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“Creating Successful Leaders”

Tag Archives: Margaret Smith

November 18, 2015 How Great Leaders Inspire Action

 

SimonSinek_bio

Simon Sinek, photo credit: StartWithWhy.com

How can you get one person to act? How about a bunch of people? How about an entire movement? Great leaders can inspire this kind of action. They lead revolutions and motivate people to buy their products. There is something different and powerful about great leaders. What is it?

Leadership expert Simon Sinek attempts to explain.

“People don’t buy what you do,” Sinek said in a recent TED Talk, “they buy why you do it.” You have to believe in your product or cause so deeply that it inspires others to believe as well. It’s the principle that Martin Luther King Jr. used in his activism. As Sinek says, Dr. King had an “I have a dream” speech, not an “I have a plan” speech.

If you’re not driven by belief and you don’t know why you do what you do, why would anyone else buy into what you do?

The principle makes sense and has been proven over and over again, from Apple to the Wright Brothers. If you have a few minutes, I highly recommend watching Sinek’s TED Talk. It will make you ask yourself, “Why do I do what I do?”

Happy watching:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sioZd3AxmnE

MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, INSIGHTS® DISCOVERY LICENSED PRACTITIONER, FOUNDER OF UXL, AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE TAG TEAM. YOU CAN VISIT HER WEBSITE AT WWW.YOUEXCELNOW.COM

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November 4, 2015 The Power of Laughter

the power of laughter

The power of laughter, demonstrated in a photo booth. Photo Credit: Bubble Gum Photo Booths

Combat stress! We live in a stressful world. Recent research from the American Psychological Association shows that the majority of Americans experience significant amounts of stress. In a 2014 survey, 67% of those surveyed reported experiencing emotional symptoms of stress and 72% reported experiencing physical symptoms of stress.

One great way to fight your stress is through the power of laughter.

I attended a Brave New Workshop (BNW) class several months ago and one of the subjects they addressed was laughter. BNW is an improvisation group that works with people to boost confidence, connectivity, mental agility, and attitudes. Throughout their classes, you’ll often hear groups roaring with laughter. This isn’t an accident.

According to a publication put out by BNW, “Laughter is a powerful tool in helping individuals move away from fear and into discovery.” In a recent study, researchers from Loma University showed that laughter reduces cortisol, thus reducing stress. Other researchers have shown similar results of the stress-decreasing quality of laughter and have paired it with improved immune system response.

So, watch a funny movie, go to a humorous play, play an interactive board or card game with friends, or take an improv class. Begin to see the funny side of life 🙂

 

MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, LICENSED INSIGHTS DISCOVERY PRACTITIONER, FOUNDER OF UXL, AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE TAG TEAM. YOU CAN VISIT HER WEBSITE AT WWW.YOUEXCELNOW.COM

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October 21, 2015 The Authentic Leader

“Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.” -Oscar Wilde

I sometimes get the question: “Margaret, what is the most important attribute of a good leader?”

This question is a tough one. There are a lot of factors that make up an excellent leader: trust, self-confidence, good communication skills. In fact, I talk about my top ten attributes in my book, the Ten Minute Leadership Challenge. But the one thing at the heart of it all is AUTHENTICITY.

You have to be an authentic leader before anything else. You need to know yourself, your values, how you work, and who you are before you can even consider leading others. Authenticity means having a deep understanding of your inner self and not compromising your deeply held values. Sure, you can adapt to different situations and show different sides of yourself at different times (i.e. a more casual side at home, a more professional side at work), but your core should remain the same.

How would anyone trust you if you act like one person sometimes and a completely different person at other times? What would people think if you always agreed with whomever you were speaking, even if their assertions were way off base from what you believe?

Being authentic should be part of your personal brand. Show up, be yourself, and take a genuine interest in those around you.

I’ve been evaluating and interviewing Millennials lately for my forthcoming book, and I’ve found that authenticity is just as important as ever in the workplace. Millennials look for candid, authentic leadership that they can trust.

Furthermore, with the popularity of social media, your comments and photos are everywhere. Yes, you should be your authentic self on the web, but you should be your BEST authentic self. Let your funny or intellectual or caring side shine!

You’ll find that being your best authentic self is a heck of a lot easier than significantly modifying your behavior and beliefs whenever you’re with a different group of people. When people say, “your reputation proceeds you,” you should know that is a good thing.

Tune in next week for the UXL Authentic Leader Model.

MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, LICENSED INSIGHTS DISCOVERY PRACTITIONER, FOUNDER OF UXL, AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE TAG TEAM. YOU CAN VISIT HER WEBSITE AT WWW.YOUEXCELNOW.COM

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