#2 Success Principle (2 of 10)

Greetings,

Tammy Redmon here your Coach for Transformation with the second success principle from my new favorite book by the former president of Starbucks Coffee, Howard Behar – It’s Not About the Coffee.



#2 - Know Why You’re Here: Do it because it’s right, not because it’s right for your resume:

The path to success comes from doing things for the right reasons. You can’t succeed if you don’t know what you’re trying to accomplish and without everyone being aligned with the goal. Look for purpose and passion in yourself and the people you lead. If they’re not there, do something.



This 2nd principle from the book It’s Not About the Coffee, by former Starbucks President, Howard Behar is right on the money. It goes to know your purpose, know your passion and what values are supported by what you do. When you know those key areas for yourself, no matter what phase in life you currently are, you will know your own success.



In my years working within and for companies both for-profit and non-profit, for myself and for others, I have seen people come and go for purposes to build their resume - only. This breeds the wrong kind of culture and it can be detrimental to an organization. Now, that being said, I do believe that you are in positions in life for a season, they are ‘stepping stones’ to take you toward your true calling or bigger opportunity. However, while you are in those positions, it is important (and Mr. Behar points this out in his book) that you understand and know your ‘fit’ in the role you were hired for. Also that you align with the leadership vision and values – if you cannot then you are not doing anyone any favors by being there; least of all yourself.



That plays to the important knowing that you work toward the goal that most aligns with your purpose and your passion. That is also true for the people that are on your team. If you find yourself leading people who are not there to share in the journey for the collective ‘win’ then by all means, invite them into another opportunity.



Recently I had the pleasure to hear a part of a conversation at a leadership renewal within an organization of which I am affiliated. The conversation was between the ‘leader and a team lead’ and the question was posed around holding others accountable. How do you hold people who are volunteering accountable to what they said they would do – what do you do when they repeatedly don’t do what they committed to doing? Well the answer was a good one – always try to find out what is getting in their way to following through with their word and let them know the position they put others in by not doing what they said. My addition would be – give them a Vision/Values check on why they are there with you. You may find that they don’t agree with the vision and their values don’t align with yours. When and if you find that to be true, it is important to know that the likelihood of you bringing them along is pretty slim. The best strategy is to help them into an opportunity that fits (the hat they are wearing) with where they see themselves going. That is the right thing for you and for them, for your company/team and for their resume.



As Mr. Behar puts it, “when you are in a hole, stop digging” – here’s a key to this, we have to know as business owners and leaders what our purpose is and what hat we are wearing for this to work. It is that knowing beyond all knowing that will never fail you and it is imperative for growing strong businesses and teams. You may grow in company, older in years and your hat shouldn’t change UNLESS the vision has changed. The proverbial Hat is your purpose, your position may change within the company but the passion that drives you to make a difference is solid. It’s the ability to answer the question – Why am I here? What motivates you and your people?

Making sure that the answers above align with your core beliefs and values will keep you moving forward and will build nothing but health and wealth for your life and resume.



This is Tammy Redmon your Coach for Transformation with another strategy for success in life, business and beyond. Make it a great day!

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Success Principles

Hello, (In case you would rather not listen to the audio, please read content below.)

Tammy Redmon here your Coach for Transformation with a tip and strategy from my new favorite book by the former president of Starbucks Coffee, Howard Behar – It’s Not About the Coffee.

In this hot little red book by one of the leaders from the great coffee giant, Starbucks you will gain greater insight into you as a leader and into your own personal success. Over the coming weeks, we will be covering the 10 principles of Personal Leadership that Mr. Behar has highlighted in his book.

Today we are covering Principle #1

1) Know who you are: Wear One Hat

Our success is directly related to our clarity and honesty about who we are, who we’re not, where we want to go and how we’re going to get there. When organizations are clear about their values, purpose, and goals they find the energy and passion to do great things.

When individuals have that same clarity, they are setting the stage to hit a home run. I liken it to driving to a destination. There are many road maps that you can read or take with you as you prepare for your journey. You can choose to use the map that has the straightest route or the road that takes you the longest route toward your final destination. Either way, you get to where you are going. Why? Because you know where you are going to and you pick the route that best fits for the driving conditions. You have clarity around where you are going to and then you get to the how. Which is the goal.

In business we use the same sense of direction for optimal success. What is my intended outcome – what does your business plan tell you? What strategy will you use? When you know these key elements, have them written down and clearly defined – you become singularly focused toward achieving your intended outcome. When you try to do too many different things that don’t align with the plan or intended outcome, you get off track and lose sight of the goal – ultimately you will self-sabotage your efforts for lack of focus.

I have noticed people today seem to be totally and completely over the Values/Purpose/Vision conversation in business. Why? I think in part because they have heard so much of it in recent years. It has been all the rage in organizations, business and personal life that they are tired or bored of it. I also believe it is in part because it takes significant effort to put a solid purpose/vision/values plan in place and to know what it is so well for your business that nothing gets in the way. Nothing alters you from the roadmap. Some people (I have found) think that it takes away from the creativity and spontaneity in business. I say, no way! To have that clarity of direction, to know that you know that you know you are heading due north on the roadway to success is key to achieving your goals and objectives in business. When we aren’t clear and honest with ourselves, we can mistakenly substitute passion for spontaneity and the energy to sustain our directed actions with chaos, which can bring us to a U, turn on our road to success.

Having a clear purpose, and being utterly clear on vision and values keeps you on the right side of the road, traveling in the direction of your purpose and your dreams. Why would you want to travel any other direction?

I loved what Mr. Behar said in his #1 principle for leading our own successful life – Our success is directly related to how Honest we are with who we are, where we are going and how we are going to get there (that’s my paraphrase.) To be honest with ourselves, is the truest form of acknowledgment and greatest transformative success strategy for our business and our life. Putting any other strategy first may only put a roadblock in our pathway to where our life wants to take us.

Being clear about your vision, identifying your passion and aligning both with your values is a success strategy that will take you safely on the proverbial road to success. If you are in need of a guided tour or roadside assistance to identifying your values/passion and vision, contact a successful coach today – they are a great tool for any road trip in life, business and beyond.

This is Tammy Redmon your coach for transformation with another success strategy. Check back in a few days when we cover Personal Leadership Principle #2 from my new favorite book by Howard Behar, (former President, Starbucks Coffee) - It’s Not About the Coffee.

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Something I wanted to share

Greetings,

Here is an article that I wanted to share by one of my favorite authorities on building strong leaders.  This is for all the leaders out there who may just be needing a little check -up. -TR

A Leadership Check-up

John C. Maxwell

A vital leader seldom waits for failure before appraising his or her leadership skills.  These eight questions will help you evaluate your leadership strengths and weaknesses.  You can then fine-tune your personal development program accordingly.

1. How and where do I have influence? Influence – not position or power – makes a leader successful. What is my current level of influence at work? How often do others turn to me for direction or approval?  Do I see evidence of my influence both above and below me on the organizational chart? Who influences me and how? Remember, we often adopt both the strengths and weaknesses of those around us, so make sure you are not being influenced in a way that leads you away from your goals. In what new arenas can I extend my influence?  It may be a new department, a new market or venue, a new partnership or alliance, or a new vendor or supplier.

2. Where can I improve my people skills? Someone can lead for a season based on position or problem-solving ability, but success in the long run depends on the ability to get along with and develop people.

• How can I improve my listening skills?

• How can I discover what motivates those whom I lead?

• Am I willing to ask more questions and get more input from others?

3. Do I have a positive outlook? A positive attitude alone doesn’t  identify a capacity for leadership, but a negative spirit will always diminish a person’s leadership potential. The ability to master my own emotions gives me a sizeable advantage during crisis situations. Never forget that a crisis situation is precisely when leadership is most noticed and valued.

4. Do I see evidence of growth in self-discipline?

• Am I disciplined in my use of time?

• Do I willingly delay gratification in order to achieve worthwhile goals?

• Are there any evidences of lack of self-discipline in my appearance or work habits?

5. Do I have a proven track record of success in my field? Busyness is not an accurate indicator of success. Some people work like crazy and never accomplish anything.  Past success is a key predictor of  future success.

• What have I accomplished that I am proud of?

• Did those accomplishments include others?

• How does my experience relate to what I need today?

• Am I willing to put forth the effort again?

6. How are my problem-solving skills? Many people are impressed with their ability to spot a problem.  Identifying a problem is easy; just about anyone can do it.  Leaders must solve problems. In fact, where there are no problems, there is no need for leadership. Problem solvers don’t dwell on what went wrong or who was to blame. Instead, they spend their energies on finding a solution.

7. Do I refuse to accept the status quo? Growing leaders value progress over security.  Not only are they dissatisfied with what is; they have a vision for what can be.  The person who resists the status quo is willing to take a risk, be different, and pay the price for victory.

8. Do I have a big-picture mindset? How often do you step back to maintain perspective, especially in the face of distractions or pressure?  Keeping a sense of direction when the fog of fatigue sets in is a trait of a gifted leader.

Self-evaluation is not for the faint-hearted. An honest assessment by these diagnostic questions will make you aware of at least a couple of areas where you need to sharpen your skills.

The question is – will you?

John C. Maxwell is an internationally recognized leadership expert, speaker, and author who has sold over 12 million books. His organizations have trained more than one million leaders worldwide. Dr. Maxwell is the founder of Injoy Stewardship Services and EQUIP. Visit www.maximumimpact.com for more information about John or his companies.