A Blog about Leadership, Execution, & The Pursuit of Greater Success

Leadership Trait to Ponder: Strength

December 30, 2013 by Todd Nielsen

For the rest of the year, every Monday, (unless I change the day :-)) I will release this new series on leadership traits. I have a whole years worth of ‘trait posts’ queued up and I really hope they inspire you to be better at the weeks given trait. I introduced this idea with Gratitude in November an it was well received. So with this being week one of 2014 lets get started.

Today the leadership trait to ponder is Strength. The dictionary defines Strength as: the quality or state of being physically strong; the ability to resist being moved or broken by a force; the quality that allows someone to deal with problems in a determined and effective way. Wow, have you ever really considered the impact of that definition of strength in your leadership? The effects could be enormous. Below are some of my favorite quotes to help inspire and illustrate Strength. As you read these quotes, think about how you can exemplify this leadership trait in yourself this week.

Quotes on Strength

When restraint and courtesy are added to strength, the latter becomes irresistible.” ~Mohandas Gandhi

Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” ~Khalil Gibran

Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Real strength is not just a condition of one’s muscle, but a tenderness in one’s spirit.” ~McCallister Dodds

When something bad happens you have three choices. You can let it define you, let it destroy you, or you can let it strengthen you.” ~Unknown

Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” Mohandas Gandhi

Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men.” ~John F. Kennedy

Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.” ~Napoleon Hill

Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.” ~Oprah Winfrey

What do you think about when you ponder Strength? Do you have a favorite quote of your own on strength? Please share your thoughts below!

Strength – A Leadership Trait to Ponder! Tweet This

Filed Under: Leadership Traits Tagged With: Leader, Leadership, Management, Strength, Todd Nielsen

Leadership Trait to Ponder: Gratitude

November 28, 2013 by Todd Nielsen

On this day of Thanksgiving in 2013, I’d like to introduce a new series called, Leadership Traits to Ponder. In this series there will be one post a week with thoughts, quotes, or stories that illustrate the given trait. The purpose of this series is to fuel the fire of thought in how the given trait could be more influential in your climb to greater leadership success. Each article will be short and easy to digest.

Let’s get started!

The first leadership trait to ponder, on this day, has to be Gratitude. The dictionary defines Gratitude as: the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful. Below are some of my favorite quotes to help inspire and illustrate the quality of Gratitude. As you read these quotes on Gratitude, think about how you can exemplify this leadership trait in yourself.

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.” ~Marcus Tullius Cicero

Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.” ~Brian Tracy

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” ~Melody Beattie

A smart manager will establish a culture of gratitude. Expand the appreciative attitude to suppliers, vendors, delivery people, and of course, customers.” ~Harvey Mackay

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” ~Albert Schweitzer

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”” ~Melodie Beattie

In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.” ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Money matters, but less than we think and not in the way we think. Family is important. So are friends. Envy is toxic. So is excessive thinking. Beaches are optional. Trust is not. Neither is gratitude.” ~Eric Weiner

Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.” ~Gladys Bertha Stern

Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is.” ~Ernest Hemingway

You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you.” ~Sarah Ban Breathnach

I could not close without thanking you; my loyal readers who have followed me and supported me. I’m thankful for the many friends this venture has resulted in, and promise to deliver more value so you can be a greater leader.

What do you think about when you ponder Gratitude? Please share your thoughts below!

Also what day of the week would it be best to deliver this weekly series on a leadership trait to ponder? What day would really give the opportunity to really ponder the trait being discussed?

Filed Under: Leadership Traits Tagged With: Gratitude, Leader, Leadership, Management, Todd Nielsen

Thermostats and Thermometers – Effective Leadership Changes the Climate

September 23, 2013 by Todd Nielsen

Often paraphrased as “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” Mohandas Gandhi actually wrote:“We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.” (Vol. 13, Ch. 153, page 241)

Put another way, we might say that leadership is concerned not with being a thermometer, but with being a thermostat. Our primary interest is not just reporting the temperature – but in exerting influence and encouragement in order to change the temperature.

Just as a thermostat must have an accurate thermometer, a leader must be able to honestly assess the current state of the organization in order to make corrections to the environment. However like a thermostat, a leader must also outline the steps necessary to change the climate of the organization toward the preferred future.

As leaders, it’s important that our own attitudes, actions, and words are consistent with this preferred vision of the future. Even though the preferred future is not yet reality, we must live as though it is coming true day by day. As we do this, team members begin to catch the vision, and it not only guides our future – but the present as well. Rarely does this happen all at once, and the wise leader learns to celebrate each baby step toward the goal.

Consequently, change within an organization begins at the top. A leader must not only see the current state of the organization, but have the vision to see the desired future. With that vision in mind, the leader executes the steps necessary to change the culture, and begins to communicate expectations to the team members.

A leader must not only see the current state of the organization, but have the vision to see the desired future. ~ Tweet this!

Instead of merely mirroring the status quo, or getting caught up in the negative aspects of the environment, wise leaders take to heart those words of Gandhi, that by changing oneself – we thereby change the attitudes of the world around us.

What are some of the ways you have seen a leader move from being a thermometer to being a thermostat? What are some of the steps you take toward changing the culture of your organization?

Filed Under: Leadership Tagged With: Change Leadership, culture, leaders, Leadership, Leadership Termostat, Leadership Thermometer, thermometer, Todd Nielsen, www.toddnielsen.com+thermostats-thermometers-effective-leadership-climate

Five Tenets of Leadership Success

August 19, 2013 by Todd Nielsen

Leaders are an integral part of our society. In many elementary classrooms there is a boy or a girl line leader to lead the class to the restroom, lunch, and recess. There are even the leaders in the game Simon Says. In this game all who participate must repeat the action of the leader. As children get older leadership transforms into something more complex. Leaders don’t just lead by actions, they lead in their thoughts, ideas, and morals – but what will leadership in the future look like?

“Will this new generation of leaders be innovators or followers?” Asked Forbes Contributor, Henry Doss. The answer is simple, it lies in education. In his recent article he shares five keys to educating the next generation of leaders.

Language – to ensure that the leaders of the future do not embrace the “status quo” they must be strong communicators. Ideally leaders will be able to solve dilemmas and convey ideas with the written and spoken word. Furthermore, they are able to communicate with grace and confidence.
Leadership – When Doss speaks of leadership, he is not speaking of leadership in the conventional sense. He states that the leaders of tomorrow must learn how to fail before they can learn to be successful. He also states that the education of today is success-driven. Education must give students the opportunity to take on challenges, risk it all, and fail.
Authenticity – Leaders can not be authentic without being self-aware. Change is a constant and leaders must sense when change is happening or when change is needed, and they must be able to adapt to change, and change quickly. Therefore education should cause students to be more self-aware and to be aware of change around them.
Breadth – Today’s college experience limits what a student can study. Colleges classify areas of study into majors, and students must choose which areas they would like to focus on. The problem with this focus is that students chose a major, and after graduation it may be difficult to find a career in their major. However change is constant and what is available in today’s job field may not be available in the future.
Resilience – As we mentioned above, not all students are able to find a career in their field of study. Likewise, after graduation. Graduates will hold many jobs often in different fields. This necessitates that leaders be resilient, and education needs to teach them to “turn on a dime.”

While these five points are written in the context of students and a younger generation, they certainly still apply to all of us. As we embrace these and many other tenets of leadership, we will be more prepared to take on any challenge, and to create a better future that we can be proud of.

Filed Under: Leadership Tenets Tagged With: authenticity, Breadth, Language, Leadership, Resilience, success, Tenants of Leadership, tenets, Todd Nielsen

4 Large Steps to Greater Self-Development and 1 Big Leap for Success

August 6, 2013 by Todd Nielsen

Aaaah… self-development. Most people want to improve and become smarter, healthier, and more successful… but it’s never easy. Often trials and struggles have beat us down and hinder our desire and ability to improve. If crippling personal issues are beating you down, you won’t be able to focus on the road ahead. Here are a few concrete steps to get your mind where it needs to be.

Start with small accomplishments—but don’t stay there.

We all have some accomplishments in our life. Look at what you have done and build on that. Take the next logical step outward. If a particular subject interests you, research it, maybe write a white paper. Once you’ve written it, consider publishing it as an e-book. If you have one e-book published, research a second.

Take what you have, no matter how small, and let that spark turn into a fire.” ~ Todd Nielsen (Click to Tweet)

Listen to criticism.

Feedback is immensely important for self-correction. It’s important to see how you’re coming across to others, “Wait,” you say, “everybody’s a critic, and they all tell me something different.” That’s true, you deal with that by picking one or two people whom you trust implicitly, then solicit their advice. These must be people who are not afraid to tell you the truth. If you ask them, you have to seriously consider what they say, even if you don’t agree with it. Find a way to implement their suggestions as a test. It may surprise you.

Take failure for what it’s worth: a great deal.

Failing at an endeavor is one of the most educational experiences life has to offer. It requires honesty and humility to assess the reasons for the failure and the corrections required. It’s a lesson you’ll never forget.

Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” ~ Winston Churchill (Click to Tweet)

Find your passion, then find out how to make it benefit others.

Truly self-developed people never stop with themselves; they are always looking for ways to spread what they have learned. This is not only how the greatest philanthropists establish their reputations, but how the greatest entrepreneurs make their fortunes.

Being a person that is driven by accomplishment, I am always striving to improve myself. These steps are not always easy, and there are a lot more steps on the road to success. There have been many times I have wanted to give up, but we have to carry on, build on what we have, and continue to make greater and greater success.

Please share your thoughts on what you do to improve and develop yourself.

Filed Under: Leadership Self-Development Tagged With: Criticism, failure, Leadership, Passion, self-development, success, Todd Nielsen

Truth: The Lynchpin of Good Leadership

August 1, 2013 by Todd Nielsen

Once upon a time, there was a great sports hero. He was considered the best in his field. He won several world titles, defeated a bout with cancer, and then won some more world titles. He was famous, people respected him and he earned a lot of money. To give back to the community, he started a charitable foundation and he was admired by all.

Then he lied… The end.

There are many qualities of leadership, but the adverse of many of those qualities can instantly derail all the good that a leader has accomplished. Lying is one of those things that can consume light. It can instantly destroy respect and trust.

Lying consumes light, destroys respect, and causes leaders to fail” ~ Todd Nielsen (Click to Tweet)

Leaders must tell the truth. There is absolutely no getting around this simple rule. The truth, when communicated regularly and in a timely fashion, is an essential play in a leader’s playbook, and results in an increase in morale and credibility.

I’m not upset that you lied to me, I’m upset that from now on I can’t believe you.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche (Click to Tweet)

Increase in Morale

The truth improves morale, because it serves to detour rumors; keeping everyone aware of issues and what is happening around them. Without knowing the truth, and without being kept up to date on the truth, rumors can quickly circulate.

Increase in Credibility

The truth will always increase your credibility, and more rapidly, a lie will ruin your credibility… instantly. Leaders can tell the truth a thousand times, but one lie will ruin all of the trust they have built up. With great credibility and morale, a leader can move towards personal and organizational success.

So make it a personal motto to be a leader of integrity by telling the truth. Being honest with yourself and others will help to increase your respect, effectiveness, and ability to lead others, and your organization, to success.

Filed Under: Leadership Truth & Honesty Tagged With: Credibility, Honesty, Leader, Leadership, Management, morale, Organization Success, Todd Nielsen, Truth

What’s Your Style of Leadership: The Big One, The Trendy One, or The Child…

July 29, 2013 by Todd Nielsen

If you visit a bowling alley and watch the bowlers, there are a few things you might see. There will probably be the big guy with a loud voice, throwing the ball as fast as he possibly can. There might be the trendy lady who doesn’t want to bend too much because her pants are too tight. You might see the five year old; who walks up to the line, bends over, and pushes the bowling ball.

All of these bowlers start with the same chance of getting a strike, but the likelihood of succeeding is all in their style.

Leadership is a lot like bowling, it takes… style. You need to be able to identify your style, and adjust for each situation. Using the big bowler as an example, his first throw down the alley might result in nine pins knocked down, leaving only one. If he uses the same approach with his second toss, he might miss completely. He will have a much better possibility of success if he slows down and focuses on the remaining pin.

When leading, take a few moments periodically and reassess the style you are using. It could be that what worked at the beginning of a project, is not the style that is needed in the middle or the end of a project. Keeping a team focused and enthused about their goal takes effort, and needs a bit of adjustment now and again. As teams mature, the style needed to lead them will also change.

What style works for you?

Filed Under: Leadership Style Tagged With: Bowling, focus, Leadership, leadership style, old, style, Team Leadership, the, Todd Nielsen, you

The Ultimate Annual Personal Success Plan – NOW FREE!

July 22, 2013 by Todd Nielsen

As we passed the half year mark I reviewed my long-term and annual goals and realized that if I wanted to achieve some of my goals, I needed to really help others achieve their goals. I have been using the Ultimate Annual Success Plan this year and it has been enormously helpful in assisting me to achieve my goals. I decided that it was time to give back to my subscribers and help make the second half of this year – your best year ever.

In case you are not familiar with the Ultimate Annual Success Plan, it is a Microsoft Excel Workbook that is meant to not only help define your goals, but it will help you to align, track, measure, and execute on the plans to reach your annual goals… and beyond.

It is something I have been working on for 3 years, and it continues to evolve and improve. I hope it can help you achieve your goals as well.

Below are a series of 5 videos that take you through the entire workings of the success plan. To get the Ultimate Annual Success Plan for Free just subscribe and your discount code and link will be sent to you.

Video 1: Define Your Goals

Video 2: Monthly Planning

Video 3: Weekly Planning, Tracking, & Review

Video 4: Dashboard & Notes Report

Video 5: Wrap-up & Extending the Tool

I hope and pray that this tool will help you be successful this year, and for years to come. Subscribe now to receive the link and discount code. If you have the discount code, you can order below.

How to Get the Ultimate Annual Personal Success Plan for FREE

The Ultimate Annual Personal Success Plan Excel Workbook sales for $79.95, but as a subscriber you get it for FREE!

If you are already a subscriber you should have received a discount code, if you have not subscribed, type your name and email below and a discount will be emailed to you right away. if you have already subscribed and do not have a code, please contact me.

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Need a Personal Performance Partner and Coach? (Read Below)

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Together – lets make this the best year ever!

Filed Under: Personal Success Plan Tagged With: annual, Annual Plan, Execution, goals, Leadership, Personal Success Plan, resolutions, Success Plan, Todd Nielsen, Ultimate Success Plan

Execution Explained – In a Tiny Nutshell

July 10, 2013 by Todd Nielsen

“Everything is theoretically impossible, until it is done.” An American science-fiction author, Robert A. Heinlein, is responsible for capturing the essence of execution in these eight simple words.

Execution is simply translating ideas into action. It is getting things done to achieve a goal, desire, or vision. People define success in business very differently; it might be by their profitability, their culture, their size, being “#1,” or a hundred other things. In the end, no success can be achieved if people can’t get things done.

Going from “A” to “B” in real life is never easy, or we would all be accomplished in our fields. So what are the specific steps of executing a purpose? Well for a business it can be complicated and far reaching, but if I had to throw a process that can take months into a nutshell it would consist of these basic actions:

Write Down What You Want To See Happen. Make it as plain and detailed as possible. Write it all down, then try to simplify and clarify the goals as much as possible.

Prioritize Your Goals. Which one is most critical? Which one will have the biggest impact? Start with that one—not the one that is easiest, or most familiar to you. Don’t assume you can do it all. It is better to focus on what you can achieve.

Evaluate And Examine It. Visualize this goal as a destination on a map, while you examine routes to get there. Which routes are possible, and by what means? Are the impossible routes really impossible? What if you were to create a route—be a trailblazer? Continuing this analogy, look at the landscape. What are the obstacles (the competition)? Where are your fallback routes? What or who do you need to reach your destination?

Research And Collaborate. Talk to people who know more than you do. Talk to people who think differently than you do. Get all the perspectives you can on your destination.

Make A Plan And A Timeline. Be specific. Write down everything, create your map. You can always modify the details later, but you cannot modify what you haven’t written down.

Break Down The Plan Into Small, Doable Actions. The biggest problem with execution is that most people look too far ahead when they need to be watching the road right in front of them. Break down everything; when things will get done, who will do them, how you will determine if you have achieved the small actions. A series of small steps can lead a long way toward your destination, if you have done all the preparation beforehand.

…and finally,

Don’t give up. Change of course if you have to, change vehicles when necessary; but if you’re ever going to get there… keep going.

Execution is what makes the world turn, and its what turns companies into huge successes. If you tell your spouse that you love them, but you don’t execute on those words and show your love, then its doomed. The same goes for business. You just gotta execute!

Filed Under: Execution Tagged With: Execution, goals, Leadership, planning, strategy, Todd Nielsen, vision

Ingenious Invention Plus a Thoughtful Culture of Execution – Equate Success

July 8, 2013 by Todd Nielsen

Thomas Edison, undoubtedly one of the most celebrated inventors of the 20th century, was the quintessential idea man. Over the course of his career he generated almost 1,100 patents including those of the light bulb, the phonograph, and the motion picture camera. Edison’s prolific career was not just a result of his ingenuity. Though his ideas were certainly the start of his success, it was the culture of execution that he created that propelled those dreams into realities that could be held in the public’s hands.

One of the most important roles that any leader or manager can possess is the ability to execute. After all, effective leaders not only populate their organizations with the best dreamers, but they also provide the structure necessary to transform those dreams into reality.

Before any action can even be planned, it is imperative that a company define their purpose (Mission) a healthy belief system (Values), and a vision and goals for the future. These are some of the beginning elements to creating a foundational structure that will support vibrant execution.

Once a solid foundation is laid, team members’ behaviors can be more effectively addressed. Every organization already has a culture in place, but some are more conducive to effective execution than others. It may be necessary to redefine certain cultural aspects for increased productivity. Keep in mind, however, that such behavioral changes may take up to three months to successfully take hold, are most effective when accompanied by sound frameworks and clear accountability, and become an integral component to the daily routine. While it is perfectly natural for these changes to bring about a bit of tension, they will eventually become just another aspect of the new norm of a more productive behavioral climate.

Such an efficacious environment will be best supported by a sound framework for execution. The leader’s most significant tasks include keeping the team’s eyes on the company’s goals and core ideology, proposed evolution, future brand, as well as the steps necessary to achieve the goals for the future. Such scaffolding will ensure that all key parties are working to realize the same priorities.

Building a highly productive climate is the most difficult charge for any organization’s leadership. Thoughtful planning, meaningful training, and continual reassessment will be necessary to build a true culture of execution. The greatest business paradigm occurs when great invention meets thoughtful execution. By creating such a productive atmosphere, you will ensure that your company’s efforts will reach the public, just like those of Thomas Edison.

Filed Under: Execution Tagged With: Culture of Execution, Execution, innovation, Leadership, mission, Todd Nielsen, values, vision