“Never confuse education with intelligence. Intelligence isn’t the ability to remember and repeat, like they teach you in school. Intelligence is the ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and use our knowledge to adapt to new situations.”
Let your values be your compass
I think the hardest part of leadership is knowing yourself and I truly believe that leadership exists in each of us. To be a great leader one must know who you are, and what's most important to you. We must acknowledge who we are both our successes and our shadows. We must resist the urge to ”cancel” people and celebrate those who persevere; those who remain calm in a storm and embrace their shadows.
Leaders are not born; they are made through values, virtues, principles, and character.The most common way we give away our power is thinking we don't have any. Lead from within in order to empower others to stand in their truth and to speak in their power. All you need is a heart full of grace, and a soul generated by love.
Unfit to lead
Yesterday, John Amaechi OBE said, “The passing of a leader who failed to live up to their promises is nothing more than an opportunity. An opportunity for the successor to prove every day and with every interaction that now - finally - integrity will be an unbreakable principle of their leadership.”
I really hope that the next leader will have better awareness, sensitivity and understanding of leadership skills required. Sometimes we forget that not everyone is cut out to hold a leadership role. So, we must ask the candidates what motivates them to want to lead other people. And if they don't emphasise the importance of helping others grow, succeed, and thrive, we should look at other applicants.
Change into something that elevates you
c/o Getty Images
Why can’t we be seen until we learn to see?
I think to see means that you have empathy, it means to realise that no one cares about you and your opinion, they care about themselves and their own opinion. If you can’t see them for who they are and for where their fears, desires, and dreams, they will ignore you because they only want to hang out with people who can see them. Being seen is an unlimited need that people you serve have and if you can see them and understand them, you can tell them a story that they want to hear and they are more likely to engage with you. Remember that you cannot be empathic to everyone, you cannot see and understand everyone, so pick who you are going to see and understand and do that.
“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.”
We begin with a choice
“To be old and wise, you must have been young and stupid.” I think that as soon as you understand that nobody owes you anything and you don’t have the right to be heard, seen, or appreciated, it makes it so much easier to let go of all of that. This action will free up all of your brain to do the things that you said you wanted to do in the first place.
It’s an epiphany when you realise that no one owes me anything as when I start believing that you owe me something, then I have signed up for that outcome and the toxic cycle of betting on the outcome. I have gratitude for the freedom that this realisation has given me, and I refuse to dance to the beat of someone else’s drum. I am grateful to those people who have given me the opportunity to do my work.
“The years teach much which the days never knew.”
What is stress?
What is stress?
I’m not a medical expert so I cannot give you a medical answer. One of the best descriptions of the word that I have head was from the marketing guru, Seth Godin, who described stress as wanting to do two things at the same time, for example, stay and go, be quiet and be seen, whatever two things they are. When you are stressed at work it’s because you don’t want to be at work and the same time you want to get paid, and that causes stress.
I think that if you are stressed all day long it’s easy to lose all enthusiasm for anything, and what amplifies this is when you are afraid of something; you’re afraid of being insufficient, you’re afraid of doing a bad job and you feel like an imposter. When we add all of this up, modern industrial work is filled with stress and kills passion, so it’s not surprising that there is so much dissatisfaction in the way we do our work. This is why people who can’t find a better path go home and self-medicate with alcohol, pills or Netflix, and the people who can go home and find a hobby or literature that elevates themselves. Contact me via e-mail when you ready to turn your work or hobby into more of a less stressful choice which fills you up with energy and joy.
Third quarter overview
c/o Nasdaq
As we enter the third quarter, it’s time for the annual look at your messaging and product offering. It’s time to break free from the myopic way of thinking to focus on what your customers or potential customers are looking for now and in the next 12 months. Whenever you next bring your team together, examine your organisation as it stands now. Revisit your mission statement, core values, your product assortment and ask yourself: What is the value your customers are seeking from your products? Why would people buy or use it?
It’s important to understand who your customer is in terms of psychographics, behavioural factors and to a lesser extent demographics. The world around us is continuously changing in a whole variety of ways, therefore, you always need to be visionaries and remain forward thinking to stay ahead of your competitors.
Where do you need to make changes?
As a strategic leader it’s important to develop the direction the organisation is going via workshops. In my experience big ideas result from collaboration, study, and research analysis. Once you have the big idea you must develop a clear communication strategy of how you will communicate them efficiently throughout the organisation. Afterwards, oversee the implementation of these big ideas and finally, determine how the big ideas need to be refined and changed on a continuous basis. I think communicating these big ideas takes place daily through everything that you do. Contact me via e-mail for a meeting to discuss your workshop options.
Journey of discovery
How does purpose drive performance?
Your purpose will be the foundational base for driving strategy, so sharpen and tweak it continuously, and this will also help to implement it. Purpose is not a statement, it’s an ideal. Purpose is a sense of what are my goals and ambition, purpose also asks what my duties are and why I exist. Writing the words is the easy part, the hard part is how you translate a set of words into a plan of action. And when you think long-term it forces you to think about the stakeholders you want to serve.
The Golden Circle defined
WHAT?
Every organisation knows WHAT they do. This is where the organisation now sell their products or services.
HOW?
Some organisations know HOW they do it? This represents the processes and strategies the organisation uses to achieve success. These are the things that make them special, in other words, what sets them apart from their competition.
WHY?
Very few organisations know WHY they do what they do. WHY is not about making money as that is a result. The WHY focuses on the purpose, cause or belief, it’s the very reason your organisation exists.
“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it!”
The Golden Circle
In his book, “Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action,” Simon Sinek discusses the principals behind every successful person and business. It’s a simple and powerful model for how leaders inspire action, starting with a “Golden Circle” and the question “Why?”
“First why and then trust.”
Leaders and organisations with the capacity to inspire, think, act, and communicate from inside out and that’s why they start with “Why?” And this drives decision-making and behaviour when we communicate in that way.
Why before the what
When you really feel an idea and just don’t take “no” for an answer, it doesn’t take much for us to feel good about ourselves. We don’t have to announce it to the world, we just have to begin, and the small journey will have begun.
“I am so grateful for the circumstances that brought me to this place as all these twists and turns have brought me to this destination. Now I have the opportunity to serve other people as well as to help myself fulfil my destiny.”
Perseverance is the key
Perseverance means to do something continuously in spite of obstacles and the key to success in any field is the perseverance of a human being. Success in life doesn't come easily and there are many failures and hurdles that one has to clear before reaching the goal of achievement. I think that almost every successful person begins with two beliefs: the future can be better than the present, and I have the power to make it so. And if you keep persevering long enough, you will achieve your true potential.
“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off of you.”
Will you remember me?
What’s the one thing you want people to remember?
To answer this question, I would have to think of a person that I respect and the traits they have that I really like. Vision and mission have been popular concepts, these terms are often mixed up and their differences are not understood. Let me clarify:
A vision statement is an aspirational statement made by an organisation that articulates what it would like to achieve. For example: What is the dream you have that describes an ideal future state of your business?
A mission statement is defined as an action-based statement that declares the purpose of an organisation and how they serve their customers. For example: What you do? > How you do it? > Why you do it?
There is magic in the air
We should focus our gratitude exercise on the meaningful things in our lives of which we are certain, such as our friendships, passions, or family, thereby reminding ourselves that while uncertainty exists in some aspects of our lives, certainty still prevails in many others. I think that there is magic when organisations can inspire people to align their own personal passion, self-understanding, and desire for growth with the common organisational ambitions.
“No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
Don't blow your own trumpet
There’s no greater human experience than the experience of being understood. The final deliverable of a strategy is not a document as people don’t follow documents, they follow leaders and ideas. I think great leadership is always about a powerful narrative and the bigger the change, the more important the story becomes. Good stories engage people emotionally through vivid metaphors, examples, and images. Stories create meaning and people are in the search for meaning in their lives and in their workplace.
“The task of a leader is to be the trumpet that sounds the clear sound.”
No one cares about you!
It’s a fact that people talk about stuff that raises their status, builds connections, and helps them get to the emotional place they seek to get to. People only talk about you because it helps them not because it helps you. When someone buys a brand, for example, 13, it’s not because they like the brand. In reality, it’s because they want their friends to feel inadequate and they want to raise their status. Will your life really be better if you have more Instagram or Facebook followers?
By trying to fit in with the crowd means changing who you are to avoid attention or criticism. Any time you allow someone to have a negative influence over the way you think, feel, or behave, you give them power over you. Giving away your personal power drains you of the mental strength you need to be the best version of yourself. Please do not give other people your power as by giving away your personal power, you sabotage your chances of success.
Ignite your enthusiasm
How do you sell your products and services effectively?
Some people are better than others at telling their story. You have to keep pushing as the resilience and perseverance is what will drive your company and they are the key characteristics of entrepreneurs. We must never forget that our customers are our sales force, and we will need to get our customers talking about our products and services and sharing those experiences.
How will you communicate the vision behind your company?
I think passion is everything and it starts from the leader whose vision it was to build that company. Passion is contagious, and I am passionate about building self-esteem and this comes across in every conversation. I think it takes courage to be simple.
Think smart
Yesterday was the longest day of the year (summer solstice). And this time of the year in Denmark marks the end of the school year as well as gymnasium graduation rituals. The young me and old me agree on a few things here and there, and this is one of them...
“If your success is predicated upon the notion of unanimity then you will always be a slave to public opinion of your work. Seeking validation is rooted in having no sense of self: Self-respect. Self-empowerment. Self-agency. Self-identity. Art is unfortunately surrounded by the pretext of validation and approval. So much so that we see it as “the way things are supposed to be.” If we are to create art that is meaningful then we must delve inward not outward.”
Figure it out
It’s not a matter of whether you will succeed, it’s a matter of where you are choosing to take your talents. We can always get more money, but we can’t get any more time as there are only 24 hours in a day, so therefore, time is the most valuable asset. Wherever you go, you already know that your talents include the ability to succeed. I think organisation incentives are not always aligned with what is best for the employees.
Here are a few questions:
· Where do you want to succeed?
· How are you going to spend your time?
· And how do you want to succeed?
· What are your success criteria going to look like?
Remember things don’t get harder, you just get better at them. The test doesn’t get harder, you just get smarter. Contact me via e-mail for a free, “Where do I go now?” evaluation.