Richard Reynolds M.Div.,M.Ed.,Ed.S.

Richard Reynolds M.Div.,M.Ed.,Ed.S.
...making a difference one life at a time...

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Improving your leadership culture


Herman Trend Alert: Executives--A Dollar Shorter

September 3, 2008
The Herman Group


EMPLOYEE RETENTION BEGINS WITH GOOD SELECTION


Not using pre-employment assessments? You are flying without radar---not very smart in today's competitive environment. Let us help you better understand your candidates and your current employees. In less than 30 minutes, you will know if they can do the job (abilities); their work behaviors, even their personality and attitudes (like integrity & ethics), and those can't be trained. It's very cost effective, too! For more information, contact Joyce at 336-210-3548 or e-mail assessments@hermangroup.com. Validated for many countries and cultures. We offer in-depth help with job descriptions, too!Herman Trend Alert: Executives--A Dollar Shorter September 3, 2008As management consultants, we encourage candidates to evaluate prospective employers based on the total package of compensation, now called, "total rewards", including fringe benefits and perquisites. Recently, the compensation research firm Equilar conducted a study, detailing trends in "total rewards" for top executives of the 95 largest public companies by revenue in the United States.Equilar tracks nine major areas of perks, including corporate housing benefits, personal and home security, and country club memberships. This year's study found the median values of seven of the nine major CEO perquisites it tracks had decreased.New Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules require companies to disclose perks that cost more than $10,000; previously, the threshold for reporting was $50,000. Not surprisingly, this new level of disclosure has led to a decline in upscale extras. While these top public companies are spending more in two of the study's included areas of CEO perks, in general, executives are receiving the same or fewer "goodies" than last year.>From 2006 to 2007, the median value of CEO perquisites related to financial planning benefits (including other professional services such as tax preparation) declined by 9.2 percent, while expenditures for the personal use of corporate aircraft declined by 9.8 percent.The decreases reflect the concern of boards of directors to seem vigilant in their financial oversight. In fact, some companies are actually reporting more than is required by law to demonstrate their transparency.Only two areas showed increases. First, the extra cash to compensate for taxes assessed on the attributed income of fringe benefits, increased in 2007 by an unexpected 43.6 percent. Second, the median value of personal and home security benefits for these executives showed an increase of 14.4 percent. The latter really only increased due to the inclusion of Michael Dell whose company spent over $1 million on his home security system.These trends reflect that privately held organizations have an advantage over others, because there is no required reporting. Private companies will be able to "sweeten the deals" for prospective executives, without concern about SEC oversight. Private companies will surely win this war for executive talent.********WANT TO BE RECOGNIZED AS AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE®?Our effective, onsite seminars, workshops, and consulting can help you get there. We offer 1-, 2-, 3-hour, and full-day programs to help you communicate what it takes to become an Employer of Choice® and inspire your folks to get it done. In the future, being an Employer of Choice® will not be optional. Call Joyce at 336-210-3548 for a no-obligation conference call.********GET INSIDE THE MINDS OF YOUR EMPLOYEESFind out what’s really going on inside the hearts and minds of your employees. Our InnerViews interviewing service uses SPHRs and PHRs, certified human resource professionals to probe for the information you really need to know. Exit and Stay Interviews, as well as Why-Didn't-You-Take-Our-Offer Interviews. Call Rosalie Catalano at 937-648-1918 or read more at: http://www.hermangroup.com/retentionconnection/exit_interviews.html.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Leadership Quotes


Quotes on Leadership Failure


"The majority of men meet with failure because of their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those which fail." ~ Napoleon Hill


"Losers visualize the penalties of failure. Winners visualize the rewards of success." ~ William S. Gilbert


"I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure: which is: Try to please everybody." ~ Herbert B. Swope


"A failure is a man who has blundered but is not capable of cashing in on the experience." ~ Elbert Hubbard


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Book Review


The Five Most Important Questions (You Will Ever Ask about Your Organization)



by Peter F. Drucker with Jim Collins, Philip Kotler, James Kouzes, Judith Rodin, V. Kasturi Rangan, and Frances Hesselbein (Jossey-Bass, 2008)


book review from Leadership Wired ezine- John Maxwell organization

An intellectual giant, Peter Drucker was arguably the foremost authority on management during the last 50 years. His writing displayed a special gift for simplicity, and his style steadily pushed the reader to take action. Not content merely to hand out knowledge, Drucker always took special care to map out steps for application.
The Leader to Leader Institute chose to publish Drucker's work, The Five Most Important Questions, primarily to educate nonprofit leaders. Throughout his life, Peter Drucker admired nonprofits for their noble intentions and keen awareness of community needs. However, it frustrated him that organizations in the social sector commonly failed to craft sound strategy or achieve measurable results.
A collaborative effort of the Leader to Leader Institute, The Five Most Important Questions is presented as an organizational self-assessment tool. It is designed for the company wishing to reexamine its foundational beliefs. Throughout the book, essays from the likes of Jim Collins and James Kouzes supplement original text from the genius mind of Peter Drucker. The contributing authors accentuate the high points of Drucker's message without cluttering it with excess text. In fact, the book has barely 100 pages.
As the title suggests, the book is organized around five simple, but all-important questions:
1. What is our mission?2. Who is our customer?3. What does the customer value?4. What are our results?5. What is our plan?
Each question is addressed by Drucker and then unpacked by another leadership expert. The final twenty pages drill down into more detailed questions that point back to the five initially posed by Drucker.
From start to finish, The Five Most Important Questions preaches fundamentals. Drucker & Co. challenge leaders to revisit their organization's core identity, and call upon them to shore up ambiguity and incongruence. Quotable proverbs abound, but the book's brevity makes skimming for them unnecessary. The entire text can be absorbed in an hour or two.
A masterful "how-to" manual, the The Five Most Important Questions gives big-picture guidance, targeted to executive leaders in the social sector. The book earns praise for the clarity and focus it provides. It's an essential handbook for entrepreneurs, particularly those in the nonprofit arena. In addition, the The Five Most Important Questions is a great tool to reorient organizations that have stagnated or drifted off track.
Return

The Olympic Duel by John Maxwell

A Failure of Olympic Proportions....


DAN & DAVE: THE OLYMPIC DUEL
from Leadership Wired ezine VOLUME 11, ISSUE 15





by John Maxwell




In 1991 Reebok was entrenched in a battle with Nike for top spot in the athletic shoe market. Looking to gain an advantage, Reebok gambled on an ad campaign featuring decathletes Dan O'Brien and Dave Johnson — co-favorites to win a gold medal at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.
Dan was trendy and hip; Dave was straight-laced and steady. Dave held a 3-to-2 edge in contests against Dan, while Dan had recorded the highest-ever point total in a decathlon. The athletes' good looks, dissimilar personalities, and tremendous talent made their rivalry the perfect fit for Reebok's marketing strategy.
During the 1992 Super Bowl, Reebok introduced Americans to Dan and Dave. The cleverly written commercials were a sensational hit, and, almost overnight, Dan and Dave were vaulted to celebrity status. Sensing the popularity of the TV spot, Reebok poured $30 million into its efforts to put Dan and Dave at the forefront of their brand's promotions.
From January through June, Dan and Dave were ubiquitous on television and in American pop culture. Anyone who cared anything at all about sports chose sides. Reebok executives patted themselves in the back (and padded their wallets) on account of their decision to market via Dan and Dave.
DAN & DAVE: THE EMBARRASING FAILURE
At the American Olympic Trails in June of 1992, the unthinkable happened. Dan O'Brien, gold medal favorite and marketing icon, failed to qualify for the Olympics!
Overestimating his ability in the pole vault, Dan set the bar too high — an epic blunder. On his first attempt, he missed. No worries though, he still had two more tries. On his second attempt, he didn't even come close. By his final attempt, Dan was so tight with pressure that he had no hope of clearing the bar. His Olympic dream was dashed, Reebok's ad campaign was trashed, and Dave Johnson headed to the Olympics alone.
DAN O'BRIEN: OLYMPIC CHAMPION
After the anguish and public humiliating of missing the Olympics, Dan could have given up his dream of winning Olympic gold. He was the laughingstock of the media, and he had missed a rare opportunity to compete on the world's greatest stage. However, Dan was a competitor, and he bounced back.
For four long years, Dan O'Brien funneled the emotions of his failure to fuel his resolve to make the 1996 Olympic Games. Rather than drowning out the memory of his mishap at the Olympic Trials, O'Brien repeatedly watched his botched attempts in the pole vault. Refusing to wallow in his setback, he learned from it, and he redoubled his training efforts.
At the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, O'Brien gained redemption and achieved his dream by capturing the gold medal in the decathlon.
LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM FAILURE
"That failure set the path of my life for the next four years," Dan O'Brien said in reflection. "I learned more from it than I had learned the previous 30 years combined."
Dan O'Brien's Olympic journey is instructive on the nature of failure. Here are a few lessons from his experience:
1. Failure is inevitable
Everyone, even the most decorated Olympian, knows the taste of failure. We all lose, fall short, or miss the bar during life.
2. Failure is a fork in the road
When we fail, we have several paths in front of us.
We can blame our failures on others.
We can identify with our setbacks to the extent that we view ourselves as failures.
We can ignore or deny our failure.
OR, we can embrace failure, learn from it, and use it as a springboard to get better.
Our response dictates where we end up on the path of leadership.
3. Failure is fruitful
Failure is the surest path to success. It tests, strengthens, and refines us. Passing through it qualifies us to lead.

Why Leaders Fail


Why Leaders Fail


by Mark Sanborn


Huge publicly-traded companies Enron and Worldcom go down in flames under the guidance of capable leaders with highly questionable ethics. Gold medalist Marion Jones, once considered a positive role model, faces criminal charges for doping. The Catholic Church continues to agonize over lapses in leadership that resulted in sexual abuse of children. From the indictment of Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens to the imprisonment of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to the adulterous affair of former Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards, politics is rife with leadership failures.
In the recent past, we've witnessed the public downfall of leaders from almost every arena of society — business, sports, religion and politics. One day they're on top of the heap, the next, shame and infamy are heaped on them.
We are incensed by the catastrophic failures of these leaders. After all, we cheered for them, voted for them, put stock in their companies, and consulted them for spiritual guidance. We trusted them, they let us down, and it hurts.
While our outrage at disgraced leaders may be justified, we fail to realize how quickly "they" become "us." The distance between beloved leader and despised failure is shorter than we think. Like anyone, these fallen leaders never set out to sacrifice their integrity, abandon ethical behavior, or exploit those they led. But it happened anyway. Their failures should be our cautions.
Ken Maupin, a practicing psychotherapist and colleague, has built his practice on working with high-performance personalities, including leaders in business, religion, and sports. Ken and I have often discussed why leaders fail. Our discussions have led to the following "warning signs" of impending failure.
Warning Sign #1: A Shift in Focus
This shift can occur several ways. Oftentimes, leaders simply lose sight of what's important. The laser-like focus that catapulted them to the top begins to wander, and they are seduced by the trappings of leadership, such as wealth and notoriety.
Leaders are usually distinguished by their ability to "think big." But as their focus shifts, their thinking shrinks. They micromanage, get caught up in minutiae, and consume themselves with trivial decisions better left to others. To make matters worse, this tendency can be exacerbated by an unceasing quest for perfection.
A more subtle leadership derailer is an obsession with "doing" rather than "becoming." A leader's greatest influence flows naturally from inner vision and character. It is possible for a leader to become infatuated with action, and, in the process, lose touch with the all-important development of self. However, busier isn't always better.
At the present moment, what is your primary focus? If you can't write it on the back of your business card, then your leadership suffers from a lack of clarity. Take the requisite time to center your focus on what's most important.
Would you describe your thinking as expansive or contractive? You should be willing to roll up your sleeves to do whatever it takes to get the job done. However, don't take the reins from others on tasks they can do as competently as you can. Always strive to think on a higher plane. In doing so, you'll make the transition from doer to developer.
Warning Sign #2: Poor Communication
Lack of focus disorients a leader and sets the stage for poor communication. Followers can't possibly understand a leader's intent when the leader isn't even sure what it is! When leaders are unclear about purpose, they cloak their confusion with uncertainty and ambiguous communication.
Sometimes, leaders fall into the clairvoyance trap. They delude themselves into believing that committed followers can sense their goals and carry out their wishes without being told. When misunderstandings arise, managers blame their people for lack of effort (or commitment) rather than recognizing their own communication negligence.
"Say what you mean, and mean what you say" is timeless advice, but it must be preceded by knowing what you mean! Clarity of purpose is the starting point for all effective communication. The hard work of communication only pays dividends when you're crystal clear about your message.
Warning Sign #3: Risk Aversion
Leaders on the verge of breakdown fear failure rather than desiring success. Past victories create pressure for leaders: "Will I be able to sustain outstanding performance?" "What will I do for an encore?" In fact, the longer a leader is successful, the higher his or her perceived cost of failure will be.
When driven by the fear of failure, leaders are unable to take reasonable risks. They limit themselves to tried and proven pathways. Attempts at innovation — key to their initial success — diminish and eventually disappear.
Which is more important to you: the journey or the destination? Are you still taking reasonable risks? Prudent leadership avoids reckless risk, but neither is it paralyzed by fear. On many occasions, the dance of leadership is two steps forward, one step back.
Warning Sign #4: Ethics Slip
A leader's credibility depends upon two qualities: what he or she does (competency) and who he or she is (character). Deficiencies in either quality create an integrity problem.
The highest principle of leadership is integrity. When ethical compromise is rationalized as necessary for the "greater good," a leader sets foot on the slippery slope of failure.
All too often, leaders see their followers as pawns — mere means to an end. As a result, they confuse manipulation with leadership. Such leaders rapidly lose respect. To save face, they cease to be people "perceivers" and become people "pleasers," using popularity to ease the guilt of lapsed integrity.
As a leader, it's imperative to constantly subject your life and work to the highest scrutiny. Are there areas of conflict between what you believe and how you behave? Has compromise crept into your operational tool kit?
Warning Sign #5: Poor Self-Management
Tragically, if a leader doesn't take care of himself or herself, no one else will. Unless a leader is blessed with unusually perceptive followers, nobody will pick up on signs of fatigue and stress. Leaders are counted on to produce, but they aren't superheroes running on limitless energy.
While leadership is invigorating, it is also tiring. Like anyone else, leaders are susceptible to feeling drained, depressed, and de-motivated. Those who neglect their physical, psychological, emotional, or spiritual needs are headed for disaster. Think of having a gauge for each of these four areas of your life, and check them often! If a gauge's needle dips toward "empty," make time for refreshment and replenishment. Clear your schedule and take care of yourself. Self-preservation isn't selfish�it's vital to the health of those you lead.
Warning Sign #6: Lost Love
Leaders face impending disaster when they abandon their first love. The hard work of leadership should be fulfilling and fun. However, when divorced from their dreams, leaders may find the responsibility of leadership to be frustrating and fruitless. To stay motivated, leaders must stick to what they love and rediscover what compelled them to accept the mantle of leadership in the first place.
To make sure that you stay on the track of following your first love, frequently ask yourself these three questions: Why did I initially pursue leadership? Have those reasons changed? Do I still want to lead?
Heed the Signs
The warning signs in life — from stoplights to prescription labels — are intended for our good. They protect us from disaster, and we would be foolish to ignore them. As you consider the six warning signs of leadership failure, don't be afraid to take an honest look at yourself. If any of the warnings ring true, take action today! By paying attention to these signs and heeding their warnings, you can avoid disaster and sustain the kind of leadership that is healthy and fulfilling both for yourself and your followers.
About the AuthorMark Sanborn, CSP, CPAE is president of Sanborn & Associates, Inc., an idea studio for leadership development and remarkable performance. He is an award-winning speaker and the author of two recent bestselling books, The Fred Factor: How Passion In Your Work and Life Can Turn the Ordinary Into the Extraordinary and You Don't Need a Title to be a Leader: How Anyone Anywhere Can Make a Positive Difference are bestsellers. His book The Encore Effect: How to Give a Remarkable Performance in Anything You Do will be released September 2008. To obtain additional information for growing yourself, your people and your business (including free articles), visit http://www.marksanborn.com/, http://www.fredfactor.com/ and http://www.youdontneedatitle.com/. For information about having Mark speak for your group, call 303.683.0714.

Developing Good Content for your Presentations


Develop Good Content for Your Presentations
By Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE
Effective communication and award-winning presentations must containgreat content. Public speaking classes are full of public speaking tipson what to do with your hands, how to stand, and make eye contact.Important as all these techniques are you have to start with goodoriginal content.Let's look at where you develop your original content.In my presentation skills training I am frequently asked, "What on earthdo I speak about? Where do I find good examples?"This is my advice if your goal is to have effective businesspresentations...or are a professional speaker. The secret of developinggood content is simply this…you have to live an interesting life andtalk to interesting people.Make a list of all the people who have influenced you in your life.Lists are a great way to trigger your memory of what content to add toyour presentations.Make a list of every manager and boss you've worked for. Write down what you learned, even from a bad boss. A lousy boss canserve as a pitiful example. They teach us what not to do!A great boss example came when I was a 15-year-old shampoo girl at abeautiful salon in England and my first boss was Mr. Paul. I saw himtreat every woman who came into our salon like she was the only one inthe world.He treated the woman who worked as a waitress at the Carlton Hotel aswell as the rich little lady who lived in the penthouse at the CarltonHotel.When I was young I knew that was good service. It was nice to treatpeople well. Now that I'm older and in business, reflecting back Irealize lessons I learned that I wasn't experienced enough to understandat the time.As an experienced business person I realize that the waitress in theCarlton Hotel who talks to a somewhat affluent clientele of 150-200people a day, has a sphere of influence a lot greater than the richlittle lady who plays bridge every day with the same half dozen friends.That's a lesson and an example that goes into my customer servicespeech. I guarantee your lists will provide valuable lessons toillustrate important points for your business and professionalpresentations. Look at who influenced you and ask yourself what theytaught you and then how that played out in your life and career.Remember and record all your life turning points. The different jobs; the different schools; the different colleges; thedifferent seminars; who you met; when you fell in love with an idea, aprofession, or a cause. Look at the best advice that you have been givenand what happened as a result of taking it.As a hairstylist I spent 24 years behind a hairstyling chair. When I was15 working for Mr. Paul we had many rich, glamorous women as customers.As soon as I got to know them, I used to say, "What were you doing whenyou were my age? How did you make your money? Did you make it yourselfor did you marry it? If you made it yourself, how did you do it? If youmarried it, where did you meet him?"Good market research.My brother internationally acclaimed guitarist Robert Fripp is alwayssaying, "Sister, you ask people such personal questions!" During my overlapping careers behind a hairstyling chair and speaking at conferences,all the time asking questions nobody has ever said, "That's none of yourdamn business" because people love talking about themselves. This is agreat way to develop speech content and material.Develop daily habits.Every single day carry around a notepad, and reflect at the end of theday. Ask yourself, "What happened to me today that could one day be in aspeech or used as an example at a staff meeting?" If you had good or badcustomer service it's a story and example. Search your life for thestories that have a message. Even simple example can be very profound.Now you have some ideas to develop good, original content...why notwrite a speech?Need more help? How about...Fripp's upcoming Webinar and SpeakingSchools? - Fripp Presentation Skills Webinar September 4, 11:30 am-12:30 PSThttp://www.businessexpertwebinars.com/component/option,com_attend_events/task,view/id,291/afflink,bewpfripp040208- Fripp Seattle Area School November 6 & 7http://www.fripp.com/speakingschool.html- Robert Fripp Speaks...live and in personRedmond, LA & Phoenix, November 8-9-11

Monday, September 1, 2008

Making more with nothing more than what you already have

Herman Trend Alert: Use IM to Reduce Interruption August 27, 2008
Most people believe using "instant messaging" (IM) software to chat at work leads to an increase in disruption. In fact, a study published recently by researchers at Ohio State University and University of California, Irvine found that workers who used IM on the job reported fewer interruptions than their colleagues who did not.
The research showed that IM is often used as a substitute for other, more disruptive forms of communication such as the telephone, email, and face-to-face conversations and thus it actually leads to an increase in productivity. Dr. R. Kelly Garrett of Ohio State and James N. Danziger of UCLA, Irvine co-authored the study.
The findings, published recently in the "Journal of Computer Mediated Communication", states "using instant messaging led to more conversations on the computer, but the conversations were briefer than telephone conversations". Moreover, "employees are quite strategic in their use of instant messaging. They [use] it to check in with their colleagues to find out if they’re busy, before interrupting them in a more intrusive way".
Some workers use the IM technology to find out when their coworkers will be available, instead of unexpectedly visiting in person. Others use the technology to get quick answers to general questions or to inquire about current work tasks, rather than engaging in longer face-to-face conversations. Resolution of complex problems or situations is not a good use for IM.
The technology allows users to control how and when they communicate with coworkers. and gives people the ability to flag their availability or postpone responses to a more convenient time. Because it is more socially acceptable to ignore or dismiss a text message, than a telephone call, many use this technology to put off more disruptive conversations.
People who used instant messaging reported that they felt they were "interrupted less frequently". "The key take away is that instant messaging has some benefits, where many people had feared that it might be harmful,” said Garrett. Bottom line: "the effect of instant messaging is actually positive". We expect to see more employers testing this technology to help their employees do more with less.

To read this Herman Trend Alert on the web: http://www.hermangroup.com/alert/archive_8-27-2008.html.

Technorati Profile





Technorati Profile

Swimming upstream



I in no way agree with astrology but include the following article from:<http://www.success.bz/newsletters>....

as an example of a truth of a basic principle of leadership that each of us must not just learn about then go on to learn the next principle of leadership but must struggle to handle each day to become not just a better "leader" but a better "person".





The key truth to gain from this column is the fact that we do deal with uncertainty and as a person that is attempting to be a person of "value" in a world where each person attempts either attempts to be one of value by swimming upstream in the river of life or attempts to tread water in the river of life This is a concept that one must deal with in a proactive way or it will not just cause you to tread water but to possibly sink.







Living with Uncertaintywith Dick Sutphen

An astrologer recently reviewed my chart, marveled at some of the planetary comings and goings, andsaid, "You're being taught to live with uncertainty."
"That sounds about right," I said. "But aren't we all living with uncertainty all the time?"
Pema Chodron is a very wise American Buddhist nun who lives in Nova Scotia. I decided to review herbook, "Comfortable With Uncertainty. "Here are some words that stood out:
"A warrior accepts that we can never know what will happen to us next. We can try to control theuncontrollable by looking for security and predictability, always hoping to be comfortable andsafe. But the truth is that we can never avoid uncertainty. This not-knowing is part of theadventure. It's also what makes us afraid."
She completes this short discourse with, "If we find ourselves in doubt that we're up to being awarrior-in-training, we can contemplate this question: 'Do I prefer to grow up and relate to lifedirectly, or do I choose to live and die in fear?'"
Pema speaks of a warrior as a bodhisattva -- not one who kills but a "warrior of nonagression whohears the cries of the world." The warrior's sword of wisdom cuts through delusion.
I also looked up Osho's words on the subject: "Life is basically insecure. That's its intrinsicquality; it cannot be changed. Death is secure, absolutely secure. The moment you choose security,unknowingly you have chosen death."
It follows that the moment you choose life, you choose uncertainty.
Continuing on the subject of security, Osho adds, "The moment things are secure you will feel boredbecause there is no possibility of any exploration." ("Theologia Mystica")
So no matter what the planets are up to, life is always moving from the known to the unknown. Thecrossing point from the known to the unknown is where uncertainty sets in. Looking to the positive,if we choose uncertainty and insecurity, at least we won't be bored.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Overcoming a demon of Leadership and Education



We all have those days where we look at our to-do list and cringe because the tasks seem insurmountable. But if we could turn to quick motivations, we might be able to turn the thought process around and get more done.
You can set yourself up for success by having quick motivators, literally within a few inches from where you are sitting. There are also techniques that can help you overcome overwhelming feelings so you will always have the motivation you need to get through any difficult situation.
Using Quick Motivation Tips to Move You Forward
One of the best ways to find motivation in times of stress is to break down the tasks into manageable chunks. Once you do this, suddenly the list won't seem as insurmountable as you once thought. Look at your task list, determine what needs to get done first, and build momentum from there. You'll find motivation by simply getting things done. You can do it all with a smile on your face and a bounce in your step! This is the way that most of us would like to live our lives, but without quick motivations, it can be difficult to do.
Using Positive Affirmations to Find the Motivation You Need
Many people find quick motivation in positive affirmations. Positive affirmations help you feel confident in your own skin so you can accomplish more and grow as an individual. Instead of allowing a negative internal dialogue to keep you from getting things done, you can use positive affirmations to help you stay focused every step of the way.
This will work even on days when you feel like nothing is going well and you can't possibly get everything done.
You can start saying your affirmations when you start to feel negative about something you have to do, or if you sense negativity creeping into your work. You'll be surprised at how quickly your whole mindset will change, if you are open to it.
Motivational Desktop Wallpapers, Yet Another Fast Motivator!
Another helpful tool is something most people would never consider: motivational desktop wallpapers. Motivational wallpapers can help you escape from the pressures that swirl around you so you can refresh your mind. The power of positive imagery can truly alter the course of your day!
Think about how many times a day you see your computer desktop. Are you getting enough motivation? Motivational wallpapers are one of the quickest ways to motivate yourself to push ahead.
With motivational wallpapers you always can have a motivational picture, quote, or both fingertips during the day. During those moments when you feel like pulling your hair out in frustration, you can minimize everything else on your screen and lose yourself in that picture or quote. You'd be surprised to find how motivational this method really can be! If you are looking for additional motivation, you can take some of your wallpaper images and quotes and turn them into screen savers. Your computer can be transformed from your enemy into your motivator. It's your choice!
Ronnie Nijmeh is the president and founder of ACQYR.com, a motivational website with free wallpaper downloads, positive affirmations, motivational articles and much more. Visit now to read positive affirmations and personal reflections.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ronnie_Nijmeh

Education and Leadership is about looking through everything and seeing reality


Watching the pep rally known as this week's political convention one can not help but have flashbacks when hearing about the remarkable job that Bill Clinton did with his speech. His delivery and content has been given rave reviews from all avenues of the media and from politicians far and wide. It is being liken to some of the great speeches of all times such as ones given by Lincoln, JFK , Churchill and others. Historians and politicians along with the media are astonished with the job he did changing from one who over the past few weeks and months had said harsh things about Obama and his credentials for being the next President to one in his speech that threw his entire support behind Obama with seemingly no reservations at all. Before we accept everything in his speech "hook, line and sinker" we need to have a flash back remembering:



  • This is the same man who gave us the famous line, "...it depends on your definition of the word is...".

  • This is the same man who said, "...I did not have sex with..."

  • This is the same man who allowed terrorism to begin in our country that would result later in 9/11 ...yet he was given the topic of National Security...


Before you are over come with hysteria from the emotion of the overflow from Bill's speech flashback and have a reality check. Neither party has a corner as to being right on all of the issues. We must wade through the emotion and rhetoric of Bill, Hillary and Obama to find out the real facts or as Bill once said what "is".