Interesting Stuff - January 2011
Happy New Year.
Encouragement and Commitment
I’m not sure what you’re expecting of this new year – whether you’re concerned about the banking system and economy, worried about your job or where new business is coming from; or whether you’re excited by the uncertainties this brings, by new opportunities, by events like the London Olympics?
What I am sure about is that we can’t guarantee what will happen, so let’s just do everything we can do give ourselves the best chance of success. We can worry, analyse, prevaricate, or we can do. And I’m in the “can do” camp.
Of course this means that things may not work out the way we want, but we don’t let this stop us. One thing that has been very important to me has been having people around me who will support me in the things I want to do, the things I’m trying to achieve. My “encouragers”.
There are the people I choose to spend time with – family, friends, colleagues, clients, people running other successful businesses, people who we can learn from ….
Our encouragers:
Energize Excite Inspire Push Reassure
Revitalise Refresh Challenge Support
They have our interests at heart; they care, believe in us and that we can achieve more than we think possible. They listen question and challenge, and give us ideas and inspiration.
One of my encouragers is a good friend Linda Spaanbroek. Linda is from the Netherlands and runs a business called InfoMarketeers.nl - helping solo business people get more customers and generate higher profits. It is a fantastic business and Linda was recently awarded “female solo entrepreneur of the year”.
Part of her philosophy is to set aside some funds each month for her wealth (either to build up reserves or towards her personal wellbeing) and a set amount of income to be given to people or projects that inspire her.
I love Linda’s work and also the example she sets – so have made a similar commitment in 2012.
My Commitment
In 2011 we committed money to fund projects through our charitable Foundation. In 2012, The Red Rubber ball Company will extend this commitment and give 5% of all income to community projects. This will be challenging. Making the commitment from income, means we’re committed, irrespective of other costs and irrespective of what’s left to pay ourselves. But it’s what we believe in so is now our business model.
I believe that an open, public commitment like this will also inspire me, encourage me to generate new work, to work harder or more effectively – knowing that doing so will allow us to do more for others.
What’s Yours?!
So I wonder if you’ve made any commitments, about your finances, health, relationships…?
And have you made them openly – maybe doing so will help you to be accountable and ensure you keep it up. If so, then let me know your commitment and if you’d like me to encourage you in 2012 so you keep to your commitment.
21st Century Leadership
Linda’s commitment is a great example to me of 21st century leadership - a business leader with a genuine social conscience; someone who cares for others, her clients, work colleagues, community… And she backs that belief by action.
Over the course of 2012, I’d like to develop this idea of 21st century leadership. What is it? What are the key skills? What makes an influential leader?
TheEnableProgramme
Creating 21st Century Leaders
I’m often asked what’s the quickest, most effective way to develop the “can do” attitude that we encourage in our clients?
Well that’s probably TheEnableProgramme. It’s ideal for managers or consultants with potential, who are identified as possible future leaders and want to hone their leadership skills.
And it’s ideal for managers or other staff who run projects or departments and who want to improve their skills and their career prospects.
Covering the four themes of Choice, Passion, Vision and Action, the aim is to develop people who perform well and get the best out of others; who are self-motivated and low maintenance; who are accountable and deliver what's expected of them.
And above all, develop people who make no excuses, get things done.
And perhaps best of all, over just two days it keeps time away from the office to a minimum. The next workshop is in early Feb, so perfect to get those 2012 plans in place.
Tracey took part in our December workshop - “Thanks so much for the opportunity I found it so interesting and I did go away and write my next set of actions”.
What’s happening in Kenya?
Well the new school year is about to start and children across the country are receiving letters from secondary schools offering them places, depending on the results they got in their primary exams.
Our five sponsors from 2011 have been joined by fifteen others already, allowing us to support 20 children in 2012 – meaning they get to have a secondary education that they wouldn’t otherwise have.
We know the children value this opportunity and are working hard to make the most of it. So if you’d like to get involved and give another child the opportunity to escape poverty, then please do get in touch or watch our short video.
Book review – Leadership and Self Deception (The Arbinger Institute)
My thanks to Chris Harding of Resonate Solutions for sending me this book. Chris helps business owners achieve life-changing success by developing their business into a wealth generating system, by focusing on business strategies and processes that improve profitability. We share a similar approach and interests.
The book has an unusual narrative, written as a conversation between several people. It provokes some interesting ideas and ways of looking at the situations we face.
One is the idea of being “in the box” and “out of the box”. In the box, we see other people as objects – the boss, the wife, the idiot in accounts – and distort our view of them to fit what we believe about them. We see them as being responsible for our misfortune; it’s their fault. And whatever they do, simply reinforces our view – we inflate their faults; because they are to blame, not me.
This affects the way we respond to them. And our response reinforces how we see them. We get into a vicious cycle.
So how do we break this cycle? Simply seeing someone as a person gets you “out of the box”. It’s a simple but effective idea and book. Try it.
And I wish you a safe and successful 2012.
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