Category Archives: Uncategorized

Passion for Life

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My Mother taught me how to live a passionate life.
Passion comes in many shapes and sizes. When you hear the word passion, you may automatically picture your relationship or a visual may be created in your mind. If you were sitting with a therapist and he or she asked you to respond through word association you might blurt out a hobby or your work. Perhaps a material item would be the first word you would utter. Passion is unique to each one of us.

Here are five questions that I would like you to give some thought to. If you grab a pen and paper and write down your answers you will be able to apply an individual message:

1. What comes to your mind when you hear the word passion?
2. What do you have passion for?
3. How would passion help you achieve your goals?
4. Who is someone in your life that exudes passion and what can you learn from them?
5. What are some things you can do to help reignite passion for those areas in your life that are most important to you?

Some may believe that they are passionless, that life is a routine. I would challenge that thought and pose the question of what brings about a smile or a lightness to your heart? That is the beginning seed of passion.
I have gone through cycles in my life where I exuded more passion for something or someone. Typically I can think about what triggered that increase. When I identify that trigger I can recreate it to experience that deeper passion that I desire.

I love observing individuals who show passion for their work. I am blessed to work with such incredible human beings. I will never forget participating in a worldwide conference where I was able to observe the leaders of my organization present to a group of 20,000 individuals. They radiated an intensity and passion for life as they participated in the conference and as they listened to each other present. Such intensity or passion has been the success of these individuals.

There may be some things in your life or business that may be drudgery. However, if you can focus your energy on those things you have passion for the balance of your life will be filled with more of the things you desire. We attract those things we think about. If you are not happy with something, take the steps to change it.

The secret to life is passion and living in the moment.

Servant Leaders

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Lighthouse

Last week in the article “The Extra Mile”, the reference “servant leader” was used to describe the general manager of a historical hotel where I had one of the most memorable service encounters of my life. So that you can see I keep my promises, let’s explore together what a servant leader typifies.

What comes to your mind as we use the term “Servant Leader?” Do you have a positive reaction to the term or do you believe it describes someone with weak qualities? I have found some of the individuals in my life who are my heroes, own this time-honored and obtainable, guiding value. To be a Servant Leader you recognize those whom you serve are the most valuable asset to your organization. Your job is to enable those you oversee or lead to be able to do their job to the highest degree.

Servant Leaders have many attributes. Some of the most important attributes they have is the ability to inspire, lift and empower those they lead. I love the word inspire. This word means to give breath or life. Think back with me on those who have inspired you the most throughout your life. Hope this brings a smile to your face. These individuals are willing to put others ahead of themselves. They understand if we seek each other’s interest we all prosper rather than just the individual.

Perhaps you are trying to learn how to be a Servant Leader but are afraid you are giving up control. The highest form of control is self-control. When you exercise self-control, you have the ability to determine how you will react in any given situation. Let me share with you an experience by Frank Koch from The Naval Institute magazine, “Proceedings.”

Two battleships had been on training assignments at sea for several days in extreme weather conditions. Frank Koch was serving on the lead battleship and was standing watch on the bridge as nightfall came. Due to poor visibility and patchy fog the captain remained on the bridge overseeing all the activities.

Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing of the bridge reported, “Light, bearing on the starboard bow.” The captain asked, “Is it steady or moving astern?” Lookout replied, “Steady, captain,” which meant we were on a collision course with the other ship. The captain then ordered the signalman, “signal that ship: we are on a collision course, advise you change course 20 degrees.” Back came a signal, “advisable for you to change course 20 degrees.” The captain said, “I’m a captain, change course 20 degrees.” “I’m a seaman second class,” came the reply. “You had better change course 20 degrees.” By that time, the captain was furious. He spat out, “I’m a battleship. Change course 20 degrees.” Back came the flashing light, “I’m a lighthouse.” The battleship changed course.

Lighthouses don’t move. Guided by principles and laws. We have the privilege of developing qualities. By following guiding principles if developed from our conscience, will not run us to dry ground.

We can become the type of individuals who will inspire others to be the best they can be and provide exceptional service. The more you practice following your conscience the stronger it will become. The result will be one of pleasure and prosperity throughout all areas of your life. True joy comes from positive interactions with others. May you have the courage to listen and obey your conscience throughout your life and to be able to teach others to do the same.

The Extra Mile

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The Extra Mile

The Extra Mile

A colleague and I were meeting in my office and he made a comment about a plaque hanging on the wall. This plaque has a doorknob protruding out from it and he asked what the story was behind the doorknob. This question brought a smile to my face as I recounted to him why and how I was presented with this honor.

This doorknob is a relic from a historical hotel in Cincinnati, Ohio. The beautiful hotel hosted several past United States presidents and Hollywood actors such as Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, The Beatles, and a multitude of others throughout the years. The reason they gave me this beautiful recognition plaque was because I was involved in bringing a new revenue stream to their already successful organization.

As I shared this story, my memory was reignited about the incredible service our group received while staying there. It all started when I entered my suite.

The General Manager would be labeled today as a “Servant Leader.” We will cover that term and what it all entails in next week’s issue. As I entered my suite after a long travel day, he was actually doing some last minute touch-up vacuuming and overseeing my arrival.

In all the travel that I have done throughout my years, this was a first! We soon came to understand that this was not a first for him or this organization. At every turn whenever we needed something they delivered, and if they could not deliver they would let us know and offer alternatives. He especially was very good at anticipating our needs. While discussing logistics on a daily basis he would hover closely and really listen to what we were saying to see if his organization could go the extra mile.

That week was one of the most enjoyable experiences in my professional life. The entire organization was courteous, respectful and discreet as they performed their individual roles. It made me contemplate how they made this a part of their culture and how they instilled in new employees this value of great service.

It obviously started at the top and was expected of everyone in his or her respective role. I asked this General Manager about how they handled those who did not comply. He told me they exercised discipline with their performance evaluation and feedback system. Individuals were warned and if the expectation was not met they were fired. I have often thought back on that conversation.

What can you take away from this experience? I learned that if I expect certain behaviors from those individuals in my life that I lead, whether it is professionally or personally, I must set the tone and the example. We can also take away that discipline is key to success. How often do we let things go or rationalize people’s behavior? Perhaps if we start expecting exceptional service we will start to see that happening time and time again in our lives.

Is it hard to go the extra mile? Not really, if you expend just a little more effort, the rewards could potentially be tripled, if not more. Others may or may not see your efforts, but deep inside you will know that you were true to your internal compass. That will breed happiness and peace throughout your life. May you have the courage to push yourself to go the extra mile and enjoy the results of your labors!

Service and Chopsticks

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What do chopsticks have to do with service? Chopsticks

Last week we explored elements of a positive service experience for both the giver and the receiver. Today I was pondering how you would teach good service to an employee or an individual that you are trying to mentor even if that person has never good experienced service before.

It would be hard for them to deliver exceptional service if they had not experienced exceptional service before. They would not know what to do when confronted with the different types of service scenarios that could occur, so there would be a disconnect or missing link for that individual.

One great way of teaching is leading by example. One way to get your students to learn is to get them to teach you. While eating lunch with chopsticks one day I was contemplating this learning by teaching and it reminded me of a personal experience when I thought I would never be able to learn, as I had instructor after instructor try to teach me.

The story goes like this – I was raised on an Idaho farm and ranch. I spent my summer competing in rodeo events, driving cattle and pulling weeds in the sugar beet fields. Eating out was a true luxury because the nearest town was a good distance away and I have five brothers and two sisters. When we did eat out, it was typically a hamburger stand.

On very special occasions my parents would go to a Chinese restaurant that was 50 miles away. A few of us kids got to attend a couple of those occasions and because I was naïve to the tastes of different ethic foods, I always opted for the one “American” dish on the menu. After one of those dinners, I remember my Mom serving some of the leftovers and I thought I would try a bite and you guessed it, I was hooked! Oriental food and all its varieties now happen to be one of my favorite foods. I love to cook them, smell them, and lastly eat them!

As I moved away from home and started my adult life I was traveling all over the country and when I would have oriental food the people I was with or the wait staff at the restaurant would try to teach me how to use chopsticks. This went on for twelve years. Every new person that I had oriental food with would try to teach me their way of using chopsticks.

One evening I was dining alone and sitting at a Sushi Bar and got into a conversation with a gentleman about chopsticks, he said: “Linda, just pick them up in your hand, don’t think about it, and practice picking up the larger pieces.” I tried, missed, tried several more times and finally as time went on, I was eating with chopsticks and today can even pick up a grain of rice.

What does this teach us? First off, when you have experienced something that someone is trying to teach you, and you try their way exactly you may not ever get it right. You may find that with applying your own unique style, your outcome is the same or perhaps better when a variation on the skill was implemented. Also, we learn that we each are given innate hardware.

Even if we have never experienced great service in our lives, the ability to give great service can be learned and can be delivered with our own style and signature. The best way to learn something is to teach it – so with those you lead or have stewardship over get them to teach you what great service is to them and they will deliver far above your expectations.

We are born with a birthright to succeed that applies to giving great service and even learning how to use chopsticks!

Service and You

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Place Setting

Have you ever thought about all of the components in going out for dinner? There are many factors that affect the dining experience. The same could be said of going on a vacation or buying a piece of furniture or buying a car. You may be wondering what common thread could be intertwined with all these different scenarios. The answer is service.

Now before you tell yourself “I have heard this before”, let me share with you some of my perspective on the service experience. First off, you have “heard this before!” Most of you started hearing about service and experiencing it at a very early age, and if so, you are one of the lucky and highly blessed humans to be walking the face of the earth. There is a difference between “hearing” and experiencing. In the next few articles I am going to share with you the elements in experiencing and delivering a positive service experience.

There needs to be more service in world. We have become a society of rushing to this and hurrying to that; the sense of connecting to the individual is in my opinion a dying art. Many individuals, myself included, never “stop and smell the roses,” in fact many times we don’t even see the “roses.” The overall message of these upcoming articles is that everyone can contribute positively or negatively to each service experience, whether you are on the giving or receiving end.

The principals that we will cover are universal. They can be applied in all professional settings and industries and their effect can be felt in your individual lives. Service is not just about your companies Customer Service Department. Service can affect employee morale, it can impact that multi-million business deal and bend the scales to your favor in getting hired to the company of your dreams.

Our society is very self-centered and celebrates rudeness. But if we stop and notice our behavior and how we treat others and their responses to our actions we can turn a negative experience in to a positive one. The “Golden Rule” is truly a timeless principal and if exercised religiously can be the cause and effect of true fulfillment and potential financial freedom.

We will cover, through case studies and stories, the impact positive service experience can create and the lasting affects. We will walk through the process of teaching service to others you may have leadership responsibilities for. We will analyze the power of internal and external moral factors and its effect on the service experience. We will provide tips on how to turn a service experience around; when it’s going south and you need to turn it to the North. These are just a few of the topics we will explore.

I look forward to taking this journey with you.

Nothing Is Impossible

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As I contemplate how to succeed at any given task I’m reminded of a talk that I gave too many years ago to count. The theme of the talk was ‘Nothing Is Impossible.’ I was pretty young when I gave it but it has stuck in me ever since. In fact, whenever I’m told that something is impossible I set out to prove that opinion wrong. Yes being stubborn is probably a trait I exude.

Here are some thoughts on how to approach projects and those areas I want to succeed in. First, research what the task is and how to accomplish it becomes the launch point. Especially if it is something new. I have had the opportunity to work in several industries. Each time I have had to learn as much as I possibly could about the industry so that I could begin teaching the particular focus for the moment.

Second, have an end in mind or what the goal is helps to lay out a path to completion. Goals are the lifeblood for moving forward and experiencing fulfillment. Next is discipline. Sticking to whatever you are trying to conquer builds strength and the more you try the sooner you will achieve. The statement ‘it’s a numbers game,’ is so accurate in many aspects of life such as business, sales, dating, and job hunting.

I’ve watched this repeatedly in my children’s lives. When my youngest was trying to pass his driver’s exam. He was struggling with parking. He was committed to conquering this part of the driving exam. He would practice over and over and I would get dizzy riding with him but he did master parking and received his license.

Keep positive individuals on your team and dismiss the negative influences. It wastes energy, your energy when you get pulled in a negative loop.

Task lists will help keep you focused. Whatever you focus on you get. Think about it. The more you ponder this statement the more you realize how true a statement that is. The trick is to focus on what you DO want and not on what you don’t.

Lastly, follow up. Follow up and follow through will make the difference in your success especially when you are dealing with others. When you commit to do something – just do it. Feeling that sense of accomplishment is where the highest high can be generated.

I know you can do it. I have faith in you and your ability to achieve whatever you can dream.

No Pain – No Gain

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERALet’s face it we are in the midst of challenging times. Uncertainty lies in every corner. Some would believe that there is no hope. No hope for tomorrow or hope for our children. Despair drains from us all that is vibrant and joyful and leaves behind the empty remnants of what life was meant to be. Despair kills ambition, advances sickness, pollutes the soul, and deadens the heart. Despair can seem like a staircase that leads only and forever downward.

Now that you are feeling depressed, what do you think? What do you feel deep down inside of you? Do you believe there is no hope and that all is lost? Maybe you have experienced in your life occasions where you felt this sense of despair. What did you do to bring yourself through that dark personal corner? If you are in that place right now, do you have what it takes to pull yourself through?

Challenging times can be a gift if we have a full perspective. As you think through experiences in your life and/or business, think about the times when you believed or thought you couldn’t make it through another day. Can you see now because you went through that difficulty you are stronger and better prepared to face the next storm?

There is a saying that is used in many contexts, “no pain no gain.” We need opposition in all things. Opposition is actually a gift. It can be one of our greatest gifts if we let it. How do you maintain hope? First let’s define hope. What is it? Webster defines hope as to cherish a desire with anticipation and to expect with confidence. Dieter F. Uchtdorf once wrote, “Hope is like the beam of sunlight rising up and above the horizon of our present circumstances. It pierces the darkness with a brilliant dawn. It encourages and inspires us.”

How do we keep hope alive? A seed that we plant will never take root if we ignore or neglect the seed. That is true within a variety of areas in our lives. What do you do? I would love to hear and learn from you. Let me share some of my thoughts.

1. List out all the things that are good in your life. Starting or maintaining a gratitude journal can keep you going in the right direction.

2. Turn off the negativity. If you continually bombard your mind with the negativity around you, it will pull you down. It will de-energize your spirit. If you find yourself in negative conversations or around individuals that dwell on the negativity in their own lives – try to gracefully remove yourself from the situations. You don’t need it!

3. Set goals. If you are always looking to the future it can only help to breed hope. If you have never gone through this formal process, start today by writing down at least five goals you would like to achieve in the near future. You will be amazed as you look back at this list and realize that most, if not all, items were achieved. Then when you are faced with another trial in your life, reflect on those goals that you have achieved in the past and it will continue to inspire you even in dark days.

4. Laugh a good belly laugh at least once a day. It is amazing how this will clear your mind, improve your outlook and work your abs at the same time! I believe we all need to laugh more!

5. Believe. One day when I went to work years ago, and sitting on my desk was a beautiful polished rock engraved with this word. It has stood as a reminder to me that when life gets dark – just believe. With that belief, more hope and more faith will naturally result.

A childhood story and one that I have read throughout the years to my children is, “The Little Engine Who Could.” This little engine is faced with a big hill to climb and very slowly and with trepidation starts moving up the hill. All the time telling itself, “I think I can, I think I can.” As more momentum takes place this little engine is more confident and “I think I can” becomes to feel stronger and is louder when eventually the little engine states I know I can. Belief, faith, and hope then result into knowledge then finally success.

Like all great leaders, Abraham Lincoln, Julius Caesar, and Gandhi, they have risen above adversity and despair. They have persevered and realized their goals and dreams and because they never gave up, they affected the lives of thousands and millions in some cases.

You too can persevere, you too will get through the challenges that life has to offer and with a long range perspective come out as the conqueror. May we all build one another up and cheer one another along our individual paths – by doing so our joy will be rich and rewarding!

No Man (or Woman) Is An Island

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Island

For years I had heard this phrase and didn’t think much about it. Then one day a very close relative made a choice with his life that had a ripple effect. I then understood this very profound phrase and have reflected upon it often.

What we do or do not do affects those around us and involved in our lives and business. There are hard working and smart individuals who with sheer will alone can do amazing things. However, the power of two or more is when the ROE occurs. What is ROE? It is Return On Energy.

The trick is to find those partners or team members who we feel that energy electrified. We don’t have to go it alone. Partnering with an individual or an organization can help us move to the next level.

Here are some tools to identify a good fit:

1. Share the same principles. It will serve you in the long run. Research and securing references will guide you in the decision of whom to joint venture with or not.

2. Determine if they are a competitor, or can a synergistic relationship occur? Often times combining forces with a competitor will help you both succeed in the long run.

3. Add complimentary services or products to your business. Selecting those joint ventures where it makes business, marketing and even branding sense will pave the wave of opportunity for you.

4. Implement effective communication strategies. Communication will be the secret to a positive relationship. Constant follow up and discussed strategic planning will move your combined goals and efforts along the path to success.

5. Set goals and milestones. If you plan your goals and set milestones you will be able to measure whether the joint venture was successful.

It is hard to trust others when you have experienced a bad situation. Doing your due diligence ahead of time will help prevent potential pitfalls or disappointments. Sometimes saying no to proposed opportunities are the best course of action. It pays to be picky.

As you are selecting partners look for individuals or groups who have strengths that you are missing and that you have identified would help your business grow. By doing this you will be creating a win-win solution and your ROE will be intensified.

The same holds true for personal relationships. Creating a complimentary team where all stakeholders feel invested, supported and affirmed will produce a positive and successful outcome.

Your decisions and path will affect many lives. By being strategic you can chart an excellent future no matter what had occurred in the past. That is the beauty of a new day!

Love it or hate it

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Facebook icon

Sleeping schedule, latest gadget, moving – what do all of these things have in common? They were all mentioned on a social networking site. Love it or hate it, social networking is here to stay. It is interesting to hear an individual’s opinion of sites such as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. Some love the sites and admit to spending way too much time on them while others refuse to use them and don’t want to be found, followed or linked. If you use this medium correctly you can build your personal brand and grow your business.

I started my social networking years ago with my professional network. I am a big believer in networking period. In fact you can check out my past article – Add 40 years to your life. Human beings need to feel connected and the busier life gets we often put relationships on hold. This decision is not necessarily on purpose but days pass and our good intentions of sending a note to say hello are missed. Social networking and the ease with which it can be done can renew past relationships and create new ones.

There are many purposes to social networking. As with anything I suggest you have a plan and a purpose behind what you do. Being cognizant of what you put on a social site will serve you in many ways. The internet is a powerful tool but remembering whatever is put out there is imprinted and hard if not impossible to remove.

Here are some tips to leverage your social networking activities:

1. Fill out the profile
2. Keep information current
3. Areas of expertise should be completed
4. Join groups
5. Comment on the threads for different groups
6. Do not use the Social site solely for prospecting – give useful content and local information. Become the goto expert for your network.
7. Add links to your website
8. Add relevant data to your message and plan

Each site has it strengths and audience opportunities. There are also ways to become efficient in your social networking activities. Hootsuite is once such application where you can add all your networking sites and cross post. It’s wonderful!

As time goes on and your content becomes sought after you will find that your audience will grow and the opportunities become endless with little out of pocket costs. Discipline will be key and keeping your priorities in mind as you work your plan. Instead of 40 years being added to your life maybe 60 years will be your blessing.

Million-Dollar Contact

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Dollar sign

You never know who will be your next million-dollar contact – so the trick to being prepared is to treat everyone whom you associate with as if they already were your million-dollar client, buyer and/or associate. Your ability to be respected and liked by a multitude of personalities is pivotal to your success in any aspect of professional or even your personal life.

I heard this quote from C.S. Lewis a few years ago and it has resonated with me. He stated, “Surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best evidence for what sort of man he is? Surely what pops out before the man has time to put on a disguise is the truth? If there are rats in a cellar you are most likely to see them if you go in very suddenly. But the suddenness does not create the rats: it only prevents them from hiding. In the same way the suddenness of the provocation does not make me an ill-tempered man; it only shows what an ill-tempered man I am. The rats are always in the cellar, but if you go in shouting and noisily they will have taken cover before you switch on the light.”

What I have learned from this is that my true character is always the foundation of who I am and affects how I treat everyone I come in contact with. Some people believe that humans cannot change; that who you are and how you act is and will always be set in stone. I also know from personal experience that is NOT true. For I have seen my own and others character transform authentically when consciously worked upon – where eventually it become subconscious. Life is a gift that if we seize the opportunity to learn and grow and change its beauty will flourish and the wealth we experience will grow in all aspects of our lives.

You can become a magnet to others through, consciously deciding to do so.

How do you treat those whom you meet as if they were a million-dollar contact? Let’s begin with a few steps:

1. Smile at everyone you meet. Now in some parts of the country or even the world this may go against your culture, your personality or even your nature. But let me put it to you this way, how do you feel when a newborn smiles at you? Does that simple gesture infuse you with warmth? Does it bring a smile to your face? Smiling is the key to your ability to succeed.

2. Make eye contact. The window to everyone’s soul is through his or her eyes. When you make eye contact you are acknowledging their existence and you are exuding confidence and imparting the feeling of trust.

3. Logging the individual’s first name to memory. This personally has been a hard thing for me to do, but as I traveled and spoke in countries around the world, I made it a game to tie the individual’s first name to a hobby or interest of theirs.

4. Ask questions. Asking questions is a great way to connect and show interest in everyone you deal with. It is through questions that synergistic opportunities are created.

5. Being responsive. After you have met the new contact and established an opportunity to follow-up be sure to make it a priority. Especially if you have made promises. It surprises me when people are surprised that I am responsive. This habit has served me well throughout my life.

You never know when you are meeting and networking with others what opportunities lie in the future, either through the first degree contact or even the seventh. By making small changes to how you interact with others, you can bring million dollar returns today and tomorrow.
As I look back over my life, I can tie every positive thing that has happened to me because of the individuals whose path I had the opportunity to cross. I know when I consciously make an effort to treat everyone I meet with as if they were a million-dollar contact I have experienced happiness and peace within myself. At the end of the day we all are incredible to degrees we can’t physically or emotionally comprehend. May you realize your potential through these simple steps.