The Big 5 Opportunities of This Down Cycle

We're in some challenging times. Economies are shifting.

Businesses are reconfiguring. And deep uncertainty dominates many peoples' mindsets. 

But smart leaders get that crisis breeds opportunity. And so they train their brains to focus on nothing else.

Here are 5 of the NBO's (Nice Big Opportunities)

1. It has never been easier to stand out. 

Everyone is negative. 

Customer service is being pulled back. 

Innovation is shutting down. 

So, great rewards will come to you as you stay positive, client-centered and wildly creative.

2. It has never been so easy to retain and secure superb talent. 

A great team of spirited people can achieve extraordinary results. 

Now is a fine time to build that team.

3. This down cycle is an excellent time to open up new markets. 

Not every region is in a recession.

So now might be the perfect time to expand into an emerging economy.

4. With all the turmoil, this is an opportunity to get back to the fundamentals. 

Create strong value for your stakeholders. 

Build a business based on integrity. 

Renew deep family relationships. 

Savor life's simpler pleasures.

5. This is a fantastic time invest in your learning. 

Learning boosts passion and engagement.

In the up-cycle, you may have been running so fast you made zero time to invest in yourself. 

Yet, to be a better leader, become a bigger person.

Original Source:

www.robinsharma.com 

The Cracked Pot

A water bearer had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole, which he carried across his neck. One of the pot had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For two years this process went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his master's house. The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, but the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection and was miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been

made to do.

After two years, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself and I want to apologize to you." "Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?" "For the past two years, I have been able to deliver only half of my load because this crack in my side caused water to leak out all the way. Because of my flaws you are made to do all the work, and you don't get full value from your efforts", said the cracked pot.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot and said compassionately, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path." As they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers bloomed on the path. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again the pot apologized to the bearer for its failure. The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side and not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path and everyday while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years, I have been able to pluck these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."

Friend, each one of us have our own unique flaws. We are all cracked pots. But if we will allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to grace His Father's table. In God's great economy, nothing goes waste. Don't be afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge them and you too can be the cause of beauty. Know that in our weakness we find His strength.

*But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.".....* *- 2.Cor.12:9*

Contributed by Deepa Joseph, Bangalore

The 4 Skills of Disciplined Leaders

You know so well that you need no title to be a leader. You get so brilliantly that leading without a title is the real way to lead. You deeply understand that leadership isn't just a skill for business - it's a way of life. So equipped with this knowledge of who you can be and all you can do during these difficult times as a force of one, read these 4 practical action steps:

#1. Protect Your Thinking.
Fear-mongerers have come out to play amidst the meltdown of the global economic markets. 

The news is mostly negative. The water-cooler chat is mostly bad. 

The word on the street focuses on the worst that is. But what's the truth? 

Yes, I'll agree that these are challenging times. But I'll also say there's never been a better opportunity for you to be an excellent leader. Stay focused on the opportunities that have presented themselves to add more value to even more customers. Train your brain to block out the negative and work amidst the positive. Turn off the TV. Put away the paper. And get to work on presenting the genius that you are meant to be to the world around you.

#2. Take the long view.
You will never go wrong in doing what's right. With the turmoil out there, it's easy to let go of your closely-held values and cut corners when it comes to ethics. The fast buck might look like an easy way out. A quick deal with the wrong person might look like a solution. Cutting corners on a product or service might look a little attractive. And yet, you will never regret sticking to your business and personal values - being the most ethical person you know. This tough cycle will pass. And your customers will love you for staying true to you.

#3. Outwork your competition.
Hard work and constant forward movement is the formula for leveraging the difficult conditions into opportunities for greatness. I know that sounds a little "motivationalspeakerish" but I do believe it's true. Few things get you to BIW (Best in World) in the work you do as working really hard and standing for brilliance in your chosen career. Leadership is all about doing what's right rather than what's easy. And what's right is an honest day's work for an honest day's pay.

#4. Stay Strong.
No point in letting the stress and challenge of these interesting days ruin your health-or break your spirit. Tough times make great leaders. Maintain the champion's mindset by reading uplifting books, associating with excellent people and making time each day to renew your self. Oh, and take good care of your health. Please. Now isn't the time to neglect daily exercise. And those who don't make time for fitness must eventually make time for illness.

Source: www.robinsharma.com 

Formula for overcoming recession

Now that recession alarms are going off around the world, and everyone outside Fort Mc-Murray is revising budgets downward, it's again time to look to the future. This slump, too, shall pass. But how you respond to it will largely determine how your business will fare in the sunnier days that lie ahead.

"Recession tends to clear out the deadwood," says Norm Nopper of Varanor International, a Toronto management consulting firm. "Companies that haven't been looking after their employee relations, that haven't been paying attention to their bottom lines, were vulnerable going into the recession, and they may not come out of it."

So how do you make sure your business survives? Nopper offers one sweeping solution: Make growth a team effort. If you gain the trust and support of your employees, you have a better chance of coming through the storm with a stronger, more focused business. "Look after your people," Nopper says, "and they'll look after you."

Nopper learned his tactics in the recession of the late 1980s, as a training consultant with Honeywell Canada in Toronto. When the Minneapolis-based multinational decided it had seven plants too many, Nopper worked closely with the plant staff to ensure they had the skills, attitude and will to win that was needed to overcome growing international competition. In the end, Honeywell saved the operation, which made heating and air-conditioning controls, and actually reinvested in it, because of the investment the workforce had made in itself.

Normally, management-employee relationships are the first casualty in a recession. Worried managers looking to cut costs start eyeing the salaried workforce as surplus inventory that can be converted into cash. "Get into the habit of viewing people as if they truly were an asset," advises Nopper. Make them partners in your quest for value, efficiency and survival.

Here's Nopper's five-part formula for overcoming recession:

1. Get employees onside in your battle against costs and waste.
Nobody knows your operations like they do, he says, "and all we have to do is ask them." For example, Nopper does a lot of training in the spa business, and says big bucks are washed down the drain every day when hairdressers use gobs of shampoo instead of the little dab each client needs. Nopper, who consulted for Magna International for 11 years, says similar economies can be found at any manufacturer. Every employee knows ways to reduce use of raw materials or make products more efficiently -- but they have never been asked, and they don't think anyone cares.

2. Tap your employees' customer knowledge.
In tough times, companies talk about getting closer to their customers. But they are more likely to hire market-research companies to find out what their customers want, instead of asking their front-line employees. "This is a tremendous opportunity for market intelligence," Nopper says. But most companies have no idea how to capture employees' customer knowledge. Tell employees how important their knowledge is -- and give them specific questions to ask customers to find out why they buy from you, and what else they expect of you. Will your employees resent doing this work? No way, Nopper says. "Employees tend to say, 'Why have you waited so long to come to me?' "

3. Gain employees' trust by making sure this isn't just a one-time effort.
Institute formal processes and regular meetings (keep them short and to the point) to prove your people are valued members of the team. Be humble and consistent. By admitting management needs all the help it can get, you're not confessing weakness -- you're building trust.

4. Don't cut the housekeeping budget -- expand it.
A clean workplace is a more positive, more efficient one. "When you're organized, it's easier to see what's missing," Nopper says. Similarly, it's easier to spot an oil leak in a piece of production equipment when it's sparkling clean than when it's covered with grime. When you show pride in your workplace, your employees will be more motivated custodians, too.

5. Avoid the temptation to reduce employees' pay during a slowdown.
Nopper shares Magna's fair-trade philosophy: Pay employees market rate for their labour, plus something extra for performance, such as profit-sharing. That will give you the compensation flexibility you need in tough times. Plus, it will reinforce your employees' attention to productivity and the overall health of the business. "You have to be consistent," he says. "If you want people to focus on the bottom line, you have to give them a piece of the action."

Original Source: http://www.financialpost.com/small_business/story.html?id=394954
Rick Spence is a writer, consultant and speaker specializing in entrepreneurship. His column appears Mondays in the Financial Post.

About Leadership

Some tips from Robin Sharma, regarding leadership qualities.

The Eyes of Leadership

The sad fact is that most people see the worst in others - they see them through the eyes of their own anger, fear and limitation. If someone shows up late for a meeting, they impute a negative intent on that person, saying "they are so rude". If someone makes a mistake on an expense report, they grumble "that person is so dishonest". If someone miscommunicates a point, they silently say "she's a liar". Leaders are different. They look for the best in people.

I want to be clear. I'm not suggesting that leaders do not confront reality. Not at all. What I'm saying is that the best leaders see through the eyes of understanding. If someone is late, they try to get to the truth. Maybe there's a time management problem to coach around or a sick child to help. An error on an expense account could be the result of a poor process in place or the employee's disorganization. The miscommunication might be all about the person communicating having weak skills in this area. An opportunity for improvement.

Today, rather than looking for the worst in people, I invite you to look for what's best within them. Sure some people really are inconsiderate or dishonest or uncaring. But in my experience - and I've worked with a lot of people over the years - most people are good. Few human beings wake up in the morning and ask themselves: "What can I do today to mess up someone else's day or undermine my credibility?" Most of the mistakes people make are the result of a lack of awareness. And here's the payoff for you: as you seek out the good in people, not only will they want to show up more fully for you, but you will see more good in your world.

Do Your Part

Big question for you: "what are you doing to help build a new and better world?" Don't blame the politicians. Don't blame those around you. Don't blame your parents or your background. Doing so is playing the victim and this world has far too many people playing the victim when they could be shining and making a profound difference. Mother Teresa said it so much better than I ever could: "if each of us would only sweep their own doorstep, the whole world would be clean." Nice.

Blaming others is excusing yourself. Telling yourself that you – as an army of one – cannot have an impact is giving away your power. A couple of college kids got their hands on empty school buses and drove them into New Orleans when everybody else said the city was unapproachable. A little man in a loincloth named Mohandas Gandhi freed an entire nation. A college student named Richard Branson took some initiative to start a record label on a shoestring that has since morphed into the Virgin empire. You are no different from them. We are all flesh and bones – cut from the same cloth.

In a recent issue of Vanity Fair, Jennifer Aniston said that she gives herself one day to play victim after a challenging event. After that day of feeling sorry for herself and powerless, she wakes up and takes ownership over the way her life looks. And if she doesn't like a piece of it she sets about to change it. That's personal leadership.

What don't you like about your life or the organization you work for or the country you live in? Make a list. Write it down. Shout it out. And then do something to improve things. Anything. Start small or go big. Just do something. Today. Now. The world will be better for it.

Leadership is About Clarity

Just read a line by famed designer Karim Rashid: "I think we should always be looking 15 minutes ahead." I suggest we should always be thinking 15 years ahead. Clarity precedes mastery and it's impossible to create an outcome/goal/result that you can't even see.

The best businesses I've worked with are so beautifully clear on where they're going and what their brand stands for and the type of people they want to populate their place. The most successful people know exactly what success means to them and what their mountains look like. And each day, step by step, they steadily near that once-far destination. You can too.

To Act is to Lead

"The smallest of actions is always better than the noblest of intentions." Leadership is a lot more than just dreaming up big idea. It's about acting on them.

What separates the ordinary ones from The Great Ones is a simple fact: the best of the best execute brilliantly around their most vital priorities. In a leadership presentation I just gave to BP, I called the concept BRBO: Best Resources on Biggest Opportunities.

Leadership is, in so many ways, about getting good stuff done. Not started. Not in process. Done. 

So today, make a decision that will revolutionize your career/life/self: never leave the site of an opportunity without doing something to seize it. And be less about talk - and more about DO.

Take Charge Fast

Leading Without Title is about assuming personal responsibility. It's about creating rich results. It's about taking charge to get things done - no matter if you are on the front line or in the C-Suite.

Was buying groceries yesterday. Standing in line. Nothing moved. I looked ahead and saw a flustered woman - seemed her debit card didn't work. The cashier looked strikingly similar to a deer caught in the headlights. Just froze. Didn't explain what was going on (I later learned the system went down). Didn't apologize to his customers for the delay. Didn't do anything to try and move things along. Just gave us a little fear grin and started to whistle a nervous whistle.

Sounds so obvious but leadership occurs in moments of challenge - not during moments of ease. Leadership shows up when things at work - and in life - test us. We, as Leaders Without Title - must rise to the challenge. We need to shine when things don't go as planned. And we have to take charge.

Eventually, the system got back up, the debit card was put through and I moved through the line. But next time I'm at that grocery store and I have a choice, I'll find a cashier who gets it. Who thinks fast. Who gets things done when others just freeze.

Leaders Wear Shiny Shoes

Okay, your shoes don't need to shine to be a superb leader (and remember - leadership isn't about your position, it's about the way you show up each day...so lead without title). My point is simply this: the way you do the little things displays a lot about how you will do the big things.

If your yard or home is well-organized, I'll bet your life is well-organized.

If you are attentive to details like the birthdays of your friends and sending thank you notes after every meeting, my guess is that you are attentive to the details around your big projects and best opportunities.

And if your place of business is spotless, there's a great chance the work you do for your customers has the same level of excellence attached to it (I can tell a lot about a business by the cleanliness of their bathrooms; an immaculate bathroom screams "we care" - and that caring translates into great service).

So pay attention to the details. Sweat the small stuff (like crazy). Commit to OAD: Obsessive Attention to Detail (the best people and organizations do; think Apple, Ritz Carlton, Amazon and The Mercer Hotel in NYC). Because the little things are the big things.

Original Source: http://www.robinsharmaarticles.com 

More is not Enough - Zen Story

There was once a stone cutter who was dissatisfied with himself and with his position in life.

One day he passed a wealthy merchant's house. Through the open gateway, he saw many fine possessions and important visitors. "How powerful that merchant must be!" thought the stone cutter. He became very envious and wished that he could be like the merchant.

To his great surprise, he suddenly became the merchant, enjoying more luxuries and power than he had ever imagined, but envied and detested by those less wealthy than himself. Soon a high official passed by, carried in a sedan chair, accompanied by attendants and escorted by soldiers beating gongs. Everyone, no matter how wealthy, had to bow low before the procession. "How powerful that official is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a high official!"

Then he became the high official, carried everywhere in his embroidered sedan chair, feared and hated by the people all around. It was a hot summer day, so the official felt very uncomfortable in the sticky sedan chair. He looked up at the sun. It shone proudly in the sky, unaffected by his presence. "How powerful the sun is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be the sun!"

Then he became the sun, shining fiercely down on everyone, scorching the fields, cursed by the farmers and laborers. But a huge black cloud moved between him and the earth, so that his light could no longer shine on everything below. "How powerful that storm cloud is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a cloud!"

Then he became the cloud, flooding the fields and villages, shouted at by everyone. But soon he found that he was being pushed away by some great force, and realized that it was the wind. "How powerful the wind is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be the wind!"

Then he became the wind, blowing tiles off the roofs of houses, uprooting trees, feared and hated by all below him. But after a while, he ran up against something that would not move, no matter how forcefully he blew against it - a huge, towering rock. "How powerful that rock is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a rock!"

Then he became the rock, more powerful than anything else on earth. But as he stood there, he heard the sound of a hammer pounding a chisel into the hard surface, and felt himself being changed. "What could be more powerful than I, the rock?" he thought.

He looked down and saw far below him the figure of a stone cutter.

Original Source: http://www-usr.rider.edu/~suler/zenstory/more.html

There is an Indian story on the same vein

The Transformed Mouse Seeks a Bridegroom

On the shore of the Ganges there was a hermitage filled with holy men dedicated to prayer, self denial, repentance, the study of holy scriptures, fasting, and meditation. They drank only small amounts of very pure water, and mortified their bodies with a diet of bulbs, roots, fruits, and water plants. Their only clothing were loincloths made from tree bark.

The father of the hermitage was named Yajnavalkya. He had just finished bathing in the Ganges and was about to rinse out his mouth when a little mouse fell from a falcon's beak into his hand. After looking at it, he set it onto a fig leaf, bathed himself once more, rinsed out his mouth, and performed his penitential and other rituals. Then through the power of his holiness he transformed the mouse into a girl.

Taking her home with him to his hermitage, he said to his wife, who was childless, "My dear, take her in place of a daughter. Bring her up with care!"

Thereafter she was reared, loved, and nurtured. When she was twelve years old, and the wife saw that she was ready for marriage, she said to her husband, "Listen, husband, do you not see that it is past time for our daughter's marriage?"

He said, "What you say is quite right! So if she is willing, I will summon the exalted sun god and present her to him as a wife.

His wife said, "What could be said against that? Do it!"

Through the power of prayer and incantations the sun appeared without delay, saying, "Holy man, why do you summon me?"

The man answered, "Behold! Here stands my little daughter. If she will have you, take her as a wife!"

Having said this, he said to his daughter, "Daughter, does this exalted one please you, this sun god who illuminates the three worlds?"

The daughter said, "Father, he is too hot. I do not want him. Summon a better one!"

Hearing this, the wise man said to the sun, "Exalted one, is there a being more powerful than you?"

The sun answered, "Yes, there is a stronger one than I. The cloud, through whose cover I become invisible."

Then the wise man summoned the cloud and said to his daughter, "Daughter, shall I give you to this one as a wife?"

She answered, "He is black and cold. Therefore give me to another powerful being!"

Upon this the wise man asked the cloud, "Listen, cloud! Is there anyone more powerful than you?"

The cloud answered, "The wind is more powerful than I! Driven by the wind, I am scattered into a thousand pieces."

After hearing this, the wise man summoned the wind and said, "Daughter, does the wind please you most of all as a husband?"

She answered, "Father! He is entirely too inconstant. Summon a more powerful one instead!"

The wise man said, "Wind, is there anyone more powerful than you?"

The wind said, "The mountain is more powerful than I, for however strong I am, he still stands firmly against me."

Then the wise man summoned the mountain and said to the girl, "Daughter, shall I give you to this one in marriage?"

She answered, "Father, he is hard and rigid. Therefore give me to another one."

The wise man asked the mountain, "Listen, king of the mountains, is there anyone more powerful than you?"

The mountain answered, "The mice are more powerful than I, for they make holes in my body with violence."

With that the wise man summoned a mouse and showed him to her, saying, "Daughter, shall I give you to him as a wife? Does this mouse king please you?"

Seeing him, she thought, "He is of my own kind."

Her hair stood on end with pleasure, making her even more beautiful, and she said, "Father, make me into a mouse and give me to him as a wife so I can fulfill the domestic duties prescribed for my kind!"

Through the power of his holiness he transformed her into a little mouse and gave her to the other mouse as a wife.

Source: The Panchatantra, book 3.

Original Source: http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type2031c.html 

Accountability

Ideation without execution is delusion. The greatest idea in the world is useless without the discipline to make it happen. If you can't create tangible results around your idea then it's pointless. Great organizations and individuals make things happen. They do what they will say they will do. Very simply, they are meticulous about accountability.

Being accountable means that you are committed. That you will achieve the results you promised. Too many people avoid being accountable by blaming circumstances. (Blaming others or circumstances is simply excusing yourself.) So much so, that execution and accountability are a competitive advantage. The Rare Ones are those that get things done and end up defining the marketspace.

Here are some tips on increasing the level of accountability in your life and your organization:

Action Items

Record who will do what and by when in your meetings. Review these action steps at the end of the meeting and include them in the minutes. Then, at the following meeting, review progress on the Action Steps by individuals.

30 Minutes or it's Free

One way to make yourself more accountable is to create consequences. Domino's Pizza used to offer free pizza if the delivery person didn't make it to your house in 30 minutes. What would you hold yourself to in order to be impeccably accountable? Frame it in terms of what your customer wants to make it truly meaningful.

Tell People

Sharing your goals and commitments to action with others is a powerful way to keep yourself accountable. Whether it's your client, a mentor, a friend or a loved one they will help you focus on execution when you tell them what you plan to do.

Ask why

Before committing to something ask yourself why you are doing it. If it isn't something critical then you may want to say no. Saying no to the unimportant helps you focus on the few things that are.

Reward Execution

When you do execute take a moment to congratulate yourself. Acknowledge that you have made the journey from idea to result. You may also want to tell some others as well. If you are a manager, then be diligent about observing and complimenting people on achieving their accountabilities.

Original Source:
http://www.robinsharma.com 

Quotes to Reflect On

"While others cling to the beauty of their great ideas, be one of The  Rare Ones with the courage and passion to make the leap. And act." Robin Sharma   "Execution is the missing link between aspirations and results." Ram Chara/Larry Bossidy   "Execution is the missing link between aspirations and results."Ram Chara/Larry Bossidy

Finish Impeccably

People crave the opportunity to work with (or work for) someone who stays on their A-game till the end of the game. So, as the end of the year approaches I encourage you to finish impeccably.

Finishing impeccably is challenging. When we come to the end of the year it's tempting to neglect the last stage. We get distracted. We lose energy or motivation. Another crisis emerges. Yet when we lose focus at the end we risk losing everything.

Here are a couple of strategies for finishing 2008 impeccably:

Go Back to the Beginning
Review your goals. What did you set out to achieve in each dimension of your life? Is there still work to do? Schedule time (remember, what gets scheduled, gets done) to complete your goals. It could be as simple as making a phone call. Completing a to do. Or recommitting to one of your daily best practices. Not only will this ensure that 2008 was your best year ever, it sets you up to start 2009 with a clean slate.

Review Your Performance
Open your journal and write the story of your year. What happened? What did you do? What surprised you? Remember to list all of the things you accomplished (especially those that weren't on your goal list). You'll be surprised at how much you did. (Tip: look at your calendar/schedule for the year to see how you invested your time.)

Lessons
Write down the five to ten lessons that you learned this year. Ensure that you don't lose these lessons by incorporating them into your goals for next year.

Recognize People
Few things are as powerful as a sincere, hand-written thank-you note. Share your gratitude with those who helped you this year. Tell them how they helped you and what it meant to you.

Original Source:
http://www.robinsharma.com

Quotes to Reflect On

"Champions are made not by how they start but by how they show up under pressure. And at the end." Robin Sharma "All endeavour calls for the ability to tramp the last mile, shape the last plan, endure the last hours toil. The fight to the finish spirit is the one characteristic we must possess if we are to face the future as finishers." Henry David Thoreau "Blaming others is excusing yourself and sometimes you just have to roll up your sleeves and make things happen to get the results you want." Robin Sharma