3Q Leadership™ Blog

Turning Problems Around

June 22, 2011/1 Comment/in 3Q Personal Development, Happiness/by Irene Becker

TURNING PROBLEMS AROUND
© Irene Becker, www.justcoachit.com

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Today, many of us start and finish each day in a race. A race against stress, a race against traffic, a race to do more, be more, get more…and often times we face challenges that can decrease our passion, deaden our potential and make us feel that we are driving our car with the gas pedal to the floor and going no where.

One of the reasons that I did a certification in emotional intelligence was that I realized a year in to my coaching practice that smart, fast and values driven are critical but they are not enough. Personal, business and professional success at the speed of change requires a whole new set of competencies, competencies like optimism, intentionality and resilience that increase as we develop our EQ.

But the seedbed for developing our EQ starts long before we delve into this important area of personal development. I believe that it starts when we realize that trying to master or control change is a fool’s game because change is inherently volatile and often totally unpredictable. Success cannot be realized by trying to control or master the unmasterable. But, when we stretch out of the comfort zone by trying to develop a new a new perspective of accepting changes and trying to use them as a tool that can help us grow and learn; our consciousness begins to shift and so does our sense of personal power. Here is an insightful parable I read in the book True Prosperity by Y. Berg:

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand! Every problem is an opportunity to improve our condition.

Victim to Victor

June 22, 2011/5 Comments/in 3Q Career and Performance Management, 3Q Personal Development, Happiness/by Irene Becker

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Victim to Victor
© Irene Becker, www.justcoachit.com

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We want life to be an easy path, but it is not. The sooner that we recognize that life is a not easy, the better. Life is difficult. It is a hard, tough journey. But, it is also challenging and exciting adventure, a treasured gift. How do we move from a focus of difficulty to a consistent expression of appreciation and joy? How do we move past the obstacles, the wounds of the past that we all face? It all starts with choice. Every day, every day you choose to be either a victor or a victim of life.

Victors choose the hard road, the path of personal power and positive change. They chose the road less traveled. A road of life by design, a path that reflects their values and their vision. Victims choose the easier path and in so doing become prisoners of a life spent by default. Victors live life with passion and purpose, victims just spend their life on autopilot, on a journey of default in which they dance to another man’s drummer and never find their true path. Victims and victors come in all sizes, shapes, economic and social classes. If you look closely you will see them in every station of life.

If you are victor reach out this week and inspire a colleague a friend to seize the day with passion and purpose. If you are a victim, do not despair. Carpe diem. You can change your thoughts, your beliefs, your habits to reflect your personal power and your ability to live life by design. The first step starts with awareness and appreciation. Each day, each moment holds the seed of possibility for positive change and growth. What is your drummer? What is your design? What dreams and values do you hold dear to your heart that you need to express? Are we impelled and propelled forward by values that speak to our true purpose, or by ego that will hold us in the embrace of false security and meaningless victories?

It is never too late to embrace self love and self worth. We can choose to walk the hero’s journey to the destination of our choice, to a life well spent. The choice is now. If you hear the call, take one small step today to move past fear, past habitual excuses, past negative self talk and self criticism that holds you back. Tomorrow take another step towards a greater goal. Hear the call. Victory awaits you.

Is Goodness is Good for Business?

June 22, 2011/14 Comments/in Uncategorized/by Irene Becker

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Goodness is that little pilot light of value, success, and satisfaction that is often cast aside. The old business model was about taking, the new model is about sharing and contributing.

Goodness is our greatest hope in a new economy, a new world of constant change where learning to collaborate and create solutions, learning to seek the good is the only path to sustainable success. Yes, leading from goodness to greatness is the benchmark of sustainable leadership.

Goodness does not mean dumbing down, nor does it mean living in the world of the warm and fuzzies. What it does mean is a return to a focus on the cardinal ethical imperatives that has always created the best in ourselves, in those we serve, those we lead and those who we have chosen to lead us.

Goodness is expressed in the services and products we sell. Goodness is transmitted through our shareholder, stakeholder and client relationships. Goodness means winning. Winning through sharing, winning through learning, winning through teaching, winning through collaborating, winning through inspiring the best in ourselves and others, winning by aligning that which we need with that which we create, winning by contributing, winning by becoming human centric and using our human centricity to align the power of our heads and our hearts.

We need to become human centric. The leader who can communicate goodness, authenticity, shared value, will drive success. All that is truly gold is good. All that is truly good is gold. And in a world, in a marketplace where goodness is the exception to the rule; those who will differentiate the way they serve, promote and sell their goods and treat their constituents by doing so with goodness, may very well achieve greatness.