I hear too often about people getting their heads chopped off for making mistakes. I, too, have gotten the worst treatment possible when I have made mistakes. This is sad because we have all heard too often, and we all know too well that mistakes are in fact opportunities. Mistakes are opportunities for you to identify where a process or idea fails. It allows you to modify things such that they don't fail again. They test people and can tell you the individuals who are strong enough to get up and try again.
"The best job goes to the person who can get it done without passing the buck or coming back with excuses."
- Napoleon Hill
"The journey is the reward."
- Chinese Proverb
"Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds."
- Orison Swett Marden
"Good people are good because they've come to wisdom through failure. We get very little wisdom from success, you know."
- William Saroyan
I think I made my point about the benefits of failing at something. I believe it is also clear that you need to embrace your own failures, expect them to happen, and don't let yourself down when they do. Instead, get up and try to learn from your mistakes enough where you can do it again and again till you do succeed.
Now, sometimes it's hard to do it the wrong way, especially if you know how to do it the right way. The easiest way I find that I remember the good way is to always ask, "What are you going to do differently?"
Opposite side of the spectrum, if someone is continually and shows no progress in trying to learn, and they won't or can't hear what you tell them to think about differently, then they have failed the bad way, and sometimes it isn't worth pursuing. As long as you make an honest effort to help, then there is only so much you can do.
What do you think? What are other ways in which you can encourage other people to pick themselves up and keep going?
October 26, 2009
June 04, 2009
Too Much Cost Reduction?
There are many things a leader has to think about and provide in order to have the opportunity to be a great leader. Without some of these requirements, the only other way to achieve success is through creativity.
In AIT, I was the one guy who went around and made sure everyone else was doing what they were suppose to during "working hours", which was for the most part cleaning, raking, sweeping, etc. I like getting my hands dirty, but if I was caught cleaning and not supervising, I would have gotten in trouble myself.
There was one day the Seargants wanted our area to look good because there was a chance that a Colonel was going to walk through. They had everyone working outside, and they wanted us to mostly focus on the sidewalks. I don't think the Colonel ever came, but that's not the point.
Out of about 350 people that were suppose to be cleaning, we had 1 push broom. All of our other brooms were destroyed somehow, where the only other somewhat working brooms we had didn't have a handle, so to use these would require a lot of kneeling and sweeping with your hands, which isn't very practical.
This got me to realize one thing about being in any kind of leadership position: you are suppose to ensure your workers have the resources necessary to do their job. Before this experience, that concept seemed too practical that I didn't really think about it, and after this experience I realized just how important it is.
If you can't provide the proper resources for your workers, you better find an alternative to fixing the problem. I wasn't about to make the poor soldiers go through any kind of trouble to clean the sidewalks, so I had almost anyone incapable of doing any real work filter out the dirty rocks to make it appear they were doing something. Maybe this wasn't the best solution, but it got everyone who participated out of getting into any kind of trouble. (There were, however, people who didn't listen very well, and they were caught and taught some lessons, but not by me.)
Do you have any examples of where leadership failed to supply you with the right tools and still expect a big job to get done? Did you do anything creative to solve the seemingly impossible task?
In AIT, I was the one guy who went around and made sure everyone else was doing what they were suppose to during "working hours", which was for the most part cleaning, raking, sweeping, etc. I like getting my hands dirty, but if I was caught cleaning and not supervising, I would have gotten in trouble myself.
There was one day the Seargants wanted our area to look good because there was a chance that a Colonel was going to walk through. They had everyone working outside, and they wanted us to mostly focus on the sidewalks. I don't think the Colonel ever came, but that's not the point.
Out of about 350 people that were suppose to be cleaning, we had 1 push broom. All of our other brooms were destroyed somehow, where the only other somewhat working brooms we had didn't have a handle, so to use these would require a lot of kneeling and sweeping with your hands, which isn't very practical.
This got me to realize one thing about being in any kind of leadership position: you are suppose to ensure your workers have the resources necessary to do their job. Before this experience, that concept seemed too practical that I didn't really think about it, and after this experience I realized just how important it is.
If you can't provide the proper resources for your workers, you better find an alternative to fixing the problem. I wasn't about to make the poor soldiers go through any kind of trouble to clean the sidewalks, so I had almost anyone incapable of doing any real work filter out the dirty rocks to make it appear they were doing something. Maybe this wasn't the best solution, but it got everyone who participated out of getting into any kind of trouble. (There were, however, people who didn't listen very well, and they were caught and taught some lessons, but not by me.)
Do you have any examples of where leadership failed to supply you with the right tools and still expect a big job to get done? Did you do anything creative to solve the seemingly impossible task?
May 27, 2009
Definition: Attitude
To see what I'm doing here, please read my blog post "The Power of Quote Hunting". This will explain what and why I'm doing this post like this.
Today, I define Attitude. (NOTE that this definition is saying "Optimism" and "Attitude" are almost one in the same, and its byproduct is "Happiness".)
If you read this blog post, Opposite Ends of the Spectrum, it was about attitude. Right after I posted that, I read through many attitude quotes, and doing so actually lifted my spirits because everything I was saying was being spoken back to me in many different ways.
This is basically what my brother told me that changed my life, but through other peoples' quotes:
"The greatest discovery of my generation is that man can alter his life simply by altering his attitude of mind."
- James Truslow Adams
"Life can be wildly tragic at times, and I've had my share. But whatever happens to you, you have to keep a slightly comic attitude. In the final analysis, you have got not to forget to laugh."
- Katharine Houghton Hepburn
"There are two big forces at work, external and internal. We have very little control over external forces such as tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, disasters, illness and pain. What really matters is the internal force. How do I respond to those disasters? Over that I have complete control."
- Leo Buscaglia
"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference."
-Winston Churchill
The following quotes recognize that you have no control over things that happen to you. What you do have control over is your attitude, and your perception about what is going on:
"Life is 10 percent what you make it and 90 percent how you take it."
- Irving Berlin
"We cannot direct the wind but we can adjust the sails."
- Anonymous
"Two men look out the same prison bars; one sees mud and the other stars."
- Frederick Langbridge
"The Green Bay Packers never lost a football game. They just ran out of time."
- Vince Lombardi, 1913-1970, American Football Coach
"One is only last in line until someone comes up behind."
- Chris Pedersen
"Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same."
- Francesca Reigler
"Attitude is your acceptance of the natural laws, or your rejection of the natural laws."
- Jim Rohn
It is outright stupid to try to make yourself happy by trying to change everything around you, instead of trying to change the only thing you have control over:
"He who has so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happiness by changing anything but his own disposition will waste his life in fruitless efforts."
- Samuel Johnson
Here, you can see that attitude really is everything:
"It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome."
- William James
"Success or failure depends more upon attitude than upon capacity successful men act as though they have accomplished or are enjoying something. Soon it becomes a reality. Act, look, feel successful, conduct yourself accordingly, and you will be amazed at the positive results."
- Dupree Jordan
"How we think shows through in how we act. Attitudes are mirrors of the mind. They reflect thinking."
- David Joseph Schwartz
"There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. That little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative."
- W. Clement Stone
Why would you choose to be pessimistic? (NOTE you have a choice!) What have other brilliant people said about this?
"I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else."
- Winston Churchill
"An optimist may see a light where there is none, but why must the pessimist always run to blow it out?"
- Michel De Saint-Pierre
"Optimism is the cheerful frame of mind that enables a teakettle to sing, though in hot water up to its nose."
- Anonymous
"Since the house is on fire let us warm ourselves."
- Italian proverb
This is a great one to remember:
"It is important to live each day with a positive perspective. It is not wise to pretend problems do not exist, but it is wise to look beyond the problem to the possibilities that are in it. When Goliath came against the Israelites, the soldiers all thought, 'He's so big, we can never kill him.' But David looked at the same giant and thought, 'He's so big, I can't miss him."
- Dr. Dale E. Turner
"It is not wise to pretend problems do not exist..." True, don't live in fantasy. Acknowledge the bad things in life. Being too optimistic may prove unhealthy:
"An optimist is a driver who thinks that empty space at the curb won't have a hydrant beside it."
- Changing Times, American Business Magazine
Instead, realize that sometimes the "pot of gold" is worse than cornflakes, but laugh about it.
Morty (Christopher Walken): "Remember the leprechaun?"
Michael (Adam Sandler): "Huh?"
Morty: "The one from the cereal ad."
Michael: "'They're magically delicious.' That guy?"
Morty: "Yeah. He's always chasing the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. But when he gets there at the end of the day... it's just corn flakes."
- from the movie "Click"
Always remember that your prize at the end of your hard work is never going to turn out what you expect. However, you can't miss the real prizes from your efforts that are hidden for most people.
"Too many people miss the silver lining because they're expecting gold."
- Maurice Setter
These are interesting quotes that show you have to find it in yourself to do something or change, it just makes it so much easier to do so:
"It's so hard when I have to, and so easy when I want to."
- Annie Gottlier
"Nothing is interesting if you're not interested."
- Helen MacInness
What I like about this next quote is it holds more than one meaning. It says that no one really finds what they are looking for in life. It also says that if you only look for negative things, you will find negative things.
"The only people who find what they are looking for in life are the fault finders."
- Foster's Law
This is the motherload quote that has it all (that really probably deserves more than a blog post for itself):
"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. Attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope. When my attitudes are right, there is no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes."
- Charles Swindoll
There may very well be something wrong with you if this doesn't make you think:
"Attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching?"
- Anonymous
Need a motivation to smile? Try these on for size:
"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."
- Herm Albright
"Just smiling can do wonders for your attitude."
- Anonymous
"Smile: if you can't lift the corners, let the middle sag."
- Anonymous
"A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks."
- Anonymous
I really hope that by now that one person is starting to see the picture, thus accomplishing my goal. But you ask, "Fine, this is all true and I believe it, but what about when things go bad for me, and all of this knowledge goes out the window? What then?" For me, I use a single quote to help me remember all of this. It is my favorite of all time, by one of the most brilliant men to ever walk this earth:
"If you're going through Hell, keep going."
- Winston Churchill
You have to find your own phrase or personal experience yourself to help you remember these powerful ideas when you need them the most in your life.
Then, I leave you with this powerbomb of a quote:
"Life is too short to spend your precious time trying to convince a person who wants to live in gloom and doom otherwise. Give lifting that person your best shot, but don't hang around long enough for his or her bad attitude to pull you down. Instead, surround yourself with optimistic people."
- Zig Ziglar
Today, I define Attitude. (NOTE that this definition is saying "Optimism" and "Attitude" are almost one in the same, and its byproduct is "Happiness".)
If you read this blog post, Opposite Ends of the Spectrum, it was about attitude. Right after I posted that, I read through many attitude quotes, and doing so actually lifted my spirits because everything I was saying was being spoken back to me in many different ways.
This is basically what my brother told me that changed my life, but through other peoples' quotes:
"The greatest discovery of my generation is that man can alter his life simply by altering his attitude of mind."
- James Truslow Adams
"Life can be wildly tragic at times, and I've had my share. But whatever happens to you, you have to keep a slightly comic attitude. In the final analysis, you have got not to forget to laugh."
- Katharine Houghton Hepburn
"There are two big forces at work, external and internal. We have very little control over external forces such as tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, disasters, illness and pain. What really matters is the internal force. How do I respond to those disasters? Over that I have complete control."
- Leo Buscaglia
"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference."
-Winston Churchill
The following quotes recognize that you have no control over things that happen to you. What you do have control over is your attitude, and your perception about what is going on:
"Life is 10 percent what you make it and 90 percent how you take it."
- Irving Berlin
"We cannot direct the wind but we can adjust the sails."
- Anonymous
"Two men look out the same prison bars; one sees mud and the other stars."
- Frederick Langbridge
"The Green Bay Packers never lost a football game. They just ran out of time."
- Vince Lombardi, 1913-1970, American Football Coach
"One is only last in line until someone comes up behind."
- Chris Pedersen
"Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same."
- Francesca Reigler
"Attitude is your acceptance of the natural laws, or your rejection of the natural laws."
- Jim Rohn
It is outright stupid to try to make yourself happy by trying to change everything around you, instead of trying to change the only thing you have control over:
"He who has so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happiness by changing anything but his own disposition will waste his life in fruitless efforts."
- Samuel Johnson
Here, you can see that attitude really is everything:
"It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome."
- William James
"Success or failure depends more upon attitude than upon capacity successful men act as though they have accomplished or are enjoying something. Soon it becomes a reality. Act, look, feel successful, conduct yourself accordingly, and you will be amazed at the positive results."
- Dupree Jordan
"How we think shows through in how we act. Attitudes are mirrors of the mind. They reflect thinking."
- David Joseph Schwartz
"There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. That little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative."
- W. Clement Stone
Why would you choose to be pessimistic? (NOTE you have a choice!) What have other brilliant people said about this?
"I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else."
- Winston Churchill
"An optimist may see a light where there is none, but why must the pessimist always run to blow it out?"
- Michel De Saint-Pierre
"Optimism is the cheerful frame of mind that enables a teakettle to sing, though in hot water up to its nose."
- Anonymous
"Since the house is on fire let us warm ourselves."
- Italian proverb
This is a great one to remember:
"It is important to live each day with a positive perspective. It is not wise to pretend problems do not exist, but it is wise to look beyond the problem to the possibilities that are in it. When Goliath came against the Israelites, the soldiers all thought, 'He's so big, we can never kill him.' But David looked at the same giant and thought, 'He's so big, I can't miss him."
- Dr. Dale E. Turner
"It is not wise to pretend problems do not exist..." True, don't live in fantasy. Acknowledge the bad things in life. Being too optimistic may prove unhealthy:
"An optimist is a driver who thinks that empty space at the curb won't have a hydrant beside it."
- Changing Times, American Business Magazine
Instead, realize that sometimes the "pot of gold" is worse than cornflakes, but laugh about it.
Morty (Christopher Walken): "Remember the leprechaun?"
Michael (Adam Sandler): "Huh?"
Morty: "The one from the cereal ad."
Michael: "'They're magically delicious.' That guy?"
Morty: "Yeah. He's always chasing the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. But when he gets there at the end of the day... it's just corn flakes."
- from the movie "Click"
Always remember that your prize at the end of your hard work is never going to turn out what you expect. However, you can't miss the real prizes from your efforts that are hidden for most people.
"Too many people miss the silver lining because they're expecting gold."
- Maurice Setter
These are interesting quotes that show you have to find it in yourself to do something or change, it just makes it so much easier to do so:
"It's so hard when I have to, and so easy when I want to."
- Annie Gottlier
"Nothing is interesting if you're not interested."
- Helen MacInness
What I like about this next quote is it holds more than one meaning. It says that no one really finds what they are looking for in life. It also says that if you only look for negative things, you will find negative things.
"The only people who find what they are looking for in life are the fault finders."
- Foster's Law
This is the motherload quote that has it all (that really probably deserves more than a blog post for itself):
"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. Attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope. When my attitudes are right, there is no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes."
- Charles Swindoll
There may very well be something wrong with you if this doesn't make you think:
"Attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching?"
- Anonymous
Need a motivation to smile? Try these on for size:
"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."
- Herm Albright
"Just smiling can do wonders for your attitude."
- Anonymous
"Smile: if you can't lift the corners, let the middle sag."
- Anonymous
"A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks."
- Anonymous
I really hope that by now that one person is starting to see the picture, thus accomplishing my goal. But you ask, "Fine, this is all true and I believe it, but what about when things go bad for me, and all of this knowledge goes out the window? What then?" For me, I use a single quote to help me remember all of this. It is my favorite of all time, by one of the most brilliant men to ever walk this earth:
"If you're going through Hell, keep going."
- Winston Churchill
You have to find your own phrase or personal experience yourself to help you remember these powerful ideas when you need them the most in your life.
Then, I leave you with this powerbomb of a quote:
"Life is too short to spend your precious time trying to convince a person who wants to live in gloom and doom otherwise. Give lifting that person your best shot, but don't hang around long enough for his or her bad attitude to pull you down. Instead, surround yourself with optimistic people."
- Zig Ziglar
The Power of Quote Hunting
The goal of this post is to get at least one person to understand the power of "quote hunting", and start doing so themselves.
One of the things I like to do is read quotes for hours at a time. I save the ones that are clear, simple to read, and to the point, but most importantly that have a big impact on myself. The reason I do this is because you can learn a surprisingly amount of lessons from reading and interpreting what someone has said.
I very recently found another benefit from this "quote hunting" practice. Through a series of related quotes, you can build a story and/or definition about a topic. You can pull together many different perspectives about an issue that can define how it is or should be. It can change your life.
From here on, you'll find "Definition" or "Story" posts where I list out some of my favorite quotes on a topic that may redefine how you think about a certain topic, and usually in a way to potentially change how people do things or think.
One of the things I like to do is read quotes for hours at a time. I save the ones that are clear, simple to read, and to the point, but most importantly that have a big impact on myself. The reason I do this is because you can learn a surprisingly amount of lessons from reading and interpreting what someone has said.
I very recently found another benefit from this "quote hunting" practice. Through a series of related quotes, you can build a story and/or definition about a topic. You can pull together many different perspectives about an issue that can define how it is or should be. It can change your life.
From here on, you'll find "Definition" or "Story" posts where I list out some of my favorite quotes on a topic that may redefine how you think about a certain topic, and usually in a way to potentially change how people do things or think.
May 16, 2009
Teaching to... Learn Something?
Out of my four years of college, I really only started to learn how to effectively learn, or study, when I was on my last few terms. If I would have known what I did then at the beginning of my college career, I would have learned more than I actually did and still had more time for fun.
What I did was for each midterm and final, I created my own studyguide of what I expected would be on the test. Then I took this studyguide with me to group study sessions, which effectively put me as the "teacher" where everyone else listened to me, most likely because I was the only one prepared. I believe that helped everyone because all my "students" said they think they did better on the tests, and I know I did better, as a result of my studyguide.
In the end what I was doing was telling the others what to know for the test. We had already heard it from the real instructor, but the fact that you teach (or reteach) it to someone else makes it effective because of a few reasons.
First, you are using more parts of your brain to digest the information.
Let's consider reading as a form of learning, for example. Reading requires the parts of your brain that you use to see, convert symbols into letters and then words, then interpret the meanings.
Then there is taking notes in class, which is better than just reading because you are using more of your brain to have to listen, and also then write down in shorthand.
The next best thing is saying something aloud. This requires you to read, understand, then use the part of your brain to convert your thoughts into vocal sounds (you actually have to listen to yourself, too, incorporating some of the benefits of taking notes).
Then we have teaching. You use the benefits of reading, saying the ideas aloud, listening to yourself, and validating that its correct. If you tell someone something, and you know its wrong, you will likely correct yourself, especially in this situation where you want to get the information right. Then, if you try to create the studyguide approach, you are also taking notes, except it isn't in shorthand and thus may be more thorough.
Notice that when you take the time to setup a study guide that you intend to help other people understand a topic, you are helping yourself MORE than you are helping your peers. It is important to ensure there are peers to teach because you can't be the teacher and the student at the same time, although you can be a teacher and a student in a specific time period, such as a study session.
One other important aspect of this approach is you may not be able to collect all the information in the studyguide. You will then be able to identify what you need to figure out. However, in your study session, one of your peers may know the answer, allowing you an opportunity to learn from someone else.
What I did was for each midterm and final, I created my own studyguide of what I expected would be on the test. Then I took this studyguide with me to group study sessions, which effectively put me as the "teacher" where everyone else listened to me, most likely because I was the only one prepared. I believe that helped everyone because all my "students" said they think they did better on the tests, and I know I did better, as a result of my studyguide.
In the end what I was doing was telling the others what to know for the test. We had already heard it from the real instructor, but the fact that you teach (or reteach) it to someone else makes it effective because of a few reasons.
First, you are using more parts of your brain to digest the information.
Let's consider reading as a form of learning, for example. Reading requires the parts of your brain that you use to see, convert symbols into letters and then words, then interpret the meanings.
Then there is taking notes in class, which is better than just reading because you are using more of your brain to have to listen, and also then write down in shorthand.
The next best thing is saying something aloud. This requires you to read, understand, then use the part of your brain to convert your thoughts into vocal sounds (you actually have to listen to yourself, too, incorporating some of the benefits of taking notes).
Then we have teaching. You use the benefits of reading, saying the ideas aloud, listening to yourself, and validating that its correct. If you tell someone something, and you know its wrong, you will likely correct yourself, especially in this situation where you want to get the information right. Then, if you try to create the studyguide approach, you are also taking notes, except it isn't in shorthand and thus may be more thorough.
Notice that when you take the time to setup a study guide that you intend to help other people understand a topic, you are helping yourself MORE than you are helping your peers. It is important to ensure there are peers to teach because you can't be the teacher and the student at the same time, although you can be a teacher and a student in a specific time period, such as a study session.
One other important aspect of this approach is you may not be able to collect all the information in the studyguide. You will then be able to identify what you need to figure out. However, in your study session, one of your peers may know the answer, allowing you an opportunity to learn from someone else.
May 13, 2009
Opposite Ends of the Attitude Spectrum
I acquired my first real job in high school working for Arby's. I hated the job, and as time went on, that mentality started to reflect in my performance at work and eventually started to affect me even outside of work. The worst part is my attitude had a negative impact on everyone around me, but I didn't see this reality until later.
I credit my brother for saving me. He'd had enough of me to the point where he told me that attitude was everything. He told me I had a choice when I went to work about what kind of attitude I'd bring to work. I ignored him because it didn't make much sense to me.
Over time, though, I kept thinking about what he had said and one day decided to try out his "theory". I went in the next day thinking, "I know this is going to suck, but I'm going to try to find a way to have fun." To my amazement, it really worked. I hated it, but I found ways of enjoying stupid little things at work and it turned the whole experience around.
I was laughing all day and immediately saw its effects. Being happy yourself is one thing, but seeing how other people around you change based on your actions is another. It put things into a whole new perspective for me to see this. (I'm not claiming to be the only factor in everyone else's moods, but it had an affect.)
I think another major proponent to my enlightenment on attitude was just the day before I was on the low end of the "attitude spectrum" and had a horrible day, and not one day after I reached the opposite end of the spectrum. To see that big of a difference between both sides back to back was more important, I believe, than in a slow, less dramatic manner.
I learned a some very important lessons from this experience.
First, your attitude has a direct impact on the attitudes of everyone around you. I asked myself, "How long would it take for a smile to 'circle the world'?" I also wonder how much of an indirect affect you have on YOURSELF by your own attitude in terms of how you affect others and in turn how they affect you back.
"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference."
- Winston Churchill
Then, secondly, I learned YOU choose how you respond to things that happen to you. My brother's lesson had a bigger impact on my whole life as a whole, not just by work experiences. What if you wore some really thick coke-bottle glasses, and someone came up to you and blasted some jokes your way. Most people think the guy is a bully and immediately get angry or just ignore the guy. What if you come back with a different joke about your own glasses? Same situation that produces radically different results, and it's all based on how you react.
"Life is 10 percent what you make it and 90 percent how you take it."
- Irving Berlin
It is obvious how this relates to leadership because a leader is suppose to inspire others to be great themselves.
"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."
- John Quincy Adams
I credit my brother for saving me. He'd had enough of me to the point where he told me that attitude was everything. He told me I had a choice when I went to work about what kind of attitude I'd bring to work. I ignored him because it didn't make much sense to me.
Over time, though, I kept thinking about what he had said and one day decided to try out his "theory". I went in the next day thinking, "I know this is going to suck, but I'm going to try to find a way to have fun." To my amazement, it really worked. I hated it, but I found ways of enjoying stupid little things at work and it turned the whole experience around.
I was laughing all day and immediately saw its effects. Being happy yourself is one thing, but seeing how other people around you change based on your actions is another. It put things into a whole new perspective for me to see this. (I'm not claiming to be the only factor in everyone else's moods, but it had an affect.)
I think another major proponent to my enlightenment on attitude was just the day before I was on the low end of the "attitude spectrum" and had a horrible day, and not one day after I reached the opposite end of the spectrum. To see that big of a difference between both sides back to back was more important, I believe, than in a slow, less dramatic manner.
I learned a some very important lessons from this experience.
First, your attitude has a direct impact on the attitudes of everyone around you. I asked myself, "How long would it take for a smile to 'circle the world'?" I also wonder how much of an indirect affect you have on YOURSELF by your own attitude in terms of how you affect others and in turn how they affect you back.
"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference."
- Winston Churchill
Then, secondly, I learned YOU choose how you respond to things that happen to you. My brother's lesson had a bigger impact on my whole life as a whole, not just by work experiences. What if you wore some really thick coke-bottle glasses, and someone came up to you and blasted some jokes your way. Most people think the guy is a bully and immediately get angry or just ignore the guy. What if you come back with a different joke about your own glasses? Same situation that produces radically different results, and it's all based on how you react.
"Life is 10 percent what you make it and 90 percent how you take it."
- Irving Berlin
It is obvious how this relates to leadership because a leader is suppose to inspire others to be great themselves.
"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."
- John Quincy Adams
May 11, 2009
Volunteering - Motivated?
One of the best things I like about President Obama is his desire to get Americans to get out and do something, help the community somehow. It's difficult, though, because we haven't done it in so long. Then, even more difficult, you have to find ways to motivate people to want to do it.
"Leadership: The art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it."
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
I think the problem today is people don't have the motivation to get out and do something. I also believe today's generations look for short-term effects, instead of the more important long-term ones, so the idea of volunteering isn't a viable one.
YouTube - Declining Volunteer Rates
Here is an example long-term, but transparent affect of volunteering, according to "The View":
YouTube - Volunteering Will Make You Happier & Healthier
One of the many things that propelled me to do something (e.g. join the National Guard) comes from the following video. Can you imagine this happening to you (ignore the fact that it's a Budweiser ad)?
YouTube - Soldiers Coming Home
This video is an extreme case that shows how people may respond to selfless things you can do. To get people to react like that by doing simple volunteer work (e.g. not making long term commitment to the military) is in fact quite difficult.
One idea I have is to force people to do something great, like help build a house. The volunteers (or in this case, the "volun-tolds") would have to put in a lot of time and hard work. Then, in the end, when it is all said and done, show the "volun-tolds" the reactions of the people who it was all done for as they see the results for the first time. Then, maybe, will they do it again. Would you?
The problem of course is to force people to do so. It would also be unethical to trick people to do something like that. You couldn't pay people to do it either, because then it isn't volunteering.
One of my coworkers was able to put into words how I felt, when he asked, "What have you done that is difficult, but for someone else?"
How would you motivate others to do something great, but for someone else?
"Leadership: The art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it."
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
I think the problem today is people don't have the motivation to get out and do something. I also believe today's generations look for short-term effects, instead of the more important long-term ones, so the idea of volunteering isn't a viable one.
YouTube - Declining Volunteer Rates
Here is an example long-term, but transparent affect of volunteering, according to "The View":
YouTube - Volunteering Will Make You Happier & Healthier
One of the many things that propelled me to do something (e.g. join the National Guard) comes from the following video. Can you imagine this happening to you (ignore the fact that it's a Budweiser ad)?
YouTube - Soldiers Coming Home
This video is an extreme case that shows how people may respond to selfless things you can do. To get people to react like that by doing simple volunteer work (e.g. not making long term commitment to the military) is in fact quite difficult.
One idea I have is to force people to do something great, like help build a house. The volunteers (or in this case, the "volun-tolds") would have to put in a lot of time and hard work. Then, in the end, when it is all said and done, show the "volun-tolds" the reactions of the people who it was all done for as they see the results for the first time. Then, maybe, will they do it again. Would you?
The problem of course is to force people to do so. It would also be unethical to trick people to do something like that. You couldn't pay people to do it either, because then it isn't volunteering.
One of my coworkers was able to put into words how I felt, when he asked, "What have you done that is difficult, but for someone else?"
How would you motivate others to do something great, but for someone else?
Army Leadershp Techniques - BASIC and AIT
There are a lot of things I learned in BASIC training and my AIT experiences. It is hard not to simply because there is always something going on where you're well tested, and it has something to deal with leadership on some level.
Not all techniques used in the army work in other situations. The army is very authoritative, or "do it this way because I said so". My current job is more of a "we need you to do this by this time, have fun" kind of environment. You can apply what you like into your own leadership style and make sure to stay away from, or do the opposite, of what you don't like.
I was appointed "Squad Leader" for my platoon multiple times. I say multiple times because they'll put you in the position, fire you, then repeat.
Sometimes they fire you when you screw up, sometimes they fire you because they think someone is more deserving of the position. Someone is more deserving in a Drill Seargant's eyes if the individual doesn't appreciate authority (to let them see what it's like to lead) or if the individual shows signs of having little confidence or leadership ability.
They will also appoint you if you don't have any experience leading, in which case I was denied leadership positions in AIT because I was squad leader in BASIC multiple times.
Not all techniques used in the army work in other situations. The army is very authoritative, or "do it this way because I said so". My current job is more of a "we need you to do this by this time, have fun" kind of environment. You can apply what you like into your own leadership style and make sure to stay away from, or do the opposite, of what you don't like.
I was appointed "Squad Leader" for my platoon multiple times. I say multiple times because they'll put you in the position, fire you, then repeat.
Sometimes they fire you when you screw up, sometimes they fire you because they think someone is more deserving of the position. Someone is more deserving in a Drill Seargant's eyes if the individual doesn't appreciate authority (to let them see what it's like to lead) or if the individual shows signs of having little confidence or leadership ability.
They will also appoint you if you don't have any experience leading, in which case I was denied leadership positions in AIT because I was squad leader in BASIC multiple times.
May 08, 2009
My Leadership History
Growing up for most of my life, I never really put much thought into leadership and its importance. It wasn't until I started my first job that it really started to come into perspective, even though I never really acknowledged it.
In college, I joined a fraternity. My fraternity was not the typical one, however, as we had a wide range of personalities, and thus we participated in a wide range of activities. I was one of the "GPA Boosters" for the frat. I didn't get to do anything in terms of leadership roles in the frat except "Webmaster" (obvious if you know me...) and "Alumni Relations".
I got hit with the realization that leadership is important and quite difficult for people with little experience when I tried to run an alumni event. It was chaos because I pretty much ran it myself. However, I value the experience a lot because I learned so much during that event. I also learned the lesson that EVERYONE is a leader in one way or another, even if you view yourself as a "pawn".
I am currently working for a reputable company as software engineer. I make decent money and am happy with what I've accomplished so far.
I have lately been looking for ways to become a better leader, as I am well aware that I have a long way to go with a ton to learn.
This leads me into the next part of my life. I made the decision to join the Army National Guard, after much debate and thought. I did it for many reasons, but the one that pertains to this blog is leadership. You can't get this kind of leadership experience anywhere else. I just completed BASIC training and AIT where I was able to try out some of the things I learned, but of course didn't quite succeed as I'd hoped. However, I learned a lot, mostly that I have a lot more to learn. I may talk about some of my experiences in a later post, as some of my stories are good examples of bad leadership, and what I came up with how I would do things different.
In college, I joined a fraternity. My fraternity was not the typical one, however, as we had a wide range of personalities, and thus we participated in a wide range of activities. I was one of the "GPA Boosters" for the frat. I didn't get to do anything in terms of leadership roles in the frat except "Webmaster" (obvious if you know me...) and "Alumni Relations".
I got hit with the realization that leadership is important and quite difficult for people with little experience when I tried to run an alumni event. It was chaos because I pretty much ran it myself. However, I value the experience a lot because I learned so much during that event. I also learned the lesson that EVERYONE is a leader in one way or another, even if you view yourself as a "pawn".
I am currently working for a reputable company as software engineer. I make decent money and am happy with what I've accomplished so far.
I have lately been looking for ways to become a better leader, as I am well aware that I have a long way to go with a ton to learn.
This leads me into the next part of my life. I made the decision to join the Army National Guard, after much debate and thought. I did it for many reasons, but the one that pertains to this blog is leadership. You can't get this kind of leadership experience anywhere else. I just completed BASIC training and AIT where I was able to try out some of the things I learned, but of course didn't quite succeed as I'd hoped. However, I learned a lot, mostly that I have a lot more to learn. I may talk about some of my experiences in a later post, as some of my stories are good examples of bad leadership, and what I came up with how I would do things different.
The Beginning
First, I'd like to establish a disclaimer. This is not only the first time I'm blogging about anything, but this is also my first REAL attempt at discussing leadership by talking about why it is important and trying to help people grow as leaders themselves.
I am also quite young (25 years old, to be exact), so my experiences haven't been as rigid, practical, and/or useful as some of the other blogs I've read in the past. Therefore, I hope this may turn into more of a forum type deal where most of the content comes from you, the readers, providing your own experiences and tips you've learned along the way.
Thanks for listening, and more importantly, thanks for providing your own feedback.
I'd also like to give credit where due. I get my inspiration from various places, but I frequent the following places:
Three Star Leadership Blog
Great Leadership
Leadership in Action
I am also quite young (25 years old, to be exact), so my experiences haven't been as rigid, practical, and/or useful as some of the other blogs I've read in the past. Therefore, I hope this may turn into more of a forum type deal where most of the content comes from you, the readers, providing your own experiences and tips you've learned along the way.
Thanks for listening, and more importantly, thanks for providing your own feedback.
I'd also like to give credit where due. I get my inspiration from various places, but I frequent the following places:
Three Star Leadership Blog
Great Leadership
Leadership in Action
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