’s not always about you but what you can offer as well.<br />
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The 9 Dimensions of Conscious Success is an outstanding book to not only develop your skills and growth, but it will help articulate how you come across and sell yourself to others. I finished this book in one sitting because I lost myself in the ideas and possibilities. David E. Nielson offers real-life examples and how implementing his models will have an impact on your life. There are action steps and lessons throughout the book. The book is down to earth filled with humor and the many mistakes that David and others have made during their leadership and life purpose journey. This book is a winner, and it should be one that you pick up today to start your journey!<br />
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<br />Lisa F Kosakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03787550946703106543noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760783776411309804.post-64500752178235677142018-12-23T13:44:00.000-08:002018-12-23T13:44:42.676-08:00LeaderShop - Workplace, Career, and Life Advice From Today's Top Thought Leaders by Dr. Rodger Dean Duncan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Inspiring to be a better leader and manager takes an added effort from all of us. Some people learn better hands-on or working with a mentor. Others are visual and jump into resources like books, online learning or podcasts. Combined with a variety of real-life experiences and being proactive to learn on your own will also build your leadership skills.<br />
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I am a huge bookworm. There have been so many books that I have read where I would love to sit down with the author and chat one on one. Often after I finish a book, I have questions that linger and are relevant to my life or issues on how I can be a better leader.<br />
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If you are like me, a comfortable real experience book resonates more than theoretical ideas written by people who have committed themselves more to building theories than sharing practical skills. <i>The new book LeaderShop – Workplace, Career, and Life Advice from Today’s Top Thought Leaders </i>by Dr.Rodger Dean Duncan is a must read. He brings together conversations with over 50 leaders on a myriad of topics that can be used as your tabletop “bible.” The chapters read like friendly conversations from authors including Brian Tracy, Marshall Goldsmith, Stephen Covey, Mark Sanborn and more.<br />
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I loved the variety of topics we get to eavesdrop on. Dr. Duncan asks leaders questions that speak to us as leaders, and he doesn’t just address work situations. The conversations also focus on personal success because work isn’t everything. There are tableside chats that pertain to so many topics the reader will find numerous ones that resonate. I loved the casual talks and wrote down some ideas and goals from almost every chapter.<br />
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Here are some of the topics in <i>LeaderShop:</i><br />
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• Meaning and Purpose<br />
• Mental Maps<br />
• Workplace Practices<br />
• Communication<br />
• Feedback and Accountability<br />
• Culture<br />
• Career Management<br />
• Personal balance<br />
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There are few other sources where you will find so much wisdom all in one book. The book can be read chapter by chapter, or you can choose a particular chapter depending on your mood or even a situation that you are encountering. This is the perfect book to keep in your office library to grab for reference and to solve problems.<br />
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<i>LeaderShop </i>is volume 1 from Dr. Duncan and I hope that there are numerous more versions to come. This is one of the best reads that I’ve had the opportunity to become engrossed in, and I felt like each leader/topic was talking with me, not at me. Pick this gem up today!<br />
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<br />Lisa F Kosakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03787550946703106543noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760783776411309804.post-82009478937000261862018-12-10T08:26:00.000-08:002018-12-10T08:26:45.818-08:00Building Resilience with Appreciative Inquiry by Joan McArthur-Blair and Jeanie Cockell Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Leadership is a journey that doesn’t have a definitive playbook. It’s helpful to have different ideas and models to guide and mentor as we improve our leadership skills. The new book Building Resilience with Appreciative Inquiry by Joan McArthur- Blair and Jeanie Cockell offer a unique roadmap that they call Appreciative Inquiry. This model illustrates how to build resilience in leading oneself and those around you. It’s an approach for positive change in organizations, individuals, and groups. The process engages people by telling and listening to stories to build the future of people and organizations together in an engaging manner.<br />
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Appreciative Inquiry (AI) can be used in strategic planning, team development, coaching, organizational development, and research. Ultimately, the process shows leaders at all levels how to build long-term resilience by using AI to reflect on and explore leadership through hope, despair, and forgiveness. This process builds leadership resilience in not just us, but our people. AI helps us navigate through difficult situations as leaders. It guides us in connecting with others.<br />
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The book offers personal and real-life leadership situations for readers to see AI in action. It’s useful to know the impact of AI by introducing several valuable models. Moreover, each chapter opens with an inspiring poem and ends with reflection questions to really get us thinking as leaders and asking how we can use the lessons in the book to be stronger leaders who can impact the people around us and the organizations that we work in.<br />
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What I enjoyed most about the book are the first-hand stories about AI and how it can change people and organizations. It helps to bring all the various ideas in the book together for that “aha” moment. It helps everything to gel and assists the reader to start down on a new path to leadership.<br />
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For those that really see the benefits that AI can bring to your organization or team, there are some excellence chapters at the end of the book to help you practice AI and even conduct your own AI workshop with your team with the support of other leaders in your organization.<br />
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If you want to explore a new leadership method, pick up a copy of Building Resilience with Appreciative Inquiry.<br />
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Lisa F Kosakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03787550946703106543noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760783776411309804.post-28792335424845144302018-10-23T18:24:00.000-07:002018-10-23T18:24:44.513-07:00Clarity First by Karen Martin Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Over the years I have lost count of how many useless meetings that I have sat through with colleagues listening to countless KPI numbers, reports, financial updates, and other meaningless reports. We all nod as if we understand and that the information is meaningful. Sound familiar?<br />
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Too many leaders spend time pouring over numbers and creating reports that lack clarity, relevancy, and actionable information. The new book by Karen Martin Clarity First offers strategies, guidance, and examples of how we should be mining and presenting clear information for our employees, customers, and leadership teams. Karen introduces us to some lean and value stream processes that are useful and manageable without overwhelming with statistics and mumbo-jumbo that goes over the reader’s head.<br />
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Karen addresses five key areas that need to be addressed to bring clarity to organizations and teams. Here are the five Ps:<br />
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1.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Purpose<br />
2.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Priorities<br />
3.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Process<br />
4.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Performance<br />
5.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Problem-solving<br />
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Organizations that lack clarity drive waste which prevents leaders from achieving goals and only brings confusion. Surprisingly, many companies avoid clarity because it means “putting” everything out there. Lack of clarity alienates employees, stakeholders, and leaders. Everyone within an organization should be encouraged to champion clarity and make it a vital part of the company culture.<br />
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Not enough leaders realize that clarity can unleash the power of employees by empowering them. If encouraged, they have unleashed potential, insight, innovation at various levels, and encourage every single person at every level.<br />
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<i>Clarity First </i>is a must-read for leaders at any level. Here is what clarity can bring:<br />
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•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Highlighting organizational purpose<br />
•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Set achievable priorities because clarity exists<br />
•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Deliver better customer service and value<br />
•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Encourage transparency<br />
•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Build stronger problem-solving skills and capabilities<br />
•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Develop personal clarity to individuals<br />
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Clarity isn’t something that should be feared. Every organization should embrace transparency and clarity as a key factor to success. Write relevant reports. Share the good and bad with clarity. Manage transparency at all levels with a variety of data points. Encourage people to bring clarity to work with them every day. Clarity First by Karen Martin can start you on your own clarity journey.<br />
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<br />Lisa F Kosakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03787550946703106543noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760783776411309804.post-57286908856941656832018-10-14T11:12:00.000-07:002018-10-14T11:12:12.684-07:00What Are Your Blind Spots? Conquering the 5 Misconceptions that Hold Leaders Back <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Too many leaders today are leaders in title only. They don’t possess relevant skills, and they read book after book or attend seminars to tell themselves that they are indeed strong leaders. These leaders lack conviction in their teams or often fail to see how their misuse of their “leadership skills” only demoralize or make teams feel powerless and unappreciated.<br />
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What Are Your Blind Spots? Conquering the 5 Misconceptions that Hold Leaders Back by Jim Haudan and Rich Berens is one of my favorite leadership books that I have read in quite a while. They acknowledge that too many “leaders” don’t understand how they are holding themselves and their teams back. Sadly, these same leaders have no idea what the top leadership misconceptions are and what to do about them. By not recognizing how they are holding others back, entire teams and companies are underperforming and lack the ability to empowering people.<br />
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The authors offer tools, strategies, and stories about how blind spots have an adverse impact. Only 30% of our workforce is actively engaged, and that hasn’t changed for years. It won’t change until authentic leaders recognize their blind spots and engage in restoring purpose, engagement, and connection.<br />
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<b>Here are the 5 leadership misconceptions that hold leaders back:</b></div>
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1. <b> Purpose:</b> Too few organizations operate purposefully. This adversely impacts people, profits, and growth. The authors share how to build a strong purpose statement that will resonate with teams and aren’t just words. Make purpose personal and be passionate about the purpose, not the numbers.<br />
2. <b>Story:</b> Too many companies think that they have an unusual and compelling story to tell that everyone wants to hear. You don’t. Leaders have it in their heads but can’t articulate it to anyone else. What do you need to do? Proactively close the gap between what you say and what you mean. Also, don’t let your stories kill your strategies. Last, don’t place foolish emphasis on WIIFM.<br />
3. <b>Engagement:</b> Let’s face it. Enough companies today encourage little to no participation within the organization or with teams. They don’t listen to what their people want or even really care. ASK what your people need. Focus on the emotional versus the rational. The authors suggest using dialogue to reach the hearts and minds of your people. Last, flip the switch for your people. Take the challenges of the organization to your teams and listen.<br />
4. <b>Trust: </b>Too many leaders think that people won’t do the right thing unless what they are told what to do. Make priorities clear, invite people to use their strengths, and embrace human variability rather than reduce it. Clear-headed leaders clarify hard lines, guidelines, and no lines to make the complex simple.<br />
5. <b>Truth:</b> Let’s face it. Many leaders don’t want to hear the truth. They feel safer living in a world where what they think is right and think they know what is best for everyone. Wrong. Teams need to feel like they are heard and leaders care. People want to know the truth. Don’t let rumors and a lack of communication rule the day. Use humor every day because it breaks down barriers and walls. People feel safer. Make it a priority to create a truth-telling culture. Be committed and don’t waver. As Haudan and Berens share, “To thyself be true, and others will follow.”<br />
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Leaders at all levels need to understand their leadership strengths and weaknesses. Too many fear to see the truth. We all need to be aware of the leadership misconceptions that plague us every day to grow as leaders and bring our teams along as authentic leaders. Pick up a copy of Blind Spots today!<br />
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Lisa F Kosakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03787550946703106543noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760783776411309804.post-82637764434945146312018-08-23T13:17:00.001-07:002018-08-23T13:17:21.575-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For years, leadership has meant strength, control, absolute, and a lack of flexibility. Fortunately, new leaders are learning that serving their people, being more personable, and becoming humble benefits teams and entire organizations. Leaders are finally focusing on personal relationships rather than outdated transactional role relationships. Just because you are a leader does not mean that people must follow. These days employees demand respect, relational interactions, and want to work for humble and uplifting managers.<br />
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The new book<i> Humble Leadership – The Power of Relationships, Openness, and Trust</i> by Edgar H. Schein and Peter A. Schein offers a new approach to leadership. Leaders need to be humble. Relationships should change in design and evolve over time. It’s a challenging balance for leaders and their teams. The balance between being too formal or too intimate is a struggle in this day and age. Being humble is key to cultivating a strong culture of cooperation and trust. Years ago empathy wasn’t considered a leadership trait and it is a strength that can pull teams together.<br />
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Leaders today need to be adaptive and very in tune with their actions, behaviors, and treatment of teams so that organizational culture thrives and in turn impacts employees. I have worked in organizations with great cultures and those that are toxic. When an organization is toxic turnover increases, sales and service take a dive, and organizations fade.<br />
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The authors offer four levels of leadership relationships. Level two represents the most effective balance for most organizations.<br />
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•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Level Minus 1: Total impersonal, domination, and coercion<br />
•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Level 1: Transactional role and rule-based supervision, service, and most forms of “professional” helping relationships<br />
•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Level 2: Personal cooperative, trusting relationships as in friendships and in effective teams<br />
•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Level 3: Emotionally intimate total mutual commitments<br />
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The authors assert that learning and rewarding humility is a learning process. Without focus and commitment, leaders can’t change. They need to practice focused reading and reflection, create homework around designing work relationships and build their behavioral skills through fieldwork and learning.<br />
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Humble Leadership doesn’t just present theories and ideas. The real meat in the book are the lessons at the end of each chapter which invite the reader to reflect. There are several chapters detailing real situations in companies and even the military where humbleness has been transforming. These stories r bring the ideas and concepts in the book together. For instance, we learn lessons from a major medical center, an international company, and even the US military.<br />
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If you are ready and willing to become humble and change your organization pick up a copy of Humble Leadership today. You don’t need to be a CEO – you can have an impact in your role and within the teams that you work with. If we all make small changes we can have an impact.<br />
<br />Lisa F Kosakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03787550946703106543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760783776411309804.post-24758959396526280822018-04-08T18:18:00.000-07:002018-04-08T18:18:42.759-07:00<br />
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When is the last time that you spoke up at work about something that you felt was wrong or refused to comply with what your boss told you do because it felt wrong?. How many instances have we watched a scene play out on TV where people stood back doing nothing when apparently there was immoral conduct going on? Have you ever witnessed racism or discrimination play out in a meeting and sat back in shock but did nothing? We all have. Throughout your life, you may continue to struggle to do the right thing when what you are told to do may be wrong.<br />
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Ira Chaleff’s book <i>Intelligent Disobedience – Doing Right When What You’re Told Is Wrong</i> is a book leaders should read. Sometimes we forget that there is a time and a place to step up and say no to a situation. So many tragedies could have been prevented if someone just dared to object or disobey orders. Ira offers a compelling analogy for when there are times it’s necessary to defy. Consider a guide dog. The dog is trained to understand yet resist a command that may hurt or kill its owner. Consider a blind woman that gives her dog a command to walk across the street. A well-trained dog will resist and refuse if he feels there is a danger. Sometimes we all need an inner guide dog to help us operate in a culture or situation where we are accountable for our actions even when we are instructed to “just follow orders”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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From an early age, we are taught to respect our elders and do what they tell us to do. Schools socialize us early on to sit in our chairs and be compliant and obedient. Don’t question, don’t talk back, do as you are told. Sadly, this follows us as we mature and the expectations are no different when we become employees. We “know” that we should do as we are told. Often, we are punished when we speak up even when it is the right thing to do. Few of us will rock the boat. Time and time again history has shown us how tragedies could have been prevented had someone spoke up. We live in different times where the moto is “see something, say something”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ira shares numerous examples and case studies that are shocking. They illustrate how humans will stand back in some situations and do nothing even though they know it is wrong. His stories are wake up calls. We need to find a healthy balance in our lives for functioning within a system of rules and expectations while being true to ourselves and be responsible for speaking up when we see something that is wrong. Just sitting back and not doing the “right thing” is no longer an option. We need to instill a sense of Intelligent Disobedience and act on it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Effective leaders will guide their teams to learn and practice Intelligent Disobedience. Here are some starting points to consider<o:p></o:p></div>
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• Identify certain risks and be willing to train people to give appropriate responses. Encourage alternative measures or correct violations by encouraging people to speak up.<o:p></o:p></div>
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• Train people to question the phases of obedience. These include cooperation, strain, divergence, divergence amplification or education, and how to do the right thing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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• Inform people that the earlier they question, the better.<o:p></o:p></div>
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• The process can be done with politeness but may need people to become more assertive.<o:p></o:p></div>
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• Orientate new employees about Intelligent Disobedience.<o:p></o:p></div>
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• Support people when they do the right thing and share their experience with others.<o:p></o:p></div>
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• Encourage, validate, and encourage people to do something even if it may go against the norm. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Intelligent Disobedience</i> is a book that all leaders should read. Servant leaders lead from the bottom up and should train and encourage their people to do the right thing even when it may be perceived as the “wrong thing” to do. We should empower our people to think before blindly following “orders” or policies. We should push people to do what is right without the fear of repercussions. Most of all we need to offer our people the tools and training to take the first step in standing up.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lisa F Kosakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03787550946703106543noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760783776411309804.post-20483468430432025742018-04-02T10:56:00.002-07:002018-04-02T10:56:49.245-07:00The Essentials of Theory U - Core Principles and Applications by C. Otto Scharmer<br />
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Over ten issues ago Theory U was published, and it was over 500 pages that contained numerous tables, graphs, and other insights. The author C. Otto Scharmer just released a condensed version of his original book called <i>The Essentials of Theory U – Core Principles and Applications</i>. This version of the book is only 157 pages and has some great insights for leaders and is the perfect size with wisdom to keep handy as you meet daily challenges.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Theory U encourages us to look at the world with fresh eyes. We need to be more cognoscente of how we pay attention to if at all, problems to avoid looking at everything as a “blind spot”. We need to be open to listening to our inner selves and be aware of any blind spots so that we can make change that sticks and benefits others.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>There are three key elements to Theory U:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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1. Develop a framework for recognizing blind spots with our leadership and any system changes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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2. Find a method for implementing an awareness-based shift that encompasses processes, principles, and other outside forces.<o:p></o:p></div>
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3. Develop a new “narrative” for societal changes and impacting all of our mental and institutional operating systems. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The book thoroughly explains the Theory U and delves into the various issues that happen with blind spots and how it impacts us as leaders. Scharmer offers up some actionable methods and ideas to help leaders change and take action looking beyond blind spots. I was uplifted at the author’s framework to help me develop a better awareness and be open to alternative possibilities. We need to be more present while sensing everything around us and ask for more openness and understanding from those around us.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The <i>Essentials of Theory U</i> is a useful paired down version of the original book. It’s a book that you will want to read carefully to pick out which nuggets will assist you in your daily challenges. It may be beneficial to take a few notes to reference and it’s a more substantial read than most of us may be accustomed to reading but well worth it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Lisa F Kosakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03787550946703106543noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760783776411309804.post-55454562260301339872018-03-24T17:14:00.000-07:002018-03-24T17:14:27.409-07:00Let's Stop Meeting Like This - Tools To Save Time And Get More Done by Dick & Emily Axelrod<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Let’s face it – most of us hate meetings. Our calendar is stocked full of meetings that we usually don’t need to attend. We show up, pretend to pay attention, and take notes to remind ourselves of the 50 things that we need to accomplish once we escape the room. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Too many of us are too kind. We won’t say no to meetings, and we try to keep the peace. With so much going on it’s time that we take back control of our work lives and priorities. We need to take a new look at how to approach and manage meetings. If you are wringing your hands every day over meetings, pick up the book<i>. Let’s Stop Meeting Like This – Tools to Save Time and Get More Done.</i> You need to read this book if you find yourself the culprit setting up meetings no one wants to attend, and you find that not much comes out of them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This book offers tangible and realistic strategies for setting up meetings, eliminating people who aren’t stakeholders and getting things done. Meetings need to be better planned, have specific outcomes, and people need to feel that their input means something. Here are some of the highlights of meetings from the book:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<li>Create concrete and managing plans</li>
<li>Build connections</li>
<li>Invite people to meetings and let them know they are valued</li>
<li>How to move projects forward</li>
<li>First aid for meetings</li>
<li>Five steps to meeting success</li>
<li>Three steps to meeting effectiveness</li>
<li>Connect people to one another and the task</li>
<li>Encourage open discussion</li>
<li>Elicit people’s dreams</li>
<li>How to be a better facilitator</li>
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The meat of <i>Let’s Stop Meeting Like This</i> is the concept of the meeting canoe. It’s a visual of an actual canoe with paddles that is a blueprint to conduct productive meetings. It shows leaders how to efficiently design and lead meetings that will work in any setting from the boardroom to small breakroom chats. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The canoe is divided into sections as depicted below:</div>
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<li>Welcome: People are an asset and critical</li>
<li>Connect: People need to be connected to one another and the tasks at hand</li>
<li>Discover: Find out the way that things are with honest feedback</li>
<li>Elicit: Discover people’s dreams</li>
<li>Decide: Discover next steps as a team</li>
<li>Attend: Stay to the end and take action </li>
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Pick up Dick and Emily Axelrod’s book <i>Let’s Stop Meeting Like This</i> today if you want to turn time-consuming meetings into productive and meaningful interactions to get things done with key people who have an impact.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lisa F Kosakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03787550946703106543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760783776411309804.post-64718669413783766972018-02-25T09:48:00.002-08:002018-02-25T09:48:45.594-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I was growing up, we didn’t have the internet. We learned from mentors or read books. Unfortunately, most of us didn’t have influential mentors or people who shared valuable life-changing advice. I love learning from people who have lived a full life so that we can learn from them and not repeat mistakes. When I was growing up, I wish that I had Skip Prichard’s new book The Book of Mistakes in my hands. It would have saved me grief and making mistakes that were painful to endure. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I would love to arm every young person with Skip’s book. It’s a valuable bible on how to achieve and not only be a better person but efficiently empower others. The Book of Mistakes is a parable. We join David, a stressed and disenchanted young professional, on his journey to discover the nine mistakes that prevent people from achieving their goals. He meets mysterious people who share their stories, and each one offers him a parting life mistake to learn from in the hope of him avoiding the same mistake. Absorbing these mistake are critical for any of us to overcome hurdles that we face and distractions that veer us off of our path.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Book of Mistakes made me pause and think about the journey that I have been on over the years. For years I searched for my purpose, and Skip’s words would have guided me in finding and following my mission. It would have helped me push down barriers more quickly. I would have had a clearer mind to achieve more than I thought possible. Guess what? It’s not too late. The Book of Mistakes recommends steps to consider on our life journey to be happier, more satisfied, have a stronger sense of community, and be at peace.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The nine mistakes impacted me. I have a list of the nine mistakes on a sign at my desk and on my IPad screen to remind me several times how I can stay on the path that will bring me success. These mistakes should be posted in every classroom to guide young adults as they waver through growing up and become absorbed by obstacles and the negative talk around them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>The Nine Mistakes</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<li><i>Working on someone else’s’ dream.</i> Aren’t many of us doing that day in and day out? Don’t forget YOU and your goals. Set aside time to work on what you believe in and are passionate about. </li>
<li><i>Allowing someone to deflate your value</i>. Every one of us has value in this world and don’t forget it. Don’t let someone step on your spirit and make you feel less important </li>
<li><i>Accepting excuses:</i> Take ownership of your life and don’t allow excuses to rule the day. Behind every excuse is a way to success so tune them out and tune out any doubts.</li>
<li><i><o:p> </o:p>Surround yourself with the wrong people.</i> When you were growing up, how many times did your parents tell you to not hang out with the wrong crowd? That remains sound advice as adults. You become what you are around.</li>
<li><i>Staying in your comfort zone.</i> You will never grow if you don’t jump out of your bubble. </li>
<li><i>Don’t let temporary setbacks become a permanent failure</i>. Remember, “Setbacks are the seeds that sprout opportunity.”</li>
<li><i>Trying to blend in instead of standing out.</i> Be authentic and be you. Always stand out and above. </li>
<li><i>Thinking there is a fixed and limited amount of success available.</i> The beautiful thing about life is that there is an unlimited possibility. Be motivated, not intimidated by the success of others. There is plenty to go around. </li>
<li><i>Believing you have all the time in the world</i>. We are all given the time in life. Use it wisely and don’t have regrets. </li>
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We learn more than just the nine mistakes in The Book of Mistakes. We learn some simple, yet often forgotten, laws that should guide us in everything that we do. </div>
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<li>The law of desire</li>
<li>The law of gratitude </li>
<li>The law of belief</li>
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If you have young people in your life, you need to get The Book of Mistakes into their hands. Today. If you are older and wiser, you need Skip’s book to light a fire within you so that you quit making excuses and making the same mistakes in your life over and over. It’ never too late to start again to bring out your best and find personal success.<o:p> </o:p> </div>
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Lisa F Kosakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03787550946703106543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760783776411309804.post-21855074658625388092018-02-24T15:30:00.001-08:002018-02-24T15:30:32.233-08:00The Courage Way - Leading and Living with Integrity by Shelly L. Francis<br />
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Becoming a leader is like parenting. Sometimes it’s a surprise, other times it seems like you’ve been waiting for the opportunity forever. You are thrust into a whole new world, and there isn’t a day that goes by that you don’t wonder if you are “doing it right” or being an active parent. You look inside and out to learn how to be the best that you can while influencing your child. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Leadership leaves many of us feeling inadequate and looking over our shoulder wondering if we are “doing it the right way”. I’ve worked with servant leaders who lead from within with grace and humbleness and “leaders” who think yelling and threatening is leadership because people quickly respond and fall in line. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Ultimately what drives authentic leadership is courage. Courage will compel you to look deep inside yourself to bring out your best with integrity and it will drive you to impact those around you. Courage is more than just stepping up. It means living your life becoming “your best self and inviting others to do the same”. Need some courage? Shelly L. Francis’s new book The Courage Way – Leading and Living with Integrity will take you on an incredible journey.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Shelly Francis works at the non-profit Center for Courage & Renewal. The center has over 300 facilitators worldwide who aim to create “a more just, compassionate, and healthy world by nurturing personal and professional integrity and the courage to act on it”. Shelly walks us down the path of showing us the courage way and forcing us to look deep inside to understand the work of being a leader and bringing out the courage to live the leadership ways. We need to ask ourselves “what would you do with more courage?” and act on it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>There are five key ingredients of the Courage Way:</b></div>
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<li>True self</li>
<li>Trust</li>
<li>Community</li>
<li>Paradox</li>
<li>Reflection</li>
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These elements enable us to become what we can be. Courage isn’t a singular “thing”. It can take many forms such as courage to answer your calling, the courage to choose wisely, the courage to stay or leave, or the courage to care for true self. Some courage is more natural for us to summon while others may be daunting. There is more to courage than just the discovery process. In order to flourish, we need to live in a Circle of Trust. What’s that? It’s a process to create and grow a safe space for both individuals and groups so that they can trust one another to develop growth, restoration, team building, and reconnect. Within this circle there are 11 touchstones.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ultimately, Shelly emphasizes the need to take care of ourselves and regularly reflect. To be an active leader you need to trust in yourself and others. You need various forms of courage to develop people, build trust, and form a healthy community. With courage comes authentic and natural leadership that grows over time and only brings out more courage to step out of your comfort zone.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Courage Way shares real-life stories of professionals who have made changes in their leadership because they have found inner courage and it has impacted both their lives and those around them. The Courage Way is a unique leadership book that will remove you from your comfort zone and force you to look at yourself with a fresh perspective that may bring out courage that you never realized you possessed. The question is, do you have the courage to look at leadership from a different angle and start living a life of integrity and authenticity?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lisa F Kosakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03787550946703106543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760783776411309804.post-49894988122006852302017-11-24T06:39:00.000-08:002017-11-24T06:39:59.595-08:00The Influence Effect by Kathryn Heath, Jill Flynn, Mary Davis Holt, and Diana Faison<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Politics. Most of us react like it’s a dirty word and it
doesn’t change any when we talk about workplace politics. Those are even worse
because politics at work is more personal, tangible, and the elephant in the
room. Some people are manipulative at politics in the workplace to the point
where it’s over the top and nauseating. Sadly, politics at work is a necessary
evil, and for most women, it’s a nightmare and can paralyze us. <o:p></o:p></div>
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No one “trains” women how to work political so when we are
newly minted in a job, it can be a shock to be told to start “politicking,” or
we see it and feel lost or beaten down. Men are better at the game because they
think “winning” and women tend to think more about “building.” Which one works
the best? The new book <i>The Influence
Effect</i> by Kathryn Heath, Jill Flynn, Mary Davis Holt, and Diana Faison is a
must read for all women who are in business or just jumping into the fray. You
can’t afford to not read and use this book as a map for wandering through the
political minefield in the workplace.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Politics seems to come naturally to most men. As women, we
fight it, fear it, and it appears dirty. It doesn’t need to be. Women need to
think about politics in a new light. We have some natural gifts that many men
lack and we can use them to forge relationships and become masters at politics
with soul, relationship focus, and positive influence. Women need to realize
that politics is all about bringing people together, making a positive
inclusive change, using power as a tool, and make our voices heard with a seat
at the table.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>The Influence Effect</i>
offers tools and strategies to encourage women to look at politics as a
positive. The authors have all been in our seats and know that influencing
those around us is the key to success. The more influence that we can foster,
the more opportunities that we have to hear our voices heard and can make an
impact without “playing” politics. Using our influence enables us to create
agendas, make connections, bring teams together and make a change. Influence is
“the tool of the times” and women can’t avoid jumping in to use our natural
gifts. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Influence Effect is divided into three parts and each
one builds on fostering your influence and growing self-confidence. They
include: Prepare to influence, Practice the five strategies, and Influence in
action. Each chapter is rich with real stories and struggles of women and how
they coped with political success and failure. There are point summaries to ask
yourself and review to enable the reader to learn and reflect.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The meat of The Influence Effect are the five strategies
that we are given to build our influence and make a change. Each approach will
open your eyes to possibilities, empower your efforts while feeling supported.
Here are the strategies that you need to learn to be in the influence driver’s
seat:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<ol>
<li>The power of the informal</li>
<li>Relationship maps</li>
<li>Scenario thinking</li>
<li>Influence loops</li>
<li>Momentum</li>
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I guarantee that each of these strategies will encourage you
to become hungry to become more influential in a proactive manner. It’s
comforting reading the stories of other women who have been in our shoes and
have learned to overcome and make politics an asset. <i>The Influence Effect</i> will open your eyes to the world that men have
lived in for so long yet show you how to succeed with a woman’s touch. We can
strategize, think and act, and build teams with our form of influence. Pick up <i>The Influence Effect</i> today to embark on
your own journey.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Lisa F Kosakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03787550946703106543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760783776411309804.post-76040772875936885512017-11-13T13:08:00.000-08:002017-11-13T13:08:32.103-08:00Made For Amazing - An Instrumental Journey of Authentic Leadership Transformation by Mark Nation <div class="MsoNoSpacing">
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One of my favorite things to ask people is how they landed in the spot that they are in today. Career-wise, most people aren’t in the vocation that they prepared for years ago. In life, people have moved to places and done things that they never thought that they would. Everyone has a story, and we can learn so much from the journey of others. I’m particularly fascinated to glean some insight and advice from others so that I can learn from their experiences.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Made For Amazing – An Instrumental Journal of Authentic Leadership Transformation</i> by Mark Nation teaches us valuable leadership lessons as we follow the story of Joshua Lynk who is conflicted from his childhood experiences and the absence of a father. Josh has some incredible musical talent. However, he feels disconnected and unsure of himself and those feelings impact his ability to see and share his real gifts. Josh has a strong connection with his grandfather who knows Joshua better than he knows himself. His grandfather entices him to look deep inside himself for happiness and his purpose yet, Josh ignores him and instead goes on a long journey to follow fame and fortune instead.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Joshua’s journey is one of continuous self-doubt and pity for himself. He ends up losing his family and himself along the way. In the end, Josh leaps back to his childhood home where he and his grandpa shared music, stories, and dreams. It is there that Josh discovers himself and his purpose.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The story of Joshua will resonate with us all. Aren’t we all a bit lost and pretend that we are confident and know our purpose? Most of us need a journey where we search our souls for what gives us meaning, what we need to feel fulfilled, and have a sense of self-worth. Mark’s book and the intimate story of Josh will push you to embark on your personal journey to find your purpose and ultimately live from your own heart. Mark encourages us to overcome any mental struggles that we have and invites us in “finding your song at work and in life.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Every one of us has unique gifts, yet we fear uncovering them. To use your talent, you need to find it and then believe in it. When you find your gifts you can then impact others and use your leadership to transform those that you are around. <i>Made For Amazing</i> is not just a story. It is an “action guide” to spur us on to start our journey. We are offered some useful thought-provoking questions to ask ourselves as well as discussion points at the end of the book. These tools will help you painlessly find your purpose and your real authentic self. We were all made to be amazing, and it’s up to us to bring that out and create our true music.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lisa F Kosakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03787550946703106543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760783776411309804.post-63405061777259856692017-10-22T08:41:00.000-07:002017-10-22T08:41:02.798-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Years ago I was in a job where I dragged myself to work every day. I lacked challenge, and I was bored. I was not growing and felt like I had no control over my life. What did I do? You guessed it – I stayed where I was. I didn’t know what I wanted to do or what next steps I could take. It took a buyout of my company to wake me up and get me to move out. My situation would have been a lot different if I had had the book <i>Find the Fire</i> by Scott Mautz at my fingertips. Scott’s new book is the tool that most of us need by our side to get up motivated about our jobs and finding our lost mojo.<br />
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All of us at one time or another have lost the spark that gets us up and going to work every day. Remember when you first started your job? You were inspired, motivated, and excited to get out there and make a difference. You had new ideas and planned to have an impact. Then, something happened. Perhaps you feel like that now as you drive to work. What happened to the excitement? Passion? Confident attitude? Scott challenges us to ask “How did I lose my inspiration in the first place.” Better yet, he has some answers, strategies, and ideas to get us back on track to the days when our careers and lives were stimulating, challenging, and we had that fire underneath us.<br />
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Before discovering how to reignite your life you need to understand what doused your fire in the first place. You need to address what brings you down and win back to control. <i>Find The Fire</i> introduces us to nine factors, called anti-muses that steal our motivation and spark every single day. Here they are:<br />
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<li><b>Fear</b>: We need to learn how to overcome our fear of change, failure, and criticism</li>
<li><b>Settling and boredom</b>: Learn how to find an open mindset, set new experiences, start learning and growing again, and make your opportunities</li>
<li><b>Inundation</b>: We are busy and inundated by too much every day from all angles. We need to control how things are coming at us and push progress forward. Start learning again, procrastinating, and find how to ask for help</li>
<li><b>Loss of control</b>: When we have control we have inspiration. Scott show us how to take back our sense of power and how to emit it</li>
<li><b>Dwindling self-belief</b>: When we are inspired we produce more, have self-esteem and are optimistic. You can increase your confidence and learn how to persevere</li>
<li><b>Disconnectedness</b>: Feeling connected is what being human all is about. Learn how to reconnect with your peers, your career, and your boss to make change</li>
<li><b>Dearth of Creating</b>: Inspiration requires creativity. If you lack creativity, then you can’t produce at your best or share it with the world. Learn how to find and unleash your creativity</li>
<li><b>Insignificance</b>: Feeling insignificant is our most deep-seated human fear. This anti-muse tries to convince us that we can’t make a difference and that what we do is meaningless. Learn how to have an impact</li>
<li><b>Lack of Evocation</b>: We need to search for an external stimulus to dial up our inspiration. Sometimes we find our best inspiration from “external sources.” Have a draining boss or coworkers? Scott shows us how to change the dynamics to bring back our fire.</li>
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<i>Find The Fire</i> is truly a book that we all need to keep at our side. Better yet, if you know someone who is struggling and their fire has become mere coals, light them up with this book. Once you recognize that the nine muses are not your friends and you see how they detract from your life Scott puts your life back on track. This book has humor, stories, shares the journey of others and will build you up with tools and strategies. You can find your magic again and become the excited and inspired newbie that you once were when starting a new career or stage in your life. This book speaks to both your professional and personal life. Your power will restore, and you will gain better control of you.<br />
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<i>Find The Fire </i>offers actionable tools to use at every stage of your ignition. The last chapter spells out how to fight the nine anti-muses in detail. Concepts like “Give, Resist, Exude,” the “Arc of Perseverance,” and self-empowerment tactics may become your best friends. You CAN get your spark back. However, you need to be willing to work at it because the nine muses are lurking around us all every day trying to pacify and control us. Take back your power, build confidence, and light that fire underneath you for lifelong change.<br />
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Lisa F Kosakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03787550946703106543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760783776411309804.post-73886936096400094722017-10-15T08:12:00.000-07:002017-10-15T08:12:59.473-07:00It All Matters - 125 Strategies To Achieve Maximum Confidence, Clarity, Certainty And Creativity by Paul Cummings<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
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If you are an avid reader or interested in personal growth, you are well aware of the saturated market of books in this area. I always have a tough time recommending the “best” book for someone to read if asked. I’m drawn to books that encourage self-reflection, positive thinking, and goal setting. The problem is that most books only offer a peppering of each in these areas, not actionable steps to stay on the path of personal development. The new book release <i>It All Matters – 125 strategies to achieve</i> <i>maximum confidence, clarity, certainty, and creativity </i>by Paul Cummings is a game changer.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>It All Matters</i> has something to offer everyone. It’s a comprehensive guide to developing and using personal affirmations. It encourages increased self-confidence and self-awareness. Clarity will become your friend and guide. Goal setting will become an everyday habit, and you will see success. You will undercover your strengths, and your passion will shine like a beacon.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Paul is a masterful storyteller and draws us in with his life experiences. The book follows his journey as a young man selling books for Southwestern Advantage in the 1970s. His mission was the catalyst for the self-development techniques and strategies that he shares with us. He took leaps into areas of life that most of us never would. His mistakes are our blessing because we can grow without encountering the obstacles that he did. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This book is like having a personal coach by your side every day. Paul shares his unique process U.B.U.: understand who you are, be true to yourself, and always stay unique. Paul explains how to choose our outcomes, master our mindset and goals, and live up to our life purpose and intent. His stories and experiences show how to put ideas on paper into action. <i>It All Matters</i> can be used every day as a journal to take on your development journey. Here are some of the tools that Paul offers:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<li>Stories of failure and success that help us learn and grow. Life lessons that make a difference</li>
<li>Toolkit with ideas, strategies, actionable plans to use daily</li>
<li>MAP: My Action Plan after each chapter journaling your next move and setting following steps</li>
<li>Comprehensive goal-setting program and ideas for avoiding obstacles</li>
<li>Questions that force you to think, prioritize, strategize, and get to know yourself</li>
<li>Methods to learn and expand on your strengths</li>
<li>The power of daily affirmations, how to develop your own unique set and how to put them into motion</li>
<li>You will determine who you are, what drives you, and where you should go to achieve your goals</li>
<li>Jump onboard with a progressive mindset so that you can master the key to riches and success</li>
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<i>It All Matters</i> is far from just another personal development book. It’s a daily journal for becoming a better you and finding your way in the world to have an impact. The book offers everyday clarity to setting and achieving your goals. It lifts you when you feel like you are clouded with doubt. Paul encourages us to be creative and unique while making a difference in both our own lives and to those that we have contact with. If there is just one book that you need for personal development and success, this is it!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lisa F Kosakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03787550946703106543noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760783776411309804.post-59062225278378726352017-10-09T09:26:00.001-07:002017-10-09T09:26:11.209-07:00Self Leadership and The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard, Susan Fowler, and Laurence Hawkins<div class="MsoNormal">
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I have always been a fan of the One Minute Manager books. I enjoy the art of storytelling and visualizing as I hear a story. Susan Fowler and Laurence Hawkin’s new partnership on the book <i>Self Leadership and</i> <i>the One Minute Manager </i>does not disappoint. Sure some leaders are born however, most of us acquire leadership skills through experience and mentoring. Have you ever started a new venture feeling like a superstar only to find that maybe you aren’t such a phenomenal leader? This book is for you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ve never given too much thought to self-leadership but this book quickly jumpstarted my mind. We all need self-leadership in order to succeed and make a change. Our lives are ever changing and at one point we may need little more direction or support yet, we may find ourselves not pushing enough to ask for more support and assistance from someone else as circumstances change. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The book teaches us valuable lessons in business in a parable featuring Steve, a young advertising executive who feels that he is about to lose his job. He bumps into a friendly magician in a coffee shop who helps Steve realize how he needs to take the power of responsibility for his own situation and stop blaming others. The magician, Cayla, empowers others by coaching from what she has learned from the One Minute Manager. She shares 3 valuable self-leadership lessons that allow Steve to turn his situation around and lessons that we can all use in our own lives.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<li>Assumed constraints are a negative and are a belief that will limit your experience and hold you back.</li>
<li>Activate your points of power: They include position, knowledge, task, personal, and relationship power.</li>
<li>Self-leadership means being proactive to get what you need to succeed: The two most powerful words to get what you need are “I need”.</li>
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Stories are all about sharing and teaching. <i>Self-Leadership and the One Minute Manager </i>does not disappoint. The book shares valuable lessons but also provides a Development Continuum Model that illustrates the four stages people experience when they are learning to master something, like a new job or life change. The model captures what people experience and helps them to realize their competence and commitment to change as we learn something new or pursue a goal. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The book offers visual models of the four stages along with a complete list of competencies and commitments to help in understanding how to integrate the model into our lives. The book is a quick read yet offers so much information in an entertaining and empowering way. Steve was empowered by the gifts that Cayla shared with him and not only does he keep his job, but he becomes a One Minute Manager to those around him.<span style="background: rgb(251 , 251 , 249); font-family: "arial unicode ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Lisa F Kosakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03787550946703106543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760783776411309804.post-18632164001193343932017-05-31T19:05:00.000-07:002017-05-31T19:05:43.352-07:00How You Learn Is How You Live - Using Nine Ways of Learning to Transform Your Life by Kay Peterson and David A. Kolb<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am a lifelong learning geek. I enjoy learning new information and absorb it with a thirst for reading, taking online MOOCS, and watching videos. I've always known that I am a visual learner and have tried to gear my learning to my style. The new book <i>How You Learn Is How You Live – Using Nine Ways of Learning to Transform your Life </i>by Kay Peterson, and David A. Kolb was an eye-opening read for me.</div>
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Most of what we learn and retain is from experience and hands-on learning. We all embrace a defined method of learning, and for some of us, it's tough to change how we learn. We are introduced to the learning way which is an "awakening life force that's in all of us. We grow and develop by learning". Few of us even realize that there is a process for learning. To be effective learners, we need to view learning as a continuous ongoing process whereby we not only learn new skills but learn to apply existing skills to new situations.</div>
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The authors stress how critical it is to discover our personal learning style so that we better understand ourselves and how we best respond. Moreover, they encourage us to learn all of the learning styles because we need to remain flexible in our learning and adapt a style based on a particular situation or those around us. There are nine learning styles based on the Kolb Learning Style Inventory (KLSI 4.0). Here are the nine learning styles:</div>
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<li>Experiencing</li>
<li>Imagining</li>
<li>Reflecting</li>
<li>Analyzing</li>
<li>Thinking</li>
<li>Deciding</li>
<li>Acting</li>
<li>Initiating</li>
<li>Balancing</li>
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Peterson and Kolb offer a quick assessment to determine your style along with detailed data on each as well as the strengths and weaknesses of each style. By learning more about all nine styles, you are better equipped to work with others in the style that is comfortable for them. You will have a greater understanding of how to communicate more efficiently with others as well. Caring about the styles of others makes for stronger teams and relationships. Moreover, there are detailed stories and insights about the various methods including how folks have learned about their style the hard way or how they had to adapt their style to a situation or career.</div>
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Learning about your style will strengthen your awareness, aid in matching your style preferences to the demands around you, and perhaps give you clues as to why your career performance isn’t where you desire it to be, or explain why some tasks just aren’t interesting to you.</div>
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Once you have a better understanding of the nine learning styles, you are ready to embark on learning how to be flexible with the nine styles. Most of us try to stay in our comfort zone when we learn or interact. That doesn't always work. You need to strive to develop strengths in the other learning styles. Effective leaders need to be able to respond differently in situations, and that means changing your style effortlessly. Matching your learning approach by jumping into another style will enable you to influence others and keep you on the path to lifelong learning.</div>
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Integrating learning into your life is a commitment that never ends. We should all be deliberate in our practice and follow three key strategies to be effective. They include deep experiencing (mindfulness, intentional attention, and focus), deliberate learning, and start small with just one big thing. Intertwining your key learning style in with these strategies will set you up for success,</div>
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<i>How You Learn is How you Live </i>is a must read if you are a driven learner, desire to understand and influence others or want to become more flexible in your learning or unique situations. I enjoyed learning more about the nine styles and how I need to adjust my style to that of others or in different circumstances.</div>
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Each chapter includes a learning cycle checklist for action and practice exercise to put the information that we learn to use and to cement the new ideas introduced. I learned best through storytelling and immersed myself in the various stories and situations presented by Kay and David. The various scenarios enabled me to understand the importance of remaining flexible in using different learning styles as well as the need to learn how others learn in situations so that I can adapt to lead or have an impact.</div>
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<i>How You Learn is How You Live </i>is a must read for anyone interested in becoming a more active learner, leader, and communicator. This nugget of knowledge will guide the reader along the path of learning with critical information, insightful stories, and self-exploration.</div>
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<br />Lisa F Kosakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03787550946703106543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760783776411309804.post-79942753195947030382017-05-01T05:41:00.000-07:002017-05-01T05:41:21.653-07:00Culture Works How to Create Happiness in the Workplace by Kris Boesch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>"When people feel good about coming to work it ripples into the community, into the homes and the coffee shops and the parks and ball fields. When people are happy at work, they are better parents, spouses, volunteers and citizens. When we make the workplace better, we make the world better" </i>- Kris Boesch<br />
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Let's face it. Either you work in an organization with a
healthy and vigorous culture, or you drag yourself into work every day knowing
the drudgery and negativity that waits let alone collaborating with people you don't
trust. For most people, pay is not the prime reason that they work. In fact, it
is way down the list. So why do most of us continue to go to work day after day
entering the realm of negativity and disenchantment? As leaders, we have a
responsibility to create a culture where there is a strong vibe the minute our
people walk in the door. We should offer a healthy and collaborative workplace.
Our enemies are boredom, distrust, politics, lack of collaboration, burnout,
and lackluster performance.</div>
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Kris Boesch’s new book <i>Culture Works How to Create Happiness in the Workplace </i>is an
engaging book that guides leaders to create a unique and extraordinary work
culture<i>. </i>Kris’s book will keep your
eyes glued to each page as you experience some new innovative concepts,
engaging stories, tools, and ideas “Action Jackson” activities to embark on
with your teams.</div>
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Culture is the "superglue" that binds people
together and ultimately urges our people to form healthy relationships,
collaborate, create synergy among groups, strengthens emotional energy in the
air, and breed happiness. Culture is an intangible asset that ultimately makes
or breaks the profitability of a company. It drives everything from the mission
and vision to healthy meetings, performance appraisals, and compensation. Knowing
this, many companies still neglect to invest in the tools and activities needed
to grow a culture that has an impact.</div>
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Kris introduces us to the eight Critical Happiness Factors
every healthy organization needs for a firm culture to thrive. Each factor
below is represented in one of the book’s chapters most impacted by the content
shared by an icon specific to each factor. It’s not surprising that compensation,
benefits, and perks did not win a place on this list.</div>
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<i>Culture Works</i>
offers some tools and assessments to test your organization’s culture and
strategy alignment. The Culture Assessment will open your eyes and prompt you
to think deeper about culture. Examining the ROI of happy employees using the
factors above will undoubtedly convince you to jump on the bandwagon to make a
difference in the culture quest. Kris offers online resources and tests along
with intriguing questions to ask of your people. I read <i>Culture Works </i>effortlessly on a rainy Saturday afternoon because it
flowed with ease. The variety of content and ideas intrigued me.</div>
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Here are some more key ideas that you can use to enhance
the culture within your teams or organization tomorrow.</div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->There are a variety of learning resources for
every learning style. <i>Culture Works</i>
notes a variety of articles, books, research materials, and videos for personal
learning and to share with your teams that Kris terms as “Favorite Resources."</div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->We are given numerous examples and stats about
culture, engagement, conflict, and a variety of other workplace factors. Kris presents the data in a leisurely and
entertaining fashion so that the reader understands concepts without the eyes
glazing over.</div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><i>Culture
Works </i>contains at least one "Action Jackson" idea that is fun or
inspirational activity you can use with your team that is relevant to the chapter
content. These are by far my favorites in the book.<i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->There is delightful humor dispersed throughout
the book along with playful ideas and games to try with your people. How about
a "Choose your tattoo," "Speed dating," or "Rose, Bud,
Thorn" exercise?</div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->I loved the variety of ideas offered on how to
recognize and reward people. My favorite part of being a manager is
unexpectantly thanking people in a way that makes them comfortable.</div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->Kris introduces numerous acronyms to trigger our
memories with some of the tools she suggests. Ideal for my mind!</div>
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the insight regarding change while learning more about eight key change styles
and steps.</div>
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Culture has always been my priority when looking for a
new employer partner. Once you have worked where you feel valued, engage in
open collaboration and recognition, people enjoy working and achieving with one
another, and would <i>almost</i> work at a
place for free because of the strong culture you will never settle for less. As
a leader, you have an opportunity to enhance the culture of any organization
that you come into contact with even for a short time. Why not jump into
creating happiness by impacting culture? Pick up <i>Culture Works</i> today!</div>
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<br />Lisa F Kosakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03787550946703106543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760783776411309804.post-52457604429612160592017-04-17T06:53:00.000-07:002017-04-17T07:08:44.710-07:00Eat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time 3rd Edition By Brian Tracy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been on a personal crusade to be more efficient
and beat the monster called procrastination. It’s so easy to put projects off
when I feel that I have time but just don’t feel like working on them. I’ve
been trying mini habits to build up my commitments and bullet journaling to get
myself primed for action. I am an advocate that there is no sure way for planning
success and that everyone needs to find what works best. </div>
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Years ago, I read Brian Tracy’s book <i>Eat That Frog! </i>I used several of his suggestions to avoid
procrastination and to motivate myself back on track. The problem is that I
fell off and needed a refresher. Brian just released the 3<sup>rd</sup> edition of <i>Eat That Frog! </i>With
enhanced chapters highlighting the good and ugly of technology. I enjoyed the
book, even more, this time because I had tried more motivational tricks and
tips over the years and no one gives sound advice better than Brian Tracy. <i>Eat That Frog!</i> Gobbles up any other
resource on procrastination or goal setting in the market. I encourage you to return to the 21 time
tried suggestions for becoming a better you to meet surpass goals and scare the
procrastination monster away. </div>
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I admire Brian’s analogy of the frog on the outset of his
book. He likens your “frog” to your biggest and most critical task that you
need to accomplish. It’s also the goal that you are most likely to procrastinate
about and put on the back burner. Brian
eloquently says that "It has been said that if the first thing you do each
morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day with the satisfaction
of knowing that it is probably the <i>worst </i>thing
that is going to happen to you all day long”. Very powerful isn’t it? We all
have a weight off of our shoulders when we can throw off the one thing that
prevents us from enjoying life and bringing key results. </div>
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We need to commit to ranking our core objectives and
tackling them first. Don't complete the smaller tasks on your daily list just
to have a feel good moment. You will only set yourself up for additional stress
when your biggest task monster stares down at you. Always have clarity about
what you want and make lists of categorized goals so that you can rank them and
eat the biggest frogs first thing every morning. </div>
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Setting and achieving goals is a process and won't happen
overnight. You need to build new routines and habits to maintain structure and
guide you. Brian shows us the 3 "D's" of new habits to jumpstart our
journey. They include the decision, discipline, and determination. Once these behaviors are ingrained, we can
start to visualize where we want to be and stop procrastinating on what is hindering
our success.</div>
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Successful people know that they can’t focus on
everything at once. Goals need to be ranked, and some may never even be touched.
They are often "filler" goals that can be delegated or deleted off
the list. We should focus on the goals that will give us the biggest bang for
our buck and will have a meaningful impact on our lives. This process makes us
more productive and leaves us more time for the precious areas of our lives.
Too often people think that getting things done equals productivity and instead
they are just busy bees flitting around accomplishing little. We need to zero
in on what is critical and push for productivity with intent. </div>
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Brian offers 21 intriguing ideas in separate chapters to
improve your productivity and kick procrastination aside. Each idea is recapped
so that you can immediately implement it. We all have unique methods of
organizing and approaching goals, so I love the many options that Brian
introduces us to. You may want to pick one tactic a week to focus on until it's
a habit or be more flexible in how you choose. Time management is your personal
system and having flexibility is the key to success.</div>
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Last, Brian shares the good and ugly of technology. Being
wired in all day real time is a blessing because we can feasibly do our job
from anywhere and we have so many tools to choose. Conversely, technology can
control us and drive procrastination or encourage poor habits. Use technology
wisely and to your advantage. Don't allow it to consume you.</div>
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<i>Eat That Frog!</i>
Is one book that I have marked up and highlighted to aid me in fighting
procrastination and to use my time more wisely. In the past, I have listed my
goals but conveniently started with the tadpoles first because they are
easy. I convinced myself that I'm
hacking away at the list and being productive. Now, I'm eating frogs every
morning and enjoying it!</div>
<br />Lisa F Kosakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03787550946703106543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760783776411309804.post-84985234787488226102017-04-03T11:22:00.001-07:002017-04-03T11:22:55.296-07:00Stop Guessing The 9 Behaviors of Great Problem Solvers by Nat Greene<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
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Over the years I have worked in numerous companies in the turbulent financial services industry. There were always special projects and consultants in and out the door trying to solve problems or force solutions. Inevitably, the result was reworking teams or systems and even layoffs. After several months the same problems would crop up, and another roller coaster ride began.</div>
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Not everyone has the skills to be a problem solver and look at an issue objectively to find root causes. Companies spend too much money and resources chasing down problems and often end up sticking in short term solutions or even worse, they guess what is causing problems or go with the traditional groupthink of the moment rather than going through a process. It becomes a headache for everyone.</div>
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Nat Greene’s new book <i>Stop Guessing The 9 Behaviors of Great Problem Solvers </i>is a read for anyone that faces problems at work or in their personal lives. We all need to change the way that we think of and approach problems. Nat has worked with companies for years to solve problems and change mindsets. He is frustrated that the biggest problem with problem-solving is problem-solving. Problem-solving for most has become just good old guessing. When the first guess fails, we move onto the next theory or as some like to call it, hypothesis. This can turn into an exhausting game of guessing which costs time, resources, money, and burns everyone out. Many problems consist of too many facets to even begin guessing at a problem, and nothing is solved.</div>
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Nat Greene shows us how we should approach problems differently. He offers numerous engaging real-life stories to illustrate how we can change our problem-solving mindset and provides tools that can be used by anyone for any problem. <i>Stop Guessing</i> is an easy read that seamlessly flows from chapter to chapter and Nat builds on the principles that he shares. His passion is assisting people to make more efficient decisions using behaviors that are immediately implemented.</div>
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The core of <i>Stop Guessing </i>is the 9 behaviors that Nat introduces us to so that we can jump on the path to become better problem solvers. It doesn’t matter if the production equipment is broke or your oven stopped working. The approach that he shares is the same and will save time, money, and hours of frustration. Ready to start solving real problems?</div>
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<b><i>The 9 behaviors of great problem solvers</i></b></div>
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1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><b>Stop guessing.</b> Most of us default to guessing or brainstorming for solutions. We are pressured to make quick fixes and solve issues yesterday. Understanding why a problem exists and investigating it is the place to start. Nate suggests that when a problem crops up, have everyone write down their guesses as to what the problem and solution are and put it in a drawer. Look at it after the problem is solved. The remaining behaviors below should assist in measuring the problem, not guess.</div>
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2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><b>Smell the problem. </b>You need to get out of your office and roam around into the field to find the pulse of the problem to use your senses. Attempt to find some patterns that emerge by being out and about. Ask relevant questions and involve people, study details, sift out what is happening – no guessing.</div>
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3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><b>Embrace your ignorance.</b> What you don't know is what can solve a problem. Put aside any previous knowledge or assumptions. Start with the basics and work up from there. Proudly accept what you don’t know and don’t hide it. Ask dumb questions and don’t worry about how you look. Ditch the ego.</div>
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4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><b>Know what problem you are solving.</b> Sounds crazy but often people jump to conclusions and work on the wrong problem. Define what the problem is and keep those assumptions out of the picture along with staying within the scope you initially defined. Use time and resources up front to properly measure and explain an issue.</div>
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5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><b>Dig into the fundamentals.</b> Learn how a process functions by understanding the process and any data or science around it. Dig only into what is relevant, not everything. Be mindful of which variables you examine and have control over.</div>
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6.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><b>Don’t rely on experts.</b> This is my favorite. What is the first thing that we do if we can't solve an issue? Bring in the outsiders and walk away. They can be helpful for understanding a system or its functions, but we shouldn't just turn everything over to them. We should still own the process. They aren't wizards but our collaborators. The problem solving is on us.</div>
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7.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><b>Believe in a simple solution.</b> Have the tenacity to continue working on the problem until it is solved. Don't always assume a solution is expensive or complicated. Find the cause and perhaps 1-2 variable that are off and your problem may be solved.</div>
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8.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><b>Make fact-based decisions.</b> Try to avoid relying on opinions, guesses, team votes or ranking systems. They won’t bring you any closer to solving problems. Always challenge your facts and measure without any biases.</div>
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9.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><b>Stay on Target.</b> It’s easy to get lost in data and causes when you have a problem if you embrace too much you will be testing and forever wasting resources. Try to “measure drivers” that control a problem and don’t allow the issue to become cluttered. Stay on course and do not permit yourself to become distracted.</div>
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Nat concludes our problem-solving journey by assisting us in choosing our personal method for solving problems. We are all unique in how we approach problems using the strengths and tools at our disposal. An efficient problem solver needs some structure to stay focused and individual behaviors of the 9 Nat introduced us to will play to our strengths. No matter what methods that you employ you should not use guessing as a tool. Once you read <i>Stop Guessing, </i>you may never guess or make assumptions again! Nat's goal is for us to use structure, find patterns of failure, stay on track, and understand how a process works so that you can use data and measurable information to have a solution.</div>
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I highly recommend reading <i>Stop Guessing </i>and using some of the 9 behaviors that Nat shares. The behaviors are people and human capital focused and are the key to bringing actionable solutions to problems of all sizes. The ideas that Nat shares will save time resources, money, and egos. Teams will feel empowered to solve problems without all the “stuff” getting in the way.</div>
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You can pick up a copy of Nat’s book on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stop-Guessing-Behaviors-Problem-Solvers-ebook/dp/B01N5HVJ8M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491242970&sr=8-1&keywords=stop+guessing+the+9+behaviors+of+great+problem+solvers">Amazon.com</a>.</div>
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Lisa F Kosakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03787550946703106543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760783776411309804.post-57613835187967777042017-03-31T10:53:00.000-07:002017-03-31T10:53:10.438-07:00Morning Makeover: How to Boost Your Productivity, Explode Your Energy, and Create An Extraordinary Life - One Morning at a Time! By Damon Zahariades<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been on a productivity kick, and it's not going very
well. I'm an avid reader, and I'm forever reading about the best productivity
tricks, how to be organized and why waking up early is the key to success. I
set my two alarms and still hit snooze. The result? I feel guilty the entire day
and feel rushed to complete everything that I need to.</div>
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I’m a huge fan of <a href="http://artofproductivity.com/">Damon
Zahariades</a> and have read his books <i>Fast
Focus</i> and <i>To-Do List Formula. </i>Also,
I love reading his blog every chance that I get. What I enjoy about Damon's
writing is his conversational style. His books are engaging, and it's like
sitting down with a close friend to hear his advice. Real friends give it to us
straight and know where we might get hung up in life. Damon not only educates
us in an amusing and engaging manner, but jumps in to catch us when we fall to
get us on track with ingenious tips and advice.</div>
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Damon’s latest book <i>Morning
Makeover </i>is one of those books that you may consume in one reading. His
writing flows from chapter to chapter, and every page will speak to you and
perhaps even convince you to change your morning routine even though it may be
a little painful at first. One of my key motivations for getting up earlier is
to exercise and meditate. I find the day gets away from me if I don’t jump on this
first thing. Damon is quick to point out that "getting up early is 90%
attitude and 10% showing up". You are in control, and any changes start
with you.</div>
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Damon shares his personal experiences and challenges
which remind us that we are human and hate change. He offers ten reasons that a
morning routine impacts your life but warns us not to go nuts and make too many
changes at once. A few of these include giving your day structure, having more
energy, and just feeling better throughout the day. Exactly what I need.</div>
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You need a “why” to start a new routine. Damon spends
valuable time explaining how intentions can be powerful because they entice you
to act with purpose. Intentions push us and “exhilarate” us to take action.
Moreover, it is your intentions that are a platform from which you will begin
to build a new morning routine. I suggest listing 3 of your key intentions to
give you some guidance on where to start and to justify to your
"why." </div>
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<i>Morning Makeover</i>
is divided into four parts, and each one builds upon the others. Damon eases us
into accepting change and building ourselves up for morning success. Like a
friend, he also spells out the challenges and roadblocks that we will probably face.
Ready to start making your routine?</div>
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Part I is the basis for success throughout your day.
Sleep. Research has been coming out daily about how critical sleep is and how
our bodies and minds shut down without sound sleep. Damon shares some quick and
dirty sleep information and tips to have a restful sleep. If you aren’t rested,
you won’t easily pop up and your morning routine is out the window. You will be
back to ground zero. Rising early will enable you to be more creative, have
increased productivity, and you will be less likely to procrastinate.</div>
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Part II shares a ten step plan to create your personal
morning routine. No one can do this for you, and you need some skin in the
game. These actions complement your intentions; the one’s you set above, which
in turn form your morning routine. Some of these include identifying your
"why," determine how much time you need each morning to get ready,
and choosing activities that will maximize your energy throughout the day. </div>
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Part III is where Damon motivates to keep going when we
are ready to throw our hands up. Damon reminds us that there will be challenges
and shares some common issues we all face when trying something new. Like a
good friend, he gently reminds us that we all fall and need to start again.</div>
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Part IV is very fascinating. Damon shares the routines of
ten very successful people. They aren't all that different than you or I, however;
they have an intention and stay within a routine every day. We learn the habits
of Tony Robbins, Gary Vaynerchuk, Howard Schultz, and Cheryl Bachelder to name
a few. Some of the frequent early morning acts that they share include
exercise, meditation or deep breathing, reading, playing with pets, journaling,
and music. I bet most of these sound familiar to you. It's all a matter of what
habits align with your intentions and carrying them out to fruition. </div>
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If you feel unorganized, restless, and tend to procrastinate,
perhaps now is the time to pick up <i>Morning Makeover</i> and discover your
intentions so that you can start a new morning routine. It will give you a
daily personal purpose, and you will be amazed at how much better you feel, you
will be more connected to your work throughout the day, and it may be the
change that you have been searching for to become better connected to your
life. This book won't disappoint.</div>
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<br />Lisa F Kosakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03787550946703106543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760783776411309804.post-71196609328947835672017-03-26T12:22:00.001-07:002017-03-26T12:22:54.002-07:00Farmer Able by Art Barter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Storytelling is an art and has been the engine behind knowledge being passed down for thousands of years. Stories exist to entertain, educate, impress, and engage. A gratifying story is like a great joke, but not everyone can tell a funny joke or graciously bring a story alive so that we find meaning or grasp new lessons. If you love an engaging story, then pick up a copy of <i>Farmer Able</i> by Art Barter. This book will engulf you and take you on a journey to discover the heart of servant leadership show why the world is not all about you.</div>
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<i>Farmer Able </i>is an entertaining and humorous story that takes place on Farmer Able’s farm. It’s a fun book to real with a series of short chapters each with its lesson. Some examples include;</div>
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<li>A trust breakdown causes a rust buildup; everything moves slower and costs more.</li>
<li>Caring for others: weakness or strength?</li>
<li>Sometimes a self-made man can become self-absorbed.</li>
<li>The attitude and behaviors you lead with will follow.</li>
<li>Truly caring allows you to carry 50 times your weight.</li>
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Farmer Able’s animals come alive. We hear them chattering with each other, bickering about Farmer Able, and acting snarky with the animals that they loath. The story begins with lazy pigs and Farmer Able's grumbling that the pigs are running the farm. Starting with Clarice the cow thinking "it's all about Able” the other animals pick up on this and begin to get jealous and are resentful about working hard or producing milk, eggs, or caring out their purpose. Soon we see nothing but problems.</div>
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Farmer Able is obsessed about profits and production. When he doesn't see results, he starts trying to push for results. He rations food to save money, he locks up the chickens in the dark to increase egg production, and he angers the cows and horses. No one wants to work because they don't feel valued or appreciated. Farmer Able adopts an authoritative mindset and frets about everything. His relationships suffer all over the farm. The animals don't trust him; his assistants don’t understand him, and his relationship with his family goes south. The farm is upside down.</div>
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One night, Farmer Able begins receiving insights from the oddest place, the wind. We start to see Farmer Able hear valuable whispered phrases throughout chapters that reach down and bring change up from inside. The first words are "It's not about you." Our farmer's life and actions change as he hears "believe what you believe," "Trust is a must," and "ours is yours." </div>
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Farmer Able transforms before our eyes. He shocks the animals by showing more care by cleaning their area, giving them freedom, and interacting with them. They slowly trust him again. Able no longer frets over profits and begins to do the right thing for others. He makes wise management changes with his people and chooses a farm leader with empathy who puts others first. Most importantly, Farmer Able places his family first and heals his relationships.</div>
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<i>Farmer Able </i>teaches us critical lessons without us initially realizing it. I found myself on the farm engaging with the characters gripped with intent interest. As the chapters grew with new messages, I found myself rich with new ideas.</div>
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The pigs were never actually running the farm and causing chaos. Farmer Able's mindset and authoritative behaviors were the culprits. His thoughts justified his actions, and the farm suffered from every renewed push. Able's focus on production was dysfunctional and impacting progress. Sound familiar? Our farmer's mindset is like so many leaders today that runs organizations. Authoritative leaders think that pushing and demanding more brings results. Sadly, these actions have adverse effects.</div>
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By the end of the story, Farmer Able's enlightened servant leadership style is what brings change. The whispers of the wind teased him into looking deep inside him and bring internal change that changed those around him and ultimately saves the farm. Our journey ends with learning the same valuable lessons that our farmer does. Be a servant leader and put others first. Lead from the inside out for impact. Change inside of you will have a dramatic effect on those around you.</div>
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I loved <i>Farmer Able </i>by Art Barter, and it's one of my new favorites. This book is a key resource to use with your teams or those that welcome lessons to bring out the best in others. It’s a heartfelt story about leading with purpose while creating change with an ethical approach that engages, empowers, and ultimately serves others, not you.</div>
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Fortunately, the lessons of Farmer Able don’t stop with Art Barter’s fable. Art just released <i>The Servant Leadership Journal an 18 Week Journal to Transform You and Your Organization. </i>This journal guides us on a journey to strengthen and develop our servant leadership skills. Art shares nine key behaviors that we all need in order to be effective leaders. This book is engaging and interactive through journaling every day. Art’s process will help develop new leadership behaviors and habits through 4 steps:</div>
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<li><b>Educate</b> yourself about each behavior</li>
<li><b>Understand </b>where you are at with each behavior</li>
<li><b>Apply</b> what you learn and ask how you use new learning’s</li>
<li><b>Reflect </b>by writing down details or results of this leadership journey</li>
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I am just digging into Art's journal, and I feel so challenged. I look forward to new learnings and growth that I can apply to how I interact and empower others. More to come after my 18-week journey!</div>
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<br />Lisa F Kosakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03787550946703106543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1760783776411309804.post-13673536011914859192017-03-16T11:54:00.000-07:002017-03-16T11:54:09.841-07:00Awakening Compassion at Work: The Quiet Power That Elevates People and Organizations by Monica C. Worline and Jane E. Dutton<br />
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I am fascinated by the variety of cultures in organizations, and an active culture has always been my priority in looking for a new opportunity. I've learned the hard way what doesn't work and have been blessed as well by working with professionals that support one another and form a community. I've searched for the degree of relationships, community, empowerment, leadership, innovation, resilience. The list goes on and on. Guess what quality I haven’t searched for yet? Compassion. It never occurred to me to look deep inside an organization for compassion nor have I expected it. After reading the new book <i>Awakening Compassion at Work: The Quiet Power that Elevates People and Organizations by </i>Monica C. Worline and Jane E. Dutton, I have placed compassion at the top of my list when I look for exemplary cultures within our organizations.</div>
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The authors spent decades conducting extensive field research examining compassion way before any of us were exposed to terms like servant leadership or empowerment at work. They discovered that too many people are suffering in the workplace which presents itself in a lack of humanity, less dignity, lower motivation, and the lack of results with innovation, collaboration, employee retention, morale, and client relationships. It never occurred to me that a lack of compassion where we work every day may be the missing key that organizations have been searching for to change their cultures for people and results.</div>
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<i>Awakening Compassion at Work</i> is the tool that change agents who desire to change people and processes within an organization need to have on hand. Towards the end of the book, the authors present detailed blueprints for bringing about compassion for individuals, groups, and even how to deal with obstacles to compassion. Each chapter also offers us a question to ponder and fundamental principles to examine or put into use. There are compelling real-life, hands-on stories of compassion in play in some organizations as well as failures. These stories aid us in understanding the theories and tools that Monica and Jane offer peppered throughout the book.</div>
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We learn what compassion is and how some organizations resist it. <i>Awakening Compassion at Work </i>describes what compassion can do and what it won’t fix. Compassion must permeate throughout an organization and be present at all levels. Communities of sorts are formed and become the underlying strength of a company. There are four aspects of compassion, and each depends on the others. They include <i>noticing, interpreting, feeling, and acting.</i> Compassion is clearly an interpersonal action, and the compassion competence of a system depends on an emergent pattern of the four factors above. Worline and Dutton also offer suggestions as to how managers can awaken greater compassion through factors such as speed, scope, the magnitude of resources, and customization of resources for compassionate competence.</div>
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<i>Awakening Compassion at Work </i>illustrates how organizations can design for welcoming compassion. There is an extensive list of principles for companies of all sizes or structures in chapter 7 and is one of my favorite sections because it's hands on and so practical. Ideas include creating sub-networks within an organization where people can identify, examine hiring incorporating compassion and empathy, and coaching leaders to model desired behaviors or creating "melting" routines that bring people together. Moreover, we learn what actions or behaviors "awaken" compassion competence. They are elements that impact most of us face daily, and with the right mentoring and attention they can have profound implications. They include networks, organizational culture, roles, routines, and internal stories and leader behavior.</div>
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By now you should have a grasp of how important compassion Monica C. Worline and Jane E. Dutton feel is needed, and lacking, in organizations today. The information that I shared above is the tip of the iceberg <i>and Awakening Compassion at Work </i>offers an incredible trove of concrete research, information, ideas, and implementable actions companies can make to bring compassion alive. The shared stories bring ideas alive and will spark new thoughts and ideas from within leaders at any level. Compassion needs welcoming into every organization, but it needs to start with you. This book opened up my eyes to what we need to work every day along with empathy, empowerment, leadership or any other elements that you hold dear in a company culture. Bringing in compassion can completely change people and organizations which will impact our results. Are you ready?</div>
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Lisa F Kosakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03787550946703106543noreply@blogger.com0