I’ve always been a bit of a bookworm and I appreciate not everyone finds it a pleasure to read.  The one thing I have noticed in my choices, is that over the years the ratio of fiction to work orientated books has changed.  Depending on the content of what I’m reading (i.e how much it makes me think) I’ll read between 3 and 6 books a month, (not including audio products, journals and articles).  When I’m doing research that could increase to being about 6 per week.  Now I don’t expect my clients to read that many (although it’s nice if they do), however often when I give them a book to read in a month they choke (not literally you’ll be pleased to know). ” I don’t have the time”, is a common cry, usually seeing reading this as been on top of their job.  Yet the book absolutely relates to their work and their desired future.

Jim Rohn said “are you feeding your brain protein or candy every day?”  Candy being TV, radio, etc. It’s the nice stuff that distracts us and helps us unwind.  I love watching NCISon a Friday night, yet if someone said you can watch it every night I’d say no thanks.  Another 5 hours of NCIS isn’t going to take me closer to achieving my vision.  5 hours reading something from my book shelves is going to be more useful investment.

What stimulus and inputs are you feeding to your brain on a daily basis and when you know what they are and exactly how much, is this exactly what you’d pick from the menu – or would you choose different options or change the portion size?

Whatever you’re doing right now is contributing to your current results, if you’re happy with these, great and keep going.  If you want different results then maybe it’s time to revisit the menu.

Welcome to January, the time of goal setting.  Success in achieving what you desire depends on a few things.  Actually taking the time to write it down is one.  Yes it’s that simple and so many people skip that step.

The big one I want to write about is whether your goal asks for change or transformation, so what’s the difference?  Well change is doing something a different way.  Sleeping on the other side of the bed, eating something you’ve never tried before, are simple examples of change.  The end result of course is still the same, you’ve slept and you’re fed.  Transformation on the other hand is where there is a major shift, a little like a caterpillar going to sleep and waking up a butterfly.  At some point the caterpillar knew it had a butterfly inside and to become that, it needed to let go so the inner self could emerge.

When you set a goal the courageous question to ask yourself is ” given everything I am currently, can I achieve this goal?” and in some cases the answer is no and what’s required is a major shift.  So if you still choose to achieve your goal, you embark upon the journey of transformation.  The journey can take months or even years and because transformation is called for it will have moments of pain and vulnerability, and as you keep moving through and towards your goal, you realise it is this process of transformation that is giving you the resources you need.  There is no by-pass or quick fix, it just helps if you’re clear beforehand how committed you are to achieving your goal.  If the prize isn’t compelling enough then the pain associated with the chrysalis phase will seem too higher price to pay.

My advice then is to take the time to write down your compelling prize, then throughout your transformation it’ll guide you and remind you that the apparent madness and folly is all going to be worth it.

Then again I know from conversations with my clients and their staff the importance and value of building ethical trustworthy relationships as a route to sustained business growth.  They’re not resting on their laurels here either and the results are speaking for themselves.

Last year I did a trust masterclass with Sue Swanborough HR Director for General Mills UK & Ireland.  The feedback was fantastic and this year we’re doing it again. However in this masterclass we’re notching it up a few gears.  Last year our masterclass was packed with the basics, this year we’re doing an advanced version.  Both Sue and I will be sharing our experience, key learnings, and the things that make the difference in the practical world of business.

On this tele conference call we’ll be discussing amongst other things:-

* Why trust is an inside job first and foremost

* Authenticity in leadership and it’s impact on trust

* Common behaviours that undermine trust and credibility, yet are often seen as acceptable in the workplace.

* Plus we’ll open the lines so you can ask your questions direct, as well as giving you the opportunity to send in your questions beforehand.

Remember high trust organisations out perform low trust ones by 278%.   Not only that customers aren’t making purchase decisions based on price alone, trust and credibility are primary influences and fundamental to building brand loyalty.

To get all the details and secure your place on this complimentary master class click here.

It’s a holstee manifesto and it’s possible to purchase it from them.

Here’s a short video – how many of these do you see in your team?

Quality, standards, ethics, values, trust are all key facets of business but to what extent do you pay them lip service rather than live by them?  How often to these aspects seem to be at odds with making a profit?

How often is there a decision to be made which if you follow your values will take you down one route but if you sell out on your values (yes that’s what you’re doing) will take you down another, often appearing more profitable?  It’s hard at times, and usually these times are at the beginning of practicing this habit.  It’s harder to stay with your values and keep looking for a solution that will deliver profitability to the business, than it is to go with the obvious profitable solution that asks you to ignore a value or two.  However as it becomes clear both to yourself and to others that compromising on values isn’t an option then finding profitable and ethical solutions becomes easier.

Organisations have values they claim to live by.  It’s the leaders that are then beholden to live by them.  It’s not that organisations are ethical, or unethical, it’s that the people within choose to act ethically or not.  Makes your bum cheeks squeak a bit when you think of it like that.  It takes the anonymity out of it and brings it back where it needs to be, personal.  As a leader you have to walk the talk – well OK you don’t have to, but then of course if you don’t you’ve said it doesn’t matter to the rest of your staff.

The tide is turning on tolerating unethical behaviour.  Yes we’re accountable to investors to make a good ROI, yet if we cut corners and compromise on quality, standards and ethics, we run the risk of being found out, and then been called to account.  We only need to look at the News of The World to get a timely reminder of where our daily actions and choices can lead us.

So is there anything today you’d hesitate to put your name to?  There is still time to change all that.

The answer doesn’t have to be formal training.  One often overlooked approach to developing your high potentials is mentoring.  Clearly it helps if you have a structured mentoring approach, but even the adhoc variety can get some results.   However mentoring allows for the transfer of knowledge and experience that is relevant right now.  As a leader you get the chance to see how some one is being about a problem or challenge just as much as finding out what they’d do about it.  Formal training programmes don’t usually allow for that distinction, plus the fact they’re often an intense burst of knowledge and the application and retention can be low.

If you decide to mentor and work on developing leadership qualities in some of your current staff, look for those that are naturally taking on the extra, perhaps leading their coworkers outside their standard daily duties. harnessing this self driven enthusiasm and helping them hone and develop their skills and traits is simpler and more rewarding for all involved.

The TT race is an opportunity for man and machine to conquer the toughest environment, which shows no mercy. Keith Amor came off his bike in the wet the other day, and managed to hang on to the bike long enough not to be flung in to a wall, instead he spun on his back down the road. Last year Conor Cummins came off over the mountain part of the track and bounced like a rag doll down the hill. Amongst his injuries he broke his back in several places – and is back this year to race. Not every one is so lucky and every year riders die doing what they love. They are passionate about what they’re doing, they know the risk and the thrill you get from successfully testing yourself in such extreme circumstances is the prize.

So what have I noticed amongst the best:-

Focus, clarity, determination, passion – They know what they want and why, they also live and breath their sport.

Commitment – this isn’t just to the sport, this is commitment when on the track, every corner is taken on the edge. They know they’re not going to win if they are tentative, or back off half way through. Commit to the corner and if it doesn’t work out, learn from it. Make a decision, follow it through.

Sacrifice – some of the guys there are part funding themselves. And some of those winning now started off part funding themselves.

Faith, self belief, confidence, skill & experience, as well as the ability to take feedback and respond quickly. The bike is always talking to them about the road, it’s their ability to listen and respond that let’s them lead the field. The minute they start ignoring it and thinking they know best, or are invincible, yes you can see where I’m going with this.

Teamwork – races can be won or lost on the pit stops, and of course in setting the bike up in the first place, or repairing it in time for the next race.

Resilience – Both Guy Martin and Connor Cummins had serious injuries from their crashes last year. They’re both back this year. That say’s a lot about their bodies, as well as their minds. I don’t know that I could get back on a bike and go full out again, then again that’s due to racing not being my ‘passion’. Business and specifically leadership are, and I’ve lost count of the knocks and set backs and I just dust myself down, learn from it and get back in the game.

Preparation – they’re all out there beforehand, reacquainting themselves with the course, fine tuning the bikes, and their self talk is positive.

Razor’s edge – the difference between 1st and 2nd place, can be point something of a second. Yet it’s only the winners that get remembered, and talked about.

The leaders in the TT all demonstrate the above. The followers are working on being able to do the above.

Steve McQueen once said “Racing is life – anything before or after is just waiting”. Well I’d change it to “Leadership is life – anything before or after is just faffing about.”

Great leaders in business also demonstrate the above qualities, taking up the challenge of conquering todays tough business environment. One that is also unforgiving, poor leadership can easily take a business under.

The question to ask yourself is – “are you playing to win, or playing not to lose?”

-       How can I ensure stability in the business so we have a solid platform for growth?

-       How can I build a team and a workplace where everyone is highly motivated, engaged and feels like they belong?

-       How can we increase the results we’re getting, making us more productive and profitable?

-       How can I increase my resourcefulness and resilience as the leader?

-       How can I operate from my full potential and be of more service to my staff and our clients?

For me as the leader of a business it’s important that I don’t become the rate limiting factor to the performance of the business and the people within it.  Consequently investing in my development and growth isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity, one that has over the years paid dividends.  More to the point as a leadership expert, when I find something that really works I share this with my clients.

Archetypes in Leadership are one such thing.  In fact I would say that understanding archetypes has made the single biggest impact to my effectiveness, and that this leadership development course is one that has made a significant difference to the clients I have shared this with.

In June we’ll be running a 3 month programme that let’s you uncover how archetypes are directing your leadership and the results you’re achieving both in your career and for the business.  This programme is practical and personal so you’ll leave with specific knowledge and actions that will make a significant difference, plus our programme has our 100% money back guarentee.  For full details go here  Archetypal Leadership Programme 2011