Moving On Up
Ya-ttitude Has a New Home
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Benny
Ya-ttitude: Give and Take
Positive Ya-ttitude has its Advantages
(Still working on it – but why Procrastinate)
And Help us Spread the Word!
D0 you have those days when you just read something and it makes you go – Ohhhhhh!
Well today was definitely one of those days. I was reading some of the blogs that are on my “feedburner” and ran across a blog called In Worship and on it was a Post called “Are you a Consumer.” I want to make sure that credit is given where credit is due, so I believe this blog pointed back to this web page. This being fair and nice to each other thing can be time consuming and tedious and a real bit of work, but it’s what we are supposed to be all about – isn’t it? Well with all of the official business out of the way – and a special thanks to Brett and Joshua for being my inspiration today.
Let’s talk about Production vs. Consumption –
Ya-ttitude Style!
The “thought-inducing” quote was simple – by Albert Hsu.
“The opposite of consumption is production. It takes far more time and energy to create something than to consume something. It takes a novelist a year to write a book that someone can read in a few days… [Often] our only recreational activities are actions of consumption.”
Now that statement taken at face value might just be a “pat on the back” for Mr. Hsu and the amount of time it takes to write is book(s) and the amount of time he believes it takes to read them. Or maybe he was trying to create that new Buzz word that is all the rage – Prosumer – the combination of Producer and Consumer – but then again – depending on the person using it and the article you read – sometimes it means Professional and Consumer and that would just throw that whole idea out the window – so damn him – what was he trying to tell us?
Prosumer – the combination of a producer and consumer – shouldn’t that be what we are all about? Well we all have to consume to live – and we all have to produce to live – so be we all prosumers? The real big question here is what are we consuming and what are we producing. I have read the phrase “crap in – crap out” a few times over the last day and a half, as I thought about how to write this and what I wanted this to be written about. And I have decided that in all its simplicity – it is quite the statement.
The Golden Rule notwithstanding – there is some definite thought-inducing magic in that simple quote (both perhaps).
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”– A definite Prosumerish statement.
Think about it – if you consume all good things – shouldn’t you be more than able to produce “good things.”
Production: In the simplest of terms we were “produced” and given life.
How we consume our lives and how we allow our lives to be consumed is much deeper a statement.
What we consume during our lives and what we allow ourselves to consume is a much more important statement.
Are our lives consumed with positive thoughts, creating positive results making a positive world?
Are we consumed by negative thoughts, always dwelling on the negative, spewing negative ideas and being the downer who needs the over-abundance of cheap hooch to temporarily delay the inevitable?
Remember – Negative begets negative – do not be negative – stay away from the negative words, thoughts and people. Give those negative vibes a positive spin, make sure you surround yourself with positives, as much as you possibly can. (Hey – I live in the real world too – I know that it is possible – give it a try and see for yourself)
That may be the difference between the products that are the result of our consumption.
Is what is left over after our lives are consumed pure waste material – or is there something special there – something that will live on.
Have you allowed you life to be consumed by a plan, an aim or a goal to leave a mark on society; a bright, cheery and positive mark?
Have you gone out of your way to make a difference, lend a helping hand, volunteer or spread a positive outlook.
Have you consumed positive energy and given back positive energy. Do you surround yourself with all the good things that life has to offer and in turn produce within yourself the greatest gift you can give back – a fantastic relative, friend, associate and human being.
Remember if you are consuming more from society then you are giving back – there will be a shortage, so be sure to spread the wealth! Give back as much – Give back more than you consume – It is the one thing that opens the door (no KEY needed) to your success – to your future – to your BRIGHT and SUCCESFUL Future!
BTW: This can be as simple as saying “Bless You” when someone sneezes or “Thank You” when someone holds the door for you. It does not have to be grandiose – it has to be genuine. It starts with the right Ya-ttitude – a Positive Ya-ttitude.
And then grows and develops into a YA-TTITUDE!
Interesting concept… Indeed
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Ya-ttitude: Mail Call
Positive Ya-ttitude has its Advantages
(Still working on it – but why Procrastinate)
And Help us Spread the Word!
I recently received this comment in regards to the Procrasti-NATION posts.
I understand where you are coming from. Yet I believe procrastination whether it’s a virtue or a vice is totally dependent on the context. In many cases, we do not like to do something and push it for later, for reasons that we understand or we don’t, somehow there would be something that holds us back…its at times like these, to go against our normal pressure to act and resolve, that I advise that we stop and ponder. Indeed, procrastination is our intuitive mechanism asking for time…and I think it’s many times wiser to listen to it.
The western concept of action and indeed mindless action and speed and goals and targets and such has created a society where time has lost its beauty and man is just a small cog in a mindless machine processing life in quantity rather than quality. So whilst, its important to do what you should and must do, its important to heed to your intuition and that small voice which asks for a delay…not listening to it may get you a small tick on your to do list, but you will never know what is lost and what could have happened had you waited.
Finally, procrastination would have saved billions of dollars and tens of thousands of lives if Bush had procrastinated… hundreds of lives would have been saved had those cops not shot first and looked later in tense situations…
This crazy need for speed and to get things done has its rewards but also has its costs, which we don’t or do not want to calculate…procrastination would indeed help the world to consider life more peacefully and holistically.
Harish
My first reaction was that this was more a “poking fun” email at the whole Procrastination theory. But boy was I wrong. This is a serious email, from a serious member of the Card-Carrying Cartel of Procrasti-NATION. This is a big one boys and girls. I am going to have at it, and then I want to read what you have to say about it as well!
Vice or virtue; totally dependent on context:
Imagine that – vices could be shrugged off based on context – too cool. Better not tell my wife though. Procrastination is what it is – putting off till a later time what you should be doing now; but for purposes of this email – let me define procrastination…
pro�cras�ti�nate �
� (pr
-kr
s
t
-n
t
, pr-)
To put off doing something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness.
Still say – please do not tell my wife – because if I can get away with carelessness or laziness and pass it off as a virtue – man-oh-man would my life become a waste! But a virtuous waste!
So in what context can we say that being lazy or careless becomes a virtue? I am still thinking…
Push it off till later: Sometimes we know why – Sometimes we don’t:
Well at least we are staying cognizant. I know that many people argue the point that “everything that happens does not have to have a reason.” But this is really pushing the point. I think we are confusing instinct, or gut feelings maybe even, dare I say, intuition with procrastination. There is a huge difference. Stopping to think over a situation is not a crime, nor is it procrastination. Pushing that situation off to another time, because we just do not feel like doing it – that is procrastination. I agree, we need to listen to those inner voices and feelings. As we grow more and more experienced those voices and feeling become better and better at warning us about things to think twice about. Is that procrastination by decision – I think not!
Mindless actions of Western Culture/ Lost Beauty / Small Cogs and what we may have missed out on:
There is definitely a lot to ponder there; so one step at a time. One of the first traits of a successful person – and that does not matter how you decide to define your own success – is to define your goals and give them targeted dates. Whether you are aspiring to be a Doctor or working on your tan at the beach – both as a set goal and time table if you are going to be successful at it. Staying out to long in the sun and you get burned – so that mindlessness that you went with – as opposed to creating a plan of action and a set time table – well it did not work well did it now?
I wonder why anyone would think about not watching a great sunset or your children growing up. If you successfully plan out your days, weeks and life – you miss nothing. Try a Basic plan like creating a three-part day is a great place to start. 8hrs of work, 8 hrs of sleep and 8 hrs to enjoy life – however you see fit – great place to start. I work hard, I have plans and goals and aims, I try my hardest to not put anything off (I mean we are all human) but I do not allow the beauty in my life to be lost. Baseball games with the boys (even Wrestlemania this weekend – In Orland0 – wonder if that can be construed as a waste of time – But it is my time with the kids – so beauty gained – not lost) college-searching with my daughter and sunsets at the pool with my wife – all great things to do, and they even are part of my plan. I read great books at lunch and enjoy a great cup of coffee and some Florida sunshine – and still get my work done. One of the great ways to accomplish this is to try to do that ONE item on you to-do list that you really do not want to do as your first item of the day – every day. Try if for one month – and watch how easily it became habit and now is the way you start your day. Once the crap is out of the way – every day is a grand day!
You’re a small cog – when you think small. Think Big, plan big, work big and you will be the engine that runs it all, not just a jammed gear in the workings.
I wonder – if I waited and missed out – would I know? Just as easy an arguable point as waiting to find out what it was I missed out on. Odds are I missed out on an opportunity that I cannot get back. And if you acted and made a mistake – so what – you learned, you got up, brushed yourself of and went back to work, smarter for the event. It is a rare occasion that greater things happen from waiting – success does not wait for anyone – it has its own fast-acting time table – catch it before it passes you by!
Billions of dollars and thousands of lives – shoot first, ask questions later!
I really am not going to bring my political stance or anyone else’s into this argument – not fair and not going to get us anywhere. Hind sight is a wonderful tool. It allows all the procrastinators to sit on there middle of the fence and point at all those on either side screaming “I told you so!” How many lives would have been lost if we did not invade? I do not know – would history have gone in another direction – would Iraq have acquired weapons powerful enough to do some real Mid-East damage? Would he have lit the match that started a war in the Middle East without America’s involvement? I do not know and neither do you – and those great experts. This I can say – we have the best system of Government in the World, and the people doing what they do best did what they thought was best, we put them there to do it and they did. I am not going to go any further on the political front. But – check history for wars and battles started because of the inability to make a clear cut decision and those that never happened because one was made!
Cops that shot first – another touchy subject. I have quite a few friends who are police. I wonder if I received a phone call from one of their wives or kids telling me to come to their funeral because he did not shoot first – how I would feel. We live in a tough world. I cannot count how many fewer people would be dead or how many more would be if you asked first vs. shot first – and the real tough part there – is neither can anyone else.
You can not calculate the many things in life – but what you can be sure of – there is no advantage to waiting till tomorrow to do something that you could have gotten finished today – easy – to paraphrase your context: You waste time – you let the beauty pass YOU by – because you have to do it tomorrow – when you could have been enjoying your day!
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Ya-ttitude: Battle Lines are Drawn
Positive Ya-ttitude has its Advantages
(Still working on it – but why Procrastinate)
And Help us Spread the Word!
Procrasti-NATION has held a stronghold over the United Attributes of Initiative for quite a long time; millennia perhaps. But with success on the line; your very future at risk, and the dreams and desires we all hold close to our heart being threatened, those Attributes have taken hold and are making a major push to the enemy line.
Procrasti-NATION, a much larger land mass than any of those areas of individual enterprise is a scary foe; except when each of the 25 separate Attributes come together and form a more perfect union.
The United Attributes of Initiative; A collective of the greatest personality traits and skills joining forces for the common good. A skill-set that has no match except the Omni-present – Procrasti-NATION.
Ladies and gentleman in this corner weighing in at just over two percent of the current population: Personal Initiative!
And in this corner – where 98 percent of the population is affected, where the wheels of business come to a grinding halt, an area of blank stares and nothingness, the place where dreams go to die and plans never happen and where the woes of the world are over looked for the joys of, of, nothing… Procrasti-NATION!
Before the details of the invasion are brought forth in the entire magnificent splendor that only Walt Disney could have dreamed, let me detail for you the members of the United Attributes of Initiative:
- Definite Aims and Goals
- Motivation and emotional Desire to achieving the goal
- A Master Mind/Think Tank of like and complimentary minds
- Self Reliance
- Dependability
- Thoroughness over Speed
- Discipline
- Persistence
- Follow Through
- Applied Faith
- Positive Mental Attitude
- Compassion
- Patience
- The Will to Win
- Imagination/Creativity
- Quick and Definite Decision Making
- Willingness to go Extra Mile and then some
- Enthusiastic Persona/Aura
- Detail Orient
- Equal abilities to dish out as well as take
- Familiarity with Motivation techniques
- Ability to Focus
- Responsibility
- Accountability
- Willingness to share blame and glory
There is no doubt in my mind that all of you are familiar with a great deal of these attributes. I am sure that all of you have some, a few, or most of these attributes. Hey – it may even be one of those “Hmmm” moments where you sit back and say – “Damn – I have that skill!” But having only one or some of these attributes will only serve you as a foundation to the creation of your most powerful ally and army – the one that takes down Procrasti-Nation!
The key to winning this war, this take over, this “future is so bright, I have to wear shades“, outlook is creating that plan that will carry through to working your definite aims and goals to your success (yes – this is where it all began a few posts ago when we discussed 4-Stepac Plan to Success). The purpose of the way this is written is to show you that you cannot achieve it all over night.
You need the early writings to develop a set of skills and goals to take you through each of the next steps. So in my opinion it is a good time to go over the initial posts from the first to this current; Jot down some of the Hmmm’s and Aha’s and email me with questions, comments, or as always feel free to post below.
Procrasti-NATION: ID Card and More…
Positive Ya-ttitude has its Advantages
(Still working on it – but why Procrastinate)
And Help us Spread the Word!
Procrasti-NATION The Masses have spoken; and here is the first example (Thanks Tim).
Yes, literally hundreds of you have asked me for an “ID CARD” so you can either be counted as a Denizen of Procrasti-NATION or you can use it to burn as you secede from the Union!
You can do one of two things: –Take your time, or – Hurry up
That of course all depends on side of the upcoming war you are supporting.
Rumors abound about an imminent invasion of Procrasti-NATION by the allied minds of Ya-ttitude; but that is for yet another post.
You can click the image above and it will give you a full-size image that you can copy and paste or save for your editing. Or for the truly creative – I want to see your original version of an “official” I.D. Card/Draft Card.
Once you have created your I.D. Card – submit it via email to me and I will post each and every one of them up here on the blog and on the new Procrasti-Nation web site (working it as I write).
Then, for those of you who are defecting, have defected or are planning your defection from Procrasti-NATION – a creative little video would be cool.
Burning your Procrasti-NATION Draft cards/I.D. cards (did I let a few hints slip away?) I fully intend to post every video and entry onto the blog and site. Let me hear from you people! Benny
Update: 3/22/09 – The Battle Over Procrasti-NATION has begun!
Ya-ttitude: Procrasti-NATION
Positive Ya-ttitude has its Advantages
(Still working on it – but why Procrastinate)
And Help us Spread the Word!
Stand at attention and face your future.
Place your right hand over your eyes and your left hand over your mouth.
Persons dressed in Procrasti-Nation’s official uniform should remain silent (as usual).
Face reality and render your self “ready to submit” to those who have decided its time!
Repeat after me…
I pledge allegiance
To a reality
That I have no control over
I can’t decide
I won’t decide
Maybe I’ll play with Rover
Ya – there you go “the official” Pledge of the large populous of Procrasti-Nation.
It seems that 98% of the people of our great nation are also card-carrying members of Procrasti-Nation; the group of people who do not achieve anything because they just cannot make a decision. Any decision would be good, but they cannot muster up the [imagine all the words (email me Your thoughts) we are going to fill this spot in with] to just decide! Great Leaders have the skill to make a decision and follow through with it. Ex-Leaders, wannabe-leaders, never-was-a leaders tend to procrastinate. “Let me get back to you, I am going to have to give that some thought, Let’s have a meeting about that tomorrow” are just a few of the great alibi’s of the Procrasti-Nation.
It has often been said that making a decision – any decision is better than making no decision at all. A truth be know – it is correct. The more decisions you make the better at them you become. I am not telling you to make an uneducated decision, but your troops, your workers, your fellow-employees want to look up to you and the only way to make that a reality is to take the decision-making bull by the horn and decide.
Now, that does not mean you can’t make a mistake in a decision or have to tweak your initial plan and more than one tweak is expected but what it does mean is you need to lead by making quick and clear-cut decisions or dissension in the ranks are sure to happen. People look up to those who make quick smart decisions and then stick to their guns. Wishy-washy gets you nothing and worse it gets you a mutiny.
When men and women who have experienced failure in one way or another are analyzed one of the key causes of this failure was a lack of ability when it came to decision making. Procrastination is the direct opposite of decision it is the “common enemy” the soldiers of Procrasti-Nation must learn to fight and defeat! People who make decision quickly and change them slowly, if at all, seem to always be those people that are in the lead, are making more money, have a greater group of followers, can rile the troops and garner the help of unlimited constituents. Yes, the ability to decide quickly is not only for business people who are looking to run a corporation, it works as well for leaders of volunteerism, rock bands, political parties and anyone looking to be successful in the venture they set out to accomplish. If you want to be the best web-designer, it begins with the decision that you are “going to be the best web designer.” You have decided what it is you are going to do, when you are going to do it and how you are going to accomplish all of these things you are going to accomplish. Yes – you decided. I know we are going to fail sometimes. If you do not fail sometimes you are never going to know when you have succeeded.
Your failures are simply building blocks, or ingredient to your recipe for success. We are all well aware of Hill’s great quote: “Every adversity, every failure, and every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”
Or the derivatives of it like “every cloud has a silver lining.” This topic needs a chapter all unto itself and we will discuss it later on in our studies.
Most people allow their decisions to be colored or discolored by the opinions of others; the newspapers or the water-cooler crowd fills their heads with the nonsense-of-the-day and this is the surest way to an end.
Opinions are the world’s best bargains. A-dime-a-dozen I believe someone once told me, I am betting I can get even a better deal. If you are consistently influenced by the ideas and opinions of others (who are not deciding to do anything either) you will never succeed in any of your goals, plans, or desires. Do you really need the opinions of anyone outside your immediate Master Mind group; People who are in complete harmony with your thoughts and motives behind your plans (more on the Master Mind group to come as well.)You have a brain, you have a mind, and you have desire and a plan. You are focused on where you want to be and how you are going to get there, so now decide on the action you are going to take and make it all a reality. If and when you need to acquire knowledge from other people, it would be advantageous for you to seek this information quietly; you need not tell the world what you are up to, at least not yet. You will get much farther in life with the theory of listen more and talk less.
There is a very specific reason you have two ears and one mouth, work that theory. People who talk too much generally have a love of their own voice and little else to back it up with. You will learn much more when you let others talk to you and you listen to what they all have to say. Of course you assimilate what is useful and toss aside the rest, but listening is the key to a working relationship; whether that is with your goals, your wife, your children or your employees – learning to listen will take you far.
If you can surround yourself with “experts” in each of the areas you may be seeking council all the better. Your immediate think-tank group will be of much more use than random knowledge of an ex trivial pursuit enthusiast; unless you are playing a game and not winning at life.
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Benny
Ya-ttitude: Defending the “If”
Positive Ya-ttitude has its Advantages
(Still working on it – but why Procrastinate)
And Help us Spread the Word!
I really want to thank everyone who sent me email(s) in regards to and in response to the leadership blog from last week. I really never realized that it would strike up so much conversation and controversy as well as so many distinct points of view. I hope I answered all of you who have taken the time to send in your thoughts and comments in email. I have even visited all of the other sites and blogs (yes, every one) you have all sent me and commented wherever and whenever I had something of value to add.
I was going to start off in another direction today, but so much of the content in mail I received could be answered directly by a section that I read and loved from Napoleon Hill that I thought this might help many of you in your career goals and with your definite plan and the writing thereof.
I know that I have answered many emails and have started a few plans, and I will start a question/answer section on this blog shortly, as most of the questions would be of great use to the other readers. I, of course, will be seeking your permission to print your questions and answers – so fear not!
Many of the comments I receive include items from the list compiled by Old Man If (His list had fifty-seven, I could only compile 54 of his originals) that you will read below that I though I would just put together Hill’s List of alibis, so we can talk about them all in one place. I think he did a great job in compiling a definitive list – but I would love to receive more that you may have heard so I can add them to my list!
Tentatively called: The Anti Ya-ttitude.
FIFTY-SEVEN FAMOUS ALIBIS
By Old Man IF
- IF I didn’t have a wife and family . . .
- IF I had enough ‘pull’ . . .
- IF I had money . . .
- IF I had a good education . . .
- IF I could get a job . . .
- IF I had good health . . .
- IF I only had time . . .
- IF times were better . . .
- IF other people understood me . . .
- IF conditions around me were only different . . .
- IF I could live my life over again . . .
- IF I did not fear what ‘THEY’ would say . . .
- IF I had been given a chance . . .
- IF I now had a chance . . .
- IF other people didn’t ‘have it in for me’ . . .
- IF nothing happens to stop me . . .
- IF I were only younger . . .
- IF I could only do what I want . . .
- IF I had been born rich . . .
- IF I could meet ‘the right people’ . . .
- IF I had the talent that some people have . . .
- IF I dared assert myself . . .
- IF I only had embraced past opportunities . . .
- IF people didn’t get on my nerves . . .
- IF I didn’t have to keep house and look after the children . . .
- IF I could save some money . . .
- IF the boss only appreciated me . . .
- IF I only had somebody to help me . . .
- IF my family understood me . . .
- IF I lived in a big city . . .
- IF I could just get started . . .
- IF I were only free . . .
- IF I had the personality of some people . . .
- IF I were not so fat . . .
- IF my talents were known . . .
- IF I could just get a ‘break’ . . .
- IF I could only get out of debt . . .
- IF I hadn’t failed . . .
- IF I only knew how . . .
- IF everybody didn’t oppose me . . .
- IF I didn’t have so many worries . . .
- IF I could marry the right person . . .
- IF people weren’t so dumb . . .
- IF my family were not so extravagant . . .
- IF I were sure of myself . . .
- IF luck were not against me . . .
- IF I had not been born under the wrong star . . .
- IF it were not true that ‘what is to be will be’ . .
- IF I did not have to work so hard . . .
- IF I hadn’t lost my money . . .
- IF I lived in a different neighborhood . . .
- IF I didn’t have a ‘past’ . . .
- IF I only had a business of my own . . .
- IF other people would only listen to me . . .
Using alibis to defend ourselves is more popular than the Super Bowl. Imagine how much we could get accomplished if we spent as much time being creative with our lives and our plan and our jobs as we do with creating alibis. Breaking the habit of alibi-building and replacing it with a positive habit using the same imagination but towards a positive goal would make your goal of achieving success so much easier and bring it about so much quicker.
Building alibis with which to explain away our failures is counterproductive in many ways. The biggest way? Our failures are stepping stones to our success, without them we could never become successful. So do not alibi-away something important, use it as another ingredient in your Recipe to Success.
Ben
Ya-ttitude: On Leadership
Positive Ya-ttitude has its Advantages
(Still working on it – but why Procrastinate)
And Help us Spread the Word!
Leadership
Being a leader is the most important part of leading; you can’t do one without the other and making smart and prepared decisions is the key to being a great leader.
There are two major types of Leadership. The first, and by far the most effective, is LEADERSHIP BY AUTHORITY of, and with the sympathy of your followers. The second is LEADERSHIP BY FORCE, which does not have the consent and sympathy of your followers.
History is filled with PROOF that Leadership by Force JUST cannot endure. The downfall and disappearance of dictators, corrupt regimes, Kings and Czars is REAL important when trying to understand this statement, all you have to think about is how the eventual end of these types of governments and leaders came about. It means that people will not follow forced leadership indefinitely. But they will follow, that much history has shown us. They are just following until something better or a chance to overthrow and change comes along. And your leadership by authority is what came along.
All great leaders have a list of major attributes that run common through them. There can be slight differences but the list of the following 10 key attributes will transform you into that great leader you want to be. The following is a list of what is generally believed to be the qualities of a leader who positively reinforces and brands their company with the mark of excellence that motivates their people to move mountains for them!
Courage: Nobody wants to be the follower to a leader who lacks self confidence, and courage in himself. And for that matter if you do lack confidence and courage in yourself you will not lead long as you will soon be the follower to one of your ex-followers.
Control: You need to control yourself in the face of adversity. You need to control yourself in all phases of your daily life. No one respects a leader who regularly explodes. It breeds dissention in the ranks. It breeds a negative atmosphere. It breeds fear from your employees. And the ability to control yourself and remain calm in all ways presents a tremendous example to all in your employee.
Integrity: Without a sense of fairness and integrity, not leader can lead. You would require no less from your employees why should they expect less from you
Decisiveness: It really does not get more important than this. A wish-washy leader is not a leader for long, as someone from within the ranks will show their ability to lead from strong decision making and you will soon find yourself working for them or worse working somewhere else. You cannot be unsure in your decisions as it projects quickly to your employees and a person who cannot be sure of himself in the midst of decision making shows his employees that they can never be sure that they will make the right choice, or worse, any choice at all. This also is a great way for the employee to take advantage, as they will play upon your indecisiveness and make their choices happen and negatively influence yours. Decide and stick to your guns.
Cooperation: The successful leader must cooperate with all levels and expect and even demand the same back. Without an open air of cooperation and communication throughout you are destined for failure. Remember here, in order to expect a level of full cooperation from all departments and from yours, you must first be willing to cooperate fully as well. Leadership calls for power and power comes from cooperation.
Responsibility: There can be no, I do not know, I will get back to you on that or it was not my fault in your vocabulary. You must take full responsibility for everything that happens in your division. A great leader is capable and willing to take on the responsibility of all of the errors or mistakes of his followers, or again – he will become one of the followers. If one of your team makes the mistake or fails, then it is you who has made that mistake or has failed. But in that failure, remember there is always the recipe for greater success, just be sure you assumed its responsibility.
Doing more than expected (or paid for): One of the penalties for being that great leader that you are is your going to do more than you require of your followers. I remember many an occasion when I was picking, packing, wrapping and getting product ready to ship for one of the companies I worked for. Now many of the other Directors went home and had a great dinner with their families. I and my team stayed late, and made sure that our customers were taken care of, it should be part of your job description. The biggest pet peeve for me has always been the employee who cries “It’s not my job,” that employee should be looking for a different job, at a different company. And you will never be afforded the opportunity to use that line, because as the leader all jobs are your job. Be sure you understand how and why each position exists in your company and be prepared to fill in when asked and fill in often when not asked!
A definite plan/goal: We will touch on this many times during the training here, but a great leader “plans his work and works his plan.” A leader who works by guessing will not be a leader long. You must decide what and when and then make it happen. Yes, tweaks are allowed and even required, but you must have a vision of how and when always ready to work from, or else you will be like a sail boat with no sails. You may eventually reach your destination, but that will be from sheer luck. Odds are greater that you will just sail aimlessly and in circles.
Personality (strong and pleasing): Sloppy and weak leaders are short lived. Leadership calls for respect and we know that respect is earned. Forced respect does not exist – it only translates to fear. And fear of leadership creates animosity and bitterness, and hostility; all traits of the ex-leaders team. Among your pleasing personal traits are your ability to dress well and dress the part, a bright and pleasing smile and the ability to really understand the importance of a great handshake. Coworkers and followers will thrive on your positive personality; you will starve from your bad one.
Understanding: The understanding and sympathetic leader, leads forever. But beware; empty sympathy just like empty compliments will doom you to failure. Your people will know when you are full of hot air, just like you know when someone else is. Understand your people and their problems, and be there for them, always. Leadership by authority or consent is just a positive way to bring the troops in line, show everyone that you care and that you will breed mutual concern and cooperation in a positive and thoughtful manner. I can’t say it enough:
“They do not care what you know, until they know that you care.”
By now you must realize that if there are Ten Positive traits of a Great Leader that there are going to be Ten negative traits of the failed leader.
And here they are.
Inability to Organize: Whether this is your daily planner, your long range goal or the Company Holiday party, your inability to organize will be your downfall. Many people believe that Knowledge id Power, what they fail to realize is that ORGANIZED knowledge is power. Knowledge by itself is great I your playing trivial pursuit, if you want to go far, you will need to know how to organize it to its fullest advantage.
Lack of Flexibility: If you will not do more than is asked of you, if you cannot and will not perform the duties of those who work for you when called upon and if you cannot realize that the greatest constant in your career will be change you are doomed to fail.
Arrogance: The world will pay you not for what you know, but for what you do with what you know or how you help others succeed with what you have taught them.
Fear from Competition: In all actuality any of the 6 great fears (discussed later) will create a losing situation for you the great leader. But if you fear competition in any way, failure is soon to follow. You cannot fear hiring the best talent available, as it is proof in your confidence and in your ability to create the best team possible. Your ability to hire, train, mentor and motivate is paramount in the process of creating the world’s best team. Multiplying you and then delegating duties shows true leadership. You cannot fear anything your competition does as you know that you and your assemble group will outdo anything that can, quicker and better.
Lack of imagination: Death of a Leader. You must continually come up with and reinvent the wheel. Without imagination how are you to “react” in an emergency or create those incredible sales plans?
Selfishness: If you are going to claim all the rewards for the accomplishments of your team then you are sure to be without a team. The real great leaders do not wish any of the honors that go with the accomplishments but would rather them bestowed upon his workers, creating an atmosphere conducive to growth and achievement!
Hedonism: Followers do not respect a hedonistic leader, and more importantly any leader who shows signs of hedonism will eventually destroy the endurance and vivacity of all that work with him.
Disloyalty: This may be the number one fault. A leader who cannot be loyal to those above him and below him will not maintain his leadership for very long. Disloyalty is actually one of the greatest causes of failure in every walk of life and in every profession.
Highlighting Authority: A great leader leads by encouragement. He leads by teaching, coaxing, mentoring and working closely with those that follow him. Leaders who either force their lead or continually boast about it are doomed from the start.
Importance of Title: Similar to the previous flaw in leadership, flaunting your title or boasting about it will only breed dissention and hatred. The great leader needs no recognition of Specific Title; he is leader by default and commands the respect the position deserves.
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This is a great time for you to go back and read again the ten traits of a great leader.
You should go back and go over the ten traits listed above and on a scale of 1 to 10 grade yourself. If you cannot be totally honest with yourself ask a well-trusted friend to grade you. Being a great leader means you score high. It is not required that you have to score high now, it just means you now know where you may need work, and as you continue to read, you will get all of the needed guidance.
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Ya-ttitude: Getting Personal
Positive Ya-ttitude has its Advantages
(Still working on it – but why Procrastinate)
And Help us Spread the Word!
Whatever it is you want to accomplish it must start out with a plan.
I cannot say this to you enough times. Whatever you want to accomplish in your life – It must start out with your plan.
Your plan, backed by your strong emotional desire will be the first ingredient in your success.
I am hoping you are starting to get the idea here.
Your Plan is what will drive your life to your dreams.
Say it to yourself now!
My great future, my success, my dreams and desires will all come true, but to make this happen I need to start my plan.
Now personalize it and shout it out to yourself – tell it to YOU – As if you were telling it to the whole world!
Benny, listen to me Benny – Your life’s goal, your dreams, your success it is all going to happen – you will make it happen, because you want it to happen more than anything else in your life – it is your’s for the taking –but to make it all START THAT PLAN NOW!
And it would not hurt at all if you did this to yourself a few times in a row – keep doing it until you get up and start that plan.
So now we have realized that we need a plan. I have used the word “ingredient” a few times in my blogs, so maybe the Plan is your Recipe for Success.
Call it whatever works best for you. It is YOUR life – Your Plan – Your Desire and Your Success that is going to be achieved.
Till Next Time…
Benny
Ya-ttitudes of the Successful
Positive Ya-ttitude has its Advantages
(Still working on it – but why Procrastinate)
And Help us Spread the Word!
Successful people have many positive attitudes. I am going to touch on three positive attitude traits that I feel are particularly important enthusiasm, persistence and desire. I received a tremendous amount of email over the weekend to the homework question that I posed to you. And I fully intended on hitting my blog with a continuation of the ideas we started upon. But today was an interesting day around the office. We all seem to have that one person that works in our office that no matter how hard we try to avoid the venom-filled flavor-of-the-day they are able to work their way under your skin.
To that end, I give you this… Smile!
Yes a simple smile. I simply tell you that no matter how hard someone tries to send those negative vibes your way – smiling will not allow them to enter your mind.
Try it.
When you feel the negativity approaching or you feel like you are starting to lose it… Simply smile.
You cannot think negative thoughts, you cannot feel negative vibes and you cannot be negative in any way when you are wearing a smile on your face. No – this is not a kill-them-with-kindness approach in any form. What it is, is a way for you to be protected from all the influences you do not want entering your conscience and sub conscience mind.
Positive Attitudes; The Big Three
Enthusiasm: Enthusiasm will produce all the confidence necessary to announce to the world, “I have what it takes.”Enthusiasm is not that short-lived boost of energy we get when something positive happens. Enthusiasm in successful people is long-lasting. Life-lasting. When you have enthusiasm in your life, you will maintain a more enjoyable and productive work and home. You will be confident in every task you undertake and will exceed expectations in everything you do!
Remember – “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” – Emerson
Persistence:Persistence is critical. From every great failure, disappointment and heartache are born the ingredients to success. No one achieves greatness until they have failed, get used to it – embrace it and use it to your advantage. Try to find the positive in every situation, in every event in every thing you do everyday. The ability to put behind you the bad and assimilate the good from every experience is exactly what will take you to the next level and then to the one after that!
Remember: Never, never, never give up!
Intense desire: Desire is not wishing or wanting.
When you wish upon a star…
It all works great in a Disney Movie. And sometimes it even happens in real life; the great law of averages sees to that, but it is not the way you are going to succeed in life. Here is a little mission for you. Go out and ask the first twenty people you know “What they want most in life?” Nineteen of them will not even know what to say to you. But, press them a bit and from their mouths will come things like money, security, happiness, fame and fortune. Perhaps they want to be a writer or an actor, a great sports figure and even the next American Idol, but guaranteed none of them will be able to define what the terms happiness, or fame or even fortune mean. And worse none of them will have a plan with which they have hoped to attain these “wishes.” Success does not respond to a wish.
Success only responds to planning, backed up by strong emotional desires and consistent persistence in the attainment of your goal!
You may want to read that last sentence a few times.
Personalize it and say it to yourself a few hundred times.
Shoot me an email if you need help personalizing that statement.
Benny
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Ya-ttitude 