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Showing posts from November, 2020

Are you committed? 2 questions to find out.

  Today's tip comes from an article in the Harvard Business Review. Peter Bregman's son was a downhill skier. His son complained that he always seemed to finish up solidly in the middle of the pack. Mr. Bregman was an executive and leadership coach. He coached skiing on the weekends and had been a ski racer himself at his son's age. He didn't give him any advice right  then and there. We've all been there. At that moment, when we haven't achieved what we thought we could, what we really need is a hug and to know that someone loves us! Later though, after the disappointment had worn off. Mr. Bregman talked to his son and asked him how he felt about the race. " I never get in the top 10. ", he complained. Mr. Bregman then asked his son two questions. Two questions that can help YOU decide if you want to get better at something. Do you want to do better? Are you willing to feel the discomfort of putting in more effort, and trying new things that will feel

Who are we leading FOR?

  I do a lot of reading on leadership, management, and motivation (and HIGHLY encourage you to do the same). The current book I'm reading is Simon Sinek's "Leaders Eat Last". This week's tip comes from this book. Remember the ancient Spartans? (From the movie, "The 300", about the Battle of Thermopylae?) The Spartans were the special forces of their day. If a Spartan soldier lost his shield he would be severely punished. He could lose his helmet or breastplate and no one cared. But lose that shield and he would be stripped of his Spartan citizenship. Why? The reason is that the Spartans viewed the helmet and breastplate as providing personal protection. The shield? The shield was viewed as protection for the entire line. Remember the scenes in the movie where they locked their shields together to form the phalanx? Lose one shield and now there's a weak link in the line. If you were able to ask a Spartan soldier why they fought, I doubt they'd tel

Use the "5 More Rule" when you're stuck

  It's easy to be overwhelmed when you're in charge. The buck stops with you. Everyone wants to ask you what to do. You have a report that's due at work and your spouse and children all want your attention. Instead of giving up, just tell yourself this: "Just 5 more." Maybe it's 5 more minutes. Maybe it's 5 more pages of the chapter you have to read before tomorrow's test. Maybe it's 5 more emails before you shut down for the evening. Whatever it is - 5 more of it doesn't sound impossible. 1 or 2 more? Too easy. 10 more? Too depressing. 5 more seems to hit the sweet spot. It pushes you just a l-i-t-t-l-e bit beyond your point of frustration and helps you build mental concentration. So, this week, when you want to stop exercising, try 5 more minutes. If you get depressed by the thought of cleaning out the refrigerator, clean out just 5 more items. Once you get going, you'll probably find your second "wind" and keep going but - shhh

Persistence

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  Even the smallest of forces can cause monumental changes. If you don't think so, consider this: If your task looks impossible, just remember the water dripping on the stone and keep at it. If your club hasn't been Distinguished in years, earn an education award yourself. Then persuade another member to earn one, then another. Bring a guest yourself. Then encourage others to bring a friend, family member, or co-worker. Keep at it. If you're an Area Director and all of your clubs are struggling. Hold Area council meetings and talk about what the Distinguished Club Program (DCP) means for the individual members. Hold a contest for clubs achieving DCP goals. Stay in contact with your clubs and let them know you're there for them. Keep at it. And even if what you're trying to change never changes - you do. You become stronger and more resilient!