Steps to Networking with Impact

I don't like networking, but networking works. I connect with more people, I've built a large database and I've met some incredible people.

Networking has become a passion I want to get better at. I want to network better, build more relationships, learn about more people, make a difference in more lives.

Without a lot of explanation, here's the simple version of my initial process when meeting someone and the follow-up -

1. I ask "what industry are you in?"

Following to Lead Well

The Position Myth: "I can't lead if I am not at the top."

- John Maxwell in The 360 Degree Leader

Just a quick note this morning to remind those that follow this blog that in order to be a great leader...

• you have to have great followers
• you have to be a great follower

#RoadToThinkingWell - 4

Every problem introduces a person to himself 

- John McDonnell

This is the 4th post on my current try at 15 days of 15 minutes per day on the 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth. I say current because I'll likely take another stab at it in a few weeks.

#RoadToThinkingWell - 3

I consider the success of my day based on the seeds I sow, 

not the harvest I reap - Robert Louis Stevenson 

(quoted in Law of Contribution)

Day 12 - 15 days of 15 minutes per day on the 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth

Journal: busy week. Lot's of attraction/sowing with seminars/classes and masterminds. Platform blog went over 60,000 hits a few days ago and had 194 hits on Tuesday (2nd highest day).

Pondering The Law of Contribution this morning. In the book, Maxwell gives the following tips:

Making the Right Contribution Choices

Educating your client. Is it an acceptable marketing technique?

Is it? Is educating a necessary and/or required marketing technique?

Read more

#RoadToThinkingWell - 2

When a man has put a limit on what he will do, he has put a limit on what he can do
- Charles Schwab

 

I'm nine days into 15 days of spending 15 minutes per day on the 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth and it has been profound. During this time I've also participated 4 masterminds on the same subject and it has all be good.

My original thought was that by this time I would be stretching. But, more than anything, I'm realizing how much I must

move beyond my self-limiting beliefs.

To that end....

Is it bragging if it's the truth? Yes.

While much of my marketing needs improvement, this measurement speaks loud, clear and well.

To that end...

Points-to-Ponder: How Many Fundamental Principles Do You Have?

I was involved two years ago in a project where 7 of us were reviewing and critiquing the 350 or so principles of a highly successful businessman.

Yes, 350.

Part of the project is to write down our own fundamental principles. Now, I've had my mission statement written for 15 years and have matured it slightly. My values statement has also matured, and expanded over the years. My plan, or vision statement, has changed drastically, much like the vision in my eyes.

But principles? That has always been more difficult. I had another project a few years ago where my management team and I started working on our principles. It was hard, and probably because we, or I, wanted to keep the number of principles to as few as possible; 12 at the most. And we just couldn't get that done.

Then, along came on this project about about this HIGHLY successful millionaire who has 350 principles! Maybe that's why my team and I couldn't get that project done - we were limiting ourselves.

So, how many fundamental principles do you have? I've had many of mine written down and title various ways for years, plus I've been journaling others that come up in day-to-day work.

I'm at 51.

Interesting. How many do you think you have? Do you think there should be a limit? Can you put a limit?

To that end...

Sync Your Lips with Your Feet

What you do speaks so loudly that what you say I cannot hear

- Anonymous

Stephen M.R. Covey states "trust is one thing that changes everything. Trust is common to every individual, team, family, nation and organization." Mr. Covey continues with building an excellent compelling business case for Trust and how it is something you can get better at.

Having become a student of Covey's brand of trust the past 7 years, I've used his teachings in my daily practice of coaching, training and life. The one factor that stands out higher than any other is his 2nd core of credibility -

Read more....

#RoadToThinkingWell - 1

You've got to think about the big things while you're doing 

small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction 

- Alvin Toffler

Beginning yesterday and over the next 15 days I'm spending 15 minutes each morning on the 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: one-per-day.

My desired purpose is to get a better grip on my practice of these laws/principles/characteristics/disciplines.

Last night I went through all 15 laws, as quickly as possible, and wrote down a question I had about each law.

The law and question that hit me the most was

• The Law of Expansion: Growth always increases your capacity
• Stop thinking more work and start thinking what works?
• Question: what's working?

My thoughts and actions lately have been heavily slanted towards marketing and sales. In the world of MarketSmarterNotHarder, we measure marketing results by profitability. So, as I ponder my growth activities in the marketing area of my mortgage business, I ask

• What's working?
• Where have the profits come from?
• Are they traditional, or is something different?

John Maxwell suggests asking these questions

• What am I required to do?
• What gives the greatest return?
• What gives me the greatest reward?

To that end...testing limits!

Realtors - what do you do about all the different 

languages your websites need to be in?

With my eProperty sites, you have 59 languages,

all on one site - available with a single click!

Click here to read more

#RaisetheLid: use technology to Win the Listing

I don't care who you are, in this day and time, people 

want to see technology. Whether it's ultimately 

used, it aids in the selling process. Period, the end.

#TrainingTips

• Be relevant
• Be Tech Savy (or hire it)
• Be seen as Innovative
• Use Tools that are successful in the Google world

Learn more at #MarketingTrainingTips

Featured Property Widgets

One Word Growth Strategy

The first thing I do when I'm coaching someone
who aspires to stretch, grow, and go higher in
life is have that person select the one word that
best describes him or her - Kevin Hall in Aspire

What one (1) word would you use to describe yourself? Not two, just one. What is it?

Ponder that word over the next few days. Are you living it? Does it continue to resonate? Ask others what one word would they use to describe you to someone else.

Is there a gap?

To that end....

You will never outperform your self-image

Most of us want to move to the next level, become more than we are, want things to change.

What is your current self-image? How do you see yourself? What do you say when you talk to yourself.

You will be same 5 years from today, as you are today, except for
- what you listen to and watch,
- what you read and
- who you associate with.

What are you doing different today to change your self-image, to be better 5 years from today?

To that end...

What is marketing?

Read What is Marketing? at Market-Smarter-Not-Harder

Good doesn't get you business

Good doesn't get you business. You have to be
clear - concise - compelling. You have to engage.
- Ed DeCosta

Ed goes on to say that engaging people is the key to business growth and 96% of your growth comes from engaging people in ongoing conversations.

I love stats when they come from such a high level and respected professional sales professional as Ed.

You have to start a dialog as if someone is listening

- Ed DeCosta

This is another blog post that is as much about marketing as leadership. So, how does this apply to helping leaders lead leaders?

Here it is -

- You're around people everyday, engage.
- You're leading and following other people - every day, engage.
- Start talking like a leaders, engage.
- Start a blog and writing like a leader, engage.
- Tweet, like a leader, engage.
- Post to Facebook and LinkedIn, like a leader, engage.

While you're doing all this, you're talking to yourself. You're engaging with yourself. You're leading yourself and as you learn to lead yourself better, you'll lead others better.

You'll help others lead better.

To that end...

 

Learner - applies to everything

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who 

cannot read and write but those who cannot learn, 

unlearn, and relearn - Alvin Toffler

This quote (above is from Stephen M.R. Covey's Speed of Trust; chapter on "Behavior #7: Get Better."

Things are changing, we all know it, and we must PURPOSEFULLY learn or we'll grow into something we don't want to be.

Learner is one of the 9 Essential Behaviors of Marketing-Smarter-Not-Harder. I write this under the my leadership blog because leaders must market well.

What did you learn yesterday?

What do you want to learn today?

To that end....

#MarketSmarter's 9 Essential Behaviors

You can't talk yourself out of a problem you've

behaved yourself into. - Stephen R. Covey

 

No, but you can behave yourself out of a problem

you've behaved yourself into...and often faster

than you think. -Stephen M.R. Covey

In our Guerrilla Marketing / Market-Smarter-Not-Harder workshops we focus on Behaviors. Behaviors, as explained by Covey (2), are what flows out of our agenda. Agenda flows from our intent.

The Nine Essential Behaviors to Marketing-Smarter are:

1. Learner
2. Takes Action
3. Creative
4. Evaluates and Corrects
5. Sensitive
6. Strong Ego
7. Generous
8. Aggressive
9. Patient

These behaviors are a combination of character and competence. As we remember that marketing is everything we do before and after getting the check, we want to practice these essential behaviors.

A recommended read on behaviors is Stephen M.R. Covey's The Speed of Trust.

To that end.....market-smarter-not-harder.

Danny

ps..for more marketing info and tips, go to the Market-Smarter blog

pss..pay attention to my social media feed for dates and times on free Webinars

Don't let criticism crush your creativity

Thanks to Tim Hetzner, President of Lutheran Church Charities

 for his article that prompted my thoughts on this matter.

"In A Closer Walk Catherine Marshall writes, 'One morning last week God gave me an assignment for one day. I was to go on a "fast" from criticism. I was not to criticize anybody or anything. 'For the first half of the day I simply felt a void, almost as if I'd been wiped out as a person. This was especially true at lunch. I listened to the others and kept silent. In our talkative family nobody seemed to notice.

Bemused, I noted that the Federal Government, the judicial system, and the institutional church could apparently get along just fine without my personal observations! But still I did not see what this "fast from criticism" was accomplishing - until mid-afternoon. 'In the afternoon God gave me a new vision for my life. And it had His unmistakable hallmark on it - joy! Ideas began to come to me in a way I hadn't experienced in years.

Now it was apparent what the Lord wanted me to see. My critical nature had not solved a single one of the multitudinous things I had found fault with. What it had done was to stifle my own creativity.'"
 

Creativity is a huge part of marketing smarter and when we're cynical and critical about our competition, ourselves and well...., it stifles our energy and thoughts.

To that end....stay focused on your competitive advantages!

(this is a re-post from 1/14/12 in my Market-Smarter blog page)

#TwitterTips - for Realtors (and others)

#1 Social Media Rule for Realtors: use Twitter

#2 Social Media Rule for Realtors: do NOT tweet listings

“The reason why people shouldn't be tweeting their listings is the same as why they shouldn't post them on their Facebook page. It’s annoying and it’s borderline spam,” says Eric Proulx, RealEstate.com's social media manager in Stop Tweeting Listings.

Ok. I've given some #1 and #2 social media rules before, but these are mine for today.

Plus, there's speculation Twitter has yanked some Realtors' accounts for "selling" on Twitter. That sounds far-fetched but some are claiming it.

Twitter posts should tell a story, or at least have a theme. I started reading a new fiction author a few years ago, saw he had a Twitter handle, and started following. Along the way I posted something about liking his book. Shortly afterwards I had a guy start following me and re-tweeting some of my stuff. I began reading his tweets and soon realized this "guy" was the main character in the author's book.

The author was using his character's Twitter name to continue a story line between books! How AWESOME is that! The author ended up getting rather raunchy along the way and I stopped following him, but what a great practice.

You'll notice many top bloggers with similar practices but with "themes." For instance, this week, my theme was on John Maxwell's "Law of Magnetism." I posted, at random intervals 4-7 posts a day on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin (I use Hootsuite to schedule the posts and it takes me 5-7 minutes a day).

So...if you're a Realtor, don't Tweet listings! If you're a marketer or salesperson, don't Tweet to sell. "Tweet-to-market" by drawing good attention to YOU. Draw attention by drawing people to click on your Twitter profile where they can then click onto your website where your listings are available. 

To that end....

#ThinkingAbout the Pictures is Our Head

Doug Sherman, in his Bible Study Your Work Matters to God, states "we believe that the workplace is today the most strategic arena for Christian thinking and influence. Moreover, until we become godly workers, we have little hope of becoming godly husbands, wives, parents, or church members. For unless Christlikeness characterizes the 60-80 percent of our lives spent at work, we simply are not living Christlike lives."

The most strategic arena for Christian thinking......hmmm. Have you ever thought much about your thinking being strategic? How about your thinking, do you think about your thinking? Thinking about thinking is not something most of us today think about. Think about it for a minute or two.........hard to do isn't it? How about talking about your thinking, or another's thinking?

How dramatically is your thinking influenced by what's going on around you? Think about how much your thinking is influenced by the thoughts of others, because the mind is hungry for more information and is looking to be influenced. Are you aware of how your thinking is changed? How critical is your thinking?

Prior to the invention of radio, tv, internet, and even the mass production of newspapers, the spoils and triumphs of what flowed from another's thinking a much more celebrated event. In reality, the recepient was much more aware of the absorbtion and how his thinking might be changing. He or she had time to be critical about it.

Thinking about thinking - talking about what we think - arguing about thinking is something philosophers have done for thousands of years. It wasn't that many years ago when people would travel for miles and miles to hear a simple speech and then stay to discuss their thoughts in local bars and meeting houses. Today, we get our information in bits and pieces, yet, as if from a fire hose; there is more information coming in one week's worth of the New York Times than the average 19th century American had available to him/her in a lifetime.

Thinking, critical thinking, and getting one's message across to others has always been an important part of those intent upon critical thinking. Ben Franklin would write letters to his own newspaper under fictitious names just so he could express his thoughts about what he thought and he would then write the rebuttals to further spin the thinking. He claimed years later that he did this in part to develop opinions within his readers' thoughts.

So what does this have to do with life, work and being the right person in the right place? Everything. Everyone is bombarded with news and information they don't ask to receive; from emails randomly read to story lines of favorite tv shows, but received and processe it is. How you handle that information, purposeful or otherwise, helps determine the thinking that leads ultimately to who you are in the future. What do you say when you talk to yourself? What you take in will mold what you say to yourself and that comes out in your behavior to others.

Close your eyes, right now and think about the pictures in your head.

Writer, journalist, and progressive thinker Walter Lippmann, in the mid 1900's, wrote extensively about the tendency of journalists to generalize about other people based on fixed ideas. He argued that people—including journalists—are more apt to believe "the pictures in their heads" than come to judgment by critical thinking.

The pictures in our heads is what we tend to believe and these pictures are formed from what we watch, hear, and read. And what most of us watch, hear, and read, is accidental; not purposeful.

So, what does this have to do with our influence, Christian or otherwise? Everything. If we are not purposeful about what we watch, read, and hear, our thinking will not lead to practicing Christianity and if we aren't practicing Christianity, we aren't influencing others towards God's glory.

And if we aren't influencing others towards God's glory, then what are we influencing them towards?

What do the pictures in your head look like today, and what are they going to look like in 5 years, in 10 years? Are you purposefully drawing those pictures or letting others?

To that end....

Note: this is a edited re-post from http://godandworkmatters.blogspot.com/ on 11/06/2010

#ThinkingAboutCustomers

I've written before about Peter Drucker's book The Five Most Important Questions You Will Ever Ask About Your Organization and Question Number 2 (WHO IS MY CUSTOMER).

Right now, real quick....WHO IS YOUR CUSTOMER?

Chances are you stumbled and answered it at least partially wrong. Who is typically treated as the customer is never the only customer and an attempt to satisfy that customer only leads to poor performance. Drucker writes in the book at length about the second type of customers, or supporting customers. They are all people that have the ability to cause you rejection.

Much like the key salesperson being the one delivering the service, the real customer is not just the one writing a check. What if you never interact with the purpose writing the check? Who then is your customer? Does that mean you have a customer?

This revision has been edited by Jim Collins and others: "if Peter Drucker were alive today, he would amend his observation from 40 years ago, when he said, "the purpose of a company is to create a customer." Today he would say, "the best companies don't create customers. They create fans." He would say that it is less important to report better profits this year than to check on whether you improved your share of the customer's mind and heart this year.

Everyone, every team, every company, every manager, every executive every board must do a better job of understanding who the customer is and how to create fans of those customers.

Note we aren't talking about "know your customer." That's different than "know who your customer is."

While the org chart can be top-down, or inverted, or sideways, it doesn't matter unless everyone understands and accepts who the customer is FIRST. Take the time, it matters.

Keep this out in front, right along with your mission statement. Know your mission, know who your customer is.


To that end.....

#ListeningMatters - Guest Blogger, Steve Heston

“Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force. The friends who listen to us are the ones we move toward. When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand.”

- Unattributed, so I’m taking credit…(Steve Heston)

Them’re some powerful thoughts, right there.

“Creative force?” “Unfolding and expanding?”

Powerful, indeed!

If our goal is to draw closer to someone, to help create their new futures and fulfill their needs and wants for their lives, careers and outcomes, listening is a powerful tool. If our goal is to evolve and change with the times and lead in a meaningful manner, listening creates us. Each of those pictures – drawing closer to, interacting with a creative force and being, literally unfolded, expanded and created for tomorrow – excite me.

Let’s make it easier for others to move toward us. Let’s make it easier for us to move toward one other. Let’s really listen. Let’s make a difference.

Steve Heston
www.TheHestonGroup.com
 

#ThinkingMatters

Thinking about thinking. Thinking about having good margins in my day. thinking about the importance of prayer. Thinking about how much I pray. Thinking about how much I don't pray. Thinking about the processes I use to be more productive. Thinking about the processes I think about and don't use. Thinking about my schedule today. Thinking about yesterday. Thinking about making and difference. Thinking about making a profit. Thinking about decisions. Thinking about paths. Thinking about being told I think too much. Thinking about learning. Thinking about discussion group at CRU yesterday. Thinking about mastermind group yesterday. Thinking about sharing at life group last night. Thinking about the lesson on prayer...thanks Brook! Thinking about 2 big things from page 141 last October were Planning and Listening. Thinking about need to listen more. Thinking about looking for opportunities to shut-up. Thinking about need to get on with today.

To that end........Lord, help me to think more critically and to cause better actions.

#ThinkingMatters

...as a man adapts his mind to that regulating factor,

he ceases to accuse others as the cause of his condition,

and builds himself up in strong and noble thoughts..

- James Allen in "As A Man Thinketh

On #ThinkingMatters

- Set aside time to "think" everyday
- Be determined to think right things
- Have a special place to think
- If needed, develop a process to help you think (certain music, cup of coffee, your enviornment, pen and paper)
- Write thoughts down (including those after you've drifted..what were you thinking about when your mind wondered)
- Gather good input during today to think about tomorrow
- Spend time with good thinkers
- Reflect on your thinking

(from "Today Matters" by John Maxwell)


To that end....

Sacred Work: Maturing

We tend to judge others based upon actions, ourselves upon intentions.

In a short conversation with Jim Butt (@JimButt3) on Friday he said "It's good to see how you've become more alive with your Christian walk in the last 2 years."

I was thankful, but also a bit stunned. Was he saying I wasn't always this forthcoming? I thought it was well known by anyone around me for very long that I was a believer. But, thinking about the period in my life when Jim and I met, I realized what he was saying. My feelings were I've been this way for years. My thoughts instantly jumped to a different period when we regularly talked about glorifying God through policies and procedures, prayed before meetings and even had people leave the company because of our beliefs. When I took someone to lunch, anyone, I'd say "I hope you don't mind but since I'm paying, we're praying." And I bought a lot of lunches in those days!

But....that was more "before" when I was a CEO with 8-10 direct reports and over 400 hundred employees. Things changed, surroundings changed, people within my daily circle shrunk. Two years ago I was trying to find myself, my dream and a new plan.

My mission has been intact; make a difference (Colossians 1:28,29) but I was struggling with how to do that in my new role. Ha! I wasn't sure what my new role was. Sometimes one day-at-a-time was just too long. I wasn't as open with my testimony as I had been. John Piper says "God is most glorified, when I'm most satisfied, in Him." I'm afraid I was not well satisfied.

But, that's when "the rubber meets the road" and one learns to put one foot in front of another, pause, pray, reflect and let life catch up. Those are the times we learn to be, in the words of John Eldridge, "alert and oriented x 5." Or not.

I thankful for these times, all times, God wants me to "....search the matters out" (Proverbs 25:2) and I know now that as much as I was worshiping Him and searching Him out before, I'm closer to Him today. God has led me through new times and my heart, soul and mind have been strengthened.


Thanks for the compliment and reminder Jim.


To that end.....blessings and God's mercy.

PS...this is a repost of post at http://godandworkmatters.blogspot.com/
 

Winning Habits are....

Wikipedia defines Habits as routines of behavior that are repeated regularly, tend to occur subconsciously, without directly thinking consciously about them.

Dictionary.com defines Winning, in adjective form as successful or victorious acts, or the noun as the act of a person or thing that wins.

So, Winning Habits would be "subconscious behavior that routinely brings about successful acts without consciously thinking about them."

What Winning is not;

1. Winning is not about IQ, and while talent helps, it is not always necessary

2. Winning is not necessarily about starting out with more money

3. Winning is not about luck

4. Winning is not about education

5. Winning is not about being in the right place at the right time

There is a fine line between success and failure. Whether it is golf, football, or wall street, it is only a few strokes or points that separate the winners from the rest of the field.

Successful people win by developing good habits and disciplines...and never giving up. I said....NEVER GIVING UP.

Ben Franklin, at the age of 19, felt there were 13 virtues important to him and until his death at 76 he worked on improving one each week. His virtues were self-control, silence, order, determination, economy, productivity, truthfulness, justice, moderation, cleanliness, peace, chastity, and humility. For 57 years he worked on developing better habits surrounding these virtues; 228 times he paid specific attention to each of his virtues.

Undoubtedly this focus developed subconscious habits and greatly influenced his success.

What habits and disciplines are influencing your success? What habits do you need to develop "over" others you already have?

To that end....develop good habits and WIN!

Intelligently cultivating thoughts

The workplace is today the most strategic arena

for Christian thinking and influence

- Doug Sherman and

William Hendricks

It's a powerful claim to declare the workplace to be the most strategic arena for Christian thinking and influence. Seriously, if it's true, where's the evidence of this activity? Thinking and influence become two very powerful words when combined with "and."

In his classic As a Man Thinketh James Allen writes "Man's mind may be likened to a garden , which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and will, bring forth. If no useful seeds are put into it, then an abundance of useless weed-seeds will fall therein, and will continues to produce their kind."

I've been challenged this week, from a stage, but also by my own thoughts to

• think
• cultivate
• produce

My prayer today is, in the spirit of Colossians 1:28 and 29, that I'd think about life and purposefully cultivate my thoughts. I pray that I come to really realize the potential God has given me and that I'm able to influence others to dream, think and reach their potential.

To that end

Takeaways...so far

At the John Maxwell Team Certification event in Orlando. Incredible. Here's some take aways...so far -

Surely, there is at least one step you can take right now that will move you in the direction of the star you're shooting for. - Paul Martinelli

Things have to change in you for things to change for you. - Christian Simpson

If you fail to go within, you will fail to go without. - Christian Simpson

Be wise about you read, listen to and watch, as there is a direct correlation between what you put in your head and what comes out your mouth. - Roddy Galbraith

Remember, man does not live on bread alone: sometimes he needs a little buttering up. - John Maxwell

Every day we have the power to choose to be in harmony with what we say we want and who we say we want to be. It's  always a choice. What will you choose. - Melissa Malueg


To that end.....

Anticipation, and hope

Hope is waking a dream

- Aristotle

This weekend went a bit slower than normal. I mentioned to Cathy last night how slow yesterday had gone. My world is usually going so fast at times that I have a hard time paying attention. Not the past few days. Maybe that law about "pausing, reflecting and letting the life catch up works!" !!

It went slower, and yet I've had a lot of anticipation leading into today. I've been planning for today for a long long time. Not that I knew when today would come, or what the day was, but I've been looking forward to it for a long long time; and tomorrow also, and the rest of this week. The anticipation and desire to participate in this week were so strong, and I didn't even know the details nor the actual time it would come about, that I actually quit following Tweets about it two years ago.

I realize the anticipation, the hope, has been based upon a dream that's been developing for a long long time ago. I'm not exactly sure when it started, but it's become clearer and clearer since October 20, 2012.

To that end...........hope for the dream

Proven Behavioral Characteristics of a Good Salesperson

Selling in today’s market requires more than good hair and a firm handshake. It requires an ability to market, sell, and consult all at the same time. The Internet has created droves of highly educated consumers who need direction in choosing the most appropriate products or services, but who do not want to be “sold.”

Do you have empathy? How well do you recover from rejection? Do you communicate well? And how is your confidence?

Experts say that to succeed in sales and marketing, you need to have the right balance of the following characteristics; Empathy, Integrity, Creativeness, Time Management, Self-Esteem, Math/Logic and Dependability.

If you're struggling with your sales and marketing efforts you are likely hampered by being too high or too low in at least one of these areas.

Be sure and sign-up for our newsletter and/or watch our LinkedIn and Twitter postings to receive notice of FREE webinars to learn more about these important behaviors.  

Enlarging tents and strengthening those around you

“Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, 

do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes."

- Isaiah 54:2

I've read Isaiah a few times but have never really camped-out on this verse before. In a meeting last week with John Robertson, CEO of LeadershipID / Align3Cubed, John (@jrobertsonlead) mentioned Isaiah 54:2 and it's stuck with me.

Colliding with that this morning have been thoughts around The Law of the Inner Circle. I looked up what Maxwell says about applying that law:

1. Who do I seek out for advice, turn to for support and/or rely on to help me get things done? (some are employees, but they are also family members, networking partners, others)

2. Am I doing the following with these inner circle members?

• Spending extra time to mentor and develop relationships?
• If appropriate, giving them extra responsibility and place higher expectations on them?
• Again, if appropriate, giving them credit when things go well and holding them accountable when they don't?

Enlarge my tent, stretch my curtains, lengthen my cords, strengthen my stakes - great application in which to apply The Law of the Inner Circle.

To that end....

Without guidance, a people will fall, but there is

victory with many counselors - Prov 11:14

You can teach an old dog new tricks!

You're never too old to learn and never too young to teach.

- Les Brown

I heard Les say that on a live training call a couple of weeks ago and it has meant so much. Not just that I've learned to learn better, but the young part.

How wise is that!
..never too young to teach!

I'm not "old" yet, but I'm much older than many of the people around me and it's so important to remember I can learn so much from them. Whether they know it or not, I'm asking questions, I'm learning.

Last night, talking to Evan Jenkins with @TiffsTreats and Christine Evans. What a learning experience! They asked good mortgage questions that caused me to dig a bit and then we got into a good conversation about social media and Hootsuite.

Never too old to learn, never too young to teach and never too old to learn from the younger.


To that end.....

Trouble remembering names? Try this...

I didn't say repetition, I said SPACED repetition

- Ken Blanchard,

Paul J. Meyer and

Dick Rube

Do you have trouble putting faces to the business cards you collect on your rounds each day? Or do you just not remember meeting people?

Shameful. You're wasting handshakes.

A good follow-up system will help you remember names.

Over the 2-3 weeks after meeting people -

• find a picture of the person on Internet...remember now what they look like?
• send a thank you for meeting them
• send a note asking for their Twitter, Facebook (yes FB is allowable for business) and LinkedIn names -I know, you can search for the name but that isn't the point...the point is connecting
• connect on Twitter, LinkedIn, FB

Treat this like dating...don't stalk. Give the person time to respond...the key is not repetition, but spaced repetition (see the book Know-Can-Do for a great story on this reasoning).


To that end...stop wasting handshakes

Staying connected to my confusion...it works for good!

Stay connected to your confusion and discover your why. Most

people let confusion lead to frustration and then they quit. Move

from confusion to discovery and curiosity....Explore.

- Paul Martinelli

Last December I wrote about staying connected to my confusion and discovering my why. This came about after hearing Paul Martenelli talk about the difference between confusion and frustration.

At the time I was writing about my marketing strategy, but since I've used this "discipline" in other areas also...

Don't let confusion turn to frustration.

If you do, you'll quit.

 

Stay connected to your confusion

get creative and discover your why.

 

 

I use the word discipline because my friend and coach Scott Carley insists "discipline" takes a lot of energy, and this has. But it's been a good exercise and I'm learning, growing and getting a better grip on at least a couple of "whys." I suppose some new habits will replace old/bad ones and thus...better results.

 

 

To that end..... 

Do right now well

Our grand business is not to see what lies dimly at a

distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand

- Thomas Carlyle

When I can't make a decision about tomorrow; I need to remember to just live for today.  If today's too long; live in this moment.

Do right now well.

If it's a struggle, don't waste it. The struggle could be the prize and missing that prize would be a strategy. Don't stop three feet from gold.

 Father, give me today my daily bread  - Matthew 6:11

To that end

Transform something today. Don't be concerned about tomorrow.

Don't try to make a change for a month, or even this

weekend. Just make it now, for today.

- John Maxwell

To that end.....

Really..you're trying to get it perfect?

I have to find the best way before I start

- the Perfection Gap

 

Gaps prohibit results

Thinking forward or backwards; which is most important? There's an argument for the masses!

 

Successful people pause and reflect on what they have already accomplished and how they are capable of accomplishing their dreams and goals. When gaps are noticed between those capabilities and desires, the successful person grows.

 

Successful people spend twice as much on the backwards evaluating forwards as they do thinking about what must be done.

 

Coach John Wooden said, "Things turn out best, for the people who make the best of the way things turn out."

 

I love what Tim Hetzner with Lutheran Church Charities says - "Pursuing a God-given dream is a bumpy ride, as every leader in the Bible found out. And only those who think right succeed. The greatest gap between successful people and unsuccessful people is the thinking gap. This is especially so when it comes to failure. Successful people see failure as a regular part of success, and they get over it. Jonah Salk, the developer of the polio vaccine, said: 'As I look upon the experience of an experimentalist, everything that you do is, in a sense, succeeding. It's telling you what not to do, as well as what to do. Not infrequently, I go into the laboratory, and people would say something didn't work. And I say, "Great, we've made a great discovery!" If you thought it was going to work, and it didn't work, that tells you as much as if it did. So my attitude is not one of pitfalls; my attitude is one of challenges and "what is nature telling me?'' ' Such persistence only comes from right thinking, and it is the hallmark of all successful people. They keep trying, keep learning, and keep moving forward. They win the battle in their minds, and then it overflows into what they do."

To that end.....

Life is very simple but keeping it that way is very difficult

Life is very simple but keeping
it that way is very difficult

- The Law of Design

I'm reminded this morning of the time I asked Curtis Dickey, my son-in-law...

Do you think of a glass half-full, or half-empty?

He replied..."that depends upon whether I'm filling it or drinking it."

Really! That's awesome. Why do we make things so difficult?

Thanks Curtis...for that and many other things.


To that end....

The four questions that will shape your destiny

There is no personal benefit in believing that there is

a God who cares unless we realize that He cares for us personally.

- Ed Silvoso

I read that statement, skimmed the chapter for the four questions and thought "true." As I then went about some other things, I started thinking "why was I so quick to agree, and who wouldn't?"

The realization that so many people don't know, or don't agree, or don't know enough, haven't searched out enough to agree - well, it's puzzling. And sad. But then, the way I act much of the time...if I really understood how much He cared, would I act that way? Would I have so much uncertainty? Would I be so..............!

Is there a God?

Does God care?

Does God care for me?

Does God care about what we do?

I know a lot of people who believe there's "a" God, but with each question get farther away from the real yes.

Heavenly Father. Give me today my daily bread. I know You are the one and only God, my Father, my Savior. Thank You Lord. I know You care and care for me, and I know you care about what I do.
 
Thank You for Your grace and mercy. Thank You for dying for me, for coming to life again and going to prepare a place for me. Thank You for sending Your Spirit to help me through the day, to provide that daily bread.
 
I lift up to You those reading this that don't know you. I pray they would come to know You through Your death on the cross. I pray we all come to know You closer and know how much You care for us.
 
 
To that end.........Amen

The cost of leadership - Are you more interested in rights or responsibilities?

The heart of good leadership is sacrifice

- John Maxwell

 

When a leader "gets" that he/she looses rights as responsibilities increase, the real leader emerges. As I explain that concept, I really watch my audience; some find it curious, others ridiculous.

My experience has shown this is where the true leader begins seperating from the rest of the crowd. Many want to be a leader, consider themselves leaders, but are they willing to give up rights?

I'm thinking right now of some conversations I've had within my organizations and in training classes. As I think back - as I pause and reflect - I remember those who failed to get this important factor.

John explains it well in the Law of Sacrifice / 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, page 223.


To that end....what's more important to you? Rights or Responsibilites?

After vacation....getting back into a rhythm

If you cheat it in the dark of the morning,  you'll

be found out under the bright lights

- Joe Frazier 

Getting back into a familiar rhythm since returning from a 5 day vacation is usually more like "the tyranny of the urgent"  than "redeeming the routines." This time though, not so much, if at all.

In this morning's quiet-time I found myself drawn back to the Law of Consistency (from Maxwell's The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth )

Motivation gets you going, discipline keeps you growing

 

Thankfully, some good pause and reflection practice prior to leaving caused me to get engaged and well ahead of some things. Thus, the hard work and learning from prior mistakes kept new mistakes from happening.

And, the routines (efficient or not) were easier to re-engage in!


To that end............

Do-a-do-don't-not-do-a-don't

Do-a-do-don't-not-do-a-don't

- Cash Matthews

Cathy and I got back last night from a fantastic 4 day cruise aboard the Carnival "Triumph."

Billy Braxdale, of the Braxdale Travel fame, was an incredible host!

Not only did we have a great time with each other, plenty of food and relaxation"s" (can you say "a lot of reading"), we also renewed a couple of old friendships and started new ones.

We also received some really good leadership training from Kerry and Brad Moore, Cash Matthews and Lysa Saavedra!  I'll be posting a bit the next few days from my notes and thoughts, but here's a tip I picked up from Cash Matthews, Founder of The Soloman Group -

Do-a-do-don't-not-do-a-don't

 

 

To that end....dream BIG!

Blind spots. They're called that for a reason

To see something in your blind spot, you have to either move around, or, have someone point it out to you. Otherwise it's not a blind spot. Correct?

Normally, I need someone to point it out to me, or to utilize some sort of device.

I hate the not-so-not-normal when my blind spot slaps me to get my attention. That attention is usually costly.


To that end......

Some things you just do..everyday (even if you miss a day)

There are certain business things I need to do everyday that I put on my calendar as a recurring item -

1. Emails to people I met yesterday
2. add to database
3. 15 minutes of social media posting. Schedule post for the day, or even week. Retweet/share post of those in my spheres of infuence (I have "follow" lists on Hootsuite to help recognize)
4. Write 5-10 minutes of a blog post.

This is all done, along with printing out my calendar for the day before I ever look at email.

Thanks to Scott Carley for this "wait to view email" technique.


To that end.....

If I ever write a book on "God and Work" it will be named..

Sacred Work: What If God Designed Work to Make Me Holy More Than Me Happy?


These are some highlights of what I've learned about God's view of work over the past 23 years -

• God is a worker. Always has been, still is
• God created man and woman as His co-workers
• Before the fall, God created work
• Work is not the result of the curse
• nature of work is good, not evil
• work became hard after the fall
• Through work we,
• serve others
• meet our personal and family needs
• earn money to give to others
• take what God has made and re-create new products and services
• Christ's death did not change work, but the worker
• Ghrist gives the worker the opportunity to be back in the right relationship with God
• Christ wants to transform me as a worker
• The Hebrew word for "to work" "to serve" and "to worship" is the same
• In the New Testament, the focus of worship shifts from the temple to Jesus. Through my belief in Jesus, and with the help of the Holy Spirit whom Jesus sent, I can worship God anywhere.

And, I've learned God wants me to have a proper balance with all areas of my life, including my family and resting.

And prayer. What a difference pausing and praying makes to my work, my life. That time in the morning, on and off during the day, it makes a difference that goes past happy.

So what if work is more about making me holy?

To that end.......

Good Service is your #1 Marketing Tool/Weapon

There are still lies I believe!

Excited to hear Dr. Chris Thurman speak today at CRU/Priority Associates-Austin.

God has brought about some incredible changes in my life, despite my kicking and screaming. One of those was getting me to go to a men's retreat in 1990. Dr. Thurman was the speaker that Friday and Saturday.

His subject was "The Lies We Believe."

Forever grateful for how Dr. Thurman allowed God to speak so clearly through him that weekend.



To that end....

What does history have to say about Jesus?

The older I get, the more
relevant is the past.

As I get older I my thoughts go to the past more often. Not just my past, but the past. What does history, non-Biblical history, have to say about Jesus?

Here are some things I ran across this week -

Annuls 15.44 (c. 114 A.D.) - Roman historian, Tacitus, wrote that the founder of the Christian religion, Jesus Christ, was put to death by Pontius Pilate in the reign of the Roman Emperor Tiberius

Letters 10.96-97 - Pliny the Younger wrote a letter to the Emperor Trajan on the subject of Christ and Christians.

Antiquities 18.68 -(c. 90 A.D.) - Jewish historian Josephus penned a short biographical note on Jesus: "Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call Him a man, for He was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as received the truth with pleasure. He drew over to Him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was Christ."

Sanhedrin 43a, Adodoh Zeraj 16b-17a - The Talmud refers to Jesus of Nazareth


Interesting stuff. Huh?

What dream have you had in the past that you obtained?

"My name is Andre Agassi.....I play tennis for a living, even though I hate tennis. I hate it with a dark and secret passion, and always have." - from the opening paragraph of his autobiography "OPEN"

WOW! What a shocking statement from an incredible athlete who reached the pinnacle of his field.

How do you feel about your job? Do you hate your job/career, but continue to because of.......? Do you strive to be the best in the world at what you do, yet hate it? Agassi, while he hated playing tennis, he felt he had a job to do, a mission to fulfill. How do you feel about your job, or career? Do you feel you're called to do what you do? Do you struggle with the purpose - the why?

What's the goal-behind-the-goal

What's your goal-behind-your-goal? There's where jazz comes from.

- Paul Martinellie

Seeking clarity about the starting point

Today is the first day of the rest of your life

- Someone

Something else I've been pondering; clarity. How do I get clarity? Ask questions. How do I get really good clarity? Ask good questions. How do I get great clarity? Ask great questions.
 
And dig through them again, and again, and again.
 
And get someone to ask them to you. Again and again.
 
Seems like a lot of work? Yes. But.....what does the alternative bring me? Aha!
 
Here's some questions I'm asking, journaling, digging through. They can be found in John Maxwell's book The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, pages 59-64....
 

1. What is my biggest asset?

2. What is my biggest liability?

3. What is my highest high?

4. What is my lowest low?

5. What is my most worthwhile emotion?
6. What is my least worthwhile emotion?
7. What is my best habit?
8. What is my worst habit?
9. What is most fulfilling to me?
10. What do I prize most highly?


To that end......praying for clarity

Another conversation with Smitty

When one day-at-a-time is just too long you just

pay attention to putting one foot in front of the other.

Very slowly.

Danny - It's not that I didn't appreciate 2012, I did. I do. But I'm really looking forward to 2013.

Smitty - Why?

Danny - God has a plan for me.

Smitty - So? He's always had one.

Danny - True, but I've never thought so much about it as I have been the past few weeks.

Smitty - So?

Danny - You don't get it? You've seen how much more focused I've been and how I've been digging into and pondering over those questions. I'm excited because I'm paying attention. I'm staying focused.

Smitty - Huh?

Danny - Huh? What do you mean HUH?

Smitty - Just what I said - HUH? You said "I've been paying attention and I'm focused" and I said "HUH?"

Danny - Ok. So you haven't noticed. Here's the thing - I've been pausing and reflecting. I've been asking myself some really good questions, becoming more aware of where I've been, who I am, where I want to go, and how I'm going to get there. Stuff like that.

Smitty - Stuff like that?

Danny - Yes, stuff like that.

Smitty - I don't get it.

Danny - What don't you get?

Smitty - You've always reflected. Your brother tells you you think to much.

Danny - Not the same thing.

Smitty - I'm getting tired of this.

Danny - See. That's normal.

Smitty - What's normal.

Danny - You're getting tired of this.

Smitty - Seriously? What does that mean.

Danny - You're just starting to get there and you drop your shovel and stop digging.

Smitty - Ok.....let me ask this...what's different this time? You said you're asking questions, pausing, reflecting. You do sound different THIS TIME.

Danny - God has brought some new people into my life and some new questions. And I have some accountability I haven't had some more. Still working on that, but it's more than before.

Smitty - Are you going to continue or do you just like messing with me.

Danny - Yes.

Smitty - You're an idiot.

Danny - LOL. But I'm having fun. Ok....2012 was a great year, but I'm super excited about 2013 because I've been learning some things from this book called "The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth." It's John Maxwell's 3rd book on "laws" and its insights and instructions are just what I needed to finish up a good year and get ready for a new one.

And, I've met some great people in 2012. I'm excited about those relationships, more new people I'll meet this year and where we'll all be a year from now.

And this book is really driving me to ask some questions I've never dug into before.

Smitty - But you've had a couple of detours right at the end of 2012.

Danny - Not detours. New directions for me and some close to me. That's not a bad thing. God has His plan and it's up to us to serve our purpose. This has changed my vision a bit, but not my mission.

Smitty - Yea, yea, yea. I read your blog post the last couple of days. Not sure I understand it.

But what if I want to get all wound up like you? You sound like you're really into making 2013 a BANNER YEAR. What if I want to do the same?

Danny - Read the 15 laws book and participate in one of the Mastermind Groups I'm hosting.

Smitty - What's a master mind?

Danny - Don't worry about what it is. If you trust me, just do it.

Smitty - Hmmm. I'd like to ask you more about those questions you've been asking yourself but I've spun you up enough for one morning.

Danny - You really do wear me out sometimes. But I still love you. Let me know if I can help you help yourself!

Smitty - Thanks. Don't give up on me!

Danny - I'm not, but you have to do something different.

Smitty - For the record....I have noticed.

Danny - I know you have.