Successful People Let time Be On Their Side!

Hasty decision-making has been the cause of most of my mistakes. This is especially true when it comes to negotiations. If the party you are negotiating with wants you to make a quick decision — for whatever reason — let that serve as a warning.

Making good decisions takes time. There will always be seemingly "good" reasons for urgency. I don't buy it. Good decision-making requires perspective, and perspective comes with time. Most decisions can wait.

- Stephen Key

Successful People Follow Their Guts!

Over the years, I've learned to trust my instincts, because they're almost always right.

If something doesn't feel or look right, there's probably a reason.

Do due diligence and look into whatever is concerning you. You know more than you think you do.

If it walks like a duck and looks like a duck — it's probably a duck.

- Stephen Key

Successful People Are Willing To Seek Input From Peers!

Wondering how you are doing on your leadership path?

Ask.

It takes humility to say "How am I doing?" And even more humility to consider the answer.

Any company with a leadership team committed to developing a culture of trust will eventually realize that it starts with them. That is, if they're willing to change and set the wheels in motion. 

- Marcel Schwantes

Successful People Display Humility As A Leadership Strength!

I've heard a few times from people in positions of power that humility is weakness! Yet this core virtue drives against the inner strongholds that make a bad leader: pride, self-centeredness, judgmentalism, control, and impulsiveness.

Author and thought-leader Jim Collins has probably dedicated more time to researching and writing about humble leaders than any other topic in his landmark study of Level 5 Leadership. He states:

"Level 5 leaders channel their ego needs away from themselves and into the larger goal of building a great company. It's not that Level 5 leaders have no ego or self-interest. Indeed, they are incredibly ambitious — but their ambition is first and foremost for the institution, not themselves."

- Marcel Schwantes

Successful People are willing to trust and believe in the people they lead!

 

Stephen Covey says in "The Speed of Trust" that a team with high trust will produce results faster and at lower cost.

But should you first earn the trust of your people? Or does trust develop from having a belief in your people first — their strengths, abilities, and commitment?

In other words, which of these two statements would you agree with?

A. Trust is something that people must earn.

B. Trust is something that should be given as a gift.

If you chose A, you're in the majority. Conventional thinking says that people have to earn trust first, and if they violate that trust, it becomes difficult to earn it back, right?

But if you selected B, pat yourself on the back. It has been found that, in healthy organizations, leaders are willing to give trust to their followers first, and they give it as a gift even before it's earned.

- Marcel Schwantes

Successful People Show Remarkable Resilience In The Face Of Adversity!

Thomas Edison once said, "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."

Such leaders are the ones who bounce back from setbacks by self-diagnosing why the same issues keep coming up over and over. They will recover and be open to change much quicker — changing what's holding them back, and changing what no longer serves the company.

Those are people you can trust.

- Marcel Schwantes

Successful People Are Willing To Give Up Power!

You will find that many successful leaders give up power and entrust it to their team!

They do this because they are confident in their team's ability, since trust is freely given as a gift even before it's earned. 

By giving up their power and pushing their authority down, they empower others to own decisions, thus creating a proactive leader-leader culture of success, rather than a reactive leader-follower culture.

- Marcel Schwantes

Successful People Are Thankful!

Unfortunately, even saying thank you has become more and more rare. But if you really want to make an impression, don't just say it. Prove it.

Along with leaving a note or saying thanks, why not bring in a box of sweets or take the team out to lunch? This doesn't take much time or money, but it goes a long way in bringing people together and building a positive mood in the workplace.

- Justin Bariso

Successful People Get To Know Others!

Nowadays, I work from home. But when I shared an office, I'd always take time to greet whoever was there when I came in. 

Later on, I'd seek out one or two individuals to share a morning coffee with.

View those few minutes a day as a small investment that pays rich dividends--in the form of higher-quality working relationships.

- Justin Bariso

Successful People Are Helpful!

Years ago, I read some valuable words of wisdom from renowned business leader Douglas Conant. He relayed the following experience, which occurred shortly after he lost a job early in his career:

I went to an outplacement counselor; a man by the name of Neil MacKenna. Every time Neil would answer the phone he would say, "Hello, this is Neil MacKenna, how can I help?"

With those four words, "How can I help?" Neil changed my entire work life. He helped me see beyond my own agenda to discover the fulfillment of starting every interaction with a desire to be helpful.

This was a very powerful lesson, delivered in four words. It took all of two seconds.

Most of the time, it doesn't take much to be helpful. A minute to help a colleague carry a heavy load, another to walk someone to a location that's difficult to find.

By cultivating an attitude of helpfulness, you make an impactful difference that others notice.

- Justin Bariso

Successful People Praise!

We all crave praise and acknowledgement of our work, whether we realize it or not. When you take time out to tell someone what you appreciate about him or her, you provide motivation and bring out the best in that person.

Of course, the key is authenticity; people can spot a fake compliment from a mile away. So make sure your commendation is sincere and specific.

- Justin Bariso

Successful People Smile!

Science points to numerous benefits to smiling, and they include influencing how others perceive us. For example, studies have shown how smiling makes us appear more friendly, approachable, and even competent.

Research also indicates that smiles are contagious. By smiling more, you can actually influence the mood of others and contribute to a more pleasant working environment.

- Justin Bariso

Successful People Make Others Feel Good!

When you make others feel good about themselves, they enjoy being around you. Those people then seek you out, which leads to all sorts of opportunities. (Not to mention that when others like you, they're more likely to give you the things you want.)

And although life is much more than a popularity contest, your likability can make the day a little brighter for everyone.

- Justin Bariso