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Leadership

  • 8 Ways to Help Maximise Your Potential Part 2

    This is the second article of a two-part series on 8 ways to help maximise your potential.

    A quick reminder of the definition of the word ‘potential’ according to the oxford dictionary “potential is having or showing the capacity to develop into something in the future.” 

    Personal development and growth is a vehicle that you can use to help maximise your potential.

    We are all built with potential, that is waiting to be unleashed and maximised.

    “The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential. .these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence” – Eddie Robinson.

    Let us get straight into it and see what the remaining 4 ways are:-

    Know Yourself

    You will be amazed to learn that many of us do not know ourselves very well. It may sound absurd that am talking about knowing yourself, but it is very important that you know yourself and have total control of your being.

    I believe that self-knowledge is the starting point for realising and maximising your potential. It gives us an insight into understanding our capabilities.

    Knowing yourself will help you understand where your natural strengths lie and how well you can combine them to take advantage of the prevailing opportunities.

    Donald O. Clifton and Paula Nelson in “play to your strengths” outline five different ways in which we can discover our strengths as shown below:-

    • Listen for Yearnings – normally our yearnings are often triggered when we hear or see someone doing something we would like to do or feel we can do better. You will agree with me that there is something you are yearning to do but do not realise it because you have not paid attention to yourself.
    • Watch Out for Satisfactions – what really satisfies you? When you get a glow of satisfaction from doing something (work-related off course) even though we may not understand why this is most likely one of your strengths.
    • Watch Out for Rapid Learning – a strength is usually characterised by rapid learning. Am very sure that you do have things that you learn more easily and quicker than others. This will usually continue for a long time if not a lifetime.
    • Be Aware of Moments of Excellence – position your mind to be alert to your moments of excellence. I believe that each and every one of us has had a moment of excellence in our lives.
    • Watch out for the Total Performance of Excellence – Over the years I have learned to be a student of myself. Learning is a continuous process and so from time to time, I do a personal re-evaluation. This process has so far proved to be very important and of great use to my personal development and growth.

    Make the Change for New Things

    Don’t get stuck in the survival or maintenance modes of personal development and growth. You need to make the change for new things in order to maximise your potential. 

    We live in an ever-changing world and the only way to keep moving forward is to embrace change. Most of us have a reputation for resisting change.

    I know that change comes with a price but it must be embraced as it usually comes with different opportunities. “Your current conditions do not reflect your ultimate potential” – Anthony Robbins.

    Life demands that we move with time and every day is a new day. It is also important to always be reading and improving your skillset.

    Knowledge is key to success and you should always be willing to learn on a daily basis. There will always be instances when you cannot change some situations due to various factors but you can change your mindset and behaviour.

    The only factor that you have control over is yourself. Many of us fail because we do not want to change our habits and behaviours to accommodate the ever-changing environment.

    Set Your Goals and Stick with Them

    Perhaps the starting point to maximise your potential is goal setting. The importance of goal setting cannot be over-emphasised.

    This is one of the cardinal principles in personal development and growth.

    When you have set your goals it is important that you stick with them and do not be distracted from achieving them.

    Persistence and perseverance will be key in achieving your goals. Stay focused and motivated as you pursue your goals.

    You should set goals that are realistic and achievable. However, you should not limit yourself to set goals that will not challenge your ability.

    You are capable of achieving more than you can imagine. God made you to be a solution to the world and the way I see it now the world needs more solutions than ever before. For more details on goal setting please read click here.

    Take Action

    “Continuous effort! not strength or intelligence, is the key to unlocking your potential” – Winston Churchill.

    Maximising your potential requires that you take action. A journey of a thousand miles requires that you make the first step in the right direction.

    Regardless of what your plans are for your life just get started. It’s only when you take action that you begin to realise your potential.

    Without taking action you will never realise your full potential and a later on maximise it. Taking action is the fuel to living your dream. It is the catalyst to your success.

    Once you get started on your journey there will be obstacles that you will encounter. These obstacles should not stop you from re-focusing.

    You should make a commitment to achieving your intended life’s purpose. Your success will only be achieved by taking action.

    Do not let procrastination still your success. Do not let failure stop you from achieving your goals.

    Instead, make a commitment to pursuing your goals and live to enjoy the fruits of your labour.

    I know for a fact that everything worthwhile does not come on a silver platter. There is much joy in living your dream without shortcuts.

    I always try to do things right and straight it makes my life much easier and leaves me with a piece of mind. So far so good. I go to sleep with a peaceful mind.

    Yes, I know that am not perfect but I try as much as I can to do things right.

    I have made a commitment to ensure that this blog becomes one of the preferred sites in the areas I have fashioned it to be. This commitment is for life.

    I will continue to write and post articles on this site for as long as I possibly can. I know for a fact that it is helping someone out there and that is the biggest motivation for me.

    This site is one of my biggest contributions to help change the world for the better. The advantage is that I can fully express myself on many subjects via this website.

    Conclusion

    “Consult not your fears, but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you have tried and failed in, but for what is still possible for you to do” – Pope John XXIII.

    There are many ways that you can use to help maximise your potential, the 8 ways mentioned in both articles are just some of them. I recommend that you develop the habit of reading and have an open mind to learning.

    Remember that personal development and growth is not a competition but a personal journey to be walked by you alone. Bye for now and  as usual “standout tall and be counted.”

  • 8 Ways to Help Maximise Your Potential Part 1

    “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around” ~ Leo Buscaglia.

    We are all blessed and possess skills and abilities that nobody else has quite as we do.

    God made each one of us unique and we all have different roles to play in the world. Just like the body has different parts that make it whole, the world has different components that make it complete. Those components represent you and me.

    We are all gifted with unique talents and gifts, whether this is a talent to show on the world stage, or on a small stage as someone who makes a difference, does not necessarily matter. What is important is for one to play their part and not deprive the world of their talents.

    All these talents and abilities if not expressed are just potential. Since we are all blessed with these unique talents the question is how do we then make the most of our personal potential?

    Let’s start by defining or rather establishing the meaning of the word “potential.” According to the oxford dictionary “potential is having or showing the capacity to develop into something in the future.” If you have something then you have something to show.

    There is no point in showing something that you do not have because it is not possible. You may not currently know what your talents are until you fully understand and explore your personality.

    If you have to fulfill your dreams it is imperative that you learn how to maximise your potential. The following methods might just be the answer if you have been on the quest to fulfilling your potential.

    Happiness and Goals

    “Look to this day for it is life, the very life of life. In Its brief course lie all the verities and realities of your existence; The bliss of growth; The glory of action; The splendor of beauty; For yesterday is but a dream, and tomorrow is only a Vision: But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well, therefore, to this day!” ~ From the Sanskrit.

    One of the greatest hindrances for failing to maximise our potential is living an unhappy life. You see, happiness is a choice. You choose either to be happy or otherwise.

    I have learned that happiness is an antidote for success. From the time of great philosophers such as Aristotle, happiness has been linked to the achievement of goals.

    That is the more reason why we find so much happiness and pleasure in the work that makes us achieve our goals. Happiness and goal setting cannot be substituted for anything if you have to maximise your potential.

    Living a happy life will surely motivate you to maximise your personal potential. Click here to read more on happiness. There is no success without happiness.

    I think that what drives most of us to succeed is happiness. The joy we get when a goal has been attained. Happiness is, therefore, a very important driver to maximizing one’s potential.

    “I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to my fellow-creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again” ~ William Penn.

    Personal development and self-improvement are do-it-yourself activities. However, you look at them, if you have to maximize your potential; you have to learn how to do it yourself.

    I have noticed that most of us would rather not do even the easiest of tasks for fear of failure. Yet, we would rather be credited with someone else’s success. From my working experience, most of us do not want to take responsibility for our actions especially if they are negative ones.

    I believe that to maximize your potential you need to learn and know how to get the basics done. I do not know about you but I enjoy doing most of the things on my own.

    It actually gives me great satisfaction and pleasure when I have accomplished something on my own. I am basically a do-it-yourself person. This does not mean that I do everything, no no, no. I am very much aware of my skillset and know my limitations.

    If you are in a leading position you must learn how to delegate and supervise your subordinates. One of the greatest skills you need to possess as a leader is the skill of delegation and supervision. As a leader, you must learn to give direction and motivation to your followers.

    Create Your Destiny

    “That a man can change himself, improve himself, re-create himself, control his environment, and master his own destiny is the conclusion of every mind who is wide-awake to the power of right thought in constructive action” ~ Larsen. “Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not something to be waited for, but rather something to be achieved” ~ William Jennings Bryan.

    Maximising your potential entails creating your own destiny. We live our destiny by the little things that we do every day. Always remember that your destiny is not a destination but rather the journey that you live.

    Philosophers and great thinkers have in the last centuries pondered and puzzled over the extent to which our lives are in our own hands and the extent to which they are pre-ordained.

    There are many thoughts and arguments but the main thought that comes out very clearly and distinct is that we can all set ourselves on the path we want. This has been proven that even in the most limiting societies we still have a free will to try.

    For if you are trying to achieve something then that is your first step to creating your destiny. If you are like me and are learning to maximise your potential then you are living your destiny.

    Improve Yourself

    “Rely on your own strength of body and soul. Take for your star self-reliance, faith, honesty and industry. Don’t take too much advice — keep at the helm and steer your own ship, and remember that the great art of commanding is to take a fair share of the work. Fire above the mark you intend to hit. Energy, invincible determination with the right motive, are the levers that move the world” ~ Noah Porter.

    Even though nature compels us to improve, there are two opposing forces at play; to stay where we are and consolidated what we have gained or to explore what is still possible to achieve and know how far we can go.

    The majority of us would rather not venture with the second force. We would rather take the safe and secure one, yet continue wondering what we might have missed out on.

    We sit on our potential and die with it. Those who take the second risky path go on adventures seeking to maximise what they possess. This though comes at a cost and it is worth paying for.

    Have you ever noticed that the good things in life are not free? If you are not exploring your talents then I can assure you that you have taken the comfort zone. Get out there and explore your talents.

    You might just be the answer the world has been waiting for. I know the most common excuse that most of us have is; I have no money or resources. If you think your idea is good enough, go for it and start living your dream.

    Conclusion

    I will end here for now. Look out for part two in which I conclude with the remaining four ways to maximise your potential.

  • Do Not Underestimate the Power of Your Actions

    There is power in your actions just as there is power in your tongue. The two are synonymous. You should always be mindful of what you say or do.

    Most people underestimate the power that God has deposited in each and every one of us. Within you, there is more than sufficient energy and willpower to achieve anything that you set your mind on.

    “Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year – and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!” – Tony Robbins.

    It is, therefore, important that you realise it and stop underrating yourself. One of the reasons why we do not progress and achieve our goals is because we underestimate ourselves.

    People think they cannot achieve certain things because they do not have such and such. If you are thinking like that, it is a sign of inferiority complex. Please get rid of it.

    God created us equal and it does not matter whether you are black or white; rich or poor. Remove the colour of your skin and we all have the same blood running through our veins.

    I have never seen anyone with white or black blood. We all have red blood in our veins.

    We all breathe the same air. The sun shines on all humanity regardless of the locality and colour of your skin.

    Darkness falls on both the rich and the poor. Everyone enjoys the same seasons depending on your locality. There are 24hrs in a day for all. Someday each and every one of us will die. Why then do you underestimate the power of your actions?

    Every great man or woman knows that every action they take leads to something. That is why it is important that you learn to take decisive actions with your life.

    Yes, I know that sometimes our actions may seem not to be right with everyone at the time. But nature requires us to do the right things.

    Some of the things I learned from my late Dad seemed very harsh then. But fast forward I realise that they are now very useful for my survival.

    I learned at an early age in life to be independent. My Dad taught me to be more independent. Well, back then it looked like punishment.

    Of course, as a young man, I would have loved to be a little bit more spoiled.

    But equipped with more knowledge now, I think It would have been a challenge for me to be a more responsible person if I was spoiled.

    Your Every Action Builds Your Character

    Society will always judge you by your actions, simply because this is what they see. They are not preview of your thoughts and feelings.

    Most of the time they will misunderstand your actions. But always remember that for every action you make there is an equal reaction.

    Some will be positive and others will be negative reactions. Stay your course and do what you think is right. I always tell my children that when they do the right things no one is going to bother them. They will be at peace with everyone.

    No matter how small your deeds may be, do not underestimate the power they carry. It may just be saying thank you to a stranger for helping you.

    That one small deed can go a long way to making someone happy and feel appreciated.

    I remember one time at church as I was on duty, I offered one of my team members a cup of coffee. For me, it was just extending a good gesture to a teammate.

    I was very touched to find out a few weeks later that it was the only meal he had for that particular day.

    You are a sum total of the small things that you do. Your character is built and formed by the little things you do on a daily basis. So matter how small or insignificant you think your actions are, do not underestimate them. You never know who is watching.

    Life is Work In Progress

    My life is a continuous work in progress. I don’t think there will ever be a time when things will just happen on auto pilot. I have to constantly keep pushing myself and find ways of improving.

    Everyday of my life, it dawns on me that am aging and I have to learn how to do certain things as am aging. When I look at people who are really advanced in age and cannot do the very things they used to do when they were much younger. I realise that actually life is a work in progress.

    At every stage you have to learn, just when you think you have mastered one thing another challenge comes along.

    That is why you must quickly learn to become a student of yourself. You may not have the same energy to achieve your goals in the next few years.

    They say make hay when its summer because you cannot make it when winter comes. In order to move in tandem with this world you must learn to evolve.

    Develop ideas on how you can change your way of life and remain relevant to the core. The more relevant you are the more you can contribute positively to humanity.

    For as long as am able to, it is my intention to continue contributing in my own small way to the cause of personal development and self growth.

    I will try and write on topics that are relevant and will continue learning and finding more ways of delivering my messages. I will simply not give up. Not just yet.

    Confidence Comes From Experience

    You can overcome your fears and flaws by gaining experience. Experience is gained through practice.

    Take the example of driving a car. The first time you do it, you are gripped with fear and are nervous. You are lacking in confidence and make a lot of mistakes on the road.

    The more you practice the more confident you get. After a number of times driving, you are so much confident that you do not even think about it. Even when you make mistakes you are not bothered that much.

    Before you gain confidence you will fall and sometimes bruise your self. But if you persist you will soon get the hang of it and your confidence will soon be more than your fear.

    To apply the principle of improving your confidence the following could be of great use. Identify the areas of your life that are outside your comfort zone.

    Take a step by ensuring that you venture into your un comfortable zone. The first time will feel very awkward.

    It will not be easy the first time and believe me it will not be perfect either. Go on and continue doing it and you will eventually get the hang of it.

    Remember that it is not practice that makes perfect but, imperfect practice that results in perfectness.

    Conclusion

    “Never underestimate the potential and power of the human spirit”.

    Your actions are responsible for shaping your character. If you want to build a good reputation you need to guard your heart jealously as this is the source of your actions.

    The bible says “as a man thinketh so is he in his heart”.  It is also says “you shall know them by their fruits”. We do not just act from without. We react with what we have. Remember to “never underestimate the power of your actions”.

  • 5 Goal Setting Tips That Will Change Your Life

    In order to achieve success, you need to set your goals. Goal setting is a very important factor that determines your path to success.

    Success is determined and measured by the goals you have accomplished. Goal setting gives direction to your life and boosts your motivation and self-confidence.

    According to the Webster’s Dictionary, the definition for goal is “The final purpose or aim; the end to which a design tends or which a person aims to reach or attain.”

    As can be seen from the above definition, you can deduce that one of the main reasons why people do not achieve what they want, is that they do not have clear goals.

    Without a clear goal or purpose, you will not have a clear sense of purpose for your life. You will be moving with the wind and believe me, it can be very frustrating and brings a lot of unhappiness.

    The other thing that can be can be seen from the definition is that a goal is the final purpose of an aim. If your final aim is not clear enough, you will surely have an unclear and unsatisfactory end result.

    When you want to achieve good results, it is better to be more specific with what you want to achieve with your life, your goal must be clear.

    If its finances you want, rather put an amount of money you want to earn say, $10,000 per month by a specific date and not just say I want to earn a lot of money.

    The more specific and precise you are, the easier it is to measure your progress towards your set targets.

    Here are 5 simple tips that you can use when setting your goals:-

    Write Down Your Targets

    Why should you write down your goals? There is power in writing. Writing down your life’s objectives helps create a vision in your mind that constantly reminds you of what you want to achieve with your life.

    They say you are 42% more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down.

    You become what think about every day. What you think about becomes what you see every day.

    Make a list of your goals by writing them down. This will also serve as your commitment to the goals that you have set. Studies have shown that goals are more motivating when you put them into writing rather than just enumerating them in your mind.

    Read them every day until they become embedded in your mind. Know your goals by heart they are yours after all.

    When writing your goals, be sure to include your action plan and put a timeframe. This will help you work hard knowing that you have a timed target to meet.

    Make a Regular Check of Your Goals

    Assess yourself regularly based on the progress you are making towards the achievement of your ambitions and intentions.

    Evaluate how many goals you have achieved. Also, assess yourself if you were able to accomplish your action plans within the set timeframe.

    Be honest with yourself when evaluating your progress. The good thing about checking on your progress is that it gives you an idea of how far you are from achieving your overall objectives.

    I evaluate my progress on a monthly basis. I also have a quarterly review that I use to make major adjustments and changes to both the processes and the plans.

    You should not be afraid to make changes when necessary. Change is important and should be embraced.

    Regular review of your goals is very important as it gives you the motivation to know what you can do better or what should be done to improve on your progress.

    This also gives you an overall idea of whether you are in tandem with your life’s purpose or not.

    Take Action

    Perhaps the most important tip is taking action. You can have all the beautiful goals in the world but without taking action they are just but a dream.

    A goal is nothing but a dream if you do not do something to accomplish it.

    Based on your assessment, you can either continue or change your action plans.

    If one was not effective, then find other ways on how you can achieve your goals.

    The most important thing in all our endeavours is taking action. Do not let procrastination or anything else stop you from acting on your set objectives.

    Do something, anything, every day that will help you move closer to your objectives. The more positive action the closer you move towards your success.

    I have come to understand that the small things I do every day help me move closer to my goals.

    I do not put them off instead I make sure that I tick off most of my daily tasks on my daily to-do list. Yes, I know that sometimes I just feel like not doing anything, but I do them anyway.

    Review your action list on a daily basis. You see over time I have learned to carry a small personal notebook. I call it my ideas notebook.

    This is where I write my ideas and all things that have to be done on a daily basis. This book has become so important to me that I cannot leave home without it.

    Constantly taking action creates a positive cycle that helps you move confidently towards your desired success.

    Taking action also allows you to overcome the fears of life. We fail mainly because of fear. Those who succeed are those who act on their dreams.

    Be Motivated

    You may want to share your goals and aspirations with your family or close friends. Your family and friends can help motivate and support you in achieving your goals.

    They can also help you in your action plans and even remind you whenever you tend to forget the goals you have set.

    Sharing your life’s objectives with your family is helpful. You need people you can trust, who can help you achieve your goals and your family is the perfect fit.

    They may not help you financially but the moral support and love they give you can help to keep you motivated.

    When you know that you are loved and that you have the support of your family it gives you peace of mind.

    It motivates you to work even harder. You concentrate on the things that matter to ensure that you do not let your family and friends down.

    Look, at the end of the day, we all work so that we can provide a better life for our families. They are the number one reason why you wake up early in the morning, every day.

    If you are a parent you will agree with me that your number one priority are your spouse and children.

    Be Determined

    Always be confident that you can achieve the goals that you have set. However, it is important that you set goals that are realistic and can be achieved in a specific timeframe.

    If you set unachievable goals, they may only cause you frustrations.

    Conclusion

    To me, a winner is someone who recognizes their God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses those skills to accomplish his goals. Even when I lost, I learned what my weaknesses were and I went out the next day to turn those weaknesses into strengths. – Larry Bird.

    Goal setting can change the way you look at your life. I encourage you to develop a habit of goal setting.

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  • Responsibility is a Measure for Your Personal Development

    “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today” – Abraham Lincoln.

    The more you grow the more responsibilities you take on. Life demands that we grow and take on more meaningful challenges and be a little bit more responsible. An adult shoulders more responsibility than a toddler.

    Every step of growth you take comes with a measured amount of responsibility. Given an opportunity, human beings, especially us men, do not want to take up many responsibilities.

    We would rather shy away and be content with the little things around us. But that’s not what life brings forth. If you do not change, life will pass you by.

    Personal development and growth can be measured by how many responsibilities you are shouldering and how well you are handling them. Yes, you may grow physically yet, be very irresponsible.

    If you want to accelerate your personal development and growth be prepared to take on more responsibilities. You need to expand your capacity for being responsible.

    God blesses us to be a blessing to other people. Always remember that whatever you accumulate is not just for you. Be it wealth, knowledge, or anything else. It is meant to be shared.

    God could have easily blessed someone else but he chose you because he knows what you are capable of. You like it or not, he is your creator.

    He has given you an opportunity to show the world what you are made of. Please be responsible and take it with both hands. Make good use of it for the benefit of the people.

    Let’s not take our blessings for granted. Let’s use our resources and talents to help change this world and make it a better place for all.

    Take Keen Interest in Your Life

    Be interested in your life. You are the driver and master of your destiny. What you do with your life today will determine your future.

    If you want more you need to give more. You need to be prepared to take on more. Make sure you are totally in charge of your well-being. I know that many of us are not in control of our own lives.

    Be quick to realise and correct your mistakes. Do not be shy or too proud to admit when you have errored. It is human to error.

    If you leave the mistakes hanging thinking they will sort themselves out, you will leave to regret them, because they will come back to bite you in future.

    No one is more interested in your well-being than yourself. Look, people are busy with their own lives. Stop feeling pity, stop waiting for help. You are the help you need. You are more than enough to achieve your goals.

    The more interested you are in your life the more you will work to improve it. If you are young this is not time to fool around. It is time to ensure that you lock in and secure your future. What you do now echoes in eternity.

    Find what you are called to do and do it diligently. Work hard and smart to achieve your goals. I know that sometimes hard work is not a guarantee for success, but it is the only chance you have.

    If there is any other way to succeed apart from working hard I would really love to know it.

    Time is of the Essence

    “Time and health are two precious assets that we don’t recognize and appreciate until they have been depleted.” Denis Waitle.

    Time is one scarce commodity that is more valuable. You may have millions of dollars in your bank account, that is a given, but you have no idea how much time you have remaining in your life.

    You cannot manage commodity of time. That is impossible. Time is one commodity that is beyond anyone’s management.

    But we can learn to utilise time properly. As time waits for no one. Time respects no one. Whether you are a King or President, rich or poor, yellow or black every one of us at some point the curtain will fall.

    Make good with the time you have. Do what you have to do when you still have it on your side. Do not live to regret what you should have done.

    If you are still young, make sure you do the right things now whilst you are still full of energy a time will come when even getting out bed will be a challenge.

    Responsibility is a Sign of Good Leadership

    “Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more.” Tony Robbins.

    The level of your personal leadership determines how far you will go in life. It takes good personal leadership to achieve success.

    Leadership comes with responsibilities. A good leader is responsible for properly leading his constituents. A responsible leader leads from the front and not from behind.

    He leads by example and not just by word of mouth. A good leader inspires confidence in the people he is leading. Above all he takes responsibility even when things fail and takes a leading role in finding and implementing solutions.

    Even though we are all responsible for our lives, that does not mean we are all good leaders. If you want to know if someone is a good leader or not just look at their personal lives.

    Evaluate them based on how well they have conducted their own personal affairs, especially if they are aspiring for public office. Small things like how well they have maintained their own family are important.

    Conclusion

    The more responsible you are, the more personal development and self-growth you achieve. There is a direct relationship between responsibility and the advancement of self-improvement.

  • Communication is Key to Success

    In any relationship be it business or intimate, communication is cardinal to making it work.

    You will agree with me that many relationships especially intimate ones break up mostly due to a lack of communication.

    I am not sure of the statistics but I am very certain that most relationships lack proper and good communication.

    Many times our messages are misinterpreted or misunderstood.

    I have found myself in situations where I needed to apologize because my message was misunderstood, either due to the words I chose or the tone of my voice.

    I must admit my admiration for people who know how to put across what they want with clarity.

    Over the years, I have learned to use clear and straightforward language, especially when communicating or giving instructions, to improve my life.

    If you are a devoted follower or regular reader of this blog, you will agree that the language is straightforward and easy to understand.

    I try as much as possible to use everyday words that are straightforward. I also want to believe that most of these world conflicts are due to a lack of proper communication.

    In work or business environments, it is very important to have a precise and clear-cut communication strategy to avoid conflicts.

    If you are in leadership the following tips may help you pass on whatever it is you want to be achieved.

    Desired Outcome

    As a leader, you need to decide what the desired outcome should be. Have a vision and ensure that you put yourself in the shoes of your subordinates when giving instructions.

    You may need to repeat and structure your words in simple everyday language for all your subordinates to understand.

    Sometimes it helps to explain what your vision is to a smaller group or better still on an individual basis to your desired target group.

    Some people may not be free to ask as many questions as needed when in a large group. If you are to succeed at anything your desired outcome should be understood and taken seriously.

    Goals and Expectations

    When setting the stage for discussing what is currently happening, it is always a good idea to start the conversation with your goals and expectations.

    It is very important that each and every member of your team knows what is expected of them and the overall goals to be achieved by them.

    I would once again strongly emphasize the immense importance of conducting a thorough one-to-one briefing, as this personalized approach often uncovers even the most critical and underlying issues that might otherwise remain unnoticed.

    One-to-one discussions are more fruitful than group ones. Most of us are not very comfortable with large group discussions.

    There is often a tendency to feel intimidated, which can hinder effective communication. As a leader, it is important to take the time to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each group member individually.

    Current Happenings

    The next important tip is to explain what is and is not currently happening.

    This will help send a message to the group about what you think is currently obtaining on the ground.

    If your communication levels are at the right pace your team members will let you know exactly what is on the ground if they feel you are misinformed.

    You as the leader, spell out in detail what you think is happening and what is not happening. Remember always that the backstops at you.

    Your responsibility is to provide guidance and encouragement which can only be achieved by proper and good communication.

    The Input

    The next and final tip is what I call the input. You can have all the brilliant ideas in the world but without the final act of implementation, nothing can be achieved.

    After all the hard work and brainstorming. A proper, concise and clear communication strategy has to be implored.

    As a leader, it is very important that you devise a simple and clear communication strategy outlining what input is expected from each and every member of your team.  

    This way all members will have a clear understanding and deliver accordingly.

    Conclusion

    Communication is perhaps the key to success. Good communication ensures that every member the team knows exactly what they are supposed to do.

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  • How to Learning From Failure

    One of the major reasons why we do not succeed is the refusal to learn from our mistakes and challenges.

    People do not realise that failure can be a very powerful tool to assess your performance and find meaningful ways to improve yourself.

    Ask yourself about the day’s failures and successes and what can be gleaned, then hold yourself accountable.

    Take note of those factors that contributed to your day’s failure they surely will not go away without you taking action.

    “I don’t know the key to success but the key to failure is to try to please everyone.”  – Bill Cosby.

    The above quote just summarises everything about our failures.

    Many of us have never attempted to venture out in business or indeed pursue something that we have always longed to do, held back by the fear of failing.

    I know that failing is part of life. The difference between successful people and the average guy is the way failure is handled.

    The successful guys always make it a point to learn from their mistakes and failures, whereas most of us just stop at failure.

    If you don’t make it point to sit down and analyse the causes of your failure you will not succeed at whatever you do.

    Learning from failure is therefore an important aspect of being successful so is taking time to analyse your daily failures (no matter how small).

    The following tips may help you learn from your failures and help to improve on them.

    Ask Yourself Questions

    I encourage you to take a few minutes each day to reflect on your day. This simple habit is highly beneficial and requires just about 15 minutes.

    If you can, get a piece of paper and a pen and write down the points. You will realise that most or some of the important decisions are made in the serenity of your home or just before bedtime.

    When your mind is relaxed. Some useful questions to ask yourself would be:-

    • what failures did I experience today?
    • what are the lessons to be learned from them?
    • how do I change them or improve on them?
    • is there any need for me to have external help?

    At first, it may seem cumbersome to review your day but you will agree with me that every time you have an important decision to make, you will usually sleep over it, and in most cases, decisions are made just before sleeping and reviewed in the morning.

    That’s just how the mind works. You may also want to take note of your successes made during the day.

    Have a Plan and be Accountable

    Draw a plan of action. Remember that those attributes that contributed to your failure will not go away until action is taken.

    If there is one thing I believe in, it is making decisions. They have to be made wrong or right and action taken.

    By taking action you are moving a step closer to successfully achieving your intended goal or purpose.

    In your plan include what behaviours you think you need to improve on or change.

    Secondly, be accountable. If you are in business find a very responsible partner and be accountable to them.

    In my years of work experience, I have observed that accountability is lacking in many individuals.

    You can also be accountable to yourself but please be honest.

    One of the best ways to be accountable to yourself is to put yourself on the other side.

    Imagine that you are the leader and expect results from your subordinate. What quality of results do you want from your junior?

    How would you react if the results are not as you expected and what would you have done?

    Answering these questions may help you be more accountable.

    Let Your Plan Guide You

    Stick to your plan. Let your plan be the guide. If you have a partner you are accountable to, ensure that he is strict on you until you change your daily patterns that contribute to your failures.  

    It takes time patience and repetition to improve. One of the best ways to succeed is by sticking to your plan. Ensure that you have a good plan and keep improving on it.

    Do not be rigid as to not realise that plans can be revised to make improvements.

    Conclusion

    We all fail a little every day. We can learn from those small failures as well as daily successes when we reflect.

    I know that there can never be success without failure. I have not come across a successful person who has never failed.

    Do not feel discouraged when you fail the first time, after all, success is synonymous with failure.

    We all have failed at some point in life and will keep failing every day but always be accountable for your actions and above all “standout be counted.”

  • 5 Qualities of Leaders and Motivators Part 2

    This is the final part of a two-part series. If you missed out on part 1 please click here before you continue. In part one I talked about the first two qualities and these are vision and courage.

    We learned that we are all born with these qualities and that the difference between leaders and followers is the expression of them to the world.

    I also talked about the importance of vision and courage in leadership. In this issue, I will write about integrity; realism, and responsibility as the other qualities of leaders and motivators.

    Integrity

    “In the arena of human life, the honors and rewards fall to those who show their good qualities in action “~ Aristotle.

    Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.

    I believe integrity underlines all other qualities. The measure of integrity is determined by how honest you are in the critical areas of your life. How honest you handle other people’s finances for example?

    Can someone trust you with their valuable possessions? Can you be trusted with handling say public matters even when it means that you will lose popularity in the short term?

    Integrity means that you, as a leader, admit your shortcomings. It means that you work to develop your strengths and compensate for your weaknesses.

    Integrity means that you tell the truth and that you live the truth in everything that you do and in all your relationships.

    Integrity means that your dealings with people are straightforward and that you do not compromise on what you believe to be true.

    “In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.” ~ Thomas Jefferson.

    Realism

    “True realism consists in revealing the surprising things which habit keeps covered and prevents us from seeing” ~ Jean Cocteau.

    The fourth quality of leadership is realism. Realism is a form of intellectual honesty.

    It is a way of seeing, accepting and dealing with situations as they really are without being influenced by your emotions or false hopes.

    The realist insists upon seeing the world as it really is, not as he wishes it were. This objectivity and refusal to engage in self-delusion is a mark of the true leader.

    A leader accepts situations as they are and transforms them to his advantage.

    Those who exhibit the quality of realism do not trust luck, hope for miracles, pray for exceptions to basic business principles, expect rewards without working or hope that problems will go away by themselves.

    These all are examples of self-delusion, of living in a fantasy land. Yes, I know that miracles do happen but not without you playing a part.

    The part you play and the amount of faith you have will definitely be a determining factor in the general out.

    A good leader insists on seeing things exactly as they are and encourages others to look at life the same way.

    As a leader, you get the facts, whatever they are. You deal with people honestly and tell them exactly what you perceive to be the truth.

    This doesn’t mean that you will always be right, but you will always be expressing the truth in the best way you know-how. Thereby excising your integrity in the process.

    Responsibility

    It is said by Brian Tracy that “the happiest people in the world are those who feel absolutely terrific about themselves, and this is the natural outgrowth of accepting total responsibility for every part of their life.” This is the mark of a true leader.

    The fifth of leadership is responsibility. This is perhaps the hardest to develop.

    It is the duty of a good leader to take and accept responsibility no matter what the outcome is. In the same manner, as when the outcome is positive he takes all the parting on the back. He should take the brunt when things have failed.

    If instead of accepting responsibility when things go wrong, you make excuses, blame someone else and simultaneously become angry and resentful and blow up, this may cost you.

    Personal leadership and motivational leadership are very much the same. To lead others, you must first lead yourself. To be an example or a role model for others, you must first become an excellent person yourself.

    There is no dodging responsibility. Know also that you are responsible for your own life. Your very own life is in your hands.

    You are responsible for your actions. Wrong or right, good or bad they are your actions. If you want to become more, more of you is expected.

    “Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more.” ~ Tony Robins

    Conclusion

    Finally, take action. You know that all mental preparation and character building is merely a prelude to action. You become a leader by motivating yourself.

    Motivate yourself by striving towards excellence, by committing yourself to become everything you are capable of becoming.

    You motivate yourself and others by continually looking for ways to help others improve their lives and achieve their goals; you become a leader by becoming the kind of person others want to get behind and support in every way.

    Remember that we all have the five qualities in us wake them up and see how far you can go.

  • 5 Qualities of Leaders and Motivators Part 1

    “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader” – John Quincy Adams.

    This is a two-part series in which I am illustrating the 5 qualities of leadership and motivators.

    We are all born with leadership qualities regardless of our situation the difference is how much of it, we show the world. How much of it are we utilising?

    I thought to talk about these just so as to remind us about our leadership qualities. You may not be in a leadership position but you are the leader of yourself.

    If you are a parent like me then you are responsible for providing leadership to your family. Men and women are leaders and both possess diverse leadership qualities.

    This diversity of qualities between men and women complement each other. One cannot do entirely with the absence of the other.

    Find herewith, the five qualities of leaders and motivators.

    Vision

    The first quality is vision. All great leaders have a vision and they are persistently pursuing it. Whatever the vision maybe it becomes the driving force for success.

    Perhaps vision is the single most quality that, more than anything else, that separates great leaders from average leaders.

    The more clearer the vision you have the more likely you are to succeed.

    “All successful men and women are big dreamers. They imagine what their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work every day toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose.” ~ Brian Tracy.

    A good leader does not get caught up in the day-to-day activities this is the work for his followers. The Bible says “where there is no vision the people perish” ~ Proverbs. A great nation can also be seen from the kind of leaders they have.

    But remember that we are all born with this quality called vision. If you focus on your area of interest it does not matter what area it is, you will be a great leader in that respect.

    “Cherish your visions and your dreams, as they are the children of your soul; the blueprints of your ultimate achievements” ~ Napoleon Hill.

    The best way to motivate others is to firstly motivate yourself. I have attended some personal development workshops and the first thing that strikes me is the level of motivation by the speakers.

    Believe me, if you yourself are not motivated and are trying to motivate others it will show. For example, you cannot talk to people about how to make money when you do not have the money to show for it.

    You must at least show some potential for earning the money or demonstrate that you are actually earning the money. I sometimes come across adverts in the streets, about how someone will give you some lucky charms for getting rich when they themselves are living in poverty.

    One of the most powerful tools for all motivators is the commitment to excellence. The best motivational vision you can have for yourself and others is to strive to be the best.

    Be it in business or in whatever area, you must strive to be the best. If you are not the best strive to be among the best at least standout.

    Courage

    “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” ~ The Bible.

    The second quality of a leader is courage and it is the distinguishing characteristic of a true leader. You can often see it in a leader’s words and actions.

    A true leader speaks with courage and boldness. It is always easy to set a vision and standards for yourself. But it takes a lot of courage and humility to abide by your aspirations.

    We all have what we want to be or rather archive in life. At least I have formulated my life’s purpose and am moving towards achieving it.

    The distinguishing factor is having the courage to make certain unpleasant decisions that will help us in the long run.

    When you set certain standards for yourself trust me temptations will come your way, so do not compromise with your standards. When you are tempted show your courage by resisting them.

    Remember when I said that we are all born with these qualities? It is the level of growth that differentiates leaders from followers.

    I believe that all growth comes from the inside. And that, what we are, is a result of what has developed from the inside. Or better still what we are is a reflection of what we harbour.

    The foundation of character is the combination of courage and integrity. The first form of courage is your ability to stick to your principles, to stand for what you believe in, and to refuse to budge unless you feel right about the alternative.

    Courage is also the ability to step out in faith, to launch out into the unknown, and then to face the inevitable doubt and uncertainty that accompanies every new venture.

    I give the example of Alexander the Great, the King of Macedonia. He became King at the age of 19 and managed to conquer great nations with mightier armies than he had at the time.

    Simply because he refused to remain at home when his soldiers went to battle instead he was the first one to charge at the war front. He leads by example by letting his men know that he believed in the outcome of every war or battle they fought and that motivated the soldiers to do even more.

    Conclusion

    For now, I end here. In the next series, I will mention the remaining three qualities of leaders and motivators that is integrity; realism, and responsibility.

    “You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.”

  • You Are Naturally A Good Leader In Waiting

    Leadership begins with you. We are all born leaders. It doesn’t matter where you are or what kind of work you do, you are born a leader. Our lives are governed by the small things that we do every day.

    “One of the responsibilities of leadership is to seek out and develop the latent talent of those members who, for various reasons, have never had a real chance to demonstrate their ability.” – Clem Renouf.  

    I like to define leadership as the “ability to influence.” We all have the ability to influence. In you, there is the ability to “influence” waiting to be awakened. 

    Most people have not awakened their leadership abilities; some may say they have never been given the opportunity to do so. I want to encourage those in this bracket to create the opportunities themselves. 

    There is no better opportunity than that created by you. I have created this blog as an opportunity to help someone out there. 

    I believe that this is a perfect opportunity and forum for me to show my leadership qualities and I am improving on them on a daily basis. I am neither a guru nor a perfect human being but I strive just like everybody else to become a better person every day.

    If you take the time to improve just 1% of your everyday life, say your work, imagine how much you would have improved after a single month.

    Improving ourselves is the beginning of showing leadership qualities. There are many ways in which to improve our leadership qualities but I live by the following four principles:-

    Learn

    I know that one of the most powerful tools for leadership is the ability to learn. This ability is in all of us.

    Read and read and read. Read books that motivate, inspire, and strengthen your character; books that remind you of other greatest leaders of the world.

    Some of my favorite books are the Holy Bible, the Master Key System by Charles Haanel, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, As a Man Thinketh by James Allen, and The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles.

    Knowledge is paramount to whatever we do in our lives. The more knowledge you gain the more you increase the ability to do something even better.

    I have a target to read at least one new book alongside one of my favorite books every month. But I read the Bible every single day. The bible is a wealth of motivational quotes.

    I encourage you to do even more by reading two books every month. I have written an article entitled “Knowledge is Key to Success” where I outline the importance of learning and acquiring more knowledge.

    Learning never ends. Each day we are alive we are continuously learning new things.

    Apart from reading you can also learn by listening to audiobooks on various subjects such as team building, personal motivation, and relationships.

    Attending seminars on motivational topics, team-building talks, and many other subjects will uplift you.

    Make a point to have a continuous learning life. You will also realize that you are a student of yourself. Some of you do not know yourself very well.

    Have an open mind and a keen interest in learning new things. Do not resist change but embrace it.

    Most of the time we as human beings are always resisting change. Explore the change being introduced for opportunities to express your leadership qualities.

    Usually, change brings with it new and different opportunities, explore them, don’t be content with what you have.

    Visualisation

    Perhaps at the centre of all human development is the state of the mind. Our outer achievements are a direct reflection of our inner achievements.

    What we think results in our actions. If your thought is constructive the action is good, if your thought is destructive so are your actions.

    Everything that was created was first conceived in the mind before being given birth to the world. This also is true about you and me.

    Before you can be, visualise yourself to be. You cannot be without seeing yourself to be.

    To awaken the leadership quality in you, you must realize that all achievements begin in the mind. Your dominant thoughts have a direct bearing on your character.

    One common attribute of great leaders is that they spend most of their time thinking positively and remain focused.

    We all have dreams and it is entirely up to each and every one of us to keep them alive and bring them into reality.

    To be a leader you must find time, especially in the morning to visualize yourself achieving your goals. Have time for yourself.

    Find the most appropriate time during the day when you can spend at least an hour to yourself. Mine is usually early in the morning at about 5.00 am.

    I also encourage you to be an early riser. This gives you time to read, meditate and exercise. I know that waking up earlier is not easy for some people but it gives you the early push.

    The start is always difficult but once you make it your way of life it becomes a part of your routine.

    Set Targets

    Setting and reconnecting on a regular basis with your targets is a good success discipline. Good leadership ability demands that you set goals that are achievable.

    I have one philosophy, set goals that are achievable but over-deliver. Exceeding your goals gives you a sense of good feeling.

    You must try as much as possible to set yourself targets, maybe on a yearly basis and broken down into smaller bits that will help you monitor your own progress.

    Target setting is helpful in whatever area of your life. One must learn to set reasonable and achievable goals.

    Yes, I know that sometimes we set goals that are difficult to achieve but we must try and reach them anyway.

    One of the best ways to monitor your goals is to write them down, say in a diary. Review your achievements on a regular basis and compare them with your main goals.

    Remember that your life and character are made up of the small things that you do every day. Try and improve on your weaknesses say by 1% every day and see how much improvement you will have made in one month.

    Stay Healthy

    Leadership is influenced by what you eat. Staying healthy is also influenced by your diet and your way of living.

    One sure way of staying healthy is having a good diet and regular exercise. Try as much as possible to eat a healthy and balanced diet.

    I must be very honest, I am not as disciplined as I should be when it comes to diets but I exercise on a regular basis.

    There is no point being a leader and not in good health. We must try by all means to keep our bodies in good health and enjoy the days of our lives.

    If you have noticed “what you eat determines how well you will perform.” Avoid overeating and train yourself to eat at the right time. Also, eat in moderation. Staying healthy is key and beneficial to us all.

    Conclusion

    Leadership is a very wide and difficult subject. What I believe is that we are all born leaders and it is the ability and willingness to take up challenging roles that differentiate us. Many of us think being in high offices is leadership. 

    I want to believe that we can all be leaders in whatever spheres of life we choose.

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