SkillInside

We’re all just so “busy” these days. “Slammed” in fact. “Buried.” Desperately “trying to keep our heads above water.”  "Overloaded"  Busy is a catch all term. When we say "busy," we're really trying to say something else—although what exactly that might be depends on the harried soul that's complaining: I'm busy = I'm important. Being busy gives people a sense they're needed and important.  It's also a sign  that you are self-imposing these measures of self-worth by looking at quantity instead of quality of activity. Busyness does not equal productivity.  I'm busy = I'm giving you an excuse. Saying that you're busy is a handy way to outsource your responsibility to your irresponsibility. Since you're always distracted, you don't have to do anything for anybody.  I'm busy = I'm winning. To say that “I’m busier than you are” means I’m more important, or that my time is more valuable, or that I am “winning...

Photo Art : In Japanese, kanji “kokoro” can also be pronounced as “ shin “~  Shin means “heart”  and  can also mean “ mind.” We need the integration of heart and mind to make us whole. In business today, every leader, every boss, every chief executive officer, wants their company to be successful and so they advocate for tough-minded attitudes and strong-willed personalities. And in doing so, they sometimes miss the mark of creating the success they are after. They forget that for leadership to work, for business to excel, you need a balance. It takes not only tough-mindedness but also tenderheartedness to make a business succeed and grow. A great leader partners a tough mind with a tender heart. A tough-minded leader needs to also advocate for tenderhearted skills. To do so, you need to lead with these attributes: Tough-minded on focus and tenderhearted in flexibility . Great leaders need focus to gain success, but they must be flexible and agile in ...

Here’s a promise for every single week, following them through will end up changing your leadership and your life. There are some things every leader wants: to make an impact, to empower those we care about, professionally and personally, to be worthy of the challenges entrusted to us and to carry them out with integrity and passion. Make these promises, and then do everything in your power to keep them. I promise to identify vision, mission, and purpose. I promise to keep developing and improving. I promise to lead with character and conviction. I promise to lead with authenticity and vulnerability. I promise to stay on course and not cut corners. I promise to lead with humility. I promise to accept responsibility and be accountable. I promise to make others’ growth as important as mine. I promise to communicate concisely and speak with candor. I promise to encourage creativity and embrace innovation. I promise to listen and be silent when others speak. I promise ...

You may be wondering why is the empathetic leader the best leader? Empathy is a leadership competency – like no other skill- that can make a big difference when it comes to leadership. Empathy means being able to understand the needs of others. It means you’re aware of their feelings and their thinking. It doesn’t mean you have to agree with their point of view, but- it means  that you’re willing to understand and appreciate it. Many people are quick to empathy as a touchy-feely skill. But in truth, it can be difficult to master and demanding to maintain, and it has major impact on leadership. At the core leadership is ultimately about others. It means inspiring them to take actions beyond their capabilities, leading them in a direction that is compelling and inspiring. And empathy is the foundation of those actions. Here are six simple ways that empathy can make you into the best leader you can be: 1. Empathy creates bonds.  When you care about another, you...

Nothing sabotages your productivity quite like bad habits. They are insidious, creeping up on you slowly until you don’t even notice the damage they’re causing. Bad habits slow you down, decrease your accuracy, make you less creative and stifle your performance. Getting control of your bad habits is critical, and not just for productivity’s sake. A University of Minnesota study found that people who exercise a high degree of  self-control  tend to be much happier than those who don’t, both in the moment and in the long run. “By constant self-discipline and self-control you can develop greatness of character.” -- Grenville Kleiser Some bad habits cause more trouble than others, and the nine that follow are the worst offenders. Shedding these habits will increase your productivity and allow you to enjoy the positive mood that comes with increased self-control. 1. Impulsively surfing the internet.  It takes you 15 consecutive minutes of...

Take a minute to think about the most valuable things in life. If you are like most people, your list includes things such as family, friends, fitness and finances (money). Now, how would you rank these things on your list? It might surprise you to discover that many of those who are considered highly successful all rank the same thing at number one:  time . Why do these people consider time to be such a valuable asset? Shouldn’t health be No. 1? Well, think about it: You can be healthy, and then get sick, and then regain your health. How about money? You can lose all your money, and then you can make it all back. Friends are important, and yet, how many friends did you have back in college that you no longer keep in touch with? Or even people who were guests at your wedding, and that was the last day you ever saw them? Yes, friends are prized, yet we lose them and make new ones all the time. Your spouse might mean the world to you. And yet, 50% of married peopl...

Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.  –  John F. Kennedy A leadership position is not a destination. No one should “arrive” at a leadership position and just sit tight. A leadership position does not make you a leader, it merely gives you the opportunity to grow into one. To grow as a leader you must learn. Continually. The most successful people learn something new everyday and so do the most effective leaders. It doesn’t have to be an epiphany every day but you should add to your knowledge base each day. If you want to be a better manager then learn something about stuff, if you’re intent is to become a better leader then learn something about people. Learning something about people in general is good, learning something about your people specifically is great. Invest time each day to learn what motivates your people. Learn what their goals are, discover their challenges and even more important, how you as a leader might help them overcome ...

Success is no accident. Success is the result of hard work, perseverance, help from those around you and a solid plan. The more solid the plan, the better. Developing a plan for success increases your chances of success 100%. Yep, a plan doubles, at least, the likelihood of success. I find that statistic very interesting but here is one even more interesting, or scary depending on your point of view. 80% of people go through life with no actionable plan for success. 80%!       I’m pleased that everyone reading this has a real plan for success, one that truly drives their behavior. I must admit however that I am a little suspect that everybody reading this is indeed among that 20%. So let’s see if it’s true.       First let’s determine what an actionable plan is not: It is not, “I’m going to work harder” or “I’m going to work smarter” or any variation of the same. That is not a plan; it is a dream, a dream that turns into th...

When you hear good advice, you should always do two things: Take it in and pass it on. It's easy to find someone to tell you what you want to hear, but your true ally is one who tells you what you need to learn. Give yourself an edge with these 25 gems of sage advice that most people ignore. 1. Take time to know yourself.   "Know thyself" said Aristotle. When you know who you are, you can be wise about your goals, your dreams, your standards, your convictions. Knowing who you are allows you to live your life with purpose and meaning. 2. A narrow focus brings big results .  The number one reason people give up so fast is because they tend to look at how far they still have to go instead of how far they have come. But it's a series of small wins that can give us the most significant success. 3. Show up fully.   Don't dwell on the past, and don't daydream about the future, but concentrate on showing up fully in the present moment. 4. Don't make...