People Matter

Do you want to succeed in life? Do you want to leave a legacy behind you? Do you want to build a successful business or career? These and almost anything else you desire to find in life can be achomplisehd if you will do just one simple thing, value people.   

That's it. It really is that simple. 

If you will shift your focus away from trying to chase down and acheive what you want, and instead focus on how you can help others, it changes everything.

People's greatest need is to be valued.

People want someone to take notice of them. To look them in the eye and ask them about their day. To listen to them. To treat them with kindness, decency and love. People know when you value them and they can tell when you don't. 

"The path to being a better leader is paved with the asphalt of the habits we develop" - Brad Lomenick.

Developing a few intentional habits can help you grow in how you value other people and completely change everything for you.  

Pray for people. It is hard to dislike those you prayer for. One of the quickest ways to change how you feel about someone is to pray for them. Ask the Lord to work in their life, to give you a love for them, to use them to reveal to you where you need to grow, and to draw them closer to Himself. 

Talk to people. The fastest way to get to know someone is a conversation. Sadly, people are having real face to face conversations less and less. Don't give in to the pressure to hide behind your key board. Go talk to people. Invite them to meet you for coffee, join you for lunch or the big game. Listen to what they tell you, laugh often and have fun. 

Be an encourager. There is so much power in your words. Power to wound and power to heal. There are far too many people using their words to wound and hurt. Be a person who uses their words to lovingly encourage and uplift others. Compliment and celebrate others as often as you can. 

Look people in the eye, stick out your hand & smile. Statistics say that the average person will meet 80,000 people in their life time. That's a staggering amount of people. With so many opportunities to meet new people, one of the best habits you can develop is the habit of warmly greeting everyone you meet. Never underestimate the power of a genuine smile. 
 
Walk slow. Instead of rushing from place to place and task to task. Slow down life's pace a little. Chances are you don't have to move at a break neck pace all the time. Slow it down a little and allow yourself to connect with those around you. Be open and invite other people in. 

The quickest path to finding the success you want in life or business can be found in loving and valuing people. 

Worth A Listen

On Monday I shared 4 Steps to Personal Growth. A number of the tweaks I shared consisted of filling your mind with good and helpful things. There are few avenues to sharpen your mind and jump start your personal growth like listening to podcasts. It allows you to transform those previously mundane parts of life into some of the most meaningful time in your day. Its how you redeem your commute, mowing the lawn or folding laundry and ultimately it is how you will transform your mind.

Below are ten podcasts that I listen to on a regular basis. If you are looking to grow and take things to the next level, I emplore you to add them to your que and give them a listen.  

5 Leadership Questions
If you are looking for an excellent leadership podcast to help you grow, this is the one! I stumbled upon it  and it has instantly become one of my absolute favorites. During each episode hosts Barnabas Piper and Todd Adkins ask five questions of a guest or about different leadership topics. Recent podcasts have touched on the differences between coaching and mentoring, leadership differences by generations, and public speaking.   

Ask Pastor John
A daily podcast providing thought provoking thinking on ranging topics to help you grow and engage God's word on various topics. 

HBR IdeaCast
A product of the Harvard Business Review, the HBR IdeaCast is a wonderful podcast sampling some of the finest thinking on a wide range of topics. Recent discussions have included the creator of Wordpress, the CEO of PepsiCo, and the topic of becoming a better listener.         

The Briefing
The Briefing is a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview. It is one that I listen to each morning to engage my mind in thinking about the days headlines.   

This Is Your Life
Michael Hyatt is the defacto leader when it comes to blogging for influence. In addition to his blog Michael hosts a podcast sharing practical advice to help you take your career to the next level. 

Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast 
I stumbled upon this podcast recently after reading several of Carey's blog posts and have really enjoyed it. Carey interviews some extraordinary leaders and brings their insights to you. 

Entrepreneur On Fire  
Entrepreneur On Fire is an excellent collection of interviews with some of today's top entrepreneurs. Recent interviews have included NY Times Best-selling author Michael Port, and Udemy king and online course guru Jonathan Levi. From an officer in the U.S. Army to podcast master John Lee Dumas has a pretty cool story and helps other entrepreneurs share their's in a helpful and meaningful way.   

The Tim Ferriss Show
Tim conducts some of the most interesting and compelling interviews I've heard. Tim is the author of 4 Hour Work Week and engages people from all walks of life in an entertaining fashion. 

Manager Tools
The go to podcast for learning how to manage and lead people. They cover topics ranging from running a meeting to leading a team to taking notes in a meeting. If you need to learn it, they teach it in a helpful and insightful way.    

The Art of Manliness
In this weekly podcast Brett McKay discusses the topics we all want to know more about with some of today's top authors and leaders. If you aren't familiar with Brett McKay and his awesome blog, The Art of Manliness, you just might need to check it out. 

4 Steps to Personal Growth

As the great Tony Robbins says,"For things to change, you gotta change." 

The truth is your team and your business are dependent on your growth. It can't grow if your not. So own it. Draw a line in the sand today and commit to growing and developing yourself. If you are growing you can lead and today I have a simple four step plan to help transform you over the next year. 

1. Read

You hear this one all the time because it is true. Leaders are readers & readers are leaders. Reading helps sharpen your mind and helps you grow as a communicator. It is not just the content of what you read that shapes you, you learn how to think and communicate in an articulate and coherent fashion.

If the thought of reading has you overwhelmed or you just don't think you have time, start small. Commit to reading a minimum of 10 pages per day. That's 3,650 pages in a year! 

2. Redeem Your Commute

Instead of listening to the radio, dial up a podcast or audio book while you drive. This simple step will transform your commute from simply getting from A to B into one that transforms your mind. 

3. Replace TV

One common habit of the extremely successful that I have seen in interview after interview is that they turn off the TV. Instead of spending the 30 minutes before bed on the couch watching the next episode of your favorite show on Netflix, pull out your laptop or iPad and spend that time putting good things in your mind. Listen / watch videos of the top personal growth leaders as you prepare for bed.   

4. Lock Arms with Winners

It is said that we are the average of the 5 people we spend the most time with. I couldn't agree more. Increase your time with good people who are running the same direction and encourage one another. 

None of these steps requires much more of you than a commitment to do a few things differently over a period of time but what a difference they could make!

Seeking Wisdom

Some of the largest impacts on my personal growth have come from spending time with older wiser people. Spending time with such individuals doesn't have to be planned or even obvious for it to reap large benefits in your life. 

Throughout the year each of us spends time in large group settings where food is plentiful and conversation flows like wine. My favorite thing to do in such a social environment is to find the group of older men sitting around talking and just listen. I usually remain pretty quiet in these situations simply to soak up their wisdom. The topics of discussion are always wide ranging but provide some of the richest moments of any gathering.

Older men are full of stories, insight and wisdom that is ripe for the picking. One of the greatest sources of wisdom is older men a little farther down the road. These men have lived life, experienced both success and failure, and stand ready to share with younger men from their experience. When you find yourself in the midst of wise men, pull up a chair and learn something. 

Learning is linked to our ability to listen. These men will rarely seek you out but are more than willing to spend time sharing what they have learned with anyone who will listen. Therein lies the key, we have to be willing to listen. Far too often we are “quick to think, quick to speak and quick to anger”, while we are should be the opposite.  

 The two greatest gifts a person can have are the ability to listen and a teachable heart. The great news is that both of these are something we each have the ability to do something about. We may not all be born with the same natural abilities but each of us is capable of listening and being open to the instruction of others. 

Older wiser men are so precisely because they learned the value of these two traits or as Buck Parsons says, “As they aged they became great men precisely because they were great listeners.” 

When you find yourself with older wiser men, do you pause to listen, or are you too caught up in your own mind? 

Rule Your Inbox

In meetings, coffee with friends, movies and while driving down the road our phones are constantly alerting us to the next incoming message. So often that incoming message is a new email. We are collectively drowning in email.

Thankfully, there is a way out. There is a path to relieving the stress and pressure this places on us. Make these seven changes as you read, construct and disseminate email and rule your inbox.   

1. Send an email only when it is the best medium for a communication. People already receive too many emails; do not add to it unnecessarily. Ask yourself what is the best way to communicate this message? Consider all available mediums such as phone, text messages & hand written notes then determine the best medium. Don’t send an email when a phone call will do!

2. Produce good and useful email. Don’t waste people’s time with a poorly written email. It should be clear, concise and effective. Write with the reader in mind. Make sure they know; why you are emailing them specifically, what you want / need and if they need to respond? The subject line should provide clarity, generate curiosity and help the reader know how to treat your email.

3. Check email only at predetermined times. Set aside specific times to check email and keep it closed at other times. Morning, after lunch and at the end of the day should be sufficient. You may need to send emails throughout the day but only check emails at these predetermined intervals.   

4. Do something with every email in my inbox every time you check email. Answer it, erase it, folder it or forward it. Empty your inbox each time you check email.

5. Automate as much as possible. Create templates for common emails and use them. Better to spend time constructing a good and effective communication once than to repeatedly create ineffective email on the same topic.  

6. Respond to an email only when it accomplishes something. If you would not write it on paper and mail it don’t email it either. Give greater significance to email by only writing important messages.

7. Use email for its proper function. Tools serve specific purposes and are to be used accordingly. Email is a tool for the effective communication of important information. It is not a task list or RSS feed nor to be used for anything other than its proper use.