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Curiosity sits close to Spirit...always envisioning and whispering ideas.

by Rick Baker
On Apr 14, 2020

The Thinking Behind The Tweet

When Spirit is vibrant, it listens intently and allows Curiosity free rein to explore.


 

Tags:

Curiosity - Invention, Innovation & Creativity | Spirited Leaders | Thought Tweets | Values: Personal Values

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Seeing the Big Picture & Drilling Down, into the Details

by Rick Baker
On May 25, 2017

Strategic Thinking & Attention to Details: for a business leader, what's the right balance between these two things?

Some business leaders think they can soar around at 50,000 feet, never having to touch the ground let alone drill down into details. Sooner or later they learn, it can be a very quick trip from 50,000 feet to crash and burn.

Some business leaders think their attention to detail is so excellent they feel they must share the details with their followers repeatedly, every day...for almost every task. Sooner or later, they choke the spirit out of their followers, business engines stall, and another business death spiral begins.

Some business leaders operate between the two extremes, without giving any of this much thought.

 ***

Q: For business leaders, what is the right balance between strategic thinking and attention to detail?

A: The right balance needs to be customized to fit each leader's natural talents and the strengths the leader has developed through years of practice. It is important to plan the best balance rather than take an unplanned approach, allowing actions to unfold as they will during the heat of the business battles. One way a leader can determine his or her best balance is to approach the topic from a perspective laced with Seek Simple philosophies, one of which is - Business Contains Only 3 Things: People, Processes, and Situations. 

As you plan your approach to balancing Strategic Thinking versus Attention to Details, make sure you cover the People side first. Then, when you know the People side is covered, move on to the Process side. Why? People are very inclined to over-trump Processes....one way or another.

Consider your talents and strengths: I mean, seek professional help to make sure you have an accurate understanding of your talents [as Gallup tells us - talents are our natural ways of thinking and behaving] and your strengths [things you can do with mastery]. Again, cover the People side first, then move on to the Process side.

Know yourself, especially know how to put your relationships to best use and know your strengths [or lack of strengths] in the area of influencing your followers.

Envision how you will balance your strategic-thinking work with your attention to detail work...then go do it...and excel!

***

 

Tags:

Business Contains Only 3 Things | Influencing | Seeking Simple! | Spirited Leaders | STRENGTHS: People-Focused for Success

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Nobody Likes Tired People

by Rick Baker
On Nov 5, 2015

When you get right down to it, nobody likes tired people. You cannot count on tired people. Tired people may not be there when you want or need their help. Tired people lower the energy bar…others tend to mirror their lack of energy…so when tired people enter the room the atmosphere becomes de-energized. Tired people may not finish the tasks at hand…they may run out of energy before the job is done. Tired people may quit too quickly, quit too easily…giving up before the goal is achieved…letting down co-workers.

There’s a long list of reasons why nobody likes tired people.

In addition, for a variety of reasons, Nobody Likes:

  • Lazy people
  • People who lie, cheat, or steal
  • Loud people
  • Greedy people
  • Demanding people
  • People who boast
  • People who complain 
  • Angry people
  • Intolerant people
  • People who know it all
  • Disagreeable people
  • Argumentative people
  • Holier-than-thou people
  • Smug people
  • Condescending people
  • Arrogant people

With a little more thought we could add a number of other off-putting personality traits/operating styles.

When you stop to think of it, there sure are lots of ways to annoy other people and put them off.

Putting one another off: that's part of the human condition.

This leads to two conclusions:

  1. We need thick skin. We will, at least from time to time, exhibit off-putting behaviour. Others will be put off by our behaviour and they will make that clear to us by expressing criticism. We must be prepared for that. When it arrives, we must keep our ego in check. We must accept that as part of the human condition. We must focus on desired goals rather than undesired behaviour [on the route to those goals].
  2. We need to fight the urge to criticize others. We are susceptible to Attribution Bias, which distorts our view of reality and our view of other people's frailties and errors. We cannot allow ourselves to get bogged down in petty-opinion conflicts. We must focus on goals...we must focus on the Why! We must help others perform the tasks that lead to successful performance.

Tags:

Criticism: Constructive Criticism is an Oxymoron | Goals - SMARTACRE Goals | Personalities @ Work | Spirited Leaders

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Courage - Spirited Leaders' #1 Value [revisited]

by Rick Baker
On Sep 10, 2015

Courage is our company’s Key Value.

In summary, we have chosen Courage for our Key Value because:

  1. Courage enables Self-Knowledge and

  2. When it is backed by Courage, Self-Knowledge can be the foundation of most, if not all, other major values, traits, qualities, and attributes that contribute to character.

If our personal value systems are like dominoes then Courage must be the first domino of desirable character. When it comes to personal character, no other domino can take the place of Courage.

 

Dominoes fall in sequence…

 Courage

Self-Knowledge

Self-Confidence

 

That domino sequence was simplified…in practice, it would be a more complicated sequence: 

Courage

Self-Knowledge

Self-Education

Self-Confidence

Here I mean ‘Self-Education’ in its broadest sense. It includes other dominoes like introspection and [if we want it to] autosuggestion [self-talk]. The main point is, when Courage is present Self-Confidence can grow. If we remove Courage then Self-Confidence cannot grow. Courage enables Self-Confidence. With dedication, Self-Confidence can be self-taught. Coaches can help us understand the dominoes but they cannot give them to us. We have to create our own dominoes and we have to use them regularly.

The process of developing Self-Confidence only works if it is backed by Courage.

 ***

Self-Confidence is a ‘great enabler’.

 Courage is the ‘great enabler’. 

 

***

 

We may have different views about the routes the dominoes of personal character take.

But, we should agree Courage enables some very-positive things…

 Action

 

Decisiveness

 

Enthusiasm

 

Faith

 

Hope

 

Inspiration

 

Leadership1

 

Optimism

 

Persistence

 

Self-Confidence

 

Self-Knowledge

 

 

 

*** 

 

Considering all these dominoes linked to Courage, it is easy to see...

Courage enables Conviction

Courage enables Creativity

Courage enables positive Change  

***

 

Footnote: (1)  In his 1937 classic, ‘Think and Grow Rich’, Napoleon Hill selected ‘Unwavering Courage” as the #1 attribute of Leadership.

 

revisited - the article originally posted May 10, 2008 [this post contains a few enhancements]




Tags:

Attitude: Creating Positive Attitude | Change: Creating Positive Change | Spirited Leaders | Values: Personal Values

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Tony Robbins, TED Talk - 6 Needs

by Rick Baker
On Jul 16, 2015

In a February 2006 TED Talk, Tony Robbins expressed his view that people have 6 needs.

According to Tony...

First people have 4 “Personality Needs”, which they are able to satisfy [one way or another]. The 4 Personality Needs are:

  • Certainty
  • Uncertainty/variety
  • Significance
  • Connection/love

Then people have 2 “Needs of the Spirit”. The 2 Needs of the Spirit are:

  • Growth
  • Contributing beyond ourselves

According to Tony, through growth and contributing beyond ourselves we receive fulfilment...and many/most people do not obtain this fulfilment.

Spirited Leaders buy into this sort of thinking.

Spirited Leaders know needs of the spirit lead to deeds of the spirit.

Spirited Leaders understand fulfilment and self-actualization.

***

James Allen - another perspective on Needs.

Maslow on Needs.

Spirited thoughts about Desires.

Tags:

Spirited Leaders

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Personal Strength is the Heart of personal Drive

by Rick Baker
On Mar 30, 2015

Dan Pink wrote about 3 Drives:

  1. Biological Drive
  2. Reward and Punishment Drive
  3. To direct our own lives, to extend and expand our capabilities, and to make contributions

Apparently, scientific evidence shows that 3rd Drive is the most important Drive.

In a zone similar to that 3rd drive - but far more eloquent and provocative - Nietzsche wrote, “Physiologists should think again before postulating the drive to self-preservation as the cardinal drive in an organic being. A living thing desires above all to vent its strength - life as such is will to power -: self-preservation is only one of the indirect and most frequent consequences of it.”

I think the 3 most important human attributes are:

  • Intelligence
  • Self-Control
  • Drive

Every human being possesses the seeds of intelligence, self-control, and drive at birth. To a certain degree, and the degree varies from person to person, we develop these three abilities over time. The amount of intelligence and self-control we develop determines the extent we are able to express our strengths. Drive is all about putting energy to productive use...drive is innate...intelligence and self-control protect drive from negative influences [...both intrinsic and extrinsic influences].

And, no question, Nietzsche's view resonates in my mind.

Tags:

Emotions & Feelings @ Work | Spirited Leaders | STRENGTHS: People-Focused for Success | Thinking as in Think and Grow Rich | Wisdom: Surviving the Test of Time

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