Ron White's Ezine
October 29, 2008
Issue 80
Welcome!
I just returned from a week in The Bahamas and it was INCREDIBLE (but you could have probably guessed that!). One thing that really stuck out in my mind was going snorkeling. Sharks were literally swarming five feet below me. It was remarkable! Even though, through my eyes, these sharks were twins of the Great White in the movie "Jaws," the guides assured us that they would never attack a human under "normal circumstances," and for some reason that was good enough for me, so I went in!
Two things I noticed:
1. I will get in the water with SHARKS if the guide says it is okay and there is proof that others have done it and lived!
2. I did it and lived!
What goal are you eyeing right now? Is it a little intimidating? Does the thought of succeeding or failing make you nervous? Well...have others done it? If they have, use this as the proof that your mind needs that you can do it as well. Most likely the goal you are pursuing (unless it is a cure for a disease or walking on Mars) has been accomplished by someone in the history of time. Remind yourself of this fact when you begin to shy away from pursuing your dreams.
By the way, if you ever are a guide on one of the snorkeling tours, don't give your speech about how safe it is and then, when everyone is about to get in, tell the group "....nice meeting you...." It is a little unsettling....
Go for More this Week!
Ron White
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In This Issue.....
1. An Undisputed Advantage by Ron White
2. Quotes of the Week
3. A Good Leader Inspires Followers by Harvey Mackay
4. Election Week Special!
5. More Information
1. An Undisputed Advantage by Ron White
Sometimes success in life is a result of setting yourself apart from your competition or simply everyone else. There is one behavior that, without a doubt, will give you an advantage over those around you. I will allow Thomas Jefferson to share what that is. He once said,
"Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances."
Have you ever been in a stressful situation or in a storm of life in which you were not able to maintain your cool? It happens to all of us. Billy Joel puts it this way in his hit song "Pressure":
But you will come to a place
Where the only thing you feel
Are loaded guns in your face
And you'll have to deal with
Pressure
Jefferson and Joel are in agreement that you will have to handle pressure. Jefferson suggests that how you respond to that pressure can give you a distinct advantage over those around you. Accepting the fact that you will encounter adverse situations, how do you prepare yourself to always remain cool?
You must run through this checklist before the moment of truth arrives, because under pressure this list is clouded and feels miles away.
Remind yourself that your life has seen many challenges and you worked through each one and are still standing today.
Remind yourself that you are not the first to encounter obstacles and others have made it—so can you.
Unless you are being attacked in a physical manner, never allow yourself to respond without knowing all the facts.
Again, unless being attacked in a physical manner, practice the rule of five, and that is slowly counting to yourself to five before you respond.
Do not fear walking away from the table as you allow the issue to cool. Do not shirk from asking for help. A team is always stronger than an individual. The question is not, will you encounter struggles in life. The question is how will you respond? For a distinct advantage over others, remember the words of our third president and keep your head.
To mark next week's Election Day here in the U.S., I want to offer you very special savings (up to 86%!) on my highly recommended success-related topics DVD/CD programs, including Success Lessons from U.S. Presidents.
Find details here: www.YourSuccessStore.com/Presidents
2. Quotes of The Week
MENTORING
"If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you want and copy what they do and you'll achieve the same results." -- Anthony Robbins
"Example has more followers than reason. We unconsciously imitate what pleases us, and approximate to the characters we most admire." -- Christian Nevell Bovee
"Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions." -- Harold S. Geneen"
"The world needs role models, instead of critics." -- Denis Waitley
3. A Good Leader Inspires Followers by Harvey Mackay
Every election year we have a remarkable opportunity to make things better. And those of us who take the time to vote help make some serious decisions in this country. Right now the word we hear over and over again is leadership - who is better at it; who has the better plans; and who can assemble the masses and try to reach some agreement on how to progress.
Leadership is critical at every level of business as well as government. John Brock, who teaches leadership classes at the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University, shared a list of thirteen principles of leadership he adapted from the United States Military Academy, and I think he's dead on. Can you identify these traits in your management? Could your management team win a re-election if business was structured that way?
1. Know yourself and seek self-improvement.
2. Be technically and tactically proficient.
3. Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions.
4. Make sound and timely decisions.
5. Set the example.
6. Know your employees and look out for their well-being.
7. Keep your employees well informed.
8. Develop a sense of responsibility in your subordinates.
9. Insure that the task is understood, supervised and accomplished.
10. Train your employees as a team.
11. Employ your team in accordance with its capabilities.
12. Set your priorities.
13. Take the initiative.
What I like most about this list is its simplicity. It cuts through the doubletalk that so often disguises incompetence. It leaves little room for misinterpretation. You are either following the rules or you're failing as a leader. Case closed. Brock maintains that all great leaders have four common characteristics: bedrock principles, a moral compass, vision and the ability to form a consensus. I couldn't agree more. The minute you compromise your principles, you lose respect. That goes hand-in-hand with the moral compass, I think. Knowing and doing what is correct even when it may be unpopular or perhaps unprofitable requires a strong character. Keep your moral compass pointed straight ahead and you will never have to apologize for your actions. General Robert E. Lee, widely respected for his military and personal leadership, summed it up: "You have only always to do what is right. It will become easier by practice, and you enjoy in the midst of your trials the pleasure of an approving conscience."
Vision is a little harder to acquire. I firmly believe it is an acquired skill. You can train yourself to see what's ahead and determine an appropriate response and plan of action. Consensus building used to be simpler, when competition wasn't as cutthroat and civility ruled. That's not the world we live in now, and the gauntlet has been thrown down. You need only look at the hostile political climate for a prime example of the difficulty in reaching agreement. But this trait, possibly more than the others, is what defines a leader. Dwight Eisenhower, who led our army and the country, advised, "You do not lead by hitting people over the head - that's assault, not leadership."
Through example and information, finding common ground is a very rewarding accomplishment - a win-win situation for all. Consider the story of Christopher Columbus. His crew became discouraged and threatened rebellion as they searched for the New World. They wanted to turn back, citing their voyage a "fool's errand." Columbus was undeterred, but attempted to reach a compromise: If they would be patient and faithful for just three more days, he would agree to abandon the search unless they had discovered land. From history, you know how that story ended. I'm adding one more trait that I find central to leadership, the ability to maintain your perspective. I remember hearing the story of how the Roman emperors handled Roman generals returning victorious from battles. The generals were welcomed in grand parades that featured their soldiers, all the wealth they acquired, and the prisoners they captured. Accompanying the generals in their golden chariots was a slave, who in the midst of the celebrations would whisper in the generals' ear, "Remember, you are a mortal man, all glory is fleeting."
Mackay's Moral: True leadership must exist for the benefit of the followers, not the enrichment of the leaders.
4. Election week savings!
We're less than a week away from Election Day in the U.S and the hard-fought presidential campaigns are winding down.
To mark the occasion, I want to offer you very special savings (up to 86%!) on my highly recommended success-related topics DVD/CD programs, including Success Lessons from U.S. Presidents.
Find details here:
www.YourSuccessStore.com/Presidents
5. More Information
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