Seth Godin, in his book Tribes, talks about how to improve your Tribe. He gives some bullet points but I would like to expound on these thoughts for a minute.
The two requirements of a Tribe:
• A Shared Interest
• A Way to Communicate
There are all different kinds of Tribes out there…Dog Lovers Tribe, Mix Martial Arts Tribe, Habitat For Humanity Tribe, your church could be your Tribe, etc. Heck, I was on a business trip in NC a few years ago and in the hotel I stayed in was the National Taxidermists Society’s yearly convention!! That’s a Tribe if I ever saw one!
Well, since we are all really focused on Social Media I’ll explain how the two bullet points above relate to us. We have a shared interest in home based business and marketing on the internet through social media avenues. Our ways of communicating are through several different avenues such as Facebook, Email, Skype, Phone, YouTube, Twitter, Blogs, etc.
So that makes us a Tribe!
Within the Tribe communication can be done four different ways.
• Leader to Tribe
• Tribe to Leader
• Tribe Member to Tribe Member
• Tribe Member to Outsider
Let’s talk about each one of these and how the communication is done:
Leader to Tribe
It’s important for the leader to stay in constant communication with his / her Tribe. If you lead a Tribe you need to be constantly communicating the Tribe’s vision to the members so everyone stays motivated and educated.
One good way to do this is webinars that the leader may host. Some may be free but some require a fee. If the leader is putting out a solid vision and the content that is being taught is valuable and will empower the members then the fee will be well worth it.
Tribe to Leader
It’s always good for a Tribe members to communicate with their leader, but what’s more important is that the leader communicates back to the members. Here’s an example, the leader writes a blog post on their blog and the members start commenting. A good leader would respond to all the comments that were being made on his / her blog. This shows that the leader cares and wants to be engaged with his / her members. When a leader stops communicating with his / her members the members might find a new leader.
Tribe Member to Tribe Member
Tribe member to Tribe member is great because it helps create relationships and partnerships. One way this can be done is through social networking sites like the Ning Community. With this community established member can talk to each other, share content, and learn from each other. Many times partnerships or joint ventures can establish within the Tribe that would have never happened if the leader didn’t bring the community together and empower the members to communicate with each other.
Tribe Member to Outsider
This is great because it allows the Tribe member to be an advocate for the Tribe and promote the Tribe to other people. If the Tribe member does a good job at this the outsider may be interested in joining the Tribe which will increase the Tribe with another like minded member and that new member can do the same thing…tell another outsider about the Tribe and continue the momentum.
So as you can see there are many ways to communicate but the most important thing is to keep a steady stream of communication going. Great communication allows for a Great Tribe!
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If we continue to dissect the Cycle of Achievement from the #1 best selling book Launching A Leadership
Cycle Of Achievement
Revolution we’ll see that once we have our goals set we’ll need a Game Plan. So what is a game plan exactly? A game plan is a leader’s strategy or map that provides guidance towards the goal. If the Hunger provides the “why,” the Goal is the “what,” and the Game Plan is the “how.”
It is in the game plan phase that the leader develops the ability to think strategically, brainstorming on the methods of attack.
In the Movie Waterboy Henry Winkler plays coach Klein who got his playbook stolen by Coach Red Beaulieu. Before his playbook was stolen he was very successful and a great coach for a strong college football team; the University of Louisiana Cougars, but once his playbook was stolen he was lost, washed up, and got transferred to South Central Louisiana State University Mud Dogs that had a record of losing every game.
Coach Klein had a goal; to win a football game, but he didn’t have any direction or game plan so he went on for years losing…until he got his playbook back!
Here’s what you have to remember about goals and game plans; goals are set in stone and game plans are set in sand. The game plan must be fluid, adaptable to changing conditions, and able to be scrapped at a moment’s notice if it’s not working. Often it is necessary for a leader to develop multiple game plans over time before a goal can be reached.
Game plans change all the time. Think about Coach Klein’s playbook. It was a play BOOK not a play sheet with only one play in it. It has several plays in that book. Why is this? It is because some plans don’t always work and you need a plan “B” sometimes and you have to be flexible when your current plan doesn’t work so you can divert to your plan “B.”
One of the biggest advantages of a game plan is that it drives the process of setting priorities. A leader must think through and understand the question, what’s important next? Andy Stanley, author of The Next Generation Leader, wrote, “The ability to identify and focus on the few necessary things is a hallmark of great leadership.”
Game plans are best when effective thinking is first used. A leader’s quality of thinking will have much to do with that leader’s success. There is tremendous power in effectively thinking through a goal and how it might be attained.
One of the effective thinking processes is brainstorming which is the process where thinking is done in a freewheeling style, omitting any early judgments as to the merits of the ideas that result. Brainstorming is designed to pull all good ideas out of the head and into the game plan.
So now that we have our goal, have done some brainstorming to get our game plan or plans we are now ready to carry out our game plan and WORK which is what we’ll be discussing next.
If you have any help with trying to figure out your goals or game plans please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Also, If you like this post please Tweet it and leave a comment!
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Well, Christina and I celebrated 10 years of marriage on 2/28/08. I am very happy with her, our children, and our plans for the future. One thing that Christina wished was that we had the wedding she always wanted when we first got married. You know, the kind of wedding girls always dream about. Unfortunately she didnt’ get that wedding because of some family situations and money, so she got a very small, immediate family only, wedding.
Well, I gave her a Surprise Wedding on our 10 Year Wedding Anniversary. This video is of me addressing the wedding attendees on what exactly I did and how I did it….
Here is what Christina saw when the limo pulled up to the same church we got married at 10 years ago. The two little girls are our daughters. It was awesome to have them in the wedding!
Here’s Christina’s reaction when the limo pulled up to the church. By the way, Christina is deaf so when I first talk to her I say, “I konw you didn’t get the wedding you wanted 10 years ago when first got marred so I wanted to give you the wedding you always wanted. Will you marry me again?”
So we had a formal wedding ceremony with 150 of our closest friends and family and then had a great reception at a very nice ball room a few miles away from the church. It was a great day and the best gift I could have given her for our anniversary. She is a great woman and deserved it!
The Happy Couple
Today I want to touch on what is leadership.
Let’s start off with a good definition of leadership from John Maxwell who says, “Leadership is influence – nothing more, nothing less. People have so many misconceptions about leadership. When they hear that someone has an impressive title or an assigned leadership position, they assume that he is a leader. Sometimes that’s true. But titles don’t have much value when it comes to leading. True leadership cannot be awarded, appointed, or assigned. It comes only from influence, and that can’t be mandated. It must be earned.”
So basically leadership is the influence of others in a productive, vision-driven direction and is done through the example, conviction, and character of the leader.
Your boss (if you have one) may think he is a leader but he is really a manager. Why? Because he has no influence. Yeah, he may tell people what to do and people may be scared of him, but that is not leading. That is poor management!
True leaders get people to do what they need to do by influencing them to do it by setting an example themselves, showing character, integrity, and respect for the people they influence.
Here is an example, suppose you are in a sales position and your numbers aren’t up to par this month and your boss sits you down in his office and says, “You need to bring up your numbers because if you don’t you will know what’s going to happen! We can’t afford to have underperformers here at this company! Now go get me some coffee!”
That is an example of a lousy manager with very poor leadership skills. If your boss was a true leader he would say something like, ‘I see that your numbers have dipped this month. What’s going on out in the sales field? Have you tried doing this ….? You’re one of our best sales reps and I know and trust you can bring your numbers up by the end of the month. What can I do to help you out? Do you think it would be beneficial for me to go on some calls with you? Let’s put together a plan for the rest of this month and see how we can get your numbers up to where they need to be.”
Big difference! You see in the first example the boss is flexing his POWER, showing his CONTROL, and is asking to be SERVED.
While the second example the boss is GIVING POWER (EMPOWERING) by saying you can do this. He is HELPING OTHERS FIX PROBLEMS AND MOVE FORWARD by strategizing with you to see how you can bring up your numbers. Finally, he is SERVING you by asking if he can help you in any way and seeing if he can go out with you into the field.
What it comes basically comes down to is communication and relationships. Leaders know how to communicate and they know how to establish strong relationships that will be a win / win situation. Just remember leaders empower, help others fix problems and move forward, and serve others. I just want to encourage you to think of how you can use these 3 important principles in your own life whether it’s at work or at home.
The leadership training system that I am teach stresses on the two things that I mentioned above….communication and relationships.
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Today I wantto talk about the Three Foundational Qualities of a Leader taken from the #1 Best Selling book on leadership, Launching A Leadership Revolution by Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward.
Here they are:
- Hungry
- Hone-able
- Honest
All leaders have to have these three qualities. They are very important for someone to reach the leadership status. Why? Well, let’s review them real quick…
Foundation Quality Number One – Hungry
Let’s look a hunger in general. Have you ever watched the news and they were doing a story on people that live in 3rd world countries who were starving and you see this hunger relief truck backing up to a crowd of these starving people? What happens when one of the relief workers opens up the back of the truck and starts throwing sacks of rice out to the people? The crowd goes crazy! They start pushing, people are getting knocked down, and sometimes fights break out? Why? Because these people are hungry and will do anything it takes to get food in them and totheir families.
As leaders we need to have that same hunger burning inside of us. We need to think of books, leadership audio CDs, and associating with the right people as the food that will satisfy our hunger. We need to believe in ourselves that once we get the right information in our heads we will have the power to make our lives and our family’s lives better. That, my friends, is the kind of hunger I am talking about!
You need to find out what is your motivation. There are three levels of motivation that I want to share:
Material Success
This is financial independence and material things. When we position ourselves as a leader we have the opportunityto make a lot of money. Many people get into network marketing, internet marketing, start their own business, investing, etc. because they want material success. They want to pay off their debt, they want to buy a new car, they want to buy a vacation home, they want to travel more, they want a Rolex, etc. So this is the first level of motivation. It’s wanting better things for yourself andyour family.
Recognition and Respect
Most people crave the recognition that others provide; apart of human nature is a deep need to be noticed and appreciated by others. It is not secret that everyone needs encouragement. For that reason, recognition by others is another healthy source of motivation.
Some people love to get rewards from their job, while others like to hear that they are doing a great job from their mentors. These and other forms of recognition canand should be used as motivations for performance.
Many people are motivated to obtain the respect of amentor, parent, teacher, boss, or spouse. Yearning for respect can be a strong motivator. So find those whom you admire, who are in a position in life you desire to be in, who are living their lives in a manner you wish to emulate, and strive to obtain their respect for what you are doing and accomplishing.
Purpose, Destiny, Legacy
The motivation factors that we have talked about so far are all great, but purpose takes us our of the realm of living only for ourselves and our own selfish desires, and onto a higher plane. Purpose involves sacrifice for the greater good, contribution for making a bigger difference, and energies directed at a long term view.
Destiny takes purpose further, comprehending the spiritual component. Destiny says that we were created, created for a purpose, and the unique abilities and opportunities that we find in our lives are God-given. Who you are, where you live, the talents you were born with, the opportunities that have and will come your way, are all part of a bigger picture, a picture into which you were painted to fulfill apart that only you can fulfill.
Legacy results from understanding our purpose in the bigger picture of our destiny and living it to its fullest. What we have and what we are given are not as important as what we contribute and what we leave behind. As one famous quote says, “My life is my message.”
Foundation Quality Number Two – Hone-able
Next we need to be hone-able which is another word for teachable. Leaders approach situation and challenges with a learner’s mind-set, that is, as a student and not as acritic. You have to come with an open mind and ready to learn. Everyone is not on the same plane so there are going to be people that have some leadership experience and know some principles, while others are brand new and want to get out of where they currently are.
So knowing that you haven’t “arrived” (HINT: No one ever arrives! We all can strive to do better that what weare currently doing now) and knowing that you want to improve will help you become a leader much faster than someone that constantly questions everything and is tough to work with. Leaders must approach learning with a positive, curious inquisitiveness, and never allow their responsibilities or setbacks to sour their dispositions.
Foundation Quality Number Three – Honorable
Author Jeff O’Leary, in The Centurion Principles, writes,”Honor, encompasses the virtues of integrity and honesty, self-denial, loyalty, and a servant’s humility to those in authority above as well as a just and merciful heart to those below.” In fact, honor is the force that holds a leader’s hunger in check. Without honor, hunger runs rampant and ultimately serves only selfish interests. Honor is the component that makes hunger productive for the leader’s fellow man.
This concept of honor is so important to a leader because people will follow a leader only as far as they feel they can trust him. People will not follow a leader they can’t trust.
He’s an example, if you work for a boss and your boss is coming into work late, going off for very long lunches, and getting caught in lies I am sure that you and your co-workers are not going to respect, follow, or trust him or her. But if your boss is honoring you with his or her actions, you will honor him or her by giving the respect he deserves.
Honor is, I believe, the most important of all three. The reason I believe this is because in order for the hunger and teaching to begin you need to get yourself right first. It has been said, “The internal victories precede the external victories.” Having honor means you are a standup person, you’re dependable, and people can trust you.
I would like to challenge you to do is to really think if you have the three foundational qualities that a leader needs to have in order to become an effective leader and what your motivating factor(s) are. And if you don’t have these three qualities sit down and write out a plan on what steps you need to take in order for you to get there becuase once start thinking with this kind of mindset you will see positive changes in your personal life and professional life.
Enjoy your day!
In order for you to be successful with your home based business you will need to be a leader. So today let’s break the word LEAD down into an acrostic that help us see more of what really is a leader.
L – Leaders are LEARNERS. In order for you to get better at what you do whether its sports or making money you need to learn how to do it right. With the leadership development system that I teach, people are constantly learning by reading books from some of the great authors that promote leadership such as Robert Kiyosaki, Steven Covey, John Maxwell, Chris Brady, Orrin Woodward, and the list goes on. They are also learning from the audio CDs that they get each week talking about leadership skills, financial management, time management, relationship skills, etc. Videos that come out monthly on the above topics, and monthly leadership seminars that are accessible all over the USA and Canada. When you understand that in order for you to be successful you need to spend some quality time learning first, you are half way there.
E – Leaders are EMOTIONALLY in control. We as leaders need to let our logic lead and not our emotions. If you are ever let your emotions lead you, I am sure you can tell me some good stories about the roads you really didn’t want to go down after looking back and seeing where you’ve been. If we want the best out of life we need to first logically decide where we are headed and how we are going to get there. Leaders don’t do things on a whim. They check their emotions and logically plan. Make sure you’re in control of your emotions.
A – Leaders must APPRECIATE where they are. If you appreciate where you are in your life’s journey you will stand out more and people will be more attracted to you. Who wants to have a leader that is not appreciative? Who wants to have a leader who is miserable and is always in a bad mood? This kind of “leader” obviously does not appreciate where they are. As a leader, I very much appreciate where I am because I am surrounded by good people who want to do better for themselves, make more money, get out of debt, spend more time with their family, and be their own boss. I inspire people but seeing people change for the better inspires me.
D – Leaders are OK with DELAYING. Have you ever heard of delay gratification? Well, leaders are the best at practicing delayed gratification. Think about the Network Marketer. It takes time to build his / her business. In the beginning they put a lot of work into their business and work very hard, but once they get things going they are starting to make a very good income. That income didn’t start right away. It took time for it to build up. They were delaying their income because they knew if they put in the time in the beginning the gratification (lucrative income) would come later.
The future is yours….claim it today!!
