Wanting to learn more about servant leadership?

If you are wanting to learn about servant leadership then check out this list of 15 must reads! These are considered to be quite popular and frequently recommended and referenced books. Go on, work on your leadership skills with these books!

//\\

No is the antidote to busy

This post by Tim Denning is all about how we often say that we are too’busy’. At this point in time, I would claim to be ‘busy’.  Having read Denning’s post is a bit of a wake up call for me right now.

It serves as a reminder that ‘busy is a lack of discipline’ – and right now I know I don’t have the discipline so this couldn’t be more true for me.

“Diet takes discipline; the gym takes discipline; business takes discipline; success takes discipline”.

Moral of the story, you need DISCIPLINE!

But how can this be achieved? Denning talks about having to say no at times with the thought behind this being, that:

“No equals more time. No equals focus. No is the antidote to busy.”

While I will try to bring things into balance and try say no where required, I also think that being less ‘busy’ requires some good organising and prioritising.

So you say you are busy huh?!…

//\\

5 ways to boost grit

In this post, grit is said to be the one thing that can help you on the road to success. Its all about your ability to stick with something despite things not working out.

The post outlines 5 ways to boost grit:

1. Focus on positive self talk – this could help you get through the tough times
2. Find people who are also searching for success and stick with them – you can help boost each other
3. Be focused on your goal, but don’t be attached to the path that leads you there – focus on the “what” instead of the “how”
4. Take baby steps – work towards smaller goals that contribute to a larger goal
5. Make sure to take time to celebrate the little wins you have on a regular basis – don’t forget to reflect on your journey as you move along it and appreciate it and the little wins along the way

Give these things a try and hopefully they will help you on your success journey!

//\\

This habit could make your Sunday less stressful, and your Monday more productive

When you are facing times of stress, chances are you are constantly looking to the future in hope of better less stressful times. This post suggests that successful people not only look into the future but also take the time to reflect on the past. Such reflection gives them a chance to improve themselves and work better, but most of us probably don’t do that. I for one, definitely don’t reflect enough.

My highlight from the post is the following line: “If you’re not constantly auditing yourself, your habits, your schedule, and the way you approach your own life, you will never be in control of where you’re headed.”

So how about each Sunday you set aside 15 minutes to reflect on the last week and make some action points to improve in the following week. Hopefully this simple activity will put you in a better mindset to tackle the next week.

As I’ve finished writing this, I too have taken the time to think about where things went wrong over the last week. I’ve got to admit, having a different game plan to tackle the next week is giving me a little bit of peace right now!

Will you too give this method a shot?!

//\\

6 habits that could help you stay sharp!

This post talks about 6 habits that can help you perform at your peak.

1. Commit to exercise – it can be as simple as fitting in a walk in your day and doesn’t necessarily have to be rigorous. Something is better than nothing

2. Focus on learning new skills – keep yourself mentally engaged and try something new, perhaps something a little outside your comfort zone; or perhaps pick up a new hobby that you never got round to

3. Expose yourself to new ideas and environments – this can help drive innovation and get you thinking more creatively

4. Make sleep non-negotiable – to make the most of your day, to think and make sound decisions you want to make sure you have had a good night sleep. It is an essential nutrient for your brain after all

5. Prioritise eating nutrient rich food – staying healthy is important and what you eat plays a big part in this. How well you eat can impact things like your productivity so it is important that you are getting all the appropriate nutrients you need in your diet

6. Read daily – more than attaining more knowledge this is more so about staying mentally engaged

How many of these are you already doing? Are you reaping the benefits of these?

//\\

What does Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey look for in candidates?

In this post we find out about the one question Jack Dorsey asks in interviews: “Why are you here?” Dorsey explains that “if you have a sense of passion and a sense of purpose…then we can work together, then we can build amazing things together.”

Dorsey expresses his views that being an entrepreneur does not simply mean starting a company, it is an attitude; an attitude that is driven by values and passion.

I imagine Dorsey is not alone in these views. When you walk into an interview, do you know your why and exhibit a sense of passion and purpose??

//\\

3 tactics used by great communicators

In this post we learn about 3 tactics that have been found to be used amongst top performers to get people to buy into their ideas.

1. Make them upset and then excited – As odd as it may sound this actually makes sense. Remind someone of their frustrations and then relive this frustration with a solution (being your product)

2. Show it (don’t just tell it) – Top performers have been said to get their point across by making use of things like props, photos, videos and demonstrations

3. Make them feel purpose – inspiring people with a vision of a greater purpose is said to be the mark of a great leader. As an example, while Starbucks sells coffee, they serve a larger purpose to bring people together as a community and creating a “third place between work and home”.

Time to celebrate being unbalanced!

We often find ourselves seeking balance in life, but this isn’t necessary as we find out from Randi Zuckerberg in this post.

Back in 2011, she tweeted about the entrepreneur’s dilemma and having to choose 3 from the following: maintaining friendships, building a great family, spending time with family, staying fit and getting sleep. Whilst she still stands behind this, she points out that you can pick a different 3 each day. This means that whilst there is some imbalance day to day, we still have the power to create balance overall.

What does this mean? It implies that it’s okay to be unbalanced day to day to help you achieve great things (after all, chances are great things are achieved when we are unbalanced!). It’s in the long term that we want to ensure that we can achieve balance overall. So while we may sacrifice on some things in the short term, hopefully this is not the case in the long term.

So go on guilt free and celebrate being unbalanced!

//\\

“Is your reaction helping the situation?”

This is just a quick reminder to check in with yourself when facing difficulty. Panic can set you off in what seems like a never ending spiral that achieves nothing. On the other hand positivity can help ‘bring people together, boost morale and help get stuff done’.

Next time take two seconds to assess if you are helping the situation…

//\\

The act of balance according to Richard Branson

In this post we learn about Richard Branson’s balancing act of life. He shares his top tips in making the most of life and each day:

Do something fun as you start your day – Get some sort of physical activity done in the morning, be it playing a sport or fitting in some exercise in your commute. This is important to your health and will may leave you feeling like you have achieved something before work even starts

Just do it – “Work hard, take your chances, and seize opportunities when they present themselves. Don’t give in to the fear and self doubt and instead find ways to make it happen”

Set goals and challenge yourself (and write them down) – Improving oneself is important and accordingly it is also important to set yourself goals to help you continue to learn and develop

Have a break – Burning yourself out isn’t going to help anyone. It’s okay to have a break now and then and give yourself a breather. All in moderation I say

Do some good – “Business should be a driving force in creating a better world, so if you can combine your entrepreneurial skills with a social purpose, you can have a great effect on the world”

//\\