I am not a golfer, unless you count an occasional game of putt-putt. I’m not even a fan of the game. But I am a fan of excellence, and so the following quotes by golfing great Tiger Woods recently caught my attention:

“I smile at obstacles.”

“My will can move mountains.”

“I will do it with all my heart.”

This is a great approach to solving problems and facing challenges in life.

“I smile at obstacles.”

What a novel approach. Most of the time, we cringe, avoid and complain instead. Unfortunately, none of that solves a problem. Often, problems just get worse.

Smiling at obstacles means we know that we’re bigger than the problems facing us, because we know we will learn and become stronger and wiser through solving them.

Instead of complaining about challenges, we can see them as gifts. Most every problem or challenge comes with a gift in its hands. The gift is what we will learn through solving the problems and facing the challenges.

Several years ago I worked in a drug rehab program for teenagers. Late one evening, as I talked with one of the staff about the crises of the day, I said “You know what, whatever we do in the rest of our careers will have to be easier than this.” Scott’s response was, “Either that, or this is just preparing us for what’s next.”

Scott was right. Problems and challenges can either define you or refine you. When you embrace the situation in front of you, you are refined like gold.

“My will can move mountains”

This does not mean that our will is the be all and end all of any given situation, or that our will can get us anything we want. Frankly, if humans are the be all and end all, we are all in big trouble. What this quote means, I believe, is that when we focus our energy on the problems before us, they are in trouble. The ability to understand where you are, look at where you exactly want to go, create a plan to get there, and then work the plan for all you are worth brings incredible rewards.

Focused action can move the mountains in front of you. But too many times we are like the frog in this riddle: “Three frogs were sitting in a pond on a lily pad when one decided to jump off. How many frogs were left?” Most people say two. The correct answer is three, because while the frog may have decided to jump, he did not jump off.

While it’s important to decide to do something, focused action is the only way to get the results you want.

“I will do it with all my heart”

I believe most people sleepwalk through life. Just stand outside a large office building on a Monday morning. You’ll see people in trances, sleepwalking through their day.

Yet when we bring all our heart to any activity, we come alive and actually have the opportunity to live the way we say we want to.

All of us know folks who brings their whole heart to what they do. Don’t you love being around them?

Why not be one of those people yourself?

When we bring our whole heart to a problem or challenge, it is easier to solve, and we just might have fun along the way.

There is a saying that there is a time in the life of every problem or challenge when it is big enough to notice, and small enough to solve easily.

When you bring these three skills to the table, you will notice problems early, solve them easily and grow more than you ever thought you would.

Visit SecretsofGreatRelationships.com for tips and tools for creating and growing a great relationship. You can also subscribe to our f*r*e*e 10 day e-program on how to enrich your relationship today, from relationship coach and expert Jeff Herring.

What is the last leadership opportunity that you passed up?

When I posed this question to a group of employees who had been singled out for their leadership potential:

• 50% named the title/position they failed to apply for or had not been offered.
• 10%
  said they hadn’t been offered an internal position but had passed up a
  leadership position in an outside organization or a chance to lead
  their extracurricular sports.
• 40% said that they hadn’t been offered any leadership position and therefore had passed up no opportunities.

I was certain that every one of them had missed a prime leadership
opportunity that they were not even aware of. Ask yourself if your
department, team or organization is the best that it can possibly be? Are you giving your best to make the situation better?

If there is one project in your department that is delayed, if your group is challenged to do more work with less budget, or if you have yet to exhaust all of your talent to move the group forward—you have passed up a powerful opportunity to step out in front and establish yourself as a leader. Leadership is not about the title you have but the decisions you make and the actions you take.

Don’t wait for extraordinary opportunities seize common occasions and make them great. —Orison Swett Marden

Becoming
a leader is about developing a reputation for producing value-added
results. It’s taking a position when a project is off track. Leaders
don’t wait for permission of position. They look for the
possibilities and suggest what can be done rather than why something
can’t be done. Look for what you can do to impact a situation versus
why you can’t be the one to do it. When you have ability to influence
your environment and the people around you toward positive result you
have the leadership factor.

The leadership factor is a
measured combination of vision, determination, skills, actions and
results. It is a conscious decision to step up to the plate and do what
needs to be done in a time of uncertainty or chaos. Here are ten steps
to help you plot your course, engage others along the way and keep
focused on the end result.

1. Look for leadership opportunities.

   Leadership opportunities are present whenever there are unresolved
   business problems or issues. Within your organization, department,
   workgroup, or team identify an opportunity or issue that needs to be
   solved. Think about the questions that continue to come up but no one
   has found an answer for. Consider the feedback that you get from
   internal or external customers about what they need or would like more
   of. If your organization is like most you shouldn’t have to look
   far—more unresolved problems equals more chances for you to step
   forward as a leader.

Hot Tip! Principle Centered Leadership: This should be the most important quality on our list of priorities. Without this, a company will eventually collapse.
2. Find the GAP and build a bridge.

   There is an old proverb that says a leader must be a bridge. The person
   who emerges as the leader of the group is the one who is adapt at
   seeing the option between the two seemingly opposite positions. To
   raise your visibility and develop a reputation of leadership look for
   the two unconnected shores that you can bridge. A bridge might be
   between the old way and the new way, the past and the future, the
   majority group and the minority group, between company policy and
   customer needs, between what is available and what is needed. Lead by
   finding the critical link between today’s challenge and tomorrow’s
   opportunity.

3. Do your homework.

   Examine the problem from all sides. Ask a series of “why” questions.
   Why is this happening? Why have we not been able to solve this before
   now? Why is it important to solve this issue? Why have previous
   attempts failed? Why are other departments resisting the changes?
   Asking “why?” without judging the answers helps you develop a deeper
   understanding of the situation. When you can see the problem from many
   angles and as viewed through different eyes you gain the wisdom of
   multiple perspectives.

Hot Tip! Similarly it may only be seen to be necessary to train the top people in leadership, when in fact this needs to happen at team, operational and strategic levels too. Succession planning demands that tomorrow’s leaders are identified and developed from the present day.
4. Clarify the GOAL.

   It’s the goal. It’s the goal. It’s the goal. Determine what your group
   needs more of. Communicate clearly how tackling this issue will help
   the group recoup lost time, maximize limited resources, reduce costs,
   speed up processes and/or improve return on investment. You will gain
   the attention of those around you when you can effectively tell them
   what they will gain for their efforts. You will benefit by tying your
   work directly to the improved results.

5. Develop a list of viable options.

   Excellence is said to come from having many options. Once you have
   others focused on the goal, ask for their input on how it might be
   achieved. As a leader you don’t need to have all of the answers. You do
   have to set the direction, suggest paths for getting there and
   stimulate the thinking of others in development of creative solutions.
   It is important that you continually test any proposed suggestions
   against the desired result. Ask yourself and others, “Will this help us
   reach the goal?”

Hot Tip! Make decisions in a solid and timely fashion. An effective leadership seminar will deal with problem solving and how to make and take decisions.
6. Select the best option(s).
   Given enough money, people, time and resources almost any problem can
   be resolved. Leadership is about determining how the goals will be
   reached within the time allowed, the budget given and the available
   physical and human resources. As a leader look for ways to leverage
   what you have readily available. The best option is the one that gets
   you to the goal with the least overall costs.
7. Identify roles and tasks.

   As a leader of the effort you may not have the authority to assign
   specific people but you will have to clearly define roles required. Too
   often we assign tasks simply out of habit and not because they are
   necessary for goal achievement. Constantly check the progress and don’t
   be afraid to throw out any unnecessary tasks. There should be NO tasks
   on your project list that you can not show are absolutely required to
   reach the end goal.

Hot Tip! Establish a Plan of Action for Leadership Development. Once you have decided to move forward with leadership development, you need a plan.
8. Track and report your success.

   Report what you and/or your team accomplished. Quantify the results as
   much as you can. If your goal was to increase productivity by 25% and
   you only gained a 15% increase, report it! Make sure to link your
   results to the organizational goals. While you may not have hit your
   25% target 15% may still represent a considerable savings or gain to
   the company.

How To Develop Leadership Qualities. You Can Learn How To Develop Leadership Qualities In All Areas Of Your Life Today.
9. Report your learnings.
   As important as it is to report your success you must also report what
   you learned from the process. Focus on what you learned personally.
   Consider what you learned about the business, your customers, teaming,
   and your own decision making ability. Ask for feedback. Include group
   learnings. Leave a record of the pro’s and con’s for others who may
   face the same challenges.
Hot Tip! Develop a Culture of Leadership. Call your leadership development group something like ‘Emerging Leaders.
10. Look for the next opportunity.

    Don’t take too long celebrating your last win. For as good as things
    seem success is a moving target. Keep your eyes and ears open, your
    next opportunity may be right around the corner.

Valarie is CEO of Think 6 Results — a knowledge broker passionate about learning and improving performance in organizations. She’s a writer, presenter, and executive coach on a mission to get every employee and organization focused on and thinking about the SIX business driving goals that matter.

Hot Tip! The Directive Style. The directive leadership style is the style most people equate with “strong” leadership.

We want you to share this article with others. Feel free to copy this article when you include the copyright and contact information listed below.

Contact Valarie at washington@think6results.com or by calling 630-705-1189. Visit us at http://www.Think6Results.com.

Sphere: Related Content

Much has been written about writing down goals and regularly reviewing and updating them as a major party of self improvement and success. Likewise, it is considered that a plan for the achievement of any goal, and breaking major goals into manageable steps are essential. If you are thinking of stating a new business or any major undertaking, thorough research is certainly required. It is also unlikely that any new businesses will get far without a well written and researched business plan, and the chances of raising money from a bank without one are probably zero.

However, it is possible to spend too much time in preparation, writing and rewriting, researching and exploring, or waiting for everything to be just right. This can even be a form of procrastination, or perhaps a fear of taking the first steps. One thing that you can rely on - conditions will never be just right!!

There’s great deal of invaluable self improvement advice available to help with all the steps necessary for achievement and success. But you can be certain that little will ever be achieved without action - sustained, determined and committed action. Many highly successful people and companies started out with little in the way of written plans, and almost certainly without having just the right conditions in place. But one thing you can be sure of - they took action, and probably massive action, in the direction of their clearly held visions.

Self Improvement Quote of the Day:

“You will never stub your toe by standing still, but the faster you go, the more chance you have of getting somewhere!” - Charles Kettering

Garry Zancanaro is the founder of Self Improvement Directory, a website dedicated to Self Improvement and Personal Development, and to helping people live more successful and fulfilling lives by providing a directory of the highest quality Self Growth resources available. Includes many FREE eBooks and much more. Visit http://www.selfimprovementdirectory.com/index.html

Life is a series of choices. Decisions control your life. Thoughts are major factors in success or failure. You must take stock of your thoughts and make attitude adjustments when necessary to change to the appropriate mood. You have permission to publish this
article if the resource box is left intact.

We all need an attitude adjustment once in a while. When you are in a sour mood, you cannot do your best. You have the power to control your thoughts. There are different ways to look at anything. You can choose between positive, negative and indifferent thoughts. When you get started thinking in the wrong way, it can lead to disaster. Our thoughts control what we do and how well we do it.

When you do things in the same way, for a period of time, it becomes routine and you operate on automatic pilot. Your mind plays back how you did it before, and you do not think consciously. It is like typing. My conscious mind does not know where the keys are, but my fingers do!

Too much unconscious or concentrated conscious thinking can hypnotize you. That is why you need to take frequent brakes to reset your mind. You need both parts of your brain, but you should not go off and leave the wrong one in charge.

Both positive and negative thoughts serve a purpose, but you need a balance between them. Too many negative thoughts can affect your ability to function. Too many positive thoughts could cause you to overlook the flaws in your plans and lead to failure. Train yourself to recognize when your thoughts are too negative or positive. When your thoughts are out of balance, you need an attitude adjustment.

Negative thoughts are like yellow traffic lights. They give the signal to look for danger. Extremely negative thoughts are like red traffic lights; they put the brakes on. Positive thoughts are like green traffic lights that send you merrily on your way.

If you get the red, yellow, and green traffic lights confused you would have chaos. In a similar manner, if positive and negative thoughts are confused, you can have disaster. You must take charge of your thoughts. When you are thinking too many destructive negative thoughts, you must tell your self to quit thinking that way and shift to a positive mood. On the other hand, when you feel like you could go bear hunting with a switch, you had better start looking for the flaws.

Brain wave and Lie detector tests prove that thoughts effect us in a negative or positive way. Coaches of sports teams know that the game is controlled by the mental state of the players. Your attitude controls the effectiveness of most of the things you do. You have the power to select the mood you are in. To be successful, you need to be in a mostly optimistic mood, with just enough of a cautious attitude to keep checking for flaws.

When you need to shift to more positive thoughts, remember your past successes. If thoughts are too positive, think of the times that you overlooked danger signs and proceeded full speed ahead only to crash head on into disaster.

If you pass your exit on the interstate, you may have to go a few miles in the wrong direction to find a place to turn around and go the other way. Likewise, when you realize you are going the wrong way on your project, you have to retrace your steps mentally. That is why you must be alert and keep an eye out for the flaws and danger signals in your plans.

You must be in charge of your thoughts, and not let your thoughts run you. With practice and determination you can learn to recognize when your thoughts are out of balance. You can tell yourself to leave your false dream world, and to get back to reality.

Thoughts and emotions play a major role in success or failure. Successful people control their thoughts. Failure is not an option. They lose some battles, but win the war. You can too, if you are the master of your thoughts.

“The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success, but on significance.” - Oprah Winfrey

What if true fulfillment could be found not in what we achieve, but in the significance of what we do?

Often, when we think about setting goals for ourselves, we think about what we could have or do that would bring us great success. We dream of a promotion, being on TV, winning the lottery, going on exotic trips, and of the proverbial, shiny red corvette. All these things represent a form of success that we imagine being available for ourselves.

It seems reasonable that winning the lottery or getting a new car would increase our standard of living. After all, who couldn’t use more money or a better car? However once we’ve made it to one level of success, we rarely take a moment to appreciate it before moving on to the next. The material object we desire has been captured, and the chase is over.

It is instances like this where we have failed to make a true difference in our own lives. By focusing on objects of success, rather than objects of significance, we have created a continuous cycle of disappointment.

How is focusing on success different from focusing on significance?

We all have a slightly different idea of what success is, based on our own opinions of what it takes to have, be, and do ‘more’ or ‘better.’ In this sense, the things we feel successful about are measurable things in our life. Getting the promotion means we have succeeded in acquiring a measurable result. Winning the lottery is a measurable result, as is making it onto Jeopardy(tm), visiting Nepal, or owning a corvette.

We also have our own opinions of what is significant in our lives. Our families, friends, spiritual commitments, and health are just a few examples. Sometimes we sacrifice experiences and actions that would make a profound impact in what we would consider significant in our lives, because we are blinded by the more appealing, “successful” solution that will make us look really good.

If your dream is for your children to grow up to be healthy, have solid values, and be productive citizens, which would make a more significant impact in their lives? You getting a high-paying job where you travel a lot and aren’t home often, but have plenty of money to pay the bills, treat them to movies, and pay for their college tuition? Or would your dream more significantly be fulfilled by taking on a lower-paying job where you are home more, available to spend time with them creating memories, and allowing them to take on the responsibility of paying their way through school?

Neither of these options is “right” or “wrong”, but they will each have a very different results. Each year millions of parents make decisions just like this, and many opt to be financially successful, because they equate having money to being a good parent. They were brought up, perhaps not having a lot of money, and recognize opportunities that they can make available to their kids using money as a tool.

For another example, let’s say that since you started your marketing firm, your dream has been to help home-based businesses reach their market expansion dreams. Like all marketing and media firms, you are bombarded with opportunities to win awards and prestigious recognition for the work you do. The issue is that in order to win the awards and gain much desired exposure, you must alter the way you do business.

Will you continue to run your business in a way that significantly impacts the lives and futures of your clients? Or will you choose to chase the images of success that lie in awards and recognition? Is it possible to do both and still fulfill upon your mission?

If your dreams are a classroom, significance is the genuine learning experience, and success is a standardized test. While you are experiencing true learning and growth, you might learn what you need to ace the test, but when you teach only for the test, you miss out on a lot of wonderful experiences that aren’t related to the final exam.

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Kimberly D. Wells specializes in goal setting and achievement. Find out more about the BE SMART Goal Achievement System at http://www.besmartgoals.com, or visit Kimberly’s Blog to receive one-on-one goal setting advice: http://besmartgoals.blogspot.com
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As a Christian leader, you are held to high moral, ethical, and social standards. As a leader, you are held to high standards, but as a Christian leader, that bar is raised even higher. Why? Because both the Christian and non-Christian social environment has tended to expect that Christians measure up to their self-proclaimed moral and ethical standards, as they rightly should. What can you do to be sure you ‘stand up to the test’ in the area of Christian leadership?

1) Probably the most important thing you can do as a Christian leader is to clean up your act—if there is anything in your life, moral or ethical, which would not stand up to scrutiny if the entire world found out—you must eliminate it immediately. Do not give anyone an occasion to think that you are a hypocrite.

2) Be sure that every decision you make is honest and ethical. You cannot effectively lead, as a Christian or not, when your decisions and actions are not above-board, fair, and honest.

3) As a Christian leader, commit to telling the truth no matter what. As a Christian leader, when you lie or tell half-truths, people tend to feel that your entire faith is a sham. In fact, if you are habitually lying and telling half-truths, your faith may indeed be a sham.

4) Learn everything you can about the tasks at hand, even if it means working in the trenches for awhile. No one likes to be led by someone who has never done what they are doing. This doesn’t mean you have to become an expert, just participate in the menial work long enough to understand the frustrating aspects of the work. Another benefit to this is, when you have actually done the work, you can more effectively brainstorm solutions to challenges when they arise.

5) Lead by example. Do you expect your employees or secretaries to arrive on time for work, and dressed well? Then you must do the same. Sometimes it is so easy to think that you have earned the right to come in whenever you feel like it, or to return from lunch whenever you wish. Sure, you may have earned the right, but you gain far more by setting the example for performance. Do you expect others to work overtime when a project is behind projections? Then you must be willing to do the same.

6) Although you may feel you have earned the right to delegate away all the work, continue to be involved in productive tasks. By doing some of the work, not only do you gain the respect of your employees, but also you keep in touch with the flow of things. As a leader, it is easy to become disengaged from the actual productive segment of your business, and resultantly make decisions that look good on paper and sound good around the boardroom table, but are actually worthless when the rubber hits the road.

7) Constantly reevaluate your own performance. Often, you may spend so much time correcting the actions of others and solving crises you didn’t create, that you develop a sense that others aren’t as capable as you. Consequently, you may not recognize when you are falling into bad habits that also need to be corrected. Be the first to recognize and correct your own short-fallings.

Avoid pride. Once in a position of leadership, especially if you are good at what you do, it is easy to begin to feel that you are invincible. Once that occurs, you become vulnerable to pride, and may make decisions you would frown on if your subordinates made the same decisions. Maintain full responsibility for your actions, and keep them above-board at all times.

Bonus Step:

9) Learn to manage your time. When you are in a position of leadership and find yourself delegating away most of the time-consuming tasks, it is easy to lose control of your time. Again, when your employees see you wasting your time, they will tend to do the same.

To subscribe to a free weekly newsletter with more Christian success tips like these, click here: Christian Success Newsletter

Written by: Sean Mize, Christian entrepreneur and Christian time management author. Christian Success Network

Note: You have my permission to reprint and distribute this article as long as it is distributed in its entirety, including all links. © Sean Mize 2006