I am willing to give credit where credit is due - however I do not know the source of the below lists. If you know where these points come from or who authored them, please let me know so that I can add appropriate footnotes. Thank you.
1. Keeping quiet
2. Not listening
3. Getting on with your job regardless
4. Doing other people's work
5. Wandering off
6. Fragmenting the team
7. Proving you were right
8. Ignoring Coaching
8 Points to Team Leadership
1. Explain the Context and Purpose
2. Identify the critical issues (separate from constraints)
3. Encourage contributions
4. Make Decisions
5. Assign Tasks
6. Monitor Progress
7. Coach
8. Review
Team Leader Traps
1. Not seeing members' point of view
2. Getting over-involved in the action
3. Feeling that you have to have the answer
4. Being the technical expert
5. Ignoring social and programming issues
6. Fixating on one issue
7. Fear of standing out
Wow when looking at back at how long its been since I really started thinking about my passions; defining them; and setting purpose & clarity - it's been a LONG time, years already!
I have discovered that many-a-times my passion focus sometimes shifts depending on how I feel.
Which only reaffirms the ever so popular saying:
23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. 24 Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. 25 Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. 26 Ponder[a] the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. 27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.
Sometimes what I think about, read about, watch on T.V., or learn about online, etc... affects my 'mood' and thus influences my thinking and... in the end, ends up interfering with my True Passion (Purpose).
If you've already discovered your passion and have put it into practice then Congratulations! You sense of fulfillment and joy in being able to live your passion must be reflected in your wonderful work that you do!
However if you're still looking, searching, wondering about "What is your passion?" or if you kind-of get a sense that you know but now are wondering "What am I supposed to do now?" - no worries, you're not alone!
Millions of people live their everyday lives not getting that "sense of fulfillment & joy" in their daily activities or chosen career paths ...But that doesn't mean all hope is lost! Reclaiming your purpose and its chosen path can be a change you choose to make; it's a choice you alone need to take.
Making changes in your life don't necessarily need to be drastic and life-altering; sometimes just looking at things differently can make all the difference! You don't need to quit your job; leave your relationship; jump off the boat to make things happen... For some, yes - some of these drastic changes are needed; however for the majority of us, small changes are all that's needed!
Remember: "Understanding and Learning about yourself & who you truly are are key elements in establishing your true-connection." ~ Tammy Mathieu
Here are a few tips, questions, and quotes to get you started... thinking!
QUOTES:
"Working at a job to build your resume is like withholding sex till you retire." ~ Warren Buffet Find work in something you are passionate about; live your passion everyday and enjoy it! Why wait till you retire to do what you love - choose to live it, do it as part of your career. And if it can't be part of your career, have your 'job' somehow jump-start your off-work passion. This way your purpose is to keep 'working' to fuel your passion!
"You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with." ~ Jim Rohn Choose your surrounds (and friends) wisely. You are worth it. How can you grow and evolve if everyone around you is at a lower or same-level as you are. You probably won't keep climbing the stairs or continuing on your journey if the ones around you aren't challenged or motivated in the "same" way/things you are. Thus leaving you with a sense of guilt, which probably keeps all of you in the same spot. Shake things up & change things!
"First they IGNORE you,
then they LAUGH at you,
then they FIGHT you,
then you WIN." ~ Mahatma Gandhi If no one stood out, everything would be the same. Don't be part of the problem, be part of the solution - let go of judgement, and embrace change. Sometimes letting go of what was and what is... allows for what could be to come. And remember, not everyone will always agree - and it's not your job to defend, but to understand. You won when you made the choice.
"Become a self-expert. If you don't know what you're looking for you're never going to find it." ~ unknown Do you know who you are? What you like / don't like? What are your unique strengths, values and experiences? If you're not clear about yourself - how do you expect anyone else to be? Yes, you will find work/career/jobs... and do what others tell you to do. Although once you've become a self-expert, you'll then be the one telling people what you can do for them.
Here are a few links / quotes I found relating to "Discovering Your Passion":
WHAT IS IT YOU COULDN'T DO WITHOUT / LIVE WITHOUT DOING?
Discover that --> and then LIVE it!!
Fill-in the blanks: "When my life is ideal, I am ..." [try using a ___ing verb here; and use present tense].
Be as clear and precise as you can.
Focus on who you are and what means most to you.
When my life is ideal, I am enjoying complete financial freedom. When my life is ideal, I am living in the home of my dreams. When my life is ideal, I am exploring the world. When my life is ideal, I am sharing my love and wealth. When my life is ideal, I am creating beautiful art. When my life is ideal, I am relaxing and meditating daily. When my life is ideal, I am welcoming people into my life and into my home. When my life is ideal, I am playing with loved ones in my beautiful backyard. When my life is ideal, I am openly connected at all levels with my spouse. When my life is ideal, I am allowing myself to receive. When my life is ideal, I am living for the now. When my life is ideal, I am enjoying life with lots of health, energy, stamina, and vitality! When my life is ideal, I am having fun in everything I do! When my life is ideal, I am inspiring others to discover their passions. When my life is ideal, I am living my passions!
The more you write them down the more some will seem to jump out at you! You'll also feel a deeper connection with some more than others... narrow down your list till you feel comfortable with a for-now Top 5!
Review your Top 5 and apply them as much as possible to your daily activities.
Every few months, do a self check-in to see if you Top 5 are still applicable... they may need a little word-smithing... or if you see yourself NOT living some of your chosen Top 5 Passions, ask yourself why?
Is it really something that still has meaning for you? Should it be in your Top 5? Maybe your list needs a review...
Also as you go-along your journey (daily life) maybe create yourself some "markers" for your Top 5 Passions to help encompass its true value/meaning.
Stay focused and clear. And try to be as positive as possible.
For example:
When my life is ideal, I am allowing myself to receive, accept and trust. markers:
- I've let go of my past.
- I am accepted by everyone.
- I'm rejoice in giving and receiving.
- I love and am loved.
When my life is ideal, I am creating beautiful art. markers:
- I express myself via "Art" (photography; poetry; music; sketching; painting).
- I take time to "smell the roses" and "view the sunset".
- I go with the flow.
When my life is ideal, I am enjoying complete financial Freedom. markers:
- I am able to spend joyfully.
- I am financially abundant.
- I am living in my "house" by the water, in the countryside.
- I am "work-free".
- I am receiving money from various sources / external means.
- I am able to give and help others.
- I am able to travel the world and share with everyone my journey.
Joe Rogan on Materialism and Technology --> a TRUTH conversation.
And the timing was impeccable... I understood
what he was talking about when he spoke of the YUGA CYCLE since I just
finished watching (the YUGA CYCLE is explained at about 22 minutes in):
A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. A couple people stopped for a moment then seemingly unimpressed hurried off clearly late for work. One lady threw in a dollar tip on her way by but didn't stop. The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along hurried, but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on. In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition. No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the top musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars. Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats average $100.This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station. One of the world most accomplished musicians, playing one of the most difficult pieces of music ever written, on a violin worth millions and thousands of people passed by without a single turn of the head.
I told that story in the context of not taking things personally because that story helps illustrate the fact that people will react to things and behave based on their current reality, their expectations of a certain environment, and their own definition of what is good and bad. There will be many moments in our lives where we will be Joshua Bell in the subway. Where you will be a priceless gem and no one will notice. Where you will produce incredible things, and no one will seem to care. Where you will be holding something of indescribable value and no one will even look. But like that experiment in the subway, just because no one cared didn't mean it wasn't priceless, incredible, and indescribably valuable. Joshua Bell knew as he played that he was being undervalued, and you will know it too. So in those moments what do you do? You keep playing. We cannot love ourselves only if others love us, and we cannot hate ourselves because others say they hate us. Don't take others reactions to you too personally. Don't make every situation about you. They are often reacting to themselves and their environment more than they are reacting to you. Remember that sometimes your job is just to play. - Roni Sloman
After reading this story - all that came to mind, was wow!
What a beautiful story, a beautiful lesson.
Learn to Stop to Smell the Roses gains a whole new meaning.
And I love Roni's quote: "Remember that sometimes your job is just to play."
Thank you all for this beautiful learning. When I spot, hear, taste, smell, whatever... it is that is beautiful to me, I hope to capture that moment in appreciation and consume it's value in my soul.
Some people are scared of technology and live off the "bad-news" stuff they hear.
Here's a little Technology Humour: Learn to Appreciate Technology :-)
Yes I do agree that the world isn't a perfect place.
Yes I do agree that sometimes things happen because didn't take the proper precautions (security settings; privacy settings; etc.).
Yes I do agree that sometimes other people do "non-smart" things (online) and that affects everyone else's presence (pictures being tagged of you; people saying stuff about you online; people requesting to being your friend; etc.).
Whatever the case maybe - you need to know your facts so that you don't get "surprised" with stuff because you didn't take the time to learn about them.
Again - learning the rules enables you to keep playing the game, otherwise you might get 'outted' sooner then expected and/or get 'hurt' in the long run.
If you don't want to take the time to learn then maybe you shouldn't be playing or when you do get "hurt" or "victimized" you can't say you didn't know - there's too much out there to NOT know.
Obviously you can't know everything but you need to know the basics.
Example - you know your house needs a door.
Otherwise anyone and/or anything can get in: people, insects, raccoons, bears!... etc.
Common sense, you need a door.
a) You are advised to lock your door - precautions.
b) You could lock your door to everything with FBI security.
c) You could kinda lock your door when you need to.
d) You could share your lock (keys) with people you know/love.
e) You never lock your door and post it on Twitter! -- duh?
f) You could not always lock your door and let people you trust know (when needed).
Whatever you choose to do, in the end, it was your choice, right?
So how does this relate to your online presence?
Let's take the above list and apply it electronically:
a) Well you could leave everything open - like why even have a password?
Or have a password of (nothing - blank); or use your name; your kid(s) name(s); your spouse's name; your street name; your phone number; etc... these are the first things a hacker (or someone you know) will try to use (most common passwords).
b) You should use this type of FBI security for your online banking; credit cards; etc.
This is when it takes you 15min to login to something because you've got 15 character passwords with 5 secret questions and then write all of your stuff in encrypted codes.
[If this sounds like you then you should be working for our government; national security; or even anti-piracy companies; etc. Get paid big for what you excel in!! ;-) ]
c) Kinda lock things when you need to - meaning: If I have a personal online account you have it locked up with appropriate measures (ex. Facebook; email - Hotmail; etc.) but for things like Picnic (photo editing site) or stuff like submitting your photos to 'Walmart' for printing -- things like that you could share. Common sense would tell you that you should be using the same 'types' of passwords for Picnic and Email or Walmart photos and Facebook since you wouldn't mind sharing your account (if you had to) to have someone else send pictures to Walmart vs sharing with someone your Facebook or Email account -- these are more personalized thus have more information in them.
Choose your battles: If someone hacked your Twitter account would you 'really care'? vs. If someone hacked (accessed without permission) your Email or Facebook account? [Even if you have nothing to hide it's still personal invasion.]
d) This one kinda blends-in with c) above.
Sharing passwords with people you trust.
Examples: picture editing sites; partnered email accounts (you both are aware that you both can see everything); Walmart photo printing studio (share with your grandmother because she doesn't have a computer and comes over to do this with you); etc.
e) Then there's the all is open and advertized scenario.
If everyone has access to see everything about you online and you help them get this information by sending them reminders and invitations then when something happens you only have you to blame - because eventually it will happen. It's called Karma.
If you leave out of town and don't make arrangements to have your house supervised and then go and post on Twitter and Facebook that you're gone for a week - Hello!? Open invitation to your house.
You don't lock your accounts online; people have your home address (cause you just really needed to post it out to the world) and even have your security access code for the garage door your never lock (cause one night when you were drunk you decided it would be funny to post that out to everyone).
There's being Responsible... and then there's using Common Sense... and then there's just not giving a 'Hoot'!
f) And this one again falls under c) & d) - trusting those you know...
So if I'm posting pictures on my Facebook about a family event I will choose to limit who can access this album of pictures because just because you are in my friends' list doesn't mean you should see my personal family moments.
If I'm posting pictures about a cool concert I was at - then ya I might share it with more people then normally because hey maybe they were there; or maybe they wanted to be there; or whatever they can see the same pictures (or close to it) in the newspapers.
Know what to share and with whom.
Know your limitations too - obviously I would never post anything I wouldn't want anyone to accidently see.
I don't care what it is. If you took pictures of your (whatever - armpit) and are embarrased about it, I don't care what type of security you put on your account, why are you posting them in the first place?
I wouldn't even email them cause someone could (and probably will) just forward the picture to others afterwards anyways.
Judgement: use it = Common Sense. If you don't have it then get offline!! ;-)
Wow that was alot of information sharing / opinion / feedback on mybehalf.
And, yes, I know that most of you already know this stuff and do this stuff but sometimes the mind (your subconcious) needs reminders / details.
So now to some interesting articles:
Google has a free service called Google Alerts that can be set up so that every time your name (or what you want it to search for you) is newly mentioned online, the link to it is emailed to you.
“Whatever your mission – whether it be pass-time or business focused – remember that your identity governs this tool’s existence. Your input generates your output. Social Networking is work.”
Leaders need to know the full battle plan for the whole strategic campaign. Managers are the facticians - they're the platoon leaders and section leaders and section leaders that carryout the orders.
Leaders need to be visionaries and do a good job at selling that vision to others. Managers need to figure out the ways to get that vision.
Know your Team
Be aware of your army's strengths and weaknesses.
Example: Regular testing of skills and inclinations.
* Know which team member would benefit from additional training, coaching or encouragement...
Leader knows which peg to put in the right hole and how much that peg needs to be push down the hole
* This doesn't mean that only people who posses skills for a certain task are given that task though. It's important that you don't pigeon-hole people for their skills.
Build Trust
Employees need the assurance that their leader knows what he is doing and that his decisions take into account their well being. This degree of trust will help ensure that "things get done and the same preferred results are achieved whether or not the leader is present."
People need to be assured that you are who you say you are.
It's also about building a good relationship with your people and obtaining their respect.
Instill Openness
Employees need to know they can always approach you and talk to you even if their views differ from your.
* An important part of this quality is the ability to admit one's own mistakes, accept challenges and new ideas.
Embrace diversity
Leaders need to be mindful and respectful of differences in culture and work practices of employees and learn to use these to the organization's advantage.
Invest in your growth
Don't take on the whole world. To motivate your need to learn to delegate.
A good leader takes time to acquire new skills, keep up to date with industry developments as well as the world in general, to continue being a well-rounded person.
Good is the opposite of great. One of the most enduring qualities of a great leader is their ability to rally people around a cause.
------------------------------------------------------- Proverb: No man on his deathbed says he wishes he spent more time at the office.
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Understand the Business
Start by thinking how can you enable this business user to serve their customers better.
Step back and examine what is the value of what you are doing to the company's customer.
Junk the tech lingo and adopt the biz jargon.
Find a Sponsor
Find a mentor or sponsor who will champion your cause.
Go for Frequent Small Victories
Boost employee morale and gain more recognition by initiating projects that result in a series of small success rather than concentration on a large project.
Zoom in on quick turn around
When the emphasis is on budget slashing, companies are on the look out for low-cost projects with shorter turn around times.
Use tech trends to improve productivity
Business are not focused on looking for people who can invent the technology as they are on people who know how to use the technology to improve productivity or boost profits.
As Derik Sivers describes a movement, he states: "Leadership is over glorified. ...it was really the first follower that transformed the lone nut into a leader.... If you really care about starting a movement, have the courage to follow and show others how to follow."
So what does this mean to you? How does this apply to your life?
Life is full of "movements". I know I can't be a leader for everything / everyone but I sure can pick and choose who I'm following or what I choose to lead.
I follow leaders who represent truth - what I believe is 'my' truth. If I were to tell you that I'm a follower of Personal Development and Positive Alignments, this would be my truth, my paths. You, as an entirely separate person, might not have the same 'truths' or 'paths' thus wouldn't necessarily choose to follow the same leaders I do. And that's perfectly fine. Just know who you choose to follow.
Also to take into consideration is the number. If you start to follow a movement and then another, and then another... just remember that too much of a good thing can be bad. You can't be a good follower if you're following too many leaders.
On the flip-side, if you decide you want to be the 'lone nut' or aka 'leader' then you also have responsibilities. If you have followers, they are there because they believe in you, they believe in what you are representing, they believe in your leadership. Wow that's a huge responsibility! What can you do about this? Nurture your followers and allow them to self-develop and teach them what you know. Doing so spreads that responsibility and accountability to the entire "crowd". It now becomes not just what you are saying / doing but what everyone in this movement are saying / doing. Create the momentum, share the acknowledgements, and thrive on the growth!
