With energetic, global competition the order of the day, you need to get the most from the people you work with. But motivating people and getting people to follow you is easier said than done.

Leadership is more than just creating a vision and pursuing it with passion. It is more than doing whatever it takes to get the people around you to bring your vision to life. Forget all the empowerment and new age stuff. Good leadership means getting back to the basics and take charge.

One of the most important requirements of a leader is knowing what you expect of yourself and of those you are leading. You have to know your strengths and your weaknesses. Know particularly what bothers people around you, what bugs people about you.

As a leader you have to be magnanimous. Share your power and your time. Leadership is not the accumulation and holding of power. Leadership is sharing that power, giving away that power, sharing your time with people, not holding that time for yourself.

Leaders identity, nurture, and protect the innovators. The innovators are very important in any organization. They are the people who are constantly coming up with new ideas. Finding the innovators, nurturing the innovators, protecting the innovators from their bad ideas, and protecting the organization from their bad ideas, are all very important for a leader to do. But most important of all is listening to and grabbing their good ideas and turning them into new initiatives.

A leader must be decisive. An unwritten rule that many successful leaders follow is, when they have 60 percent of the information they need to make a decision, they go ahead and make it. The 60 percent rule is very flexible. To make some decisions, you may need 80 percent of the information. In some cases, you may need 90 percent. But don’t wait until you have 100 percent or 99 percent, or you may be weeks, months, or even years late in making that decision.

In some situations, you even have to go below 60 percent. But the 60 percent rule is a good rule of thumb. If you’ve been in a leaderships position for any length of time, you should know approximately how much information you really need, and then don’t accept something less before you make that decision. Being decisive is at the core of successful leadership.

As a leader you should never become indispensable and you should not allow others to become indispensable either. If you allow someone who works directly for you to become so indispensable that you rely on that person exclusively, what happens when he or she dies or gets reassigned, or quits or retires? And the same is true for you. If you become indispensable to your organization and then you leave, you don’t have someone to turn over the job and responsibilities to. You should become more and more dispensable, rather than more and more indispensable, so you can walk away for a week, a month, or even a year and the organization will continue to grow and prosper.

Leaders are not silent. If something is going on that needs to be spoken about or identified they speak up. For example, if you’re in a meeting and something is about to be decided, and you know it’s going in the wrong direction. Raise your hand and say, “Wait a minute. We need to think this through a little bit more. There may be a better way to do this.”

Some people think that they can’t speak up or shouldn’t speak up or it’s not appropriate to speak up, but they know that they should. If they’re uncomfortable speaking up in a big meeting, then they must go to the boss and quietly make the point that something very bad is going on, a bad decision is about to be made, there are bad integrity problems. That is the responsibility of all people at all levels.

You must be a visionary leader. Set some long-term goals and priorities. Stretch your mind. Have a dream, then articulate and implement it. A vision must say yes to some ideas and no to others. Help shape the vision. Encourage people to help you in shaping the vision. Make sure that being a visionary leader is not a solo exercise. It’s really a group exercise. Collect your people around you and ask them to help you shape that vision so they have ownership of that vision, ownership of that plan, so they will help you implement it as you go forward.

Leaders stay intellectually active. Someone will always come who is very competent in a job, but over time, loses competence because he or she doesn’t keep up with the new ideas, the new technologies, and new concepts. Don’t allow yourself to become brain dead. The future is coming fast. We are in the Information Age and a technological slingshot is going on right now.

You must stay intellectually active by reading books, and listening to audio programs. The leader who does not remain intellectually active by following a good reading program, listening to audio programs, and going to mind-stretching seminars slowly but surely becomes brain dead and can no longer be an enlightened or effective leader.

A good leader is ambitious to do, not to be. Avoid power trips. Don’t confuse who you are with what you are. Leadership is not about the accumulation of power. Leadership is actually giving away power. Ambition is an important quality. Leaders should be ambitious. But they should be ambitious to do important things, to help their organization improve, to set new goals or objectives, and to break into new paradigms. Not to be, but to do.

You should always help people move up in the organization, but be careful not to fall in love with employees and push them beyond their level of competence. If you give someone a really big push because he or she is a wonderful employee, don’t go back every two or three months and give him or her another push, or you may push that person to the point of where he or she can’t handle the next big job.

One of the bad aspects or larger organizations is that often the managers will play favorites. In other words, friends of the boss work their way up well beyond their level of competence, and it hurts the organization. If you’re a manager or director at any level, make sure you are never guilty of playing favorites. Make sure that the best people are promoted and the people who aren’t as competent are moved slowly through the organization.

One of the fascinating aspects of leadership is trying to help people understand what the mission is, what the goals and priorities are, and trying to simplify very complex matters, so you can make everyone in the organization understand what the issues are, what the important priorities are. But as you go through that process of simplification, you must be sure to then mistrust it, because you, as the leader, don’t want to oversimplify the issue for yourself. You must understand that it is, in fact, a complicated issue.

So don’t fake yourself out by simplifying to help others understand the issue, and then assuming that the simplification is, in fact, the truth. Because, the truth is the complexity, not the simplification.

Leaders need to be able to identify where integrity problems are beginning to develop. Then they must focus a lot of leadership and management attention on the integrity problems. In most organizations, the integrity problems exist among a very few people. Those people must be identified and counseled. And if they’re unwilling to conform to the integrity standards of the organization, they must be fired, because if you allow them to continue to operate at low levels of integrity, it will bring down the whole organization over time.

Managing the bottom line is not enough, you must also be able to manage both the tangibles and intangibles. One tangible of great importance is trust. Can you trust, do you trust, and do people trust you? Is there trust in every direction in the organization, upward, downward, and sideways?

You also need to manage the perceptions. How do people in your organization feel about the mission? How do they feel about you? How do they feel about the integrity in the organization? How do they feel about going to work? Those are all perceptions, but you need to understand them and work on them.

How about morale? Is morale good? Your morale may be great, but people who work for you may have low morale. You need to know that. You need to know the reasons for the low morale. You need to work on the low morale. You need to solve those problems of low morale, so the morale can reach high proportions.

If you mange the intangibles well, and also the tangibles will you will be a great leader.

Copyright© 2005 by Joe Love and JLM & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

Joe Love draws on his 25 years of experience helping both individuals and companies build their businesses, increase profits, and achieve total success. He is the founder and CEO of JLM & Associates, a consulting and training organization, specializing in personal and business development. Through his seminars and lectures, Joe Love addresses thousands of men and women each year, including the executives and staffs of many of America’s largest corporations, on the subjects of leadership, self-esteem, goals, achievement, and success psychology.

Reach Joe at: mailto:joe@jlmandassociates.com joe@jlmandassociates.com

Read more articles and newsletters at: jlmandassociates.com jlmandassociates.com

“We want the spring to come and the winter to pass. We want whoever to call or not to call, a letter, a kiss, a raise – we want more and more and then more of it. but there are moments, walking, when I catch a glimpse of myself in the window glass, say, the window of the corner video store, and I am gripped by a cherishing so deep for my own blowing hair, chapped face and unbuttoned coat that I’m speechless: I AM LIVING.”

—Marie Howe from What the Living Do

All that we want, all that we do, all that we have, all that we like….our looks, our moods, our family, our friends, our jobs, the weather, our political leaders, our cars, our homes…..all of this……a moot point without LIFE. It sounds pretty basic, like, “No kidding!” Many of us all too often forget to appreciate the basics. And the most basic element of our life is…..that we have been blessed with one!

Being alive is probably the number one thing we take for granted. Okay, we were born, we’re breathing…now let’s do, do, do, buy, buy, buy, fix, fix, fix! In the midst of our hectic ‘gotta get ahead’ world, we are losing touch with appreciating life itself. How many of us are truly alive? How many are simply existing, you know, going through the motions robotically? The answer is…too many. What does a person’s best life look like? Of course, the answer varies from individual to individual. My experiences have convinced me that there are a few global concepts that all of us can consider in creating our own best life. All of them relate to a genuine appreciation for the opportunity to experience life with all its ups and downs and twists and turns. This idea transcends personality, ethnicity, age, and so on. Below are the top four ways you can learn to appreciate your very existence. Incorporating any ONE will change your life for the better. But why not try all four?! Remember to be patient, but practice, practice, practice.

Notice and appreciate every inch of your body inside and out. Do you realize that most of your body functions through no effort of yours? You think, you get from point A to point B, you breathe, your heart beats, your organs do their thing nonstop, and you wake up in the morning. Your senses either enhance your life or protect you from harm. The list could go on and on. As far as your outside goes, is there any good that comes from disliking it? Appreciate the fact that you are alive and beautiful. This beauty must be acknowledged by YOU. Once you choose to see yourself as a spectacular vision, others will notice it as well.
Notice and appreciate every person you come in contact with. Each one of us has redeeming factors. Commit to discovering at least one for each person you meet. If this ever seems to be a daunting task, choose one of yours and share it with that person. (Examples: your smile, your patience, your respectfulness) A funny thing may happen. It may become easier to notice something great in that other person.
Notice and appreciate every element of nature. Yes, even the hurricanes and other ‘natural’ disasters. Why? Because the sheer power, unpredictability, and majesty of the forces in this universe are to be admired. We certainly would not cheer about the loss that may result. However, if we can see beyond this aspect that occurs relatively infrequently, there is so very much beauty in and assistance from nature that we can marvel over. Sometimes, we take these for granted. Appreciating the oxygen that ‘happens’ to flow from trees in exactly the amount we need to breathe, the rains that draw life from a lonely stem by producing a perfect blossom, the magical song of baby birds in the spring, or the almost surreal blanketing of snow on the earth in winter can make all the difference in the quality of your life.
Notice and appreciate those events you perceive as bothersome or unfair. What?! Why would anyone appreciate a broken leg, getting fired, or losing a loved one? Of course, I am not suggesting that you should love these things. But I am suggesting that you, at an appropriate time, look at any such event in your life and find its message for how you can get even closer to truly living your best life because of it. THIS is what you can appreciate.

So, take a deep breathe in and exhale slowly allowing a soft release of appreciation for simply being alive!

Visit Judi’s website for more great information, articles and, a blog.
lifeismine.org lifeismine.org

When I was 39 I scheduled a doctor’s appointment to have a lump in my left breast checked. After a mammogram, the doctor said that there appeared to be a problem on my right side. Well, being the expert in all things at that time in my life, I told them there must be a mistake. I came in for the LEFT side. They assured me that everything looked fine on the left side but there were some suspicious looking calcifications on the right. After further tests, I was diagnosed with in situ carcinoma (cancer in the breast ducts). It was very, very early and I went through six weeks of radiation.

During that time, I started reading a lot of books including Dr. Bernie Siegel’s “Love, Medicine and Miracles.” One book that really hit home was Dr. Carl Simonton’s “Getting Well Again.” There were sections in that book where I sobbed because it was like someone had been following me for 15 years and knew everything I had done and said. I learned so much. I changed dramatically and so did my life.

Several years later I was suffering from severe fatigue and terrible bruising. I was diagnosed with hairy cell leukemia. This time, chemotherapy was needed and so I went through that process. I’m proud to say that I’ve now been breast cancer free for 12 years and leukemia free for four years.

I learned many lessons in this journey. I share them with you so hopefully, if any of this fits, you can begin making changes in your life to avoid getting hit with the same two by four that smacked me!

1. There is no someday. There’s only now. There’s a story called “Precious Present” which talks about a mysterious man telling of an elusive present. The point of the story is that being “present” by enjoying the moments in your life is the best gift of all. It’s good to plan for the future, but remember to LIVE TODAY. Don’t put off playing with the kids, using your best china, doing all those things you want to do “someday.” We truly do not know what tomorrow brings. Be aware of what’s happening, really listen to others and trust your instincts. Your life can be so much richer by learning to be present even for just a few minutes each day.

2. Own and express your true feelings. For most of my life, I would do things I didn’t want to do. I always worried about saying no to others. When I got the leukemia I knew that the fatigue wasn’t just from the disease. It was also from 20 years of pent-up resentment for doing things and going places because I felt I “had” to. I’ve learned to express my feelings. Now I say no to things that I don’t want to do. But I also tell people I love them more often. I tell my kids “I’m sorry” when I’ve made mistakes (and I make plenty!) I talk to others about my fears, my depression (which plagued me for years) and my failures as well as my successes. Being honest has lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. Interestingly, in the process of becoming more direct, I’ve become kinder. There’s no resentment when you speak from the heart.

3. I’m not a victim. I choose how I react to situations. Sometimes people ask “Why me?” Except for a brief moment, I didn’t travel down that road. I knew there were lessons I needed to learn. Yes, some days just plain sucked with nausea and fatigue, but I also knew that many others have symptoms 1000 times worse than mine. When you’re open to the lessons, you can move through your situation so much easier and faster.

4. Take care of myself first. When traveling on airplanes we always hear that in case of emergencies to put on our oxygen mask first, THEN take care of others. That’s a major life lesson. If we don’t take care of ourselves first, then we have nothing to give others. I had excellent doctors, but I’ve learned that I need to know my body and what it needs. All aspects of our life are our responsibility. Get to know you. If you feel better after eating protein, eat it. If you need 8 hours of sleep a night, find a way to get it. You’ll function much better because that’s what YOU need…not what a book recommends. It’s the same with emotions (see #2). Speak from your heart. And spiritually, find the path that’s right for you. It all comes together to make a wonderful YOU, and then you can be there for others.

5. Ask for help. Sell the SuperWoman cape on ebay! Asking for help gives others a chance to share their gifts and love. Plus, you’ll weigh less because the “I have to do everything” cape is really heavy.

6. Watch your words and especially your thoughts. I believe that our “thoughts create.” With my cancer, I KNEW I was going to be cancer-free. But earlier in my life I was very critical, judgmental and negative. Watch your words and thoughts for an hour. Did you say or think thoughts like “I’m always tired,” “We can’t afford that,” “I could never do that”? If you keep thinking or saying those things, guess what shows up in your life? Yep…You are tired, you can’t afford that item and you’ll never do that. I challenge you to eliminate the negatives. Guard your words. They are powerful.

7. There is a reason for all things. Many times things happen in our lives and we don’t understand. We are a small cog in a much bigger picture. Just trust and stay positive. As you get older, you’ll smile at how you’ve weaved this beautiful tapestry called “My Life.”

8. Get rid of stress. Stress is toxic and it can lead to serious health problems – physically and emotionally. If you are in a stressful situation, GET OUT of it — whether it’s an abusive relationship, a terrible job, or living in a place or city you don’t like. Stress eventually wins by wearing you out. So read #9.

9. If you don’t like your life, change it! This and #8 are easier said than done, but if you want a happier and healthier life, start making some changes. If you are thinking defeating thoughts, work on creating more positive affirmations. If you’ve always wanted to learn how to play the piano, start taking lessons. If you’ve always wanted your own home business, find something that sounds fun and start it! As the saying goes, “Life is like a buffet table. You can have whatever you want, but you’ve got to get up and go get it.” And go back and read #5 and ask for help from people you trust.

10. Laugh often. Don’t take life so seriously. All of us have challenges. Don’t get upset and angry. Laugh more and know that “This too shall pass.”

11. (Bonus Lesson) Reread these often. Life has a way of intruding and making us forget what we’ve learned. Print this off and re-read it often.

You deserve happiness, love, peace and joy.
Don’t let anyone or anything steal that. Blessings…

Donna Davis lives in Tucson, AZ with her husband Bill, their two sons and two dogs. Donna has owned several successful businesses and loves coaching others. To learn more about Donna, her current business and how she helps others achieve their dreams visit myfuncandlebiz.com myfuncandlebiz.com

Most of us through out our lives have experience stress or just feeling anxious. Sometimes when we are so worried about something in our lives in ends up we have an anxiety attack over it. That feeling when you first have one is such a horrible experience we don’t know what is happening to us which makes us feel even more anxiety because we panic and don’t understand what’s happening.

Some symptoms’ may include heart palpitations’, sweaty hands, a feeling that we want to run. You can experience many different sensations through out the body. Then once we experience this then we get scared about it happening again so then we end up in a viscous circle of being worried about having an anxiety attack and then when we do have one we hold on to it, or tense up and so it prolongs the anxiety attack even further. So we tend to live each day worrying about whether it’s going to happen again.

I have experience all this myself and felt it was just controlling my life. Till one day I said to myself is anxiety attacks going to control me or am I going to control anxiety attacks. I found a couple of books and read them. These are couple of points that helped me.

• The biggest and best you can do is first let it go. When you have an anxiety attack just allow it to happen, don’t hold on to it. I know that it is very hard to do but believe me when I first let it go I could not believe how fast it went away. Just allow it to happen, feel what’s happening in your body, don’t hold on to what’s happening just let it go.

• By breathing normally or best is have a mint, eat something, or start talking or sing to the music. It tends to get your breathing back to normal. That is one of the reasons we feel light headed or dizzy when we have an anxiety attack is because we are breathing so fast there is to much oxygen in the brain. So concentrate on your breathing and just breathe nice and slow.

• Vitamin B complex is great it helps you relax, get out and do more exercise it helps you release your frustrations it also induces endorphin’s which is the feel good hormone that is released through the body when we exercise. Notice after you exercise how good and relaxed you feel.

• Take time out in your life each day and think about your life, are you happy? What could you do to make it change? Ask yourself these questions, only you can make yourself happy. Don’t rely on others to make you happy that is not their responsibility it’s yours. So take control of your life and don’t allow others to control you.

• EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) is a great technique to use. You can use it in all aspects of your life. From Anxiety Attacks, Health, fitness, wealth. Go to emofree there is a wealth of information there for you to get started with this great technique.

Just remember Anxiety is not a physical condition it is an emotional condition and it’s a way for your body to tell you that your mind is not healthy. So take what your body is saying to you and do something about it before it does turn into physical sickness in your body.
I experienced anxiety for about 10 years myself; I have been there and done that. I never thought I could get rid of it. Until one day I made the decision that I am going to control it, it’s not going to control me. Buy some books read them, take the advice and try what they say. You DON’T need drugs to control anxiety only you can control Anxiety.

“Change happens not by making ourselves change but by realizing what’s not working”

Article written by Cynthia Kerry. For even greater insights on taking control of your life and how to conquer anxiety and panic attacks go here: anxiety.guide-7.com anxiety.guide-7.com