New Online Courses – Free

Recently some people have had difficulty logging in to their Leadership Skill Center members account because of some problems with the system managing the Online Courses delivery.

To overcome these problems we have completely rebuilt the members area and I hope you will find it works much more smoothly than the previous one.

You will find the new Online Courses area at http://leadershipskillcenter.com/lessons

A number of different courses and other resources are already available there, all of which are free. We will be adding more courses soon.

To access these courses all you need to do is create a new (free) login account and you will be emailed your access details immediately.

Please create your new account as soon as possible, as the old courses area will shortly be removed. Your free courses, eBooks and resources will be available to you as soon as you login.

Looking forward to seeing you in the new Online Courses area soon.

Leading Well – Planting the seeds of success

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.

Powerful Ways to Sharpen Your Memory

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.

FREE 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

Are you becoming a leader?

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?

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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.

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QUOTE OF NOTE

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

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FEATURED PRODUCTThe Art of Influence

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

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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

A really quick favor? I need your opinion, please.

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

Failure and Leadership

LEADING WELL

Helping your leadership grow
from Kerrie Mullins-Gunst

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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

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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.

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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!

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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 –

Leadership 101: What Every Leader Needs to Know –

Developing the Leader Within You –