Vision inspires

Leadership has a few essential ingredients. For example, the leader must possess a level of intelligence and the leader must possess a character that appeals to followers. Another essential ingredient is Vision. Good-to-great leaders hold a long-lasting, vivid image of what they want in their minds and they communicate that message to their followers. Some good-to-great leaders have an innate gift of communication. Other good-to-great leaders learn the art of communication.

Values fuel the right actions

Everyone lives by a set of personal Values, whether or not they are expressed verbally. The greatest of leaders naturally live by their Values in a most consistent manner. And they have a habit of painting verbal pictures around their Values. Good-to-great leaders' thoughts and actions and communications are consistent. This clarity around Values sends a consistent message to followers. The message energizes followers. In this way, the leaders' Values fuel everything.

Goals provide direction

Good-to-great leaders set long-term goals and they set short-term goals...they know the importance of little milestone steps that guide positive actions toward the long-term goal. Good-to-great leaders know the linkage between good habits and long-term goals. Good habits help people achieve their long-term goals whereas bad habits do not. Short-term goals provide the opportunity for testing, doing, failing, learning, and adjusting the next sets of short-term goals and actions. 

Intent doesn't go without saying

Good-to-great leaders, when compared to average people/leaders, somehow, do a better job of understanding other people. So, somehow, they do a better job of choosing people whose intentions are more aligned to fit on common ground...rallying around a cause. Some good-to-great leaders possess natural gifts of empathy. Other good-to-great leaders figure out how to read other people and they start the process by sharing discussion of Intentions. When in doubt, they ask.

Stories get remembered

Great leaders are great communicators. They are attuned to their life-experiences and how some of those life-experiences serve as excellent examples that can be shared with other people, followers and others who could be followers in the future. Great leaders create powerful, magnetic stories around these pertinent life-experiences. They practice delivering these stories. Then they use every opportunity to present and repeat the stories...to anyone and everyone who will listen.

There are lots of problematic people issues out there. Many people are struggling with anxiety. Many people are struggling with depression. Many people are struggling with respiratory issues and allergies. Many people are struggling with stress and a range of other maladies.

In reaction to these maladies, we have many new government rules... accessibility rules, scent-free rules, non-smoking rules, and a range of rules covering food preparation and food services. And, in reaction to these maladies we have much advertising...cold remedies, flu shots, breakfast cereal vitamins... and medicines to ease or cure everything from shingles & COPD to hair loss & erectile dysfunction. You know all these things and more; you watch TV.

"Future shock is the shattering stress and disorientation that we induce in individuals by subjecting them to too much change in too short a time."

"Man has a limited biological capacity for change. When this capacity is overwhelmed, the capacity is in future shock."

Alvin Toffler

'Future Shock', (1970)

Clearly, many people are struggling with varieties of physical-health and mental-health problems.

And there is a great deal of activity aimed at helping people with their problems. In addition to government rules and the media, 'wellness' products and services are being introduced into business environments. Much time, effort, ad money is being spent to address the maladies experienced by business people.

About people maladies in the small-business sector…

For the most part, the small-business sector is being tolerant, silent, perhaps confused, and perhaps with blinders on. In the tolerant & silent small-business sector, maladies consume vast quantities of energy and create a broad-and-deep range of interpersonal dysfunction and sunk personnel expenses.

In summary:

Technologies have changed exponentially.

People have not.

People have taken on then fed on maladies.

What’s missing in the small-business sector?

The missing ingredient is common sense…simple common-sense thinking and simple common-sense action. The missing thinking & action awaits accurate perceptions and simple/straightforward plans.

And, the missing thinking & action begins with self. 

Consider your maladies.

Don't embrace them. Cut them down to size.

Throw away the thought that you are too busy...know - You DO have time! Time is yours now...this instant.

You DO have time! You have time this very moment to begin to adjust your thinking. You have time this very instant to avoid the sweeping wave of 'Future Shock' that, apparently, is catching so many others.

Recognize 'Future Shock' is an avoidable and treatable malady. It feeds on "I am too busy" and "I do not have time". It feeds on tolerance of woes, misery loving company, & tolerance-avoidance of unacceptable symptoms. It feeds on laziness. It feeds on bad news. It feeds on negative media. It feeds on TV prescriptions. It feeds on mind-numbing 'Reality Shows'. It feeds on the ignorance of other people.

And, most dangerous of all, it feeds on ignorance of self.

Immunize yourself!

***

"The illiterate of the future will not be the person who cannot read. It will be the person who does not know how to learn."

Alvin Toffler

***

PS: This 'Future Shock' is so vile and pernicious it is even squeezing the joy out of NFL football. 

Sure, we are struggling now. Regardless, we can put Einstein's insanity-definition out of work.

So many business people have a self-defeating attitude about change. I hear them reciting Einstein's definition "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Yet, despite that knowledge they are set in their ways. They repeat the same mistakes. And they complain while they are repeating mistakes.

Resistance to change causes business tires to spin on the spot. Those spinning business tires dig deep ruts. It seems that people often give up rather than fight to get out of the ruts. In the heat of the daily business battles people seem to forget about trying new things. Instead, they lamely plod along doing the same old things that didn't work the last time.

Needless to say, they experience first-hand Einstein's insanity-definition.

Sometimes when this happens they get angry. When they get angry they apply more force...trying to head-butt their way through obstacles and other people. Of course, this approach rarely works. And, it generates new problems that show up as new ways to fulfill Einstein's insanity-definition.

How might one avoid the insanity trap Einstein warned us about?

Here's a suggestion...

Start by considering how your Self-Image and your Self-Esteem affect your Mental Attitude toward the 'outside world'.

And consider:

Your Self-Image - How do you see yourself? 

Do you see yourself as Attractive? Ugly of flawed?

Do you consider yourself Courageous? Fearful?

Do you believe you are Intelligent? Weak-minded?

Do you feel Energized? Lazy?

Do you find yourself to be Honest? A con artist?

Do you feel Healthy? Sickly?

Do you feel Strong? Weak?

Do you see yourself as Talented? Incompetent?

Do you see yourself as Organized? Scatter-brained?

Do you feel Blessed? Deprived?

Do you see yourself as Tolerant? Intolerant?

Do you feel like a Victim? A Victor?

Do you see yourself as Creative? Boring?

Do you see yourself as Flexible? Set in my ways?

Do you feel like a Winner? Loser?

Do you see yourself as a Self starter? Unmotivated Procrastinator?

Are you a Positive person?  Negative?

Are you Optimistic? Pessimistic?

Are you Trusting? Sceptical?

Are you Curious?  Close-minded?

Are you Hopeful? Disenchanted/disillusioned?