We all have experiences that shape our lives.  When we do, we then have knowledge that we can share with others to help them positively shape their lives.  This really applies to all aspects of our lives, so follow the message and apply it to what resonates most with you.

I have been a big fan of personal development for over 30 years now.  The first book I read was by Napoleon Hill, Think & Grow Rich.  When I first read this book, my head was in a much different place than it is today.  Initially, I started applying the knowledge I was gaining to my career.  I find that when we are introduced to personal development for the first time, we tend to apply the knowledge to the area of life we want to improve upon the most at the time.

Throughout my 30 year journey, I have read hundreds of books, listened to tapes, cds, heard countless numbers of amazing speakers (some several times), both live and recorded.  I have been self employed for over 30 years now, and twelve years ago,   I was at a crossroads, career wise, and decided to find a new path to take in business.  Interestingly, I had never thought of combining my work with my passion for learning and development, but I fully understand now that is the key to success in business.  Again, at that point, my continued interest in and commitment to personal development was business related.

What I didn't realize was that was the starting point of significant change in every aspect of my life.  Although I was applying the knowledge of what I was learning in my business to building my career, I started to notice how every aspect of my life was improving.  The knowledge I was gaining was absolutely changing my thinking, not temporarily, but permanently.   Why was this?  Because I changed something that seemed so minor I didn't even think about it being important.  I was immersing myself in personal development every single day, while previously I was dabbling in it here and there.  It is like learning something new today, and then defaulting back to your old thinking for the next 6 months, and then learning a new better way to think, but again defaulting back to your old thinking because you are surrounded by people that don't get it...they have settled into mediocrity and do not challenge their thinking.  If you are simply dabbling in new  success concepts and principles and do not make it part of your daily study, you will default back into the thinking you have had for 30, 50, 6o years because those are your dominate thoughts.  The good news is, you can absolutely change those thoughts to gain the results you want.  Just as you would need to commit time every day to learning to play an instrument, if you want better results in other parts of your life, you must be willing to commit to learning and practice what you learn each day.

Through my daily study, my business results improved, but I realized that  relationships with everyone around me was strengthening, I was becoming more patient, less judgmental, more compassionate.  I was learning to let go of fear, limiting beliefs, and the need to "fit in" with the masses thinking.  I was learning to trust myself, tapping into my intuition to listen to my own heart and not let my head get in the way.  I found myself stepping out of my comfort zone regularly, embracing risk, yet not feeling like risk was "risky".  That was huge to me, and a realization that being afraid of risk is so much more risky than what we perceive risk to be, because being afraid of risk holds us back from reaching our true potential.

I also found myself taking more personal responsibility for everything in my life and taking on a higher level of leadership, which I had always been afraid to do previously, as I had been a very shy person my whole life.  I learned how to gain clarity on what I truly wanted in my life, and how to make bold, powerful decisions that support that.

I learned how to forgive, and learned that forgiveness is something we do for ourselves.  We cannot be at our best, if we are carrying resentment, hate, and anger in  our hearts.  When we learn to let that go and forgive, we lift a wall of burden from our shoulders.

I also learned how to deal more effectively with grief which is something we all deal with at different times in our lives.  I don't mean I don't feel the massive pain we all go through, but I have learned that with time we can carry on and start our lives over, making new memories while being grateful for the old ones.  There are specific things we can do to accelerate our healing so we are not numb and frozen and not able to carry on.  The pain is always there, but we can learn to live and love again, which we all deserve to do.

My self esteem, self respect and confidence have all grown.  Not in an egotistical way, but in a way that I recognize the gifts I have been given and do my best to share those gifts with others to help them learn and grow.  I have learned that when we have success in any aspect of life, it is our personal responsibility to reach back and help others learn and grow.

I have discovered a part of myself I didn't realize I possessed - creativity.  I thought other people around me were highly creative, but hadn't recognized it in myself.  I am so grateful I have discovered my creative side, and embrace it in everything I do.

Most importantly I have learned to find happiness within me.  I no longer require "something" to make me happy.  I too used to be one of those people that was always waiting for "something" to make me happy.  When we start living our life on purpose and make choices that support the life we truly want to be living, it creates a happiness within that is not based on results or things...it is there without those requirements.  It is an incredible spot to get your mindset to, and once there, you never go back.  I am so grateful I have learned to be happy, regardless of challenges, regardless of what is happening around me, and regardless of pain I may be going through....I am happy even when I am experiencing these normal life things.  That is such a gift!

Something really important to understand is you can't improve something in your life without seeing improvements in other areas!  I took on this learning to improve my business results, but I have achieved improvements in all these other areas as a result of the knowledge I gained.  

The big key change for me was in 2004, when I started making personal development part of my daily routine, and really committed to being a lifelong learner.  I realize that although I had been studying this area for 18 years prior, I was not committing to it daily.  I would read a great book or hear a great speaker, but would then go back to default...back to work I didn't enjoy, spending time with people that didn't resonate with the new thinking I had, needing to fit in with the masses, being brainwashed by media messages, etc.  It is somewhat like putting your foot on the gas and the brake at the same time, and wondering why you are not moving forward.

Einstein has a famous quote - "The Definition of Insanity is Doing the Same Things, Expecting Different Results"  Most of us have heard this, yet how many actually take it to heart and live their life by this advice?  I was one of those people living out this message.  I knew better, but I wasn't doing what I knew, because I was allowing the past conditioning and default messages in my head to direct my life, instead of taking the new information I was learning and making my decisions based on this.
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As with anything in life, we often don't know the profound benefit of something until we experience it personally.  Once we do, it is our responsibility to share that knowledge with others to help them move forward in the direction they want to take their lives.  Not to do it for them, but to help them learn  to do it for themselves.  This is one of the greatest gifts we have to give.  Everything starts in our mind....we have the choice whether we are putting positive information in our minds that move us forward, or settling for the limitations we are surrounded with.


Debbie Ruston has been an entrepreneur and trainer since 1986. She works with individuals, and groups interested in developing their entrepreneurial leadership mindset. Was this article of value to you? Feel free to share it on your social networks and with your contacts, join in the discussion below, and FOLLOW her on the top right corner of this page.  
Debbie's also on:
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Twitter
YouTube
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G+https://plus.google.com/+DebbieRuston-TheSuccessEducatorAnd now on iTunes


As posted on Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-personal-development-has-changed-my-life-debbie-ruston?trk=prof-post

WHEN YOU THINK and behave differently than those around you, people can label you a black sheep, as if it is a negative thing. Society is conditioned to believe we must all fit in a box, living and doing things the same way “everyone” else does. If you stray from this formula, you often meet with resistance, and this is actually what stops a lot of people from living the life they want to be living. This thinking was actually instilled in the industrial age, when corporations needed people to work to fill the assembly lines. They made big promises of job security, secure weekly paychecks, benefits, etc. However, as we all know, today there is no such thing as job security. The only security there is, is the willingness to create your OWN job security through self employment. This is something that everyone should be considering in today’s economic climate. Think for example all the work that is being done in robotics, which will replace a lot of jobs.
So why haven’t you started your own business?
Have you fallen into this pattern of thinking and believe you must only do things others consider as “normal”? Those that are considered “normal”, follow this type of pattern….. Go to a job everyday, have a mortgage, a car loan, 2.5 kids, etc. As soon as someone goes a different direction than this, they are considered abnormal, black sheep, or sometimes even crazy. You may have had someone say to you “why would you leave a secure job/great job/this job to start your own business…what if you fail, you are throwing away everything you have worked for”. This type of well-meaning advice has held so many people back in life. They end up second guessing themselves, and accept that maybe they are crazy to be thinking of such a move.
So how do you avoid this mindset and take on the mindset of a successful entrepreneur?
Recognize that all successful entrepreneurs think differently than the masses. They don’t fit in a box. They don’t do what everyone else does. They don’t need other people’s approval. They trust their own hearts and are willing to go against the grain of “popular” opinion, regardless of who approves and who doesn’t. Successful entrepreneurs follow their inspiration, not the advice of other’s that have no credibility or experience to give that well-meaning advice.
Know what is right for you and don’t be swayed by the opinions of others. If you are not happy and fulfilled in the work you are doing, you are wasting your potential, and missing out on the power of your own intuition, which is there to guide you in the direction you should and want to be taking. Be empowered to take the direction you know is right in your heart. When you live your life following the path that is in your heart, you feel happy and in control.
People around you don’t want to be left behind and will often attempt to hold you back where they are. You will hear things like, it’s not normal, it’s too risky, what if you fail, etc.


Ask yourself DIFFERENT questions

• Is it normal to leave the people you love every day for a paycheck or is there a better way to work?
• Is it normal to drive through stopped traffic, snow storms, long commutes to pay for a house I am never in?
• Is it normal to work hard and still have trouble making ends meet?
• Is it normal to carry a car loan of $500-1,000 per month to go to a job I hate?
• Is it normal to take our children to daycare for someone else to raise and experience their firsts?
• Is it normal to have to work “mandatory overtime”
• 
  

I could go on and on. The last thing on earth I would ever want to be is NORMAL! When I lived a “normal” life, I was unhappy, stressed out, miserable, and I brought that home with me every day. It wasn’t until we had our first child that I stumbled upon entrepreneurship, simply as a way to be home with our child. My desire to be with our children was stronger than my desire to go the “normal” job route, so I was willing to go against the grain, to be the black sheep and to carve my own path. Get totally clear on the REASON you want to be an entrepreneur.
If I am considered a black sheep, or a square peg, or whatever other label could be put on me, I am GRATEFUL for it! It is because of this mindset of finding my own truths, my own solutions and being self-reliant and self responsible for my own life that has allowed me to be in love with every aspect of my life, living a life of purpose, on purpose.

As Published on:  ​http://bizcatalyst360.com/do-you-have-an-entrepreneurial-drive-but-afraid-to-start/_

I recently read an article describing the distribution of wealth.  Unless you read between the lines into what is really going on, most will continue to be the victims of declining wealth.
I found this to be the most powerful paragraph in the article:

"The first is the disconnect between work and earnings.  The share of national income going to workers has been falling while the share of income given to owners and top executives is rising, a phenomenon that can be seen in the stagnant wage figures of workers around the world despite growing corporate profits and productivity."

Companies downsize and layoff.  Most are not concerned with the workers this affects...it is all about the bottom line.  Like it or not, you are either accepting this as your truth and doing something proactive about it,  or fooling yourself that it won't happen to you.
The share going to workers is falling, while the share going to OWNERS is rising.  So, which side of this fence is actually working and which side of this fence would you rather see yourself on?

There is no such thing as job security in a job.  It is gone.  The key to move forward is to understand every individual must start thinking of themselves as personally responsible for creating their own work, and find ways to create their own work being self employed.  This does not mean you have to invest millions and start the next tech success.  You may find your success in a simple hobby, or utilizing the knowledge, skills and experience you currently have. You can be the victim of falling wages and jobs, allowing the wealth to continue to go to the owners of corporations or even small businesses,  or be the creator of taking control of your future and starting to create your own wealth.  Being the OWNER of your own business is something that anyone can make a choice to do.

Even with this knowledge, most people will not take that step into entrepreneurship because of fears and limiting beliefs instilled in society throughout the industrial age, when corporations needed employees to meet their production goals.  This was a time when society was sold on believing they "need" an employer to have "security".  We are conditioned to believe the only way to work is for an employer.  We are conditioned to believe we couldn't possibly make it on our own without corporations/employers to "look after us".  We are conditioned to believe we need security, benefits, etc.  We are conditioned to believe the only thing to do when we are looking for work is to put out resumes and apply to companies to "grant" us work.   We are conditioned to believe it is too hard to start a business of our own, too risky, and that most new businesses fail.

Most businesses do fail, that is correct.  However, it is not for the reasons that most believe, such as too hard, too risky, too expensive, etc.  It is mainly because most that take that step into entrepreneurship are bringing their outdated beliefs with them.  They are attempting to run a business with the mindset of an employee.  They are afraid of risk, they are not solution oriented, they are not committed long term, they expect overnight results, they are not leaders.  They do not know how to make powerful business decisions that support the long term goals they have.  They give up at the first sign of challenge.  They are not willing to do what it takes because they have been so conditioned to be paid immediately for hours worked.

Successful entrepreneurs think differently.  They are willing to do what it takes for as long as it takes.  They are solution oriented, and if they can't find a solution, are willing to think out of the box to create one.  Challenges do not stop them...they realize it is simply part of the process towards success.  They do not put a "time frame" on their success and are committed for the long term.  They make decisions that support their goals, even when it is uncomfortable.  They learn and grow and mastermind with other successful people.  They think about risk much differently.  While the employee is afraid of risk, the successful entrepreneur believes it is more risky to put your eggs in an employers basket and allow them to dictate your life.

95% of people make the other 5% successful. Which % do you want to be in?  We are NOT in the industrial age any longer!  Success is created by our thoughts and our actions, which can be changed at any moment you identify your thoughts have brought about the results you currently have.    It is our choice which side of the wealth distribution fence we are allowing ourselves to be on.

Debbie Ruston has been an entrepreneur and trainer since 1986. She works with individuals, and groups interested in developing their entrepreneurial leadership mindset. Was this article of value to you? Feel free to share it on your social networks and with your contacts, join in the discussion below, and FOLLOW her on the top right corner of this page.
Debbie's also on:
FB
Twitter
YouTube
Pinterest
G+https://plus.google.com/+DebbieRuston-TheSuccessEducatorAnd now on iTunes



As published on LI:  https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/wealth-distribution-debbie-ruston

It's interesting to speak with people around us and have conversations about what they want in their lives.  I have observed so many times, people lacking clarity on what they truly want.  So many are just going through the motions in life and their careers, without any plan of action, and wonder why they feel a lack of control and dissatisfaction in their lives.  So many are just living on auto pilot....going to jobs they hate, complaining about their long commute, then come home and sit in front of the TV with nothing positive to discuss with their families, only to repeat this same pattern every day, and wondering why their relationships are growing apart.  We see people drinking out of coffee cups with quotes such as "We owe, we owe, so off to work we go".  They believe they don't have choice.  They believe this is the norm. They believe that is just the way it is, and "everyone" does it.  Many complain about this and that, but are not doing anything to change it.  As Einstein said "the definition of insanity is doing the same things, expecting different results".
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How do you gain clarity on what you really want and remove the LOCKS you have in your life? It starts with asking yourself better questions, and being WILLING to be fully authentic with yourself.

Here are some examples to get you started.  If you are at a crossroads, print this off and set aside the time to really go through this in detail, with full authenticity to yourself.  Get a journal or a notebook and start writing your answers to these questions to discover what you really want in life, what is holding you back, and find your own solutions.

How much do you want to be earning?  Don't hold back on this.  How much would you really like to be earning if there were no limits placed on you.  Let's say that number is $100,000 per year, and you are currently earning $45,000 per year.  Ask yourself, if I keep doing this work I have right now, do I ever have a chance of earning my target income?  If the answer is no, ask yourself how committed are you to the target income.  How much will I be earning in 10 yrs, 20 yrs, 25 yrs if I stay where I am?   25 yrs from now, if I am only gaining small increases and end up at $60,000 after 25 yrs of service (if you are not downsized before then) will I regret not making a change?    If you are not satisfied at the lower amount, it is only going to get worse.  Ask yourself what you need to change in order to hit your target income.  Do you need a second income?  Do you need to change careers?  Do you need to upgrade your education?  What is necessary to hit the target income?  How would this change your life?  Why is this important to you?  Are you committed to doing what it takes, or are you going to settle for the rest of your life?  What has been stopping you from taking action?  How are you going to change this?

What's important to you in your ideal career?  So often people never stop to ask themselves this question.  Working isn't just about making money.  You can find work that meets the needs you have inside of you.  For example, do you want work that is meaningful and makes a difference?  Is what you do meaningful to you?  Do you believe in the product or service you are providing now?  Is it making a difference in the lives of people you serve?  Do you feel a sense of satisfaction and pride in your work?  Will you ever be able to in this role?  What type of work would you really like to be doing?  Do you have all the knowledge necessary to do this work?  What do you need to learn?  How important is this to you to make this change?  What is stopping you?  What are you going to do about it?

What's important to you in relationships?  Are you happy in your relationships?  This includes spouses, friends, family, co-workers, etc.  We do not have to spend time with people that we don't resonate with.  We spend a massive part of our lives working...why are you settling and exposing yourself to people that are bringing you down?  Is this how you want to spend this massive part of your life?  Unhappy, stressed and unfulfilled?  Do you realize that if you are a parent, you are actually conditioning your children to believe this is the only choice they have.  They will grow up believing you can't be happy in your work.  Is that what you want for them?  Do you want them to repeat the mistakes you have made?  Why are you settling?  Is the money worth it to experience the stress and unhappiness you are experiencing?  We work about 45 years...are you willing to commit 40 hrs wk (90,000 hours of your life) to something that doesn't fulfill you?  What a waste!  Could you find or create your own work, that would allow you to surround yourself with like minded people?  If work colleagues are stressing you out, go find work where you can surround yourself with like minded people.  If you are stressed at work, you will bring that stress home and take it out on your family...even if you don't realize there is a connection.  That affects your family relationships.  What type of people do you want to be working alongside?  If you are not working with these type of people, it will only get worse.  Where can you find the type of people you want to be working with?  What do you need to do to change this?

Are you happy with your friends?  Do they lift you up or bring you down?  Are they  healthy relationships or destructive?  Do you share the same hobbies and interests, or do you find yourself going in a new direction in what interests you?  If you are not surrounded by the type of friends you truly want, realize there is a world full of people that you haven't even met yet.  What do you need to change in order to put yourself in the company of these type of people?  Where can you go to meet them?  For instance, you may find your friends are very negative, or they are in party mode and you are not.  A new mom for instance, may find priorities changing once the baby is born.  She doesn't want to party all night.  Going to baby related groups, swimming lessons, reading groups, craft lessons, yoga for new moms, etc., will introduce her to other moms with the same interests.  We become friends with people that we have things in common with.

Are you happy with your partner?  As we learn and grow ourselves, we discover what is important to us.  We are either growing and learning together, or we are growing apart.  Do you have open communication about what is important to each of you?  Are you talking about your dreams and goals?  Are you supportive of each other?  Is there something missing?  Could your current work be causing a strain on your relationship?  What can you do to rectify these things?  Is this relationship going to support the life you want to be living?  What do you have to do to support it, or, if change is needed, what are you going to do to change it?

Do you need to change anything in order to achieve your goals?  Don't be afraid of change!  Change is where growth happens.  Instead of thinking about change as something to be feared, think of change as growth.  Changing your perception of a word, can positively change your feelings into a more positive, exciting adventure to take.

What fears are holding you back?  This is the number one thing that holds people back from change.  FEAR is like a terrible four letter word society allows to control their lives.  And we are fed it through media constantly!  But, it isn't real!!!!!  As so many of you have most likely learned, FEAR is False Expectation Appearing Real.

I had a conversation recently with someone that wanted to change their career, which is something I assist people with.  One of the most basic things you would want to have clarity on, is the level of income you want to make when you change careers.  This individual had no idea.  We spoke about it for a few minutes and they threw out a number, yet when we spoke about that further, they changed the number to a higher amount.  I asked them why that wasn't the first number they gave?  The answer was, they were afraid it wasn't possible.  POSSIBLE has nothing to do with it!  If you don't get REAL with yourself, you keep these dreams buried deep inside and will never achieve them.  You MUST have clarity on what you want, if you ever expect to find what you are looking for.  For instance, if you are earning $30,000 per yr., and are not satisfied with this, and would ideally like to be earning $100,000 per yr., you cannot state you would be "happy" with $50,000 per yr.  Although $50,000 would be an improvement,  if deep down inside you want to be earning $100,000, you will still be dissatisfied with $50,000, and will still find yourself searching, and will not see the opportunities around you to actually earn $100,000.  You will slow down your progress because you are afraid to get real with yourself on what you really want.  Stop selling yourself short, in your career, and in your life.  Go after what you truly want, get authentic with yourself and stop settling.

Writing in a journal is a powerful way to gain clarity.  The key is to really be authentic with yourself.  I remember when I was new to journalling, I was writing what I thought would be the "right" answers, and was not writing about what was really in my heart.  This does not allow us to have the breakthroughs that come from journalling.  The power is in the raw authentic conversation you have with yourself.  Take this opportunity to set time aside to go through all of these questions, and journal about your authentic, heartfelt answers.  You have within you what it takes....you just have to uncover it, and make powerful decisions and actions that support it.  

Debbie Ruston has been an entrepreneur and trainer since 1986. She works with individuals, and groups interested in developing their entrepreneurial leadership mindset. Was this article of value to you? Feel free to share it on your social networks and with your contacts, join in the discussion below, and FOLLOW her on the top right corner of this page.
Debbie's also on:
FB
Twitter
YouTube
Pinterest
G+https://plus.google.com/+DebbieRuston-TheSuccessEducatorAnd now on iTunes

As posted on LI:  https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-do-you-gain-clarity-what-want-your-life-debbie-ruston?published=t

A visionary leader sees something that others can't.  Often as people are sharing their vision with others, it is shot down because they can't see what the visionary can see.  There is always a strong opinion of who is right and who is wrong, and there is only one way to look at everything.  It is so fascinating to understand perspective, both from your own and others.  I have had several very powerful examples that demonstrate and remind me that there is more than one way to look at things, and don't allow yourself to get sidetracked or discouraged by what others can't see, and, when others CAN see something you can't, be open to see their perspective.

My husband and I were driving in the evening during a rain storm recently, he was driving.  He had the wipers on the delay setting.  I was having such a hard time seeing....everything was such a blur from the rain.  I kept suggesting he turn the wipers onto a higher speed so we could see better.  He kept insisting he could see fine.  About an hour into the ride, after nagging him about the ability to see clearly,  I actually looked through his side of the glass. It was perfectly clear, and mine had sort of a film across it.  It was the same piece of glass, and we were sitting about a foot apart.  We were both experiencing a totally different view, looking out the same window, seeing two different things.

Another time we were on a houseboat.  I saw some boats come into the little cove we were stopped at.  My husband insisted there were no other boats there.  I could clearly see the other boats, and he couldn't.  Again we were standing about a foot apart.  As it turned out, what I saw was a reflection from the water onto the window, and the boats were actually behind us, not in front as it appeared.  From where he was standing, the reflection was not showing.

Who was right and who was wrong?  Well from each of our perspectives we were both right.  It is a reminder that there is always more than one perspective to take into consideration.  When my husband was driving through the rain, it was important for him to hold his vision of what he could see with his eyes...and not be swayed by  what I could see from my perspective.  He could see it with his eyes, however, sometimes it is the vision in our minds that we have to clearly see and hold on to.  

When you are looking to create something that you can see as a visionary leader, understand it is part of the process to receive "well meaning" advice from people around you that believe what they see or believe is correct.  Your vision of what is possible may not be within their perspective yet, and they will attempt to change your mind or discourage you, instilling their perspective on you.  It's important as a visionary leader to consider other's perspectives, but at the same time,understand that the vision you can see may not be within the vision of those around you.....yet.  Your job is to see your vision through without being discouraged or giving up on the vision you have.

Debbie Ruston has been an entrepreneur and trainer since 1986. She works with individuals, and groups interested in developing their entrepreneurial leadership mindset. Was this article of value to you? Feel free to share it on your social networks and with your contacts, join in the discussion below, and FOLLOW her on the top right corner of this page.
​
Debbie's also on:
FB
Twitter
YouTube
Pinterest
G+https://plus.google.com/+DebbieRuston-TheSuccessEducatorAnd now on iTunes

As published on LI:  https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/perspective-how-propels-visionary-leadership-debbie-ruston

What is the difference in creating a powerful, growth oriented organization and one where disengagement is the norm?  Let me ask you a few questions to put you in the employee’s shoes.


When you were an employee, did you ever:

• Have a boss that you were afraid of or intimidated by?
• Leave a job because of an ego driven manager?
• Feel frustrated and feel you were not valued?
• Feel like you were just a number or cog in the wheel?
• Have a boss threaten you with fear based tactics?
• Feel you didn’t have any control?
• Feel the morale was low?
• Feel the employees were resisting change?
• Feel physically sick going into work?
• Have work stress you out at home and affect your family relationships?

All of these things lead to disengagement in the workplace.  Yet, many companies are still using old management styles of control and fear.  As we see the boomer generation starting to retire, and millennials starting to be a larger part of the employee demographic, it is important to recognize the difference of leading vs managing.

Are you instilling fear? Fear does not motivate. Fear does not gain respect or engagement. Treat your employees with respect and teach them. Successful people reach down the ladder and help others live into their potential.

Value and Flexibility  
Today’s workers want to feel valued. They want to learn, grow and be a part of something meaningful. They want to collaborate, create, have independence, flexible work schedules, and contribute. Let’s look at some solutions to go from managing to leading.

Today’s employees are more educated than ever. They are tech savvy, have ideas, and education to back their ideas. They want to be involved and have new ideas that can benefit the company that older workers may not be aware of. Encourage open dialogue and be open to what they bring to the table.

Is it possible for your staff to perform their work duties from home? Give them the opportunity to do that whenever possible. Obviously, they need to be able to prove they are capable of the discipline it takes. However, employees today place a very high value on being able to work from home around their family, and with all the technology that is available, it is more do-able today than ever.

Create a Vision
Don’t get stuck in “managing” and force people to sit in the office where you can see them to make sure they are doing their work. These are educated adults, not children.
Remember that actions speak louder than words. It is not enough to talk from theory.  True leaders create a vision and walk the walk. It is not beneath a true leader to pitch in and do something that is not in their job role. A leader is the example that others can follow.  A leader gains respect, trust, credibility, and loyalty from their employees.

Is morale low?  Get to the underlying reason and address that.  Perhaps there has been downsizing and employees are down because they are afraid they are next. Keep an open dialogue and let them know the plans for the future and how it involves them.

Get to know your employees – their names, their family, and so forth.  Let them know you care about them. It doesn’t take much to ask how their weekend was as you start the week, or ask if they have any exciting plans for the weekend. If they were off work with a sick child, ask how the child is when they return. Ask them how their holidays went. These don’t have to be long conversations. Simple questions such as, “How was your weekend?”, “How was your holiday?”, or “Is your little one feeling better?”. These types of conversation starters can go a long way to create an environment where employees feel like they are cared about, and not just another cog in the wheel for management.

Innovation and Being Open  
People resist change when they feel threatened. They are often afraid of what change will bring.  You cannot “force” change.  A better approach is to share new innovative ideas and create the excitement and reason for change.  You want your workforce embracing the change because they are excited about what it will do.

When people feel they have no control, they become unhappy, stressed, confrontational,  and disengaged. Keep an open door policy where suggestions and ideas are welcomed. The more employees feel like they are a part of the company, the more they will engage and feel comfortable in sharing their ideas. Keep in mind that some of the best ideas could be lying within the employee that doesn’t say much.

Learn and Grow
Employees today want to learn and grow. They are not satisfied to stay in the same position. Typically, every 2-3 years they are ready to move up, or move out. If you don’t recognize this, you will continue to have high staff turnover.

If you don’t have a position for them to move up into, it is a good investment to keep helping them learn and grow. Invest in training and support them in bettering themselves. Down the road, you will have a more educated workforce than you do today, and that opens the door to new possibilities for your organization.

For example, if you have a graphic designer that wants to take a copywriting course, then support them. You may not have a copywriting position for them right now, but it would be in your favor to have someone that can take on some copywriting work for a raise in pay, rather than hiring a separate person for that position. If you do have someone in that position, then it’s always good to have another person that can overlap those responsibilities. The other benefit is it will add strength to the original role they are performing.

There is no place in today’s work world for ego.  This is an outdated management style. Leave your ego at the door, or better yet, get rid of it all together!  Work together, lead through your own example, teach from what you know, support employees’ growth and encourage them to be all they can be.

In today’s workplace, the most successful organizations understand this, and lead their teams to greatness. This results in higher engagement, higher profits, a happier workplace, and a loyal workforce.
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How Do You Use Leadership vs Management?If you have ideas that you feel like sharing that might be helpful to readers, share them in the comments section below. Thanks!

As published on:  http://aboutleaders.com/leadership-vs-management/#gs.BZDo560_

What is the difference in creating a powerful, growth oriented organization and one where disengagement is the norm?  Let me ask you a few questions to put you in the employee’s shoes.


When you were an employee, did you ever:

• Have a boss that you were afraid of or intimidated by?
• Leave a job because of an ego driven manager?
• Feel frustrated and feel you were not valued?
• Feel like you were just a number or cog in the wheel?
• Have a boss threaten you with fear based tactics?
• Feel you didn’t have any control?
• Feel the morale was low?
• Feel the employees were resisting change?
• Feel physically sick going into work?
• Have work stress you out at home and affect your family relationships?

All of these things lead to disengagement in the workplace.  Yet, many companies are still using oldmanagement styles of control and fear.  As we see the boomer generation starting to retire, and millennials starting to be a larger part of the employee demographic, it is important to recognize the difference of leading vs managing.
Are you instilling fear? Fear does not motivate. Fear does not gain respect or engagement. Treat your employees with respect and teach them. Successful people reach down the ladder and help others live into their potential.
Value and FlexibilityToday’s workers want to feel valued. They want to learn, grow and be a part of something meaningful. They want to collaborate, create, have independence, flexible work schedules, and contribute. Let’s look at some solutions to go from managing to leading.
Today’s employees are more educated than ever. They are tech savvy, have ideas, and education to back their ideas. They want to be involved and have new ideas that can benefit the company that older workers may not be aware of. Encourage open dialogue and be open to what they bring to the table.


Is it possible for your staff to perform their work duties from home? Give them the opportunity to do that whenever possible. Obviously, they need to be able to prove they are capable of the discipline it takes. However, employees today place a very high value on being able to work from home around their family, and with all the technology that is available, it is more do-able today than ever.
Create a VisionDon’t get stuck in “managing” and force people to sit in the office where you can see them to make sure they are doing their work. These are educated adults, not children.
Remember that actions speak louder than words. It is not enough to talk from theory.  True leaders create a vision and walk the walk. It is not beneath a true leader to pitch in and do something that is not in their job role. A leader is the example that others can follow.  A leader gains respect, trust, credibility, and loyalty from their employees.
Is morale low?  Get to the underlying reason and address that.  Perhaps there has been downsizing and employees are down because they are afraid they are next. Keep an open dialogue and let them know the plans for the future and how it involves them.


Get to know your employees – their names, their family, and so forth.  Let them know you care about them. It doesn’t take much to ask how their weekend was as you start the week, or ask if they have any exciting plans for the weekend. If they were off work with a sick child, ask how the child is when they return. Ask them how their holidays wen.
These don’t have to be long conversations. Simple questions such as, “How was your weekend?”, “How was your holiday?”, or “Is your little one feeling better?”. These types of conversation starters can go a long way to create an environment where employees feel like they are cared about, and not just another cog in the wheel for management.
Innovation and Being OpenPeople resist change when they feel threatened. They are often afraid of what change will bring.  You cannot “force” change.  A better approach is to share new innovative ideas and create the excitement and reason for change.  You want your workforce embracing the change because they are excited about what it will do.
When people feel they have no control, they become unhappy, stressed, confrontational,  and disengaged. Keep an open door policy where suggestions and ideas are welcomed. The more employees feel like they are a part of the company, the more they will engage and feel comfortable in sharing their ideas. Keep in mind that some of the best ideas could be lying within the employee that doesn’t say much.
Learn and GrowEmployees today want to learn and grow. They are not satisfied to stay in the same position. Typically, every 2-3 years they are ready to move up, or move out. If you don’t recognize this, you will continue to have high staff turnover.
If you don’t have a position for them to move up into, it is a good investment to keep helping them learn and grow. Invest in training and support them in bettering themselves. Down the road, you will have a more educated workforce than you do today, and that opens the door to new possibilities for your organization.


For example, if you have a graphic designer that wants to take a copywriting course, then support them. You may not have a copywriting position for them right now, but it would be in your favor to have someone that can take on some copywriting work for a raise in pay, rather than hiring a separate person for that position. If you do have someone in that position, then it’s always good to have another person that can overlap those responsibilities. The other benefit is it will add strength to the original role they are performing.
There is no place in today’s work world for ego.  This is an outdated management style. Leave your ego at the door, or better yet, get rid of it all together!  Work together, lead through your own example, teach from what you know, support employees’ growth and encourage them to be all they can be.
In today’s workplace, the most successful organizations understand this, and lead their teams to greatness. This results in higher engagement, higher profits, a happier workplace, and a loyal workforce.

As published on:  http://aboutleaders.com/leadership-vs-management/#gs.PtLGJk0_

LOT’S OF PEOPLE THINK about starting a business. Few act on it. Those that do, have some distinct mindset differences that allow them to move forward.

An idea – A new business can blossom from the simplest idea. It is some of the simplest ideas that allow the average person to get started in a solo business, without the massive investments of options like franchising or big tech companies.

Enthusiasm – Entrepreneurs with enthusiasm accelerate their results and attract what they require to get things moving and producing. Enthusiasm also allows the creative part of the mind to kick in with new ideas!

Put a plan together – So often when the idea is born, the new entrepreneur has no idea HOW they are going to pull everything together. However, successful entrepreneurs just keep taking the next step they know to take, understanding they don’t need all the answers to get started. It is through taking the next step that the next step after that is often revealed. If one doesn’t take that first step, they never find the many steps that will follow because it is based on taking the first step with enthusiasm and belief. It’s vital to understand you don’t need to have all the answers to get started. Take the first step you can take, and then keep taking each new step as it is revealed to you.

Take Action – Successful entrepreneurs understand the importance of taking action. Nothing happens if the idea simply stays in your head. If you don’t take action, you are just dreaming and wasting the potential you have within you.

Don’t let obstacles get in the way – Be solution oriented – Success is not created without obstacles….it is simply part of the PROCESS towards success. Successful entrepreneurs are solution oriented and find a way where there appears to be no way. The desire has to be stronger than the obstacle. This is a powerful technique – pushing through and treating obstacles with this level of thinking and commitment removes the block that stops you. There is a solution to everything.

Fear – Fear is something we all feel. Successful entrepreneurs have all the same fears. The difference is, successful entrepreneurs have learned to take action despite those fears, knowing this is how you learn and grow. The absence of fear is NOT a requirement to take action.

Embrace Risk – Risk is part of being a business owner. However, it is all in how you view risk. So many people never take action on their dreams and miss out on opportunities of independence and stay stuck working in jobs they hate. Money is the biggest thing people are afraid to risk, along with what they perceive as “job security”. It’s common to be afraid of risking millions of dollars to start a business. It is unbelievable to miss an opportunity for the independence of being a business owner because of an investment of under $10,000! But people avoid the risk of spending $2,000, $5,000, $10,000 to start small businesses. People that “say” they want to be self employed and never take the risk, usually spend more than this on electronics, cars, trips, etc. If this is you, you don’t want self employment bad enough. Stop complaining unless you are willing to start betting on yourself. Risk is also simply part of the process, and understand these small amounts are not going to break you.

There is actually something else that happens within the “mind”. When you are willing to put some capital behind your idea, you are opening up a new world of possibilities for yourself, and you are performing an action that demonstrates to your subconscious mind that you believe in yourself and your decision. Even though you may feel some fear around this, this action builds confidence and will push you to take further actions for success because you actually have some “game” in it. If you have nothing to lose, it will not be as important to you.

Believe in themselves – Very often the belief is only within you. When you study successful entrepreneurs, you learn how many were turned down by many, but it didn’t affect the belief they had in their idea. When you know you have a great idea that can make a difference to people, forge forward and take a stand for what you want to bring to the world.

Don’t look back – There is no plan B. Forging ahead expecting it to work is the mindset successful entrepreneurs have, and do not allow themselves to just “try”. As Yoda said “Do or do not….there is no try” Decide what you want, take the necessary actions, and be willing to do that for as long as it takes to get the result you want. Do not make the mistake of “giving it 6 months, or a year, or two years”. Change that thinking to UNTIL. That ONE word will make the world of difference.

MINDSET is what separates success from mediocrity…..contact me if you want to put yourself on the path to create this mindset of success and transform your results.

As featured on:  http://bizcatalyst360.com/how-do-successful-entrepreneurs-get-started/

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The stats in this survey indicate the importance of providing leadership training for the millennial workforce.  Unlike older generations, these highly educated and ambitious employees are not going to sit around waiting for what they want in a career. If it is not being provided, they are not afraid to move on and find what they are looking for.

The stat of 40% is bad enough, however, according to this survey, this stat is going up to 64% by 2020.  I would suggest this is not just Filipino millennials.  Leadership training is important globally to this demographic.  Companies that do not provide ongoing learning and development for their employees are going to be left behind.

Learn how we can assist you with developing strong leadership in your organization - http://www.thesuccesseducator.info/