Business Keys To Success: Lead By Giving Others Energy

Mark Twain once said, “If you want energy go out and give it to someone else.”  Over the years I have been fortunate to lead not only businesses but several volunteer organizations.  The ones where we had the greatest success is where all of us were creating energy.

Yet, many self-employed business owners, entrepreneurs, solo professionals, corporate managers and corporate executives are unknowingly sabotaging themselves by not bringing or giving energy in their business or workplace.

Leadership is defined many ways.  One of my favorites that I use in my personal business coaching practice is this:  “Leadership is creating in others today, a future willingness to follow you into something new for the sake of something great.”  Something new can run the spectrum from incremental refinements to wholesale change.

Energy Creates Interest

Without energy you can become less interesting to follow.  Energy can come from your steadfastness of purpose and your commitment to succeed.  It can come from bringing enthusiasm to what you do.  There are many ways to bring energy through your words and actions.

To have long-term success, whether you are a self-employed business owner running a small business or a corporate executive with hundreds or thousands of employees, you must bring energy.  Small business success, or corporate success for that matter depend on many things.  But there is one characteristic of any enterprise that is heading toward going out of business.  It has lost its positive energy and momentum.

Positive Energy Is Key

 Psychologist Henry H. Goddard conducted a study on energy levels in children using and instrument he called the “ergograph.”  His findings were fascinating.  He discovered that when tired children were given a word of praise or commendation, the ergograph showed an immediate upward surge of energy in the children.

When the children were criticized or discouraged, the ergograph showed that their physical energy took a sudden nosedive.  You may have already discovered this intuitively.

When someone praises you, doesn’t your energy go up?  And when you are criticized, doesn’t that comment drag you down?  Words have great power.

What Kind Of Environment Is Your Energy Creating?

Your words and actions create your environment.  Are your words and actions leading to small business growth?  Think of what things would be like and what you could create if your were affirming people not only when you first meet them but on an ongoing basis.  Not only would you be encouraging them but you would also become an energy carrier.

Being an energy carrier is a good thing for leadership.  Whenever you walk into a room, the people would light up!  You would help to create the kind of environment everyone loves.  Just your presence alone would brighten people’s days.

Bring energy to yourself and others.  It will improve your leadership, your business and your life.  As Mark Twain pointed out if we want energy we have to go out and give it to others.  Create a positive environment of affirmation.  Lead with energy.

Business Keys To Success: When To Make Decisions

Decisions-Take The Time

Very often we make decisions without even thinking about the context in which we are making them.  This can lead to some bad consequences.  Are things going well?  Are they going badly?  Are you under a lot of stress?  Remember there is good stress and bad stress.  And bad stress is called “distress.”

When making decisions, especially the major ones we need to step back and understand where we are at.

Decisions When Things Aren’t Going Well

For the self-employed business owner, entrepreneur, solo professional, corporate executive or corporate manager decisions are made very often when things aren’t going well on a particular day.  As a personal business coach I have observed how many times my clients and even myself have made major decisions on a day when things aren’t going well.

Small business success and growth are about the business owner’s ability to make good decisions.  And to be successful whether you are starting your own business or running a small business requires that you make many good decisions.

What happens is that the decisions are made more to look for relief in the emotional valley instead of waiting for the clarity that comes from being on the mountaintop.  Why does this happen?  Because it takes a lot of effort to get to the mountaintop and when we are in the valley we won’t put in the energy necessary for good decisions .

And as John Maxwell says, “…when you’re experiencing the darkness of the valley, it’s always tempting to make changes that you hope will relieve the discomfort.”

Decisions from the Mountaintop

Maxwell goes on to say the time to make decisions is when you are at the top of the proverbial mountain.  Here’s why:

You can see your situation more clearly

You are moving to something, not just from something.

You leave those around you in a better position.

You decide using positive data, not negative

You are more likely to move from peak to peak instead of valley to valley.

Decisions-When to Make Them

When you’re in the valley, the most important thing you can do is persevere.  If you keep fighting, as Maxwell says in his book, The Difference Maker, “you will get a second wind.”  It is said that only when runners are exhausted enough to reach that place do they find out what they can truly accomplish.

If you keep persevering while you are in the valley, not only will you likely make it to higher ground where you can make better decisions, but you will also have developed character which will serve you well throughout life.

Therefore, use the clarity of mountaintop moments to make major decisions.

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The Law Of The Team

At this time in my life, virtually everything I do is a team effort.  In my personal business coaching, public speaking and career coaching I have a team to support me.  But, when I was younger, I used to try to do everything myself.  Or, as my businesses grew, I would try to know everything in detail about all aspects of the business even though I had turned over many aspects to my team members.

The truth is that this approach held back my growth as a self-employed business owner and the growth of my business. Smallbusiness growth and small business success are about developing a good team.  Any business that grows has a team or teams supporting that growth.

Team Means Letting Go

For most self-employed business owners, entrepreneurs or solo professionals there is a huge focus on control.  Yet as their businesses grow they still bring the mentality “I’m going to have to do it if it is to be done right.”  They hire people and build a team but they are disempowering them at the same time.

How?  They don’t trust them.  The number one cause of team dysfunction is lack of trust.  The little secret of growth is this.  You have to let go in order to grow.  To let go successfully, you must have systems and processes in place where all team members can be held accountable.

Team Means Amplification

In my personal business coaching practice, my team makes me better than I am.  When I recognize a situation with a client that needs to move forward very often I bring in an expert.  A good example is in the area of human resources.  As a small business grows it must have an employee handbook, performance reviews and policies and procedures.

When that is needed I bring in an expert in human resources to assist with the process.  She is part of my team.  And, at the same time, she amplifies the value I bring to my business coaching clients.

How does she do that?  She makes me better than I am.  As part of my team she multiplies my value to others.  And most importantly, she enables me to focus on what I do best, business coaching where I am focusing on creating and designing the pathways my clients want to have the future they desire.

Your Team Is Your Financial Nest Egg

for the future is just like developing a financial nest egg.  It may start slowly, but what you pout in brings a high return—similar to the way compound interest works with finances.

How does my team help me build that nest egg?  I have an organization that does my SEO work which helps my websites rank higher which in turn brings me business.  My accountant keeps track of and keeps me on track financially.

My team and the team you can develop will do many things.  Your team can give you more time.  Your team can represent you in things such as the example I gave in human resources.  Your team can provide a sense of community.  And most importantly your team can help you fulfill the desires you have for the future you want to create.

Develop your team and watch the law of the team work for you.

Business Keys To Success: You Are Responsible For Your Attitudes

Life is full of surprises, and the adjustment of our attitudes is a lifelong project.  Think about your destiny in business and life.  It will never be determined by our complaining spirits or high expectations.  In my business coaching practice and in my own life I had to come face to face with my attitudes.

For myself, self-employed business owners, entrepreneurs, solo professionals, corporate managers and all individuals our attitudes are what will determine in large part our destiny.

We Choose The Attitudes We Have Now

And it is an ongoing choice.  And it surprises me, the large number of adults who fail to take responsibility for their attitudes.  If they are unhappy they may something like, “I got up on the wrong side of the bed.”

If failure begins to repeat itself in their lives they often say, “I was born on the wrong side of the tracks.”

When their lives aren’t progressing while others and their family are still on the rise they may say, “Things would be different if only the birth order was different in my family.”

Whether you are running a small business or starting your own business it is a continual challenge to adjust your attitudes.

Attitudes 

In all of the above examples there was one common thread.  There is blame for everyone else or circumstances for their problems.

When a marriage fails they believe they married the wrong person.  When someone else gets a promotion they wanted, it’s because they are in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Yes, in the words of Rose Ann, Rose Anna Danna, “It’s always something.”  It’s always something except for them and their attitude.

Attitudes-A Summary 

When John Maxwell talks about attitudes he has a great summary.

The pessimist complains about the wind.

The optimist expects it to change.

The leader adjusts the sails.

To be the leader in your life you must adjust your attitudes.  The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total responsibility for our attitudes.  That is the day we truly grow up.  When you grow up you choose to be responsible for your attitudes and how you view your circumstances.

To have small business and personal success be the leader in your life.  Adjust the sails.  With the right attitudes you will create the circumstances to have the business and life you desire.