Leadership Solutions

Leadership: Cactus Photo

There was more to taking this photo than just pressing a button.

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Enchinopsis, Hybrid, Bright Salmon
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Here are the steps that I took in order to capture that photo.

1) Purchase the cactus. I bought this plant at a cactus fair held by the Fullerton Arboretum. I spent almost two hours shopping, asking, the merchants questions and considering options. I bought eight plants that day.

2) Care for the cactus. This involved providing water and keeping the cactus in a spot that receives moderate sunlight. (Believe it or not, some cacti will die if exposed to intense sunlight.)

3) Wait. Fortunately, this cactus bloomed just a few months after I bought it.

4) Be there at the right time. This flower blooms at night and then lasts less than a day. By evening, it's closed. So, I had to choose the best time when it was fully open.

5) Take the photo. And now I had to move the cactus into a place with good lighting against a suitable background.

Notice that taking a photo (I took 31, actually) required all of this preparation.

So what's the point?

This sequence of steps serves as a model of basic leadership.

1) Vision: I knew what I wanted at the start.

2) Work: I had to invest time and effort to obtain the result.

3) Patience: Things progress at their rate, not ours.

4) Observation: Finding the right time requires paying attention to what is happening.

5) Action: Finally, we obtain the result that we wanted.

By the way, this flower represents a major effort for the plant. As you can see, the flower is larger than the cactus, which is growing in a 4-in container.

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Key Point: Even a simple photo requires the basic steps of effective leadership.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

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Leadership: Bird Story

A bird taught me a valuable lesson.

Here's the story.

We were at the Wild Bird Show in the San Diego Zoo. At the end of this show, the speaker invited people to give a dollar to support two causes: The California Condor Project and The World Parrot Trust.

Since this is a bird show, they use a bird to collect the money. In this case it was an African Collared Raven, which is a large magnificent bird. People would hold out a dollar, the bird would grab the bill with its beak and stuff it into a large plastic bin.

This bird works fast, too. Maybe the bird realizes the importance of processing of donations quickly, before people can change their minds.

Each time someone gave a dollar, the speaker said "Thanks!" And if someone gave five dollars, the speaker gave the donor a token bracelet and a huge, "Thanks!"

Since I felt especially touched by the show, I decided to give twenty dollars. And I will admit that I was enjoying the expectation of receiving extraordinary gratitude.

So I held out a $20 bill, the bird grabbed it, and stuffed it in the bin.

Gone.

But no one noticed.

After all, the bird can't read numbers. And the speaker was thanking someone else.

I stood there briefly, adsorbing the reality of what had just occurred. I had just spent $20. And nothing happened. No thanks. No bracelet. No glorious fan fare of horns. Nothing.

Then I realized something.
 

I spent $20 to preserve endangered wildlife, not to receive recognition. And that's important. Great leaders do good things because they're the right thing to do. Any thanks that we might receive is a bonus.

Key Point: Do good things because it's the right thing to do.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

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Leadership: Depression

If you have ever experienced setbacks, rejections, and failures, you know that these things can be very painful.

I'll add that in an entrepreneurial business, such as mine, there can be more setbacks than successes. During the past month, for example, I've struggled with a blizzard of breakdowns and problems. So, I'd like to share what I've learned because it might help others.

Failure hurts. Enough failure can feel frustrating. And eventually, frustration leads to discouragement, which leads to depression.

Let's begin with some things to know.

1) Know that people care.

There is an entire world of people around you who care. They may be family members, friends, or colleagues. They will listen and offer support.

2) Know that others share your experience.

Everyone is haunted by fears, pains, and disappointments. Everyone has been hurt in some way or another.

3) Know that others can help.

In fact, others want to help. Some have worked through similar experiences, and thus they can show you how to recover.

So, what can you do?

1) Stay in touch with others.

Call or visit friends who support you. Of course, seek out those who will listen and encourage, rather than those who will try to show off by telling you what to do.

Send a brief note or an e-mail to those whom you know. The simple act of reaching out can give you a sense of connection.

Go out and meet new people. Seek out positive people who are doing something commendable. Use their success as an inspiration to lift your spirits.

2) Do something kind for others.

This will give you a sense of purpose. Start with small favors that are easy to do. Collect the good feelings that follow from knowing that you have done something special. And if you receive expressions of gratitude, collect these, too. You might even save them in a victory file.

This moves your focus from struggling with difficulties to helping others. That will always give you a lift.

3) Ask for help.

Rather than suffer in silence, ask for assistance. Recognize that asking for help is a commendable step toward being better. In some cases, this can involve seeking professional counseling from a coach, consultant, or counselor.

If you ask friends for help, start small, asking for things that people can offer easily. Note that the most valuable gifts will often be encouragement to keep going plus suggestions on ways to resolve your challenges.

Finally, realize that we are part of a worldwide community. Since starting my business I have developed a network of extraordinary people. I call them when I need support and ideas. In turn, others call me. I receive three or four calls every week from colleagues who want ideas.

Key Point: We are all connected in this project called Life. Stay in touch with those who can help.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

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Leadership: Danger Ahead

It's really a prison sentence.

And it's especially cruel because it's being given to the people who deserve our respect and gratitude.

This sentence is politely called "retirement."

For some it's worse than a prison sentence; it's a death sentence. Studies have shown that people who go home to do nothing have a life expectancy of only a few years.

So, what's the answer?

Escape retirement.

That is, keep working.

After all, realize that by the time you reach 65 (or such), you have acquired more wisdom, experience, and value than any youngster who just finished college.

At this point, there are people reading this who are thinking, "But, but, but . . . ."

And all the excuses are just that: excuses.

The point is this: Your life has to have a greater purpose than eating. Or watching TV. Or sitting in your car.

So, what do you do?

If you are at the beginning of your career, develop a career plan that positions you in the type of work where you can have the most influence. Seek jobs that you like and that match your natural abilities.

If you are in the middle of your "formal" career, now is the time to begin planning for the next step.

And if you have finished your career, begin a personal program to find that next career. It may be anything from part time work to volunteer assistance.

You may want to seek the guidance of a career strategist. These professionals help people identify a deliberate path toward professional enrichment and personal satisfaction.

Key Point: Your career is more than a paycheck. It's the path toward your future. Make sure it goes where you want it to go.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

PS: My workshop on Time Management shows personal planning techniques that help you build the future you want.

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

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Leadership: The Easy Stuff

It's so tempting.

Most people begin with the easy stuff when they plan their work day.

They check e-mail. They visit friends. They shuffle papers.

While some easy tasks are necessary, most of them are the wrong place to start. Instead, these tasks should be saved for low energy periods, such as just after lunch or just before closing the office.

In addition, some easy tasks are distractions that people use to avoid more important work (i.e., they invent a complex tangle of easy tasks to procrastinate).

Effective time management begins with the hard stuff.

This, you may recognize is a standard Time Management strategy: Work on important tasks before they become urgent.

Most important tasks are hard. They require thought, effort, and work.

Yet, when people neglect the hard stuff, they end up in trouble. Then they have a crisis, which requires (finally) working on the hard stuff, except now someone else is telling them what to do and how to do it.

So, here's your challenge:

1) Begin your day with the hard stuff.

2) Add at least one hard task to your schedule each day.

Eventually, two good things will happen.

1) The hard stuff will become easy.

2) You will run out of hard stuff.

And then everything becomes easy.

Key Point: The easy stuff is a distraction from the high value work that needs to be done.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

PS: My Workshop on Time Management shows how to make the hard stuff easy.

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

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Leadership: Augghhhhh!

This one was bad.

But it had the promise of being good, which is why I felt so disappointed.

I'm writing about a presentation that I attended recently.

The presentation was delivered by an excellent speaker who had impressive credentials. The title was intriguing. The slides were well done. The stories were memorable.

All totaled, it was a wonderful collection of definitions, vocabulary, and facts.

Only one thing was missing.

Wisdom.

You see, an effective presentation causes a change.

That is, an effective presentation moves people to make decisions, take actions, or do something. In order to accomplish this, the speaker must talk about what to do and how to do it.

But this presentation was just words. The speaker could have recited numbers from a phone book.

Nevertheless, I took eight pages of notes.

About 20% consisted of facts, which I have already discarded. The rest consisted of ideas for articles and other things that came to mind while I was avoiding boredom.

So maybe this presentation really wasn't that bad. Because I am taking action as a result of it. For example, I just wrote this article.

Key Point: People want wisdom. They already know the rest.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

PS: My workshop shows people how to give effective presentations that cause change.

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

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Leadership: Time to Celebrate

Good news!

I passed the re-certification for Certified Professional Facilitator (CPF) by the International Association of Facilitators (IAF).

This was far from trivial because the IAF has rigorous requirements for the CPF.

First, they award their CPF designation after passing a skill-based assessment. Candidates must submit a 2,500 word application, which contains extensive descriptions of their approach, philosophy, and experience as a meeting facilitator. Then they must pass two interview exams and successfully conduct a demonstration meeting.

After that, every three years, members with a CPF must apply for re-certification. This involves submitting a 1,500 word application that contains a description of what they learned since earning the CPF. There is also a $350 processing fee for this.

I spent a week writing this report in late August of this year. (I also submitted a proposal for a facilitation project and filled out an application for a professional directory. It was a busy week.)

Completing this report was a top priority for me at that time. There are only nine facilitators in California who have earned a CPF, and I wanted to keep my certification current. It's a prime differentiation in my market.

Here is a summary of the three key points from my report.

1) All the good practices that I have used to help clients obtain results in meetings still apply. Specifically, an effective meeting is built upon a safe environment and a fair process.

2) Fear causes (or attracts) exactly what the person fears. Thus, leaders avoid causing or permitting fear in their meetings. They want people to focus on finding the best solutions for their goals.

3) A meeting is a microcosm of life. Thus, a successful meeting requires all of the skills expected of an effective leader.

Key Point: When you want results, work with an expert.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

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Leadership: Toll Free

Sometimes words can be misleading.

For example, consider "Toll Free" as applied to toll free phone numbers.

This implies that calling a "toll free" number might be free. Actually, nothing is free. Someone has to pay for it.

I'm writing this blog to make two points.

1) Toll free phone calls cost more than standard phone calls. In fact, they cost a lot more.

Businesses provide toll free numbers as a service to their customers. They consider these calls so important that they are willing to pay a premium to receive them.

So, here's a suggestion: if you have bought a phone service with unlimited calls, use the company's standard phone number. Your call will cost you nothing, and it avoids adding to the expenses of businesses that you support.

2) The owner of a toll free number receives a statement every month that itemizes all the calls that were placed using that number.

Thus, if you call a company with their toll free number, your phone number will be listed in that statement. Now they have a record of the phone number that you used to place your call. This can cost you a bit of privacy in case the company chooses to do anything with your phone number.

I find this especially curious when friends and relatives use my toll free number to call me. First, I know that they used my toll free number. And second, I wonder why they wanted me to pay for their call. (This, by the way, has happened to me twice during the past month.)

So, here is a friendly nudge to use toll free numbers with discretion. And certainly, if you have a friend who owns a toll free number, use that person's standard number. It's bad manners to make a friend pay for your call.

Key Point: Use toll free numbers wisely.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

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Leadership: What If You Were to Leave?

Few people want to think about this.

Yet, it's more important today than ever because people store critical information in special, often secret places.

The question is: What would people do if you were to die suddenly?

Wait, before you rush off, here are three important considerations.

1) Passwords.

Most people have dozens, maybe hundreds of passwords. Many of these are for accounts that may need to be closed because they're set up to collect money. These include subscriptions, auto-payments, and scheduled donations.

Action: Make sure that a trusted relative or friend can find and access these passwords. Then give them instructions on which ones will need to be closed. Set a special flag in your password database to identify those records that warrant attention.

2) Calendar.

Most people keep a calendar in their computer, iPhone, or other such device. Some people have many calendars located in different places, such as their work computer, their laptop, their home computer, and so on.

Obviously, commitments on your calendar need to be canceled. Similarly, the people who are expecting you to do something need to be told that you're no longer here.

Action: Make sure that someone can find your calendars. Keep others informed about your plans and activities.

3) Contacts.

Most people have an extensive contact database. This contains their entire business and personal world. Thus, it's a valuable resource that relatives and friends can use to close out your affairs.

Action: Make sure that someone can find your contact database. Show them how to use it and find your primary contacts. Provide instructions on what to do with key contacts. Create a field in the database that includes these instructions.

Key Point: One part of effective life management is providing for the future . . . even after you're no longer part of it.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

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Leadership: Reverse Planning

Most people focus on what to do.

They make lists to help them plan. They set priorities. Then they work through the lists, task by task, checking off each item as they complete it.

This is okay if you have enough tasks to fill one list.

What happens, though, when you have enough tasks to fill two lists? Six lists? A dozen lists?

Then what do you do?

That, by the way, is my problem. I can think of enough things to do to fill three life times. Of course, maybe I'm being cautious. It might be ten.

For example, I have a novel that I want to rewrite. I have two more books on leadership topics that I want to finish. And I want to call dozens (hundreds, actually) of people to talk about their business and how they're doing. All these things are waiting on top of running a business and serving clients and writing articles and improving programs and so on (this list could fill a book).

So one list won't do the job.

Then (sometimes) I'll prepare a second list. It's a list of things Not to Do.

That way I can forget about them. Often these are tempting activities that take time from more important things. 

As a result, some low priority tasks may have to wait for weeks. And some may have to wait until I start my second (or seventh) life.

This leads to two thoughts.

1) If you have too much to do, a list of things Not to Do may help you focus on the things that matter. Of course, a list of things to do includes everything from working to resting.

2) If you don't have too much to do, why not? We need an abundance of ideas for a rich life. Then we can choose the best ones.

Key Point: Every time we choose to do one thing, we choose not to do another.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300
 

PS: Want to know more? Call me.

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

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