The here and now

In these challenging times, it can feel like things are out of your control. We might wonder what we as individuals can do about the economic cycle or decisions made by organizations bigger than we are. But the truth is that we are always in charge of one thing and that is ourselves. Even in difficult times, there is hope within us.

One woman’s story

I once coached a woman who was in a period of intense transition. She’d been let go from a position she loved. It was unexpected and the sudden change was overwhelming. It’s natural to feel a loss when we suffer disappointments like losing a job. But if we linger in the disappointment, it can lead us away from our goals.

When she came to me for coaching, this woman had already been sending out job applications and she was disappointed in the results. Our first step together was to rebuild her self-esteem. Together, we reviewed her skills and personality traits, and began fostering her ability to lead...

The consequences of negativity

We’ve all seen what happens if we are negative. Our thinking narrows, making us more and more fearful. We experience stress and all of the medical conditions that can result.
Think about a time when you were experiencing high stress. Did you find it hard to concentrate? How did that negative state of mind affect your productivity?

The power of positivity

Most of us prefer to be positive. After all, it feels good to be happy, and we all like to be near those who are light-hearted. But did you know that the impact of being positive goes way beyond mood?

According to Barbara Fredrickson at the University of Michigan, people who think positively see more possibilities and it doesn’t end there. Because they see more possibilities, they have an enhanced ability to build new skills and develop resources they can use later in life. You can read about it for yourself in “The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions” paper".

Being...

A dream is like a lighthouse

When it comes to achieving our life’s dream, we must stay afloat through all kinds of weather. Some days are bright and sunny. Other days are so foggy we can’t see what is right in front of us. That is why we need a lighthouse on a tall cliff shining the brightest of all beacons.

This beacon is what Napoleon Hill calls definiteness of purpose. Like the beacon from a lighthouse, our definiteness of purpose is singular and consistent. It can also be a life-saver. In difficult times, we continue towards a fulfilling life if we remain clear about our definiteness of purpose.

Having definiteness of purpose

Finding a definiteness of purpose starts by erasing all of the what-ifs from your mind. Forget about challenges and obstacles. If you know where you want to go, you will navigate the rocks and the bad weather. Ask yourself what you most want from life. If you were only allowed a single wish, what would that wish be? As you begin a new year, this...

A hiker in the woods

A hiker came upon someone in the woods working feverishly to saw down a tree. “What are you doing?” asked the hiker.

“Can’t you see?” replied the man working in the woods. “I’m sawing down this tree.”

“You look tired! How long have you been at it?”

“Over five hours … and I am exhausted! This is hard work.”

“Why don’t you take a break for a few minutes and sharpen your saw? I’m sure the job will go faster with a sharp saw.”

“I don’t have time to sharpen the saw,” the man declared. “I’m too busy sawing!”

How sharp is your saw?

Have you ever behaved like the person with the saw? It's easy to become so involved in “doing” that you don't take the time to sharpen your saw.

This time of year is particularly busy. You may already be seeing the signs: bright lights on the outside of houses, glossed-over eyes on the people...

The Power of Thinking

As John Maxwell reminds us in “No Limits”, success has as much to do with thinking as it does with acting. We are all given opportunities and challenges. We all face difficult choices or moments when we aren’t sure what to do next.

That’s why we need to develop our thinking capacity. It’s not enough to come up with ideas, we need to deepen those ideas. We need to become what John Maxwell calls an “idea digger”. It doesn’t happen with one shovel full of dirt. We need to keep going deeper into the ground. This kind of thinking takes real muscle and it’s worth every bit of the effort.

For over 18 months, the UpCloseTeam has been working in Fort McMurray, helping local businesses revitalize. As much as doing, this has involved a lot of thinking. We’ve put John Maxwell’s ideas on how to become an idea digger to the full test. The results have been good for the whole community.

Five Steps for Deepening...

Prioritizing takes careful thinking and thinking takes time. When our schedule becomes loaded with deadlines, it’s natural to want to keep chugging along. But if we don’t stop to ask ourselves whether we’re focusing on the right things, we may not be serving our organization or ourselves.

We can become so focused on catching up with our workload, we can forget the starting point for every single day. Stephen Covey said, “The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”

Scheduling priorities is on ongoing activity that takes effort and focus. Here are seven proven tips to help keep you on track:

1. Go over your priorities at the start of each day. Strong leaders understand how important this is. That’s what keeps them both focused and calm. Before they do anything else, they turn their attention to what is most important and they carry that confidence throughout the day.

2. Concentrate on things only you...

The Importance of Trust

John C. Maxwell writes about trust in “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership”. He calls it the Law of Solid Ground and it’s an apt metaphor because trust is the foundation of leadership. Without trust, we have nothing to stand on.
Yet we tend to take trust for granted, or view it as a mysterious force beyond our control. Stephen Covey challenges that way of thinking. He says, “Contrary to what most people believe, trust is not some soft, illusive quality that you either have or you don’t; rather, trust is a pragmatic, tangible, actional asset that you can create.”

We don’t trust leaders because of their job title or the power they have over our lives. We trust leaders because of the strength of their character.

Why Character Matters

Every professional knows they must continually keep their technical skills fresh. But do we know that we must also keep our character strong? Strength of character can change the world.

One...

Empowerment begins within

We all know how important it is to empower the people in our organization. As leaders, it’s our job to recognize areas of strength and foster the growth of others. This increases productivity and job satisfaction. It helps sustain work environments that are positive for everyone.

But what does being an empowering leader mean from the other side of the equation? What do empowering leaders need to do for themselves? It’s a fresh perspective worth a closer look. Don’t be surprised if you meet resistance. Casting a fresh eye on what you need to do for yourself could mean letting go of long-held assumptions about positions of control.

Challenges to empowerment

Seventy-five-year-old John Timpson has been empowering the people who work for him for decades. He’s chairman and owner of Timpson, a successful shoe repair chain with more than a thousand shops in the United Kingdom.

He follows a philosophy called upside-down management. Take a...

The Law of Respect

People naturally follow leaders stronger themselves. Great things are accomplished because of that. John Maxwell calls this The Law of Respect and it’s a powerful force. It doesn’t rely on age, experience or resources. All it takes is a great leader who is willing to speak up.

Ryan’s Story

Canadian hero, Ryan Hreljac, was six years old when he began to inspire the respect of a leader. In school, he’d learned about how difficult it was for many people in Africa to access clean water, and he wanted to help. His parents paid him for doing household chores and he diligently saved the money, but it wasn’t enough. Since he’s a leader, he didn’t stop there. He began reaching out to clubs and schools and anyone who would listen. Because he was sincere and inspired confidence, he gained respect. People wanted to help. Within a year he raised $2000 and the money was used to drill his first water well in Uganda.

After that initial...

Each of us starts the day with a valuable resource within ourselves. We're so used to relying on it, we hardly recognize it's there. But when that resource dwindles, we can be brought to a complete halt. The resource I'm talking about is energy, but it's more fun to call it gusto.

It can happen at the peak of success, when you're going all out and enjoying the passion of the moment. It can also happen when you're in a period of transition and redefining your life goals. It can even happen during routine moments of ordinary life.

Managing your Energy

We all know what it feels like to run out of gusto. Everyone has those days some of the time. We have to push harder to get things done and our capacity for handling challenges is not as strong. It's not that we don't know how, but our energy levels are low.

John C. Maxwell recognizes this challenge and he knows how important it is. Like he says, "it's more important to manage your energy than to manage your time." In his book, "No...