Show me your shoes

A few weeks ago, standing at the check-out line the corner of my eye caught a tote that read:

A-B-C-D-E

In the workplace, there is a lot of talk of people going ABCD i.e. Above and Beyond the Call of Duty. Last year I wrote a piece titled A-B-C-D* and this past summer, actually 5 weeks ago, I was blessed to listen to a Female Leader (@beojajuni) who talked about the A-B-C-D-E of a Total Woman.

I'll share some tidbits from her message and my comments will be in purple font:

 

Her text was Ephesians 2:10 - here's the Amplified Version:

For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art],

created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above - spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used]

for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set],

so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].

Attitude: She quoted Winston Churchill who said that Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference."

"A healthy attitude is contagious, but don't wait to catch it from others. Be a carrier." ~ Anonymous

When you think about Attitude @ Work and in life, you would agree with me as I agree with Walter Scott that "For success, attitude is equally as important as ability."

Beauty: She reminded us that everything God created is beautiful and we should all chose to see beauty in people and things around us.

"Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it." - Confucius

I like this definition of Beauty "Beauty is being the best possible version of yourself on the inside and out." (Unknown)

Another wise unknown person said: "You create beauty with your attitude, your behavior, your actions, it's all up to you." So there's a link between our attitude, our beauty and  our character. Let's talk about character now.

Character: She shared this definition - "it's a combination of features that distinguish who you are." She added that it cannot be hidden. Essentially, it is who you are and what will allow you remain in the "job." Our character must be consistent...

She also shared this quote (and substituted "Men" for "Women") - Men of genius are admired, men of wealth are envied, men of power are feared; but only men of character are trusted.**

Albert Einstein link our attitude and our character; he said: "Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character."

Discipline: She said that often we talk about Diligence but it takes discipline to be diligent. She also quoted Jim Rohn who said: "Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment."

I like how she encapsulated this point by sharing Hebrews 12:11 -

For the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems sad and painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness [right standing with God and a lifestyle and attitude that seeks conformity to God’s will and purpose]. (AMP)

Bottom line: When you are disciplined, you are determined.

This quote by Zig Ziglar connects 3 of the attributes well: "It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through."

 

 Excellence: She told us that Excellence portrays discipline. And that since we serve an Excellent God so we must strive for excellence in all that we do. It must be a habit - not a happenstance.

And that ties to this quote attributed to Colin Powell "If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude."

She also quoted Ralph Marston who said:

"Excellence is not a skill, it's an attitude."

Just in case you didn't notice, we've come full circle...this last quote brings us back to "Attitude." 

As I wrap this up I'd like you to consider these 3 quotes (plus 1 question):

 

Your attitude determines your altitude. ~ Zig Ziglar
 

Your attitude is either the lock on, or the key to the door of success. ~ Denis Waitley

Attitudes are contagious. Are yours worth catching? ~ Dennis and Wendy Mannering

In addition to these, A-B-C-D-E also means Above and Beyond the Call of Duty Everyday for me. So consider your A-B-C-D-E and go A-B-C-D-E.

References:

* http://empowered-women-excel.blogspot.com/2015/08/a-b-c-d.html

** Quote attributed to Alfred Adler and Zig Ziglar and others whose names are in between A & Z

What's your Personality Type?

Every time I hear someone say “I’m a ‘Type A’ Personality” I start trying to remember what my “Personality Type” is.

I’ve been really blessed to have taken various "Personality Type" tests including: Meyers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), SDI (Strength Deployment Inventory), I-Opt, DISC and others I don't remember. I usually agree with the results. However, I never seem to remember much more about those tests in order to confidently “describe” myself by them later. I believe that may be because I dislike labels.

The reason I’ve given up is that for the past 2 years or so I’ve been trying to locate all the various personality tests I’ve taken so I can collate and compare the results to determine a trend. When you look at the Google Dico, Personality is defined as "the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual's distinctive character." So your Personality Type much more than labels...it's who you are.

My conclusion: My Personality Type is FWMM – Fearfully and Wonderfully-Made Masterpiece.
The reason is simple, Psalm 139: 14 says

"I will give thanks and praise to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 

Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well." (AMP)

And Ephesians 2:10 tells me that

"For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,

so we can do the things he planned for us long ago." (NLT)

So in line with my FWMM Personality Type, I will continue to do good work and good works @ work so my life gives God praise. What’s your Personality Type? Are you living up to it?

Have a great month ahead living up to your Personality Type!

Who's holding your ladder?

Last month, I wrote a piece about being a ladder* and 2 years ago, I shared some "Ladder Lessons."**

Then this past weekend I watched a short but impactful webcast titled "Who's holding your ladder?" by @SamChand. It's one that every leader needs to listen to and learn from.

He quoted Alvin Toffler and it stuck:

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write,

but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.

I believe that's enough said...check it out

https://yb300.infusionsoft.com/…/b9…/314076/fc3ae4913bf7a67d

References:
* http://empowered-women-excel.blogspot.ca/2016/07/are-you-ladder.html
** http://empowered-women-excel.blogspot.ca/2014/09/ladder-lessons.html

"I have one too..."

Recently I stepped into the elevator/lift, said "Good morning" to those in there. I believe (only) one person responded to me and that she did without lifting her face... I'm sure you can guess why - yes, she and the other person in the elevator were on their phones. The next thought that went through my mind (and action to my hand) was:
"I have one too" as I reached into my purse...then stopped.

A little later, I pulled out my phone to add a reminder to write this piece so let's get on with it...

Have you noticed that more and more our "screens" are keeping us from seeing and interacting with other people? It a really sad state of things. People would rather text or type than talk.

How did we manage life before these "screens" took over the scene? Some of us have lost the connection with others. For any leader to be successful, she or he (as the case may be) must establish, be and remain connected to her/his team members.

Communicating often and well is key to establishing a connection with your team members. Caring or being compassionate to your team members is "easier" where a connection exists.
Teddy Roosevelt, John Maxwell and others who this quote has been attributed to said it best "People won't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

It's so easy to get sucked into a screen and have the "I have one too" attitude. We should guard against that. Leadership is about people...and people need connection - to others not just to the impersonal network. This HBR article The subtle ways our screens are pushing us apart gives us some great tips for staying connected to our team members who are not co-located with us.

The next time you go into an elevator, drop the "I have one too" attitude and say "Hello" to one or 2 people - you never know who your next Manager or Team member will be. Stay connected...

Other recommended reading:
7 proven ways to genuinely connect with your employees
The 10 Cs of Employee Engagement/

Are you a "Ladder"?

A few months ago I heard a leader recognizing his own leader and say:

"You need a Leader as a Ladder."

It struck me and I tweeted about it* and felt led to write about it too.

Armed and Aimed...

Those 3 words struck a cord in my heart and stuck in my mind as I listened to the audio version of my favourite book.

"A little kindness goes a long way..."

That was the first phrase that popped into my head after I read  “A remarkable Act of Kindness.”* In summary, it was about the kindness a United Customer Service Representative extended to one customer and his family.

I’m sure the last paragraph was properly positioned for an “exit with a bang” effect and it worked on me – which is why I proceeded to write this piece. It said:

“If you have ever have the opportunity to travel to Pohnpei, Rickson would probably be one of the United Customer Service Representatives you would remember,” wrote Oliver’s supervisor, Nary Reyes, in his United 100 nomination. “He has the kind of attitude that makes everyone around him smile and instantly be in a great mood. But he doesn’t limit his greatness to his working hours. Rickson is always kind and looking to help those in need outside of work as well. What he did for this customer is remarkable, and I am beyond proud to be on his team.”

Oh wow! Right? Did you notice the last 10 words? Ok read it again…

There were 2 main “Way of Working” lessons (which  can WoW others) that I derived from this article:

1. Everyone can help someone – even if it’s with a smile – and know that that’s a good start.
2. Everyone can get others to help others with a smile and more. For me this was a superb example of Faith@Work. I wouldn’t be surprised if more people went to find out more about the church he attends and maybe even start fellowshipping there.

The last 10 words of the article also made a deep impression on me; his supervisor was “proud to be on his team”? Usually, it’s the other way around where supervisors are proud to have you on their team. What this reminded me of was my usual mantra that you don’t have to be “recognized” as a leader to be a leader. Each of us can be a leader in the way we conduct ourselves and interact with others. I agree that we need to respect and obey recognized leaders/managers/supervisors but that doesn’t stop you from cultivating and demonstrating leadership qualities. I shared a few of these qualities in my posts in Q1.**

 

Indeed a little kindness goes a long way and even puts you on the “Highway” – the Highway of God. One of God’s desires is that we are kind one to another. As they say, don’t look down on anyone except you’re helping them up…#BeKind wherever you are - even at work.

References:

* Article by Julia Wislocka on page 16 of the May 2016 Edition of Hemisphere @hemispheresmag 

** Q1 posts

http://empowered-women-excel.blogspot.com/2016/01/leader.html

http://empowered-women-excel.blogspot.com/2016/01/leader_15.html

http://empowered-women-excel.blogspot.com/2016/02/leader_1.html

http://empowered-women-excel.blogspot.com/2016/02/leader.html

http://empowered-women-excel.blogspot.com/2016/03/leader.html

http://empowered-women-excel.blogspot.com/2016/03/leader_15.html

The 5 marks of Authentic Leadership*

When I was writing on the "A" for the LEADER series, I found this article which I had to share...and I added pictures

Many people have written on what it means to be a leader. Almost everyone identifies influence as the primary characteristic. By definition, this means that leadership and position are two different things. You can have a title, and a position of power, but this does not mean that you are a leader. Even people without these things can exert influence and thus leadership.

Dress up

I found these 3 statements when looking through my old notes:

Clothes should skim, not cling.

Avoid a closet full of clothes with nothing to wear.

Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.

 
I've written about the 1st and last points* so want to keep this piece short & sweet.

So I'll wrap this up with 3 more statements made by men:

Know, first, who you are; and then adorn yourself accordingly.  ~Epictetus

You cannot climb the ladder of success dressed in the costume of failure. ~ Zig Ziglar

Bottom-line:

If there is one thing I know about dressing properly, it's all a sign of self-respect...

Let me see how you dress and I can tell if you have self-respect.

*For further reading
http://empowered-women-excel.blogspot.ca/2012/08/dress-essence.html


http://empowered-women-excel.blogspot.ca/2012/03/dress-sense.html


http://empowered-women-excel.blogspot.ca/2012/03/essence-of-dress-sense.html


http://empowered-women-excel.blogspot.ca/2012/09/next-size-please.html
http://mrs-pastor-and-pastor-mrs.blogspot.com/2013/09/power-full-dressing.html
http://mrs-pastor-and-pastor-mrs.blogspot.com/2013/08/mrs-pastor-vs.html

Ambition is not sufficient

As we start the 2nd Quarter, it's a good time to assess how Q1 went and what we look forward to in the months to come. In other words, let's assess our "ambition."

L.E.A.D.E.R.

The last letter in this word is definitely not the least - it actually is the cornerstone of great leadership if you ask me. "R" stands for "Respect" - which I'm sure you know is earned not demanded...

With all that has been said about Respect, I sincerely believe that: "There is no respect for others without humility in one's self."*

Humility is such a powerful attribute for Leaders.

Respect isn't as much about what you call people as "how" you call them. There are several visible forms of Respect but the invisible ones are more important, more "apparent" & appreciated more...by many - very many.

With a slightly different take to it, Bryant H. McGill said

"One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say."

Looks like we've just come full-circle. Yes, a respectful leader is a good listener.**

References:

* Henri Frederic Amiel

** http://empowered-women-excel.blogspot.ca/2016/01/leader.html