If you are reading this, you matter.
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| Do not ever forget that you matter. No matter what happens to you, you matter. (Click to Tweet) |
Your life.
Your business.
Your marriage.
You matter.
As a father or mother.
As a child.
As a husband or wife.
As a business owner.
As a student.
As a teacher.
As a leader.
As a child of God.
As a living, breathing, vital soul on this earth.
You matter.
It is important to be reminded of that from time to time and the video below from Eric Thomas does just that.
As I furiously hit the gas to make the light, I realized one of the ways I have failed as a leader.
Thirty seconds earlier, I watched as the driver of a van failed to notice a green light in the left turn lane. I was mesmerized by this person’s failure to pay attention.
I watched in horror (OK, that might be a stretch, but work with me here) as the van continued not to move for what seemed like an eternity (seven seconds). An endless stream of cars (four) lined up behind this van eager to reach their destination, only to be stopped in their tracks by this incompetent van driver. Seriously…how does this happen?
Finally the van started to go, but missed the light, and in doing so, destroyed the free world as we know it for the countless (still four) cars behind it.
I watched. I judged. I criticized.
And I did the exact same thing.
In my fascination with the ghastly (I think that is an appropriate adjective for such an offense, don’t you?) act of another, I forgot to pay attention to my own light.
And that is exactly what I have done as a leader.
I was always able to find fault in my team members. But, even worse, I allowed myself to get so caught up in their mistakes and shortcomings that I forgot to pay attention to what I had to do to make our team better.
There is a good chance you have exactly zero perfect people working for you. You can interview people 1000 times and be more selective than Harvard and you will still end up with an office full of imperfect people who surprise you every day with the things they can’t do.
It’s important to start, but success is always found in the finish.
You’ve heard the expression “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” That is true, but there are approximately 2,154,999 more steps to go (seriously, I did the research…it’s more if you are shorter, less if you are taller). And those steps are just as meaningful.
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| Getting to the finish line strong requires a strategy. Dan Erickson can help. (Click to Tweet) |
With that in mind, I asked Dan Erickson to share with us how to be a finisher. Dan teaches public speaking, mass media, and feature writing courses at a college in the Pacific Northwest. He blogs about writing and writing as a form of therapy at http://www.danerickson.net. He writes songs, poetry and has written two books, A Train Called Forgiveness and At the Crossing of Justice and Mercy. He’s also an on-again/off-again runner like myself.
Here’s what Dan had to say:
I’ve heard a lot of talk about getting things started lately. Start running. Start writing. Start a blog. The latest book, Start, by Jon Acuff recommends we punch fear in the face. I agree. The Nike slogan “Just Do It” has lent itself to a generation of athletes. There’s nothing wrong with a little motivation for getting started. We all need a little kick in the hind end from time to time. But what does it take to finish?
As a writer, I’ve discovered a few secrets to getting things completed. Assuming you’ve started, here are some tips to keep you moving toward the finish line:
If you are a meeting leader, you will want to read this.
If you are a meeting attendee, you will want to read this.
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| 5 ways you can be extraordinary at meetings. (Click to Tweet) |
Whether you are leading a meeting or just attendee (“just” attending, as though that is unimportant), what you do before every meeting is important.
I’m not even talking about making an agenda, setting up the chairs right, or making sure your PowerPoint works well. You can read some great tips from Tom Dixon and from me here and here on meetings. Those cover the basics.
Your pre-meeting mission
What I want you to do before every meeting is stand out. Make yourself known. Show leadership whether you are the CEO leading the meeting or reside on the lowest rung of the totem pole.
Think about how most meetings at American businesses start. Half the people on time. Half frantically scrambling in late. Notepads ready. Meeting game faces on. Eyes on the clock. Mind on your project deadline. Total silence or banter about sports or pop culture.
They all start the same. And I want you to change that.
I want you to be extraordinary before meetings. Here’s how:
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Mark Sieverkropp
Bob Winchester
Dan Erickson
Jon Stolpe
Jim Ryan
Steve Pate
Let's Grow Leaders
Kathy Leicester
Jana Botkin
Carol Dublin
