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Name of author Rick Baker, P.Eng.

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A Spirited Leaders scenario - #2

by Rick Baker
On Aug 11, 2013

Small businesses are the backbone of the Canadian economy. Yet, small businesses, perhaps more than any other group, have difficulty innovating - creating new products and services - and getting new, innovative products and services to market.

Based on our last 5 years of experience it appears there are a few key reasons for this:

  • some small business leaders have no interest in innovating
  • some small business leaders want to innovate but struggle to generate quality new ideas for products and services
  • some small business leaders want to innovate but are unable to inspire their people to accomplish successful innovation
  • some small business leaders want to innovate but lack a key ingredient to get that done - often, that key ingredient is money or it is tied to money

If a small business leader has no interest in being innovative then let's leave it at that. There may be good reasons for a lack of desire to innovate.

On the other hand, if small business leaders want to innovate but are struggling to get it done then let's help them.

·         If they lack good ideas then we can help them borrow brilliance from other geographies and other business sectors, and we can help them use proven-successful techniques for idea-storming and other creative processes.

·         If they lack the ability to inspire their people toward innovation then let's share our 1-Page Tools, designed to help business people get beyond communication challenges. And, let’s mentor the leaders, showing them exactly how to lead by example.

·         If they do not know how to handle the financial aspects of getting new products and services to market then let's help them obtain funding and get comfortable with cash-flow. 

Yes, that’s what we do. We help small business leaders generate innovative ideas; we mentor leaders so they know exactly how to influence their people; we provide simple processes for improving financial performance.

Yes – that’s what we do.

Tags:

Spirited Leaders

Thought Tweet #800.5

by Rick Baker
On Aug 9, 2013

Thought Tweet #800.5 Self-confidence is the magnetic recipe that attracts the things you need most to succeed in business.


The Thinking Behind The Tweet

You just need to know how to blend the ingredients together...your ingredients and other people`s ingredients.

If you know how to blend them together, great.

If you don`t know how to blend them together, learn.

Confidence is Valued by Spirited Leaders.

Tags:

Spirited Leaders | Thought Tweets | Values: Personal Values

A Spirited Leaders scenario - #1

by Rick Baker
On Aug 4, 2013

You want to make some changes at work. Things are not terrible. On the other hand, things just aren’t clicking. Too much time being spent unproductively. Not enough money for the time spent.

So, you want to make some changes at work…to free up time…to increase cash.

You can free up some time to work on this. But, the way things are during your workday, that’s a hard thing to do. Time is one thing that always seems to be in short supply…time…and money.

What are your options?

You could get an injection of motivational education at one of those seminars. But, you won’t do that. That provides some feel good but it does not bring results. The motivation wears off before you get back to the office. And, it has no chance to spread to the people who really need it.

You could attend one of those 2-day educational programs. But, you won’t do that either. Those sessions are interesting for the first hour or so then they start to bore you with pre-set, role-playing exercises that do not work in real life. And, you certainly couldn’t justify wasting your people’s time at these sorts of sessions.

You could attend an education session designed by an entrepreneur for entrepreneurs. Not a book-length, dragged out, lesson-after-lesson thing. Just a set of 10 ideas, simple ideas, which you can quickly buy into and put to good use at your business.

Even if you only choose to put one good idea to use…that’s a start. Putting a new idea to good use: you know that’s the best way to make a positive change at work.

Get started. And, improve your business one good idea at a time.

One good idea…to free up time…to increase cash.

At the very least – one good idea…to free up time…to increase cash.

That’s what we promise.

That’s what we deliver.

 

 

Tags:

Spirited Leaders

Thought Tweet #784.5

by Rick Baker
On Jul 18, 2013

Thought Tweet #784.5 Two differences between Coaches and Mentors: Mentors have done it & Mentors introduce you to the right people.

 

The Thinking Behind The Tweet

Coaches are to Managers what Mentors are to Leaders.

Leaders lead because they have proven their ability to know, do, and inspire ... and the best Leaders add mentoring to their roles. 

Managers manage because they have proven their ability to know, instruct, and monitor ... and the best Managers add coaching to their roles.

Tags:

Leaders' Thoughts | Spirited Leaders | Succession | Thought Tweets

3 great reasons to strive to excel!

by Rick Baker
On Jul 2, 2013

Doing excellent work. Mastering skills. Striving to be better or best.

 

Excellent work is a truly wonderful thing to experience.

I have had the opportunity to observe mastery of work and the gratification and other rewards work-mastery provides. I have worked with amazing people and had the good fortune to be part of amazing business teams. When I observe business people settling for less, sometimes much less, it gnaws at me. I know what they are missing. And it troubles me to stand by and watch.

Why?

Why should you strive to excel at work?

1. The Feeling of Satisfaction: Positive feelings warm us and enliven us. When we know we have excelled at a work-task we feel satisfaction. Everyone feels that way when they do a task really well. Think back to your childhood. Remember winning a race, getting a high mark in school, hitting that home run, drawing a wonderful picture, singing well...and other such achievements. There is much gratification in work well done...even small achievements create lasting memories. 

2. The Comfort of Belonging: Recognition by other people energizes us. In our hearts, we are all social beings. When other people compliment us or recognize our work contributions we feel pleasure. We feel like we belong. We feel positive. This causes us to strive to achieve even more. Communities play a huge role in our lives: from family, to neighbourhood, to school, to city, to country. We learn this when we are young and it sticks with us. When at work, we feel most-comfortable when others recognize our good work...and when we extend to them similar recognition. When at work, we are most energized when we are part of a group that achieves and recognizes individual actions and successes.

3. The Power of Confidence: Self-confidence happens when we know we can handle situations and actions. And, better than anything else,  baby action steps pave the path for unshakable self-confidence. You have watched little ones learn how to walk...perhaps a brother or sister when you were young...perhaps your own children. With each tiny step, with each little stumble, with each return to the standing position, with each start over and try again...confidence is built until, over time, walking becomes natural and easy. The same applies to work tasks. With planned practice work skills grow. With errors and trying again we learn how to generate better results. With effort and time work tasks are mastered. And, when we step back and celebrate just how far we have come we gain and reinforce self-confidence.

You know these 3 states of mind.

You have experienced them.

You have enjoyed them.

It is within your ability to experience them to a greater degree. That is why excellent work is a truly wonderful thing.

Thought Tweet #767

by Rick Baker
On Jun 25, 2013

Thought Tweet #767 We win when we improve Canadian businesses, one leader at a time.

 

The Thinking Behind The Tweet

The Spirited Leaders process is thought-by-thought and task-by-task.

Tags:

Spirited Leaders | Thinking as in Think and Grow Rich | Thought Tweets

Copyright © 2012. W.F.C (Rick) Baker. All Rights Reserved.