Leadership Solutions

Leadership: Key Part of Professional Growth

Today's question is: Do you belong to a professional association?

Here's how you can benefit:

1) Gain Knowledge

Professional associations hold meetings and conferences that feature educational sessions. Through these you can expand your knowledge of the technology that defines your profession.

2) Gain Relationships

Your membership puts you in the society of peers. These relationships can lead to business and career opportunities. By attending association events, you'll meet influential people who can help you advance in everything you do.

3) Gain Skills

If you become involved in association activities, you can gain experience organizing events, managing projects, and leading people. These volunteer opportunities also increase your visibility among the members, which expands your network.

4) Gain Wisdom

Associating with intelligent people will challenge your thinking and accelerate your learning. This causes you to lift your performance. As a result, you will become more effective in your work.

5) Gain Credibility

Most associations recognize achievement through professional designations and awards. Earning these demonstrates your ability to perform well within your profession. In addition, your membership in a professional association shows your commitment to personal growth.

As an example, here's what I'm doing:

1) I'm a member of the International Association of Facilitators, where I earned the CPF (Certified Professional Facilitator) designation in 2002. At this time there are only nine members in California who have earned a CPF.

2) I've been a member of The National Speakers Association since 1992, having served as the 1996-97 president of GLAC (the Los Angeles chapter). Other GLAC credits include: being honored as their 2002 Member of the Year, winning the Connie in 1995, and earning their Gold Microphone.

3) I've been a member of the Orange County Chapter of The American Association for Training and Development since 1992, having served as program chair in 1994.

4) I just joined the Professional Coaches & Mentors Association.

Why?

I want to be the best that I can be. And active memberships in these associations help me achieve that.

Key Point: Membership in your professional association demonstrates your commitment to professional growth and excellence.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

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Leadership: Who's in Charge?

You may have noticed this in grade school. And then most likely it continued in high school.

It was an overt disdain for the students who earned good grades.

You probably heard it expressed as ridicule when the good students were called names, such as "nerd," "teacher's pet," "geek," or worse.

The problem with this is: the poor students -- the ones who didn't study or complete homework -- set the standard for the rest. They often became the class president, team captain, or voice of the students.

While that may be harmless in a child's world, it's disastrous when it happens in the adult world.

Right now, there are too many people who couldn't pass a third grade science test or a fifth grade geography exam influencing decisions on critical matters that will affect our future.

Specifically, their loud ridicule of scientists and experts is delaying urgent actions that need to be taken in the area of environmental sustainability.

I'm very disturbed by this.

Over thirty years ago I worked with scientists at Gulf Oil's Research Center who were talking about global warming. They were speculating how much temperatures would rise if we increased the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by burning oil.

Now, climate change has evolved from being a curious possibility to a threatening reality.

Yet, loud pundits are still denying it. And they're using the old tactic of discrediting the good students, i.e., the intelligent, knowledgeable people who have been issuing warnings for decades.

By the way, this issue is not about politics. And it's not about economics.

It's about the future of humanity. Climate change concerns us all.

We need to support those who are working to arrest it and ignore those who deny it.

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

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

PS: This blog is posted in support of Blog Action Day 

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

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Leadership: Last Chapter

Imagine that it's many years from now.

And you're surrounded by children. They might be a class from a local grade school or they might be relatives.

Being children they bubble with questions.

They ask, "What did you do?"

What do you tell them?

That is: What did you do with your life? What did you create, build, or accomplish? What are you proud of? How much happiness did you create? How many people did you help? What legacy did you leave?

They're impressed with what you have done. So they ask, "How did you do it?"

What do you tell them?

That is: What steps did you take? What process did you apply? What obstacles did you overcome? What help did you seek? What systems did you use? What made you effective?

They're excited by the story of your achievements. Now they ask the big question that they came to ask, "What did you learn?"

What do you tell them?

That is: What insights did you gain? What lessons can you share? What wisdom represents the sum of your life experiences?

Of course, right now, you're here.

You're living in today creating the answers to these questions. This leads to the question: What story do you want to tell the children of the future when you reach your last chapter?

Key Point: Plan the end of your story now. Then design a life that takes you toward it.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

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Leadership: Common Approach

This is amazing!

Have you noticed that all successful people are the same?

It's true.

That is, they all approach life (this includes their business, work, everything) the same way.

They start with a vision. They set goals. And they work hard.

They do this because it works. It's the proven path to achievement.

Meanwhile, the rest of the crowd is busy being different.

They're scattered all over anywhere trying to defy reality by seeking short cuts, pushing contrary ideas, and hiding in fantasy. The only thing they have in common is their lack of results.

So here is a friendly reality check. If you want better results, imitate the people who are obtaining them.

Key Point: All success is based on common sense.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300
 

PS: My workshop on Time Management shows the proven way to achieve success.
 

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

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Leadership: Ethics Instruction for Children

Every day children learn ethics.

Unfortunately they learn ethics from watching TV. And their parents reinforce these lessons.

I realize that this must seem like an absurd hypothesis.

So, let's begin with a question: How are problems resolved on TV?

Answers: 1) Shoot the offender, 2) Punch the offender, 3) Kill the offender. That is, how often does TV feature resolving a conflict by peaceful means?

In fact, the average teenager will have watched tens of thousands of murders and acts of violence on TV.

I know that I did. And it took me decades to wash the residual trauma of these nightmarish horrors out of my mind.

Now, how applicable are these tactics to real life situations?

Not at all, right?

I realize that TV is not the cause of violence in the world.

TV is inert. It just sits there, like a box on the shelf.

The problem is that people watch TV. Again. And again. And again.

It would be different if people watched TV once and then felt so disgusted with the violence, the insults, and the greed being shown that they never turned on again.

But families spend hours watching TV shows very night.

Then parents send mixed messages to their children by punishing them with violence when they talk back.

This shouldn't be a surprise. The children heard their parents laugh when the brilliant child insulted the idiot parent in a sitcom. And the parents are simply applying the approach to problems that they learned from last night's crime show.

Key Point: TV is education more than entertainment. Leave it off.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300
 

PS: What if parents were to spend the evening reading to their children? Listening to them? Showing them how to cook, sew, and fix things?

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

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Leadership: The Luxury Difference

Here is the secret that everyone has been searching for.

It's the distinction between a luxury resort and an ordinary hotel. This matters because leaders can apply the distinction to set their business apart from the competition.

Let's begin with examples of what you hear when you visit each.

1) When you phone:

Luxury: "It's a beautiful day at the Lux. How may I direct your call?"

Standard: "Please listen to our menu because some of the options have changed."

2) When you want something:

Luxury: "How may I help you?"

Standard: "Yeah?"

3) When you say "thank you."

Luxury: "My pleasure."

Standard: "No problem."

4) When you walk through the lobby.

Luxury: "Good morning, Mr. Kaye."

Standard: No one notices.

Notice that all the responses in a luxury resort show respect toward you, the guest.

This is important because people will pay three, five, sometimes ten times more than the standard rates just to be treated with respect.

So, here is a startling possibility: what would happen if your staff treated your customers with respect? Courtesy? Dignity? Could that increase sales? Retain customers? Lead to greater success?

Key Point: Being treated with respect is so rare today that people will pay a premium for it.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

PS: My workshop on communication skills shows the power of being nice.
 

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

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Leadership: Index Cards and Creativity

Sometimes I hear people tell me that they want to accomplish something.

Then they ruin their dream by explaining why they can't achieve it.

This is sad. Since everyone wants to believe what they tell others, they will do everything possible to make their excuses a reality.

So here is a simple sequence of steps that I use to move toward success. It's based on a story involving index cards.

1) Decide What You Want to Do

Many years ago I decided that I was in the idea business. Sure, I'm also in the speaking business, the facilitation business, and the writing business. But the idea business supports all of these. That decision was a critical first step.

So what do you want to do? What do you want to have? What do you want to change?

2) Give Yourself Permission

I gave myself permission to have ideas. Yes, I realize this seems trivial.

Many people are stuck at this point. They haven't told themselves that it's okay to be successful, to be respected, to have money, and so on. Once we give ourselves permission, then our actions toward achievement become internally consistent. That is, we are now obeying the direction that we gave ourselves. 

3) Decide That You Deserve It

I decided that I deserved to have ideas -- lots of them.

This is the second half of being internally consistent. We have to recognize that we are worthy of the achievement that we want.

4) Develop a Process

This caused me to ask, "How will I do it?"

My answer was: carry index cards. So index cards are part of the essential collection of things that I put in my pockets before going outside. This way, if an idea arrives while I'm outside, I can stop, pull out an index card, and save the idea.

The point here is: we must set up a system that makes it easy to accomplish our goal. If it's too complicated or too remote or too difficult, then nothing happens.

The result: I collect ideas everywhere all of the time. These ideas go into my blogs, newsletter articles, workshops, meeting facilitation, and so on. This helps me provide greater value, better content, and faster results.

Note: I wrote the draft of this article while sitting in my car, waiting to meet with a client.

Key Point: Success is the result of deliberate process.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

PS: My workshop on Time Management shows how to use systems to achieve success.
 

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

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Leadership: Yosemite

We spent two days being lost. And we had a fantastic time.

Here's the story.

In late September we took a brief trip to Yosemite National Park, traveling by Amtrak. This matters because we arrived after dark as passengers. So we lacked the awareness of the roads that someone would obtain by driving. Also, we were dependent upon walking (and riding the shuttle) for transportation.

We began our visit by being lost, while we spent fifteen minutes trying to find the lodge building with our room. In the dark. While pulling our luggage.

By the time we made it to the one restaurant that was still open at 8:45 P.M. we were very tired, frustrated, and hungry.

So what did we do the next day?

That is, did we stay in our room? Did we worry about getting lost? Did we complain about the many paths, trails, and roads that weren't shown on our maps?

No.

We went out exploring.

We walked. We rode the shuttle. And admittedly we spent most of the day being less than fully certain of where we were (as in lost).

- - -

- - -

Then the next day we set out again. And we spent more time being lost. For example, it took three attempts to find Cook's Meadow.

But we found it. And we learned a lot about the shuttle system and the many paths in the park.

- - -

- - -

Notice the parallel between this trip and life.

We arrive in the "dark" courtesy of someone else at a place that's new to us.

Then we encounter obstacles, incomplete maps, and unknowns. And through all of this, we cope with limited resources.

Yet, we achieve success by venturing out. By exploring. By taking risks.

So here's a friendly reminder to explore. To take risks. To allow yourself to be lost.

The last point is important. Allowing yourself to be lost is the key to finding your way.

By the way, I'm going back. I've bought reservations for another trip next year when the waterfalls will be flowing.

Key Point: Obstacles exist to test our commitment.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

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Leadership: Deliberate Poverty

Miserable poverty can be found in every income bracket.

True.

There are people who make huge incomes, and yet who are also very very poor.

How can you tell that they're poor?

1) They're broke

They have no money. Everything that they have is either mortgaged or on loan with debt. Their net worth is negative, which means their debt exceeds the value of what they own.

Better: Design your finances based on spending less than your income. Recognize that there are people who live very comfortably on less money than you do (regardless of your income).

2) They're unhappy

They have no peace. They worry, often about not having enough money. Or they subscribe to fears, which they attempt to cover by spending more money. Then fear causes anger, which compounds unhappiness.

Better: Find value in the human activities of connecting with others and adding value to humanity.

3) They're busy

They have no time. They're so consumed by making money or avoiding fears, that they have lost control over the one thing that matters: their time. Thus, they have no time to rest, to play, or to be human. Instead, they run like a machine operated by others.

Better: Slow down. Schedule time for yourself. Recognize that having time is the ultimate form of being wealthy.

Key Point: Everyone deserves to be wealthy. It's just a matter of choice.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300
 

PS: My workshop on Time Management shows people how to create a masterpiece of living well.
 

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

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Leadership: Did You Know This?

Right now it's possible that they're talking about you.

And they're making decisions that will have a profound effect on the rest of your life.

Who are they?

They might be:

1) Your boss and other leaders in your organization.

They're planning the next version of the organization chart. The questions before them are: Who's on it? Who's not? Who's in which position? How is everything connected (i.e., who reports to whom)?

2) Your customers.

They're planning purchases. The questions before them are: What do we buy? How much? When? Why? From whom?

3) Your relatives.

They're planning the distribution of their estate. The questions before them are: Who receives what? Under what conditions? What legacy do we want to leave? How?

Of course, these are major questions. Less significant discussions also occur. Bosses consider who will work on which project. Customers consider different options, such as size and color. Parents talk about their next vacation. And so on.

The point is: Where are you in these conversations?

1) Are you working to be on the better side of critical decisions? Do you cooperate with your leaders, customers, and family members? Do you add value to their goals?

2) Are you working to be independent of critical decisions? Do you have a career plan, marketing plan, and personal financial plan? Have you built personal security into every dimension of your professional and personal affairs?

Key Point: Expect that the people who make decisions are talking about you. Now what are they saying?

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300
 

PS: My workshops show you how to be on the better side of critical decisions.
 

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

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