Weekly Leadership Inspirations for May 10, 2010 from Seed Word Communications
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
On May 7, 2010, I hosted the Chick-fil-A Leadercast at the Center for Biblical Studies in Tallahassee Florida. This was the new version of the Maximum Impact Simulcast that my mentor, Dr. John C. Maxwell, started ten years ago. You may please check out information at:
http://www.chick-fil-aleadercast.com/
The following was the line-up of speakers:
1. Jim Collins, Author of Good to Great, How the Mighty Fall, and
co-author of Built to Last
2. Tony Dungy, Retired head coach for the Indianapolis Colts
3. Dr. John C. Maxwell, Leadership expert and best-selling author of
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
4. Steve Uzelll, Award-winning corporate photographer and former staff
member of National Geographic
5. Mark Sanborn, Best-selling author of The Fred Factor
6. Connie Podesta, Expert in the psychology of human behavior and
leadership development
7. Jim Goodnight, CEO of SAS Institute, Inc.
8. Ed Bastian, President of Delta Air Lines
9. Ben Carson, Neurosurgeon and Professor of Pediatric Neurosurgery at
the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
EMCEES:
1. Sachi Koto, Former CNN anchor and founder of Sachi Koto
Communications, Inc.
2. Tripp Crosby, Director, comedian and blogger
As I did for those of you who were on my distribution list from last year, I am sharing a summary of the notes I took from the various speakers. These notes are flavored with my own interpretation of what I think I heard. :-) I have also added a few of my favorites that I use during my own speaking and leadership coaching engagements. The notes are not in any particular order.
Please mark your calendars for next year's Leadercast which will be on May 6, 2011.
1. True success is using my talents to elevate other people.
2. Are you proud of the professional choices you are making?
3. Are you proud of the personal choices you are making?
4. If we lose our values, we lose our soul. If we lose our soul, we
lose it all.
5. Humility is the signature of the greatest leaders.
6. It's all about people - it's not the what, but the who!
7. Combine faith with facts.
8. What is your reason to fight and your reason to endure? When you
find your purpose, you will find your way.
9. The genius of the "AND" - example, it's not "Profit OR employees,
but Profit AND Employees."
10. Do you have a personal board of directors - people you turn to for
guidance?
11. Turn off all the electronic gadgets once in a while and use the time
to THINK.
12. In taking disciplined action - you must have both "TO DO" and "STOP
DOING" lists.
13. Instead of being hung up on titles within an organization, focus on
responsibilities.
14. Articulate and re-articulate the core values of the organization.
15. Peter Drucker wrote two-thirds of his 26 books after age 65 - this
means there is hope for me since I will only be 62 next week. Most people have books inside them waiting to be born. What are you doing with yours? It has been said that the cemetery is the wealthiest place on earth because many people are buried there with great ideas that were never birthed.
16. Never stop learning. If you stop learning, you stop growing. Readers
become leaders.
17. Our question in life should not be how to survive or how to succeed,
it must be how to be useful.
18. Talent is God-given - be thankful!
19. Praise is people-given - be humble!!
20. Conceit is self-given - be careful!!!
21. Make it your goal to be a story-shaper - shaping the stories of
others.
22. In creating your own story, look at the effect your story will have
on others - the focus must be on what others can learn.
23. When you die, what do you want people to say about you? Don't leave
people wondering - begin to write your own epitaph right now.
24. A lot of people are stuck - give them hope - re-sell them on
themselves.
25. Hope is having something new to try and the willingness to try it.
26. Heroism is not possible without some struggle. No one is exempt from
trouble.
27. Failure is something that happens to you, not something you are.
28. Without resistance, there are no rewards.
29. Look for the lessons in life.
30. Listen with your heart.
31. Look for the bright spots in life. What is working well, and can we
do more of it?
32. If you take good care of your employees, your employees will take
good care of your customers.
33. Focus more on your responsibility than on your career.
34. If you want to succeed, surround yourself with successful people.
The 2 major things that will determine our future are the books we read and the people we hang out with.
35. Be the perpetual optimist - with unwavering faith that everything is
going to be OK.
36. Have patience with your teenagers - don't kill them - grandchildren
are God's reward to you for not killing your children.
37. When you become a leader, you give up your right to think about
yourself first.
38. Connecting increases influence.
39. Connecting is all about others.
40. Connecting requires energy and hard work.
41. Connect with people where they are. Find the common ground - you
cannot take anyone to higher ground until you find the common ground.
42. Keep asking the right questions - curiosity is much more powerful
than the recognition of the obvious.
43. Be curios - solutions are sometimes found in unexpected places.
44. Multitasking is the opportunity to screw up more than one thing at a
time. :-)
45. Chance favors the prepared mind. Luck is where opportunity meets
preparation.
46. Don't focus only on what you currently know. Question everything.
Turn information into knowledge.
47. Commitment reduces hesitation.
48. Be good at what you do. What are you really good at? What do you
have that people want? The mastery of a simple tool unites the dreamer with the dream.
49. Hear more easily and trust more frequently your own instincts.
50. The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious - keep
your eyes, ears and heart open.
51. Never feel sorry for yourself - never develop a victim mentality.
52. You can do anything - if you put your mind to it!
Ps: Some of you will notice that you were not on my weekly leadership inspiration distribution list in the past. Please forgive me for taking the liberty to add your name to this week's email because I thought this week was extra special and that you might enjoy reading it. Please let me know if you want me to keep your name on the list for future weekly leadership inspiration emails. Also, please feel free to share with your friends and invite them to opt in for the weekly emails by sending me an email requesting to be added.
Planting seeds of hope and changing lives!TM Dr. Joseph Amanfu, PMP, CCP, MBCS, CTM, CPC, ELI-MP, Ph.D.
President & CEO, Seed Word Communications, LLC P.O. Box 16615, Tallahassee, FL 32317
Website: www.seedword.com <http://www.seedword.com/> , Email:
joe.amanfu@seedword.com
Cell: +1.850.321.7620
Through leadership coaching, let us help you develop your
* Motivation: What can move us toward adjusting, changing, and
growing?
* Effectiveness: What can I do to develop my true potential?
* Leadership: How can I become the leader I want to be and develop
productive leadership skills?
We want to help you find the motivation and develop the skills to become an effective leader and maximize your full potential. For many years, it has been my privilege to work with people across the world within many different settings. It is my hope that I can help you make the adjustments you need in your life and realize the goals you have in business, in relationships, and in life.
"The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change.
The leader adjusts the sails." - John Maxwell. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership