leaders-network-group95b01eabd8f2924fe94f49cd5b8a5802

Which Version of You is Leading?

Fri, 01 May 2026 02:47:00 GMT

For years, I have had disciplined mornings. It was my evenings that were quietly undoing me.

The dissonance was clear. My habits no longer matched my values.

Me at 23.

Full disclosure. I began drinking alcohol at the age of 23. By this time, my children were six and seven, I was divorced and in a second relationship. I had moved interstate to a large city (I grew up in the country), away from my family, and had been put into a management role for the first time, and it wasn't one I was ready for.

The pressure was intense. One of my team members said to me, “You should have a glass of wine when you go home, it will help you relax”, so I did.

The Passing of Decades

Decades later, after career growth, grandchildren and life complexity, I decided to stop drinking the way I had.

I finally realised that we do not respond to reality. We respond to our interpretation of it. So I had a very productive conversation with past me, thanking her for supporting me in building a successful life so far.

I told her how grateful I am to her, how much I still love her and let her know it is now time for her to sit on the balcony and let the future me take the lead on the dance floor of life. I could feel her relief and her happiness at stepping back and resting.

She had done her work, and it was time for the future me she helped build to take over.

That conversation forced me to examine something deeper—how meaning is created in the first place.

Read more here, starting with How We Create Meaning

I Hated Networking Until I Learned What It Really Was

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 03:10:40 GMT

Life has a way of teaching us lessons we did not know we needed.

Years ago, if anyone had asked me about networking, I would have dismissed it as surface-level socialising with no real value.

That view was based on my limited experience. Most of what I had seen in the corporate world happened at large events, hosting tables, and making polite conversation with people I did not know and were unlikely to see again.

I could not see how it helped me, how I could help them, or why it mattered.

No one had ever shown me how to network. I completed an MBA, and networking was never part of the learning or conversations. So, like many people, I misunderstood it.

When I started my own business, one of my mentors kept urging me to join a professional networking organisation. I resisted for months. His message, however, never changed: if you want to build a business, you need to develop a network.

At the time, it was not my thing.

Now, after years in a professional networking community, I see it very differently.

I get it.

Networking is not about working a room, collecting contacts, or being social for its own sake.

Networking is about building genuine relationships, creating trust, and understanding how to contribute to others.

That is a very different thing.

Read more here , with Networking is Work

From External Certainty to Self-Generated Certainty

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 21:52:21 GMT

For most of my career, certainty surrounded me. I stayed for forty years, and then one day, they decided they no longer needed me.

Image: Shutterstock

As difficult as it was at the time to let go, I overcame the emotion within 24 hours and decided to move on.

Physically moving on was the easy part. What surprised me was that it still took more than three years to move on mentally. That was the real challenge.

Working in a large organisation, there were structures, systems, expectations, and people to lean on. Decisions had context, and success had benchmarks. Even ambiguity had boundaries. I knew how to navigate all of this and was good at it, having risen to a career level I never aspired to achieve.

Then an even bigger challenge was thrown at me.

My brother took his own life, and my challenge of having lost certainty in my career faded into nothing. I had lost the one man in my family I believed I could trust as we navigated life’s uncertainties together, and he had given up on himself.

In response, I clung to control. I learned more and gathered knowledge. I stayed on my treadmill of life with no off button, grasping for certainty wherever I could find it.

Then I stepped into my own business, and certainty vanished completely. No amount of knowledge gathering or learning was going to deliver the certainty I craved as a core need of my very being.

At first, I thought I was prepared. I had decades of leadership experience, an MBA, and a track record of results. What I hadn’t anticipated was how deeply my thinking had been shaped by external structures. When those disappeared, I felt exposed.

Suddenly, anything was possible, and that was the problem.

Read more here , starting with The Comfort of External Certainty

Life Tests the Boundaries You Live By

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 02:49:52 GMT

Some weeks test us more than others. Life doesn’t test what we say we believe; it tests the boundaries we live by.

This week was difficult for my family.

A series of events led to tough conversations, hard decisions, and ultimately the heartbreaking moment of saying goodbye to a much-loved pet.

Grief has a way of slowing everything down.

It forces reflection and raises difficult questions about decisions, choices and consequences.

Often, there is no clear right or wrong, only the responsibility to choose the path we believe is best.

In this case, the choice was to make what ultimately proved a tough decision and then accept the emotional consequences of that decision and the actions that followed.

What I do know is that a decision had to be made, and as a result, we each chose how to respond. Everything is a choice.

Difficult situations make us recognise the quiet boundaries that shape how we live our lives. Boundaries often appear long before we know the word. What we can name, we can access.

Developing language for what you are willing to accept or not accept is powerful. It informs the decisions you make and the consequences they follow.

“Creating an atmosphere of mutual respect and consideration for boundaries can lead you to the path of personal happiness.”

Nancy B. Urbach

Read more here, with Reflection on Boundaries

Leaders Need a Roadmap, Not Just a Plan

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 02:45:10 GMT

When leaders are fearless, they set direction rather than react to it. Time moves forward whether we act with intention or drift on default.

Image: Adobe

Another year will pass. Five years will pass. Ten years will pass. The only variable is whether we arrive where we intended or look back with regret.

Most leaders understand this intellectually. Yet many still resist structured thinking about the future. Not because they lack intelligence or commitment, but because planning feels heavy, uncertain, or overwhelming.

Here’s the truth: You will choose your hard.
You can choose the hard work of intentional direction, or the hard reality of unintended outcomes.

This is where the leadership roadmap becomes indispensable.

Why Leaders Need a Roadmap

A roadmap is more than a plan. Benjamin Franklin’s warning still stands: “Failing to plan is planning to fail.”

But today, failure rarely looks dramatic. It looks like drift, distraction, and diluted impact, and then we wonder why the results that we want are not being achieved.

Leaders are busy, capable, and well-intentioned. Yet without a roadmap, effort dilutes, energy fragments, and actions lose coherence.

A roadmap is a thinking framework that connects your current reality, your intended destination, and how you will navigate the uncertainty in between.

“A good plan is like a roadmap: it shows the final destination and usually the best way to get there.”

H.Stanley Judd

The Road Trip in Motion

Read more here about The Road Trip in Motion

The Identity Shift from Employee to Entrepreneur

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 06:45:40 GMT

I used to believe entrepreneurship was about creativity and ideas. I now know it is a fundamental shift in identity.

Image: Shutterstock

Being entrepreneurial is not just something you do . It is a way of being —a shift from externally structured certainty to self-generated certainty.

For 40 years, I thrived as an employee. I contributed, led teams, delivered results, and built a career beyond what I had imagined or ever aspired to. The structure, expectations, and feedback loops created a predictable framework.

My role was clear. My contribution mattered, and my certainty was largely provided. I knew I was good with process and people; I knew I was an effective leader.

Then everything changed. I started my own business. Suddenly, anything was possible, and that was the problem.

Without organisational structure, direction, or built-in certainty, I felt lost in a sea of opportunities and decisions. The ambiguity was confronting.

It took me three years to recognise that I had carried an employee mindset into entrepreneurship, and that my identity was deeply tied to what I had been part of, rather than what I was now creating.

Entrepreneurship forced me to ask a confronting question: Who am I when I must create my own certainty?

Employee Certainty vs Entrepreneur Certainty

As employees, many of our core needs, certainty, contribution, and connection, are built into the system. We show up, perform, and are rewarded. There are boundaries and expectations, and I was good at meeting these in a structured environment.

Entrepreneurs must create those structures themselves. Certainty becomes an internal discipline, not an external system.

This is why entrepreneurship feels exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.

Learning Is the Core Entrepreneurial Skill

Entrepreneurship demands continuous learning. Not just about marketing, finance, or operations, but about thinking, identity, and self-leadership.

One of the most important learning concepts for entrepreneurs is the Dunning–Kruger effect—the tendency to overestimate what we know when we are inexperienced and underestimate ourselves as we gain competence.

In business, this can be dangerous. Many entrepreneurs enter with strong technical skills but limited business capability. Without awareness, confidence can outpace competence.

This gap between character, competence, and results creates risk—especially when confidence outpaces capability.

“The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer.”

Nolan Bushnell

If Nothing Changes, Nothing Changes

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 23:51:24 GMT

By now, the noise of New Year’s resolutions has usually faded.

Declarations made with good intentions, enthusiasm that didn’t survive, and the familiar feeling that this coming year might somehow look a lot like the last.

And yet, the desire for change remains. You want something to be different this year. You want better.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth most people avoid: Nothing changes unless you do.

Not your circumstances.
Not your results.
Not your life.

If nothing changes, nothing changes.

Why resolutions don’t work

One definition of the word resolution is “a formal expression of opinion or intention made.”

That says a lot. Opinions are easy to form. Intentions are easy to state. Neither guarantees progress.

Intentions matter because they reveal values and aspirations, and they sit at the heart of our character. But on their own, intentions don’t create results. Behaviour does.

And behaviour is driven by thinking, not hope.

This is where many people get stuck. They’re not lazy. They’re not lacking discipline. They’re not short on ambition. What they lack is clarity.

Capability without clarity produces effort, not momentum. Activity, not progress. Most likely, exhaustion without results.

Leadership begins with how you think

Leadership in life or business is not a role or a title. It’s not something you turn on at work and off at home.

Leadership is how you think, especially under pressure.

And here’s the good news—how you think, how you respond, and how you choose to act are all within your control.

You may not control:

· The economy

· Other people’s choices

· Unexpected events

But you always control:

· How you respond

· Where you place your focus

· The standards you accept

· The questions you ask yourself

· The actions you take next

This isn’t about doing more—it’s about thinking better.

“If you don’t like something, change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.”

Mary Engelbreit

The Mentors of the Future are In Books

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 20:01:05 GMT

The mentors of the future are in books—but not all books are written by mentors. That decision is made by the reader.

Some of the most influential mentors in my life are no longer alive. Yet I still consider them mentors because I can return to their thinking at any time. All I need to do is open the book again and allow their ideas to shape my perspective. Two enduring examples for me are The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey and The 12 Miracles of Life by Napoleon Hill.

I read nonfiction for learning and personal growth, and fiction—mainly fantasy—for relaxation and reflection. Over time, I’ve developed a deliberate rhythm. Fiction is always a hard copy and part of my evening wind-down routine after journaling. Nonfiction is often consumed as an audiobook, and if a book resonates deeply, I buy the physical copy to add to my library for reference and re-reading.

I love reading nonfiction and always look forward to learning something new, but more importantly, to using what I learn. I make a point of extracting at least one idea to apply before moving on to the next book.

Most people retain only a small fraction of what they read in a nonfiction book—often around 10%. Not because the ideas aren’t good, but because information alone doesn’t change behaviour. A first read rarely creates mastery. It introduces language, shapes thinking, and surfaces one or two ideas that feel relevant at that moment. Real learning happens through repetition, reflection, and application.

Leaders who get results don’t try to remember everything. They extract the few ideas that matter and use them deliberately.

A mentor once told me that if you can take just one idea from an experience, it has been worth your time. I’ve carried that principle with me for years. When I finish a book, I consciously ask: What is the one thing I’m taking this time?

Last year, I read more than 30 books, both fiction and nonfiction. Each serves a different purpose. Fiction shapes identity, belief, and meaning through story and metaphor. It influences how we see ourselves and the world. Nonfiction provides language, frameworks, and structure for action. One changes perspective, the other changes behaviour.

Leaders who grow fastest don’t choose between the two. They use fiction to deepen their thinking (or simply to pause and reflect) and nonfiction to build discipline, clarity, and execution.

Below are ten books I read in 2025 that influenced my learning. They are not necessarily my favourites, but they are among the ones that have stayed with me. I hope they inspire you to read with greater intention.

Read more here , starting with 25 Ways to Win with People – John C. Maxwell

The Future Belongs to Leaders Who Think Better

Sun, 04 Jan 2026 02:55:40 GMT

Most leaders work hard to improve what they do. Few stop to examine how they think. That’s the blind spot.

Results are not produced by effort alone. They are shaped, quietly and consistently, by how you think. Your thinking influences your habits, your habits reinforce your thinking, and together they shape your future.

How you interpret information, respond to pressure, make decisions, and assess risk all flow from the thinking patterns you rely on most.

If your results feel capped, inconsistent, or harder than they should be, the issue is rarely a lack of capability. More often, it’s outdated thinking.

The good news is that thinking is a skill that can be developed and upgraded.

Why Thinking Habits Matter More Than Ever

The future of leadership is not about having all the answers. It’s about navigating uncertainty with clarity, curiosity, and confidence.

Copy and paste this link to read more:

https://wendyjmarshall.substack.com/p/the-future-belongs-to-leaders-who

When the Going Gets Tough, Smart Leaders Lean In: A 9-Step Framework for Win-Win Conversations

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 19:44:04 GMT

There’s more to having a difficult conversation than deciding, “ I just need to do it .”

Image: Shutterstock

If you’ve been in leadership for any length of time, you already know that difficult conversations often become defining moments. They can change the course of someone’s career, influence the culture of your team, and even shift your own perspective as a leader.

Handled well, they build trust, strengthen relationships, and spark positive change. Handled poorly, they can damage trust and close doors that may never reopen.

You are in Control

The good news? How the conversation unfolds is largely in your control.

After four decades in leadership, I’ve learned that success in these moments doesn’t come from avoiding discomfort — it comes from leaning in with clarity, empathy, intent and a win-win mindset. Instead of thinking, “This is going to be hard,” reframe it as, “This is an opportunity to help someone grow.”

So often, difficult conversations are the most important because they can change the direction of someone’s life, including yours as a leader. Since we all interpret information differently, the meaning you assign to the conversation is key, as it will influence your actions and, ultimately, the outcome.

To be effective for everyone involved, you need to look beyond yourself and aim for a win-win outcome—one that serves both the individual and the organisation.

“Win/Win is not a personality technique. It’s a total paradigm of human interaction. It grows out of high-trust relationships. It is embodied in agreements that clarify and manage expectations as well as accomplishment.”
Stephen R. Covey

It’s Not About You

After a 45-year career that involved many difficult conversations, I’ve found that the best way to handle these moments isn’t to avoid discomfort but to embrace it, with clarity, empathy, and a focus on mutual gains.

By concentrating on the other person and guiding them through the discussion towards their preferred outcome, everyone involved can benefit. When you focus on others rather than on how uncomfortable you feel, everything shifts.

Research shows that when leaders focus primarily on their own feelings, assumptions, or role in a difficult conversation, they often miss cues from the other person, which can reduce the effectiveness of the interaction.

Thinking beyond your own viewpoint fosters empathy, understanding, and outcomes that benefit everyone involved.

Learning Comes from Doing

Here’s my 9-step framework for turning difficult conversations into defining leadership moments that lead to growth, trust, and transformation.

Step 1: Be Timely in Your Approach

Address issues promptly. Waiting only increases tension and emotion. Acting early signals that you value both the person and the standards you uphold.

Example: If a team member repeatedly misses deadlines, don’t wait for the annual review. Address it as soon as a pattern emerges.

Step 2: Be Clear on the Purpose

Be clear about the issue or issues that require the conversation because clarity is your foundation. Identify exactly what needs to be addressed and why it matters. Avoid combining unrelated issues together; focus on one key concern.

Ask yourself, “Can I explain the purpose of this conversation in one clear sentence?"

Step 3: Gain Commitment to the Conversation

Whenever possible, avoid catching someone off guard. Plan the discussion, explain its importance, and allocate time for preparation.

This fosters psychological safety and ensures that both parties engage in an open, constructive exchange.

Step 4: Plan with the Facts

Be objective and base your preparation on facts related to the issue to be discussed.

Subjectivity and high emotions can cloud judgment. Facts bring focus. Objectivity keeps emotions in check and ensures the discussion stays focused on reality.

Step 5: Prepare Your Mindset

Before you enter the room, check in with yourself. Are you calm? Focused? Ready to listen as much as you speak?

Remember, the conversation is not about you. Your role is to create an environment where the other person feels heard and supported, not judged.

The conversation isn’t about proving a point; it’s about finding a way forward.

Step 6: Begin with Standards

Start by thanking them for their time, then outline how the conversation will unfold and agree on an effective approach.

Standards such as mutual respect, active listening, no interruptions, and openness to feedback set a collaborative tone rather than a confrontational one.

Step 7: Listen to Understand

Being willing to listen to others shows emotional intelligence and thoughtfulness. True listening is a key leadership capability. It means being fully present, attentive to tone, pace, and body language.

Adjust your approach based on the person’s communication style: analytical or expressive, logical or emotional.

The goal is to build a genuine connection, not to correct.

Step 8: Respond with Integrity

Say what you mean, mean what you say, and align your motives with the greater good.

Integrity makes sure your intentions and actions match, that your message is honest and constructive, so trust builds rather than breaks down.

Example: If you’re addressing underperformance, be clear about the impact and express your willingness to help them improve.

Step 9: Aim for a Win-Win Outcome

Strong leaders seek solutions that serve both the individual and the organisation. A win-win doesn’t always mean perfect agreement; it means shared commitment to a constructive way forward.

When situations benefit you, others, and the greater good, they are ecological. This defines a win-win — you win, and so does the other person.

“A win-win is where you both walk away better than when you arrived.”

Final Thoughts

When you reframe difficult conversations as leadership opportunities, you stop avoiding them and start using them to strengthen relationships and drive growth.

By following this 9-step framework, you don’t just resolve issues; you model integrity, empathy, and courage. These moments define the leader you are becoming. Every tough conversation is a chance to lead — with strength, clarity, and purpose.

You can avoid the discomfort and let problems grow, or step into the challenge and lead with intention, creating moments of lasting trust and transformation. The choice is yours.

Would you like to discuss leadership? Click on the contact button , and we will be in touch.

Imposter Syndrome is Good for You

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 20:34:29 GMT

If you never feel like an impostor, you’re not growing—you’re repeating. Those butterflies in your stomach aren’t proof you’re unqualified; they are evidence you’ve stepped beyond yesterday’s limits.

Image: Shutterstock

It is normal to have doubts about your abilities when we start something new, take on a new role, business, or opportunity. Many people believe they are not good enough. The more likely truth is that we are breathing life into a new identity of which we are not yet familiar. It feels uncomfortable, and it is. However, when we embrace this discomfort and the uncertainty that comes with it, we will expand our zones of genius and, as a result, grow.

Impostor syndrome is an indicator that you are growing and developing.

Google Won’t Give the Answer Needed

Let’s take starting your own business as an example. Anyone can ask a question on Google and get an answer. Just have a go and put in a question like “How do I start a business?” or “Tips for planning in business.” You will get a myriad of responses that are all correct and different in their own way. This can be overwhelming for many people who simply want a straightforward approach to solving a problem.

Suppose your aim is to start the business and use all the knowledge and skills you've developed over many years for your own benefit rather than someone else's. In that case, you will likely experience some impostor syndrome when you first begin.

A Massive Undertaking

About 25 years ago, I was asked to undertake a massive project to change the way losses were incurred within the organisation I worked for. Throughout the organisation's entire history, this issue had never been successfully addressed in a sustainable manner. I did not want to take on this role; I saw it as a lose-lose situation. I truly believed it would be too hard; I wasn't good enough, and I didn't know how to do it. I told my boss so. I asked if I had a choice, and he said no.

He advised that they saw me as the only person who might have any chance of succeeding. I asked why they thought that, and I was told that it was because I achieve whatever I set my mind to. There was some truth in that; however, I still did not believe that what they were asking me to do—save the company about $20 million—was even possible. It would destroy my career, and I would be sacked. At the time, getting sacked would have been one of the worst things that could have happened; if I fast-forward 20 years, I would say it would have been a blessing—I just wouldn’t have recognised it then.

The Story Continues

I digress. After telling my boss I hated him, I got on with the job and told him I had conditions. I had to meet with the CEO, explain what I needed, gain clarity on his expectations, and then I would get started. I did all of this, and about three years later, the program we developed and the team we assembled contributed to the company saving $35 million.

Throughout all of this, I felt like an impostor. For the whole three years, I never truly believed we could do what we were being asked to do; however, I knew that if I kept showing up, kept planning, embraced my fears and the uncertainty, and established good systems and processes along with a huge dose of creativity, results could be achieved. Never in my wildest dreams did I believe it would turn out as great as it did.

Our Core Needs

Based on Tony Robbins' work, we all have six core needs. These core needs drive decisions we make and shape the reasons behind our actions. All behaviour, whether functional or dysfunctional, arises from our ability to consistently meet these core needs. Understanding your needs and the psychology behind them can influence the habits you create or change in your life, helping you achieve your goals.

“You see, in life, many people know what to do, but few actually do what they know. Knowing is not enough! You must take action.” Tony Robbins

Each of us prioritises our needs differently, and for most of us, at least two core needs are the most important. Our decisions are based on which needs we prioritise first, so when changes occur that we cannot control, it can feel like we do not have a choice. Be assured that everything is a choice, and how we respond to change and recognise our core needs can have a positive and lasting impact on our decisions.

The Six Core Needs

These six core needs are essential and unavoidable, encompassing feminine and masculine energy. They are part of the human macro-patterns, which means they exist within every individual.

1. Certainty: means having the assurance that we are secure and safe.

2. Uncertainty: is the need for adventure, variety, challenge, and change.

3. Significance: is feeling special, important, unique, or needed.

4. Connection: is the intense feeling of love and closeness with others or things.

5. Contribution: is the sense of service, giving and making a difference to others.

6. Growth: this expands capability, understanding, and meaning.

Impact of Understanding Core Needs

When I parted ways with this company about eight years ago, I reflected on these learnings and decided to start my own business. Instead of helping another large organisation succeed, I chose to create my own success. The impostor syndrome returned, big time!

While I believed I could achieve anything I set my mind to, having plenty of evidence to support this, I had no idea what was involved in starting my own business. I thought I could just come up with a business name, and people would want to start working with me. The reality could not have been further from that, even if I were on Mars. I hadn't caught up with who I was becoming, and I thought I could just wing it. The fact is, I did not take myself seriously and kept telling myself that if I didn’t make money, it didn’t matter.

Well, that self-limiting belief came back to haunt me years later when financial pressure increased due to some family challenges. I realised that I let impostor syndrome get in the way of being the best I could be to help others be the best they could be. So, it was a lose-lose situation. This hit me about three years ago, and I knew I was at a crossroads. I needed to accept that I was a failure or embrace my impostor syndrome, which was trying to hold me back, and become comfortable with being uncomfortable. Put another way, I embraced uncertainty big time, and this was extremely uncomfortable. I was finally catching up with who I was becoming.

Expanding Comfort Zones

What is interesting is that real impostors don’t experience impostor syndrome. If we are not impostors when experiencing this syndrome, then what are we experiencing? Growth.

Impostor syndrome is an indicator that we are growing. We are breathing life into a new identity with which we are not yet familiar.

Taking it a step further, if we do not experience impostor syndrome, we are not expanding our comfort zone to become the next version of ourselves we need to become to handle the next level of whatever life brings.

If you want to grow, then welcome this impostor syndrome on board for the ride.

Overcome Impostor Syndrome with Planning

Becoming proficient at planning is a learning process, just like any other skill we develop throughout our lives. We start off being unconsciously incompetent because we do not know what we do not know about planning. Then, when we learn that planning is beneficial for business, we become consciously incompetent, because we now recognise that we lack the knowledge to plan effectively.

Next comes the rewarding part: we decide to start learning how to plan, and we eventually become consciously competent because we now know how to structure the plan. We build good habits to consistently show up with the planning process and continually improve how it is done.

The final stage of learning occurs when the planning mindset has evolved, and the process of creating good habits and consistently following a solid planning structure unfolds, ultimately leading us to become unconsciously competent. This is when planning becomes second nature and a normal way of being to achieve results.

The learning process we go through in everything we do is a powerful framework to be aware of, as it reassures us that we can learn to do anything when we want to, and this can bring certainty in an uncertain world. It is all about making good choices about how we show up, because we never have everything licked in life. Making good choices is an endless process, just like learning is!

Here are 3 tips to help with learning how to become a planner:

Tip #1

Decide to adopt a planning mindset. It was Dwight Eisenhower who said, “Plans are nothing, planning is everything”. Creating a plan is the easy part; however, grasping the yearly, quarterly, and weekly planning process will help you bring your plan to life. This is about consistency, focus, and prioritisation.

Tip #2

Use a best practice structure to develop your planning habits, which you can repeat and refine. This will provide you with a framework that enables continuous improvement in planning to achieve your desired results. When I started doing this over five years ago, I was clunky and unsure how it would work; however, as I consistently used the process and structure each year, the learning process has been effective. I now use a simple planning rhythm: 10-30-60-120. 10 minutes daily, 30 minutes weekly, 60 minutes monthly and 120 minutes quarterly to chunk down the yearly plan.

Tip# 3

Be consistent in how you show up for your planning. Creating good habits around planning and consistently applying your learnings is imperative. Achieving something one day does not mean you can take it easy the next day. Making good choices and creating good habits is an ongoing process of showing up as the type of person you want to be, both in business and in life. Chunking down your plan will support you in achieving this because it provides a consistent process to follow.

To Sum Up

Embracing these 3 tips will support you as a leader in business and in life because, as Benjamin Franking originally said, “Failing to plan is preparing to fail”. Now you wouldn’t want to do that, would you?

Imposter syndrome isn’t a flaw; it’s a sign of growth. When you step into a new identity, discomfort is a sign that you’re expanding your capacity. Channel that energy into disciplined planning: adopt the mindset, use a simple rhythm (10-30-60-120), and show up consistently. Know less, act more. Plan the work, work the plan, and let the results reflect who you believe you are and want to be.

Would you like to learn more about overcoming imposter syndrome? Click on the contact button , and we will be in touch.

Impostor Syndrome is Good for You

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 23:34:57 GMT

Image: Shutterstock

Impostor syndrome is an indicator that you are growing and developing.

Google Won’t Give the Answer Needed

A Massive Undertaking

The Story Continues

Our Core Needs

“You see, in life, many people know what to do, but few actually do what they know. Knowing is not enough! You must take action.”

Tony Robbins

The Six Core Needs

These six core needs are essential and unavoidable, encompassing feminine and masculine energy. They are part of the human macro-patterns, which means they exist within every individual.

1. Certainty: means having the assurance that we are secure and safe.

2. Uncertainty: is the need for adventure, variety, challenge, and change.

3. Significance: is feeling special, important, unique, or needed.

4. Connection: is the intense feeling of love and closeness with others or things.

5. Contribution: is the sense of service, giving and making a difference to others.

6. Growth: this expands capability, understanding, and meaning.

Impact of Understanding Core Needs

Expanding Comfort Zones

What is interesting is that real impostors don’t experience impostor syndrome. If we are not impostors when experiencing this syndrome, then what are we experiencing? Growth.

Impostor syndrome is an indicator that we are growing. We are breathing life into a new identity with which we are not yet familiar.

If you want to grow, then welcome this impostor syndrome on board for the ride.

Overcome Impostor Syndrome with Planning

Here are 3 tips to help with learning how to become a planner:

Tip #1

Tip #2

Tip# 3

To Sum Up

Would you like to learn more about navigating Imposter Syndrome? Click on Contact Us, and we will be in touch.

Willpower Won't Save You

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 23:50:16 GMT

Results aren’t a character test. They are a test of structure. When work is framed as a system, progress becomes non-negotiable, even on bad days.

Image Shutterstock

What we focus on is what we will get, to the exclusion of everything else. Focus is a habit to build on when it comes to being productive. There will always be the quadrant one distractions that need to be attended to; however, when we let them take over how we spend our time, the desired results will suffer. Working the system is about being productive and doing what matters most.

Focus is What Matters

Having a clear focus helps you navigate the daily whirlwind and stay on track, using your plan as a roadmap, even if it involves taking a few detours. It’s a mindset, a way of being, and a way to show up every day to achieve what matters to you. Most business leaders confuse motion with progress and then wonder why results stall. The solution is simple to understand and hard to fake. Chunk your plan down, install habits that make execution inevitable, and protect them with a precise rhythm.

“There are two kinds of habits: those that serve you, and those that don’t."

Jeff Olson

Jeff Olson’s The Slight Edge makes the case well, highlighting that small, positive actions, repeated consistently, compound into outsized results. Three takeaways are timeless:

Set clear goals with a plan—your plan is the roadmap from where you are to where you want to go.
Maintain positive daily habits—show up, even when you don’t feel like it.
Surround yourself with the right people—learn, grow, and hold yourself to a high standard.

As Olson says, there are two kinds of habits: those that serve you, and those that don’t. Choose deliberately.

Starts with a Story

I learned about a planning system about eight years ago, during my early days of studying human behaviour and starting my own business. My previous career spanned 40 years in a large organisation, where I was always “busy” on that daily grinding treadmill of demands and urgent tasks. It was eye-opening to realise that a structured system could be so effective. While it all made sense to me, having done a lot of planning beforehand, it was never as clearly defined as this. It was just my way of planning (which was better than nothing).

Although it resonated, I did not fully embrace it for many years. I wasted a lot of time and energy just being busy every day. So, after 4 years of being busy, I realised I was just back on another treadmill, a different one, yes, but still a treadmill that did not seem to have an off button, and my business was going nowhere.

Having a Go

I decided to give it a go, and the impact was immediate. The difference in how I felt every day, with clarity on what was to be achieved, structure in my days and weeks, and planning for each year was noticeable and tangible. One thing is for sure: I now know that being busy is not the same as being productive, in any way, shape or form. Being busy is simply being busy. The question to ask ourselves constantly is, “Am I being busy on the right things?”

In the day-to-day whirlwind, it is easy to forget that what you focus on grows. By concentrating on results-driven actions, progress will be made. Worry about the outcome, and you’ll just worry more. Breaking things down helps shift focus from anxiety about the result to actions that generate it.

Why Chunking Works

Cognitive load is reduced - big goals can create overwhelm, whereas smaller goals or activities that lead to the goal create clarity.
Momentum increases - small wins fuel motivation; motivation fuels more wins. Where focus goes, energy flows and action shows.
Visibility improves - see what you have done and what to do next. This is the essence of lead measures, which aim to achieve the outcome, measured by the lag measure.
Habits anchor the plan - When your plan is chunked into daily, weekly and monthly actions, your calendar, not your willpower, does the heavy lifting.

Busy people ask, “How can I be less busy and more productive?” Productive leaders ask, “What is the next focused step, by when, and where is it in my calendar?”

The Quarterly System

Once you know your big Wildly Important Goal for the year, forget waiting for January. Productivity is a decision, not a date. Use a rolling quarterly focus and track weekly progress. This supports alignment on what matters now and compounds the effort to achieve the annual outcome—the goals.

I use a simple rhythm: 10-30-60-120

10 minutes daily: Set your Top 3 and time-block them first.
30 minutes weekly: Review outcomes, reset priorities, remove distractions.
60 minutes monthly: Realign to the quarterly focus and adjust lead measures.
120 minutes quarterly: Choose or refine one outcome that moves the business towards the big yearly goal.

One of my favourite references (which I have framed in my office as a reminder) is a quote from F.M. Alexander, the developer of the Alexander technique, which seeks to maximise human health and potential. “People do not decide their futures; they decide their habits & their habits decide their futures.”

Developing habits around a planning system and structure in business beats willpower hands down. First, you must want it; then, there is a need to develop the ability to do it, and this is where habits play their role. Then willpower can kick in to get things done. Protect this rhythm and watch the execution of your plan compound to achieve your goals.

Five Steps to Chunk Your Plan

Step 1: Decide on One Outcome to Achieve in the Quarter.

Write a single, measurable quarterly outcome that advances your annual goal. Clarity on what needs to be achieved creates the courage to accomplish it. If you’re juggling five “priorities,” you have none.

Step 2: Identify goals in each Category.

List your main categories, such as Sales, Marketing, Operations, Customer Experience, and Team. For the quarter, define the goals or activities for each business category to achieve the overall outcome. Some categories may be in maintenance mode.

Step 3: Break the quarterly goals and activities down into monthly.

In each category, set priorities for each month of the quarter. This is the detailed breakdown that sharpens focus on priorities. This next level of chunking enables a focus on one month at a time, and when urgent or hectic tasks arise—something that happens daily—there are fewer overwhelming tasks and activities to handle, while keeping sight of priorities.

Step 4: Build the Weekly and Daily Flow.

Every week, decide on the top 10 tasks that move the outcome. Physically write three down on your weekly planner. These are your weekly lead measures to “lead” you to your goal, so ensure they use the SMART framework. Handwriting your weekly tasks on a planner creates visual and language networks more than typing, which deepens memory, sharpens focus, and reinforces the neural pathways for intention, attention, and follow-through.

Each morning, pick the three that matter most. These become your daily top 3 lead measures, which go in the calendar before anyone else’s noise does. Time blocking these priority activities is how you convert intention into behaviour to achieve your results, which is your lag measure.

Step 5: Review every day.

As you progress through the week, check in each day to review progress. Move activities to a different day if needed. The aim is that by the end of the week, all the top 10 activities for the week will have been completed or, at the very least, progress will have been made. This review process involves determining what you need to stop, start, or continue doing to create the necessary change.

This is Quadrant 2 discipline, where the focus is on important tasks, not urgent ones. Building the mindset that this is your priority is what needs to be guarded and protected.

Decide Consciously

Interruptions are inevitable; however, how you choose to respond is up to you. When they happen, ask yourself: Is it essential? Significant? Or just background noise? If you must address it, decide what you're willing to sacrifice in return. It's tempting to keep adding things, but that's what leads to overwhelm. The task list grows larger, yet the time to complete it remains limited.

Consciously decide what to remove from your calendar so that you can attend to the most important activities. Always return to the plan and reset your top 3 for the day, and adjust them for the next day if necessary. Your plan is your roadmap. Stick to the route, take a tourist drive, if necessary, adjust for the traffic that gets in your way, without changing the destination.

To Sum Up

Follow these steps to create a rhythm in your planning that shows you're not just 'busy’ but truly productive. Ninety days is all you need to establish this rhythm and develop effective habits that will change how you approach each day and week. Then, repeat this 90-day cycle as your quarterly planning cycle throughout the year to achieve that one big outcome—your Wildly Important Goal.

The key point here is that structure beats willpower. Break your plan into chunks. Maintain the rhythm and observe how your consistency in sticking to your planning routine strengthens and compounds into results.

Spring Is Sprung: A 90‑Day Planning Reset

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 01:48:43 GMT

Spring is sprung in the Southern Hemisphere, and it is the season for pruning, planting, and tidying what winter neglected.

Image from my garden

In business and in life, planning is a lot like gardening. We plant seeds of ideas, which are our goals, then plan how to achieve them by nurturing them, just as you would when fertilising and watering your garden.

There is also a need to trim and make changes as time goes on to ensure results can be achieved, and this is the same with gardening. There is a need to prune, remove weeds, and replace plants, as some grow and flourish well while others do not. Even if you are not a gardener or like gardening, you may understand this comparison. If not, then read on.

What Matters Most

A universal truth is that we all make time for what matters most, and we do this consciously or unconsciously. Watching TV or sleeping late may be a priority for some. Shopping or lazing at the beach may be a priority for others. Achieving success in business or a career may also be a priority, and it requires setting clear goals.

However, choosing to watch TV or sleeping late instead of doing the activities and tasks associated with your goals will not help you achieve the future success you want. Achieving long-term goals related to wealth, health, happiness, relationships, or a thriving business requires setting specific goals to achieve your strategic objectives.

Spring is Sprung

When I was a young girl, my Mum would say this little ditty with a big smile on her face: “Spring is sprung. The grass is ris. I wonder where the flowers is. The bird is on the wing. Now isn’t that a funny thing. I thought the wing was on the bird.” My children then grew up hearing this from me, and subsequently, my grandchildren have also heard it, accompanied by a big smile.

This always brings back wonderful memories, which I love creating with my own family. This brings me back to gardens and planning, because great memories are created when we know what we want to achieve and are willing to put in the work to make it happen.

“Discipline is simply choosing between what you want now and what you want most.” Abraham Lincoln

Most gardens have birds in them, and while planning is like gardening, the actual plan is like a bird. But the plan is not the wings of the bird—the work is. The discipline, habits, time blocking, and lead measures are what lift it off the perch and give a plan wings. Without consistent action to give wings to your plan and bring it to life, your goals are just wishes.

Nurture a Reset

To achieve anything, we must act on our goals and bring the plan to life on a monthly, weekly, and daily basis. We need consistency in showing up for ourselves and others, which takes discipline. Abraham Lincoln left a significant legacy because he had long-term goals and believed that “Discipline is simply choosing between what you want now and what you want most.”

If you want to put more wings on your plan than treat your goals the same way as you might treat a garden. Persevere and give your plan the dedication and discipline to clear the weedy clutter, refresh your commitment habits, and nurture a reset for your next 90 days so execution feels clean and focused.

“A plan won’t fly without dedication, perseverance, or wings. A plane won’t fly without those things either, though of those three things, wings are the most necessary.”

Jarod Kintz

Quarterly Planning

The destination with goals matters. However, the route needs to be flexible, and this is where quarterly planning comes in—your spring clean to give your plan wings. Quarterly planning provides a focus on the next 90 days in a way that a yearly plan cannot.

Setting goals is the first step to achieving them. When you can articulate and put language to what you wish to achieve, it will be available because you know what you wish to achieve. If you cannot language it, you cannot have it because you do not know what it is! Having a plan starts with setting goals, and as Steve Maraboli highlights, "If you don't know exactly where you're going, how will you know when you get there."

Brain-Friendly

Our brains thrive on short-term goals. Three months is the right stretch to keep us committed without feeling overwhelmed. It provides a tangible horizon, close enough to keep us accountable yet long enough to see significant progress.

Adaptive

In today’s fast-paced world, reviewing a yearly plan, even if done regularly, can be overwhelming and lead to procrastination and ineffective strategies that may hold you back. Quarterly planning with 90-day cycles offers flexibility to pivot, adjust, and refine your approach while measuring progress.

Sharp Focus

A 90-day time frame promotes focus and prioritisation. You're more likely to concentrate on what truly matters—the important rather than the urgent—cutting out the fluff and making every day count.

Measurable Progress

The end of the quarter offers an opportunity to assess results, gain insights and recalibrate based on facts. This fosters a strong feedback loop to recognise successes, learn from errors, and adapt activities for the upcoming quarter.

Sustained Momentum

Quarterly check-ins establish a rhythm. From quarterly, break down to monthly focus activities, then to weekly, and finally identify the daily priorities. This creates a sustainable cadence for showing up with dedication and discipline.

Spring Clean Checklist

Use these ten tips to review your approach to planning:

# 1 - Set the destination

Write one overarching goal for the quarter that is a clear outcome to be achieved by the end of the 90 days. Ensure it is measurable and determine how you will measure success.

#2 - Prune your goals

Identify the 1–3 key leveraged activities, based on this goal to be achieved over the next 90 days. Everything else goes to the parking lot for future quarters.

#3 - Pick your lead measures

Choose 2–3 inputs you can control each day and integrate them into your routine. Assign resources and dedicate yourself to their completion. Lead measures drive the lag results.

#4 - Time block

Put recurring time in your calendar to perform these activities. If it isn’t scheduled, it won’t happen.

#5 - Design your bookends

In the morning, move, set the top 3, and add to your planner. In the evening, review achievements, wrap up the day, and prepare for tomorrow. Strong bookends protect the middle.

#6 - Weed the distractions

Delete low‑value meetings, tidy your workspace, turn notifications off, and remove time‑waster apps.

#7 – Create a scoreboard

What we measure, we manage. Keep it visible, simple and daily. When you see progress, you protect it.

#8 - Weekly review

Spend 20 minutes and identify what worked and what didn’t. What will change over the next week? No drama—just data and decisions.

#9 - Monthly reset

Allocate 60 minutes at the beginning of each month to re‑prioritise, re‑allocate, and re-commit. Essentially, you are spring-cleaning your plan every four weeks.

#10 - Accountability

Set up an accountability framework, either with yourself or someone else. Check in weekly or monthly, focusing on the lead measures. Ask yourself, “Did I do the work?”

Get started now

You don’t need a perfect week; you just need repeatable weeks.

1. Write your 90‑day outcome in one sentence.

2. List 2–3 lead measures you’ll track daily.

3. Block three 60‑minute deep‑work sessions weekly for your number one outcome.

4. Create a one‑page scoreboard and place it where you can’t miss it.

5. Book a Friday 20‑minute review for the next 13 weeks.

To Sum Up

Even when your week feels chaotic, having a weekly rhythm will help create a steady flow to manage the chaos, allowing you to lead effectively. Quarterly planning allows you to adjust your approach, not your goal, and you will be more productive, saving time once you’ve established your morning and evening routines. Now is the time to choose between what you want now and what you want most. Ask yourself, are you interested or committed?

Show up Today to Shape Tomorrow

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 20:50:43 GMT

What you do daily becomes who you are. Quiet, consistent effort builds the future, and your future self will thank you for it.

A Lesson from Dad

When I was a little girl, Dad was in his vegetable garden at dawn every day before heading to his banking job. Sundays were for deep-sea fishing. With six children to feed, he and Mum refused to buy what they could grow, catch, or make. Dad once told me he’d dreamed of farming; tending that garden became his way to live the dream while providing for us. He kept the routine into his eighties, slowing only when illness forced him to slow down. His steady, daily effort shaped my own belief that showing up, especially when no one is watching, changes lives.

Consistency Beats Heroic Moments

Consistency builds self-trust and habits that move you toward purpose and success. Progress comes from being willing and able to show up every day, act, and engage in activities that will help you reach your goals and aspirations. Scientific evidence shows that we can even improve our sleep by going to bed and waking up at the same time each day. Yes, weekends too! Getting up at the same time establishes a strong foundation for routine, deepens self-trust and improves sleep.

"Success isn’t always about greatness. It's consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come."

Dwayne Johnson

Persistence can win the prize on any given occasion; however, consistency ensures you keep what you gain. Routines build momentum, fuel self-trust, and anchor you when motivation dips. Routines are how we make decisions today that our future selves will celebrate and be grateful for. Consistency can be your superpower, and having good habitual routines that support you can also bring more certainty to your life goals.

The Law of Consistency

In John Maxwell’s book, The 15 Laws of Invaluable Growth, he highlights that consistency must be one of the essential ingredients to make significant change. He states, "Motivation gets you going, but discipline keeps you growing."

We do not need to settle for anything less than what we are capable of, and the exciting thing is that we often don't realise our capabilities until we decide to pursue something more than what we have been doing. It takes courage, commitment, and consistency to achieve what it is in life that you wish to achieve.

Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, defines a breakthrough as a series of good, well-executed decisions that accumulate over time, and it takes patience and consistency to do this. In simple terms, life will either squeeze you, or you can squeeze life. Your daily choices determine which happens.

Here are Five Ways for Consistency to Give You an Edge

#1—Know what you need to improve.

Identify your areas for growth. Use the 'Wheel of Life' or a similar tool to score your satisfaction in each of the areas. Identify the areas of growth that you want to achieve and pick one or two gaps to close first.

#2—Know why you want to improve

A clear ‘why’ will support and motivate your discipline when novelty fades. Watch Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle if you need a refresher. Celebrate the small wins, as they compound over time.

#3—Learn how to improve

Read books, join a program, or hire a coach to guide you. The right guide will bring out the best in you that you may not even realise is there. Everything you need is within you now. Go find it.

# 4—Know when to improve

A famous Chinese Proverb says, "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now." Waiting for perfect timing is the enemy of consistency. Start now.

#5—Assess your environment

James Clear, in his book ‘Atomic Habits’, highlights that one of the keys to changing habits is to make it obvious. Are you hanging out with the right people? Are you in the right room? If you are the head of the class, it's time to change class, or if you are the smartest person in the room, it’s time to find a different room.

Bringing it all Together to Squeeze Life

We all have choices, and every choice has a consequence. Do not settle for less than what you are capable of. Consistency in making good decisions around habits, goal setting and planning how to achieve the future you want is necessary, and there is no time or age limit on when you can start this. The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, and the second-best time is now. Just start.

One Habit That’s Undermining Your Confidence

wendy@leadersnetworkgroup.com.au (Wendy Marshall) — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 06:25:40 GMT

We all have habits that hold us back, but there’s one that most of us don’t even realise we’re doing.

The number one thing that people do is criticise!

This one thinking pattern hinders our ability to reflect positively on ourselves and to lead ourselves effectively, which in turn affects our capacity to lead others well.

Many things can hinder our ability to operate in our business and lives the way we desire. Self-criticism often shows up quietly. A harsh thought following a mistake, a silent judgment in the mirror, a nagging feeling that we’re never quite enough.

It may feel like we’re keeping ourselves in check, but in truth, this habit gradually chips away at our confidence, motivation, and joy. The inner critic acts as a saboteur. Everything revolves around our thoughts and what we choose to focus on.

Our thoughts shape the meaning we give to things or situations and the actions we take, which consequently lead to the outcomes we create.

“Criticism is both the easiest and least effective form of help.”

Doe Zantamata

I had criticised myself for over four decades for becoming pregnant in my teenage years. I believed I needed to prove to my parents that I was not a ‘bad’ person. As I matured and learned what being human truly entails, I was able to forgive myself and embrace all that I am. The fact is that my parents never thought I was a bad person. I had told myself that.

Here are a few consequences of criticising yourself, so consider the impact on your life and the lives of those around you.

Criticising ourselves is hurtful

Criticising ourselves does more harm than we realise, and it has a lasting impact. It takes a toll on our self-esteem and sense of self-worth. Instead of being our encourager, we become our harshest critic, creating a hostile internal environment where growth, creativity, and self-compassion struggle to thrive.

This type of self-talk often influences how we interact with our relationships and the world around us. When we're tough on ourselves, we can become defensive, withdrawn, overly apologetic, or overly critical of others. When we judge others, we are judging ourselves.

Self-criticism interrupts joy, dulls achievement, and often leads to procrastination, anxiety, or burnout. And those feel-good feelings that help us feel motivated and energised? They disappear.

Criticising doesn’t work

The things you criticise yourself for now are likely the same ones you’ve been criticising yourself for many times before. Rather than helping, it demotivates you, often resulting in feelings of shame and anger. Additionally, it doesn’t address the underlying issues that led to the self-criticism.

Shame loves shadows, so when we criticise ourselves, we are keeping ourselves in the shade. What we need to do is shine a light on what we are good at, what we can do, and what we are capable of. Build on our capability and character for personal and professional growth.

Criticism leads to unhappiness

Constant self-criticism undermines our self-worth and fosters shame, which in turn thrives in the shadows. It’s like trying to grow a garden by hovering over it with a stick, rather than nurturing it with water and sunlight.

What you focus on is what you get. The more you focus on the aspects you don’t like, the more you’ll notice them and likely end up doing them more, which can amplify the uncomfortable feelings they evoke.

Criticism, whether internal or external, often creates a subtle yet profound emotional wound. When we’re criticised, particularly harshly or without context, it triggers our threat response. We feel exposed, rejected, or judged, which naturally leads to defensiveness, self-doubt, and withdrawal.

Over time, this erodes our sense of safety and belonging, which are two essential ingredients for happiness. When we internalise that criticism, it becomes even more damaging.

Happiness thrives in environments rich in acceptance, encouragement, and constructive feedback.

Criticism strains relationships

Self-criticism can lead to judging others. When we judge ourselves, we often end up judging others as well. The two situations can be deeply interconnected.

When we judge others, we create walls instead of bridges. If we anticipate criticism, it can make us overly cautious or lead us to adopt avoidance strategies, such as procrastination. These types of strategies stifle our learning, growth and goal achievement.

Reducing or eliminating criticism involves shifting from blame to curiosity and from judgment to support. Growth occurs in an atmosphere of safety, support, and visibility, rather than judgment.

Always remember that everyone is doing their best with the resources available to them. To improve our ability to achieve more, we need to enhance our skills, which is the essence of learning and growth.

"There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they're falling in."

Desmond Tutu

Why do we criticise?

Our brains are ‘hard-wired’ to spot danger, which leans toward negativity and links to our survival mechanism to keep ourselves safe and be cautious. This hardwiring is often misdirected, causing us to put too much focus on flaws rather than attributes.

Moreover, during our upbringing, we were exposed to limiting beliefs, opinions, and judgments from others, which shaped our thoughts about and perceptions of ourselves. Most of us began criticising ourselves at a young age.

Over time, it becomes a habit. We think that being hard on ourselves keeps us in line, but it often stops us from reaching our full potential. Recognising this pattern is the first step towards choosing compassion and believing in ourselves instead.

How to stop criticising

The good news is that we didn’t always criticise ourselves. We learnt how to, which means we can also learn how not to!

To break the habit of criticising, focus on your thinking and developing your relationship with yourself. Here are a few tips to get started.

Tip #1 - Accept yourself

Awareness is the first step. Pay attention to when you are judging and notice what you're telling yourself. What triggers it, and what words do you use?

Whenever you catch yourself judging, label it and recognise that it’s your inner critic at play. This will help you distinguish between your voice and your identity. You can then redirect your thoughts towards kindness, acceptance, and appreciation for who you are and where you are in your life.

You are not your thoughts.

Tip #2 - Connect with yourself

Spend time developing your relationship with yourself and enjoying the person you are. Try not to accept every critical thought as truth. Ask yourself, “Is this thought helpful? Is it based on fact or fear?”

You will find all your relationships improve with less judgment and more loving thoughts. Positive affirmations, meditation, and listening to personal development experts can help you gain a deeper understanding of yourself and cultivate a stronger sense of self-awareness.

Being compassionate and kind to yourself is a strength. We are always learning and growing, or ripe and rotting. Focus your energy and attention on learning. Repeat daily affirmations such as “I’m always learning”, “I am making progress”, or “I am doing my best” as they will help to rewrite your inner chatter over time.

Tip #3 - Assume everyone is doing the best they can

With this perspective, we lessen our self-criticism and criticism of others, cultivating greater compassion. We can never truly walk in someone else's shoes or know what’s happening in their lives. Ask yourself, “Would I say this to a good friend?” If the answer is no, then treat yourself with the kindness, patience, and understanding that you would extend to someone you care about.

That person who is driving poorly could be your grandmother, so bring compassion into your thoughts, and you'll rewire your brain to be more compassionate towards yourself.

Growth comes from reflection. Rather than beating yourself up, ask constructive questions: What can I learn? What would I do differently next time?

Then move forward.

To sum up

Leading yourself and others starts with how you lead yourself. Choose kindness and acceptance instead of judging, choose compassion over criticism, and foster gratitude rather than dwelling on what you lack in life.

What we focus on is what we attract more of in our lives. When we constantly criticise or judge ourselves, we hinder possibility thinking. This is the mindset that creates new ideas, opportunities, and meaningful change.

We can all achieve whatever we want in life. With the right mindset, a willingness to learn, and consistent effort, you can build the skills and beliefs necessary to create the life you desire.

Embracing Difficult Conversations and Uncertainty

wendy@leadersnetworkgroup.com.au (Wendy Marshall) — Thu, 29 May 2025 01:49:47 GMT

Do you avoid conversations because you think they might be tough?

I know I used to, that is, until I had a good chat with myself, outlined my plan, and decided to help someone else.

"The way we see the problem is the problem." Stephen R. Covey

The issue is that avoiding them doesn’t make them disappear or resolve the problem that led to the need for what could be a challenging conversation. As Stephen R. Covey says, "the way we see the problem is the problem."

What is in the way is the way because what we avoid gets bigger in our minds, and we then assign meanings to situations that may not be real or truthful. We are meaning-making machines, and our incredible minds can create all sorts of stories and scenarios about how situations might turn out.

Some conversations can be difficult, but that doesn’t make them impossible, they may just be uncomfortable. 'I’m possible' offers a different perspective on the word 'impossible' because when something is important, it is possible. It's all about finding the way. Having conversations that might be tough is a part of life, and it is equally crucial in business.

The Comfort Zone

It is human nature to seek comfort, so for many of us, avoiding situations that cause discomfort is a natural response. When we find ourselves in an environment where we feel at ease, it feels safe and secure. In most cases, we might also feel relaxed and believe we are in control. However, ask yourself, in control of what?

The reality is that when we try to control everything around us, we miss out on opportunities that could otherwise come our way. Avoiding opportunities, difficult situations, or saying no to yourself is a form of control that holds you back from becoming who you are meant to be.

You may feel safe and secure in your comfort zone. However, you will not learn and grow there. So, when you decide not to have that difficult conversation and keep yourself safe and comfortable, who are you hurting?

The Fear Zone

The truth is that when we stretch our comfort zone and leap into the fear zone of confronting what is uncomfortable, we often find that what we feared or avoided isn't as daunting as we thought it would be.

The fear zone is where we lack self-confidence, make excuses, procrastinate, worry about other people’s opinions, and generally feel uneasy. Think about it: how important are other people's opinions anyway? They are just opinions, which are like belly buttons, everyone has one. It is more important to ask yourself great questions and care about your own opinion of yourself.

When you can confront whatever that fear may be, you will most likely discover that you are more than capable of doing the thing you were afraid of. It might take a few attempts to get good at it, but doesn’t everything require practice when we’re learning a new skill?

As long as you don't explode or burst into flames, you'll survive the challenge, learn from it, and develop new beliefs about what's possible, while often helping another person to improve as well. So, when you confront that fear of having difficult conversations, you expand your comfort zone further and move into your learning zone.

“A person's success in life can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have.”

Tim Ferris

The Learning Zone

Your learning zone is where you have stretched yourself to move beyond your comfort zone, embraced the opportunity and gained knowledge of how you can approach difficult conversations. You are getting out of your way, because what is in the way is the way. Are you in the way of your learning and growth?

When you put knowledge into practice and embrace learning how to have difficult conversations, you will realise you have grown as a leader. The wonderful thing is that this learning benefits not only you in business, but also life.

Just as important is that by learning how to have difficult conversations, you can help others and create a supportive and inclusive environment, one that is ecological. Good for you, good for the other person and good for the greater good.

This growth stems from how you think and embrace being comfortable with discomfort. Welcome uncertainty by learning to have difficult conversations, and your comfort zone will stretch to include the growth zone.

The Growth Zone

This constant stretching of your comfort zone is about embracing being comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. When you do this, new growth opportunities emerge because you have created chances to learn.

The situations that made you feel uneasy, in this case, difficult conversations, have started to dissipate. It has become less of a challenge as you have embraced the chance to learn. The key throughout all zones of growth is to trust yourself, learn how to learn, ask great questions, and be willing to seek help.

The growth zone is where the real magic happens, and you realise that you are more capable than you gave yourself credit for. When you understand your behavioural style and what you are good at and not good at, you can seek out the knowledge to learn how to maximise your strengths and use them to help others.

Learning how to communicate effectively and have difficult conversations requires being able to listen. Just listen to understand without judging or imposing your map of the world onto what someone else is saying. This is the essence of difficult conversations and personal growth.

It’s that simple!

Yes, I know you’re probably thinking, "but it’s not simple," and I get that. When I was a young leader, I also avoided difficult conversations, and all it did was cause me more angst and stress, as I created more work for myself while the other person or people didn’t learn.

When I embraced learning how to have conversations that could be challenging, I discovered that the key is not to make them personal. Subjectivity can hinder effective conversations, so objectivity is crucial in handling difficult conversations.

Like any skill we want to acquire, it starts with being aware of the need or desire to learn. As humans, we can learn anything we put our minds to, but we must want to do it.

Having diff icult conversations is a valuable skill to learn, whether in life, relationships, or business. When you do, there exists the ability to help others be the best they can be, and isn't this what being a leader is all about?

Here are a few tips for approaching difficult conversations.

#1. Listen to understand.

Focus on the conversation being about the other person, not about you.
Put aside your doubts and uncertainties to focus on listening to what the other person has to say.
Give them a safe space to share their thoughts, feelings and experiences of what is contributing to the need for the conversation to take place.
Listen with patience, empathy and humility.
Avoid the temptation to interrupt, defend or judge.
Every human being has a unique map of their world and situations. Be present and allow them to share their perspective (their map) of the problem so that you can understand before trying to express your view.

Being willing to listen and facing difficulty is a reflection of your character and, therefore, relates to trust. Trust in yourself to have the conversation and build trust with the other person.

#2. Respond with intent and integrity.

Responding with intent is about your motive for the conversation and being transparent about your agenda and what you aim to achieve.
When you understand the other person's perspective on the situation, share your views with clarity and confidence, even if you’re feeling unsure.
Behave like the leader you aspire to be, and you will become that person, whether as a leader in business, family, or relationships.
Prepare your notes beforehand, ensuring you are clear on your perspective and willing to be honest, authentic, and fair.

This is how you can embrace uncertainty and present your map of the situation, your view of how it currently is or how you think it needs to be. Embracing the uncertainty of not knowing where the conversation will lead is the pathway to finding a solution.

#3. Aim for a win/win outcome.

There is always a need to be flexible in your thinking, bringing humility to the conversation that demonstrates your understanding of the situation.
If you are rigid in your viewpoint and not open to other perspectives, you will find it challenging to have effective conversations, whether difficult or otherwise.
Being flexible does not mean you have to agree with everything. It is about discussing with each other, clarifying, and exploring options to find an outcome that benefits everyone.
If the other person is rigid, that is on them. However, if you are inflexible, that is on you. In all situations, we only have control over ourselves, not others.

Everything is a choice, and as the one leading the conversation, you can aim for a win/win. The goal is to engage in the discussion and move forward with a solution that works for everyone. Doing this in a way that aligns with your character as a leader is the right approach!

To Sum Up

Practice these tips in any conversations you are having, not just the difficult ones. We have two ears and one mouth, and only one of them can shut. When you can listen to understand and respond with genuine intent, you can achieve an excellent outcome for all involved. Give it a try, you’ll be amazed at the difference.

The zones we navigate when embracing uncertainty to challenge ourselves and learn something new resemble a revolving door. Each time a new challenge arises, urging us to stay in our comfort zone, remember that the fear zone is the first hurdle, and proceed from there.

Work through the zones to learn, grow, and reach the ultimate zone. The Unique Zone is the ultimate destination. Be unique and excel in what you do. Everyone has the potential to achieve this.

If you would like to learn more, book a 45 minute Complimentary Strategy Session with a lead coach at Leaders Network.

Energy Speaks Louder Than Words

wendy@leadersnetworkgroup.com.au (Wendy Marshall) — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 21:57:47 GMT

Effective communication as a leader, speaker, and entrepreneur is essential for successful relationships and engagement.

Have you ever encountered a conversation where you wish the other person would get to the point? You might attend an event on a topic that greatly interests you, but the presenter delivers their message in a way that doesn’t resonate with you.

We all vary in how we deliver and receive messages. Some may be more visual, needing pictures to bring the message to life, while others may be more kinaesthetic and require the speaker to connect and be present. You might be more auditory, needing to hear the words or seeking more detail.

“To effectively communicate, we must realise that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.” Tony Robbins

Conversations can inspire, uplift, or frustrate us at any moment. In one-on-one discussions, this effect can be especially pronounced. Imagine you are at a public speaking event. Have you ever experienced a time when you felt a strong connection and enthusiasm for learning more, only to find yourself checking your emails or dozing off instead of engaging, even though the topic interests you? Tony Robbins, the best life and wealth coach in the world, states, “To effectively communicate, we must realise that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.”

Less is more

In communication, less is more. But what does this mean? It means different things to different people, so how can anyone communicating ever get it right for everyone they speak with? The answer is that they can only get it right sometimes. However, by being aware of your communication style and, more importantly, the other person's communication style, it is possible to have an impact and convey your message more effectively.

Communicating involves more than just words. In fact, words are the least important aspect of effective communication. Albert Mehrabian, a researcher in body language, was the first to analyse the components of face-to-face conversation. He discovered that communication consists of 55% nonverbal cues, 38% vocal elements, and only 7% words. However, this study aimed to compare facial and vocal components to explain a person’s attitude. Mehrabian found that when there are inconsistencies between verbal and nonverbal messages, body language prevails in conveying the intended message. So, is 90% of communication nonverbal? No, while information is indeed shared verbally, body language and facial expressions significantly influence how information is interpreted during face-to-face interactions.

We are all different

We all have different behavioural energies, which play an important role in communication. If you want to be an effective communicator, understand that it’s not just your own communication style that matters. To effectively convey your message, it's also essential to grasp how the person you are communicating with processes information. This is due to the various behavioural energies we each possess. This complexity grows when addressing a room full of people, as it's likely that a multitude of different energy types exists in the audience. So, how can you communicate effectively to everyone?

There are four primary behavioural energy levels, commonly referred to as DISC. While it is rare for anyone to embody only one of these levels, it can happen. Most individuals display a combination of at least two or three behavioural levels, with one acting as the lead energy. This lead energy profoundly influences our preferred communication style and how we choose to interact with others.

D - Dominance Energy

The highest behavioural energy level is called Dominance. Individuals with dominance as their primary energy embody the 'hunter' archetype. They are self-confident, competitive, and demanding. In communication, they tend to be direct, speak more than listen, and project authority. When receiving communication, they may be impatient, show a lack of empathy, and occasionally interrupt.

I - Influence Energy

The second highest energy level, Influence, embodies the 'entertainer' archetype. These individuals are social, inspiring, and talkative, with a high emotional intelligence. In their communication, they are passionate, enjoy having fun, and seek to uplift others. When they receive communication, they appreciate informality, humour, and emotional depth.

S - Steadiness Energy

The third highest energy level is known as Steadiness. Individuals with Steadiness as their primary energy embody the 'mother' archetype. They enjoy engaging in activities with others and are calm and caring. They listen more than speak in their communication, exhibiting a consultative and warm demeanour. When receiving communication, they value sincerity, logic, and gratitude.

C - Compliance Energy

The fourth energy level is Compliance, representing the 'technician' archetype. Individuals in this group value precision, discipline, and formality. Their communication style is orderly, diplomatic, and task-oriented. When receiving information, they require clarity and detail and prefer to ask questions for further understanding.

To sum up

When you understand your behavioural energy style and its associated characteristics, you will begin to notice it in others, especially during one-on-one conversations. This insight is compelling for leaders, business owners with teams, and entrepreneurs who engage with clients. When addressing a larger audience, recognising the different behavioural energy types allows for varied content delivery that caters to diverse individuals, which can be quite enjoyable!

If you want to understand your leadership behavioural energy style, book a Free Strategy Session .

Your Thinking Determines Your Results

wendy@leadersnetworkgroup.com.au (Wendy Marshall) — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 19:57:08 GMT

To achieve our goals in business and life, we must be curious about our thoughts, as our thinking shapes everything in our lives!

Whatever you want to create in your life won’t just happen; you need to take charge of your life to make it happen, and it all begins with your thinking.

Multiple factors influence our thinking. Our beliefs, values, memories, education, and health are key elements that shape our daily thoughts. These factors affect the decisions we make based on our thinking, and every choice carries consequences.

“Whether you think you can or you think you can't – you're right.” Henry Ford

Our thoughts influence our lives, and it's important to remember that they don’t define us. A thought serves as a representation of something, much like a map. This representation conveys another idea through corresponding characteristics. For example, a written goal represents what you wish to achieve. Consequently, our thoughts about that goal reflect its significance to us and shape the actions we are willing to take to realise it. The well-known quote by Henry Ford captures this perfectly: “Whether you think you can or you think you can't – you're right.”

A belief is a convenient assumption

A belief is an idea we consider true, even if we lack evidence to support it. False beliefs can lead us to incorrect conclusions, so it’s valuable to question and challenge our beliefs continually. We can’t just trust in ourselves to achieve our goals. However, we can have faith in our capability to reach those goals if we take the necessary actions to make them happen.

Our values are emotional states

Our values are fundamentally emotional states that we desire to experience consistently. They represent what we hold to be true and believe in. Values shape and drive our daily decisions, whether we realise it or not. Values such as love, commitment, relationships, integrity and discipline, to name a few, will influence decisions made daily.

Everything is now just a memory

Everything that happened in the past is now just a memory. This could be an hour ago or a day, week, month, year or ten years. We now only have a memory of a memory, so being present in the moments when those memories are being created is crucial. Our memories influence our thinking because they represent evidence of something that happened. This could be evidence that something worked and was good and right, or it could be the converse of that. Either way, those memories will influence our thinking and decisions.

Education shapes our knowledge

Our choices in education shape our knowledge. I’m not referring to formal university education. I mean the learning that comes from a lifelong commitment to personal growth. The choice to continually learn and evolve as individuals to become our best selves is available to everyone. We can all do more reading and listening, seek mentorship and embrace lifelong learning. To use a garden analogy, we are either green and growing or ripe and rotting.

Health will influence thinking

The quality of our health will influence our thinking. Health in mind, body, and spirit is crucial to how we show up for ourselves daily. We may not always be able to control what happens to us. However, we can control how we respond to what happens to us. Recently, my granddaughter had a serious off-road motorbike accident. Her decision to ride this bike in the conditions in which she did resulted in two broken legs, a fractured jaw, bleeding on her brain, concussion and many lacerations across her body. She is alive and able to recover. This is the main thing, and she knows it. This accident has affected not only her but all who are close to her as well and is now shaping her emotions, feelings, values and beliefs about life and how fragile it can be, even when you are young, fit and physically healthy.

“A man is but a product of his thoughts, what he thinks, he becomes." Mahatma Gandhi.

The more curious you are about why, what and how you think, the more you can dig into the impact of your thoughts and how you can use them to influence your actions to get the desired results. All it needs is to be clear about what you want most and be willing to take the action required to achieve it in the long run. This will often mean trading off what you want now. Discipline is the difference between what you want now and what you want most. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “A man is but a product of his thoughts, what he thinks, he becomes.”

By maintaining conscious awareness and deliberately guiding our thoughts towards what we want to create, we significantly improve our chances of achieving it. Consider these three steps to help shape your thinking.

Step 1: Understand how your thinking develops.

Thinking is fundamentally the process through which we assign meaning to things. We focus on information from our external environment that relates to our beliefs, values, memories, education, and health, giving meaning that aligns with these.

We gather raw external data daily through sight, taste, sound, touch, or smell. This raw data holds no meaning for us at this stage, as it is simply data. Our brains then process this external information, assigning it meaning based on our beliefs, values, memories, education, and health, and we subsequently act based on that meaning. As Tony Robbins famously said, “Nothing in life has any meaning except the meaning you give it.”

Step 2 - Be aware of when it’s essential to navigate your thinking

You could easily argue that it’s always essential to navigate your thinking. However, there are cues you can pick up on that will signal that you might need to bring some consciousness or deliberate awareness and concentration to your thoughts. Here are some of them, and most, if not all, will result in you not feeling the way you want to because you’ve given it a negative or limiting meaning.

Pay attention when you:

Notice you have been triggered or impacted negatively.
Feel you are in a mood or a ‘funk’.
Focussing on things you can’t control.
Operating automatically, without giving conscious thought to the situation.
Regret what you just did.

These are all great triggers for knowing when you must focus your thinking!

Step 3 - Apply strategies to influence your thinking

When we want to change our thinking, we use strategies. Everything is a strategy.

Strategies are merely a series of steps that equal a behaviour. Right now, you have a strategy for reading this article, brushing your teeth, reacting when someone says something offensive, etc. Most of our strategies are on autopilot, and they happen automatically.

When we want to create a specific outcome or change how we deal with things, we must change our strategies. Our current strategies are giving us our current results, so if we change the strategy, we change the result. Some of the most valuable methods to create and apply are strategies to use when triggered.

A strategy includes the following: A trigger (something we see, touch, taste, smell or hear that kickstarts the strategy) - a series of steps - (which results in) an outcome.

Final Thought

When you know what you want to achieve in business and life, curiosity about how your thoughts influence and shape everything is invaluable. Taking charge of your life means taking charge of your mindset. Awareness of the impact of beliefs, values, memories, education, and health will affect your thinking and, consequently, your decisions and choices.

Use these three steps as a starting point to learn more about your thoughts and the choices you are making to get the results that you want.

Want to expand your thinking and take your leadership to the next level?

Schedule your free 45-minute consultation today!

Tips to Feel in Control

wendy@leadersnetworkgroup.com.au (Wendy Marshall) — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 00:27:38 GMT

Feeling in control means knowing you are intentionally shaping your choices and actions. Our capacity to maintain a certain level of control in our lives is crucial for growth and happiness.

We all desire to feel in control, especially in a world of uncertainty!

According to Tony Robbins, humans have six core needs, two of which are certainty and uncertainty. The other four needs are significance, connection, growth, and contribution. We need to experience a degree of stability in our lives and have some predictability about what will happen. The feeling of lacking control threatens our stability and can significantly impact us.

Being human means experiencing constant emotions, encompassing uncomfortable and comfortable feelings. Depending on our awareness and ability to regulate these emotions, we may feel in control or the opposite.

We are constantly exposed to environmental stimuli, which can lead to experiencing specific emotions. We consistently see, hear, taste, and touch things that affect us emotionally. For instance, spotting someone who has hurt you in the past might evoke uncomfortable feelings.

We all experience triggers.

It’s mainly beyond our control, except when we can reduce the frequency of triggers. The environment we create can affect how we react to triggers when they come up. For example, you might find avoiding connection with the person mentioned earlier helpful.

We can control how we respond to the stimulus that causes the trigger.

People behave in two ways when triggered. We will either react or respond.

Reacting means acting without thought. It’s impulsive and often driven by emotions. This frequently leads the person to feel that they lacked control in the situation and might have acted differently had they taken the time to consider their response.

Responding creates a space between the trigger and the behaviour associated with that trigger. In his book, ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,’ Stephen R. Covey discusses Habit 1, ‘Be Proactive’, referring to this as the ‘space’ between the stimulus (the trigger) and the response. This space allows us to choose how we respond, enabling us to maintain a sense of control.

To maintain a sense of control in your life, it is essential to respond rather than react.

Here are three tips to help you respond and have some control over your life.

Tip #1. Recognise your triggers.

You are aware that you will be consistently triggered. Now, reflect on what, who, when, and where your triggers tend to initiate. This will help prepare you for possible triggers and may help you avoid some triggers from occurring in the future.

Tip #2: Develop strategies for responding when triggered.

If you don’t have any planned strategies when triggered, you will likely react instead of responding. When triggered, we tend to be emotionally driven and lack the rational thinking we have when we are not. Consider developing strategies to employ during these moments. Some examples include taking three deep breaths, walking away, counting backward from ten, closing your eyes and taking a slow breath, looking up, drinking water, journaling, or reciting your mantra.

Tip #3: Be mindful of your emotional state and apply your strategies.

We start each day at a neutral point on the emotional thermostat. Our initial and subsequent thoughts throughout the day can either push us toward the boiling point at the top of the thermostat or the calming point at the bottom. The more we recognise our emotional state heating up toward the boiling point, the more mindful we must be about using strategies that support us when we are triggered, especially as we approach a zone where we might become triggered more quickly than if we remained in a neutral or calming state.

These three interconnected tips emphasise maintaining control over our behaviours by fostering conscious awareness of our thoughts and regulating our emotional state.

Will you always be able to consciously respond instead of impulsively reacting? Probably not, but like anything, the more you understand what you can control and practice your strategies, the more often you will succeed. This will help you regain control even when you don't feel that way.

It’s also important to note that we often feel disappointed in our reactions when we react instead of respond. Reflect on the fact that you didn’t use a strategy, think about what you want to do the next time a similar situation arises, and then let it go.

Don’t waste your energy berating yourself for being human!

The aim is to be proactive rather than reactive and set yourself up for success with your toolkit of strategies, allowing you to respond to anything that comes your way.

Want to expand your thinking and take your leadership to the next level?

Schedule your free 45-minute consultation today!

The Power to Give Meaning is Yours

wendy@leadersnetworkgroup.com.au (Wendy Marshall) — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:56:46 GMT

An explanation of how we process external information and how it shapes our thoughts and actions.

You might have heard phrases like, ‘What you focus on is what you get,’ ‘Your thoughts create your reality,’ or ‘Nothing has meaning except the meaning you give it.’ While these phrases can sometimes seem fluffy, they are backed by neuroscience.

Numerous studies have been carried out on how our brains function and how our thinking is influenced. Richard Bandler and John Grinder, the pioneers of the NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) Model of Communication, are amongst these researchers. This model demonstrates how we perceive external information and how it affects our thoughts and actions.

“Nothing in life has any meaning except the meaning you give it.” Tony Robbins

To explain, we gather external data through our senses—sight, taste, sound, touch, or smell—which is purely raw data. At this stage, this raw data holds no meaning for us, as it is simply data. Our brains then process this external information, assigning it meaning, and we subsequently act based on that meaning. As Tony Robbins famously said, “Nothing in life has any meaning except the meaning you give it.”

This phrase conveys that life doesn't inherently possess meaning. The significance we assign to events, experiences, and situations depends solely on our interpretations and perspectives. Essentially, we shape our own meaning in life through our choices and how we perceive things.

Recognising that our brains can’t handle all the external information bombarding us at once is crucial. Consequently, we (our brains) delete, distort, and generalise most of it, concentrating only on what we consider essential.

So how do our brains decide what is essential?

Numerous factors shape our perceptions of the world and the meanings we attribute to things. Some of the key ones include:

Our beliefs shape our understanding of truth. For example, if you perceive opportunity in every challenge, you’ll tackle them more optimistically, actively searching for solutions. This contrasts with someone who sees challenges as setbacks and sources of failure.

Our values reflect what we care about most. For instance, if you value your health, it will affect how you view exercise or choose ‘healthy’ foods, ultimately influencing your actions.

Our Critical decisions which include recent choices. For example, if you decide to cut down or completely stop your alcohol consumption, educate yourself on what this involves and the adjustments you need to make to reach your goal. As you start your research, you’ll discover a wealth of information on this topic, and your choice to proceed will shape the importance you place on achieving this goal.

Our memories may be factual or fabricated. For instance, if you had a terrifying experience with a Rottweiler while growing up, that memory will likely significantly impact how you feel when you see one again.

Once our brain determines that something is ‘important’ based on the main influencing factors mentioned above, it sets to work doing the following:

Gives it a meaning (or an internal representation); this then
Influences our emotional states as our thoughts create our feelings; then it
It impacts our physiology—the way our body responds. For example, if the meaning is given as a ‘scary thing,’ our hearts might race, we might get goosebumps, etc. And then…
We will act in line with how we think, feel, and physically respond.

Let’s put this together with the rottweiler example:

Person sees rottweiler (external data accessed through sight)
The brain selects certain data for attention because it is associated with specific memories (memories play a significant role in guiding the brain’s focus on this data).
The meaning implied is that this is not safe (internal representation)
Feeling scared (state)
Goosebumps rise on the body, and the heart accelerates (physiology)
Run (action/behaviour evoked because of the meaning given).

This shows why two people observing the Rottweiler might respond entirely differently. Their choices, memories, beliefs, and values shape their perspectives.

A couple of things to note. If we don’t decide what to focus on and what meaning to assign to things, our hard wiring will probably lead us to revert to negative or risk-averse thinking. This mindset has its place, but not all the time. Growing and creating results requires some optimistic thinking and courageously acting.

Applying this to create what you want in life

You can choose the meaning you assign to things if you don’t simply allow your mind to operate subconsciously. Instead, you actively engage with your beliefs, thoughts, and the meanings you wish to attribute to various things.

To create more of what you desire, concentrate on what you wish to have more of.

"What you focus on grows, what you think about expands, and what you dwell on determines your destiny.” Robin S. Sharma

Want to expand your thinking and take your leadership to the next level?

Schedule your free 45-minute consultation today!

Good Character Builds Trust

wendy@leadersnetworkgroup.com.au (Wendy Marshall) — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 23:34:04 GMT

Building trust with others starts with building trust with yourself.

In his book 'The Speed of Trust', Stephen M. R. Covey discusses the five waves of trust, beginning with self-trust. These five waves are a metaphor for how trust functions in our lives, starting with each individual and creating a ripple effect on the world around us.

This metaphor reminds us that everything is a choice, and our choices affect ourselves and others.

The first wave is self-trust, which is vital for effective leaders. Self-trust arises from our character, who we are, and, more importantly, who we aim to be. This is where choices begin to hold significance.

Everything is a choice.

Our character is built on integrity and intent. Integrity reflects who we are and the alignment between our commitments and actions, which are driven by our intent.

This is important because leadership is about helping others to be their best. When we show up for ourselves with integrity, we build trust. Integrity involves being congruent and honest inside and out, walking your talk, acting according to your values and beliefs, and embodying humility and authenticity as a leader.

Integrity exists when there's no or low gap between intent and behaviour, enabling trust to flourish.

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”.

Theodore Roosevelt

Our integrity flows from our intent, which relates to our motives, agendas, and behaviour. Motives are the reasons behind our actions; they concern caring for ourselves and others. The ‘why’ drives the ‘what.’

As Theodore Roosevelt said: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”. Our agenda comes from our motives. It is what we intend to do because of our motive, and it is where we demonstrate transparency of our intent because an agenda that inspires the most significant trust is generally one that seeks mutual benefit.

Our behaviour usually stems from our motives and agendas, where we show openness. When there’s no gap between intent and behaviour, integrity exists; thus, trust can flourish.

Reflect on how you are showing up for yourself and others and consider these three ways to enhance your character traits to foster trust:

#1. Make and keep commitments to yourself

When you say you will do something, follow through. This is the most effective way to cultivate trust in yourself and your integrity. However, it can also be quite challenging. Committing to others can often be easier because they are separate from us, yet genuine trust begins within. Therefore, upholding the commitments we make to ourselves is crucial for developing our trust muscle.

I have wanted to commit to not having a glass of wine every night to help me relax. However, I often had the wine and continued to work, creating a significant gap between my intent and my behaviour. After over 12 months of focusing on keeping my commitments, I finally achieved my intention.

#2. Be clear about what you stand for, and be honest with yourself

Understand what you value and believe in, and ensure they align with your vision for the success you want to achieve. Each day, ask yourself if you’re being honest. Is what you just said or did based on your values and stemming from a genuine desire to serve yourself and others?

My number one value is health. However, my impulse to have a glass of wine wasn’t in line with this value, which made me feel incongruent and less trusting of myself. I’m bridging that gap to ensure no disconnect between my intentions and actions to achieve my health goals and align with my values.

#3. Examine and refine your motives and declare your intent

When engaging with others, reflect on whether the right reasons drive your actions. In your communication, articulate your intent and agenda as a solid way to demonstrate openness. Use your values as a reference point to steer your behaviour in line with your intent.

I journal my goals, intentions, and gratitude for the day's opportunities in the morning. I often then write about what is essential. In the evening, I journal my actions, whether I have achieved my daily goals and intentions, and express my gratitude for what has been achieved. This has been a powerful way to build discipline and focus on what I want most rather than what I want now.

We build our integrity by nurturing our character, which helps us foster self-trust.

Think of integrity as the roots of a magnificent tree, with intent acting as the trunk. We are all works in progress, constantly learning and growing like a tree. When the roots are strong in integrity, and the trunk is firmly aligned with intent, the tree’s leaves and flowers thrive, just as our character does.

Trust grows when your beliefs, words, and actions are in harmony. By consistently making and honouring commitments, remaining true to your values, and being open about your motives, you strengthen your character and nurture trust in those around you.

Want to take your leadership to the next level? Schedule your free strategy session today!

The Path to True Happiness is Paved with Struggle

wendy@leadersnetworkgroup.com.au (Wendy Marshall) — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 05:56:56 GMT

"You need to suffer to be happy"

The statement “you need to suffer to be happy” caught my attention as I listened to it in the audiobook ‘The Resilience Shield’ by Dr Dan Pronk, Ben Pronk DSC, and Tim Curtis. At first glance, the idea of suffering to be happy seems counterintuitive. Isn’t happiness supposed to be free from hardship? Yet, the more I reflected on this statement, the more it made sense. In this context, true happiness is better understood as fulfilment, deeply connected to personal growth and flourishing.

The Misconception About Happiness

Many struggle to experience true happiness due to their perception of it. For many, happiness is linked to outcomes—landing the job, making the dosh, and reaching the milestone. They associate happiness with the destination rather than the journey. While these achievements can bring joy, they often fail to provide the more profound sense of fulfilment that defines true happiness.

“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” Dalai Lama

Why? Because true happiness isn’t just about the outcome; it’s a by-product of the effort, the process, and the struggle that precedes the result. Without struggle, the reward often feels empty or undeserved. Consider this: having a successful business can create happiness, but there’s a stark difference between inheriting a thriving company and building one from the ground up. The latter brings a profound sense of pride and fulfilment because happiness stems from the effort invested and the challenges overcome. This also explains why some people feel unfulfilled even after achieving their goals—if the path to success is too easy, the accomplishment loses its meaning. As the Dalai Lama, reminded us, “Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.”

The Role of Struggle in Happiness

If we try to shortcut achieving true happiness by avoiding challenges or taking the easy way out, we might still reach the outcome, but the happiness will be fleeting. The more challenges you overcome, the greater the reward and the deeper the sense of joy. Moments of joy are what lead to happiness.

Think about the things you’re most proud of in your life. Chances are, they required significant effort, persistence, sometimes discomfort, and the need to embrace uncertainty. This is precisely why they bring you such a sense of fulfilment—some of my most significant moments of happiness included making life-changing decisions to walk away from toxic relationships and start again. Completing my master’s degree as a mature student to prove I could, even though I did not finish high school. Making a meaningful impact as a leader in an organisation I loved working in. Starting my own business and learning the skills of an entrepreneurial mindset after being an employee for 40 years.

None of these achievements came quickly. Each required hard work, resilience, and pushing through challenges. The struggle—the 4 am mornings, moments of doubt, relentless determination, and self-limiting beliefs, made these accomplishments worthwhile.

To experience true happiness and fulfilment, you must earn it. This means embracing struggle as a necessary part of the journey rather than viewing it as a roadblock. Here are three steps to help you get started:

1. Set Goals and Celebrate Progress

Happiness is built step by step. Start by setting small, achievable goals that move you closer to your bigger aspirations. Each step forward is an opportunity to build confidence and celebrate your progress. These small victories keep you motivated and remind you that the journey itself is rewarding.

2. Reframe Challenges as Opportunities

Expect challenges along the way, and instead of dreading them, view them as opportunities for growth. Struggles are not signs of failure but necessary hurdles that shape your character and resilience. When you face challenges with this mindset, you’ll see them as integral to your journey toward true happiness.

3. Persevere Through the Hard Times

Persistence is key. When you encounter difficulties, remind yourself of your goal and the fulfilment it will bring. Remember, the deeper the challenge, the greater the reward. Perseverance through tough times strengthens your resolve and appreciation for your achievements. True happiness doesn’t come from avoiding discomfort or taking shortcuts. It comes from facing challenges head-on, learning to be comfortable with being uncomfortable, persevering through adversity, and emerging stronger on the other side. Your struggles become part of your story and give meaning to your accomplishments.

If you want to be genuinely happy and fulfilled, embrace the struggle. Recognise that happiness isn’t something you can buy, inherit, or simply stumble upon. It’s something you earn through effort, persistence, and resilience. Begin by redefining what happiness means to you and take the necessary steps to create a life that reflects this understanding. Set goals, welcome challenges, and persevere through adversity. By doing this, you’ll find that true happiness lies not in avoiding struggle but in discovering meaning and fulfilment through it.

So, don’t shy away from hard work. Embrace the struggle, knowing it’s essential to the journey towards a happy and fulfilling life. Because in the end, the happiness you earn is the happiness that lasts.

The Power of Wildly Important Goals in Transforming Business Focus

wendy@leadersnetworkgroup.com.au (Wendy Marshall) — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 06:09:38 GMT

If you want a top-performing business and team, focus on what is wildly important.

What is the most important thing to focus on to succeed in business? Business owners and leaders often ask this question. The answer is to concentrate on what truly matters in your business.

Successful businesses establish Wildly Important Goals (WIG) to focus on what matters most, preventing them from getting bogged down in the daily whirlwind of business. Having clear WIGs is an effective strategy for achieving alignment and succeeding in the business game. WIGs are overarching objectives for the future of the business that highlight its most crucial aspects.

The inescapable principle of the Law of Diminishing Returns explains that the more you try to do, the less you achieve. When business leaders attempt to focus on everything at once, their brains become ‘chunked out’, often leading to overwhelm, stress, and burnout. This approach is overused and ineffective in a society where multitasking is the norm and is usually praised. A successful strategy is to condense the attempt to do ‘everything’ and instead concentrate on the things that matter most. There is no doubt that it’s possible to do anything, however we cannot do everything.

Wildly Important Goals provide focus because they communicate the strategy and align the team with the business's most important priorities. They create goals, turning ideas into a plan for the future of the business.

"People who have goals succeed because they know where they’re going." Earl Nightingale.

In the book ‘The 4 Disciplines of Execution,’ Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, and Jim Huling introduce clear rules for translating strategy into action at every business level. Discipline 1 is ‘Focus on the Wildly Important.’ This discipline emphasises concentrated focus and requires the best effort towards one or two goals to make the most significant difference rather than spreading efforts too thin across multiple objectives. Execution starts with focus; without it, the other three disciplines won't be effective. What you choose to focus on is what you will achieve, to the exclusion of everything else.

Here are three tips to get started on developing Wildly Important Goals

Tip #1: Focus on what truly matters

Decide what truly matters for the future. What needs to be achieved for the year ahead or strategically for the next five years? Identify one or two goals that will have the most significant impact. These goals align with the vision, mission, and long-term objectives and the purpose of the business. They are not goals based on daily operations; they are goals that will influence daily operations in the future.

Tip #2: Communicate and connect

Communicate the Wildly Important Goals to everyone involved in the business. This includes direct team members, contractors, or individuals you outsource tasks to. Engage with them in a way that helps them feel they can participate. The more people involved, the more committed they will be. An effective execution plan for achieving the Wildly Important Goals is built on the efforts of all team members who contribute. Communicating the Wildly Important Goals aligns the team and conveys the business's strategy, emphasising the top priorities.

Tip #3: Measure to manage

Wildly Important Goals are measured. Tracking progress toward achieving goals is an essential part of any goal-setting process. The third discipline in ‘The 4 Disciplines of Execution’ involves maintaining a compelling scorecard. Developing a method for tracking progress and keeping ‘score’ enhances goal achievement. Think of any game you’ve played where the score is kept; we behave differently, and the same goes for business. What we measure, we can manage and improve. When things don’t pan out, which is bound to happen at some point, we receive feedback that suggests trying something different. This is the advantage of measuring. Creating a simple, visible scorecard is an effective way to monitor progress towards achieving results.

Wildly Important Goals enable businesses to continue working towards the bigger picture by providing focus, prioritisation, team alignment, motivation, and accountability. Use these three tips to clarify your Wildly Important Goals in business or life and create your desired change and future.

Schedule a free 45-minute Strategy Session , and let’s explore how we can support you on your business and leadership journey.

10 Books That Shaped My Learning Journey in 2024

wendy@leadersnetworkgroup.com.au (Wendy Marshall) — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 02:23:29 GMT

Reading feeds the soul, expands the mind, and opens us to new ways of thinking. Non-fiction books challenge our perspectives, influence how we interpret the world around us and shape how we show up as business leaders.

Every year presents an opportunity to learn, evolve, and grow. In 2024, my learning journey was profoundly shaped by a mix of books that challenged my thinking, sparked new ideas, and provided practical insights for my personal and professional life. These books have left a lasting impact, from timeless leadership principles to strategies for scaling a business and mastering personal growth.

I read or listened to more than fifteen books last year. In this post, I share the 10 that had the most significant impact on my journey. Whether you're a business owner, leader, or someone seeking personal development, I hope these books inspire you as much as they did me.

Ready to dive in and discover the key lessons and takeaways from each one?

Who's In Your Room? The Question That Will Change Your Life by Stewart Emery and Ivan Misner, with Doug Hardy.

This is primarily about understanding why we allow people into our lives and that once they are in our room (our mind), what do we do with them if we do not want them there anymore? They cannot leave the room because the room has a one-way door. Once they are in, they are in forever. This book teaches us how to manage the relationships we choose to have and even those we do not get to choose, and once read, it will change how you approach any new relationship. That is if you decide to implement what you learn! I decided and now have clarity on who I allow into my room, how I interact with the people I want there and how I manage those I wish were not there.

The Success Principles. How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Jack Canfield.

In this masterful book, he takes us through sixty-four succinct success principles in life, business and relationships. It is a potent reminder of how we do the little things is how we do everything and that when we live a principled-centred life, leadership comes naturally in all that we do. Principles related to discipline, commitment, gratitude, focus, presence, trust, values, serving, empowering, resilience, persistence, belief, responsibility and being proactive are all covered in this fantastic book. This is a constant reference in my library for my life and how I can help others.

Essentialism. The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown.

This book holds the key to doing less to achieve more. Learning when to say yes and when to say no is vital to navigating the overwhelming amount of information, opportunities and activities that want to demand our time. The relentless pressure to have it all and do the right thing can lead to burnout. Knowing what to say yes to is important, and being able to say yes to critical choices requires us to say no to the unimportant. A key insight in this book is that "A non-essentialist thinks almost everything is essential. An essentialist thinks almost everything is non-essential." This book reinforced for me the power of saying no to what is not essential in my life and has led to a lot of clarity and decluttering of my mind and physical space.

Profit First. Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine by Mike Michalowicz.

This book challenges traditional accounting approaches to how business financials are managed to achieve a better outcome and pay yourself first! It is a fascinating read, and the learnings may take a while to implement fully. The principle of paying yourself first is an excellent hack as it forces a focus on creating profit to be able to do so. This book made me realise that it is crucial to understand different ways of approaching business financials and that there is no one-size-fits-all.

Amplify Your Influence. Transform How You Communicate and Lead by René Rodriguez

This is an excellent blueprint for applying principles in your leadership and communication techniques. It can transform how you communicate and lead others with actional tips, valuable frameworks, and simple exercises for lasting behaviours that influence how others perceive and understand you. The primary outcome is that your communication, critical thinking, and ability to persuade others will improve. In leadership, our ability to inspire and influence others is key; therefore, communicating in the way that works for them is paramount. This is another book in my library as a go-to reference.

The 12 Week Year. Get more done in 12 Weeks than others do in 12 Months by Brian P Moran and Michael Lennington.

What I loved most about this book is that it validated our belief in our business about the power and impact of what we call 'Quarterly Planning.' Moran highlights 12-week blocks in this book, allowing for a stop-and-start planning approach. I am not a fan of this because consistency is key, and having a rhythm and flow to how we show up every day is an integral part of our planning. Quarterly Planning allows for the breaks, the holidays, the slowdowns, and the interruptions to be built into the planning, and this is the approach we advocate. We even have a whole program that teaches people how to do it!

The Wealth Money Can't Buy. The 8 Hidden Habits to Live Your Richest Life by Robin Sharma.

As someone who has read many books on wealth creation where so often the focus is solely on financial wealth, which is essential, this book takes the whole concept of wealth to a better level, which I love. Sharma is a consummate storyteller who shares his eight wealth habits in this book through this mode of writing: engaging, captivating and impactful. If you want to know more about living a rich life, read this book. This book has changed how I approach many aspects of life, and if you let it, it can also transform your life.

The Gap and The Gain. The High Achievers Guide to Happiness, Confidence and Success by Dan Sullivan with Dr Benjamin Hardy.

I read this book after reading a previous one that Sullivan and Hardy had written called ‘10X is easier than 2X’. If I had read The Gap and The Gain first, the 10X book would not have been so daunting. Both books provide incredible insights into how to be in business, and the key takeaway from ‘The Gap and the Gain’ is to always measure yourself backwards from where you have come and not against the goals or the ideal you are going after. I have not achieved the goals I have set for myself for 3 years. However, when I compare the progress over those 3 years, I know that I have achieved more than just goals or ideals. It is all about progress, not perfection.

Man's Search for Meaning. The classic tribute to hope from the Holocaust by Viktor E. Frankl.

I had to include this one as it goes to the heart of being human. The ability to choose how we deal with adversity in the face of incredible trauma and survive is a testimony to the human capacity for resilience. This is a deep read and may not be right for everyone; however, everyone would benefit from reading it. It is not a big book but has a lot in it. For me, it highlighted the power of choice and meaning in life and that how we approach these two aspects, which we have control over, profoundly influences our lives.

The 5 AM Club. Own Your Morning, Elevate Your Life by Robin Sharma

As someone who is already a fan of early rising, I was blown away by the power of this book to reinforce what I already believed in. Again, Sharma has used storytelling in the most powerful way to highlight the benefits of early mornings and the richness that this habit can bring to our lives. In a previous book he wrote called 'The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari', Sharma highlighted the power of presence, truth, and knowing what is important in life. The 5am Club has brought this learning home even more practically and meaningfully. If early mornings are not for you, that's OK. The principles still apply, so have a read and learn how to elevate your life in a way that works for you!

I share what I learned from these books to help others understand the power of constantly reading, learn more, and highlight some great books. Most of these books were recommended, and I always listen to them first while driving or walking. We have such a short time on this planet, and the power of making the most of every opportunity daily is profound. Use your time well to learn and grow because that is what we are here to do, and in doing so, we can make a difference in the world.

If you want support with your quarterly planning, book a complimentary strategy session today!

Employee to Entrepreneur Mindset: How to Make the Leap

wendy@leadersnetworkgroup.com.au (Wendy Marshall) — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 00:07:52 GMT

I used to think that being 'entrepreneurial' was a way of thinking and that it involved doing creative things and coming up with new ideas.

In some ways, it is this. However, I have now learned that being an 'entrepreneur' and 'entrepreneurial' is a way of being versus a way of doing. This realisation took me a few years to come to grips with when I started my own business and had to think differently due to the lack of certainty that being in business for yourself brings. I draw this comparison to being the employee I was for 40 years. Having achieved a level of success that I had not even aspired to and then finding myself in a world where anything is possible, I found myself lost in a sea of possibilities, ideas, opportunities and potential, and it was scary!

When we diligently show up daily as an employee, in most cases, we do so to do the best we can within the confines of what we have been employed to do. Some will go further, use initiative, make a difference, be noticed, and be given more opportunities to contribute - traditionally called a promotion. The outcome is that we are making a difference, getting paid to do so, and therefore, having our core needs of certainty and contribution met. Most people come to their work to do and be the best they can, and in the process, they trust that they will be valued and paid accordingly. This is a relatively safe harbour for most people.

Then, there is the world of entrepreneurship! This is a world without certainty; however, there is an abundance of risk-taking, connection, growth, significance and ability to contribute to the world differently. All it takes is cognitive awareness and willingness to be biased towards backing yourself, life-long learning, flexibility, open-mindedness, risk-taking, belief in what is possible and determination to do whatever it takes to achieve the desired outcome. Entrepreneurs create their certainty primarily through how they show up for themselves.

“Being an entrepreneur is a mindset. You have to see things as opportunities all the time.” Soledad O’Brien

It all starts with how we think. It took me 3 years to realise I had an employee mindset and that my identity was wrapped up in what I had contributed to and been a part of for the past 40 years. Now, who was I? Just me! So, I started discovering who I am and what I am capable of when I must rely on my resources, energy, intelligence, and thinking. It is a scary world of entrepreneurship, exciting, adventurous, and full of possibilities and opportunities, along with a rollercoaster ride of highs and lows. As Soledad O’Brien reminds us, “Being an entrepreneur is a mindset. You have to see things as opportunities all the time.”

Becoming the best you can be in business and life requires lifelong learning. The more I learn, the more I realise how little I know. I find this both daunting and exciting. Knowing that an unending amount of information is available will help anyone who wishes to learn about a particular area of knowledge or skill development, and it provides an enormous opportunity to learn, grow, and expand.

An example of learning that serves people well every day can be found in understanding our level of competence. The old saying 'we don't know what we don't know' comes into play here. We go through four stages of learning in everything we do to build on our level of competence. Understanding this serves an entrepreneur well because there is also a concept called the 'Dunning-Kruger' effect, which describes a cognitive bias where people with low ability in a particular area overestimate their competence. At the same time, highly competent individuals may underestimate theirs. This concept is based on a paper by Cornell University psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger. The key idea is that incompetent people often need more self-awareness to recognise their lack of skill. At the same time, skilled individuals may assume others have similar knowledge.

This can lead to a lack of awareness or misunderstanding, creating high risks when an entrepreneur is in business. So when someone decides they want to go into business for themselves, or in some way adopt the life of an entrepreneur, this effect can often get in their way unless they are willing to consciously explore and understand what they do know, which is most likely to be a great technical skill, and to acknowledge what they do not know, for example, how to be in business.

The four stages of learning are a framework that describes the progression from incompetence to mastery in learning a skill. The four stages are:

Unconscious Incompetence: You don’t know what you don’t know.
Conscious Incompetence: You realise what you don’t know and start to learn.
Conscious Competence: You have acquired the skill or can do it, but it requires effort and focus.
Unconscious Competence: You can perform the skill efficiently as it has become second nature.

The key idea here is that learning is a process that moves us from lack of awareness to effortless mastery and that this transition affects how we behave and apply our learning with practice and effort over time. Think about a young adult learning to drive a car or a baby learning to walk. We have all gone through stages such as this and do so continuously when we want to learn new skills.

Developing an entrepreneurial mindset, or becoming an entrepreneur, requires learning. So, the lesson here is that for anyone affected by the Dunning-Kruger effect, the recommendation is to acknowledge it and start learning. If you do not, this state of mind will impede the learning process and success in business. Once you can recognise your level of competence concerning a particular skill set that is needed and realise there is learning to be done, then the four stages of learning will happen whether you realise it or not. Here are five tips to get started:

#1 Tip: Recognise the gap that exists in the skills or knowledge needed

This is about becoming aware of what you don't know. Identify the skill you want to learn and its value. Do research and analyse current knowledge or lack thereof and seek expert feedback or insights to pinpoint what you need to work on. Example - becoming good at marketing

#2 Tip: Learn and understand the key concepts of the skill or knowledge to acquire.

The goal is to gain the knowledge and understand the basics of the skill. This can be done through programs, educational courses or reading books. Break the skill into smaller chunks to tackle one at a time. Remember to accept that mistakes are part of the process and focus on consistent effort. Example – Concentrate on one marketing category at a time, such as networking.

#3 Tip: Practice with intention

This is about applying what you've learned and improving through deliberate practice. Set specific, measurable goals for your practice sessions. Create habits that support you in showing up consistently to the skill you wish to learn. Seek feedback from others to refine your technique and repeat key tasks to consolidate habits and build muscle memory for a more profound understanding. Emphasise quality over quantity and remain patient with progress because this is not about perfection.

#4 Tip: Refine and improve

Leverage the habits created to transition the skill from active effort to more natural execution. Regularly challenge yourself with real-world applications. Be willing to have a go, make mistakes, reflect on progress, and adjust to improve learning and skill development. Continue to consolidate the habits created to practice the skill, integrating it into varying situations to achieve a compounding effect.

#5 Tip: Achieve mastery through consistency

This is the unconscious competence stage, where the skill can be performed effortlessly and effectively without active thought. Continue to use the skill frequently to keep it sharp. Teach and mentor others to deepen your mastery. Innovate or experiment with the skill to push its boundaries. Remember to celebrate milestones, and always stay curious for growth opportunities.

Making the leap from employee to entrepreneur is a big one. Doing this consciously and with awareness of the learning required provides an incredible opportunity to embrace the challenges that will inevitably exist. Lifelong learning is key to this mindset shift because it is about conscious awareness, learning intentionally, and practising consistently until habits form naturally. Just as mastering a skill builds confidence, adopting an entrepreneurial mindset empowers you to innovate, take risks, and achieve success with greater clarity and ease, but this does not mean it will be easy!

If you want support with your entrepreneurial journey, book a complimentary strategy session with a coach at Leaders Network.

Three Powerful C Words for Personal Growth

wendy@leadersnetworkgroup.com.au (Wendy Marshall) — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 20:13:06 GMT

We are our own worst enemies!

How often have you heard that line or said this to yourself? But what does it mean to be your own 'worst enemy'? A better word to use is an adversary. We are our adversaries. It doesn't have quite the same ring to it…

Either way, we often get in our way, but why? What do we do about it?

"What stands in the way becomes the way." Marcus Aurelius.

Who we are, what we can do, and how we want to be all influence how we show up differently for ourselves and others. Who we are is our character, which includes integrity and intent. What we can do is our competence, which is made up of our capability and the results we can achieve. How we want to be is about compassion. Compassion for ourselves and others. I learned a few years ago that what stands in my way becomes my way, and by this, I mean that whatever it was I was avoiding or trying to sidestep, go around, or ignore was not going to go away until I faced it with courage and compassion based on the competence I have and who I want to be, my character. That was a big lesson, and I learned very quickly that my level of emotional intelligence had a significant role to play.

As leaders in business and life, our character, competence, and compassion manifest in different ways depending on our courage to show up and embrace the uncertainty that comes with letting go of control.

In his book The Speed of Trust, Stephen M. R. Covey outlines that courage is a part of integrity. It is our ability to embrace humility and honesty with ourselves and others, which is congruent with the values and standards we set for ourselves. If we cannot be true to ourselves, how can we be true to others?

Our level of emotional intelligence will influence our actions, enabling us to be the best leaders we can be, the best at the work we choose to do, and the best at living our best lives.

When we are clear on our character, willing to learn and grow our competency, and trust ourselves enough to show compassion, we will develop the courage to let go of the certainty and control we so badly think we need. When this happens, we can be more balanced in embracing uncertainty and all the possibilities that allow life to be great. This takes energy; where energy flows, the focus goes, and actions show.

"The place to begin building any relationship is inside ourselves, our circle of influence, our own character." Stephen R. Covey.

We all have a circle of influence and a circle of concern. Our circle of influence is proactive, and our circle of concern is reactive. When we focus on circumstances that we can do something about, our energy is positive and magnifying, inspiring us to achieve more and be the best versions of ourselves that we aspire to be.

When we focus on circumstances we have no control over, our energy is negative and can cause neglect of areas we can influence. Putting energy into something that does not achieve your desired results is tiring. It starts with how we build the relationship with ourselves, which is influenced by our level of emotional intelligence. As Stephen R. Covey highlighted, "The place to begin building any relationship is inside ourselves, our circle of influence, our own character."

Life is beyond our control. We cannot control the results we will achieve in business, relationships, the weather, the economy, teams, or children. We can decide and control how to inspire, influence and respond. The outcomes we achieve are unique reflections of our actions. Our actions show our focus, which aligns with where our energy flows. When we can inspire possibilities within ourselves to be the best leader we can be, we will be motivated to work more within our circle of influence and achieve more significant outcomes, even without control.

Focus Area One - Character.

Who you are and the type of person you want to be is within your control, within your circle of influence. You may not be able to control what happens to you, but you can control how you respond to what happens to you. Your integrity, courage, humility, intentions, and behaviours influence the type of person you can be.

Focus Area Two - Competence

We are either green and growing or ripe and rotting. Building competence requires constant learning. Living is a lifelong lesson, so the more effort you put into learning, the greater your capability, knowledge, experience, credibility, and results will be.

Focus Area Three - Compassion

Understanding others and being willing to help are linked to our core need to contribute. Be ready to understand other people's viewpoints without necessarily agreeing with them. Respect varied perspectives and understand that two people can disagree and both can be right.

We can inspire and influence others when we can inspire possibilities within ourselves. This is what being a great leader is all about. Leading ourselves and others to be the best we can be and understanding what we can control in our circle of influence is a powerful way to learn and grow throughout life.

If you would like to inspire yourself or others each day, check out the 'Daily Leadership Inspiration Calendar' at Leaders Network.

Your Values Shape the Decisions You Make

wendy@leadersnetworkgroup.com.au (Wendy Marshall) — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 03:25:44 GMT

The decisions and choices we make in life are based on what we value, whether we realise it or not…

There is often much discussion of values. Some people dismiss them as unimportant; others say they know what they value (without being able to articulate what they are), and others are deeply committed and intimately know and understand their values.

Values, when clear and understood, are something to be deeply passionate about. When we intimately know what we value and what will influence the decisions we make in life, they become a compass to guide the direction we take in all that we do. They influence our decisions, choices, actions, and principles regarding how we will live our lives. They become a paradigm for living the life you want without regrets.

There are many types of values, so for simplicity, I will roll them up into three types: personal, business, and aspirational. Many will argue this is too simple, but why complicate? Let’s talk about personal values, as this is where it all starts.

"Values can't just be words on a page. To be effective, they must shape action." Jeffrey R. Immelt

The now famous line in the movie Forest Gump, "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get", comes to mind when I think about life and the role that values play. As a young Mum in survival mode for many years with two young children and navigating motherhood, relationships, work and what was coming at me every day, I can only wish I understood more about values and the role they play in relationships. In my 1980s world, there was no talk of the importance of knowing your values and their role in shaping decisions and life choices. However, when I reflect, I know I made some big decisions, such as leaving my first husband based on the values I had grown up with. I still recall the thought that went through my mind when his unacceptable behaviour influenced me to leave: "This is not how I was brought up. I am not putting up with this." It became a dealmaker for me, and as I look back at this time and many others, I realise that I did make decisions based on values; I did not know that this was what I was doing as I did not have the language to express it at the time. I do have access to that language now. I am ensuring that I utilise and leverage the understanding of my values to be clear about what I will and will not accept in the relationships I engage in, personally and professionally. As Jeffrey R. Immelt said, "Values can't just be words on a page. To be effective, they must shape action."

Your values will enable you to identify the dealmakers in your life regarding relationships. A dealmaker is a core value that you have that is essential for someone to engage or be aligned with for you to feel comfortable having some relationship with. This could be any situation, from an initial connection at a networking event in a business sense to a first romantically inclined date. The dealmaker, when it comes to values, is something that aligns closely with your beliefs or principles that, when it’s present, creates a strong foundation for trust. This dealmaker quality makes the relationship or decision that you are making feel viable and aligned.

Conversely, your values also help you identify the dealbreakers. A value dealbreaker is a non-negotiable factor or behaviour that causes someone to decide not to engage in or continue a relationship, deal, or project. It’s a value violation significant enough to disrupt trust or make alignment impossible.

Knowing your values is being able to express them through your behaviours. They can be used to free your time and your mind, or they can be ignored and have your time and your mind consumed by thoughts or activities that do not serve well. Look at it from this angle: do you intend to have value-driven solid relationships, however, keep finding yourself in situations that you do not want to be in and constantly experience dissonance? Dissonance in any situation is like experiencing something scratching a chalkboard or an irritating voice that grinds against your sensitivities, so in this case, it could be a dealbreaker. Or are your relationships resonating with you because you know you have checked in with what is a dealmaker for you regarding your values and who you will allow into your life? When our relationships resonate with what is more important, it is like water calmly flowing down a stream, trusting the current to lead us to the right place.

In the book 'Who's in Your Room', co-authored by Stewart Emery and Dr Ivan Misner, with Doug Hardy, the question is asked - "If you knew that this person would be in your room forever, would you have let that person in your room?" When we meet someone for the first time, we have a choice, and our values will influence our choices. Ultimately, it is said that we are the average of the five people we hang out with the most, so being clear on the type of people you want to connect with is about knowing your values and being able to ask yourself the question, "do I want this person to be someone that I am connected with?"

Other than writing a list of values and connecting with the ones that resonate with you most, use these three steps to explore a different way to identify your values:

Step 1 - Think of three to five people you admire or like spending time with. This could include virtual mentors, who you feel connected with through reading books, or they could be actual mentors in your life, friends or family members who have positively influenced you.

Step 2 - Identify five to ten character traits that best describe what you perceive to be each of these people's values. These will be evident by their behaviour, the actions they take, and the experience you have with them.

Step 3 - Review the lists you created and look for shared values you have experienced. Write down up to ten of these. These are likely your core values because you resonate with them in the people you have chosen.

Knowing your values is crucial to healthy relationships in your personal and professional life. Values will shape your decisions, choices, and to a large extent, the relationships that you develop with others. Values can be dealmakers and dealbreakers, and when you are clear on what they are for you, there is an excellent opportunity to live life on your terms and with clear boundaries around what is essential for you.

If you need help identifying your values, book a complimentary strategy session . We look forward to connecting.

Happiness Requires Struggle

wendy@leadersnetworkgroup.com.au (Wendy Marshall) — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 22:35:31 GMT

"You need to suffer to be happy."

This quote from the book ‘The Resilience Shield’ by Dr Dan Pronk, Ben Pronk DSC, and Tim Curtis offers a profound truth about happiness. In this context, happiness is not just a fleeting emotion but is linked to fulfilment and flourishing.

Many people struggle to feel lasting happiness because they view it as something tied solely to an outcome—a successful career, more money, or achieving a significant goal. But real happiness isn’t the result of those achievements; it's a by-product of the journey, the hard work, and the effort invested along the way.

Without struggle, the reward loses significance, making it harder to experience true happiness. Take building a successful business as an example. If that business is handed to you, your satisfaction differs from what you’d experience had you started and grown it from scratch. Why? Because genuine happiness stems from overcoming challenges, not just the end result.

This explains why some people reach their goals but feel unfulfilled—they may not have put in enough effort to create the deep sense of accomplishment they desire. When we try to shortcut the process of achieving happiness by avoiding challenges or opting for the easier path, the happiness we experience tends to be temporary. True happiness comes from overcoming difficulties and experiencing growth.

“Without suffering, there is no happiness.” Thích Nhất Hạnh

There is a link between struggle and fulfilment. Reflect on the things you’re most proud of in your life. These achievements likely involved persistence, effort, and moments of difficulty, precisely why they bring you so much joy. Some of my proudest accomplishments—such as a long, successful career, raising children, completing an MBA, building a business, and starting a new life chapter—were challenging and required me to push through doubts and limiting beliefs. Yet, those very challenges are what made the successes so rewarding. As the renowned Buddhist monk Thích Nhất Hạnh beautifully puts it in ‘No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering’, “Without suffering, there is no happiness.”

To experience deep fulfilment, we must first embrace the journey, challenges, and all. To cultivate true happiness, you must earn it through effort and persistence. Here are three habits to help you get started on that journey:

Habit 1 – Set small goals and take one step forward at a time.
Start with small, manageable steps. Massive changes can feel overwhelming and unattainable. In Atomic Habits, James Clear emphasises how small habits compound over time. Focus on creating one small habit and stick with it. Before long, that single habit will lead to progress. Once you’re ready, add another habit on top of it. The stacking of these habits will gradually lead to substantial results. Inspire yourself and celebrate each small victory along the way.

Habit 2 – Expect and embrace challenges as part of the process.
Challenges are inevitable, so embrace them. When obstacles arise, dig deep and stay committed to your goal. Commitment is essential—genuinely committed people will do whatever it takes, while those who are merely interested will do what’s easiest. And easy doesn’t lead to the happiness you seek. The more you accept challenges as a part of the journey, the more rewarding the journey becomes.

Habit 3 – Be consistent and persevere through difficulties.
Keep your long-term goals in mind, especially when facing adversity. The greater the challenge, the more satisfying the reward. Stretch yourself beyond your comfort zone. It’s here, in the ‘fear zone,’ that you’ll discover your true potential. Once you embrace discomfort, you’ll move into the ‘learning zone’, which leads to the ‘growth zone’. Growth comes from consistent effort, which ultimately brings lasting fulfilment.

By focusing on building these habits, you’re not just chasing happiness—you’re creating it from within. Whether you’re a leader, a parent, or anyone looking to grow, these three habits will, over time, help you achieve greater happiness. Remember, true happiness is earned through the struggle. Follow these steps, persevere through the challenges, and find fulfilment and happiness waiting on the other side.

If you want help to start your habits towards happiness, book a complimentary strategy session . We look forward to connecting.

Unleashing Success Through the Power of Planning

wendy@leadersnetworkgroup.com.au (Wendy Marshall) — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 01:59:56 GMT

How you respond to challenges and opportunities in life is a choice.

You can choose to 'squeeze' life and create the future you want, or you can allow life to 'squeeze' you and be governed by your past or other people’s ways of thinking.

In his book ‘Outwitting the Devil’, Napoleon Hill discusses the 'definiteness of purpose'. Tony Robbins also discusses having clarity on what you are passionate about, your purpose, and what you want to achieve in life.

To go after what you want requires action. Nothing can happen without it. You can have the best idea, the biggest goal, and significant intent and achieve nothing. Alternatively, you can have all of that, and with a great plan combined with consistently acting on the idea, you can achieve your dreams, create impact, and inspire possibilities for yourself. It all comes down to how committed you are.

“It takes half your life before you discover life is a do-it-yourself project.” Napoleon Hill

Ask yourself, are you interested or committed? This is an interesting question, so take time to answer it for yourself! This is important because when you are interested, you most likely do what is comfortable and easy; however, when you are genuinely committed, you will do whatever it takes. As Napoleon Hill reminded us, “It takes half your life before you discover life is a do-it-yourself project.”

This is how it is with planning. A plan is powerful when you are committed to developing it, using a framework that gives you the best outcome and then a structure that will bring it to life. It is a do-it-yourself project too! Planning is crucial because if you have yet to plan to get from where you are now to where you want to be, how will you know when you get there? Or, even more integral, how would you know how to get there? All that is required is the discipline to show up daily and act, even when mistakes or perceived failures occur. This is another crucial aspect to consider because there is no such thing as failure. There is only feedback and results. Everything you do will give you a result. It may not be the desired result; however, it is an outcome of some kind. Change your thinking, change your results. When you get a result that is not what you want, change your thinking to change the strategies and actions you are taking as part of your plan to try something different to get a different result. It is that easy…test and measure.

Back to planning. Having discipline around planning is choosing between what you want now and what you want most. How often have you thought about an idea or something you wanted to achieve and not taken action to bring it to life and then experienced that someone else has done or created what you had the idea for? They were not more competent or intelligent; in most instances, the difference will be in how they acted. They were disciplined to focus on what they wanted most and not allow the short-term gratification of the now moment to get in their way.

Discipline is simply choosing between what you want now and what you want most. This is the power of planning, and here are three steps to follow to get started:

Step 1

Identify your big goal. Think big, go big. The bigger the goal, the more action you will take to achieve it. The smaller the goal, the fewer actions you need to take. I am not talking about big in global terms; I am talking about big in your terms. What is big for you?

Step 2

Decide what you need to act on to achieve your goal. What areas of business or life require specific actions to make your goal a reality? This is where you challenge yourself whether you are interested or committed. What am I willing to do to make this goal a reality?

Step 3

Create a documented plan that uses the SMART principles and capture what you need to do. This is where discipline is essential—spending time developing your goal and plan, getting clarity to bring your goal to life, and prioritising what needs to be done.

Follow these three steps and experience the real power of planning to unleash the success you want, whatever it means. Planning helps you live with integrity in your values and your beliefs. You can create the life you want by showing up consistently, with discipline and commitment. Without planning activities and steps to make that happen, you may be allowing life to squeeze you.

If you would like help with getting started on your planning, book a complimentary strategy session and we will look forward to connecting.

How Disciplines Drive Goal Achievement

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 20:44:33 GMT

Have you ever been so determined to achieve a goal that you were willing to do whatever it took to make it happen? Only to realise that too many other things are getting in your way!

When a goal is that important to you, it becomes a Wildly Important Goal (WIG), or some people may even refer to big important goals as BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals). Whatever you want to call them, they are essential to you; therefore, a way to achieve them is needed.

I remember setting a goal to own my own home after being in the rental market for many years as a single mum raising two children. I finally set myself a goal to achieve this dream within three years. Nothing got in my way; it became my focus, influencing how I managed my finances. The day I signed the paperwork and finally became a homeowner was one of the proudest moments of my life. My wildly important goal at that time had been achieved. Then, I set my next WIG to complete my MBA while working full-time.

“When you work on that many goals, you actually work on none of them because the amount of energy you can put into each one is so small, it’s meaningless.” Chris McChesney

A Wildly Important Goal can transform your business or life. It is often ambitious and impactful, offering growth or change that makes everything else easier or more effective. WIGs can range from launching a new product to achieving financial independence, becoming a market leader in your industry or simply achieving something to prove to yourself you can. In this fast-paced world of business and life, getting lost in the whirlwind of daily demands, distractions, and urgent tasks is easy. However, real success comes from focusing on a select goal that truly matters. This is what Wildly Important Goals are. If achieved, these goals will make the most significant difference in your personal and professional life. In business, they will usually be ones that will fundamentally change or influence the results being achieved to scale or achieve growth. As Chris McChesney says in the book, 'The 4 Disciplines of Execution', which he co-authored with Sean Covey and Jim Huling, “When you work on that many goals, you actually work on none of them because the amount of energy you can put into each one is so small, it’s meaningless.”

But how do you identify, prioritise, and achieve these WIGs? Let’s break it down.

'The 4 Disciplines of Execution’ (4DX) is a book about achieving wildly important goals. One of the testimonials in this book was written by Stephen R. Covey, the author of ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’. Covey stated, "In place of the top-down, control-orientated management techniques of the industrial age, the four disciplines offer…an approach that engages people’s hearts and minds towards a common goal, unlike anything I've seen. Truly a profound work!"

The concept is to focus on a few highly impactful goals rather than being spread too thin across many initiatives. Like anything we do, where focus goes, energy flows, and action shows. When we pay attention to what is essential and have a best practice framework to develop and an approach that is proven to be effective, results will be achieved.

Here are five steps to help you achieve what you want that incorporate the 4 disciplines of execution principles:

Step 1 - Identify the Wildly Important Goal.

Ask yourself what will make the most significant difference to achieve the desired results. The WIG can come from within the whirlwind or from outside the whirlwind. From within it could be a system or process that is so ineffective that fixing it will make a fundamental difference to you or the business . If it is from without it could be a new product or service, a big opportunity that will make a difference to your business.

Step 2 - Bring focus to the Wildly Important Goal.

Discipline 1 of 4DX is all about focus. It teaches that exceptional execution starts with a narrow focus and identifying what must be achieved. Have a rule that there is no more than 2 WIGs at any one time. Is the goal clear and able to be measured? What gets measured gets managed. Use the SMART goal-setting framework to ensure it is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.

Step 3 - Create lead measures and act on them.

Discipline 2 of 4DX is all about leverage. All effective business planning includes a significant focus on leveraged activities because 80% of the results will come from 20% of your activities. Therefore, focusing on the right ones is imperative, as these are your lead measures to move you towards the result, the goal to be achieved. This discipline is based on the principle that all actions are not created equal, so identify and act on the activities with the highest leverage.

Step 4 - Measure what you are managing.

Discipline 3 of 4DX relates to engagement. People play differently when you measure and track progress and results because the score is being kept. Keep a scorecard of the results and focus on achievements by measuring backwards, not forwards. A scorecard is your lag measure, the result of what you said you would do with your lead measures. Did you or did you not achieve that activity and move towards the goal?

Step 5 - Create a culture of accountability.

The fourth discipline relates to creating a cadence of accountability. How will progress be made if you are not holding yourself or the team accountable? Even if you are a sole trader, having an accountability buddy is a great way to hold yourself accountable. Accountability is a weekly check-in, a process to highlight successes, review failures (which is just feedback to try something different), and adjust the activities as needed to keep moving towards the goal. This is a people-driven performance management system where self-leadership has a significant impact.

Achieving wildly important goals requires focus, discipline, and commitment. By using these five steps that incorporate The 4 Disciplines of Execution, you will set yourself up for success. Having a plan using these five steps will help keep a focus on achieving high-leveraged activities that can impact the scale and growth of the business. By allocating resources such as time and people, results can be achieved while managing the daily whirlwind of activities and tasks in everyday business life. It is all about focus.

Book a complimentary strategy session if you want help setting goals and focusing on achieving results . We look forward to connecting.

Managing Daily Operations while Planning for Growth

wendy@leadersnetworkgroup.com.au (Wendy Marshall) — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 04:29:11 GMT

How can I balance my time between managing daily operations and planning for growth?

Business leaders often ask this question whether they own their own business or are leaders within a business and responsible for achieving growth.

There is a way that requires commitment, discipline and planning. This is easy to do, mainly when you are intrinsically motivated to achieve what you have set out to do. People often use the word balance thinking that it can be achieved. However, balance implies that we must be equal on both sides . It is more realistic to achieve harmony between the daily operations and the strategies being worked on to achieve growth or to scale the business. Effective planning enables the achievement of goals aimed at growth while also navigating the daily whirlwind operations of any business. This is because an effective plan requires prioritisation to achieve the various goals and activities within the plan. Why create a plan if there is not an intention to execute it? Effective plan execution involves prioritisation and breaking the plan into manageable focus areas. It is about putting the priorities first and ensuring they get the focus they require while also managing the urgent and important daily activities and giving them the focus they deserve.

In his seminal book, 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People', Stephen R. Covey highlights habit 3, 'Put First Things First,' as a natural emergence of habit 1 and 2 and exercising independent will toward becoming principle-centred. When you have developed a proactive nature influenced by the first two habits, you enable yourself to be principle-centred by practising self-management.

Putting first things first is about halting procrastination and getting on with things! It is about prioritising effectively and avoiding wasting time. It’s easy to avoid challenging activities and get on with those that feel more comfortable to focus on. Still, ultimately, this leads to important things being left behind, which comes with consequences. When we don’t put things first in the work environment, we often do the activities we like and know we’re good at and neglect the more important tasks that support our business growth.

Putting first things first is an essential component of effective self-leadership. When we practice this habit, we consider the impact of our actions on ourselves and others, which helps us remain disciplined and retain personal integrity. Building this habit into our daily work lives also helps us bring focus and energy to our actions , making progress while developing greater self-trust and keeping commitments.

"The key is not to prioritise what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” Stephen R. Covey

The Covey Time Management Matrix focuses on allocating task time per quadrant. It is similar to the Eisenhower Matrix. However, unlike Eisenhower, whose quadrants represent the tasks based on urgency and importance so you can establish an efficient workflow, the Covey Time Management Matrix quadrants represent time allocation based on priorities. Effectively using your time is essential to increasing personal productivity and enhancing the success of any business. This matrix helps us prioritise and focus on the tasks that matter most. As Stephen R. Covey wisely says, “The key is not to prioritise what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”

Here are some tips for planning how to put first things first to manage daily operations and still achieve growth:

Tip #1 - Identify the activities that are important and not urgent.

Prioritise the list of important and not urgent activities above all. These activities will be related to the goals in the 12-month business plan for success. Create a list of these high-priority activities in order of importance—Utilise Covey’s time management matrix to help you decide what to prioritise.

Tip #2 - Create a list for one quarter.

Use this list of priority goals or activities to create a list for one quarter or three months. Breaking activities into quarters enables greater focus so that energy and effort can be put into achieving the actions. At the end of the quarter, there will be more significant progress towards the growth goals.

Tip #3 - Allocate time and resources to the list of priorities for growth.

Consider this 'deep work' time allocation with no interruptions. Identifying and allocating time is crucial, as everyone has a different ideal focus for work time. This is the time to do the important, not urgent, activities. The rest of the day is for the important and urgent ones, which will always distract you from the activities moving the dial in the business.

Tip #4 - Review the priorities monthly, weekly and daily.

Review the list of quarterly priorities each month to determine which things go first. Decide which will be the priority focus each week and which will be the priority focus each day. This approach supports building strong planning habits, and with consistency, it becomes straightforward to do daily, weekly, and monthly.

Tip #5 - Review and repeat quarter by quarter

Repeat the quarterly planning four times a year as you manage daily operations while executing your growth plan. Test and measure to learn what time allocation, resourcing, and priority listing works best. Within one year, there will be a significant change in how daily operations are managed while keeping the finger on the pulse for planning business growth.

Taking this approach by prioritising the importance and urgency of tasks is crucial to managing daily operations while focusing on planning for growth. This high-level insight aims to spark a different way of thinking regarding planning. This quote from Johann Wolfgang van Goethe, the German statesman, summarises putting first things first very effectively: "Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least."

Book a complimentary strategy session to learn more about using planning to prioritise focus and achieve growth. We will look forward to connecting.

Where Focus Goes, Energy Flows and Action Shows

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 04:50:00 GMT

Have you ever noticed how it feels when you know something needs to be done or a decision needs to be made and you do not do it, maybe even delaying it for a long time?

Maybe you start to do it, then delay, begin again, and procrastinate more, and you are still trying to figure out why.

Or maybe you know why and still do it—the procrastination. It may be because it seems too complicated, risky, or confrontational, or the required decision or action will bring about a change you do not want to face. Do you recall how you felt?

I know I have done this many times in the past. When this delay or procrastination sets in, it brings on feelings of overwhelm and even, in some cases, emotions around failing and letting myself and potentially others down. I recall one time when I knew I needed to end a relationship, and I delayed because of the conversations that would need to be had and the emotions that would come up for me. I just kept thinking I would make it work. However, I knew it was never going to work and that I was holding myself back and causing us both pain. I knew I would have to decide if it was going to end. It took a year to make the decision and finally act on it. When I did, I went from being unhappy and frustrated to feelings of freedom and future focus. I got on with living the life I wanted.

Human behaviour is a fascinating thing to learn, observe and understand. Underpinning all that we do is the theory of motivation, and one of the critical principles influencing our motivation is pain and pleasure. The pain-pleasure principle, developed by Sigmund Freud, suggests that people make choices to avoid or decrease pain or make choices that create or increase pleasure. The pain-pleasure principle is the core of all the decisions we make. Beliefs, values, actions, and decisions are built upon this principle. In many cases, we will do more to avoid the pain of change than to experience pleasure. When we face the fact that every decision we make has a consequence, some of them painful, it can be no wonder that many people delay making decisions or taking the action they know is needed.

Now, to turn this on its head, let's talk about prioritisation. The remarkable aspect of prioritisation is that when you want or need something done or a decision to be made, and it becomes a priority, it turns into a focus, generating energy and influencing action. Where focus goes, energy flows, and action shows.

“To change your life, you need to change your priorities.” Mark Twain

Think about when you were decisive or action-orientated, and things just happened. How did that make you feel? I will guess that it felt good. Feelings of relief, satisfaction, and maybe even gratitude may come up for you. I recently had to accept that something in business I was working very hard to improve was not turning out the way intended. I don't particularly appreciate giving up; however, after about eight weeks, I had to accept that the current approach was not working. I needed to prioritise changing my approach, so I reflected on my choices and decisions and realised that I was letting my ego get in the way of making the best decisions for all involved, even though it would be difficult for some people. As Mark Twain said, “To change your life, you need to change your priorities.”

How we turn up in business gives us information that we can use to move forward in many different situations. Being able to prioritise the decision forced me to focus on the needed outcome, which generated the energy to create the solution and the action to reach the end goal. Once I went through this process, I felt a sense of relief and having done the right thing by all involved and in the right way.

It all starts with prioritisation and results in action being taken. So here are a few tips as to how you can bring more prioritisation, focus, energy, and action-taking into your business and life:

#1. Set clear priorities based on your goals.

Understand what you want or need to achieve. Do you have a clear vision and goals for achieving the desired outcome? Break down the decisions or actions to be taken and ensure they are achievable and relevant. Be clear about what is important versus urgent.

#2. Develop or improve daily habits.

If you have daily habits supporting your ability to prioritise, reflect on whether they work for you. Do you need to adjust or change any of the process steps associated with your habits? Habits that work for you compound over time and become rituals that enable you to be structured and productive in all that you do. This alone will help you focus and have the energy to accomplish things.

#3. Practice self-reflection

Regular self-reflection is a form of meditation because it requires quiet time and thinking. Giving yourself quiet thinking time can be a powerful way to focus on what you must achieve, sort out your thoughts and blockages, and create a clear pathway forward. Visualising what you wish to achieve can bring the outcome to life in your mind, inspiring you to be motivated with the energy needed to act and get the thing or decision into reality.

#4. Manage your level of harmony.

Harmony can be achieved; it just takes prioritisation, focus, energy, good decisions, and action. Nothing happens without action. Manage your energy, self-care, thinking time, and self-reflection, and, importantly, know the best time to achieve important work. Are you a morning person or an evening person? We are all different, so find the time that works for you and create boundaries around what is important to you based on your values.

#5. Embrace being an action-taker.

Break decisions and actions down into smaller steps and take it, as they say, one step at a time. Everything can be achieved in stages. One of my mentors told me many years ago, "Slow down to speed up." It took me a while to understand what that meant and how impactful it could be. Keep learning from the decisions and actions you do take, and always bring self-reflection into your thinking.

Bringing more prioritisation, focus, energy, and action-taking into your business and life involves mindset shifts, practical strategies, and consistent habits. By integrating these strategies into your daily life, you can improve your prioritisation, focus, energy, and ability to take consistent action toward your goals. It is true that where focus goes, energy flows, and action shows…

If you would like to discuss how you prioritise creating focus so energy and actions flow, book a complimentary strategy session . We look forward to connecting.

The Mindset Behind Successful Planning

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 07:12:00 GMT

Planning is a necessity in business. Many business leaders think it is an optional activity; however, it is not. Setting goals and planning to achieve them is crucial for a business to succeed, whatever that means. Having a plan and planning are two different things.

Planning is like going on a journey. You have a starting point, where you are now, and an endpoint, the destination; let's call it a goal. It is not even about achieving the goal; it is about having a destination to go toward. The plan created to achieve the goals is the roadmap for the journey, and the planning is going on the trip.

"If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail" Benjamin Franklin

Planning is crucial because if you have yet to plan to get you from where you are now to where you want to be, how will you know when you get there? Or, even more integral, how will you know how to get there? Over my years of coaching business owners, leaders, and entrepreneurs, I have been surprised by the many stories of how they have been in business for five or ten years and have made progress yet are working crazy hours and doing everything themselves to keep things going. They have recognised that they want things to be different and do not know how to make that happen - enter the value of planning. As Benjamin Franklin stated, ‘If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” While there is no doubt there will be learnings and feedback, having a plan and planning is the best strategy for success.

It all starts with a decision to build on your leadership skills, including learning how to plan, making a choice to achieve the desired success, and developing a mindset for planning to implement effective plan execution to achieve the goals. The exciting thing about plans and planning is that you do not even have to enjoy doing it; you need to be committed to doing it. Getting support, mentoring, or coaching will also help you to navigate any resistance you may have to planning. The fact is that everyone needs support at different stages; however, telling yourself you do not need to do your planning is preparing yourself to fail over time.

So, let's assume the decision has been made to plan. The choice to achieve the desired success is a no-brainer. What is needed to get started is understanding what it means to have a mindset for planning.

Here are five key aspects to consider when developing a mindset for successful planning:

#1 - Focus on your goals

Plans start with knowing your big goal, your 'Wildly Important Goal'. Focus on achievable goals and understand your plan's purpose and desired outcomes. Always keep the end destination in mind and be willing to hold yourself accountable.

#2 - Break goals down.

Breaking the big goal down is a crucial part of planning. Having a plan and ongoing planning are different. Breaking your plan down into smaller goals allows for prioritisation and focus. Know that obstacles and unforeseen things will get in the way, so this prioritisation helps navigate any business's daily whirlwind. Review plans yearly and quarterly and update them regularly as needed. Use planning tools and calendars to stay organised and believe in your ability to execute effectively .

#3 - Lead yourself to be your most productive.

Your time can only be managed with self-leadership. We all have plenty of time and the same amount of time. It comes down to how we choose to use our time. Everything is a choice, and how you lead enables you to allocate time based on your priorities. This also allows you to minimise distractions that are not priorities and achieve deadlines to stay on track.

#4 - Consistency and flexibility are key.

Plans require a constant focus that is consistently applied, and cultivating a growth mindset will serve you well. Focus on what you want, and this is what you will get. A flexible growth mindset and thinking work in business, but a fixed mindset does not. Being flexible with how you think and act will support the success of your plan as it changes. Embrace mistakes as learning opportunities and approach planning with a positive attitude.

#5 - Develop strong planning habits.

When you are committed and loyal to your plan, you will achieve success. Regularly review your progress and reflect on what’s working and what isn’t. Learn from successes and mistakes to improve future planning. There is no such thing as failure, only feedback. Commit yourself to getting support. Everyone needs a hand up now and then, as no one knows it all.

Dwight D. Eisenhower believed that " Plans are nothing; planning is everything”. The way he meant this to be understood is that whatever you plan, you will be obliged to deviate from in response to circumstances and unplanned situations that will occur. So, a mindset for planning involves adopting attitudes and approaches that facilitate effective preparation and execution of plans. Adopting a mindset for planning can help ensure that your process is thorough, effective, and adaptable to changing circumstances. Be assured there will be changes, and being effective with planning will help you navigate the roller coaster ride.

If you would like to help develop your ability to plan and have a mindset for planning, book a complimentary strategy session, and we will connect.

The Subtle Difference Between Balance and Harmony

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 07:53:00 GMT

How often have you told yourself you want more 'balance' in life?

Have you ever thought that you ' should' be doing something or being with someone over what you are doing or being with at that moment? Are you always on in this volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world? It is an ever-present thought pattern to want more 'balance.'

I know it has been for me in the past. For decades, I felt I needed to always be 'on'. I had to be here, doing that, going there, being with that person or another person. Too often, I felt torn and guilty that I was not doing enough, even though I was doing it all the time! How crazy is that? Constantly second-guessing myself if what I was doing was the best use of my time right then drove me crazy sometimes. Then I realised how crazy it was and decided to stop it. It took me a long time to stop it, and even now, some five years later, it sneaks up on me now and then.

How did I come to this realisation? It was the word itself – balance because it implies that both sides of whatever we do have to be equal. To succeed, one must understand that balance is a fallacy because it means everything is even when little in life is. However, harmony is achievable. Living in harmony frees you from guilt for choosing one activity or person over another. Do and be with what and who lights you up, brings joy, excitement and what you are passionate about. As Mahatma Gandhi reminds us, “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”

I believe in harmony because very little is in balance, not even nature, though she does a better job of it than us humans. The word balance implies that we spend an equal amount of time in all or most areas of our lives, just like the scales, with an equal weight on one side to balance what is on the other side of the scale. Life is not like that. Balance is an illusion that you may always be chasing but never achieve. Harmony helps you keep the bigger picture in mind to find synergy between what you love to do that lights you up and what you are paid to do. And if you have been focused on your ideal day and are lucky to achieve this, these are the same things.

So, let's go for harmony instead. Striving for harmony allows you to look at life differently. Living in harmony requires us to know what we want to achieve—having a clear purpose and vision for the future that you wish to achieve will enable you to develop your mission statement about how you want to show up every day in life. When I was a very young mum (a long time ago), and life was overwhelming, I sat down one day and wrote out my 'rules' for living. I had not heard the term ‘mission statement’ back then. Those 'rules' are now the foundation for my mission statement about how I live my life, so there are no regrets in my golden years.

Here are a few tips for a life that is in harmony:

Tip #1 - Be present.

Being present means fully engaging with the current moment, being consciously aware of what you are doing, and giving complete attention to what you are experiencing rather than being distracted by thoughts of the past or the future. Choose what you are doing based on your priorities, and then give that all your focus. This is why having goals in business and personal life are so important.

Tip #2 - Make time.

The often-used phrase is, 'I will do (fill in the gap) when I 'have time'. We already have time; it is 24 hours every day, seven days a week, and 52 weeks a year. Our choices alone allow us to make time to do what is important to us. This is why knowing your priorities based on your goals is imperative, so you can give your time to focus on what is important to you.

Tip #3 - Bring synergy.

Having synergy in your life is about integrating the different parts rather than seeing them as separate. It starts with being clear on what is essential, keeping the big picture of your life in mind, your vision for yourself, and prioritising and focusing on the important. Think ecologically, ensuring that what you do is good for you, good for others, and the greater good! Listen to others with empathy to understand and care for yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually.

By creating great habits around how you can integrate these tips into your life, harmony is possible. Great habits will ensure you consistently practice enhancing your ability to bring about the harmony you want, leading to a more profound sense of fulfilment in your daily life. When you are eighty, you will not wish you had spent more time working, and you do not need to be a workaholic to succeed. Be creative about focusing on harmony and finding ideas that work for you. What you focus on is what you will get, so if it is harmony you want, get it!

If you want to create greater harmony in your life, book a complimentary strategy session, and we will connect.

Inspire Your Team with Effective Leadership Strategies

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 07:27:00 GMT

As small business owners, we love the idea of having a team around us, even though we have not employed anyone...yet!

Inspiring a team is one of the most crucial aspects of effective leadership. An inspired team is motivated, productive, and committed to achieving common goals. So, whether you are a team of one, with people who support you or a team of 50 who you employ, the capabilities you develop as a leader will inform your strategies to inspire and motivate the people you work with to bring greater meaning to what they do in the workplace and how they do it.

When I was first appointed a 'manager' in my early 20s, I had no idea that leading a team was all about people. I was very task and process-driven in getting stuff done operationally. Luckily, they saw something in me and decided to appoint me as a manager, so I was a typical example of how many become managers. Whether you are a business owner or an employee, we often become 'leaders' because we know the technical stuff, not how to lead. Fast forward 45 years, and I can categorically declare that ensuring team members feel valued, have meaning in their roles and are empowered is what leadership is all about. And that leadership creates a culture focused on achieving results and helping others be their best versions.

Team culture underpins every work environment. You could have a great business strategy and plan to achieve your goals. However, your plan will likely fail without a culture among your team that encourages people to implement it. This requires strategies as a leader to focus on helping the people who work with you to be the best they can be and bring meaning and purpose to their roles. As Peter Drucker said, "Culture eats strategy for breakfast."

Here are five strategies to inspire your team and build trust to create a positive, high-performing work environment.

#1 Lead by Example

Leadership starts with you. Demonstrate the behaviour and work ethic you want to see in your team, showing them that there is true meaning in their roles. Show appreciation for your team members' hard work and dedication.

#2 Communicate Vision and Goals

Clearly articulate the vision and goals because when team members understand the bigger picture and how their work contributes to it, they are more likely to feel a sense of purpose and of being valued.

#3 Empower Your Team

Empower your team by giving them autonomy and responsibility. Trust them to make decisions and take ownership of their work, supporting their growth.

#4 Encourage Creativity and Innovation

Create an environment that encourages creativity and innovation. Allow team members to experiment with new ideas without fear of failure—there is no such thing as failure, only feedback!

#5 Set Clear Expectations

Ask each team member what they expect of you as their leader, and then you can communicate your expectations. When there are clear and realistic expectations for everyone on your team, they are more likely to be motivated and focused.

Inspiring your team requires clear communication, empowerment, recognition, and support. By having conscious strategies for creating a culturally positive environment, opportunities for growth, and clear expectations, you can build strong relationships and inspire your team to achieve their best.

Do You Know Your Decision Making Style?

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 05:46:00 GMT

We make decisions every day, and they all have consequences. Sometimes, these consequences are significant, and other times, not so much.

However, do you know what type of decision-maker you are? Human behaviour is complex because we are all multi-layered. When we are born, we have gifts that come with our genetic makeup and circumstances. We have bodies and personalities of certain types, and the wondrous complexity of being human informs our psychological makeup.

Getting to know ourselves matters a lot, which is why lifelong learning and personal development are so important. We can travel through life never understanding why we do what we do, or we can be prepared to go on the journey to discover more, learn more and think more about what can be, how we can be, and why we want to be who we have the potential to become.

If you ask yourself, “What is my most valuable asset?” What answer would you give yourself? I always used to say it was time, and because of this belief, I learned that how I manage myself is how I can manage the time I have available to achieve all that I want to in life, with business, family, and friends. Then I came to realise it is not time but energy. What type of energy I have influenced how I can manage myself to get the most out of the 24 hours of each day. The phrase 'time flies' is common; many people bemoan that they lack time. We all have the same amount of time, and it simply comes down to the decisions we make about how we spend our time that make the difference. Hence, the importance of making great decisions and how we do this is influenced by our psychological makeup because of our energy type.

Learning to access, harness, and manage our energy is a crucial life skill. Energy is not something outside of ourselves but within us and self-generated. Our behavioural type influences how our energy levels perform within different environments. For example, as a business owner or leader, have you sometimes found it difficult to decide on the actions required to achieve a particular goal, or do you make decisions like this easily and proactively? Do you second guess yourself and want all the details before you make a decision, or are you willing to have a go, do your best and take the calculated wins with the mistakes? How you have behaved in these types of examples is because of your behavioural energy type. Many business leaders are drained and exhausted from planning or goal setting as it requires unnatural energy and an effort to do the details. This is the power of energy types.

Most of us know that much work has been done and information provided over the past decades on personality and behavioural types; however, on a macro level, we have four types. There are many more than four types on earth; however, all will be significantly influenced by one or more of these four types. The good news is that less than 1% of us have only one behavioural type, with most of us being a combination of two or three styles. As Carl Jung stated, "Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life, and you will call it fate."

By becoming aware of each behavioural energy style and the different decision-making strategies, we will more effectively make the unconscious conscious. Most of us are unaware of these decision-making strategies and how our natural energy styles influence them. It is also worth noting that there are no good or bad energy profiles; they are just different.

So, what are these different energy types? They are all based on DISC, which stands for Dominant, Influence, Steadiness, and Compliance. When we understand our DISC behavioural profile, we will better understand how we make decisions based on our energy type. Knowing your DISC Profile will also greatly enhance your communication skills to influence outcomes and inspire others.

The first type is the 'D' energy, which is Dominant. This type of energy is the highest level, and they want to win. They are outcome-driven, have strong egos, get things done and value efficiency, effectiveness, and challenge. Their energy levels are elevated in a fast-paced environment focused on a goal with a clear outcome, and they thrive on challenges. Their energy levels drop when presented with too much detail, process, and steps. They rarely let anything or anyone get in their way. They are the fastest decision maker of all the types. Their decision-making strategy is automatic with outcome-based criteria. In other words, they decide immediately once their outcome-based criteria have been met. For example, they will set goals with clear outcomes and are driven to achieve them. However, they are less concerned about creating a plan to achieve the goal and would prefer someone else to develop the details so they can lead others to achieve the outcome. When the plan shows criteria for achieving the outcome, they will decide easily to proceed without hesitation.

The second type is the 'I' energy, which is Influence. This type has a similar decision-making strategy in that they are automatic, however, with connection-based criteria. This means they will decide based on who is involved, who is affected, and who can be connected with them to achieve the outcome. This is because they want to achieve results but want to be liked, bringing people on the journey. This is the second highest energy level, and they are journey-orientated, flexible, adaptable and love connection for connection’s sake. The influence energy goes up when mixing with many people simultaneously, and their energy drops when they spend too much time alone. They are more social, like to have fun and thrive on connection. They are fast decision makers if all involved are on board as they do not like dissension in the team and prefer to make decisions based on all agreeing. They can influence and inspire others to want to achieve. Continuing the example of achieving goals, they will set them and then group people together to collaborate, empower and influence an effective plan to achieve the goal. The decision to proceed is easy for them to make with all on board, and the party begins. This is a different decision-making strategy to the D energy; however, it can achieve the same outcome.

The third type is 'S' energy, which is Steadiness. This energy is generally slower when making decisions and is known as a 'period of time convincer'. They need time to reflect on how they feel about a decision they are about to make. This type wants to be comfortable, does not like change, loves to be with people, though prefers one-to-one relationships. They have a poor relationship with uncertainty; energy can drop when facing change. Their energy goes up when they empathetically listen to someone and know they are being listened to. They are least likely to speak up in a group environment, preferring to listen to what others say, and do not like being singled out. Using the example of planning, they like to have support to be able to articulate their goals and develop their plans and then once they have clarity on what needs to happen, they will make their decision to move forward because they have taken the time to be clear on what is needed, which meets their need for certainty and security. The S energy can drive the D energy crazy with how slow they can be; however, they value the steadiness of their approach to getting things done.

The fourth type is 'C', which is Compliance. This energy is the lowest and slowest decision-maker. They want to be right and have the most detailed and analytical decision-making strategy as a 'number of times convincer'. This number of times can be at least three and up to five times, where they may follow up to get more detail 3-4 times before they decide. They require precision and are very detailed in their intellect. The compliance energy goes up when working on a project alone, requiring a specialised skill set, and they can work in isolation all day with no energy drop—by contrast, being with people for too long drops their energy. When it comes to planning in business, they will want to analyse the numbers before setting the goals, comparing to previous data, as they are past-focused and will tend to want to do what makes sense. Once they have the data, they will set the goals and develop a plan to make it happen. They will then follow the plan meticulously and bring it to fruition in the safe, analytical way they have created.

Creating awareness of your decision-making strategies as a leader in business (and in life) is invaluable. This awareness is particularly powerful when your DISC profile combines two or three energy types; however, be aware that one energy will be the captain and have the most influence. The other energies evident in a profile will influence the most natural decision-making criteria; however, they can also be leaned into to bring conscious awareness to the strategies required in any decision-making situation.

The Coaches at Leaders Network are DISC Profile Accredited Consultants, so if you want to understand your DISC profile, book a complimentary strategy session , and we will connect.

Commitment and Habits are the Keys to Achieving Success

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 02:59:00 GMT

Have you ever decided you will do something, go somewhere, or go after a new goal, and when the time comes to act, it often seems too hard, or other priorities or perceived priorities get in the way?

I know I have, and a great example is fasting. I embraced the health benefits of a fasting lifestyle earlier this year and completed a 72-hour water fast and a few 36-hour fasts, as well as many days where I fasted for 15 to 17 hours. When well informed, it is a fantastic way to manage the fasting process for your health benefits, reset your body, and let it do the work that it knows so well how to do. But it does take commitment.

When I first learned that there is a whole movement about fasting and its benefits, I was motivated to embrace a fasting lifestyle because of my number one value of health. Like anything, I know that when I am motivated and decide to do a few weeks of intermittent fasting, I must determine if I am interested or committed. This is because if I am interested in fasting and all the benefits that come with it, I will do what is easy and comfortable, which could mean that if I get hungry, I may be tempted to eat something light and tell myself it is OK and will not make a big difference. However, it will make a difference because I will be letting myself down based on my value of health and, therefore, will be incongruent with what is most important to me. The eating may be fine; I can always start again. However, the alignment with and commitment to the value that is important to me is integral. As Ken Blanchard wisely highlighted, “There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when it's convenient. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.”

Commitment to results in business and life is critical. Consistency in how we show up is vital when we decide to achieve something and commit ourselves to it. However, commitment to consistency comes first, which is about habits. Consistency is a habit that we can develop and a process that can be achieved with structure to support. This is a great way to achieve results and build trust in yourself to achieve your goals.

Let's look at the difference between motivation and commitment. Motivation can be intrinsic or extrinsic, or anywhere in between. Motivation is when you are inspired to start a task fuelled by a desire to achieve a goal. Commitment goes beyond this desire. Commitment is the dedication and discipline to follow through with behaviours and actions. It is about behaviour matching the intention, and when there is a low or no gap, there can be trust in self to achieve. Stephen M.R. highlighted this notion of the gap between intent and behaviour in his book 'The Speed of Trust'. Motivation is an internal drive, whereas commitment is an inherent desire combined with cognitive decisions and specific tangible actions to achieve. This is where habits come into play. When commitment and habits are created in the form of actions that will drive you forward, this will enable the desired future and goals to be achieved, which takes discipline. As Jim Rohn highlights, "Motivation is what gets you started. Commitment is what keeps you going."

This is because discipline chooses between what you want now and what you want most. We humans could be better at delaying gratification; we want what we want, and we want it now! However, the actual results are achieved by delaying gratification and sticking to your commitment. Commitment is about habit stacking .

So, it is in business. Getting results in business takes time, and being committed to showing up consistently with clear goals, a plan and strong planning habits is how success is ultimately achieved. Without commitment, you may never start, dream big and be willing to stretch your comfort zone to go where you may not have previously. Change is inevitable when you want to achieve goals; this is when real challenges start. We are designed to learn and grow, so know that there will always be mental and physical barriers, and when you can accept these changes, you can move forward.

Here are five tips to help you be committed:

Tip #1: Understand involvement versus commitment.

When you decide to achieve something, do it wholeheartedly and invest yourself fully. Being involved is like being interested, which means you are not committed enough, so your focus will wane. Choose the one thing you want to achieve, not the many things. What is that one big goal in business that you want to achieve? Focus on one thing at a time and be committed to that one thing. This will change your life and help you achieve significant outcomes. There are three critical components of success - curiosity to learn, creativity with innovation and commitment to goals. You know when you start that things will get more challenging as you work on your idea, so you need to remain committed to change to achieve success.

Tip #2: Learn how to commit to habits.

Someone always knows what you know, and others who don't know what you know or know stuff you do not know. This volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous environment can be competitive and exhausting. So, what are you going to do? Are you going to quit? Probably not, and do you know why? We are wired to keep fighting. When we think we have hit rock bottom, we connect to our fight or flight mode, which is our instinct to keep going. We will either run and hide so we can fight another day, or we will face up and fight now and do what needs to be done to get what we want. This is why the most committed achieve their goals. If you give up and see others achieve what you have dreamed of, it will hurt, so it is better to work hard today and be willing to do what others are not, to get what others will not have, with no regrets.

Tip #3: Never give up.

Brian Tracy says, "Success is like pumping and old will handle. You have to pump a very long time before you get water. But don't give up, or you will have to start all over again." This quote sums up the value of never giving up. Before you give up, consider the time, effort and energy you have expended. Even the planning took time. Many times, even if you plan to keep going, things may not turn out how you expected. This is the time to hold your ground and fight back as best as possible. There is always a way, and you can find the way.

Tip #4: Allow yourself thinking time.

When you can free your mind and give yourself time to think, you create space for creativity and innovation. Your mind becomes like a lighthouse, shining thoughts and questions on ideas and ways to achieve. Focus on the goals and the one thing you want to achieve. When you make a choice and know it to be the right one for you, commit and never look back. When planning in business, thinking time is imperative, as there is always a need to constantly evolve and improve to get results in a competitive environment. Aim to have no regrets because life is too short for them!

Tip #5: Decide to be your best.

When you decide to be the best version of yourself, you pave the way for lifelong learning and growth. Growth is a core human need and can only be achieved through learning. We can never know everything, so there is always something to learn. The more you learn, the more you realise there is to learn. So, commit to something bigger than yourself. Be a part of a group that will support commitment. This could be a community group, a team at work, a networking group, or a family group. In a committed group, everyone works for the benefit of the group, so there is a constant source of inspiration and motivation to be the best you can be. In this way, you can contribute more significantly to others, another core need we humans have.

Commitment allows us to fulfil our basic needs, achieve our most sought-after dreams and be the best version of ourselves that we can be. It gives us purpose. You’ll never start without commitment, but once you do so, it is necessary to stick to it to gain all the benefits. Building solid habits around your goal will allow you to create your desired future. This is because we do not create our future. The habits we develop and build on create our future.

Start small and remember the five tips provided. It’s never too late to learn how to commit. Don’t be afraid of the change this will bring. Change is the only permanent thing in life; there is a new opportunity with every new change. Committing to change will help you achieve the success you want in business and life.

Influence of Networking and Personal Branding on Relationships

Wed, 29 May 2024 03:26:00 GMT

Life is always giving us lessons to learn.

Seven years ago, if anyone asked me about networking, I would have said it was something men do on the golf course and that I hated it. My feelings about networking were based on a very limited understanding, even ignorance on my part, purely because of my limited and less-than-positive experiences with the opportunities that had come my way, uninvited. This was primarily because the opportunities that had come my way up to then were in the corporate world, related to large events and having to host tables of 10 or more people I had never met before and probably would not meet again. It was not a skill I had learned; at that stage, I did not want to learn or realise the value of learning it. I was naïve and inexperienced about the power of networking, and I am happy to admit that it is one of the life lessons that has come my way and which I have now embraced with ardent fervour! Why may you ask?

Networking is about meeting people, building relationships, and exploring opportunities to help each other and contribute to others’ lives. This may not be the dictionary definition, but it is mine. The dictionary version is more like a ‘supportive system of sharing information and services among individuals and groups with a common interest'. So, it is similar, but I like mine more.

When one of my mentors encouraged me to join a large international networking organisation, I resisted for months. However, his message was consistent: if you want to have your own business and succeed, you must build a network. So, I joined this very large international networking organisation whose core philosophy and number one value is Givers Gain®. I threw myself into learning about networking, how to network, how to build a network, how to have conversations when meeting people for the first time, how to contribute to the organisation and how to give to others. This lesson has served me well and can serve you, too. Embracing being a lifelong learner is fun when you realise there is always something to learn, someone to learn from and people to share learnings with, particularly as a leader in business. We learn more when we teach others, so the more we learn, the more we can help others; it is a never-ending cycle of opportunity. Being able to navigate daily life with the principle of how we can help other people, make a difference to others, and, in return, create a life that fills our cup so that it is constantly overflowing is meeting our human core need for contribution and growth. as Zig Ziglar shares, “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.”

Knowing how you want to show up for others is a lot about recognising your strengths and what makes you uniquely you. Your character and the competencies you have to be you. The wonderful thing is that we can all build on our competencies - skills, knowledge, and experience. When we leverage our strengths in networking, we show up in our own unique way, and let's face it: only you can do you! Be genuine because if you try to be someone you are not in the networking world, this will bite you. This is because other people's perceptions of you influence your reputation , and this will come from the relationships you create and how you communicate and interact with others.

In networking, your personal brand is more important to focus on because it is about how you want people to see you, so it is more intentional based on how you represent yourself. It's all about the relationships you create, nurture, and build on to make a difference in other people's lives; this is the true spirit of networking, and other people will want to make a difference in your life.

Another exciting aspect of networking is who you want to network with. This is a whole different level of conversation, so here are some high-level thoughts to start with:

#1. Values - who do you want to interact and engage with so that an alignment of values will enable an effective working relationship? To answer this question, you need to know your personal and professional values, which may vary.

#2. Inspiration - what lights you up when building relationships? What are you willing to accept or not accept as you navigate the conversations that will be a required part of networking? Can you recognise if you resonate with someone when you meet them for the first time or if there is dissonance?

#3. Boundaries - how easy is it to say no to an opportunity because it does not align with what you seek? Even though networking is about building relationships and helping others so that, in turn, you can also be helped, it does not mean that everyone is a match for you. Saying no to an opportunity given because it is not right for you is embracing your own power. It is addition by subtraction.

As a leader in business, knowing your strengths and leveraging them to build on your credibility and reputation is a powerful way to be intentional in how you want to show up for yourself. Learning how to network effectively is worth it for exploring relationships, business, or career opportunities and building on your personal brand. It takes time, effort, and energy, but it is worth it.

Book a complimentary strategy session if you want support with building on your leadership and networking relationship skills for business or career opportunities, and we will connect.

Leveraging Your Strengths for a Powerful Personal Brand

Wed, 15 May 2024 06:22:00 GMT

What are your strengths?

We all have strengths, and I would even argue that what you may call a weakness is a strength. It is just a strength that is not as strong as your other strengths.

When it comes to leadership in business, do you play to your strengths? People and workplaces are positive and productive when everyone plays to their strengths, enhancing results.

Awareness of your strengths is important as they will support you in achieving your goals, experiencing the success you want and contributing to life satisfaction and well-being. Research by the Berkeley Well-Being Institute has shown that strengths such as gratitude, hope, and love are most likely to contribute to life satisfaction.

When you leverage your strengths and lean into them, your reputation will be influenced by how you stand out in your workplace and community. This is because your reputation is influenced by how others perceive you based on their impressions, relationships, and communication.

When you can leverage your strengths and use them to be clear about how you want people to see you, this is more about your brand , which is more intention-based on how you represent yourself. Who you are and what you stand for significantly impacts how you show up as a leader and your level of impact. This relates to your character, which is made up of your integrity and your intent, according to Stephen M.R. Covey’s book 'The Speed of Trust'. The other key component of trust is competence, which relates to your capability and results. Your strengths are key in how you show up with integrity and intent to leverage your capability and get results. This is what business is all about, and your brand reflects how you want to be perceived as a leader and in business. As Marcus Buckingham reminds us, “You will excel only by maximising your strengths, never by fixing your weaknesses.”

According to the VIA Institute on Character, six virtues encapsulate character strengths, which are:

Wisdom and Knowledge

This virtue is about curiosity and creativity to gain perspective and wisdom and love what we learn. The strengths that accompany this virtue involve acquiring and using knowledge - creativity, curiosity, judgment, and love of learning.

Courage

This virtue relates to how persistent and brave we are and that the more we are, the more our integrity is enhanced because it results in feeling more courageous. Strengths that come with this virtue involve accomplishing goals in the face of things that oppose it - bravery, perseverance, honesty, and zest.

Humanity

We are attracted to people who treat others with appreciation, respect, and kindness. Strengths accompanying this virtue include caring about others - love, kindness, and social intelligence.

Justice

This virtue has been demonstrated by many; a great example is Gandhi. Strengths accompanying this virtue include building a healthy and stable community - teamwork, fairness, and leadership.

Temperance

The virtue of temperance is expressed by the absence of arrogance, excess or being out of balance. It is demonstrated through forgiveness, mercy, humility and being in control of our behaviour. Strengths included in this virtue are those that protect against excess - forgiveness, humility, prudence, and self-regulation.

Transcendence

This virtue is demonstrated by appreciating human potential, the universe, and all within it. Strengths accompanying this virtue include those that forge connections to the larger universe and provide meaning - appreciation of beauty and excellence, gratitude, hope, humour, and spirituality.

Much research is available on why knowing your character strengths will influence you to be a better leader - if you wish to be. According to an article by Macquarie Advisors, “When we think of our strengths in the workplace, we often think about our skills and overlook our character.” This is particularly true for business leaders, who rely heavily on their skills to build trust with their teams and peers. According to The VIA Institute on Character, character strengths, like creativity, perseverance, fairness, and teamwork, represent our positive personality. In other words, our core capacities for thinking, feeling, and behaving in ways that benefit others and us. The characteristics that come most naturally to us are our signature strengths. Signature strengths make us feel authentic, alive, and engaged, leading to better business performance.

When we can tap into our strengths, there are definite benefits:

Here are three easy steps to help you leverage your strengths:

What is the thing that lights you up when you are doing it? Would you be happy to do that all day, nearly every day? What is the thing you are either good at or want to get good at and want to do more of? Identify that and give this your focus.

Reflect on yourself as you are doing activities. What you can give attention to that does not require a lot of energy because you enjoy it so much, versus the activities that drain you. Ask others for feedback. This is a powerful way to understand how you are perceived, influencing your reputation. With this clarity, you can leverage your captain strengths to affect your brand - how you want people to see you.

Bring conscious awareness to what you focus on and where you are using your energy. Where energy flows, the focus goes, and actions show. What you focus on is what you will get, to the exclusion of everything else.

When was the last time you explored how you can leverage your strengths to support everything and everyone around you, including yourself? Use these three simple steps to lean into understanding your strengths and what is most important to you. Continue to explore as they may change over time and move around depending on what you or others demand. Be patient and flexible with your thinking, and know that your strengths will serve you well.

If you want help exploring your strengths and personal brand, contact us at Leaders Network, and we will connect.

Reputation versus Brand: What's the Difference and Why It Matters

Wed, 01 May 2024 04:00:00 GMT

Have you ever considered the difference between reputation and personal brand?

Until recently, I had not understood the differences, but now I know them. Everyone has a reputation influenced by how others perceive them based on their impressions, the relationships they create and how they communicate and interact with others. All these aspects will affect your reputation because they impact how others see you. It is their perception or impression of you based on their interactions with you at whatever level those interactions are.

On the other hand, your personal brand is about how you want people to see you, so it is more intentional based on how you represent yourself.

I worked in a large organisation for four decades and was constantly promoted and given different opportunities based on my performance and ability to get things done. I can now see that it was all because of my reputation, driven by my intention to do and be the best I could. I had no idea, back then, about the impact of having clarity on my brand; in other words, how I wanted people, especially the decision-makers, to see me. So, when the organisation decided it did not need me anymore, my reputation did not serve me except to part ways very respectfully. I had not learned the art and science of creating my brand and how powerful it is to have clear intentions about how I want people to see it, and as a result, when I started my own business, I lacked clarity on my identity. I now know how important personal branding is, and I understand it is an excellent tool for creating how I want people to see me based on what is important to me, my purpose, my values, and my motivation.

As Jeff Bezos says, “Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room” . It is the image you present to the world, including high-touch and high-tech. Your brand is how people perceive you and what sets you apart, whether online or offline. It is about being intentional and ensuring it aligns with your purpose, values, and aspirations.

Here are some reasons why clarity on your brand is beneficial:

Trust and Credibility

Creating your brand will lend you credibility and help you establish yourself as a specialist in your area of expertise. It will allow you to communicate your experience, skills, and expertise, showing how you add value to others and why you care.

Clarity and Differentiation

Differentiation allows you to be clear about your unique value proposition. By identifying your unique skills and experience, you can highlight accomplishments, demonstrate your expertise, and clarify how to help and add value to stakeholders. It even clarifies the goals and interests that are important to you so that you can articulate the contribution you can and do make to others.

Confidence and Visibility

Whenever we start something new, a job, a career, or a business, it can be challenging to feel confident thanks to those ever-prevailing 'self-limiting' beliefs. When you take the time to build your brand, it will boost your confidence, help you develop your elevator pitch, and improve your visibility as you interact with people on a different level, with conscious awareness of your message about who you are.

Leverage social media and Networking.

Whether you are into high-tech with a strong presence on social media, high touch with impactful networking, or a combination of both, having a clear personal brand will allow you to leverage all the skills, attributes, and qualities you have and exhibit. Your brand will help you stand out and create valuable connections.

Purpose and Identity

A clear personal brand will provide a sense of purpose and direction aligned with what you want to achieve professionally. It will allow you to identify with the person you want to be, the best version of you, even if it is the type of person you are moving towards being and do not feel are there yet. We all start somewhere and build; getting started is the critical point. This will help you build resilience and satisfaction, knowing you will create a legacy as the years pass. This can inspire you intrinsically in ways nothing else can.

Now that we know what personal branding is and how beneficial it can be, here are a few steps to begin creating your own.

Step One: Work out what motivates you.

Ask yourself some big questions:

Write down your answers and review them to see where there is alignment, as this exercise can help you identify or clarify your values, beliefs, and goals. Identifying what matters most will explain what drives you and what you want to achieve and help you leverage the character and competencies you wish to develop.

Step Two: Align your values to your organisation or business goals.

Whether you own or are employed in a business, find ways to connect your brand to the business goals and look at other successful and admired people in your work environment. Observe the behaviours and traits they consistently display and identify their most valued strengths. How do they influence the business to move forward?

Reflect on the answers you came up with in step one and identify areas of alignment between your current skills and contribution to the business goals. This will help you leverage your strengths and identify other areas of opportunity for development that are aligned with what you are passionate about and the business's values. You can use that passion to reinforce your brand.

Step Three: Increase your visibility with stakeholders.

A brand cannot succeed if it is not visible and no one is aware. This is the same in the commercial world. Think of Coca-Cola and Nike, two visible brands at the top of consumers' minds. You need to be visible with your brand to a broad audience, especially decision-makers, to achieve great opportunities. Have a go at creating a stakeholder map, which could be a list of people you wish to influence and then strategise ways to connect with them formally and informally. Knowing who you want to connect with and why is the most important aspect. You can use the knowledge you gain about stakeholders to position yourself as someone who adds value, solves problems, and can significantly impact the person or the business.

Building a personal brand may seem promotional at first glance. That was certainly how I initially felt, but it’s not. Your personal brand defines the distinctive value you offer others to influence your business or career. Articulating your personal brand will help others understand who you are and what you stand for, build authentic relationships, and achieve your goals. It is a long-term strategy for professional success, so seeing it as a journey of self-discovery and growth can lead to fulfilling and rewarding business and career opportunities. Be authentic and consistent because your brand reflects your unique self to be able to shine.

If you want support with your personal brand, contact us at Leaders Network, and we will connect.

Exploring Stages of Learning for Growth

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 02:07:00 GMT

We do not know what we do not know. How often have you heard that line?

I still remember the day just over seven years ago when I found out that there was a lot of stuff about life and business that I did not know, and I did not even know that I did not know it. This was because I had spent nearly 40 years on the corporate treadmill, showing up daily and doing what I knew or could work out to the best of my ability. Doing that certainly allowed me to have a 'successful' career and raise my family, and I thought through all of that, I had learnt a lot, and I had. I used to say I have been to the 'university of life'. Then I went to an actual university and, after five years, had an MBA, and through that, I learned that I could learn anything. Then, I stumbled across the field of study relating to human behaviour and business outside the corporate environment. I had no idea that small business was so big! I became hooked as a lifelong learner. It came to me that the greatest lesson I have learned in life is that I still have a lot to learn.

We all possess the incredible ability to learn anything we set our minds to. This realisation is not just empowering; it's liberating. If a subject or skill is important to you, you can master it. However, it's crucial to remember that while you can do anything, you can't do everything. Learning is the key to growth. We stagnate when we cease to learn, whether or not we're aware of it.

"Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Being in business is about being in a state of constant learning and growing. How to manage the different aspects, such as marketing, sales, clients, and finances. Yes, you may employ someone to do all that for you. However, there will always be aspects that need to be learned because the pace of change, particularly with technology, is so fast these days that there is a need to have an open mind and be aware there is always a new way, new skill, or new process to learn whether you do it yourself or not. We are always learning. As Ralph Waldo Emerson highlighted, "Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow."

Take business planning. I learned a lot about business planning from leading the operations of a large organisation. I was consciously competent, or at least I thought I was. Yet, as I learned more about business in the bigger world, I realised I was consciously incompetent in some areas.

Consider what you aspire to learn. Once we pinpoint areas of life or business we wish to develop or enhance, we can map out the steps needed to achieve this. This journey will likely involve learning or honing skills. Each time we embark on a new learning journey, we pass through the four stages of learning, often without even realising it. This process of self-discovery and growth is a fascinating one.

The four stages of learning highlight how we learn new skills developed from the Conscious Competence Learning Model, a widely recognised learning theory. This model is like the four stages of the competence model ladder developed by Noel Burch in the 1970s; however, there is evidence the model was first used by Martin M. Broadwell in 1969 in an article where he was explaining the practice of ' teaching for learning ' using the competence model. The model highlights two factors that affect our thinking as we learn a new skill: consciousness, which is awareness and skill level, which is competence. It identifies four distinct stages an individual goes through while acquiring a new skill, emphasising the importance of understanding, practice, and conscious effort in developing competence.

Let's start with the first stage of learning, which is Ignorance. At this stage, we are unaware that we lack a specific skill. We are unconsciously incompetent. It's like not knowing what we don't know. For instance, you might not know that a solid business plan starts with defining your big picture, and you might not even know what that means. This stage's duration depends on the skill's importance or the strength of your motivation to learn.

The second stage is Awareness . We become aware that we do not know something or lack skill and understanding in a particular area. For instance, after learning that a business plan starts with defining your big picture, you find it involves clarity on your purpose, vision and values. You have never considered this, maybe even thought it was 'fluffy stuff'. You are now consciously incompetent because you now know that a great business plan starts with defining your big picture and want to learn how to do this. Taking time, having a go, making mistakes, and getting feedback can be integral to the learning process at this stage.

Then, we progress to the Learning stage, where we understand or know how to do something. All learning happens when we put into practice what we have learned. We have developed the necessary skills or knowledge at this sta ge but must still consciously focus on applying them. Continuing with defining your big picture example, this is about bringing to life the vision and values you have identified in the awareness stage in your business or life every day. This skill and level of knowledge take time and effort, and when you do this, you are consciously competent.

Lastly, with continued time and practice, we can achieve Mastery (if this is what we choose to do) in which we have practised the skill or applied the knowledge so that it has become ‘second nature’ and is used or performed with little conscious thought. At this stage, you are unconsciously competent, as the knowledge and skill you have 'mastered' is evident in how you show up daily, making decisions aligned with your values and taking you towards your vision for the future.

When we understand these four learning stages, we can focus more on being a lifelong learner, realising that there is always something to learn that will enhance your personal growth. Here are a few tips for each stage:

Tip #1

At the Ignorance stage, be open to feedback and self-reflection. Look for areas, skills, or knowledge you want to improve, be willing to search for how you can do this and ask for help when necessary. Often, reading a book will get you started.

Tip #2

At the awareness stage, set achievable goals. The SMART goal framework is great for this. Create habits around how you will achieve your goals and break the desired behaviour or skill down into more minor activities that you can focus on to achieve results. Celebrate small victories as you go, be patient and focus on progress, not perfection.

Tip #3

There is only one way to do it when it comes to learning: put the knowledge into action. Act and practice consistently and with discipline. Be clear on what you want most versus what is comfortable right now. Apply the skill or behaviour differently and seek feedback to continue to improve and learn.

Tip #4

To master anything, you need to be consistent. Apply the principles of how you want to be and look for ways and opportunities to challenge yourself to improve. Be willing to take risks, try new things and continually stretch your comfort zone from being comfortable through fear into the learning and growth stage. You will thank yourself for it in the future.

Understanding the four stages of learning will help with personal growth and development. By embracing and integrating these stages into our lives, we can enhance our ability to learn effectively and instigate lasting changes in our behaviours and habits. Whether we aim to acquire new skills, change behaviours, break free from poor habits, or evolve as individuals, the four stages of learning serve as a model to help us accomplish our goals and maximise our potential.

If you want support with your business or personal growth and learning, book a complimentary strategy session with a coach at Leaders Network.

Procrastination is the Enemy of Success

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 23:24:00 GMT

Have you ever put off doing something today because you believed you could do it tomorrow and not make any difference to the outcome? Then you find that tomorrow comes (in fact, 'tomorrow' never comes; there is only today), and something else has come up, so that thing that needed to be done gets put off again because the other things seem a higher priority. This pattern could go on for days or weeks until the thing that had to be done becomes so big that overwhelms kicks in, and it is even harder to do the thing!

This is called procrastination. Procrastination is a thief; it robs us of our time, opportunity and potential to achieve what we desire most. Delaying or putting off what we know we need to do allows fear, doubt, and potential insecurity to take control. We tell ourselves we will start the thing tomorrow, next week or next month, but we often do not get to it, or it is left so late that the opportunity has passed. As Napoleon Hill said, “Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday. ”

This happened recently when I needed to put the finishing touches to a client program and communicate it. Ultimately, I overpromised and underdelivered on timing, and I felt that I had let them down, and I had. It did not take away from the quality of the program. However, an even bigger issue was personal credibility and professionalism, which were aligned with the values and standards I have for being in business. It's not good enough, and I have given myself some well-worded feedback.

Being a business leader is hard work, whether you have a business or a leader in a larger organisation. Leaders create change through vision and planning, bringing people together to achieve outcomes. There will always be challenges to overcome and opportunities to maximise. Choosing what to focus on and prioritise can sometimes be a challenge; however, when we are clear about the focus and have a well-structured plan to achieve the outcome, procrastination can be managed or even eliminated. It all comes down to what inspires us to achieve whatever the opportunity is. Success comes when we are intrinsically motivated to achieve what we set out to do. To be effective, no one else can motivate us, and we can only motivate ourselves. Other people can inspire and influence us to be motivated, but true, lasting motivation comes from within.

Think about elite athletes. If they have their heart set on a gold medal at the Olympic Games, do you think they would procrastinate with the level of training that they need to be committed to achieve that goal? No, they are inspired to be up and on every day for hours, days, months, and years to achieve their dream. All we see is the result, and we do not see the thousands of hours that go into the training and discipline to become the best. It is like an iceberg. We only see the result on the surface, not what has gone on under the surface.

It is the same in business. Success comes from doing the work, and procrastination will steal this success away from you if you let it. The best way to avoid procrastination is to learn to say no. We are always saying no to someone , and usually, it is ourselves. Suppose we have a desire to be successful. In that case, we put so much expectation on ourselves that we say yes to other people or opportunities, which often may not be in our best interest, and in doing so, we are saying no to ourselves. Saying yes to people or opportunities not aligned with your goals, values, plan, or priority list means you are saying no to yourself. This is what steals time. Time is one of the most precious unrenewable resources, and we owe it to ourselves to treat time with respect aligned with what we want to achieve. This requires us to say yes to ourselves more than we say no. The word 'No' is a one-word sentence, and we can use it. There are ways to say no to avoid offence, so that may be a blog post for another time.

For now, here are some tips to avoid procrastination and leverage your time to achieve what you wish:

Tip #1 - Set realistic goals and timelines.

Decide what you want to achieve, estimate the time it will take, and add 50%. To achieve a great outcome, it is better to underpromise and overdeliver on quality and timing. Have a plan that outlines how you will achieve your goal. When other opportunities arise, decide if they fit your plan; if not, say "no or not yet".

Tip #2 - Be organised.

An organised space to work will support you in having an organised mind. Declutter your space and then your mind by writing down what you want to achieve and, importantly, why you want to achieve it. When your why is big enough, the how will look after itself. When you are ready to do the work, remove distractions, turn off all technology and focus on deep work to achieve.

Tip #3 - Take small steps to progress.

Break down your goal/s into smaller, more manageable activities to achieve your timeline. When you have clarity on the activities or tasks required to achieve your goals, it is less overwhelming, and there is a perception that everything is more achievable. Perception is reality, so do one step at a time. It is about progress, not perfection.

Tip #4 - Hold yourself accountable.

No one else can hold you accountable, only you. Other people can expect that you will be accountable; however, only you can do it. If it will help you tell someone what you want to achieve, ask them to be an accountability buddy or check in with you on progress.

Tip #5 - Celebrate success.

We all like to achieve and be recognised for it. Even if you are doing it for yourself, acknowledge the progress you make and reward yourself. It does not have to be big. Sometimes, just an hour to do nothing, sitting in a lovely garden, can be a great reward.

Procrastination is a thief that takes our time, so the power is within you to prevent this from happening. Saying no to things, not in your best interests is a good start. Follow these tips to inspire yourself to bring energy, focus, and action to what you wish to achieve.

If you want support in overcoming procrastination and achieving your goals, click here to book a complimentary strategy session with a coach at Leaders Network.

Use Goals and Planning to Maximise Life.

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 19:46:00 GMT

How you respond to challenges and opportunities in life is a choice.

You can choose to squeeze life and create the future you want, or you can allow life to squeeze you and be governed by your past or other people’s ways of thinking.

In his book 'Outwitting the Devil', Napoleon Hill discusses the 'definiteness of purpose'. Tony Robbins also talks about having clarity on what you are passionate about, your purpose, and what you want to achieve in life.

To go after what you want requires action. Nothing can happen without it. You can have the best idea, the biggest goal, and the greatest intent and achieve nothing. Alternatively, you can have all of that, and with a great plan combined with consistently acting on the idea, you can achieve your dreams, create impact, and inspire possibilities for yourself. It all comes down to how committed you are. Ask yourself, are you interested or committed? This is an interesting question to ponder, so you may want to take some time to do just that! This is important because when you are interested, you most likely do what is comfortable and easy; however, when you are committed and genuinely committed, you will do whatever it takes.

This is how it is with planning. A plan is powerful when you are committed to developing it, using a framework that gives you the best outcome and then a structure that will bring it to life. All that is required is the discipline to show up daily and act, even when mistakes or perceived failures occur. This is another crucial aspect to consider because there is no such thing as failure; there are only results. Everything you do will give you a result. It may not be the desired result; however, it is an outcome of some kind. Change your thinking, change your results. When you get a result that is not what you want, change your thinking to change the strategies and actions you are taking as part of your plan to try something different to get a different result. It is that easy…test and measure.

Back to planning. How often have you thought about an idea or something you wanted to achieve and not taken action to bring it to life and then experienced that someone else has done or created what you had the idea for? They were not smarter or more intelligent; their actions would be different. They were disciplined to focus on what they wanted most and not allow the short-term gratification of the now moment to get in their way. When it comes to planning, the quote that Abraham Lincoln was famous for saying is a great one to keep in mind, “discipline is simply choosing between what you want now and what you want most.”

This is the power of planning, and here are three steps to follow to get started:

Step 1

Identify your big goal. Think big, go big. The bigger the goal, the more action you will take to achieve it. The smaller the goals, the fewer actions you need to take. I am not talking about big in global terms; I am talking about big in your terms; what is big for you?

Step 2

Decide what you need to act on to achieve your goal. What areas of business or life require specific actions to bring your goal to reality? This is where you challenge yourself on whether you are interested or committed. What are you willing to do to make this goal a reality?

Step 3

Create a documented plan that uses the SMART principles and captures what you need to do. This is where discipline is essential. The discipline to spend the time to document and get clarity to bring your goal to life by prioritising what needs to be done.

Follow these three steps and experience the real power of planning. Planning helps you live with integrity in your values and your beliefs. You can create the life you want by showing up consistently, with discipline and commitment. Without setting goals and planning activities to bring them to life, you may be allowing life to squeeze you.

If you want support to set goals and create a great plan, click here to book a complimentary strategy session with a coach at Leaders Network.

Navigating Stress as a Natural Part of Life

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 22:11:00 GMT

Stress is a natural part of life.

Stress can come at us any time of the day, just through normal daily activities. It happened to me just before I sat down to write this blog. I was all ready and then needed to do a minor domestic chore to be more organised, and this chore became more extensive as I started to do it. Do you know the type? You begin to wipe down a bit of evident mess, then you realise there is a bigger mess, and then something else shows up, and before you know it, what was a 1-minute task becomes 20 minutes, and you have cleaned out a whole cupboard! It was annoying and frustrating, though on the scale of stresses relatively minor. I could have reacted and thought, I will do it later. Or I could respond resourcefully and do the required task, knowing that I would not have to return to it later. The 20 minutes did not make a difference to my blog; it gave me a story!

Stress is inevitable, and often, it is a good thing because it can inspire us to act and be motivated to solve the thing causing it or to create change. Stress also helps us meet our daily challenges and encourages us to reach our goals, ultimately making us happier and healthier. That’s right. Good stress is vital for a healthy life.

According to an article by Elizabeth Scott, PhD, author of '8 Keys to Stress Management', not all stress is the same. Some of the stress you face can harm your well-being, and some types can be healthy. One type of beneficial stress is known as eustress.

Eustress refers to stress that leads to a positive response. It is the opposite of distress and can refer to any beneficial physical or psychological stress. It tends to be short-term and often feels exciting. People perceive this type of stress as manageable and even motivating. This type of stress has no threat or fear; it is short-term focused energy and enhances performance. Hence, I now have a clean cupboard under my sink! As Maureen Killoran reminds us, “Stress is not what happens to us. It’s our response to what happens and response is something we choose.”

Bad stress, however, is the kind that wears you out, leaves you jittery and is harmful to your health. Bad stress or distress can lead to anxiety, confusion, poor concentration, and decreased performance. This is often the type of stress experienced in the workplace and can occur from a variety of factors, such as:

Job demands can include high workloads and having to juggle multiple tasks. Feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work can be a significant stressor.

Feeling like you have little control over your work or decision-making processes. If you are an employee, micromanagement or rigid organisational structures can exacerbate this feeling. If you are a business owner, then poor planning can increase stress.

Unclear job expectations or conflicting roles can create stress. When employees or business owners are unsure about their priorities or responsibilities, it can lead to anxiety and frustration.

Poor work-life balance or harmony where work demands encroach on personal time and feel like there needs to be more flexibility to maintain a healthy balance between work and personal life.

Interpersonal conflicts or complex relationships with co-workers, colleagues or managers can create a hostile environment that negatively impacts well-being.

Feeling unsupported or not having access to resources and training needed to perform your role or carry out the required tasks effectively can contribute to stress.

Uncertainty about the future can undermine our sense of security and well-being. Lack of career direction or development opportunities often exacerbates this.

So, what can we do about it? Understanding stress, particularly bad stress, is the starting point, as well as knowing how to reduce it, especially in work life. A happy work life often influences a happy personal life. Being able to explore your stress reactions and how to navigate them can leave you feeling more in control. Learning some practical strategies to manage work-related stress is a great place to start. Here are a few tips:

Tip #1 - Eliminate stress where you can.

Learning to say “no” more often, reducing your to-do list, and avoiding people who stress you out are great places to start.

Tip #2 - Focus on what you can control.

There are things in life beyond your control, such as someone else’s behaviour. Instead of stressing over what you can’t control, focus on what you can control, what is within your circle of influence and how you can respond to a situation.

Tip #3 - Think positive thoughts.

A positive attitude can help offset difficult situations, so try to think positively by looking for the upside in every situation; thinking about everything you appreciate in your life, including your positive qualities, can change your perspective.

Tip #4 - Adopt relaxation techniques.

Relaxation promotes overall health and lets you step away and clear your head. It doesn’t have to be a long commitment; 10 minutes daily with deep breathing exercises and meditation will make a big difference.

Tip #5 - Stay healthy.

A well-balanced diet and staying active ensures your body is better prepared to fight stress. Getting enough rest gives your body time to recover from stressful events and sets you up to fight new challenges the next day.

The key is identifying good stress from bad stress. If your stress is not chronic, stress can be a positive addition to your life. Make an effort to reduce your chronic stress as much as possible, which may also mean being able to talk about it with family and friends or turning to a professional for support. Expressing how you feel can be cathartic, compared to hiding the stressors, which can worsen situations. Adding positive activities to promote good stress can create a healthy balance, greater harmony, and quality of life.

If you want to learn more about stress and strategies to manage it, join us for the next Leadership Training, ‘Strategies for Managing Stress as Business Leaders’ with special guest Erin Todd, Health and Performance Coach.

Specificity Beats Hard Work

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 23:20:00 GMT

Being in business can be hard work, whether your business or someone else's! Why is this? Does it have to be hard work? What does hard work actually mean? What is hard?

Hard implies there is exertion, and what is so wrong about this? The only constant is change, and change requires exertion.

"To be successful, you must be willing to do the things today others won't do in order to have the things tomorrow others won't have." Les Brown

Set clear and specific goals and have a plan to achieve them; that is how the daily whirlwind can be navigated. A study by the University of Scranton highlighted that only 8% of people who set goals manage to achieve them. This means that 92% of people who set goals fail to reach them. This does not even include the many people who do not set goals, lament that they have not achieved what they wished, and live with regrets. Goals are critical to managing change and achieving what we want in business and life. Life is about change, and that is a fact! Setting clear and specific goals with a plan to accomplish them will support you in navigating the exertion required. Let's stop thinking it's hard; instead, think about how much time and effort you are willing to put in to achieve what you want. Then, create a plan that fits and delivers on this. It all starts with goals. As Les Brown says, "To be successful, you must be willing to do the things today others won't do in order to have the things tomorrow others won't have."

Let's stay focused on those who do set goals. What is it that 8% of people do well and 92% do not? It all comes down to being super specific. Using the SMART framework to set your goals will clarify what you want to achieve and by when. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.

If you think you may be one of the 92% of people, here are a few tips to improve your track record for achieving your goals.

Tip #1

Be super specific. With specificity comes clarity with no jargon or fluffy statements. For example, goals are often stated as:

I want to lose weight
I want to earn more money
I want to grow my business

These are not goals; they are wishful thinking statements. A specific goal has clarity and relevance to what you want to achieve, and that is also key; it needs to be achievable. Here are the goals rewritten as super specific:

Lose 4 kilos by the end of October.
Make $100,000 by the end of December.
Create two new programs to generate $10,000 monthly by end of June.

The more specific a goal, the easier it is to action because you will be able to identify the activities needed to achieve that outcome by that time-bound date. When you are clear about what you must work on, you will inspire yourself and be intrinsically motivated to achieve. Setting specific goals is a habit to build because where your energy flows, the focus goes, and actions show. James Clear said it best in his book Atomic Habits: "Many people think they lack motivation when what they really lack is clarity.”

Tip# 2

Establish 'process' goals. Most people set goals as an outcome without thinking about how they will achieve them. Process goals are the same as lead measures, which are common success elements in business to navigate the day-to-day whirlwind. Lead measures are effective because process goals lead to your outcome goal. How do you eat an elephant (metaphorically, of course)? One bite at a time. This is what process goals are as lead measures because they are based on achieving a specific result by identifying the most critical activities required to achieve the result.

Achieving goals relates to the habits we have and the actions we take on a daily and weekly basis consistently— consistency and discipline compound over time to achieve results, like saving money and compounding interest. So, do our actions compound when we consistently do the thing that will lead us to our goal?

For example, if you aim to finish a marathon in 4 hours (outcome), you may need to run at least 3-4 times a week for a few months (process or lead measure).

In this example, the process goals could be:

Monthly Goal: Run at least 16 times.
Weekly Goal: Run 2 x 10km.
Today's Goal: Complete a 10km run.

Showing up consistently to achieve your goals is about taking action, and by breaking down process goals as your lead measures, you only have to focus on one specific step at a time, which will remove the overwhelm and support you to avoid procrastination.

Tip #3

Be accountable to someone. An accountability buddy makes you more likely to hold yourself accountable to achieve your goal. No one else can hold you accountable; only you can. However, when you share your goal with someone you trust, a friend, partner, or colleague, you can honestly and openly communicate your goal and how you will achieve it. Your accountability buddy becomes your biggest fan, supporting you to succeed and celebrating with you when you have and may want to join forces to achieve a similar goal. This is true in business and with life goals.

Without an accountability buddy, it is so easy to let yourself off the hook of the thing you were meant to do today; I know because I have done it! It’s much easier to rationalise your excuses or accept lower standards of behaviour when no one’s watching. For example, if you want to lose weight and commit to exercise and nutrition process goals as your lead measures, you only have to convince yourself when you decide to have that piece of milk chocolate. This is easy to do because, so often, we will do what is comfortable. If you share this weight loss goal with someone else, you will be more likely to stay on track because you do not want to let the other person down, who may also be sharing the same goal and doing their best to keep on track. Doing process goals with someone else is a great way to hold yourself accountable. No man or woman is an island; we all need help and support sometimes. Contact someone you trust to help you hold yourself accountable to your goals.

When we join forces with like-minded people, our performance will automatically improve, increasing our odds of achieving our goals. So, if you have a business goal, seek a mentor, meet with other entrepreneurs, get a business coach, or join a mastermind. If you have a fitness goal, partner with a friend to workout, call a personal trainer and meet with a nutritionist. Start pursuing your goals with accountability, and your odds of success will soar. A plan with process goals as lead measures is how you will ultimately achieve what you wish for. As Brian Tracy reminds us, "A goal without a plan is only a dream."

If you have yet to set goals, then doing that now is just the beginning, but it is the place to start. Then, having a plan for achieving your goals with process and lead measures will take you towards your goals, which is critical to attaining the success you wish to have. Once you have a plan, ongoing planning comes into play; it is simply a habit to build. Your habits will create the future you wish to have, so starting today is a great place to be.

Book a Complimentary Strategy Session with a lead coach at Leaders Network to better understand how to develop specific goals and plans to achieve them.

Do you lead or do you manage?

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 23:16:00 GMT

Many people become managers with a title because they are good at a particular technical skill, of which there are many. But does this make them a leader?

I was given my first management position when I was about 23 years old. I worked in retail; I was good with customers, managing stock and more technical stuff like organising stocktakes, all done manually and with no technology! So, within six months of starting at a new store I had transferred to, I was enrolled in the cadet training program to become a manager. However, before I began the cadetship program, I was promoted and given the title of Customer Service Manager in charge of two departments. I was then told I did not need to do the training because I was already a manager. It took me 12 months to realise that being a manager was about systems and processes and another two years to learn that leading is about people. I was a manager for many years before I realised I needed to decide to become a leader, and then the journey began…

In his book 'The Five Levels of Leadership', John C. Maxwell outlines that when you are first given a title that implies you are a manager, this is just about the position, and it is a great place to start; however, you would not want to stay too long at this level, if your goal is to become a leader. You have a title at this level, and people follow you because they must. You have just started your journey at the first leadership level and have a right to the title. However, you still must earn people's trust. To gain confidence, you must like being with people, caring about their welfare, their success and how you can help them be the best they can be and, in turn, become more effective as a leader. This is because leadership is all about influence. When you like people, the workplace becomes a pleasant place for everyone, including you, because you show you care, and people will follow you because they want to. Maxwell, one of my favourite thought leaders on leadership, calls this the second level of leadership, and it is all about relationships. Another favourite is Stephen R. Covey, who highlighted in his classic book, The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, that "management is efficient in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall". Peter Drucker made an even more straightforward distinction: "Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things."

Many critical differences between management and leadership allow us to determine where we sit in the spectrum. Here are just a few:

Vision versus Process

Effective leadership is centred on a vision that guides and influences change across a business or organisation. The size of the business is irrelevant; having a clear vision underpinned by values that inform the decision-making is how great leaders stay focused on the big picture and ensure the ladder is always leaning against the right wall.

Managers are focused on the goals through implementing systems and processes related to budgeting, organisational structuring, and staffing. Leadership is about effectiveness, and management is about efficiency.

Permission versus Position

Leadership is influence. Leaders who rely solely on their position to influence people will fail to succeed long-term. People want to know leaders care about them. If you act in a way that inspires, encourages, engages, and supports others, you permit people to be their best, creating the space for them to thrive. You will become a great leader when your behaviours align with this. Your title or position doesn't matter.

Being in the position of manager does not make you a leader. Efficient managers use their position to achieve business goals and model other leaders they admire, learning how to lead from them. We are always learning from others how to be or not be the type of leader or manager we want to be.

Alignment versus Organising

Leaders are focused on aligning the whole team to the long-term vision. They will make decisions about achieving the long-term vision even when they are the hard ones that must be made. Leaders know how to make these hard decisions and still care for people. Leaders will focus on innovation, business opportunities and people because they know this is how the vision is achieved.

Managers have a crucial role because they pursue goals through organising, planning, and controlling coordinated actions, tactical processes, tasks and activities that unfold over stages to reach a specific outcome. They will lead meetings to get to crucial outcomes, develop plans for effective communication and organise people to get things done.

Every leader has a manager in them because this is how we start. However, not all managers have a leader in them because a conscious decision must be made to be a leader. Becoming a leader is a skill to be learned; the good news is that everyone can learn to be a great leader. Like so many things, it is a choice. Becoming a leader starts with learning to lead yourself. Choosing to develop as a leader in a way that will serve and support you through all areas of life is one of the most powerful sets of skills to learn, as it will influence everything you do and achieve. This influence will play out in relationships, wealth creation, physical well-being, parenting, career, business success and even your higher purpose. This is because leadership is influence, nothing more and nothing less!

To explore how you can get support to develop your leadership skills further, use this link to book a Complimentary Strategy Session with a lead coach at Leaders Network.

Consistency Will Influence Your Future

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 21:33:00 GMT

Consistency with great habits is like compounding interest; your future self will thank you for it!

When I was a little girl, I knew my father would be in his vegetable garden early every morning for at least an hour while most of us kids were still in bed. On Sundays, he would be up at dawn to go deep-sea fishing. He worked full-time in banking, so these early starts were the only way he could do what he loved most: to provide for his family. Dad and Mum did not spend money on anything they could make, grow, catch, create, or do without and with a large family to provide for, this was how we ended up having a happy childhood, where we did not have a lot, but we never wanted for anything. Dad told me later in life that he wanted to be a farmer; however, he had six children to provide for when he realised this. So, producing food and providing was his way of pursuing his dream and bringing purpose to his life. Dad was up early, starting his days in his vegetable garden until he was in his eighties, and only ill health slowed him down. I often think about this consistent way of showing up and its profound impact on all our lives, and I know I am my father’s daughter in many ways!

Consistency with what is important to us is a powerful way to build trust in yourself with strong habits to pursue your purpose, dreams, and success. The key is consistency. Progress is made by being able and willing to show up every day and do things, take action, and pursue activities that will enable you to achieve your goals and aspirations. Scientific evidence shows that we can even improve our sleep by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. Yes, every day! Even on those days you think are for sleeping in, waking up and being active is how you build consistency and trust in yourself and better sleep! So, if it works for something as fundamental as sleep, it makes sense that it also works for other areas of our lives.

People often talk about persistence as though it is the simple, dogged determination that will help you achieve the results you want. Well, persistence will get you what you want. However, consistency will ensure you keep what you get. Consistency is how we create the momentum, the motivation, and the habits to keep showing up for ourselves and achieve what we dream of, which for most of us is a better or different future life. Making decisions today that your future self will thank you for is a great place to start. Consistency can be your superpower, and it also feels good to have good routines that support you and bring more certainty to your life goals. Dwayne Johnson, the successful actor and businessman, says, "Success isn’t always about greatness. It's consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come."

There is even a 'Law of Consistency'. In John Maxwell’s book, The 15 Laws of Invaluable Growth, he highlights that consistency must be one of the main ingredients to make significant change. He concluded, "Motivation gets you going, but discipline keeps you growing." If you are the type of person who is reading this, then you will know that lifelong learning is a real thing. There is no age limit when we can keep learning and growing to achieve our desired breakthroughs. We do not need to settle for anything less than what we are capable of, and the exciting thing is that we don't often know what we are capable of until we decide to go after something more than what we have been. It takes courage, commitment, and consistency to achieve what it is in life that you wish to achieve. Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, defines a breakthrough as a series of good, well-executed decisions that accumulate over time, and it takes patience and consistency to do this. We all have a choice; we can allow life to squeeze us or choose to squeeze life. Consistency and making good decisions with habits , routines, and processes are how you can create your desired future.

Here are a few steps based on John Maxwell's Law of Consistency that may support you:

Know what you need to improve.

Identify your areas for growth. Use the 'Wheel of Life' to rate your level of satisfaction in each of the areas. You can change any of the categories and can also substitute with business categories if you wish. Identify the areas of personal or professional growth that you want to achieve.

Know why you want to improve.

Knowing your WHY is important. When you know your why, the how will look after itself; watch Simon Sinek on YouTube if you need more convincing. Having a big why fuels your purpose, passion, and motivation, inspiring you to act. Celebrate wins, even the small ones, as these wins compound over time just like consistency and will guide you towards your desired future.

Learn how to improve.

Read or listen to books, sign up for a program, or get a mentor or coach to help guide you in the direction you want to go. A good coach or mentor will bring out the best in you that you may not even realise is there. Everything you need is within you now; you may have to dig deep and find it.

Know when to improve.

A famous Chinese Proverb says, "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now." Learn from this because if you have not already started on the journey towards the best version of you, the time to start is right now.

Assess your environment.

In his book Atomic Habits, James Clear highlights that one of the keys to changing habits is to make it obvious. Are you hanging out with the right people? Are you in the right room? If you are the head of the class, it's time to change class, or if you are the smartest person in the room, it is time to find a different room. Always aim to put yourself in situations where at least some people are smarter than you, even if it intimidates you. This is how we will learn.

We all have choices, and every choice has a consequence. We do not need to settle for less than what we are capable of. Consistency in making good decisions around habits, goal setting and planning how to achieve the future you want is necessary, and there is no time or age limit on when you can start this. The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, and the second-best time is now.

If you want support to develop or improve your consistency and habits to achieve your goals, click here to book a Complimentary Strategy Session with a lead coach at Leaders Network.

Discipline + Quarterly Planning = Results

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 19:40:00 GMT

Discipline is a trait that manifests in varying degrees. Discipline, as a noun, is ‘an activity or regimen that develops or improves a skill.’

We all have priorities in life, whether we identify them or not. We will make time for the things that matter to us and must be done in life. Having fun and enjoying life is imperative to make time for. Watching TV or sleeping late may be a priority for some. Shopping or lazing at the beach may be a priority for others. Being successful in business or a career may also be a priority and requires goals to be set. However, choosing to watch TV or sleeping late instead of doing the activities and tasks associated with your goals will not help you achieve the future success you want. Achieving long-term goals associated with wealth, health, happiness, relationships, a successful career, or a thriving business requires goals to be set each year to achieve your strategic goals. Abraham Lincoln left a significant legacy because he had long-term goals and believed that "Discipline is simply choosing between what you want now and what you want most."

It is easy to have goals and even easy to have a plan to achieve them. However, without consistent action of showing up to your plan, then goals are just wishes. To achieve anything, we must act upon our goals, have a plan, and bring the plan to life monthly, weekly, and daily. We need consistency in showing up for ourselves and others, which takes discipline.

"If you don't know exactly where you're going, how will you know when you get there." Steve Maraboli

A very effective way to bring a more disciplined approach into your life is quarterly planning, also known as 90-day planning. Think about it; you may have goals you want to achieve in five years. Goals such as a certain level of income, a house, a family, and health priorities. Setting these long-term or strategic goals is the first step to achieving them. When you can articulate and put language to what you wish to achieve, it will be available because you know what you wish to achieve. If you cannot language it, you cannot have it because you do not know what it is! It starts with setting goals, and as Steve Maraboli highlights, "If you don't know exactly where you're going, how will you know when you get there."

Once goals are set, bringing them to life and making them a reality requires you to act. This is where quarterly planning comes into play. Showing up daily to your plan for the year is how constant improvement can be achieved. Constant and never-ending improvement is how goals are achieved repeatedly. Focusing on building the habits that require this is how quarterly planning supports achieving goals. Think about it: if you were to go out into the forest with an axe to chop down a tree, and you swung the axe multiple times, eventually, the tree would come down. So, it is with achieving your goals. Constant action on the activities and tasks required to be completed will lead you towards achieving your goals.

Why quarterly planning? Quarterly planning has many benefits, with science, strategy, and psychology behind the concept of 90 days. It's not just a number!

Brain-Friendly

Adaptability

In today's fast-paced world, waiting a year to revisit your goals and strategies can leave you behind. Quarterly planning allows businesses and individuals to pivot, adjust, and refine their approach more frequently.

Sharp Focus

Knowing you have a three-month window encourages prioritisation. You're more likely to concentrate on what truly matters, the important versus urgent stuff, cutting out the fluff and ensuring every day counts.

Measurable Progress

You can concretely measure your achievements at the end of three months. This provides a robust feedback mechanism to celebrate wins, learn from misses or mistakes, and adjust your activities for the next quarter.

Sustained Momentum

Quarterly check-ins create a rhythm, particularly when the quarter is broken down by month for weekly and daily focus. Check-ins act as regular infusions of inspiration for motivating and ensuring you're continually moving, assessing, and progressing.

Exploring these benefits will help you create new or improved habits regarding how you show up to achieve your goals. This is because quarterly planning promotes adaptability, focus, accountability, and effective allocation of resources such as time and effort. This, in turn, leads to the achievement of priorities, bringing focus on what is most important to you and creating the discipline you need in business and life to achieve the success you want to have. Discipline is simply choosing between what you want now and what you want most. Are you interested or committed?

If you want support to develop discipline with quarterly planning, click here to book your Complimentary Strategy Session with Claire or Wendy at Leaders Network.

Tips for a mind shift in 2024

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 21:04:00 GMT

Have you moved past the New Year resolution stage yet?

Have you decided it’s all too hard? Interestingly, one of the dictionary definitions of the word resolution is - a formal expression of opinion or intention made. Opinions are like belly buttons; everyone has them, and intentions are just that! It is behaviour that matters. Intentions are good because they can influence behaviour; however, what you do is what counts. Fortunately, what we do is totally within our control. How we think, how we act, how we respond, and how we feel are all within our control.

Having an intention and putting effort into doing something about it is a productive way to think about the year ahead. Asking yourself great questions is where the thinking starts. Great questions can be more important than the answers because they force us to think differently. To think differently requires giving ourselves the gift of time to think. Having the headspace to think differently requires quiet time and thinking time, and the exciting thing about time is that it is all around us. It is what we do with our time that matters. Time does not pass; we pass through time, and how you use your time will influence your future, whether you do anything different or not! As Carol Dweck reminds us, "No matter what your ability is, effort is what ignites that ability and turns it into accomplishments." Your strengths and abilities are not set; effort and a growth mindset are the only way to reach your full potential.

What questions would you like to ask yourself?

Here are a few thought starters:

Setting goals and planning to achieve them is a powerful way of bringing energy to intentions because where energy goes, focus flows, and actions go. It starts with setting a big goal, or maybe even more than one, but one is a good number to begin with. This applies to how you manage your business and organise your life. Do one thing differently, or go after one different thing this year, and you will progress towards the life you truly want. Ask yourself: who do I need to be? What do I need to do? to have the life I desire? It is a fact that the life you want to have is entirely yours to decide and your responsibility to create. All you need to do is give yourself the gift of time.

Try these tips to approach the new year before the end of January:

Tip #1

Be flexible in the way you think and act. Identify the sort of goal that, when you achieve it, will make a difference in your life. Then, put your energy into accomplishing it, but be flexible about how to do it. Moving towards achieving a goal is about progress, not perfection.

Tip #2

Put your focus on the things that will make the most difference. It's about something other than being busy; anyone can do that. It is about being focused and productive with the things in your life that will make a difference and knowing that obstacles and unforeseen things will get in the way.

Tip #3

Identify a way to hold yourself accountable. Developing great habits around showing up for yourself requires commitment and work to be done. Decide if you are interested or committed. When you are committed and loyal to your goals, you will achieve success - it’s like having a crystal ball to a large degree. However, if you are interested, you may only do what is easy and comfortable. Everyone needs support sometimes, so reaching out to a friend, colleague, coach, or family member to support you in being accountable is a great way to commit yourself.

Use these tips to approach the new year differently than you may have done previously. These are just a start, as there is so much more that you can and will do. You have to start and decide what your first actions will be. Decide a goal, commit to yourself, put your energy into what is essential, and focus on what you wish to achieve. Anything you want to succeed in, you can…

If you want help achieving a mindset shift and setting goals for 2024, click here to book your Complimentary Strategy Session with Claire or Wendy at Leaders Network.

Plan Your Best Year Yet

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 20:06:00 GMT

What will 2024 bring you?

Setting goals and knowing what your priorities are is essential.

If you are a believer in goal setting, you will get this. Or maybe you won't get it if you do not believe in goal setting. Perhaps you are not sure?

One way to work this out is to reflect on the past year. What did 2023 bring you? Did you achieve what you wanted to? Did you even know what you wanted to achieve? Are you living a better life? Did you learn and grow and have experiences that enriched your life? A reminder from Winston Churchill, "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."

A new year is a unique opportunity to decide what the first day of the rest of your life will be like. Because that’s what every day is, the first day of the rest of your life. We only have so many breaths, and as we live out each day, we use our breaths up. Wouldn’t you want to ensure that every breath you take and every day you are here adds value to your life and others?

Decide today that 2024 will be your year of triumph, growth, and unforgettable achievements. You can embark on a journey of self-discovery, innovation, and success.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Reflect on the past 12 months.

What was great about the last 12 months, and what were the most demanding challenges? What did you learn about yourself, and how would you rate your satisfaction in areas of life such as purpose, health, work, wealth, relationships, family, happiness, spirituality, and self-love? We reap what we sow, so understanding what you have sown so far will help you identify what you want to sow this year because we only grow if we face reality!

2. Dream big and plan bigger:

If you want to reach a destination, you first need to know what that destination is and where you are now to create the directions and the roadmap to get there! This year, don’t just set goals — craft a vision that ignites your passion and propels you forward. Dream big, then map out the steps to turn those dreams into your everyday reality, building on your achievements and learnings from 2023.

3. Embrace change:

Change is the only constant, and this year is your canvas. Embrace the unknown, stretch your comfort zone towards learning and growth, and watch as incredible opportunities unfold before you. Break free from the ordinary and make extraordinary your new normal. What are you willing to stop doing, start doing and continue doing to be the change you want to see?

4. Cultivate Positivity

Your mindset is your greatest asset. Choose optimism, practice gratitude, and let positivity be your guiding force. The way you perceive challenges can turn them into stepping stones toward success. Consider journaling how you feel daily to help you navigate your thoughts and reflect on what is great about your life. As Zig Zigler said, “Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will”.

5. Connect and Collaborate:

No one succeeds alone, and no journey is meant to be travelled alone. Surround yourself with like-minded individuals who inspire and challenge you. We are the average of the five people we hang out with. Being clear on who you are allowing into the ‘room’ of your life will support connection, a core need all humans have. Collaboration breeds innovation, so connecting with like-minded people and being willing to share with and learn from others will enable remarkable results.

6. Prioritise self-care:

Remember, your well-being is paramount. Take time to recharge, reflect, and nourish your mind, body, and soul. A healthy, balanced, and harmonious life is the foundation for success. You are your greatest asset, so taking care of yourself means you will be taking care of others. When your cup is filled, you have so much to give to others from the overflow in the saucer.

7. Be present in every moment:

Life is a collection of moments, each an opportunity waiting to be seized. Be present, live intentionally, and savour the journey. Your best year comprises the experiences you create and the memories you cherish. As you reflect on 2023 and set your sights on a big 2024, you will discover that all you need is within you now; all you need to do is be present on the journey!

Use these tips to Create Your Best Year Yet and prepare for an outstanding 2024! As Wayne Gretzky says, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

If you want support to plan how you can have your best year, click here to book your Complimentary Strategy Session with Claire or Wendy at Leaders Network.

Embracing Lifelong Learning as a Value

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 01:11:00 GMT

The founder of MacDonald’s hamburger chain, Ray Kroc, was known for his motto, “When you’re green, you’re growing; when you’re ripe, you rot.”

I was with exceptional business leaders this week, discussing important big-picture stuff. One group member questioned why lifelong learning matters. I was taken aback until I remembered that not everyone understands the value of lifelong learning. I knew I was always learning for the first few decades of my adult life, but did I view myself as a 'lifelong learner'? Probably not! However, I remember when I turned 30 and was conversing with my Dad about how I felt that I was always learning, and maybe now, at thirty, I knew a lot of stuff. He quickly put me back in my place with these exact words: "…I am 61 and still learning".

"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young." Henry Ford

We are all lifelong learners whether we associate with the term or not. The most significant thing to consider is whether your learning is conscious as a planned activity versus unconscious, which happens as you go. The problem with just letting it happen is you may get to a later stage in life and wish you had been more conscious about your learning! What is important to you will often come down to your values, whether you realise it or not! Knowing your values, personally or professionally, is about learning because eliciting your values for yourself or your business is about learning what defines your decision-making and what is important to you. Decisions are easier to make when you can be clear on what is important, and the consequences are often better. Such as deciding to be a lifelong learner or not! As Henry Ford said, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.”

The relationship between learning and values is a strong one. Say, for example, that one of your values relates to health. If you are genuinely connected to your value of health, doesn't it stand to reason that you would want to learn more about how you can be healthy? We can now access so much information that there can be no excuse for not educating ourselves on what is best for our self-care rather than relying solely on our GP. It is always possible to start taking better care of yourself; this is simply a decision aligned with your values.

Another example of lifelong learning is how to be the best version of yourself. I recently read a book called 'Who's in Your Room'. It was thought-provoking and mind-opening on the topic of relationships. So, if one of your values relates to family, which mine does, then educating myself on the relationships I want to have with family and close friends and who I want to have in my space is essential. When it comes to family, we do not get to choose them. However, we can select our relationship with them and still be true to our values and the idea of being the best version of ourselves. This can only apply if the values you have identified for yourself are clear and important to you because they influence your decision-making, whether you realise it or not. Again, this is where learning comes into play. Suppose I was not open to continually learning about the many aspects of how I can live my best life. In that case, I might not have been open to reading this book, and I would have missed out on the different perspectives I now have on the varying types of relationships that can exist and how to manage them. Because one of my values is personal growth, I have read at least fourteen books this year, ranging from leadership, business, mindset, health, wealth, and relationships. Every book has brought a new level of learning, and my values drive this desire to learn.

So, what comes first, the chicken or the egg? Is it essential to define your values first to decide if you want to be a lifelong learner? Or is it necessary to choose to be a lifelong learner and then define your values to support? I suggest that your values come first. Even if you need more clarity on your values, you are making decisions based on what is important to you, which are your values, so defining these will make your future choices more straightforward. The other beneficial aspect of defining your values is planning. Good planning includes defining your values, usually once you are clear on your long-term vision for the future, whether personal, business, or both.

Here are three simple steps you can follow to start defining your values:

Step one - Brainstorm words that have meaning.

Brainstorm a list of words that have meaning to you, and if you are doing your business values, include team members in this brainstorm. These words will represent what you care about. In business, these are words like commitment, integrity, and trust; for personal, they may be words like health, love, family, empathy, etc.

Step two - Create a short list of words.

Referencing the words from your brainstorming session, create a list of words that represent what is most cared about in the business or to you personally. You may find that some words, such as honesty, trust, and integrity, relate to each other. There is a hierarchy of language in all words, so pick the word that has the highest meaning for you. For example, honesty and trust may need to be evident for integrity to be a value for you. Aim to create a list of 5 to 8 values. The smaller the list, the more meaning you may be able to give to them and the easier it is to live the values every day. The idea is to choose the most meaningful ones, as these will be your point of reference to support decision-making.

Step three - Summarise the importance of each value.

Write a sentence that explains why each value is important. What would happen, and what would you be experiencing if this value was evident daily in your business or life? By creating these explanations, you are giving life to the value and identifying how this can become or is a reality. This may take a few goes, which is normal, and you may want to review them a few times. Returning to your values several times is a great strategy to ensure they are right for you or your business.

Defining your values is a continuous process, and it's normal for them to evolve as you go through different life stages and experiences. Regular self-reflection will help you stay in tune with your values, as they are foundational in creating a meaningful and purposeful life. The same goes for life-long learning; focus on being green and growing, and aim to have no regrets later in life. Your learning and values will shape your decisions, actions, and relationships, contributing to your well-being and satisfaction.

If you want support in defining your Values, connect with a lead coach at Leaders Network for a Complimentary Strategy Session to explore how this can work for you!

The Power of Visionary Planning

Thu, 07 Dec 2023 00:10:00 GMT

Having a vision for your future does work!

About 20 years ago, I participated in a 12-month Women in Leadership course run by the organisation I was working with. In the very first session, we were asked to use the next month to think about and envision what we wanted to be in the future. The timeline we chose was up to us, and because of where I was in life at the time, I decided to pick when I was 80. It was 40 years into the future and seemed so long away, and I thought that if I thought big, I would have plenty of time to create the change I wanted in my life and achieve it. That vision for my future has been reached and will continue, so I have gone even bigger and decided to go after my new vision for the next 40 years!

When we can language something we can have it. If we cannot put the words around what we want, we cannot access it because we do not know what it is! A vision for your future, whether in life or business, is compelling. Many people think having a vision is fluffy stuff. Maybe those people are afraid to dream or think big. Perhaps they are worried they may not achieve their vision, fear failure, or even fear success! We cannot allow fear to hold us back from our dreams and our ability to think big, go big and achieve big. Fear is a constant, so do not let that be an excuse; as Stedman Graham says, "Having a vision for your life allows you to live out of hope, rather than out of your fears."

A vision for your future is a guiding light to what you want to achieve. When you apply it to business, it is the same. What do you want your business to be, to stand for? What is the legacy or the difference your business will make? These are big questions worth asking because being in business, whether your own or someone else's, needs to have more meaning than just making money. Yes, money is essential, and we need it to live the lifestyle we want for ourselves and our families. However, money is a goal, an outcome of your work.

Having a vision for your business is about being clear on what you want to achieve with the business, why it exists and why it is essential. The vision communicates a direction and destination for all involved in the business. The vision creates a sense of belonging to something bigger than themselves, giving meaning and purpose when living it daily. Even more importantly, the vision informs the goals that the business sets.

When we can articulate our vision for our business, it will inform the strategic goals, which in turn will inform the 12-month goals for business planning. Building strong planning habits is crucial for a business to be successful. Some people would disagree with this statement. It can be true that a business can achieve success without a plan. I have seen many businesses do this. However, there comes a stage in the success of that business where nothing else is being achieved because there are no goals or plans to take the business anywhere else. Success stalls or stagnates because there has been no vision for the future. If you want this for your business, rock forth and have fun! If you want more meaning, more success, whatever success means to you, then you need to have a vision that provides clarity and informs the long-term and short-term goals you want to develop for the next stage of growth. We are either green and growing or ripe and rotting, and we get to choose. As Simon Sinek puts it well, "Vision is a destination- a fixed point to which we focus all effort. Strategy is a route - an adaptable oath to get us where we want to go."

Here are three simple steps to develop your business's vision. It takes some time, so have a play:

Step 1 - Brainstorm achievements, ideas and hopes for the business.

You could do this with your team or someone supporting you, such as a friend, colleague, coach or mentor. Take time to brainstorm without judging or filtering ideas and words that come up and capture them all. It could take a few attempts to ensure it is right for you and the business - which is OK and normal.

Step 2 - Select the most meaningful words

Using all the words and phrases captured, envision what you truly want. There are two questions to help contemplate this. What would you most like to accomplish for yourself and others? What would bring more joy and happiness into your life?

Step 3 - Condense the words into one short phrase.

Your Vision is a statement summarising the main ideas and words you created and captures where you want to go, inspiring you to reach your goals. Vision statements must also have ambiguity in their expression to provide more scope to achieve, which is why your vision statement is not a goal. There is no right or wrong, good or bad; there is just what you want it to be. What could your business achieve if it became the best possible version of itself?

Creating a vision is an essential exercise for any business to complete. The purpose of creating a vision is to create a common direction, source of inspiration, and meaning for all on the team. For the vision to achieve this, it has to be lived and breathed within the business. Leaders who are committed to and focus on the vision daily will achieve the results they want through the vehicle of their plan. Because the vision informs the needs for goals, and goals require strategies in the form of planning to achieve them!

Book your Complimentary Strategy Session with a lead coach at Leaders Network if you would like support in deciding your Vision and Goals.

Use this framework to develop your business plan.

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 01:29:00 GMT

Everything has a starting point.

A new year, new day, new job, new business, new career, new relationship, new home, new holiday, the list could go on…

Starting something new can be daunting, overwhelming, and exciting for many. When we are clear about what we want from the new thing, it is like going on an adventure and enjoying the ride, even with all the ups and downs.

How do we be clear - we plan!

Creating or developing a plan for what you want to achieve is like giving yourself a roadmap for your adventure. The trip you will go on to get from the starting point of your new thing to the different destination points you want your new thing to give you.

Let's take starting or being in business. Every year or every opportunity can be a starting point for arriving at a new destination. By creating a plan using a proven framework and doing this consistently, the adventure of starting or growing your business can still be daunting and overwhelming. However, it will also be exciting because you will have greater clarity of your direction or what you want to achieve. Knowing where you want to go is critical; Steve Maraboli says, “If you don’t know exactly where you’re going, how will you know when you get there?”

Having a plan for your business is your roadmap to the future. You want the plan to take you from where you are now to where you want to be, your destination, and the goals you have set for yourself.

There are four key dimensions to consider when planning your business. Before sharing them with you, let's discuss plans and planning. They are two different things. Having a plan is one thing; however, planning is another ball game. Dwight D. Eisenhower's opinion was that "Plans are nothing; planning is everything." This implies that whatever you plan, you will be obliged to deviate from in response to circumstances and unplanned situations that will occur. This is the usual whirlwind of any business. There will be deviations, opportunities, changes, and disruptions. These are like tourist routes on your roadmap, your plan. These tourist routes allow you to see if any adjustments or changes to your plan are needed. The power of the plan is to give you the confidence that what you are focussing on is the most essential action to get to where you want in your business and life.

The Journal of Management Studies highlighted that companies with written business plans grow 30% faster, and the Journal of Small Business Management identified that 71% of fast-growing companies have strategic plans, business plans, or similar long-range planning tools in place. It all starts with having a proven framework to create your plan, which gives greater confidence that all the areas will be covered as you go on your planning journey. Even if you already have a plan for your business, you can use this framework to check in and ensure that all the areas to consider have been included.

Four dimensions provide a framework for creating and implementing a plan. We all have different levels of strength in our thinking around these dimensions, so that some areas will be more challenging.

Dimension One - Define the Big Picture

Dimension Two - Structure the Plan

Dimension Three - Act and Prioritise

Dimension Four - Empower and Collaborate

By consistently using this as the framework to develop and review your plan, the success you want to achieve will be yours as you move through time. In doing so, you will grow and learn, developing your thinking strength in these dimensions in the process!

If you would like support in developing your Business Plan, book your Complimentary Strategy Session with a lead coach at Leaders Network.

The Five P’s to Master Meeting Planning

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 04:53:00 GMT

We often have clients ask why planning is so important. Planning can be used in many ways, from planning a meeting to planning a business or life!

Planning is essential because it helps us see things that can help us achieve our goals before things happen. Planning also helps us know what may prevent us from achieving our goals and determine what to do about it.

Take meetings, for example. Many go into meetings without planning what they want to get out of the meeting. There is a parable about meetings that goes something like this. 'Are you lonely? Are you tired of working on your own? Hold a meeting. You can see people, show charts, feel important, point with a stick, eat doughnuts, and impress your colleagues on company time! Meetings, the practical alternative to work'

If you consider that time is our most precious non-renewable resource, it makes sense to go into a meeting with a goal for what you want to achieve and plan how you could achieve it. If you are the facilitator of the meeting, this is imperative, mainly if you aim to get others on board with a particular idea or project. Being able to plan a meeting is a great habit to build, particularly in business, as it leverages time and effort with efficacy when done well.

When meetings are not conducted effectively, most likely due to poor planning, they can be an utter waste of time. Hands up if you have ever experienced a meeting that wastes your time.

Effective meetings are opportunities to present information, solve problems, make decisions, and keep teams working together. This is why effective meetings are essential—they help you build trust, improve communication, and get more done in less time. Bill Gates reminds us, "You have a meeting to make a decision, not to decide on the question."

Planning for meetings enables you to use a structured approach to increase the likelihood of an effective meeting because it gives you a framework to follow, which makes the meeting flow better and means you are more likely to achieve the outcome and, at best, a win/win for all involved.

When meetings are required to make decisions and achieve goals, follow these five P's to ensure your meetings are effective (about leadership) and efficient (about management): Plan, Purpose, Participants, Process, and Payoff.

Plan

Use this simple format to plan your meeting - why is the meeting being held, what is to be covered at the meeting, how will the meeting be conducted, and who needs to be at the meeting?

Purpose

Establish a clear purpose for the meeting. When people know why a meeting is being held, there is the potential for greater engagement and participation.

Participants

When planning the meeting, give focused and conscious consideration to who is being invited to attend and why. What is the value they will bring to the decision-making? What preparation do you need them to do?

Process

How will the meeting be run? Is it in person or online? Have a set agenda and time allocated for each agenda item. Giving times enables the meeting to be facilitated effectively within the allotted time and keeps the meeting on track. This builds trust and credibility within teams.

Payoff

What is to be accomplished? What is the outcome, the decision to be made, the goal to be achieved? This must be specific so that the meeting participants and those who need to act can be held accountable.

When meetings are planned using these five P's, they will be more effective and efficient. Having a clear plan, purpose, required participants, and a good process with a timed agenda, the payoff to be achieved will more likely be realised. Future meetings will continue to improve as the planning habits for meetings continue to strengthen.

Book your Complimentary Strategy Session with a lead coach at Leaders Network if you would like support to strengthen your planning habits.

The Power of Self-Management: Overcoming Fear and Getting Out of Your Own Way

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 05:19:00 GMT

Have you ever wanted to give up and take the easy path in life?

Give up your dream because things get too hard, or you are not achieving the desired outcomes?

It is easy to think there must be a more straightforward way, and there often is, as it all depends on the approach you are taking now!

The big question is, what is the easy path in life? This is a question that will mean something different to every person who asks it. It all comes down to our beliefs and dreams about how we want our life to be. Many people do not even think about it. For others, these types of thoughts consume them. The more we know what we want to achieve in life, our dreams and aspirations, the more we can embrace all possibilities for a life of meaning and purpose. The only thing that can stop us is ourselves because, as Ralph Marston, a well-known author of motivational messages, reminds us, "There are plenty of difficult obstacles in your path. Don't allow yourself to become one of them."

To succeed in life, we need to decide what we want. Life is a gift; being alive and part of humanity is the greatest gift we all receive, so what we do with our time here is important to consider. Many people go through life not doing this, not even thinking about what they want to achieve, then arrive at the end and regret what they did not do. It does not matter what stage you are at; there is always time to decide to make changes and achieve more of what you want in life. Leading yourself and succeeding in achieving your life aspirations is what being alive is all about.

Success means different things to different people, and all that matters is what it means to you because nothing has meaning other than what you give it. So, deciding what success means to you is the starting point. The next step is deciding how to lead your own life. It starts with setting goals and having a plan to achieve them!

Setting goals is essential to success in business and life, and our beliefs about what is possible are compelling when it comes to achieving what we want. Our level of emotional intelligence influences how we show up to achieve our dreams, aspirations, and goals. We need to be able to get out of our way to lead and head towards the success we desire. This starts with a conscious awareness of what success means to you and what you are willing to do in developing the leadership skills to achieve it!

Leadership involves being aware of what is needed for personal growth because, so often, what is in the way is the way and when we can get out of our way to lead and succeed with what we want, anything is possible. Yes, the obstacles will still be there: the challenges, the roadblocks, the self-limiting beliefs and maybe even the insurmountable difficulties. However, if your awareness of dreams, aspirations and goals is solid and transparent, anything is possible. All you need is the strategies to navigate the challenges and obstacles that will get in your way to achieving your goals and success. We mostly get in our way because of fear and self-sabotage. When we self-sabotage, we allow our fear of failure, or maybe even fear of success, to stop us from achieving our dreams.

Understanding how we manage ourselves and our emotions is crucial to get out of our way. Self-management is one of the four domains of emotional intelligence developed by Daniel Goleman.

Here are three critical self-management skills to build on.

#1 Accountability.

Accountability is defined as an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or account for one’s actions and is one great strategy to stay motivated. Strategies to hold yourself accountable include:

#2. Emotional Regulation.

Emotional regulation is the ability to manage and respond to emotional experiences effectively. It is about managing our emotions to make decisions with rational thought. Strategies to build on emotional regulation include:

#3. Organisational skills.

Organisational skills allow you to use your resources efficiently, effectively, and flexibly. This means you can manage your time, energy, and space well, supporting you in accomplishing what you want successfully. Strategies to develop good organisational skills include:

These strategies can support you in developing your self-management skills and ability to achieve results in line with your goals. When goals are accomplished, you are well on the way to succeeding with your aspirations and dreams for the future you want to have. Making decisions today that your future self will thank you for is a powerful way to get out of your way to lead and succeed in business and life.

If you would like support to further develop the ability to manage yourself, your team, and your business, book your Complimentary Strategy Session with a lead coach at Leaders Network.

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Which Version of You is Leading?

The Passing of Decades

I Hated Networking Until I Learned What It Really Was

Life has a way of teaching us lessons we did not know we needed. ﻿

From External Certainty to Self-Generated Certainty

For most of my career, certainty surrounded me. I stayed for forty years, and then one day, they decided they no longer needed me.

Life Tests the Boundaries You Live By

Leaders Need a Roadmap, Not Just a Plan

When leaders are fearless, they set direction rather than react to it. Time moves forward whether we act with intention or drift on default. ﻿

Why Leaders Need a Roadmap

The Road Trip in Motion

The Identity Shift from Employee to Entrepreneur

I used to believe entrepreneurship was about creativity and ideas. I now know it is a fundamental shift in identity.

Employee Certainty vs Entrepreneur Certainty

Learning Is the Core Entrepreneurial Skill

Read more here , starting with The Four Stages of Learning .

If Nothing Changes, Nothing Changes

By now, the noise of New Year’s resolutions has usually faded.

Why resolutions don’t work

Leadership begins with how you think

Read more here , starting with why effort alone isn't enough

The Mentors of the Future are In Books

The mentors of the future are in books—but not all books are written by mentors. That decision is made by the reader. ﻿

The Future Belongs to Leaders Who Think Better

Most leaders work hard to improve what they do. Few stop to examine how they think. That’s the blind spot. ﻿

Why Thinking Habits Matter More Than Ever

When the Going Gets Tough, Smart Leaders Lean In: A 9-Step Framework for Win-Win Conversations

Imposter Syndrome is Good for You

Impostor Syndrome is Good for You

Willpower Won't Save You

Results aren’t a character test. They are a test of structure. When work is framed as a system, progress becomes non-negotiable, even on bad days. ﻿

Starts with a Story

Having a Go

Why Chunking Works

The Quarterly System

Five Steps to Chunk Your Plan

Step 1: Decide on One Outcome to Achieve in the Quarter.

Step 2: Identify goals in each Category.

Step 3: Break the quarterly goals and activities down into monthly.

Step 4: Build the Weekly and Daily Flow.

Step 5: Review every day.

Decide Consciously

To Sum Up

Spring Is Sprung: A 90‑Day Planning Reset

What Matters Most

Spring is Sprung

Nurture a Reset

Quarterly Planning

Brain-Friendly

Adaptive

Sharp Focus

Measurable Progress

Sustained Momentum

Spring Clean Checklist

# 1 - Set the destination

#2 - Prune your goals

#3 - Pick your lead measures

#4 - Time block

#5 - Design your bookends

#6 - Weed the distractions

#7 – Create a scoreboard

#8 - Weekly review

#9 - Monthly reset

#10 - Accountability

Get started now

To Sum Up

Show up Today to Shape Tomorrow

What you do daily becomes who you are. Quiet, consistent effort builds the future, and your future self will thank you for it.

The Law of Consistency

One Habit That’s Undermining Your Confidence

Embracing Difficult Conversations and Uncertainty

Do you avoid conversations because you think they might be tough?

Energy Speaks Louder Than Words

Your Thinking Determines Your Results

To achieve our goals in business and life, we must be curious about our thoughts, as our thinking shapes everything in our lives!

Final Thought

Tips to Feel in Control

The Power to Give Meaning is Yours

An explanation of how we process external information and how it shapes our thoughts and actions.

Life has a way of teaching us lessons we did not know we needed.

When leaders are fearless, they set direction rather than react to it. Time moves forward whether we act with intention or drift on default.

The mentors of the future are in books—but not all books are written by mentors. That decision is made by the reader.

Most leaders work hard to improve what they do. Few stop to examine how they think. That’s the blind spot.

Results aren’t a character test. They are a test of structure. When work is framed as a system, progress becomes non-negotiable, even on bad days.