Author Archives

Leadership is NOT for the Faint of Heart – Be Lion Hearted

Laura R. Novakowski, President, Positive Power Strategies, Inc.

On the leadership journey, many challenges crop up that cause fear and trepidation. Time marches on and all too often leaders today are allowing circumstances and events to stop progress. Risk aversion prevails. Opportunities overlooked. Playing is safe supports mediocrity. Criticism runs rampant. Self talk becomes self condemnation. Shoddy performance is overlooked. Ultimately, there is no one championing the cause.

What can we do to lead the charge? Become lion hearted!

Here are some tips to support courageous lion hearted leadership…

1. Be willing to take risks. Rather than blending in and bending to everyone else’s will and whim, look for new prospects, new adventures. Be willing to sail in unchartered waters.Follow these sage words from William Shedd’s: “A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.”
   
2. Be an opportunity seeker. Approach each person, event, situation as a chance to grow, thrive and contribute. Don’t wait to be asked. Step up and step out of the box. The opportunity seekers generated light, heat, and walked on the moon. There are infinite opportunities to make a better… if you are willing to try.Follow these words from Raymond Lindquist: “Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.”
3. Set HIGH standards. Don’t settle for average. Don’t aim for mediocre. Set the bar high. Go for the gold. The lionhearted leaders are the ones who set almost impossible goals and even if they don’t hit 100% they generally achieve far greater results than the person who holds a leadership role and sets targets so low that anyone can hit them.Thoreau once wrote these profound words: “Not failure, but low aim, is a crime.”
   
4. Set HIGH standards. Don’t settle for average. Don’t aim for mediocre. Set the bar high. Go for the gold. The lionhearted leaders are the ones who set almost impossible goals and even if they don’t hit 100% they generally achieve far greater results than the person who holds a leadership role and sets targets so low that anyone can hit them.Denis Waitley once wrote: “Life is not accountable to us. We are accountable to life.”
5. Set HIGH standards. Don’t settle for average. Don’t aim for mediocre. Set the bar high. Go for the gold. The lionhearted leaders are the ones who set almost impossible goals and even if they don’t hit 100% they generally achieve far greater results than the person who holds a leadership role and sets targets so low that anyone can hit them.In the words of Vince Lombardi: “Inches make a champion.”

Today’s leader cannot be faint of heart. They must lead the cause generating passion,persistence and purpose every step of the way. Be lion hearted!

Lion Hearted Leadership

By: Leanne Hoagland-Smith, Chief Results Officer, ADVANCED SYSTEMS
leanne@processspecialist.com

For historians buffs, mention the phrase “lion hearted” and some will think of Richard I of England who was known as Coeur de Lion or Richard the Lionheart. His reputation as a great military leader and warrior proceeded him even before he ascended to the throne of England.

In today’s world, the battlefield has changed along with the dress and some of the behaviors. No longer due leaders need to dispatch their enemies to some heavenly retreat or wear suits of armor.

However, there are still some behaviors that remain the same. Thinking strategically meaning to outthink the competition is still very crucial. Being able to demonstrate courage in a landscape where the battle for economic survival is every changing mainly due to technology is critical.

Much has been written about the different types of leadership such as servant leadership. Yet, without courage, without being willing to lead by example, without a well thought out plan, battles for customers, employees to market share can be quickly lost.

Theodore Hesburgh once wrote that “no one can follow an uncertain trumpet.” The image of Richard the Lionhearted in battle was one that inspired others to follow him. His trumpet was quite certain.

Lionhearted leadership for me is about those qualities we envision when we think of these two words – lion and heart. Lions are symbols of courage, of strength, of leading a team and still being able to lead ourselves. Heart represents our emotions, our ability to relate to others, our emotional intelligence.

In a society where sometimes individualism is both desired and rejected, finding the right leadership style is difficult. Until we have the individual strength to lead ourselves first along with the heart to work with others, it truly does not matter what name we subscribe to leadership.

Personally, since people hear words and think in pictures, the concept of a lion with a big heart is not a bad one to embrace. The challenge is identifying and then living those behaviors that you believe reflect lion hearted leadership.

Do You Have a Lion Heart?

By: Laura Canter – Psychologist, CanterAssociates

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. ~ Nelson Mandela

People who are strong in courage overcome their fears and accomplish their goals despite having the fear. As Nelson Mandela pointed out in the above quote, courage does not mean that you are free of feeling or thinking of fear, but rather having the strength to reach for your goals despite the presence of fear. It’s funny, when we traditionally think of brave people; our minds go towards soldiers, fire fighters, police officers – people who tend to have stories of heroism associated with their title and job role. Of course all of these professions require brave men and women to face fear on a daily basis.

But, what about the rest of us? When was the last time you were courageous? What acts of heroism have you expressed in your professional life or personal life? Have you ever stood up for a friend or colleague, have you ever taken a risk in business, or have you stopped at an accident and asked if you could be of some help? Have you ever left an unsatisfying relationship? – aren’t all of these examples of courage?

Many people directly associate courage with actions which are influenced by their morals, ethics or values. People who are strong in courage are admirable in that they do not let a little discomfort hold them back from doing what is right or from trying a new experience. Eleanor Roosevelt said: The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experiences to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experiences.

Now yes, she did leave out the part that states: even if you fall flat on your face. But, falling flat on your face is okay too. It is not failing if you learn from it and keep trying to pursue your dreams and goals.

Every day I speak with Healthcare Executives going through tough job transitions. The vast majority of them are experiencing fear while going through their transition. It is not always a choice someone willingly made for themselves or for their families. But, after we talk about the previous job I begin to hear the same theme come forward – I wasn’t happy there. I haven’t been happy for a long time….I didn’t enjoy what I was doing, who I was working for…etc.

Eventually, I hear the same story over and over again – from EVERYONE! This is key: we know deep down we are not happy or satisfied. But, we are too afraid to listen to that unhappiness and ask that tough question – what if?

Instead of being in control of our own destinies, we let others take our power from us. We stay with unsatisfactory and even abusive organizations/relationships because we are too afraid. What if I leave and I don’t have a new job to go to? Many of them feel betrayed when we are let go from the organization. Though these feelings are justified, one needs to also look inward to recognize – had I just been courageous…had I just listened to that roar coming from within…maybe I would have been more proactive and left the company on my own terms. It’s amazing how much of our power we give away to other people because of fear. Listen to your lion heart! Listen to the roar from within…what is it telling you to do?

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. ~ Winston Churchill

Exploring for Exemplary Talent

By Laura Novakowski, President – Positive Power Strategies, Inc.

The extraordinary individuals and businesses of the future are the adventurers that will explore the exemplary talent of the past.  They seek those role models that have left a lasting impression to positively influence lives, communities, and the world.

Now, the question to ask becomes “What are the top three characteristics of exemplary talent that I want to explore, follow and ultimately emulate?”

Work and live for the love of it! Bobby Jones, the greatest amateur golfer nationally and internationally of all time, was once asked why he didn’t turn into a professional golfer. After all, there’s no money as an amateur in golf.  His answer, “the root of amateur is from Latin ‘for the love of it.’ I love the game of golf so much that I don’t want to change why I golf.”

Find the beauty inside!  Michelangelo was a master sculptor and artist.  His sculptures were masterpieces carved out of some of the roughest, plainest blocks of granite and marble.  When asked how he could take some worthless rock and turn it into a marvelous piece of art, he answered:  “In every block of marble I see a statue as plain as though it stood before me, shaped and perfect in attitude and action. I have only to hew away the rough walls that imprison the lovely apparition to reveal it to the other eyes as mine see it.”
Michelangelo released Moses from his “prison” in the stone because he saw “perfection in attitude and action.”

Be humble!  Mother Teresa was touched initially by the people of the streets of Calcutta.  She spent her life knowing who and what she was – a human being that had the ability to serve. She touched the lives of kings and queens as well as paupers and beggars.  One her most impactful quotes for me is, “If you are humble nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are.”
Mother Teresa knew who she was and “neither praise nor disgrace” deterred her from her course of service.

On this journey of exploration for success in life and leadership, I have discovered three exemplary talents:

1. Work and live for the love of it!
2. Find the beauty inside!  
3. Be humble!   

Power Choices

By Judy Rienzi, President – Health Promotions Associates, LLC

Every day, we have an opportunity to recreate a life that brings us closer to our dreams and desires. As the day unfolds, we have a choice. We can choose to follow our same routine, or we can make Power Choices that take us in a new direction, a direction filled with possibilities.

We may not have a choice about everything in life, but we can support ourselves by tapping into our natural talents, our creativity, and our ability to be fully actualized. The act of making one power choice a day can give you enough confidence to continue to make choices that will be transforming.

Power Choices are the choices we make that lead us to discover our personal power in order to unlock potential. It’s not about control, it’s about a freedom to live a life that reflects your needs, values and life goals. Our personal power can be used to promote self-responsibility and self-reliance in ourselves while being an example for others and encouraging them to do the same.

A great book that will help put Power Choices into action is QBQ The Question Behind the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability at Work and in Life by John G. Miller. Chapter two in particular talks about the countless choices we have to make in our personal and professional lives. “But the right thoughts lead us to a richer, more fulfilling life and the feelings of pride and accomplishment that come from making productive decisions.”

The book shows us how to recognize and ask better questions starting with “What can I do…” or “How can I help..” rather than using words like who, why, and when which lack personal accountability.

Change only comes from the inside as a result of the Power Choices you make. Questions that contain the letter “I” puts the focus back on ourselves holding us accountable for the results they produce. Practicing personal accountability, a Power Choice, results in tremendous growth and change.

X-Ray Your Critical Thinking Process

By Leanne Hoagland-Smith, Chief Results Officer – ADVANCED SYSTEMS

All human beings think.  Our brains along with our opposable thumbs are what separate us from all other mammals. Yet, for many, the ability to consistently apply good critical thinking skills is lacking.  Thinking is easy, yet critical thinking is far more difficult.

In the book Critical Thinking by Richard Paul and Linda Elder, the authors make numerous points about critical thinking.  In Chapter Two, the focus is on becoming a critic of your own thinking and to do this requires people to X-ray the way they current think and to continually X-ray their thinking process.

So what does it take to X-ray one’s thinking?  Again the authors provide 4 X-Ray films to assist in this task:

Film #1 – Unreflective thinker
Film #2 – Challenged thinker
Film #3 – Beginning thinker
Film #4 – Practicing thinker

Additional scans or X-rays are needed specific to continue this process of becoming a better critical thinker.  Many of these are related to the decision making process.  Decision making patterns emerge through this X-ray process. In fact there are some companies that publish X-ray type tools or assessments to better understand how people make decisions about the outside world as well as how they make decisions about themselves.

The ability to critically think is difficult. Many notes leaders have alluded to this in their observations.

• “Thinking is hard work; that’s why so few do it.” Albert Einstein
• “More gold has been mined from the thoughts of man than has even been taken from the earth.” Napoleon Hill.
• “A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.” William James
• “There is not expedient to which a man will go to avoid the real labor of thinking.” Thomas Edison
• “What is the hardest task in the world? To think.” Ralph W. Emerson

To X-ray one’s thinking does require time and better yet a plan of action. Consider setting some goals and begin to develop better critical thinking skills. Your business and your life will be far better because you are one of the few who think well and not one of the many who just think.

Set the Example & Explore the  Talent Around You

By Laura Canter – Psychologist, CanterAssociates

When was the last time you set the example? Far too often we do the old — “do as I say, not as I do routine.” And as you may recall from childhood….that never worked too well when your parents or teachers said it to you. As leaders, we should be setting the example, creating the environment to cultivate success. Well, this is all fine in theory, but the practice is sometimes difficult to maintain in a consistent capacity.

We all know if you want an atmosphere of respect, you must be respectful of others.  If you want to create a culture of trust and honesty, you need to create an environment where sharing, collaboration, and authenticity are common everyday practice.  But, the current financial and job climate in the USA creates tension and an atmosphere of “all for one”.  It is hard to create collaborative, respectful and honest organizations when people are so worried if they will even have a job tomorrow, how to pay the mortgage, pay tuition, keep the power on, or even pay medical expenses.

As a leader it is hard to keep the emotional climate within the organization positive for productivity.  However, a great way to begin the subtle change for success is to think about modifying the Golden Rule – treat others how you wish to be treated. Well this is a fine rule, but a more effective and improved rule would be: treat others how they wish to be treated.

Not only are you setting the example, but you need to explore and learn how others wish to be treated. Some need a little more support than others. Also, maybe someone else has a better way to creating success, it’s your job as a leader to take in all the information and decide a good avenue for the team. When was the last time you explored the talent around you? Many times we are so focused on our own self-improvement we forget to elicit the help, support, and strengths of others. By being a strengths finder of other people you can encourage your own personal success to occur. It can also help you to create a valuable ally and support team when it comes to making tough decisions and changes for the improvement of the organization.

Leaders all too often think they have to be the most creative and clever person. In fact, no – you don’t have to be. In reality your job is to: encourage a group to get things done, while preserving harmony within the group. This means making sure everyone feels included (see modified golden rule).  Also, a leader needs to be good at organizing activities and seeing that they come to fruition….so look at the world around you and explore all of your options!

By Laura Novakowski,
President, Positive Power Strategies, Inc.

Today, leadership in not for the faint hearted. Instead, leadership belongs to those explorers that are willing and able to take on new adventures, demand new challenges and command change. The new leader is the continuously exploring the greatest horizon; they journey to the center of self. (read more)

Man is constantly in search of new solar systems, new inventions, new…, new…new…. Seeking, always seeking, the external, the unknown. In this search, little satisfaction or happiness is discovered. In this pursuit, the self often is lost.

The leader who explores themselves, their motives, their actions, their thoughts and their feelings gains intuition into how to find those opportunities that have repeatedly shown up and have been often overlooked. Russell Conwell’s wonderful Acres of Diamonds (Source: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/rconwellacresofdiamonds.htm) is based on the story of a man named Ali Hafed who desperately wanted to find diamonds. He destroyed his family and his life because his journey didn’t allow him to explore what he already possessed. There are diamonds everywhere in our own back yard and yet we continue to travel to the ends of the earth to find wealth, health and happiness.

Turning our journey inward becomes an essential aspect to our personal and professional success. When we dedicate our time and attention to understanding our thoughts, feels, and actions, we gain valuable insight into our abilities to assume leadership roles, handle challenges, find our passions and follow our dreams.

Thoreau has a quote that reads, “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.” When we fail to journey to the center of self, we fail to discover those “songs” that are trapped within the center of our particular universe. When we actively explore our inner world, we gain courage, excitement, leadership and extraordinary results.

It is time to take the lead in your journey to the center of self.

Happy Exploring.

by Laura Canter
Psychologist, Canter Associates

It’s a whole new year and a new chance to explore some new horizons. What goals, dreams, and ambitions do you want to achieve this year? Have you explored all of our options? (read more)

What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?

So many people never truly follow their passion. What truly inspires you? If you could steer for any course in life – what would it be?

We tend to get so caught in a rut and in the mundane of our lives that we forget to navigate towards the things that inspire us the most. We go through life based on the course that has already been planned out for us (go to high school; get into college; after graduation, get a job). But, when was the last time you really sat down and asked yourself: What inspires me? What am I passionate about?

Now is the time to reconsider your life’s direction. Fear of the unknown is the only thing that holds you back from living authentically. Nothing bad ever came from using your imagination in positive ways. Allowing yourself to dream of your potential and to follow your mission in life can be exciting. So, this year, why not allow yourself to dream of something that you’ve always wanted to do.

Better yet, why don’t you actually do it? What have you always wanted to do, but kept putting it off? Have you wanted to learn something new? Go on an adventure? Change careers? Join the Peace Corps? Volunteer? What is stopping you from trying? What is holding you back from exploring new horizons?

If you are too afraid to actually move forward – for the moment – just allow yourself to imagine “what if” You don’t have to move into action just yet. The first step is to explore – just have fun dreaming. Allow yourself to be open to the possibilities of “what if “ and explore new horizons!

“Life is what’s happening while we are busy making other plans.” – John Lennon

By Judy Rienzi,
President, Health Promotions Associates

This book review is geared for women because the people interviewed are all women. However the lessons and knowledge set in this book are for everyone. 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women, by Gail McMeekin encourages us all to acknowledge and explore our creativity. (read more)

I am going to focus on one story in particular and that is the story of the author. A licensed psychotherapist, human resource consultant and coach for twenty five years, Gail helped thousands of women achieve their personal and professional goals. In the midst of her successful career she was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, a debilitating autoimmune disease. Exhausted all the time, Gail tried to continue on her same life path pursuing her dreams and goals she had set for herself. In the meantime, she explored different holistic modalities but eventually realized rest was her best medicine. She began to cut back on all extra social and professional activities, negative relationships and psychotherapy practice. Her focus became self-restoration.

Gail began exploring her creative self and enrolled in a creativity class. This led Gail to engage her creative force and redesign her life based on her current health situation. Always wanting to write, she developed a portable workshop titled Positive choices: From Stress to Serenity which allowed her to stop traveling and preserve her energy. Accepting her limitations and tapping into her creativity freed her to express more creative impulses with painting , decorating, and she is still writing.

If we can’t paint or draw, we automatically assume we are not creative. If you’ve ever explored in the kitchen with food, grew a garden, set a beautiful table, or if you have kids – then you had to be creative. We impose limitations on ourselves based on fear of mistakes and failure. If you have a long desire to try you hand at a creative venture, explore your ideas and take a risk. When Gail let go of her fear of being criticized or fumbling, her cycle of rebirth was set in motion.

By Leanne Hoagland-Smith
Chief Results Officer, ADVANCED SYSTEMS

In working with many individuals over the last dozen plus years, I continue to be amazed at the differences between those who truly get to where they want to be and those who continue to struggle. One of the key differences is purposeful exploration.

Understanding one’s purpose, the why of that moment in time returns the individual inward to reflect upon his or her actions of the past, the present and even the future. By not having a clarity around one’s purpose then creates confusion and misdirection as one engages in exploration. Just imagine the outcomes if Columbus did not have a clear sense of purpose as he sailed forth to the West.

Or even in contemporary times, consider what happens when the common, written everyday grocery list is left home? The trip to the grocery stores literally becomes an exploration with the limited resources of time, energy, money and emotions being drained.

Knowing one’s purpose allows exploration to be focused, to have clarity. The outcomes become somewhat pre-determined because reflective thought has been exercised with as many of the possible obstacles carefully considered. Solutions or back up plans are ready to be put into motion when needed.

In the book, The On-Purpose Person by Kevin McCarthy, he offers a simple mental and visual image to understanding purpose. When you are on purpose, the light switch to the room is flipped up or is on. Conversely, when you are off purpose, the light switch to the room is flipped down or is off.

This imagery works very well with exploration. When there is light, exploration becomes somewhat easier than when light is not present and you are exploring in the dark.

Part of the fear in exploration is the dark, the unknown. Purpose becomes the light to guide that path. Of course, the light may not make traveling the path any easier, but it does provide the traveler the opportunity to travel forward. By recognizing that purpose may be the right light at the right time for extraordinary explorations can make all the difference for forward thinking leaders.