Great Leaders Transform Activities into Purposeful Action

“When you engage in systematic, purposeful action,

using and stretching your abilities to the maximum,

you cannot help but feel positive and confident about yourself.”

Brian Tracy

All too often, people engage in work or relationships without consciously evaluating what they want. As a result, there is confusion and missteps on how to move forward in their roles and responsibilities.

The key to productive, effective and even efficient performance is to focus on the purpose. When we align our thoughts, attitudes and behaviors towards achieving goals that are directly related to our purpose, we accomplish amazing results.

Great leaders understand this philosophy and make sure that all the team players fully understand, can articulate and embrace the purpose of their job. Priorities are much easier to establish. Goals become more focused. Synergy is prevalent.

Being a transformational leader takes commitment, openness and accountability. Influencing people to fully engage mind, body and spirit to achieve synchronicity will always optimize potential. It all starts with purposeful leadership.

Focus on the Ability to Respond - Be Self Actualizing

Focusing on the potential in ourselves and in every situation can totally change how one may respond in any given situation. James Allen, a nineteenth century philosopher and author of nineteen books, one being As a Man Thinketh, wrote "Circumstances don't make a man, they reveal him."

In the twentieth century, Dr. Abraham Maslow was a pioneer in transformational psychology and defined 'self-actualizing' individuals as "people who seek the frontiers of creativity and strive to reach higher levels of consciousness and wisdom. "

A 23 year old woman was critically injured in a hit and run accident. Paralyzed from mid-chest to her toes, married she now has two young children (both born after the accident), drives, manages her home, drives, gardens. Extremely social, when this young woman attends a party she lights up the room. No one notices the wheel chair or her frail body - all they see is her.

William Shakespeare -

"The choices we make, dictate the life that we lead."

Life keeps throwing us different circumstances big and small. Sometimes, little things seem really big and if we constantly react as if something is happening to us or around us as if we have little or no control then we a revealing our inability to respond. If on the other hand, we behave in a manner that is responsive and thoughtful, appreciating that we have the potential to handle any circumstances that come our way - then we become fully actualized.

5 Steps to Success

"1. Optimize potential
2. Facilitate empowerment.
3. Implement visioning.
4. Strategize priorities
5. Augment core structures."
Connie Willis

One would generally ascribe the above list to a corporate executive. Connie Willis is a science fiction writer, a leader in her field. Often, we fail to expand outside of our profession or field of interest. Just doing a little research, can net amazing nuggets of wisdom.

Thank you Ms. Willis for 5 profoundly simple steps to success and life.

Change "I Can" to "I Will"

"It's not enough to have a dream unless I am willing to pursue it."

Anonymous

What we say, think and write can make all the difference in the getting what we really, really want out of life. Two very small words come to mind that are have great influence on our success in work and life.

The Free Online Dictionary by Farlex states:

Can is "used to indicate possession of a specific power, right or privilege."

Will is "the mental faculty by which one deliberately chooses or decides upon a course of action."

Two very small words with two very big differences. When we say "We can" do something, we are indicating that we have the ability or the potential to get the job done. When we say "We will" we are making an active choice to do the job.

When we think, write or say, "I can," we are thinking about making a decision. When we think, write or say, "I will," we have made the decision. A subtle yet powerful distinction changing "I Can" to "I Will."

Do you think this might affect your success? I know it does for me.

Expand Creativity - Add OXYGEN

Creativity is defined by the Business dictionary.com as

Mental characteristic that allows a person to think outside of the box, which results innovation or different approaches to a particular task."

How can we expand our creativity?
Add O.X.Y.G.E.N.

Openness - Be open to opportunities. Open your ears to really listen and hear what is around you. Be open to what you see - both stark and subtle contrasts.

What can you be open to today that will expand your creativity?

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eXcitement - Get excited and adventurous. Watch child play. Laugh out loud. Increase your energy and allow your self to feel anticipation.

What will excite you to expand your creativity?

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You - Discover YOU. Discover your interests, your talents, your strengths. Discover what you would like to learn more about your challenges and what you need to learn to expand your creativity.

Where are you currently creative?

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Gratitude - Be grateful for the potential that you and others possess. Be grateful that creativity is in the eye of the beholder and we all have the potential to masters of our own art.

How can you allow gratitude to help you to be more creative?

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Expectations - Expect that with each creativity is interesting, challenging, motivating and yes often times just plain hard work.

What are your expectations for and with your creativity?

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New Approaches - Take a new path, a new road, a new mindset.

What new approaches will you take today?

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It's all up to you.

Promoting Health & Wealth: Clear, Quality Goals Help

Now, that I have defined my purpose, the next big step in getting the Flow is setting clear goals. I used to believe that I was a great goal setter. I would come up with a long list of goals and work hard, sometimes like a crazed person even, to achieve all the goals that I would set.

Now, I am coming to realize that the quantity of goals has absolutely nothing to do with how successful or happy I am. In fact, for me often times those goals were busy work and activities that actually would keep me out of my Flow. In reality, the quality of the goals is one of the keys to successfully getting into my Flow.

Let's do a little goal setting 101. For a goal to be successful it must be W.H.Y. S.M.A.R.T. - Written, Habit-forming, Yours (written by the person who selects and designs the goal), Specific, Measurable, Aligned with Purpose, Realistically High, and Timed. For example, my purpose is to work with individuals and organizations to release their extraordinary potential. A goal I set for myself is to enhance my knowledge and experience with human potential by researching and studying at least one leader in field such as Abraham Maslow and learn more about one of his models - Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs - Motivational Model by June 30, 2010. What do you think, does this goal meet the WHY SMART Criteria?

Would love your thoughts, ideas and suggestions about clear, quality goals.

All the best in health and wealth,

Laura