Leadership Skill Center Blog

I have been working so hard on developing the Leadership Coaching Club I’ve been a little remiss in posting to this blog recently, and even sending out Leading Well, however I can’t let today pass without sharing the importance of this day.

Today, February 18th 2008 marks exactly ten years since KMG Consulting joined the internet age.  

That first website at http://kmgconsulting.com.au looked very different from what you will see today.  (Maybe you even remember it? - If you do, a big Thank you for your support over the past ten years!)

Nowdays it is expected that any serious business will have a website.  But 1998 was a time when there were only about 2.5 million other websites in the whole world, so it was pretty fancy! 

No one knows how many sites there are today.  Some sources say there may be up to 550,000,000,000 with 7.3 million new pages added every day.  I certainly have many more websites now, as you probably know.  But that one was the first one for me so I wanted to share it’s tenth birthday with you.  

Hi there and welcome back for another year.  

If you’ve been lucky enough to have had holidays we hope you feel refreshed and ready for all of the exciting things we have planned for you this year.  We’re determined to make sure 2008 is just great!

Since the last issue of Leading Well our family has had two new additions … kittens called Smokey and Izzy who are (for the moment anyway) curled up asleep and looking adorable just beside the chaos they created moments ago when they were playing with anything in reach.  The brief moment of peace and quiet gives me a chance to let you know about two important things that really can’t wait:

First: 

The Leadership Coaching Club is just about ready to launch and if you are at all interested in joining, you really must make sure your name is on the advance notification list so you get to hear first when it is launched.  This is the only way you will be able to take advantage of the early-bird special offers.  There’s no obligation, and I’m sure you will regret it if you miss out.  Register here:  http://leadershipcoachingclub.com/

Setting up the Leadership Coaching Club has been a lot of work, but I have to say it is looking great and I think you will be really pleased with the way it helps you each month to become even more effective as a leader and manager.  

Second: 

As well as finalizing the Leadership Coaching Club, we have been hard at work on several other projects that I can’t wait to share with you over the next few weeks.  

And one of them is ready for you right now …

We appreciate that not everyone learns in the same way.  Some people like to read to understand information - and that’s how much leadership information is presented.  However, other people prefer to learn by listening or watching.  So we wanted to help those of you who prefer to learn about leadership and management in this way by offering you some useful videos.  

But not just one or two leadership videos!  

We have drawn together the largest collection of leadership and management videos from all over the internet and added it to the Leadership Skill Center so you can access them easily all in one place at any time.  

It’s an amazing collection, with contributions from a myriad of different sources and freely available for anyone at http://leadershipskillcenter.com/tv right now!  If you can’t find some useful videos here, I’ll be amazed.  

Have a look and let us know what you think.  

Kind regards, Kerrie

PS. Here are those links again: For the Leadership Coaching Club pre-launch registration:   http://leadershipcoachingclub.com 

For the largest collection of leadership and management videos: http://leadershipskillcenter.com/tv 

As the year seems to be slipping away I thought it was time to look at the fourth area of leadership focus: Getting Things Done. I hope you enjoy this article on ‘Doing the Important Stuff’.

And remember, the Leadership Coaching Club is coming soon. If you are at all interested in joining after it is open to the public, make sure you register at http://leadershipcoachingclub.com now, so you will be eligible for the very special offers when it is first launched. It will be worth your while!

Kind regards, Kerrie

PS. It’s my birthday later this month so if you read right to the end of this issue of Leading Well, YOU will get a present!

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Doing the Important Stuff

In “First Things First”, the follow-up to Steven Covey’s best-selling self-improvement and motivation book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, he illustrates a highly effective system of time management that can benefit any leader or manager. Covey’s Quadrant method of time management has been adopted throughout the business world: in team building, project management, business meetings, leadership training and seminars to ensure you focus on doing the important stuff.

What Covey has named his Quadrants system is based on the theory that most of us are driven by a consuming sense of urgency. He instructs us to divide all our priorities into the following four quadrants:

Quadrant 1: Important and Urgent – Items in this category are integral to your success and require your immediate attention. They include: situations such as crises, emergencies, appointments, projects that have deadlines, and other pressing problems.

Quadrant 2: Important but Not Urgent – Items in this category are integral to your success but don’t require your immediate attention right now. They include: leadership activities like planning and preparing, preventing future problems, coaching and mentoring staff, building and developing relationships with others, considering new possibilities and opportunities, and balancing activities such as spending time with loved ones, or having fun and creative pursuits.

Quadrant 3: Not Important but Urgent – Items in this category are not integral to your life, but they do demand your immediate attention. They include things that appear pressing on the surface (such as answering an insistent ringing phone or email), but probably don’t have any drastic consequences or repercussions for your success, or that may be able to be done by others or in a different way (someone could take a phone message for example).

Quadrant 4: Not Important and Not Urgent – Items in this category are not integral to your success and don’t need to happen at any particular time (or sometimes at all, for that matter), yet doing them can consume your time and energy. They include: routines, distractions and diversions, time-wasters, and other things you can generally do well without, although sometimes they include things we just like doing that aren’t necessary or important.

What Covey says next about these Quadrants may surprise you.

He warns that the common tendency is for people to get wrapped up in Quadrant 1 & 3 tasks because of their sense of urgency. This typically happens at the expense of the much more important Quadrant 2, which contains many life-enriching and important tasks.

The focus on tasks in Quadrants 1 and 3 is bolstered by the influence of other people’s demands and forces outside yourself, including the impetus of time. Accomplishing urgent tasks in Quadrants 1 & 3 gives us a comforting sense of progress. At least we have achieved something (even if it wasn’t particularly important).

Tasks in Quadrant 4 are what we do to anesthetize ourselves to the stressful effects of an imbalanced concentration of our energy on urgent matters. We often hide in Quadrant 4 tasks, and use them to procrastinate about doing something else, like the more important (and sometimes more difficult) Quadrant 2 tasks.

The paradox is that by spending more time deliberately doing Quadrant 2 tasks, we can avoid many of the crises that fall into the important and urgent tasks of Quadrant 1 and delegate many of the Quadrant 3 and 4 tasks that still need to be done. This frees our time up to focus even more on the leadership tasks in Quadrant 2.

Quadrant 2 is where our true and lasting happiness and our most productive effectiveness resides.

The sorts of tasks that fall into Quadrant 2 are often the ones that we are most likely to procrastinate about or just feel we don’t have time for. But they can be the most important in the longer-term to get your creative juices flowing and achieve significant success.

In addition to the possibilities listed above, Quadrant 2 tasks also include: reading and expanding your mind, developing new skills and abilities, getting physical exercise, engaging in recreation and leisurely activities, devising and implementing systems, preventative activities, and envisioning and shaping your future.

Giving more attention to Quadrant 2 activities will make us more readily able to tackle Quadrant 1 and 3 tasks with ease and efficiency.

Where are you spending your time? Stop for a moment and think about whether you have got the balance right (a Quadrant 2 task) or whether you are letting urgency rule your life.

See QUOTES on ‘Doing the Important Stuff’ below.

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If you ever procrastinate when you should be focussed on ‘Doing the Important Stuff’ you need to read ‘101 Tips for Avoiding Procrastination’. In this 60 page guide you’ll learn all the tricks, methods, and strategies for beating your procrastination habit.

Order now and receive these FREE bonuses:

* Time Management and
* The 3 Most Powerful Ways to Get Yourself to Achieve ANYTHING Despite Pressure, Deadlines and Procrastination

PLUS: - to celebrate my birthday enter this Secret Code: BIRTHDAY-SPECIAL
in Step 2 when you order to save $9 off the cost of this product. Normally ‘101 Tips for Avoiding Procrastination’ is only $17 but for the next few days you can use this Secret Code to pay only $8! (plus GST if you are based in Australia)

That’s more than 50% off the full purchase price and a fantastic bargain! For less than you might pay for lunch you could be well on your way to kicking the procrastination habit and reaping the success you deserve.

More details at:
http://HowLeadersGetThingsDone.com/avoid-procrastination.html

But ignore the price on that page because you are getting a special price. When you get to Step 2 of the order process just enter your Secret Code: BIRTHDAY-SPECIAL and the price will be automatically reduced especially for you.

This Secret Code is only valid up until my birthday on November 25th, after which the regular price will apply. So don’t procrastinate! Order now and start reaping the rewards today.

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TWO QUOTES OF NOTE:

“I’ve been on a calendar, but never on time.”

Marilyn Monroe

“This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we know what to do with it.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

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BOOKS WORTH READING -

“First Things First”
by Steven Covey

“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”
by Stephen R. Covey

Finally, you can not be a good leader until and unless you have good judgment. You must be able to assess situations, weigh the pros and cons of any decision, and actively seek out a solution.

Good leaders develop judgment through experience - and sometimes that means making mistakes. You should not be afraid to make mistakes, but if you do make a mistake you must both learn from it and own up to it. This is how you develop the judgment to avoid other mistakes in the future.

It is this judgment that your subordinates will come to rely upon. Therefore, good decision-making is vital to the success of your team and your organization.

Leaders are not do-it-all heroes. You should not claim to know everything, and you should not rely upon your own skills alone.

You should recognize and take advantage of the skills and talents your subordinates have. Only when you come to the realization that the best teams rely on the different skills and experience of all members will you be able to work as one cohesive team.

Remember being a leader takes a good deal of work and time. It is not learned overnight. And leadership is not about just you. It is about you and the people who work with you. You can develop your leadership skills through the special resources of the Leadership Coaching Club, if you join now.

So, do you have the drive and the desire to serve that is required of leaders? Do you have the desire to work cooperatively with other people? Then start now. Take a stand, develop your skills and make your personal contribution as leader today.

Once you have gained your team’s trust and confidence, you will be able to proceed to communicate the goals and objectives you want to achieve.

Communication is a very important key to good leadership. Without this you can not be a good leader. The knowledge and technical expertise you have must be clearly imparted to other people.

If you struggle to communicate how to do things, you may even find yourself giving up and doing what you should be assigning to others on your team.

Being able to communicate your expectations firmly and clearly, as well as how you want something done is an integral part of leadership. It also lies at the heart of how you coach, mentor and teach others on your team to play their part more fully.

There are many special resources just for members at the Leadership Coaching Club. Join now!

Having a clear sense of hierarchy, knowing who the bosses are and who to talk to, the organization’s goals and objectives, and how the organization works is one way to show others you know what you are doing.

Being a leader is not about what you make others do. It’s about who you are, what you know, and what you do. You are a reflection of what your subordinates must be.

Studies have shown that another basis of good leadership is the trust and confidence your subordinates have in you. If they trust you they will go through many difficulties for you and for the organization.

That trust and confidence is built on good strong relationships, your own trustworthiness, and your personal ethics.

The way you interact with your people, and the relationships you build, will lay the foundation for the strength of your team. The stronger your relationships, the stronger their trust and confidence will be in your capabilities.

You can learn how to lead easily, effectively and effortlessly at the Leadership Coaching Club.

One of the first things you need to be able to do as a leader is to get people to follow you. How can this be accomplished?

People follow others when they see a clear sense of purpose.

This means that people will only follow you if they see that you know where you are going.

Remember that bumper sticker? The one that says, don’t follow me, I’m lost too? The same holds true for leadership. If you yourself do not know where you’re headed to, chances are people will not follow you at all.

You must not only know, but believe in, the vision of your organization. If you have doubts about whether your organization’s vision is valid or achievable your people will not be inclined to follow you. They will doubt your leadership.

Getting people to follow you relies on your capacity to influence and inspire others.

If you need to develop you influencing skills have a look at The Art of Influence audioseminar I did recently with Australia’s expert in influencing skills, Paddy Spruce.

First of all, let’s define leadership. To be a leader, you must be able to influence others to accomplish a goal, or an objective. Leaders contribute to the organization and cohesion of a group.

Contrary to what some people believe, leadership is not about power. It is not about harassing people or driving them using fear.

It is about encouraging others towards the goal of the organization. It is putting everyone on the same page and helping them see the big picture of the organization.

You must be a leader not a boss.

Even though you may have power or authority over others in your organization, one of the paradoxes of leadership is that you will achieve more if you do not need to exert your authority.

You will achieve much more as a leader when you encourage, inspire and motivate people to work together and with you.

___________

Register now for Leadership Coaching Club News so you get advance notice of special offers to celebrate the public launch of the Leadership Coaching Club.

When you are at work, do you get frustrated because things don’t seem to be happening the way they’re supposed to be? Do you see lots of activity, but nothing seems to get accomplished? And in the daily hustle and bustle, do you feel that your goals remain just that - goals. Then maybe its time for you to step up and do something about it.

Most people are content just to stand around listening for orders. And it isn’t unusual to adopt a follow-the-leader mentality. But maybe, somewhere inside of you, you feel the desire to make things happen - to be at the head, not the tail - to be in charge of achieving more.

If so, maybe a leadership role will just suit you.

My experience shows that many great leaders are made, not born. Yes, it may be true that some people are born with natural leadership talents. However, without practice, without drive, without enthusiasm, and without experience, there can be no true development in leadership.

Good leaders are continually working and studying to improve their natural skills. To be a leader you need a commitment to constantly improve in whatever endeavor you choose.

How committed are you?

___________

Coming soon

The Leadership Coaching Club is almost ready for public release. If you are committed to improving your natural skills as a leader and manager you will want to register for Leadership Coaching Club News so you get advance notice before everyone else does. Register here.

Recently I caught up with a group of friends from my university days. It was great fun to hear all about what people were up to after so many years.

One of my friends was describing how her new weekend farming life had captured the interest of her team at her city legal office. So much so that, not long ago, her whole team had volunteered to help out with planting the latest vegetable crop.

“We had a great weekend” she told us. “Some teams might go away to the country for ‘Planning days’ but my team went away for a ‘Planting day’.”

Afterwards, the more I thought about the concept, the more I liked the analogy.

As a leadership specialist, I am often asked to facilitate Strategic and Team Planning events and I can’t think of a better way to describe their purpose than planting seeds for the future.

Planning days aren’t magic wands that fix all your problems. But they do plant the seeds that can be nurtured into your ideal outcomes over time.

If you are fortunate (and your planning event is well facilitated) you may secure agreement on the day from all team members about some of the fundamentals: your team vision and values, how your team roles relate to your organizational mission or purpose, and the essential actions and strategies that will ensure you deliver results.

But any team gathering also offers an opportunity to foster understanding and develop a strong team culture - which takes much longer than a day to achieve. Yet you can plant the seeds for a team that works well together even in difficult times, that supports and respects other team members, that shows initiative and embraces change. And over time these outcomes may be even more powerful than the traditional outcomes of Strategic or Team Planning events.

As with any seeds, planting them is not enough. They have to be nurtured, fed and watered over time before they grow to their full potential. And that is your primary role back in the office as leader of the team.

The nurturing of those powerful seeds of success over time needs to be attended to daily and weekly - in fact every time you interact or meet with your team.

This consistent follow-up to any annual Strategic or Team Planning event can be even more critical than the event itself. In it lies one of the secrets of all successful leaders.

Kind regards, Kerrie

PS. If you are wondering HOW to nurture the seeds of your team’s success, watch out for details about my Leadership Coaching Club, coming soon. If you want to be among the first to know all the details, register at http://leadershipcoachingclub.com and be confident of catching our special launch discount or bonuses.

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QUOTE OF NOTE

“Our great business in life is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.”

Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881)

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DON’T FORGET!

Don’t forget to have a look at ‘Powerful Ways to Sharpen Your Memory - A Guide for Leaders and Managers’ - Now available for instant download. It includes both basic and advanced tools you can use to overcome forgetfulness, remember names, faces, numbers, places, events and more!

I wish I had know some of the things that are in this ebook years ago! So many things would have been so much easier…

Have a look now. There’s a free bonus - just for looking! You can register for the Memory Boost MiniCourse for free and try out just a few of the ideas you’ll discover when you pick up your own copy of Powerful Ways to Sharpen Your Memory.

See http://FreeMemoryCourse.com/sharpen for details.

Well, here it is! One of the top three products requested by the hundreds of people who did my recent quick survey:

“Powerful Ways to Sharpen Your Memory - A Guide for Leaders and Managers”

I have to say this is an area that I personally struggle with, so I was quite pleased that your survey encouraged me to investigate this important leadership skill. And I’m sure you’ll be delighted with the results.

If you are at all like me, life just seems to get busier and busier. There are so many things to be done and even more that need to be remembered.

It’s so easy to forget the little things you meant to do, the name of that new customer you met last week, all those appointments and phone numbers, who agreed to do what after last month’s meeting and all the other things that help us to manage effortlessly.

No matter how good a leader or manager you are, when you forget the face of that client you’ve been calling for weeks or the place you were meant to be meeting your key supplier, it’s not just embarrassing, it could be career limiting!

Yet some people seem to be able to remember such things easily.

Was there a secret? I decided to find out. Because if there was, I wanted to know it!

Well the answer is Yes!

You can improve your memory and it isn’t that hard.

Imagine if you could easily remember all those key details that currently slip your mind. What if you were known for never forgetting a face? or a birthday? or a place?

There are even a few simple tools and techniques that you can learn in minutes and start applying immediately that will improve your memory.

Click this link for all the details of “Powerful Ways to Sharpen Your Memory”:
http://freememorycourse.com/sharpen

To thank you and everyone who took the time to reply to my quick survey I have a special reduced price available, but only for a limited time. The price will be increasing sometime in the next couple of days. If you get in early you will not only get the lowest price, but you will be able to collect some special extra bonuses.

Whether you want to buy or not, please have a look at the details of this ebook - you may even know someone else who would be interested in it - but for everyone who looks at this page now
http://freememorycourse.com/sharpen
I have also left you a free gift: The Memory Boost MiniCourse.

In it you will learn:
* how to remember lists
* an interesting way to remember people’s faces
* how to overcome forgetfulness
* the impact of overlearning
* how your memory works, and more…

It’s yours FREE just for having a look at “Powerful Ways to Sharpen Your Memory”. I hope you enjoy it.

Kind regards, Kerrie

PS. Don’t forget that link again:
http://freememorycourse.com/sharpen

First, a big thank you to everyone who has already taken our very quick survey, to help me decide which of all the projects I have in various stages of completion would be most helpful to you.

( It’s not too late if you haven’t done it yet! Here’s the link:
http://yourquicksurvey.com/2/index.php?sid=1 And it really is just one question! )

To everyone who emailed me saying you wanted them all … I promise we will work on several of them, not just the top one!

In fact we have already been hard at work. So watch out for an email very soon when I expect to be able to announce that one of the top three - as voted by you - is available. I’ll try to organize a special offer to celebrate (but only for the quick movers… so don’t miss out.)

I hope you enjoy today’s article.

Kind regards, Kerrie

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ARE YOU BECOMING A LEADER?

———–

Recently I came across the phrase that ‘Leadership is a process of becoming’.

The author was making the point that, although certain people seem to be born with innate leadership qualities, without the right environment, education and exposure, they may fail to develop their full potential.

It seemed an important point, and totally consistent with what I have observed as I have trained and coached literally hundreds of good leaders over the years.

The very best leaders I have worked with are always in the process of becoming:
* of becoming the best they can be
* of becoming worthy of their role
* of becoming more insightful
* of becoming better listeners
* of becoming better skilled…

In other words, the very best leaders are constantly striving and becoming even better leaders - regardless of their existing level of skill or experience.

So, you can always be learning and becoming a better leader by honing your leadership abilities.

There are two primary ways you can become better at leadership.

First, you can gain knowledge of leadership theories and skills formally by attending leadership seminars, workshops, and conferences, or by working one-on-one with a coach or mentor. (As you know, we help lots of you with this way of becoming a leader.)

Second, your daily interactions with people provide an opportunity to observe other leaders informally and to practice your leadership with others - becoming a leader in the way you work.

Together, formal and informal learning will help you gain leadership attitudes, and leadership insights, and thus further your cycle of learning. Both will help you in the life-long process of becoming a leader.

You do not become a leader one day and just stop. An unending commitment to life-long learning lies at the core of becoming a true leader.

———–

QUOTE OF NOTE

“Whatever you are, be a good one.” Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

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FEATURED PRODUCT

The Art of Influence - How to get what you want from people easily and every time.

Kerrie Mullins-Gunst interviews Paddy Spruce, Australia’s influencing skills expert. Download it now and listen immediately on your iPod or mp3 player - see http://leadershipskillcenter.com/ts/ps/index.html

———–
PS. Don’t forget to watch your email for an announcement about the first product to be released after your votes - coming soon - and with a special offer, just for those who act quickly!

And if you haven’t voted yet here’s the link again:
http://yourquicksurvey.com/2/index.php?sid=1

I wonder if you could spare just one minute to do me a small favor?

I’ve got a challenge. I’ve been going through all the projects I started over the past year, and I’ve got a whole lot of them in various stages of completion. All interesting, and all potentially useful for you. Rather than just guess which ones you’d find most helpful, I figured … why not just ask?

If you could take just one minute to let me know which of them you’d like to have on your desk the most, I’d really appreciate it. Just go to the link below, click on the button next to the one you really want, and click the button at the bottom to submit your vote.

That’s it. No sales pitch. I just really need your opinion. And I appreciate you taking the time. It really will just take a moment.

Here’s the link:

http://yourquicksurvey.com/2/index.php?sid=1

And thanks again.

Kind regards, Kerrie

LEADING WELL

Helping your leadership grow
from Kerrie Mullins-Gunst

* * * * *

In this issue of Leading Well I would like to share with you an article by one of my favorite leadership authors, John C. Maxwell, about failure and how it impacts on our leadership.

Interested? Read on…

But before you do, have you had a look at how you can celebrate with me as I move into my new office? See here for details.

Kind regards, Kerrie

* * * * *

Failing Forward

What are you afraid of as a leader? On the top of many people’s list is failure. Is it on your list too?

J.M. Barrie said, “We are all failures–at least, all the best of us are.”

In my 30-plus years of leadership experience, I’ve come to the conclusion that one of the most valuable but underestimated abilities that leaders can posses is the ability to do what I call “failing forward.” It’s more than having a good attitude about your mistakes, and it’s a step beyond simply taking risks. Failing forward is the ability to get back up after you’ve been knocked down, learn from your mistake, and move forward in a better direction.

You see, everybody makes mistakes. But the real difference between average people and achieving people is their PERCEPTION OF and RESPONSE TO failure. Nothing else has the same kind of impact on people’s ability to accomplish their dreams.

What do you dream of accomplishing? Unfortunately, no matter how gifted or knowledgeable you are, you will make mistakes along the way to your dream. Failure is the price you must pay on the road to success. That’s just how it works. But the good news is that the better you are at failing forward, the sooner you can accomplish your dreams.

Before you put away your list of resolutions for this year, look at the following misconceptions about failure. Take an honest inventory to determine if your perception of failure is what it should be. If you share any of these misconceptions, add to your list the resolution to change the way you think about failure.

PEOPLE THINK FAILURE IS AVOIDABLE. IT’S NOT.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “To err is human, to forgive divine.” That was written by Alexander Pope more than 250 years ago. And he was only paraphrasing a saying that was common 2,000 years ago, during the time of the Romans. Things today are the same as they were then: People make mistakes.

Don’t buy into the notion that mistakes can somehow be avoided. They can’t be. Accept that you will err because you’re human, but don’t let that keep you from pursuing your dreams.

= = = // = = =

Speaking of dreams - thank you to everyone who has sent us all those good wishes for our move into the new office and house. We value your kind words. If you haven’t already joined in the celebrations with us see http://leadershipskillcenter.com/movingsale for details of how you can join the party too. But move quickly, there isn’t much time left!

= = = // = = =

PEOPLE THINK FAILURE IS AN EVENT. IT’S NOT.

Think about your school days. If you or someone you knew received an F on a test, the tendency was to think that you failed at that moment. However, that’s not the case. The F shows that the test taker neglected the process leading up to the test and the result was a poor score. The truth is that you don’t receive F’s for failing a test, but for failing to prepare for a test.

Failure is just like success - it’s a day-to-day process, not someplace you arrive one day. Failure is not a one time event, it’s how you deal with life along the way. Yes, you will make mistakes, but you can’t conclude that you’re a failure until you breathe your last breath. Until then, you’re still in the process, and there is still time to turn things around for the better.

PEOPLE THINK FAILURE IS OBJECTIVE. IT’S NOT.

When you forget a meeting, miss a deadline, damage a relationship, or make a poor choice concerning your children, what determines whether that action was a failure? Is it the size of the problem it creates, the amount of money your company loses, or how much criticism you have to endure? No. The truth is that only you are the only person who can label what you do a failure. Failure is subjective. Your perception of and response to your mistakes determine whether they are failures.

According to Tulane University business professor Lisa Amos, entrepreneurs fail in an average of 3.8 business ventures before they finally make it. They aren’t deterred by mistakes or adversity because they don’t see setbacks as failures. They recognize that three steps forward and two steps back still equals one step forward. Determine to see your mistakes as merely temporary lapses, and start using them as stepping stones to success.

PEOPLE THINK FAILURE IS THE ENEMY. IT’S NOT.

Most people try to avoid failure like the plague. They’re afraid of it. But it takes adversity to create success. NBA coach Rick Pitino says, “Failure is good. It’s fertilizer. Everything I’ve learned about coaching I’ve learned from making mistakes.”

If you desire to be a high achiever you can’t see mistakes as the enemy. Musicologist Eloise Ristad emphasizes that, “when we give ourselves permission to fail, we at the same time give ourselves permission to excel.” She’s right. Begin to perceive mistakes as opportunities rather than opponents.

PEOPLE THINK FAILURE IS IRREVERSIBLE. IT’S NOT.

There’s an old saying in Texas that goes: “It doesn’t matter how much milk you spill as long as you don’t lose your cow.” In other words, mistakes are not irreversible. The problems come when you see only the “spilled milk” and not the bigger picture.

Tom Peters wisely acknowledged, “If silly things were not done, intelligent things would never happen.” When you make a mistake, keep things in perspective. Understand that on the heels of every mistake is a valuable lesson and another opportunity to improve.

Washington Irving once noted, “Great minds have purposes; others have wishes. Little minds are subdued by misfortunes; but great minds rise above them.” If you tend to focus on the extremes of mistakes and fixate on particular events in your life, make a resolution to gain a new perspective on failure. See errors and negative experiences as a regular part of life and determine to learn and grow from them. If you can do that well, you may find that your dreams are much closer than you think.

This article by John C. Maxwell was provided by ChristianBusinessDaily.com — The Online Network for Christians in Business. Your source for news, articles, and commentary from a biblical perspective.

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QUOTE OF NOTE

“We seem to gain wisdom more readily through our failures than through our successes. We always think of failure as the antithesis of success, but it isn’t. Success often lies just the other side of failure.”

Leo F. Buscaglia (1924-1998)

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BOOKS WORTH READING

You may like to look at these Books Worth Reading by John C Maxwell -

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership -
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0785274316/kmg

Leadership 101: What Every Leader Needs to Know -
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0785264191/kmg

Developing the Leader Within You -
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0785281126/kmg

This is just a quick note to share some exciting news that explains why you haven’t heard from me for a bit.

Finally, after 2 years and 3 months of demolishing and rebuilding, we are in the midst of moving, unpacking and settling into our brand new house and office…

As soon as I get a chance I will share a very special way you can celebrate with us, so check back here or watch your email over the next couple of days.

Kind regards, Kerrie

PS. Don’t forget to watch out for your next message from me soon, so you can join in the celebrations.