Tag: Inspiration

What Are The 3 Key #Leadership Strengths?

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Let’s hear it for the leaders!

They are the ones who inspire others to try their best, even in tough times.

If you work for long enough, you will see examples of Good, Indifferent and Poor leadership.

Judging by the personal development conversations I’ve had, over time, people like being led by:

Human beings, not controlling by-the-book types.

People who can smile, even after the plan goes wrong.

Bosses who want their teams to learn from what went wrong. Then try again.

So, who is the best leader you have come across? Which of the three qualities in the YouTube video below did they get right?

https://youtu.be/GEaKgLEdDLY

(Don’t forget to Like and Subscribe).

How To #Thrive In Tough Times

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Searching for the light – Photo by Dewang Gupta on Unsplash

There are 153 days left in 2020. I suspect I won’t be the only one glad to see the back of a year which has featured widespread: 

  • Health dilemmas 
  • Job insecurity 
  • Prejudice against minorities 

Fortunately, there have been desperately difficult times before (and sadly there will be more in the days ahead).

Nonetheless there is wisdom we can tap into to inspire ourselves and those around us. Wisdom which reminds us that the future is brighter than the present.

It is during our darkest moments that we must focus, to see the light

Aristotle

In other words: it is the toughest times which test us most. Those are the times during which we need to look hard, to find the life lessons to keep us moving forward. 

What is the phrase you use to motivate yourself, or the people around you when the going gets tough? Share your thoughts in a comment, or by tweeting @RogerD_Said

What 3 Lessons Can We Learn From Comicbook Heroes ?

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A Picture of Stan Lee From The BBC

What Did You Learn From Stan Lee ?

I discovered the Marvel universe as a kid, when a mate loaned me a copy of an Avengers comic book. I loved it. I went on to enjoy the art bringing the adventures of dozens of Marvel heroes to life. Decades later I’m grateful to the inspiring vision of the late Stan Lee for all that joy. He said his goal for Marvel comics was that

“…someday an intelligent adult would not be embarrassed to walk down the street with a comic magazine”.

Mission accomplished. Marvel’s creative output would not be seen as ‘for kids’ but would successfully have something to say to the rest of us too. He achieved that goal and more. Many of us have owned trading cards, magazines and now films that are part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

What Are My 3 Take Aways From Marvel’s Storytelling? 

Teams rely on diverse talents to create exciting outcomes (what would Stan Lee’s characters be without Jack Kirby’s pencils…or the X Men without the Professor’s detachment and Logan’s passion)?

Strength isn’t about muscles ,it is about depth of character (take a look at Iron Man issues 120 to 128 in which Tony Stark deals with his alcohol dependency) Being aware of our own strengths and development needs gives us an edge

Leaders set the tone for the people around them , creating a healthy environment where  colleagues can try different approaches, fail and learn from mistakes (think about how much room to operate Phil Coulson gives the agents of SHIELD)?

What have you learned about life by discovering the Marvel universe? Feel free to have your say by leaving a comment.

Excelsior!

How To Choose The Next Step Toward Your #Goal In 5 Minutes

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Take A Few Minutes To Discover Your Next Step – Image Riccardo Bresciani at Pexels dot com

Everyone is busy these days, although some of us have already enjoyed a few vacation days this summer. Some others are looking forward to their holiday in the sun. Here’s a thought: How many of us understand the stresses and strains we carry around while we are busy leading our 9 to 5 lives as leaders, managers, entrepreneurs or creatives?

Good news, there is a way we can achieve a better understanding of ourselves at work, at home, or on a mountain top.

How To Get Clarity Over Your Goals In 5 Minutes

I’ve found five minutes of mindfulness a day can help answer the question, what should I be doing next? What does my approach involve?

  • Sitting with a straight back, eyes closed
  • Breathing deeply from the diaphragm
  • Relaxing shoulders, arms and legs
  • Tuning out the sounds around me
  • Noticing what I am feeling in my head, heart and gut
  • Finding a way to use all that information after my five minutes are up and I feel refreshed

What would five minutes a day of mindfulness do for you today? How about over the next week?  Take a moment to write down and share your answer. Feel free to message your discovery on Twitter @RogerD_Said You can Like and Share the post too, if it has been helpful.

Thank you for reading the post and have a great day.

4 Steps To Help You Reach Your New Year #Goals

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Runners In A Street Race

Get On The Road To Your Next Goal (Picture Credit Morguefile.Com)

Happy New Year!

You are not along if you feel daunted by the reality of more than 360 days in your 2018 planner.

It is possible to change the course of your life in that time. Here 4 steps to get you moving toward your next goal.

First, get specific about the area you are going to work on. Chances are, like the rest of us, you have a bunch of areas you would like to tackle. Many people think about setting goals regarding Health, Finances or Work for instance.

Why not write down all of the key themes running through your life at the moment. Score your satisfaction with each one out of 10. Whatever area scores 6 or less would be a good place for goal setting (if there are several tied in that group choose the one that feels most like it needs your attention).

Let’s suppose you want to enjoy a higher standard of health by running regularly, like a former coaching client of mine used to. He identified a positive benefit to following his goal (he could reconnect with running buddies and raise money for charity by taking part in an event later in the year).

Second, list the resources you can already access to tackle your goal. Resources include the people you know, the skills, you have, the wider knowledge you can tap into.

Set some boundaries / milestones up in your planner. Use it to show what you will do to work on your goal, with whose help and when. This visualisation will help you focus.

Third, run a reality check. Given the pressures on his average week it wasn’t  always practical for  my client to train more than once a week. This meant he had to adjust his plan so as to make the progress he wanted to achieve, without feeling his ultimate goal was unreachable.

Fourth, celebrate each improvement made along the way. We can sometimes care so much about crossing the finishing line that we downplay our improved performance at each stage.

Thank you for reading this initial 2018 post. Leave a comment, Like or Share if it has helped you so you can help others. I’m interested in what you have to say and others will be too.

Until next time, have a great day.

Roger