QUALITY OF A LEADER ~ “FOCUS”
 
“The sharper it is, the sharper you are” ~ John Maxwell
“If you chase two rabbits, both will escape” ~ Unknown
“What people say, what people do, and what hey say they do are entirely different things.” Margaret Mead, Anthropologist
 
Do you know anyone who has success that has not FOCUS on the goal?  FOCUS is the key to your success.
 
If we would focus 70% of our activity time on our strengths, we would enjoy what we do and we will be more efficient. Why because we would sharpen our strengths. If we develop what we are good at, we become better.
Example:  You are very good at booking clients, but not good at closing the sale.  This is where you want to work with someone else, who is excellent at closing the sale but not good at booking.   That’s where a partnership could be develop, and both person would win in that situation.   One focus on the booking and the other focus on closing the sale. That’s where leveraging comes practical.
Focus 25% of your time on learning new things to be better in your strengths.
Growth equal change.  If you want to get better, you must keep changing and improving.  That means stepping out into new areas.
Example:  Playing golf is a great example – the more you practice, and the more you focus on your game the better you become.
Great news:  Focus only 5% on your area of weakness.
Find someone who is great at doing what you are not.  Minimize your weakness by having a team, someone working with you to cover your weakness.  Do what you do best and let someone else do the rest.
 
​Four (4) TIPS to help you get back on track and focus:
1)     Work on yourself – you are your greatest asset, invest in yourself and become the expert in your field of expertise.
2)     Work at your priorities – knowing your priorities and working on them demand commitment, engagement, persistence … that all equal to FOCUS
3)     Work in your strengths – you can reach your potential – you will do more than you can think or imagine
4)     Leverage what you can – you cannot be effective working alone.  As a small business owner, we have tendency to do everything, it comes a time if you want to grow your business you need to have other people working with you and for you, doing what you are weak at and you do what you do best.
 
I want to leave you with this story:
An experienced animal trainer takes a stool with them when they step into a cage with a lion.  Why a stool?  It tames a lion better than anything – except maybe a tranquilizer gun.  Where the trainer holds the stool with the legs extended towards the lion’s face, the animal tries to FOCUS on all four legs at once.  And that paralyzes him.  Divided focus always works against you.   Keep your eyes on the target.

 
Quote of the day:
 “We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give.”  ~   Winston Churchill
​
1.       The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People ~ Stephen Covey
2.       The Power of Habit: Why we do what we do in Life and Business ~ Charles Duhigg
3.       Think and Grow Rich ~ Napoleon Hill
4.       The 21 Laws of Leadership ~ John C. Maxwell
5.       The Power of Focus ~  Jack Canfield/Mark Victor Hansen/ Les Hewitt
6.       Who Move My Cheese? ~ Spencer Johnson
7.       Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action ~ Simon Sinek
8.       The Tipping Point: How little Things Can Make a Big Difference ~ Malcom Gladwell
9.       No Limits ~ John C. Maxwell
10.     Finding Fabulous ~ Lisa Dadd
 
Plus 3 Bonus for those In Direct Sales and/or in Network Marketing
1)      The Business of the 21 Century by Robert T. Kiyosaki
2)      The 4 Year Career by Richard Bliss Brooke
3)      The 4-hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss

In today’s world, we hear a lot about leadership.  What is true leadership?
John Maxwell says it well:  “Leaders have followers, who’s following you?”  If you have followers, chances are you are a leader.   What type of leader are you?   Are you a leader because someone saw potential in you and gave you your position, or you are there because you have a history of leadership and people want to be around you? 
John Maxwell gives us 5 levels of leadership.  In this article we will look at “leading by position.”

1. Leading by position, what does that mean?

• We often combine the term “leadership” with “management.”  Managers, tell people what to do.  If you’re at this level of leadership, you are in your position because someone believed you have what it takes to be a great leader.  Someone trusts you enough to give you the responsibility to influence other people.  Traditionally, this position used to be delegated, but in the last 10 years, true leaders have emerged because there have been more opportunities available to them to demonstrate their potential.

2.  A leadership position is given to someone with a degree of authority. 

• This leadership position is given to someone whose potential to grow the cause or organization has been recognized and, at the right time, is called upon to use that authority with wisdom and influence.

3. A leadership position is only the beginning of your leadership development. 

• From any moment, you have the potential to either become a great leader or to stay where you are in your current season.   You have not achieved leadership success merely by gaining a leadership position.  To become a great leader, it is crucial you invest in yourself and grow in your ability and knowledge as a leader.

4. A leadership position allows potential leaders to shape and define their leadership style.

• ​Once you’re in a role of greater influence, ask yourself how you want to be known. This is your opportunity to decide what kind of leader you will be.  Though your position is defined, how you lead will be determined by your values and character. You can be a good, bad, or great leader, the choice is in your hands. Here are some questions to ask yourself that will help shape you as a leader:
  • Am I a team builder?
  • Do I want to be known as an encourager? 
  • Do I give orders or ask questions? 
  • How will I treat people?
  • What type of example do I want to set?

 
An invitation to lead is an invitation to make a difference, and a leadership position is only the beginning of your journey.  Great leadership changes peoples’ lives, forms teams, builds organizations, impacts communities and transforms the world.  What type of leader will you be?