Think like a leader

Read one of Robin Sharma's best posts till date. Here is an excerpt. Think like what you want to be.

The root cause of all rare-air productive, financial, personal and global success...

...your psychology.

If you're not thinking like the dominant star of your industry, your performance will never rise to match that expectation.

If you're not thinking you can get your massive dreams done, your behavior will never be sufficient to get giant goals done.

If you're not thinking like someone who's the rockstar of their field, financially free, healthy as an athlete and happier than you could ever imagine, then there's no way you'll get there.

Why? Because your outcomes always reflect your self-identity (a.k.a. your psychology).

Researchers like Sonja Lyubomirsky have done some fascinating work on "the power of the self-fulfilling prophecy". Definitely read her book The How of Happiness this week.

Bottom line: the hard-core psychologists confirm that your psychology and expectations for your performance determine your results.

You absolutely have to learn to think like the very best do to experience the rewards and lifestyle that the VERY best have.

19 Victim Versus Leader Distinctions

19 Victim Versus Leader Distinctions:

#1. Victims talk about people. Leaders talk about ideas.

#2. Victims procrastinate around their goals. Leaders execute on them.

#3. Victims enjoy watching things (like TV and video games). Leaders like making things.

#4. Victims are distracted. Leaders are concentrated.

#5. Victims abhor change. Leaders Adore change.

#6. Victims read what everyone reads. Leaders read what few do.

#7. Victims associate with other victims. Leaders spend most of their time with superstars (and thereby dramatically elevate their productivity and success).

#8. Victims are stuck in the past. Leaders are inspired by the future.

#9. Victims resist hard projects. Leaders seek them out (knowing it refines their chops).

#10. Victims work at mediocrity. Leaders view work as an opportunity to pursue Mastery.

#11. Victims give most of their time to leisure. Leaders spend a ton of time on their learning.

#12. Victims tear people down (because it makes them feel better). Leaders lift others up.

#13. Victims are rude. Leaders are polite.

#14. Victims practise negativity. Leaders are unreasonably positive.

#15. Victims can’t wait to retire. Leaders are afraid to retire (why retire when you’re having so much fun building something important, growing more leaders and producing value for the world?).

#16. Victims waste time. Leaders exploit time.

#17. Victims achieve things for the applause. Leaders achieve them for the fulfillment.

#18. Victims sleep late. Leaders rise early.

#19. Victims view work as a means to pay the bills. Leaders view work as a way to change the world.

My great wish is that these ideas inspire you to Lead Without a Title, lift your teammates to their next level of wow and grow a great company.

See more at: http://www.robinsharma.com

Monday Blues: 5 Quick Productivity Tactics

From Robin Sharma's notes.

1. Work in 90 minute bursts of productivity then take 20 minutes to recover and renew. Then work 90 minutes. Then renew. The clients I've helped to install this practice have reported off-the-chart results.
2. Take a full day off from technology every week. Non-stop stimulation prevents you from doing your deepest thinking and achieving your greatest results.
3. Block out negative influences so you stay at your best in uncertain times
4. Learn to elegantly and politely say no (to unimportant activities)
5. Exercise first thing in the morning for a day of peak energy and fierce stamina

Delivering a Wow

Robin's words echo my thoughts, though in a different situation...

In my mind, Lady Gaga is the new Madonna. Love her music or not, part of her genius is pushing the envelope and being so entertaining that everyone around the water cooler the next day is talking about just one thing: Gaga.

1. She's herself. Leadership means doing your vision (even if you're title is janitor - be a visionary janitor and create wow in your work). Leadership means staying true to your self. And leadership means, well, not following. Lady Gaga doesn't behave in a way designed to please the crowd. No, with those wild costumes and stunning theatrics, she sets her own course. And then leads.

2. She knows her customers. The best companies create what I call "Fanatical Followers" - customers who are so in love with who you are and what you do that they have crossed the boundary from loyalty into outright fanaticism. Lady Gaga knows what her fans want - and she delivers it to them. Every time.

3. She puts on a show. When you get to work every day, it's showtime. No one cares if you have a cold or if you're feeling off or if you had a fight with your best friend. We are paid to do great work. And the best businesses offer their customers an experience, not just a product or a service. Gaga's shows are experiences.

4. She Leads Without a Title. Much of my new book, "The Leader Who Had No Title" is all about the opportunity every single one of us has each day to shift from victimhood into leadership. To transcend our current circumstances to play in the rare-air of excellence, mastery and genius. This isn't hype. There are people who have learned to do this and I share their process in the book. But the key thing to remember is that Lady Gaga was just an ordinary person, chasing a dream in New York City, not so long ago. But through talent, hard work, ingenuity and leadership, she shed the shackles of ordinary and grew into extraordinary. You can do the same, in your work and within your life. Starting today.

Monday blues: Monday and Time

Continuing with the Monday series, Robin Sharma speaks to us today.

Time is a beautiful commodity. It is part of the hardware of life. What you do with it shapes, in so many ways, what your life looks like. And yet, while almost every one of us wishes for more time, we misuse the time we have on hand.

I am no guru, you know that. But I have become pretty good at using my time well. Time wasted is time lost and the big idea on time is that once it is lost, it can never be regained.

I recently read that John Templeton, the celebrated financier, never went anywhere without a book in his briefcase. This way, if he found himself in a long line, he could use the downtime to read, learn and grow. I also read in the Rolling Stone magazine that Madonna hates wasting time. She used to bring a book with her when she would go out to a nightclub to use the time when she wasn't dancing, efficiently.

My coaching clients are like that. And they lead big lives as a result of that giant devotion to time management. I want to be clear: I am in no way suggesting that every minute of your days, weeks, months need to be scheduled. Be spontaneous. Be playful. Be free. I am a free spirit at heart. I just find that the people who have the most time for fun are those who know how to plan and use their time well.

In my experience, the people who feel stress the most and lead their lives like a five-alarm fire are those who leave life to chance and make no time to set schedules, articulate goals and follow well-thought-out plans.

"Anxiety is caused by a lack of control, organisation, preparation and action," observed thinker David Kekich. That's a powerful thought, isn't it?

--Robin Sharma is the author of The Greatness Guide (Jaico) [via DNA]

Self author

Shakespeare, the genius English playwright, once noted: "To Thine own self be true." Such powerful words. To lead remarkably. And to live richly.

More than ever before, the clients we do leadership development work with are embracing the imperative of authenticity as a means to build fast teams and grow real results. "Authentic" simply means to "self-author". To show authenticity at work is simply to be yourself. To stand comfortably in your own skin. To be real versus plastic. And to express your absolute best. In so doing, you will become the passionate author of an excellent career. And the wise scriptwriter of a life well lived.

--- Robin's blog