Leadership Solutions

Leadership: Immortality at Last!

2009-12-15T01:00:00-08:00

We finally achieved something that humans have sought since the beginning of thought.

Immortality.

And it's available to everyone. Today. Without having to spend a fortune on something like a pyramid or massive monument.

Unfortunately, this may not be the type of immortality that people want.

Here's why:

1) E-mail.

All e-mail sent to or from a company e-mail account is saved on their server. It's possible that a billion years from now an archeologist will be reading your e-mail to gather ideas for an article. It's also possible that next month an HR manager may be reading your e-mail to resolve a dispute.

Point: Avoid sending cryptic or foolish messages. Never include information about your personal affairs. Always proof read and spell check your messages. Use proper grammar, complete sentences, and standard formatting. Make sure that each e-mail could be printed on the front page of your local newspaper.

2) Voice Mail.

Voice mail left on most company phone systems and many personal ones is also saved somewhere. For example, I subscribe to a voice mail service from my phone company, which will saves messages. In addition, people can forward messages or save them on other media.

Point: Leave wise voice mail messages. Take a moment before calling to plan an outline of key points and questions. These will help you leave a better message and make your call more efficient if you actually reach the other person. (Yes, this actually happens.)

3) Web Accounts.

Most people have signed up to buy things or subscribe to services on web sites. Some of these have recurring charges, which will go on and on for as long as your payment account is active.

Point: Leave a copy of login information with a trusted friend. Provide instructions on how to close accounts, retrieve information, or transfer ownership. This could be important in the case of an emergency, such as an accident. Review all web accounts periodically and close those that no longer provide value.

Key Point: The Internet brings with it new considerations that require extra planning. Make sure that you're taking these into account.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

Leadership: Why People Stall

2009-12-14T01:00:00-08:00

This can happen to anyone.

They reach an impasse, and then they stall.

Here's what can happen and what to do:

1) They don't know what to do.

This can happen when old procedures no longer provide desired results. Or, it can happen when current procedures suddenly break down.

Action: Learn new procedures. I realize that this seems trivial. Yet, many organizations postpone learning until there is a crisis. It can also become complicated when finding answers involves finding resources for new procedures.

Simple web searches may offer a good start. After that consider consulting experts, coaches, or advisors. Consultants, both internal and external, may be able to advise on options that will help.

This type of stall can be avoided by making active learning part of your ongoing work process. Then you have the most current procedures. (Note: My workshops may be part of your solution. Call me to find out if they fit your situation.)

2) They don't know how to do it.

People know what excellence is, yet they don't know how to achieve it.

Action: Attend workshops or other learning events that let you practice using essential skills. Ideally, an effective workshop should be a learning experience that helps you discover and test new skills.

Sometimes people ask me to give a seminar-type presentation because they just want the facts. While this is better than nothing, it lacks the practice that creates deeper, more useful learning. Thus, budget the time for an active learning program.

3) They don't know if it will work.

People feel cautious when confronted with trying a new skill for the first time. Then they delay or avoid taking action.

Action: In this case, begin by acknowledging that inhibition is an obstacle. Then take steps to overcome it.

For example, you might: a) Nibble your way into using the new skill by taking small steps or by using the easy parts of the skill, b) Practice in a rehearsal with friends who can provide an evaluation, or c) Tell a trusted client (or colleague) that you using a new skill and want their comments, which reframes your effort into a learning experience.

Key Point: Obstacles are unavoidable. Our success depends upon finding ways to overcome them.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

Leadership: Life Saver

2009-12-11T01:00:00-08:00

I saved a life the other day. And the experience left a chilling memory.

Here's what happened.

It was night. I was backing out of a parking space. And suddenly I saw someone behind the car.

I slammed on the brakes.

And a teenager ambled safely by while talking on a cell phone.

Most accidents are not singular events. They occur when a critical number of mistakes happen at the same time.

For example, if I had made the mistake of backing out quickly without looking, I could have run over the teenager. Our two mistakes would then have combined to cause a tragedy.

There's a deeper issue here for all of us.

It's the matter of taking full responsibility for ourselves. This means paying attention while walking through parking lots. And it includes everything else.

Near misses happen to remind us of important lessons like this one. So here is a friendly reminder to take inventory of everything that you're doing to make sure that you are in control of it.

For example, do you have a business plan for your career? For your life? For your retirement? These, you know, include a vision, goals, strategies, and plans.

Do you have a personal investment plan for wealth, learning, relationships, recreation, health, and other dimensions of your life?

In general, are you in control of what you're doing? Or are you ambling along in the dark, trusting that others will take care of you?

Whatever your answers, use the final weeks in this year to design a future where you're in control.

Key Point: It's our responsibility to take care of ourselves.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

PS: My workshops are a wise investment in being more effective.

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

Leadership: More Than a Dollhouse

2009-12-10T01:00:00-08:00

This started as a good idea.

I decided to build a doll house for our daughter. It was going to be a Christmas gift many years ago when she was a young girl.

So, I bought a kit. Then I spent evenings in the basement assembling, sanding, and painting.

Certainly, our daughter was pleased when she pulled the paper off the large pink dollhouse.

And this was only the beginning of the gift. During the weeks ahead, we decorated the house.

So we painted the rooms. We put wallpaper in other rooms. And we built a few pieces of simple furniture. By the time we finished, each room was a different color, just like a real house.

This dollhouse became more than just another toy. It became a father-daughter project. And with this came the lasting gift of spending time together making priceless memories.

We've worked on other projects, too. When she was eight years old we installed a garage door opener together. From this she learned how to use a socket wrench and other tools.

This brings forward an important lesson for the holidays.

For many of us, giving gifts is a tradition. So we spend a month finding, buying, and accumulating them.

Let's pause to reflect upon what we're really giving as gifts.

Most of them are things.

Things are really ordinary. They can be returned, ignored, or forgotten.

This happens because people want something that's more important than another thing. They want the gift of spending time with you.

Consider this when you plan your shopping.

Your time is far more precious than any object that you could buy. And giving some of yourself will be more appreciated, leaving memories that last a lifetime.

Key Point: Find ways to give part of yourself as a gift.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

Leadership: Audience Rant (a Poem)

2009-12-09T01:00:00-08:00

Hey you!

Up there

on that stage.

Before you say a word,

we want you to know

we’ve heard the tapes,

seen the videos, and

read the books,

so,

what have you got

that’s new?

And one more thing:

we don’t care

if you’re glad to be here,

ate bran for breakfast,

or had crazy parents

because the last ten

speakers told us that.

We don’t care if you

wear clothes inside out,

leave socks on the floor,

or paint your nails green

because we’re not

getting married.

We don’t care

if your flight was late,

they lost your bag, or

the cab smelled bad

because that happened

to us, too.

And

we really don’t care

how rich you are.

Nope. Not one bit.

All we care about

is if you can help us.

So take off the mask,

be a real human being,

and show us something

that works when we

get home.

- - -

Key Point: This will probably ruin the speaking business for 90% of the speakers out there. Of course, if you want something that works, call me. I can help.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

Leadership: Smart Plant

2009-12-08T01:00:00-08:00

It's just a plant.

And yet it's doing something very smart.

I can tell because I've been watching this plant since I bought it at a craft fair a few weeks ago. Since then the plant has been on bookshelf next to my window.

By the way, the plant is a Sedum Hernandezii, which is a rugged, drought tolerant plant that will grow almost anywhere.

So here's what happened: Every part of the plant is now pointing or leaning toward the window.

- - -

Notice the tips are generally pointing toward the left, which is where the window is.

- - -

Why?

The plant wants light.

As you know, light is the source of life. A plant must have it to survive. So this little plant is doing everything possible to capture as much light as possible.

There's a leadership parallel here.

What if you were like a light?

That is, what if your manner was such that it attracted people toward you? What if people wanted to spend time with you? What if people brought you the information that you needed to make decisions?

Could that make a difference in your effectiveness?

If you are a light, you know how important this is.

Key Point: Be a light. It's the mark of an effective leader.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

Web Site

Leadership: 5 Cures for Writer's Block

2009-12-07T01:00:00-08:00

Yes, this really happens.

Sometimes I find myself stuck when writing. Everything on the page feels flat, ordinary, and uninspired.

You might expect this to happen, since I spend hours writing every day. My writing includes blogs (one every day), other (longer) articles, plus a variety of business materials, including proposals, program descriptions, and letters.

So what do I do?

1) Keep writing.

Often continuing to write clears the mental fog. So I'll write my way through the block that has stopped me. (Note: if I were to quit every time that I encountered an obstacle, I'd never accomplish anything.)

2) Take a break.

Going for a walk always generates ideas. So I'll walk to the Post Office (3 miles round trip) or to Trader Joe's (4 miles round trip). Since I carry index cards and a pen, I'll stop to jot down ideas as they occur. Sometimes a short break also helps, such as spending a few minutes exercising.

3) Change topics.

Being stuck may be a clue. It might mean that my approach is wrong. Or perhaps the topic is wrong. In any case, starting a new article often puts me on track to write something useful.

4) Read something.

Usually I'll find at least a few ideas in a magazine. So, I'll read for 10 or 15 minutes. By the way, I read from the view point of: a) What's the next step, b) What did the author leave out, or c) How can this be applied to leadership?

5) Check my files.

Right now I have about a 4-inch thick stack of assorted notes and drafts of potential articles. This represents a huge inventory of ideas, which can become articles. (Note: I write notes all of the time: while I'm on hold, while working on other projects, and even while writing an article. By the end of a day I may have at least a dozen such notes.)

Key Point: Being stuck is just a challenge to break free.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

Web Site

Leadership: The Epitome of Nothing

2009-12-04T01:00:00-08:00

It is so quiet that you can hear a bird fly.

Yet, Death Valley is a complete ecosystem. There are scattered plants, small critters, and a few larger ones such as ravens, road runners, and coyotes.

Here are photos from a recent trip.

- - -

Manly Beacon from Zabriskie Point

- - -

Bad Lands

- - -

Artist's Way

- - -

You'll find more photos of Death Valley at: Steve Kaye's Photos

Note: I posted these photos just this week, and will post more soon.

Key Point: The desert offers amazing beauty.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

Web Site

Leadership: Everyone's Perfect Role Model

2009-12-03T01:00:00-08:00

Have you ever wondered why cats are so successful?

Since we can achieve greater success by emulating those who have achieved it, here's the answer:

1) Clear Mission

Every cat knows that the mission of a cat is to be a cat. Thus, they spend all of their time being a cat. They never attempt to be something else, such as a hamster or a goldfish.

Humans: Do you have a clear mission for your life? Do you follow it daily? If not, spend the closing weeks of this year to find your personal mission.

2) No Fear

Cats fear nothing. In fact, the word fear does not exist in their vocabulary. Thus, cats spend no time on worry, excuses, or blame. They live each day as fully as possible without any hesitation.

Humans: Fear causes all human problems. It weakens and leads to bad decisions. Thus, eliminate fear. Meet with yourself to find it and then toss it out. Seek help if needed.

3) Enough

Cats live within enough. They eat enough. They sleep enough. They work enough. They never stay up too late watching too much TV while eating too many snacks.

Humans: Most people have enough. In fact, it's likely that most people in the world live on less than you do. Thus, strive to make enough a personal strategy.

Key Point: Simplicity leads to serenity.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

Web Site

Leadership: Everyone's Perfect Role Model

2009-12-03T01:00:00-08:00

Have you ever wondered why cats are so successful?

Note: If you prefer, imagine that this article is about dogs. (This is a equal pet information resource.)

Since we can achieve greater success by emulating those who have achieved it, here's the answer:

1) Clear Mission

Every cat knows that the mission of a cat is to be a cat. Thus, they spend all of their time being a cat. They never attempt to be something else, such as a hamster or a goldfish.

Humans: Do you have a clear mission for your life? Do you follow it daily?

2) No Fear

Cats fear nothing. In fact, the word fear does not exist in their vocabulary. Thus, cats spend no time on worry, excuses, or blame. They live each day as fully as possible without any hesitation.

Humans: Eliminate fear. Meet with yourself to find it and then toss it out.

3) Enough

Cats live within enough. They eat enough. They sleep enough. They work enough. They never stay up too late watching too much TV while eating too many snacks.

Humans: Live within enough. Refrain from packing more of what you already have.

Key Point: If the keys to success are so simple that a cat an apply them, what about us?

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

Web Site