It is about discovering, not being discovered

Liz Stauss recently concluded her blog post about thought leadership with, “If search is what you value . . . like I said, it’s about the conversation to me.”

There are so many blogs and posts out there that show you how to create a search friendly site that will gain readers rapidly through title selection and linking. The blogs that I read and have seen grown quickly it is not links or titles that have contributed to their growth as much as the conversations and friendships that are created.

We seek so much to be discovered and through we forget lose one whole dimension of life, the joy of discovering with others. It is through this collaboration that growth, learning, and friendship is created. All of these are so much deeper than being recognized.

The Personal Development List

I have been blessed by being reccommended to be added to Priscilla Palmer’s Personal Development List. If you have not gone by and looked at it, I would highly reccommend it because it provides references to many amazing blogs that talk about topics like leadership.

Thank you Steve for recommending me to this list!

Great Leaders Produce HOPE

Helping
Others
Perform
Extraordinarily

What Seperates Real Leaders

“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.” – Lord Action 1887

One of the most famous quotes about power, Lord Action points out one of the biggest struggles in leadership; power. A test to find a great leader is whether or not he can voluntarily step away from leadership and its power for the better of the team. Most people see leadership as way to their personal gain, but a great leader sees it as a way to everyone’s gain. The suprising result of putting the team first is the additional power and trust you gain from them.

Starting in September….

I will be posting two blog carnivals a month and at the end of each month I will choose one article that is fresh, original, and brings something new to the leadership conversation. for an award called The Thought Leader Award. The winner will recieve recognition on my blog and a e-ribbon that they can post on their blog for everyone to see.

I look forward to reading all of your posts that are submitted to the carnival and am excited about helping others publicize their blogs!

Manager’s Cheat Sheet

Over at InsideCRM, there is a great articled titled, “The Manager’s Cheat Sheet: 101 Common-Sense Rules for Leaders”. They include sections about meetings, client relations, and self leadership which I believe are all key part of being a great leader and manager. The last section of the “Cheat Sheet” is about how to go over and beyond which is in part seperates leaders from managers.

Go Above and Beyond
Managing people isn’t just about getting the job done. To truly be a great leader, sometimes you need to go above and beyond what the job calls for.

93. Lead by example. You can talk until you’re blue in the face, but the best way to get a point across is to be the model to emulate. Let employees follow your lead.
94. Get your hands dirty. Sometimes you need to show your employees that no one’s above doing unattractive tasks.
95. Make a difference to your employees. Don’t just be a generic manager — stand out as a leader and role model for your employees.
96. Gain your employees’ trust and respect. You’ll have a much easier time managing employees when they respect your rules and boundaries and trust your leadership.
97. Be empathetic to personal problems. Whether it should or not, what happens outside of work can have a big affect on the quality of work produced. Be sensitive if employees have personal issues that keep them from concentrating on work.
98. Be unique as a manager. Every position demands something different and you should be proud to be adept at your particular role rather than trying to emulate other managers.
99. Remember that ethics matter above all. Be honest and reliable in all of your business and personal relationships.
100. Be on the lookout for new ideas. You never know where your next great inspiration will come from.
101. Get to know your employees. Learn more than just their names. Get to know your employees’ family backgrounds, likes and dislikes. Doing so will make you more personable.

Where have I been??

It has been too long since I last posted on my blog. I really have no excuse for neglecting my blog except for the fact I got preoccupied by other things around me. I have noticed since I have been away from the blogosphere as a reader and writer that my desire to learn in general had shrunk. Because of this I have realized blogging is more about learning than it is about being hear. The past week my desire to read has been resparked and along with it my desire to connect with others and blog is back.

Over the past 6 weeks a lot of neat things have happened that I hope to share with you in future posts. Thank you for being patient with me and I look forward to reconnecting with all of my readers.

– Billy

12th Edition of Carnival of Leadership Growth

Welcome to the 12th edition of carnival of leadership growth. It has been awhile so there are a ton of posts. I hope you enjoy. The next edition will be post at the begining of September.

Jimson Lee presents 10 Ways to Make It Great! A Framework for Success for Coaches posted at Speedendurance.com, saying, “A book review on “10 Ways to Make It Great!” and how it applies to coaching.”

GP presents How Can I Get your Attention? posted at Fish Creek House – INNside Innkeeping, saying, “We’re constantly barraged by thoughts thoughts, ideas and craziness of life compete for our attention…even when the message is important. (Uh…if you think you have an important message, you may want to pay attention to this.)”

Mike Harmon presents Strategic Application of Offshoring in a CPA Practice posted at Basic Accounting, saying, “Can a small Accounting practice outsource accounting? I talk about it my article. Thanks for hosting the carnival.”

Sue Massey presents The Price Of Ignoring What?s Wrong posted at Business Management Life, saying, “I talk about how it’s important for employees to feel good about their job. If you have employees you should read my article.”

Louise Manning presents Standing on the shoulders of giants posted at The Human Imprint.

Warren Wong presents Taking Risks posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, “Are you afraid to launch your own business? Are you afraid of losing what money you have? Here’s why you shouldn’t be.”

rck@TheRoadtoCEO.com presents » Blog Archive » Get More Done with Activity Logs posted at Get More Done with Activity Logs, saying, “Get More Done with Activity Logs
Using activity logs as part of your time management strategy can significantly increase your productivity.

Have you ever had the experience of looking back on a busy day, week, or month only to realize that you didn’t accomplish nearly as much as you had planned?

If so, you’re not alone.

Most people, even those of us who diligently block out our time and prioritize our schedules, find that, while we’re always busy, we often don’t make the progress we anticipated.

Whether you’re building a successful career or a successful business, your time is your most valuable asset. Just as your financial condition is a direct result of how you use your money, your productivity is a direct result of how you use your time.

However unlike finances, which you can easily keep track of with bank statements, receipts, and other records, it’s easy to lose track of just where your time is going.

Before you can effectively use any time management system, you must have an accurate picture of how you’re spending your time right now.

By far the best way to keep track of your time is to use an Activity Log. With this system, you keep a detailed record of just how you’re spending each hour of your day. After you see where your available time is going you’ll be in a much better position to make decisions that increase your productivity.

How to Benefit from an Activity Log

Click Here to Download our Activity Log. (Or create your own by making a table with 3 columns: Time, Activity, and Value.)

Starting tomorrow morning, keep a copy of your activity log with you throughout the day. Go about your activities as you normally would. Only each time you begin a new activity, note it on the log. Be specific. Don’t just write down “telephone calls.” If you’re calling a colleague to finalize a sale, solve a problem, or get some needed information, write that down. If you’re just calling to check on weekend plans, note that too.

To get the most accurate picture of your time usage, record every activity on your activity log. Note when you break for lunch or coffee, when you are interrupted by coworkers, and when you check your email. If you work on a single project for an hour, you only need to note that project one time. However, if you stop what you’re doing for any reason, make a note of it and then note the time you restart.

Keep your activity log for a full week.

Then, at the end of the week review your activity log and objectively analyze how you’re spending your time. Go through each activity and, in the “value”column, note whether each activity is in your:

Top 20% — high-value activities that contribute significantly toward your goals

Bottom 80% – activities that need to be done, but don’t contribute as significantly toward your objectives

0% – activities that should be delegated, or simply not done at all

Determine how much time you actually spent in each “Value” column relative to your total working hours. This can be eye-opening.

When I (Jane) first began keeping this log years ago, I found that I only spent a small fraction of each day involved in activities that significantly impacted my bottom-line results. The more time I shifted to these activities, the more productive I became and the better results I saw in my career.

Since then, many of our clients have benefited from this simple technique. Charles, the president of large restaurant chain, found that he was wasting a significant amount of time at the beginning and end of his many meetings. By scheduling meetings back-to-back he was able to come up with large blocks of uninterrupted time for important projects.

Janet, publisher of a women’s magazine, found that her long hours at work were interrupted so frequently that she rarely spent more the 20 minutes at a time on any one project. After she began scheduling specific “open door” periods, she was able to cut down on her total time in the office and get home at a reasonable hour.

While we recommend using an activity log to get a baseline picture of how you’re spending your time, keeping an activity log regularly can also be a very effective time management tool. A few moments of writing and analyzing your time usage each day can help you make better choices about your activities and can lead to significant gains in productivity and a significant drop in stress!

If You’re Too Busy to Keep a Log

If you think you’re too busy to keep an activity log, yet you’re not yet as productive as you’d like to be, remember the story of the woodcutter, sweating and straining as he struggles to cut down a large tree with a dull blade. A man approaches and suggests to the woodcutter that he would be able to cut the tree down much more quickly with a sharper saw. At which point the woodcutter replies, “I can’t stop now, I’m too busy sawing!”

If, at the end of a month, you realized that you had less money in your accounts than you thought, you would (hopefully) take the time to do an audit to determine just where the money went. Remember, while finances can always be replaced, your time is an irreplaceable resource. Take the opportunity now to determine how to best invest your time assets. This simple, short-term strategy will pay off in significant increases productivity and significantly better long-term results.”

Christopher J. Brunner presents Showing Compassion posted at GreatFX Business Cards, saying, “In this post I discuss how, as leaders, we should show compassions to those who are less fortunate, and motivate others to do the same.”

Jim Stroup presents Reproduction not allowed posted at Managing Leadership, saying, “Sometimes you, as a manager, are so swamped you hardly know how to control your own time, much less spend some of it to train your staff. Consequently, they are left to guess, with no clues whatever, what it is they should be learning from you. The results can be unexpected. Learn how to focus your training and development efforts, just as you focus your own.”

Warren Wong presents My Partner?s Not Doing Enough Work! posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, “Do you find that your partner’s not doing enough work and are angry for having to pick up the slack? Here’s how to handle it.”

Phil B. presents The Problems with IT Firefighting « Phil for Humanity posted at Phil for Humanity, saying, “People have to be punished for causing system malfunctions that they look to IT to fix for them. Due to the lack of planning or foresight of others, IT tech support is constantly in the position of resolving emergencies or putting out fires that they did not start.”

Charles H. Green presents Negotiation and the Short Term Performance Trap posted at Trust Matters, saying, “Leadership requires understanding how the short term very quickly becomes the long term, and how the long term determines short term success.”

Charles H. Green presents When Business is Incontinent posted at Trust Matters, saying, “So often we know what we should do, nothing stands in our way, we want to do it… and yet we don’t. Why?”

Tupelo Kenyon presents Don’t Take it Personally posted at Tupelo Kenyon, saying, “Why do people criticize? It’s not about you – it’s about them. When you get criticized, here’s what to do with it – don’t take it personally. Praise can be just as harmful (but sneakier) – don’t take it personally. If you’re a habitual critic, here’s how to stop . . . but don’t take it personally. (Enjoy soothing instrumental music as you read plus songs with lyrics related to each article – all free.)”

Randy Nichols presents Matt’s Creative Advertising Blog » Blog Archive » Advertising Jingles and Commercials – Radio & TV posted at Matt’s Creative Advertising Blog, saying, “I offer some great tips to stop you from getting ripped off by advertising companies. It can happen if you don’t follow these simple rules. Thanks for providing the carnival.”

Chris Tackett presents How to Write a Headline and Grab Your Prospect by the Eyeballs! posted at Direct Marketing News, saying, “The art of writing headlines is important for direct marketing. I will cover how to come up with some great headlines just like the one I use in this article.”

Eric Hudin presents You Can Make More Working Less posted at Everyday Marketing Ideas, saying, “Time management is a myth. Time doesn’t stop. There is no managing something you can’t control. What you can do is eliminate your wasted movements to become more efficient and effective.”

Jane Chin presents A Danger of “Too Much Experience” posted at On Careers and Life, saying, “How often are you the victim of your own knowledge and experience?”

rck@TheRoadtoCEO.com presents How to React to Criticism posted at Get More Done with Activity Logs, saying, “Receiving negative feedback is never easy. But when you understand how it can help you accelerate your career, you might begin to view criticism differently.

One of the factors that distinguish expert performers from everyone else is how they interpret and use criticism. Instead of trying to avoid it, top performers welcome it and use it to significantly enhance their performance.

In this issue we share a strategy you can use to benefit from criticism, rather than feel hurt by it.”

Tom Stanley presents Finding The Right Information About Franchise Opportunities posted at Tom’s Franchise Information Blog, saying, “If you are looking to buy a franchise business don’t just jump right in. There are things you need research. This article will help you discover what to look for.”

Jason Rakowski presents How To Deliver Technical Support That Delights The End User, Part Two posted at Learn Good Customer Service, saying, “For computer companies technical support can make or break you. If you are in high-tech this is a must read.”

Christopher J. Brunner presents The Balance of a Leader posted at GreatFX Business Cards, saying, “Being a good, strong, dependable leader is all about balance. Being a leader is not a one-sided position. You cannot be rough on your employees and never show them any tenderness. And you can’t be easy on everyone and never show them any discipline. You have to have a balance of both.”

Ivan Rios presents Mistakes Happen: How Do You Respond? posted at artofleading.net.

Ivan Rios presents When To Lose posted at artofleading.net.

Charles H. Green presents Deer in the Headlights Decison-Making > Trusted Advisor Associates > Trust Matters posted at Trust Matters, saying, “When faced with surprise sebacks the way most people react is to just do the same thing – they freeze, and can’t adapt. Some leaders, however, can. Why?”

Tupelo Kenyon presents Action and Satisfaction posted at Tupelo Kenyon, saying, “Balancing the realms of being and doing seems to be a healthy objective – on a personal level as well as on a global level. When our perpetual propensity to do is inspired and driven by “who we are” – the realm of being . . . then our actions bring satisfaction. (Enjoy soothing instrumental music as you read plus songs with lyrics related to each article – all free.)”

rck@TheRoadtoCEO.com presents A Motivation Secret of Top Performing Managers posted at Get More Done with Activity Logs, saying, “A Motivation Secret of Top Performing Managers
August 7th, 2007
A frequent question we get from managers at all levels is how to motivate consistent high performance from others.

In today’s business environment, you can’t force anyone to do anything.

As a manager, you need to think of yourself as leading a volunteer army. In the words of President Dwight Eisenhower, you need to get people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it.

The fact is, psychological research proves that praise and appreciation is far more effective than threats or punishment regardless of what you want people to do.

When people want to do something they tend to put in more and better effort than if they believe that they have to do it. And in this issue we share a motivation strategy that you can use to encourage this kind of voluntary contribution from everyone around you.”

Ivan Rios presents Let Them Think posted at artofleading.net, saying, “How to influence and deal with Analytical people.”

Ivan Rios presents Let Them Talk posted at artofleading.net, saying, “How to influence and deal with Expressive people.”

Luke Houghton presents Life skills: an overview posted at Luke Houghton, saying, “The essential skills needed in life: an overview.”

Charles H. Green presents We’ve All Caught the Detroit Disease posted at Trust Matters, saying, “As the US car industry continues its inexorable decline it’s worth looking at why and asking if other business are also exhibiting the symptoms of the “Detroit Disease”.”

james presents Overcoming Shyness: Tips for making effective eye contact posted at you shy devil you, saying, “Eye contact is one of the most fundamental forms of body language. Here are 5 1/2 tips on making more effective eye contact.”

Chris Russell presents Enhancing Human Performance posted at Productivity Planner, saying, “Knowing why people behave the way they do on the job is the key to gaining commitment to continuous improvement. A manager must understand peoples needs in order to increase motivation and therefore meet the needs of the organization.”

Stacey Derbinshire presents Leveling the Playing Fields posted at Starting a Small Home Business, saying, “The lifeplan of school, college, and get a job is the paradigm most are trained to follow. However, only a small percentage of those who follow this plan end up with any level of wealth or financial satisfaction in their secular life.”

Luke Houghton presents Making the right decisions posted at Luke Houghton.

Tupelo Kenyon presents Work– Just a Job or Visible Love? posted at Tupelo Kenyon, saying, “Do you love what you do and do what you love? Here’s a step-by-step method on how to put your passions to work and start living the life you were born to live. (Enjoy soothing instrumental music as you read plus songs with lyrics related to each article – all free.)”

Ralph Jean-Paul presents Turn Your Potential Into Success posted at Potential 2 Success, saying, “Take your skills, talents, and leadership qualities to the next level.”

Warren Wong presents Make People Comfortable By Greeting Them Right posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, “Do you know how to make people comfortable when you meet them? Here’s a couple of tips to make them feel right at home.”

Phil B. presents 13 Steps to be Productive « Phil for Humanity posted at Phil for Humanity, saying, “Ever wonder why some people are so productive all of the time while other people never accomplish anything?”

Charles H. Green presents The Dark Side of Trust? Not! posted at Trust Matters, saying, “Harvard claims the key to trust is micromanagement, but real leaders know the key to trusting relationships is letting go enough to let trust flourish.”

Warren Wong presents The Key To A Healthy Relationship posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, “Are you in a healthy relationship? Do you know what makes a relationship healthy? Here’s the key to a healthy relationship.”

Aaron Wakling presents American Express Helping Small Businesses posted at The Credit & Credit Card Blog, saying, “When you start your own business you will need capital and some accounting help. Instead of running to the bank for a loan or delving into your savings, it is best to use your American Express card for your purchases and accounting.”

Luke Houghton presents 4 ways of managing customers over the web posted at Luke Houghton, saying, “Managing your customers in a web environment”

Jason Jacobsohn presents How You Can Learn About Relationship Building from Your Child posted at Networking Insight.

Phil B. presents The Right and Wrong Ways to Boost Morale « Phil for Humanity posted at Phil for Humanity, saying, “I think morale has reached an all time low where I currently work, and I would guess that the same is true where you work too.”

Warren Wong presents How To Keep A Healthy Relationship posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, “Are you and your partner fighting all the time? Here’s how to resolve your conflicts and go back to happier times.”

Christine Scivicque presents 10 Ways to Build a Better Team posted at The Executive Assistant’s Tool Box.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
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